#National League Championship Series

[trendynewsnow]

A Night to Remember: The Mets' Unforgettable Journey

“What a story, right?” Those words, first spoken by the Mets’ manager, Carlos Mendoza, were printed on the special edition Mets beer koozie I purchased during the electrifying game against the Dodgers last Friday. They encapsulated not just the team’s remarkable postseason journey but resonated particularly with the atmosphere that night. The Temptations graced the field, delivering a powerful…

[a2zsportsnews]

National League Championship Series Preview: Dodgers vs. Mets

Let’s get one thing out of the way up front: Jose Iglesias has issued an appeal to the gods. Iglesias, a pop singer who performs as Candelita and sometime infielder for the New York Mets, has seen his song, “OMG,” become something of a victory anthem. It’s been on signs and shirts and — above all — on repeat, as Iglesias’ club charged from fourth place in June all the way to the NLCS in…

[mescher-core]

🐻‍❄️

[1863-project]

(video and tweet source)

THE HANSHIN TIGERS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE OF THE COLONEL!

For the people who don't know, in 1985, the Hanshin Tigers won their first (and at the time, only) Japan Series victory. Traditionally, they've been hard luck losers, and they're often compared to the Red Sox in the sense of their being overshadowed by the Yomiuri Giants, who, like the Yankees, have won more championships than any other team in their league.

When they won, fans resembling the players on the team were jumping into the Dotonbori Canal in Osaka - the fans would yell out a player's name, and a fan who looked like them would jump in. The problem was when they got to Randy Bass, who none of the Japanese fans looked like. They needed to find something resembling him and selected a statue of Colonel Sanders, who was white and had a beard like Bass, and threw it into the canal.

Colonel Sanders sank underwater, and the Hanshin Tigers did...horribly after that, usually coming in last in the league or close to it, to the point where the team was considered cursed by his presence in the canal. The team made the Japan Series a few times after that in the 2000s and once in the 2010s, but lost each time.

In 2009, the Colonel was located and recovered from the Dotonbori Canal, save for his left hand and his glasses. He's now at a location near Koshien Stadium, where the Tigers play their home games (and where the famed national high school baseball championships are played), and can be viewed there to this day.

Fans were, however, not convinced that they had earned the Colonel's forgiveness, since his hand and glasses were missing. In the image above, he's been given some replacement glasses, but he still lacks a left hand.

This year, Hanshin beat the Orix Buffaloes, a team that plays roughly 20 minutes away by train in Nishinomiya, 4-3 in a seven-game series. The curse is thus considered broken...so the fans did what they do best, and threw a fan dressed like Colonel Sanders into the Dotonbori Canal.

For years, this has been my favorite baseball story, and I'm so happy that I was alive to see it seen all the way through. Congratulations, Hanshin fans!

[reasonsforhope]

"Justine Siegal, the first woman coach employed by a Major League Baseball team, is attempting to make more history -- this time by creating an American professional baseball league specifically for women. Siegal is one of the co-founders of the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL), which aims to begin play during the summer of 2026.

Siegel and co-founder/lawyer Keith Stein have enlisted a few other notable names as special advisors... Those include World Series-winning manager Cito Gaston and Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato, a five-time Women's Baseball World Cup champion. (Sato is also part of Japan Women's Baseball League.)

The WPBL is hoping to land a national television deal ahead of its inaugural season. The league intends to have a full season, as well as playoffs and a championship round. At present, the goal is to field six teams at launch, with those clubs located "predominantly" in the Northeast region of the United States. 

"The Women's Pro Baseball League is here for all the girls and women who dream of a place to showcase their talents and play the game they love," Siegal said as part of the WPBL's press release announcing its formation. "We have been waiting over 70 years for a professional baseball league we can call our own. Our time is now."

Stein, for his part, added: "We believe that the success of other women's professional leagues such as the WNBA and NWSL demonstrates the incredible interest and support for women's sport."

The United States has won two Women's Baseball World Cups, and most recently finished as the runners-up in the 2024 event (that was played in 2023). The U.S. team roster included, among others, pitcher/outfielder Kelsie Whitmore. Whitmore has been a trailblazer in her own right, appearing in games with various independent leagues, including the Atlantic League, Pacific Association, and, as of this year, the Pioneer League."

-via CBS Sports, October 30, 2024

[kedsandtubesocks]

game changer (national league)

MLB catcher!Frankie Morales x F!Reader

summary: it’s your boyfriend’s first big game on his new team & you can’t wait to see what fun the match holds for you and your favorite player

warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY MDNI, baseball AU, light use of gendered language, good cozy fluff, lovesick & sweet!Frankie, competency kink, smutty thoughts, spicy themes, light mask & outfit kink, car sex, heavy making out, oral (f receiving), allusion to p in v, eventual!husband Frankie, lots of baseball talk

word count: 2.9k

a/n: yeah didn’t think I’d ever make a new baseball story for another Pedro boy but I’m on that World Series championship celebration high so here we are LMAO, thanks to @tonysopranosrobe my darling for always dealing with my sports ass (ily forever Han) & to @jolapeno for always being the best Frankie enabler i could ever scream with (I adore you Jo) - and to anyone who decides to read please know I appreciate you thank you so much ♡

This is Frankie’s first season catching as a Los Angeles Dodger. You thought he’d be playing for Miami until he eventually retired. But baseball is still a strange sport, an almost chaotic rush of chess at times with pieces switching all around.

“A team still wants me even when I’m about to turn thirty nine. So fuck, yeah I’ll take it.” Frankie had joked then, but you knew, even for his age, he’s considered one of the league’s best veteran players.

Then before the trade was finalized, Frankie sat you down and told you he might be moving to LA.

“This means…we really might not be seeing each other as often.” He muttered. “But I can maybe try to see if Tampa can be an option.”

He was willing to find a way to stay in Florida for you. Even though you were a bit heartbroken he was leaving, you couldn’t let him pass up on this amazing deal and new opportunity.

The gentle cooling California breeze now flutters all around. You won’t be able to make many trips out here often, but you wanted to at least be here for the first home game to support your favorite baseball player.

You first were introduced to Frankie at your best friend cookout. You had met her cousins Benny and his brother Will before. You were instead being introduced to all their friends, including the very handsome Santiago who insisted you call him Pope.

However, it was Frankie who stole your heart that day.

You and him had accidentally walked into each other, causing your drink to spill on him. Frantic, and so embarrassingly apologetic, you immediately went to wipe away your mess.

“I gotta admit… I’ve been trying to work up the confidence to talk to you. Guess the universe helped me out a bit.” Frankie had shyly said, and his words sent your heart fluttering.

It was an effortlessly sweet introduction after that, filled with easy small talk. When you asked what he did for work, Frankie explained he worked at the stadium for the Miami Marlins.

“Oh that’s cool!” You had said bright, but Benny just as bright yelled out -

“It’s cause he fucking plays there!”

Frankie had blushed furious, cussing angrily in Spanish at Benny. But what Benny said was true.

Frankie, very humbled and almost embarrassed, confirmed he did in fact play for the Marlins.

“But I’m just a water boy.” He added with a boyish grin.

“He’s a fucking liar! He’s one of the league’s best catchers!” Pope had then yelled proud.

You became friends with Frankie that day, but you also quickly learned about Francisco Morales.

Professional Major League Baseball player Francisco Morales.

That very first day you met Frankie your knowledge of baseball was bare bones.

Now, as his girlfriend, he jokes how hot it is hearing you talk about the game with him or anyone else.

It’s how you’re able to mingle with the others in the large friends and family suite for the team now. The food of course is delicious, and everyone warmly welcomes you. But you want to be by the action when the game starts.

You need to be near your guy.

Frankie’s job as a catcher has him sitting behind home plate.

A catcher is an intense position. They’re the one person during the game that has full eyes on the field. They alone protect home plate and sometimes call pitches for the pitcher to throw. The catcher is even argued to be the commander of the field. Catchers need to be solid, almost a rock like foundation for their team.

“I only started playing catcher in high school ‘cause our team’s catcher got suspended, and they needed someone, so I just did it.” Frankie had told you with a shrug.

To you though, Frankie seemed born to be a catcher.

Even as quietly warm and playful your Frankie can be, he holds a stead quiet diligence. Always watching, protective of those he cares for. He’s hardworking and incredibly resilient.

However, there was a joke you read about catchers being stubborn because what person willingly and stubbornly sits in the same position game after game. You can greatly agree to the hidden stubborn streak Frankie holds, like stubbornly telling you he was going to fix your ceiling fan and then getting pissy when you had Benny simply do it for you.

But stubborn or not, Frankie has been the most perfect and openly communicative partner. Even with the long distance between you and him, he has always been a phone call away. He even stepped away from a pregame warm up when you called him crying and upset.

Your heart tries not to burst just thinking about him.

Then you catch a glimpse of him sliding his protective mask on, and your throat gets dry.

The first time you went to a game and witnessed Frankie in full catcher mode, you almost didn’t think it was him. The mask covered his face most of the time and the gear almost made him seem bigger.

It’s been many games since that first match, yet he still takes your breath away.

The mask covers most of his face, but you can still catch peaks of him. It does something to you knowing it’s him beneath it.

Now he takes the field in his new lovely blue catcher’s gear.

The chest guard extenuates his broad shoulders and strong chest. And if you thought baseball pants did amazing things for men’s legs and butts, the catcher’s leg guards highlight Frankie’s gloriously thick thighs and study legs.

Pride absolutely courses through you watching him behind the plate and warming up with the dodger’s pitcher.

“Come on, catfish!” Someone from the crowd even yells his famous nickname, and your lips twitch fondly.

With your Morales jersey on, you cheer loud and exhilarated when the game starts.

Frankie is unwavering behind the plate, rarely letting any wild pitch get past him. He earns the love of his new team fast.

Especially when he goes up to bat.

The walk up song he picked to play in the stadium is Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog, and the crowd cheers electrified when it booms loud over the speakers.

As hot as Frankie looks in his catcher’s gear, seeing him in the base uniform, with his batter’s helmet on, working on his swing just amplifies the strength of his shoulder and amazing arms - you’re in awe of how absolutely gorgeous he is.

He ends up striking out, but you still cheer loud and with reassurance.

“Looking good, Morales!” You even scream, and you swear you see his lips twitch fighting a grin.

The Cardinals take the lead fast with two runs. The game becomes a slow claw to catch up. By the fifth the score hasn’t changed with St. Louis leading. But then the bats get hot and the dodgers manage to get on the board to tie.

The game heads to the bottom of the eight inning and the atmosphere dances electrified with the hope of a chance.

Eventually two players get on base with two outs, a very dangerous situation.

And Frankie goes up to bat.

You along with the rest of your section close by the field stand to cheer him and the rest of the team on.

This is a chance to score.

The first pitch comes too high.

The second speeds in, a sharp inside pitch that has Frankie swinging a strike.

It stings, but it’s a good swing. Plus there’s still time, more pitches. You reassuringly rally behind Frankie hoping just an inch of your words reach him among the buzz of the game.

The pitcher throws the next pitch, a wild breaking ball.

Frankie swings. The bat hits the ball with a rattling whack sending it zooming right along the first base line.

The stadium erupts wild. You scream watching Frankie run to first then watching a player run in, scoring the run. Francisco’s hit brought in the lead.

Your favorite player now on first base screams jubilant and punches the air elated.

The excitement of seeing Frankie bring the run in, seeing him so exuberant…it’s a moment coated in a glimmering confetti that cements into your soul.

The start of the ninth inning comes, and Frankie emerges behind the plate, your armored hero.

If the Dodgers manage to hold the Cardinals, they’ll win.

Each pitch, each play, has you on the edge of your seat.

At one point the batter for St. Louis hits a foul ball. Frankie flips off his mask, allowing for sight to catch the ball.

Of course the ball soared over the net into the stands unable for him to maybe catch it. But without his catcher mask on, you’re rewarded a glimpse of his gorgeous face.

Frankie’s traditional catcher’s helmet keeps his hair flat, hidden, but it highlights his strong features, that beautiful nose of his and his perfectly classic scruffy Frankie beard.

Then seeing him covered in sweat, your mind can’t help but flash to images of him in bed sweaty, his face blissed out and panting. Your mouth waters just thinking about your tongue dragging across his sweaty neck and tasting the salt of him-

You immediately snap yourself of the too heated thoughts when the crowd yells upset at a bad call.

With a runner on base now and two outs, the tension piles on as dread trickles in.

Soon enough the cardinal’s batter makes a solid hit. The ball gets fired up high in the air.

Then center field rushes in and catches the ball.

Game over.

Dodgers win.

The stadium overflows with excited pride, and you happily embrace the atmosphere in all its warmth.

You don’t move from your spot, too hypnotized by Frankie who beams with the brightest smile while he celebrates with his new teammates.

You feel prouder than ever to wear his jersey.

The third baseman's wife, who you clicked with earlier, brightly tells you to follow her so she can show you to the locker room. You readily go.

Excitement electrifies every inch of the place. Even though you feel slightly awkward being here for the first time, no one seems to pay you attention.

Until you hear someone shout your name.

When you turn to spot Frankie, he's in gear looking intimidating and sexy wearing his chest guard and protective leg gear. Heading down from the dugout, your catcher rushes over to you. Like a magnet, almost like sensing a tug at your soul, you instantly move towards him.

Frankie collides into you solid, all encompassing as he gathers you into your arms squeezing you tight.

“You need to get out of your gear, Morales!” You laugh.

“It’s fine. Bebita, you’re gonna have to keep coming to the games now. I’ve told ya, you’re my good luck charm.” Frankie’s voice sounds like the bright sun from today’s game still shines brilliantly in it.

You hug him back, spilling nothing but praise.

“You were amazing! I’m so proud of you!” You gush.

You’re already thinking of how to celebrate.

“Marry me.” Frankie says simply that you think you maybe misheard him.

“Frankie honey, what?” Curiosity has you about pulling away from his grasp. Instead Frankie clutches onto you even more.

He says your name. “I…fuck I don’t have the ring with me here, and I know just sprang this up but-“

“You wanna marry me?” Your voice wavers, cutting him off.

You and him have talked about the future, a tentative slow swim treading the possible waters. Frankie’s mentioned buying an apartment together. He’s made the joke, lightly teasing, about you one day becoming a baseball wife.

You had held onto all these small edges of hope. It now all unfurls beautifully overwhelming.

“Yeah baby, but only if you’ll have me.” Frankie nods, his voice thick as he finally draws back out of your arms to get down on one knee.

You wonder if this is a dream you’ve slipped into.

Asking this still in uniform is so Frankie, and your eyes spill over with tears. You nod yes, and your favorite baseball catcher springs to life bolting up to kiss you.

You forgot you’re still in a very open and public setting until all the gasps and excited claps fill the space.

Taking it all in stride you warmly laugh it off letting Frankie hold you close to his side. His eyes even shimmer, precious earth stones.

The evening feels soaked in joy like a beautiful watercolor dream.

You urge your favorite baseball player to go eat dinner with his team, celebrate. But he leans down to whisper in your ear -

“I wanna eat my fiancée’s pussy for dinner.”

Your knees almost give out that second.

Frankie and you barely make it to his truck before he’s drawing you into the backseat, clawing at you, frantically. And you’re just as bad.

You want him inside you. But as promised, Frankie maneuvers you to sit up for him to crawl between your legs. The position is cramped, but you could care less.

Your sweet Frankie, who normally loves to take his time, tear you apart with the most focused and patient ease, now is replaced by a man wild who grips your thighs so tight and laps at your clit messy. You come ridiculously fast on his skilled fingers and feverish tongue feasting on you.

You whine unbearably needy for him, can't go on anymore without him inside of you.

Frankie shifts to sit on the back seat and keep you close while you slide on top of his cock. His stretch in you rips a fire up your spine and you moan as your eyes close.

“Mi amor, my future wife.” Frankie’s voice fills the heated sweaty space with a gilded reverence, and you scramble to kiss him.

Your future husband.

You were slightly worrie about Frankie being tried from his game, but the way he frantically fucks up into you reminds you of a man compeltely possessed. His hands grab you as if he’s worried you’ll float away.

“God, I fucking love you…gonna marry you,” Frankie mumbles, pussy drunk.

You feel just as drunk and reborn as he does, melting into this love.

Your climax knocks you breathless, a blazing star, and Frankie is not far behind.

You don’t move off him and with the way his arms tighten around you, he’s alright with you staying simply close to him as possible.

“You said you had a ring?” You ask tentatively, running your fingers through his hair.

“Yeah,” Frankie chuckles. “Bought it the day after you face timed me about that cute dog you saw at the store.”

That was a year ago. Your heart feels like it’s blooming a new world right in your chest, and you curl closer into him.

“Thought about proposing to you when I picked you up at the airport yesterday, but you were so tired baby.” He softly says, his hands a warm cocoon around you.

“And today…fuck seeing you cheering in the stands, hearing you. It just got me to more.”

Curiously, you ask what he means.

Frankie, confident as he is on the field, is still so shy, especially now as he burrows his face into your shoulder.

“I mean…I just want to see you at every game. Wanna come home to you. Then just thinking about that, and seeing you wearing my jersey, maybe having it as your last name-”

You rush to kiss him quickly, overtaken by so much adoration and love for this man. The thought had come once, or twice, about being a Morales yourself. You even tell him that.

“Yeah, you ready to be mine officially?” His voice drops low and silky.

You nod moving to kiss his cheek, then rest your face against his.

A soft moment passes while his warm hands rub against every inch of you he can reach.

“Know it’s still early to even talk about wedding shit or living arrangements, but just wanna take care of you, that’s all.” Frankie says firm. “I’ve joked about it but… you could quit your job tomorrow, move out here this weekend, and I’d be fucking over the moon. But I also want you to have your own path too.”

You think of Frankie, your stable ever loving and giving Francisco. His heart shines beautiful right here, right now. It’s like a live wire dances on your skin. Everything still feels intense. Maybe the sensation and rawness of becoming engaged has your mind feeling deliciously fuzzy.

“Just want you Frankie, that’s all.” You breathe those words letting them sink past your bones.

You softly kiss him, love sick syrupy drunk again.

It’s a promise to talk about this more later, about the possibility of living among the California weather with your future husband, it’s a dream you want to soak in.

But it summons up another dream, a sticky hot desire that crawls its way up.

“You remember that fantasy I told you about?” So dazed and in love, your thoughts slip out.

Frankie groans clutching onto you tighter.

“You’re gonna get me in trouble,” he sighs. “Trying to fuck me in my gear, before a game.”

“Yeah but that was before when I was just your girlfriend.” You coo already feeling your body slowly roll against him.

“As your wife maybe I could-”

Frankie swiftly cuts you off, kissing you so fast that it rattles your bones, and it’s beautiful.

You laugh feeling like maybe you’re the one who truly won tonight.

[mydaddywiki]

Joe West

Physique: Husky Build Height: 6′1″

Joseph Henry West (born October 31, 1952), nicknamed "Cowboy Joe" or "Country Joe", is an American former baseball umpire. He worked in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 to 2021, umpiring an MLB-record 43 seasons and 5,460 games. He served as crew chief for the 2005 World Series and officiated in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. On May 25, 2021, West broke Bill Klem's all-time record by umpiring his 5,376th game.

He’s the most polarizing man on the Hall of Fame ballot. Fans have been screaming at him for 44 years, managers and players cursing him, and he has a personality bigger than virtually every player who steps onto the field. All I have to say about this this guy is… DAT ASS.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, he grew up in Greenville and played football at East Carolina University (ECU) and Elon College. West entered the National League (NL) as an umpire in 1976; he joined the NL staff full-time in 1978.

West has been married twice. After the death of his first wife, West remarried.

Career Highlights and Awards Special Assignments All-Star Game (1987, 2005, 2017) Wild Card Game (2013, 2014, 2020, 2021) Division Series (1995, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016) League Championship Series (1981, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2018) World Series (1992, 1997, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2016) World Baseball Classic (2009) MLB record 43 seasons umpired MLB record 5,460 games umpired

[dedalvs]

NBA Realignment Proposal

This is Tumblr—a place where you can be who and what you wish to be. Today I take advantage of that to bring to you an idea that I think will solve a couple of dire problems the National Basketball Association (an American professional sporting association for basketball) has been struggling with in recent years. The problems are two-fold:

(1) Division championships are meaningless. In the old days if you won your division, you earned a top seed. When there were two division, the division winner with the best record got the 1 seed, and the other division winner the 2. It didn't matter if there was a second (or even third) place team that had a better record: winning your division meant you earned a top seed. A good example is the 1991-92 season, where the Chicago Bulls (67-15) earned the top seed, but the 51-31 Boston Celtics earned the second seed as winners of the Atlantic Division, despite the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers had a much better record at 57-25. Winning the division was incredibly important. Now teams are seeded by record throughout the conference. Division titles mean nothing.

(2) Super teams. Since divisions are meaningless but winning chamiponships is still the most important thing in the NBA, successful players go to teams that can pay the most money. The ones that have the most money are the teams that are most successful. With only two conferences, this usually results in two teams—one in the east, one in the west—being stacked. Players can either join that team or try to form another super team to rival them. And the ones that can rival them are other historically successful teams. All in all, it's a lack of parity, and the same teams winning every single time.

Now, it is assumed, amongst fans and sportswriters, that the league will eventually expand to Seattle, regaining their former Supersonics, and Las Vegas—the latter perhaps when LeBron James retires (he's expressed interest in being an owner for a team in Las Vegas in future). If that comes to pass (and no other teams change locations), I propose a radical realignment of the divisions, and concomitant playoff changes. These changes were inspired by the changes the NHL made in recent years. They had six divisions, like the NBA has now, but then when they expanded, went backward, to four divisions, and the results have been impressive.

If you need to refresh yourselves of the current alignment, you can do so here. Now here's the realignment I propose:

These are the four divisions the NBA had before expanding to six. Most of the membership is the same, but I'll note the discrepancies. First, the most easterly western conference team, the Memphis Grizzlies, has been moved to the east (I always found it absurd that a team in a state one state away from the Atlantic Ocean was in the western conference). The Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets have been swapped, which makes geographic sense, and the Atlanta Hawks have been returned to the Central.

This gives us four divisions with eight teams each. Currently, ten teams from each conference go to the playoffs—kind of. Four teams in each conference are forced into a mini-tournament called the play-in. For this play-in, the 7th place team hosts the 8th place team and the 9th place team hosts the 10th place team in a one game playoff. The winner of the first game becomes the real 7th seed. The loser of the first game plays the winner of the second. The winner of that game becomes the real 8th seed. Then the playoffs proceed as they always have. Very strange.

I propose something radically different. Same number of playoff teams—even the same number of play-in teams—but it's all done inside the division:

Each division has its own playoff. The 4th and 5th place teams play each other for the right to take on the top place team in the division in the first round of the divisional series. Then the 2nd place team hosts the 3rd place team in the division. The winners of each series face off, the winner being crowned the ultimate division champion. Then the western and eastern conference division champions face off, resulting in conference champions, who face off in the finals. The bracket looks like this:

This means that one team from every division will always make it to the semifinals. Division championships are suddenly very important, and there's incentive for good players to try their luck on teams in different divisions if they can't make it in the division they're in. It takes two very large pools (the conferences) and separates them into four smaller pools. It will also ensure you get some nice, exciting playoff matchups in the early going, because every matchup is all but guaranteed to be a rivalry, as the matchups are always interdivision matchups.

For the curious, if this had happened for last season, it would've looked like this (less the two expansion teams):

Same exact playoff teams! And the first matchups would've looked like this:

Some of the matchups are the same, but we get some good ones earlier. Mavs-Pelicans would've been a lot spicier than Thunder-Pelicans. In general, we've got a lot better shot at getting better matchups earlier on, and good matchups at each stage. This is the NBA I want to see!

Thank you for coming to the Dothraki guy's Tumblr account.

[flareonfloof]

my favorite sports team¹ lost a very important game² and now I need lots of pets³ :(

¹ The Colorado Avalanche (formerly Quebec Nordiques) are an NHL⁴ franchise located in Denver, Colorado. They have won the NHL championship⁵ three times, most recently in 2022.

²The NHL playoffs⁶ are conducted via a series of 4 7-game rounds, with the winner of each round advancing to the next. The game in question was game 7 of the first round. By losing, the Colorado Avalanche have been eliminated.⁷

³ Soft, consentual stroking of a creature's fur.

⁴ The National Hockey League (NHL) is a North American professional ice hockey organization, made up of 32 teams across the United States and Canada.

⁵ The NHL championship is also colloquially known as the Stanley Cup, after the trophy awarded to the winning team. Every member of the winning team's organization has their name engraved into a section of the trophy, with bands being added and removed as space is required.

⁶ The term "playoffs" here refers to a tournament held after a regular season of scheduled games of a sport. The season determines qualification and seeding for the playoffs.

⁷ From the playoffs. The players were not killed.

[roe-and-memory]

before his debut in the piston cup racing series, lightning spent the previous season (that of 2005) in the dinoco grand national series (the pixar cars equivalent of the nascar xfinity series, essentially a level lower than the cup series).

at the time he started the season at 16, turning 17 in may, and became the youngest driver to ever win a race across all three of the top series (PCRS, DGNS, PCTS), and eventually he would become both the youngest person AND the first ever rookie to win a championship in any of the top 3 series as well.

at this point, this is his first year with harv as his agent, and his first year racing in the big leagues — meaning longer races in hotter places on longer tracks and much more restrictions on what he’s able to do within his car. he doesnt do much, of course, he’s waited his whole life to be at this level and is happy to accept their rules. he excels within this series, much better than anyone thought he would, and gains himself a fanbase of people who watch the DGNS regularly. hes not popular by any means, but damn is he good. he wins eleven races that season alone, including the final race of the season in which that crowns him as the champion (despite his already extreme points lead).

harv is very harsh. lightning assumes thats the way his agent should be — i mean, he IS trying to get a ride in the cup series for the next season — so the agent being on his back about winning and “not failing” seems natural to him.

halfway through the season, during the summer months, one saturday afternoon, its hotter than usual.

typically lightning would have a small desk fan in his car, but the piston cup prohibits that because, of course, they have other options that are more advanced than a plastic clip-on fan.

however, after the start of the race, about midway through, actually, lightnings gear malfunctions. he doesnt tell anybody until the race is over, in which he places ninth and gets out of the car in his pit box, immediately collapsing to the ground.

severe heat exhaustion is what hes suffering from, with headaches, lightheadedness, nausea, hyperventilating due to his struggle with breathing, and muscle cramps all throughout his chest and legs. there are immediately officials at his side, medics following soon behind with ice packs and more water bottles. he will have to go to the hospital, they figure out pretty quickly, as he’s panting like a dog and very obviously struggling to function. he cant even bring himself to think straight, ignoring the questions thrown at him and just curling in on himself.

an official helps him pull his firesuit down to his waist, another official is combing his curls out of his eyes and pressing a cold towel to his forehead, and another is calling the ambulance out from the garage area, all while the medics tend to his burns and press ice packs to his skin.

harv, of course, cannot have his driver looking like a fool in front of the cameras. ESPECIALLY after he embarrassed the entire team by coming in ninth when he had a car that was most definitely first place material. the man storms over to where the teenager is sitting on the ground, back against the side of his car, and starts yelling at him for his performance on the track and his “dramatic act”, referring to the kids medical episode that is still actively occurring.

the official that had helped him get his firesuit off his torso was having none of it. he stands up, gets right into harvs face, and tells him to leave immediately or else security will escort him from the area. when harv protests that hes the kids agent, the official scoffs and tells him it does not matter who he is or what he wants, he will be removed from the premises forcibly.

lightning wants to apologize for disappointing him, but he cant seem to form the words to say it, instead the mans words bury themselves like daggers under his skin and only make his hyperventilating worse.

that hospital trip wasnt fun. harv was angry, impatient, the entire time. he had the official that defended him and mack at his side the whole time, after the official informed the nurse that the teenagers agent should not be allowed into the room the man simply paced outside the door, occasionally peering through the small window to glare at the three.

lightning was plagued with guilt, and profusely apologized to mack for the disappointment. the trucker insisted he shouldnt apologize, it wasnt his fault — he just wishes the kid had told them that his cooling equipment had broken so they couldve fixed it and not had to have experienced this kind of hospital trip.

[ohmymets]

if you are emotionally invested in this mets team...

So grateful I got to hear this live last night, from Howie Rose (listen here):

"If you are emotionally invested in this Mets team, and you're sad right now, It's certainly understandable. But I promise you that won't take long to wear off if it ends here, because once the immediate disappointment if they don't pull off some kind of magical comeback here wears off, you'll realize what an incredible ride this team took you for this year.

"Started out 0-5, showed some signs of life, before they fell to 11 games under the .500 mark and a lot of people had them written off right there. And so, when you're lying around during the offseason, anticipating the next one, and you think about what the 2024 Mets were all about, you won't be able to keep yourself from smiling. Remember the talk over the winter? Transitional year, they're punting on the season, well they've kicked all the way to the 6th game of the National League championship series.

"And I'll say this, on a personal level, I was 15 years old when they won the 1969 world series. That's 55 years ago, so you can do the math yourself. But I'll just say this about the 2024 New York Mets. They have made this 70 year old feel 15 all over again."

when Jeff McNeil got an RBI in the 9th:

"It's poetic, isn't it? Somehow, that the Mets, even if they don't pull the Houdini act of all time off, they're just not going quietly."

[boxboxblog]

Driver Profiles: Lewis Hamilton

Hello, this is part of a series where I focus on one driver on the current (as of Oct 2024) grid and give an overview over their career and driving styles. I will be going in championship points order. Enjoy! (strap in folks, this will be a long one)

Name: Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton

Age: 39

Nationality: British

Years in F1: 17 (Mclaren 2007-2012, Mercedes 2013-Present)

Number: 44

WDCs: 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Driving Style: Seen as one of the best racers in motorsport history, Hamilton in incredibly well rounded and skilled in all aspects of F1. His race craft is a league above the rest, and his natural skill with the car means he drives precise and intelligent races. He is also known for pushing it to the limit, regularly taking chances most other drivers would not in order to win. Due to his experience in the car (the 2nd most after Fernando Alonso right now) he is also a driver who is incredibly adaptable, as tracks, cars, and rules change so much over the years. When put in a fast car, he completely dominates races. The only negative I have about Hamilton's driving styles is that he tends to allow frustration to overtake him when he shows poor results, most likely due to being used to winning. This leads him to often get stuck in the midfield traffic when he qualifies poorly.

History:

Hamilton is one of the few drivers on the grid who did not come from an affluent background or racing family. In fact, in order to support his son's career, Hamilton's father sometimes worked up to 4 jobs at a time. He started his karting career at the age of 8, and quickly showed himself to be a natural talent. He would win several championships and race weekends in his early years, and became the youngest driver to win the British cadet karting championship at the age of 10.

(Hamilton when he was in karting)

Hamilton continued his progress in the Intercontinental A (1999), Formula A (2000) and Formula Super A (2001) ranks, and became European Champion in 2000 with maximum points. In Formula A and Formula Super A, his teammate was childhood friend Nico Rosberg, who would later become his teammate at Mercedes and his biggest rival. Following his karting successes, the British Racing Drivers' Club made him a "Rising Star" Member in 2000.

(Hamilton, left, and Rosberg, right, during their team days in karting)

Hamilton began his racing career in cars at the 2001 British Formula Renault Winter Series, finishing fifth in the standings. This led to a full 2002 Formula Renault UK run where he finished fifth overall. The next year he would go on to win that championship. He made his Formula 3 Euro Series debut in 2004, and finished in 4th. It was this time that Hamilton tested his first F1 car for Mclaren.

In 2006, Hamilton moved to the GP2 (F2) sister team of his F3 team, and won the championship in his rookie season. His extreme success in this series is what grabbed Mclaren's attention totally, and he was signed for the open Mclaren seat for 2007 before the year was over.

(Hamilton on podium in GP2/F2)

Hamilton's debut season in F1 would prove to be a record breaking one for the Brit, claiming records like most consecutive podium finishes from debut, the joint most wins in a debut season, and the most points in a debut season. He became the youngest driver to lead the championship at just 22 years old, but lost his lead after a few Mclaren strategy missteps. He finished in 2nd place behind Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen, and had one of the strongest rookie seasons ever seen in F1.

(Hamilton in his 2007 Mclaren)

In 2008 he would win his first world title with Mclaren, with an incredibly tight fight that held to the last race. He became the youngest WDC at this point (until Sebastian Vettel in 2010) and the first British WDC since Damon Hill.

(Hamilton after winning his first WDC)

During his last 4 years with Mclaren, Hamilton would regularly show strong performances and finish on podiums. But during this time major technical changes in 2009 led to Mclaren struggling more than their competitors, and dropping down in the rankings. He got 5th in 2009, 2nd in 2010, and 5th in 2011. He left Mclaren for Mercedes that year after Michael Schumacher retired, a surprise move for many as Mercedes had not been a championship winning team. This was where he would win a majority of his titles and have one of the most infamous rivalries in F1 history.

Reuniting with his karting teammate and best friend, Nico Rosberg, Hamilton and Mercedes would go on to have a pretty average year. Hamilton only achieved one win that year, and finished 5th in the 2013 standings. This was the year that friction started to erupt between the two Mercedes drivers as it became clear that Mercedes had 2 future WDC's on their team.

(Rosberg and Hamilton before their rivalry went sour)

2014 saw a much more successful time for Hamilton, as Mercedes excelled with the new Turbo-Hybrid engines. This allowed Hamilton to regain his 2008 form, and Mercedes had a dominant season, winning 16 of the 19 races. Hamilton's closest rival during this time was his teammate, Rosberg. This would prove to be true for the next few years for Hamilton. At the end of 2014, Hamilton clinched his 2nd world title.

(Hamilton after winning his 1st WDC)

He showed even further domination in the 2015 season, winning 10 of the races himself, and securing his 3rd title before the last race of the season. This was his first back-to-back championship, and the one where he matched his racing hero, Ayrton Senna, for wins. This was also the year where Hamilton extended his contract with Mercedes, adding on another 3 years.

2016 proved to be a more difficult year for Hamilton, and the cumulation of his rivalry with his teammate. While Mercedes dominated season, the fight between Rosberg and Hamilton was fierce. Ultimately, Hamilton would place 2nd in the standings that year, having taken the fight to the last race, but not been able to hold his teammate off. That year, Nico Rosberg (the newest WDC) announced his retirement from F1. Hamilton would go on to have Valtteri Bottas as his teammate for the rest of his championship wins, a driver he didn't find as much of a struggle with.

(Hamilton and Rosberg after colliding during their 2016 title fight)

2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 were almost complete dominance from Hamilton. His closes rivals for the championship were his teammate, who was not particularly a threat, and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen. But he almost always won his title before the last race. These were the years that Hamilton solidified himself as one of the greats in motorsports.

(Hamilton after winning his 7th title)

2021 saw the first real title fight for Hamilton since Nico Rosberg. Max Verstappen, a Red Bull driver, proved to be a difficult competitor. The two drivers had almost parallel season. While they both won many races, they also had times of poor performances and DNF's. This led the final race in Abu Dhabi to be the most tense in years, as both drivers had exactly the same amount of points. What followed was one of the most controversial races in recent history. Hamilton led the race towards the end after an overtake on Verstappen that was a bit legally shaky, but still allowed. A late safety car after a crash threw the whole race in turmoil. Red Bull pit Verstappen for fresh tires under the safety car, but Mercedes did not. On top of that, during the safety car after Verstappen came out of the pit the 5 lapped cars in between them were told they could unlap themselves (go by Hamilton freely) a controversial if illegal ruling by the race director. Furthermore, instead of finishing the race under the safety car (which would have won the race and title for Hamilton) the racing director allowed the race to restart for one more lap. Verstappen with his fresh tires easily overtook Hamilton, who was on old hards. Verstappen won the race and the title that year. Many Hamilton fans were understandably upset by the result, and some still claim the win for Hamilton, calling him an 8x WDC.

The 2022 and 2023 season would prove to be difficult ones for Mercedes and Hamilton. The 2022 season was the first year in Hamilton's F1 career that he failed to take a win or pole. The car was the biggest problem, and Hamilton deemed in 'undriveable'. They would encounter similar issues in 2023, and even early 2024.

2024 so far has been a significantly more positive year for Hamilton. While it is nothing close to his dominance in the late 10s, he has won two races (Silverstone and Spa) and placed higher than the last two years. he is currently 6th in the championship. Perhaps the biggest news for Hamilton was his surprise move to Ferrari for the 2025 season. After being with Mercedes for over 10 years, most assumed he would retire with them. This jump caused chaos during silly season, as he unseated Carlos Sainz and opened up a coveted Mercedes seat. While we know where he is going next year, there is still more to prove with his last year at Mercedes.

(Hamilton on podium after 2024 Silverstone win)

Major Races:

2007 Canadian GP - Hamilton's first ever F1 win in his rookie season. A commanding win as he controlled the entire race from the lead, he basically announced his presence as a future star here.

2008 Brazilian GP - This was the GP where Hamilton won his first world title. It happened in a rather dramatic fashion, as he overtook in the last lap to get 5th place, in the process earning the correct amount of points to get the title.

2012 US GP - This race was Hamilton's final victory with Mclaren before his move to Mercedes in 2013. He battled with Vettel (the reigning champ) for the win and was massive symbolism for the new chapter in his career.

2014 Bahrain GP - This race was known colloquially as the "Duel in the Desert" between Hamilton and Rosberg. The entire race was a fierce battle between the two drivers, with Hamilton only just holding off his teammate for the win. This type of battling would define the rest of their race relationship at Mercedes.

2018 German GP - This race saw Hamilton start in P14 after quali mechanical issues, and gave him the opportunity to display his dominant skill. He picked his way through the field, and eventually won the race. It is incredibly rare to see such feats in F1.

2020 Turkish GP - This is where Hamilton secured is 7th world title, equalling Michael Schumacher's record. A tense rain race, he used patience and his intense race craft to move from P6 to the top step on the podium.

2021 British GP - This race had the most controversial incident of 2021, after Hamilton collided with Verstappen and caused him to DNF the race. Hamilton went on to win, and reignited the title fight that year.

2024 British GP - Hamilton's first win in a long time with Mercedes (after they experienced car troubles since 2022) he drove a masterful race in a car that still wasn't quite there. Lauded as his great 'comeback' Hamilton showed he still had the skill, even if he didn't have the car, to take the top step.

Alright, longest post in the series but its Lewis Hamilton so. Up next, George Russell.

Cheers,

-B

[baseballupdates]

The New York Mets have eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies to advance to the National League Championship Series

[stephstars08]

Best Friend’s Sister

Adley Rutschman x Reader

Warnings: Adult Language, Fluff and Maybe a Tiny Bit Of Angst, Mention of Cheating, Anxiety, and Maybe Some Grammar Errors. (Sorry if I forgot any!)

Summary: Adley’s best friend is his teammate Gunnar and they have been so close ever since the Orioles drafted them. They are so close that they live together so when Gunnar’s big sister comes to Maryland to visit she stays with her brother and his best friend. But right when Adley meets Y/N he instantly falls for her which makes him freak out because he knows that he’s growing feelings for not just any girl, but he’s falling for his best friend’s sister.

Word Count: 2,018

Author’s Note: Just wanted to leave a little note that this story might not be completely accurate. This story takes place last season. I’ve heard Adley and Gunnar say that they have lived together multiple times. I don’t know if they just lived together when Gunnar first got called up or not and I don’t know if they live together now. They definitely live together during spring training but again this story takes place last season where I believed they were still living together during the regular season!

Adley is the star catcher for the Baltimore Orioles and his best friend is his teammate Gunnar Henderson who is the Orioles star in the in field and is also a star with his bat as well. Adley and Gunnar were both drafted by the team in 2019. Adley was drafted number one overall after is record breaking season at Oregon State University. The team ended the season with a National Championship. Gunnar was drafted right out of high school.

The boys became close through the minor leagues all the way up to the major leagues. Adley made his major league debut in May 2022 and Gunnar made his major league debut the same year in September.

People noticed the close bond between the two players that people were saying that Gunnar is Adley’s sidekick. Both boys have admitted that they are very close and have said that the main reason why they are so close is because they live together in a contemporary style house.

———————————————

The Orioles just ended the day with another win. The team has a day off tomorrow before they start another series back at home. The team is currently in Boston getting ready to leave Fenway for the airport back to Maryland.

The team was in the visitor’s locker room gathering their stuff up to head outside to the bus. Adley was putting on his sneakers when Gunnar approached him. “Remember my big sister, is coming tomorrow morning.” Gunnar said reminding him.

A couple months ago Gunnar’s sister who is just a couple years older than him told him that she will be coming to visit him from their home town in Alabama. Gunnar asked Adley if it was okay if Y/N can stay in their guest room while she’s in town which Adley told him it wasn’t a problem at all. Y/N is the only person in Gunnar’s family that Adley hasn’t met yet. Gunnar has told Adley how amazing Y/N is and how close they are with one another. Gunnar is very excited to see Y/N since when Gunnar is playing baseball he doesn’t see Y/N a lot since she’s busy with her career. Y/N just broke up with her boyfriend of one year so she felt like she needed to get away so why not visit her baby bro.

“Right, thanks for reminding me.” Adley told Gunnar as he tied the laces to his left shoe. “How long is she staying with us again?” Adley asked him in a curious tone as he put on his right shoe. “A week and a half.” Gunnar answered him.

“You’re going to love her. She’s like the girl version of me.” Gunnar told him. “Okay so I’m basically going to be living another you.” Adley said as he stood up after tying his right shoe. “Can’t wait.” Adley added in a teasing tone as he playfully rolled his eyes. “Hey! I’m a good roommate!” Gunnar said defending himself as Adley picked up his bags that had him equipment and uniform in. “Whatever you say.” Adley said still teasing his best friend as he made his way out of the locker room. Gunnar rolled his eyes and followed him. He knows that Adley’s just messing with him like he always does. Adley sees Gunnar as a little brother.

———————————————

It was the next morning and Adley was awoken by music playing downstairs. Adley let out a big groan as he got out of his comfy bed. He was planning on sleeping in since the team had a long day yesterday but obviously that’s not going to happen. Adley walked out of his room and stomped downstairs to the living room. He heard the music coming from the kitchen so he made his way towards the kitchen.

“Gunnar will you turn down the-“ Adley started to say in a snappy and annoyed tone but stopped himself when he saw that the person in the kitchen wasn’t Gunnar. Adley right away knew that it was Y/N since she looked similar to Gunnar. Y/N stopped mixing the pancake mix that was in the bowl and paused the music that was playing on her phone.

“Shit! You’re not Gunnar.” Adley said as his cheeks turned a rosy red in embarrassment. “No, but people do say that I do look like the girl version of him.” Y/N told him with a giggle. “I’m Y/N.” Y/N added introducing herself with a kind smile. “I’m Adley but you probably know that so why am I telling you something that you already know.” Adley said cursing at himself in his head. Y/N let out another giggle which made Adley’s heart skip a beat. “It’s okay.” Y/N reassured him.

“Sorry for barging in here like that.” Adley apologized. “You don’t have to apologize.” Y/N told him. “I’m sorry about the music. Gunnar kept turning it up.” Y/N apologized. “It’s okay. This ain’t the first time I’ve been woken up by Gunnar’s music.” Adley told her with a small sigh. “Yeah, as much as I love my little bro he can sometimes be hard to live with.” Y/N told him which made Adley let out a small laugh.

“Do you want some pancakes?” Y/N asked him in a curious tone as she walked over to the stove carring the bowl that had the pancake batter in. “Sure.” Adley said with a nod. Y/N gave him a small smile and started to pour some of the batter into the big pan with a spoon. As Y/N cooked the pancakes Adley walked over to the kitchen island and took a seat down onto one of the chairs. As she cooked Adley would glance over at her. He didn’t notice that he was just staring at her till Gunnar walked in caring a grocery bag that has a carton of milk in it.

“I’m back.” Gunnar said. “Hey sleepy head.” Gunnar said walking over to Adley and roughing up his messy brunette hair with his empty hand. Adley rolled his eyes as he pushed Gunnar’s arm away. “I hope my annoying sister didn’t bother you while I was gone.” Gunnar said in a teasing tone. “Oh shut up and put the milk in the fridge.” Y/N told him in a stern tone. “Geez so mean.” Gunnar said pulling the milk out of the bag and walked over to the fridge. Y/N rolled her eyes as Gunnar opened the fridge and put the milk in it.

After Y/N finished making enough pancakes for herself and the boys they sat down at kitchen island together. As they ate Y/N and Gunnar told Adley stories about them growing up together. Adley also got to know Y/N as well.

———————————————

As the days passed and the more Adley has gotten to know Y/N he’s realized that he is falling for Y/N. And he knows that he’s not just falling for any girl, no! He’s falling for his best friend’s sister. He’s falling for Gunnar’s older sister.

When Adley’s around Y/N he just can’t help but feel butterflies in his stomach. When they lock eyes Adley feels his heart rate speed up. He loves hearing her talk with her southern Alabama accent that matches Gunnar’s.

Adley knows that he’s falling head over heels for her and some times he feels like she feels the same way but sometimes he thinks that it’s all in his head. But that’s not his biggest worry. His biggest worry is what Gunnar will think. Would he freak out if he finds out that his best friend likes his sister? Even though Y/N is the older sibling he can tell that Gunnar is very over protective of her. Adley wants to tell Gunnar about what he’s been feeling but he’s worried about what his reaction would be.

———————————————

It was a Saturday night and the Orioles had an early game win so to celebrate some players game to Adley and Gunnar’s house. Y/N sat in the backyard with her brother and his teammates. Since there was a fire pit in the backyard Gunnar put some firewood in the pit and started a bomb fire so everyone sat around the fire just having some drinks and talked. As time passed some guys left one by one. Once the last teammate left Gunnar called it a night for himself since he was exhausted so he went inside to his room leaving Y/N and Adley alone by the bomb fire.

There was a comfortable silence between the two till Y/N broke it. “I enjoyed watching you play. You sure know how to put on a damn good show.” Y/N told him which made Adley blush. He was hoping that Y/N didn’t notice. “Thanks.” Adley said with a smile. “I’m glad I took this trip. Really has helped me get my mind a reset.” Y/N told him. “Gunnar told me that you recently just got out of a relationship.” Adley said in a soft voice. “Yeah.” Y/N said with a small nod.

“What happened?” Adley asked in a curious tone. “If you don’t mind me asking.” Adley quickly added. “It’s okay. You’re good.” Y/N reassured him which made him relax. “It all started two months ago when my ex boyfriend kept accusing me of cheating on which I wasn’t and just after we celebrated our one year anniversary I caught him in bed with a girl who was at the time a good friend to me.” Y/N told him which broke his heart to hear. “Damn. That’s fucked up.” Adley said with a hint of anger in his voice. “Turns out he had been cheating on me for months and was just accusing me of cheating so I would break up with him.” Y/N said with a heavy sigh as she stared down at her hands that were resting on her lap. “What a dick move.” Adley said in disgust. “It was a fucking cowardly move.” Y/N added with another sigh.

“You don’t need people like that in your life.” Adley told her. “They didn’t deserve to have you in their life. Especially that douchebag.” Adley added which made her look up at him. “Really?” Y/N asked him. “Y/N, you are a beautiful and an amazing girl.” Adley started to tell her as they locked eyes. “The perfect guy is out there for you. He’s waiting for you and he’s going to make you forget all about that asshole.” Adley told her with a warm smile. “Thanks Adley, I’ll remember that.” Y/N said returning the smile.

Adley knew that he was talking about himself being the guy but he was wondering if Y/N knew that he was the one he was talking about.

———————————————

Ever since that night by the bomb fire Adley and Y/N have become so close that for the rest of her visit she always wanted to be around him and just talking to him. It made both of them sad when Y/N had to leave to go back to Alabama. Before Y/N got on her plane she promised that she’ll keep in touch with him.

Gunnar was driving his car with Adley in the passenger seat driving his car back to their house. “You have a feelings for Y/N, don’t you?” Gunnar asked him which took Adley by surprise. He didn’t know what to say so he just stayed quiet. “It’s okay if you do.” Gunnar told him with a reassuring smile which made Adley’s nerves relax. “Yeah, she’s just everything that I look for in a girl.” Adley told him. It felt so good for him to finally say this out loud to someone.

“I know my sister better than anyone so I know that she definitely feels the same way.” Gunnar told him giving him a quick glance. “But just because I’m your best friend doesn’t mean that I won’t kick your ass if you break her heart.” Gunnar added in a stern tone. Adley let out a small laugh. He knew that was coming. “You have my word cowboy.” Adley said looking at him. Gunnar couldn’t help but let out a laugh at Adley’s nickname he gave him.

[juergenklopp]

PLAY THE SONG! 🔂 Calum Scott – Dancing On My Own (Tiësto Remix)

The PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES celebrate moving on to the 2023 National League Championship Series (October 12, 2023)

[baseballbybsmile]

Today In 1952: Willie Mays is sworn in to the U.S. Army! "The Say Hey Kid" would miss the rest of the '52-'53 seasons, but he returned in '54 to win the National League MVP while leading the New York Giants to a World Series championship!