No. 6 Bullis pulls rank at St. Stephen's/St. Agnes, takes control of IAC
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tigers' Javier Baez Makes Opinion on Francisco Lindor Very Clear
Tigers' Javier Baez Makes Opinion on Francisco Lindor Very Clear originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Six years after his last All-Star appearance, Javier Baez of the Detroit Tigers has been selected for the third All-Star game of his career this year. After a rough few seasons, the one-time World Series Champion is having a bit of a career resurgence and is playing a big role in Detroit's recent success. Advertisement Though Baez has spent the past few years with the Tigers, he also enjoyed a solid campaign with the New York Mets in 2021. His tenure was short-lived as he only played 47 games for the team, but it seemed to have left an impact on him. Recently, the 32-year-old spoke about Francisco Lindor, his former teammate in New York, and made his thoughts on him crystal clear. Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez (28) © Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Like Baez, Lindor also earned his first All-Star appearance since 2019 this season. Though the two were teammates for a brief time, it seems that they made a connection, with Baez saying it "feels great" to be at an All-Star game with Lindor. Advertisement "Feels great," Baez said about being an All-Star with Lindor. "You're here because you're doing something a great player. He's gonna do what he's doing out there." Though they are no longer teammates, they each still have something in common: they are playing a key role in their team's success. In large part thanks to Baez, the Tigers have a 59-38 record at the All-Star break. This is the best record in the entire MLB. Last year, Detroit made the playoffs for the first time since 2014, and they are in a good spot to repeat that trend this season. As for Lindor and the Mets, they have had their rough patches. However, they are still a top team in the NL and are just 0.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East lead. Advertisement There is still a lot of baseball left, but Baez and Lindor are both in good spots in the league. And, if all goes right for them, it is entirely possible they will meet up in the World Series in October, much like they did nearly a decade ago. Related: Mets Announce Move After Injury News Related: Mets, Yankees Surveying Veteran Reliever Market This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
17 hours ago
- Forbes
Phillies First-Half Review: Rob Thomson Is The Team MVP
One of the best Phillies' moments this season was J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos' double-slide. ... More (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Yo, Phillies fans, it's time for a little optimism as as your Fightin' Phils stand in first place in the NL East — a mere half game in front of the New York Mets, but first place nonetheless. It's also time to flash back to the Phils' first 96 games and replay some high and lows and wowie-zowie moments. First-half MVP: Manager Rob Thomson Without question, Thomson has been the Phillies' MVP, no disrespect to the indomitable Zack Wheeler who may be winning his first Cy Young in four months. Thomson lost his No. 2 starting pitcher (Aaron Nola) and his closer (José Alvarado) for multiple months while losing his biggest offensive threat (Bryce Harper) for about a month, and look where his team resides: first place. 'Topper" does it — not with fiery rants — but with a steadying persona and next-level preparedness. This season, he also showed an old-school edge when he benched Nick Castellanos for a game after the right fielder made an inappropriate remark to his manager after he got pulled for a defensive replacement. In Philly, it's simply known as The Double Slide, and, if you were watching it live, you saw something that was crazy bananas and has become the indelible moment of the season thus far. Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto rounded third base practically side by side and pulled off a synchronized slide at home plate — both were safe — in a 10-2 rout of the Mets on June 20. 'It looks like, what is it, Rookie of the Year?" Castellanos said after the game. This is what a double slide looks like: The Phillies were leading 3-1 with one out in the ninth inning when Phillies closer Jordan Romano imploded (again), giving up a three-run, inside-the-park home run to San Francisco Giant catcher Patrick Bailey. It was the first game-ending inside-the-parker since Tyler Naquin hit one for Cleveland on Aug. 19, 2016. Luzardo, whom the Phils acquired in the offseason for prospect Starlyn Caba, has thrown a couple clunkers in the first half, but, overall, he's shown how dominant he can be, striking out 10 or more batters in four different starts. He employs a four-pitch mix fronted by high-riding 97-mph fastball, which may find its way to the bullpen for the postseason. For about a month, Alvarado dazzled as the team's closer, rediscovering his fastball that dipped the past couple seasons. But then we learned how he reclaimed his heater when the announcement came down in mid-May: Alvarado would be suspended for 80 games (and banned from the 2025 playoffs) following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance. It's Harper's achy wrist, which sidelined the superstar for a month, that may be the linchpin to the second half of the Phillies' season. If the wrist is healthy, it almost guarantees a Red October for Philly. If it's not healthy, the team will struggle to produce runs and could fade by September. Harper looked feeble, going 1 for 14 in four games in his return from the IL, but then a ray of hope: He broke out on July 9 with a career-best four extra-base hits — one home run and three doubles. Zack Wheeler (2.36 ERA), Cristopher Sanchez (2.50) and Ranger Suarez (2.15) have anchored the rotation, which is arguably the best in baseball. Throw in Luzardo and Philly's Four Aces 2.0 have combined for 32 wins. And when Nola returns from a ribcage injury next month — and if he's the Nola of old — it could be the Five Aces. Yep, this is an easy. The Phils' bullpen has been abysmal with a 5.81 ERA, which is the second worst in baseball. For the most part, Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm have been reliable during late high-leverage innings but pretty much every other reliever has stumbled in their role. And that's why Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is on the hunt for not one — but two — back-end arms that will reinforce the wobbly 'pen before the trade deadline expires in a couple weeks.
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Bears rookie outlook: Can 6th-round pick Luke Newman be a versatile backup on the offensive line?
Even after investing heavily in veteran offensive linemen in March, the Chicago Bears weren't done bolstering the protection in front of quarterback Caleb Williams. NFL offensive lines always can use extra help. Coach Ben Johnson has said it several times since he was hired — it's not only about having five great starters but being able to go seven, eight or nine deep. Injuries often make that a necessity. The Bears found additional help in the draft when they selected Luke Newman out of Michigan State with a sixth-round pick (No. 195). Here's what Bears fans need to know about Newman before rookies report for training camp Saturday. Newman comes to Chicago after one season at Michigan State and four at Holy Cross. Last year with the Spartans, he primarily played left guard for a team that finished 5-7. He started all 12 games and received honorable mention for the All-Big Ten team. Newman played left tackle at Holy Cross but made the transition to guard in order to play for a bigger program. The 23-year-old viewed it as an opportunity to prove himself against better competition and show he could play in the interior, where he seemed most likely to succeed at the next level. The 6-foot-3, 308-pound Newman was not among the 329 prospects invited to the NFL scouting combine in February. He did play in the East-West Shrine Bowl, giving him an opportunity to showcase his skills against other top talent. Newman grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., outside Detroit, where he played on the offensive and defensive lines at Brother Rice High School. He was a two-star recruit in the 2020 class with virtually no interest from FBS programs and elected to attend FCS Holy Cross. He saw limited action during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season but emerged as a starter the next year. From 2021-23, Newman started 37 consecutive games at left tackle, and the Crusaders went 17-1 in Patriot League play during that span. Newman earned FCS All-America honors in 2022 and 2023 and was a three-time All-Patriot performer. After graduating from Holy Cross in 2023 with one year of eligibility remaining, Newman transferred back to his home state to play for Michigan State. 'Holy Cross is home for me,' Newman said after being drafted. 'That's the place that gave me my first shot and let me get my foot in the door in college football and let me grow and succeed as a person and a player. Leaving was hard, for sure. I wanted a chance to showcase more of my abilities at different positions and also take a step up and play against some of the best in the country.' The Bears spent the early part of the offseason revamping their offensive line. In a matter of days, they traded for Pro Bowl guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, then signed veteran center Drew Dalman in free agency. With those additions, the Bears have three new starters in the interior. As far as depth at guard, the Bears still have Ryan Bates on the roster, although he missed most of last season because of injuries. Reserves Bill Murray and Chris Glaser each appeared in three games in 2024 and remain with the team. The Bears also claimed guard Jordan McFadden off waivers in January. It's unclear how much faith the Bears have in Bates after he appeared in just three games last season. He didn't participate in the on-field portions of the spring practice period either. Murray has been with the team since 2023 and began last season on the active roster before going on injured reserve in October. McFadden, a 2023 fifth-round pick by the Chargers, played in 13 games over two years in Los Angeles. Newman seems likely to fit in somewhere among those players as a backup, at least initially. He spent time this spring working at left guard. With positional versatility, Newman has the chance to be a valuable backup. The fact he has played guard and tackle, plus worked at center in the offseason, means he could develop into a jack-of-all-trades. Those types of linemen make great NFL backups because they can fill in anywhere when there's an injury. 'We were really impressed with (his) feet and hands; (they) were always in the right place,' Bears general manager Ryan Poles said after drafting Newman. '(He's a) physical, tough player that also can play guard and can play center, can handle communication. So we're really excited about developing him.' On the subject of versatility, Newman noted that he believes center fits his body type. His 31-inch arms are short for an NFL lineman, and at 308 pounds, he doesn't have the biggest frame. But the one place along the line where teams are willing to overlook size is at center. 'Guard has been more of my natural feel this past season,' Newman said. 'But really this offseason the primary focus has been center. I definitely have a good understanding of how to play the position intellectually. It's a new playbook here and there's an adjustment period for that as well. 'I really think that center, all in all, fits more my body type. It's more of what my strengths are. I have that guard flexibility as well. But I really look forward to learning and adapting to center a lot more.' Behind Dalman, the Bears also have Bates, Doug Kramer Jr. and Ricky Stromberg who are capable of playing center. The first goal for any player selected on the final day of the draft should be simply making the team. The Bears have only 53 spots on the active roster, and a sixth-round pick is guaranteed nothing. If Newman can show he is, indeed, a versatile lineman capable of filling in at a moment's notice, he could put himself in position to make the roster. But the competition will be fierce for the backup offensive line spots, especially after the Bears added three new starters in the middle. It starts with knowing the playbook inside and out, then showing he can handle the workload on the field once practice starts. With most late-round draft picks, the hope is they can develop into contributors in the next couple of years. Even if Newman doesn't make the roster coming out of training camp, the Bears likely would try to keep him on the practice squad.
