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New York Times
18-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why Dansby Swanson is confident the first-place Cubs will be a second-half team
The Chicago Cubs opened spring training on Super Bowl Sunday with pitchers and catchers reporting early to Arizona to prepare for the Tokyo Series. Upon returning from Japan, the itinerary included two West Coast trips and two visits to New York. After the All-Star break, they still have 66 games remaining and have an expectation to play through October. That's a lot of time, in close quarters, with a sizable group of co-workers and all of their mood swings and quirks. Advertisement 'This group is very involved with one another,' Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said last weekend, sitting at his locker in Yankee Stadium's visiting clubhouse. 'Here, at the hotel, doing things together in Chicago, this group enjoys being together.' In a season this long, team chemistry matters – as long as the players are good enough. The Cubs amassed enough talent throughout their organization to put together the second-best record in the National League so far, positioning themselves as aggressive buyers at the July 31 trade deadline. Wrigleyville should be rocking this weekend with three games against the Boston Red Sox, an event being framed as a potential World Series preview. Swanson understands the expectations, and he knows what it takes after winning the 2021 World Series with the Atlanta Braves and later signing a seven-year, $177 million contract to help lead 'The Next Great Cubs Team.' Signaling that arrival, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker and Matthew Boyd represented the Cubs at the All-Star Game. Meanwhile, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner and Carson Kelly also deserved serious consideration for the showcase event in Atlanta. When healthy, Shota Imanaga has pitched at an All-Star level. The bullpen on a budget came together so nicely – Daniel Palencia, Drew Pomeranz, Brad Keller, Chris Flexen, Caleb Thielbar – that it's hard to pick out just one reliever. The smaller additions to the roster highlight the synergy between Jed Hoyer's front office and Craig Counsell's coaching staff, creating more optimism that the Cubs will creatively add impact talent this summer. Every move that incrementally improves the club doesn't have to involve a big name. 'Just think about the reconstruction of some of the pitching staff,' Swanson said. 'They've really done a good job of being able to identify guys that have a lot left in the tank. Credit to the players themselves for buying in and being coachable. It's been a really good (setup for everyone). They've done really incredible things for us.' Advertisement The Cubs have the star power, complementary players and pleasant surprises that comprise every playoff contender. The intangibles are impossible to measure, but it's telling when young players such as Crow-Armstrong and Palencia receive encouragement from teammates and grow from their individual struggles. The work environment is such that the Cubs have contained their longest losing streak this season to three games, a marked improvement from the spirals that sabotaged the last two seasons. 'No matter if things are on the up or on the down, you just got to last the marathon,' Swanson said. 'This group definitely has that personality trait. We've really just leaned into one another, which is another really important thing. This personality of this group is always together, giving each other a hard time, picking each other up, just treating one another like family. 'It's the ability to converse with one another, to pick each other's brains. Everyone always says 'holding each other accountable.' There are very nice ways to do it: 'Man, what did you think about this at-bat?' It's being able to give an honest opinion: 'Well, I think this would be the right way to go about it.'' While the Cubs had some ugly losses in June and July – a time when the Milwaukee Brewers were gaining ground in the NL Central and cutting the division lead to one game – they consistently found ways to salvage a series, stay on track and avoid any sense of panic. 'When a team as good as ours is playing .500ish ball, everyone thinks something's wrong,' Swanson said. 'It just happens. If we could go 20-6 every month, we'd be the best team of all time.' Within the clubhouse, players believe they haven't played their best baseball yet. They weathered injuries to starting pitchers Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad while otherwise staying remarkably healthy. They play exceptional defense, run the bases aggressively and follow the details within each game plan. They look forward to reaching another gear. Advertisement 'A season can be so up and down,' Swanson said. 'Early in the year, when everything seemed to be clicking on all cylinders as a group, that can be everyone's perception of what this group should be 24/7. The reality is, that's what we'd like to be, but by the same token, that's a challenge. The break comes at a good time when guys can get some rest and a little reset. 'With deadline stuff and all that approaching, too, it's always a fun time for reinforcements and things of that nature to keep the vibes going.' (Top photo of Dansby Swanson: David Berding / Getty Images)
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shohei Ohtani bridges generations by paying emotional tribute to a baseball legend
Shohei Ohtani paused his electric season to honor Shigeo Nagashima, Japan's beloved baseball icon. With a simple message and shared photos, Ohtani spoke straight from the heart. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On June 3, 2025, the Dodgers star posted the tribute during the Tokyo Series in Japan, blending personal emotion with baseball history and leaving fans deeply moved. Shohei Ohtani pays public tribute to Shigeo Nagashima During a game break on June 3 in Tokyo, Ohtani shared three photos on Instagram. Two were recent snaps with Nagashima, taken during the Dodgers' visit. Another showed Nagashima alone. The caption read, 'May your soul rest in peace.' This gesture came just after Nagashima's death at age 89 from pneumonia. Fans immediately flooded the post with comments like, 'Sorry for your loss, brother' and 'My deepest condolences,' showing deep respect for both icons. Also Read: Ohtani's gesture reflects deep respect and connection Shigeo Nagashima, nicknamed 'Mr. Pro Baseball,' inspired a generation with 444 home runs and 1,522 RBIs over a 17-year career with the Yomiuri Giants. He also led the team as a manager to two more titles. Ohtani's tribute, posted during his own game in Japan, carried deep meaning. As a modern pioneer in a star-studded Dodgers lineup, honoring Nagashima connected him to Japanese baseball's roots. Dodgers fans and Japanese supporters saw the moment as powerful. One fan wrote, 'What a picture … Mr. Nagase's spirit is firmly passed on to Otani'. Ohtani will return to play the New York Mets in the next game in Los Angeles but his kind words resonated worldwide, drawing clear attention to the emotional weight behind his tribute. Shohei Ohtani shows that true greatness isn't just on the field—it's in recognizing those who paved the way.
Asahi Shimbun
04-06-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
MLB sees double-digit viewership increases in U.S. and Japan
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani rounds the bases on a solo home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets on June 2 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo) NEW YORK--Major League Baseball's viewer numbers in the United States and Japan during the first two months of the season have seen double-digit increases, MLB and Nielsen reported Tuesday. ESPN's coverage is up 22%, averaging 1.74 million viewers. It is the most-watched season on ESPN through the first two months since 2017. This might be the last year ESPN is carrying baseball after it opted out of its rights deal in February. The MLB Tuesday package on TBS has a 16% increase. Fox Sports is up 10%, averaging 1.84 million viewers per game. Last Saturday night's 18-2 rout by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Yankees averaged 2.2 million on Fox. The streaming package has seen its viewers increase 27%, with more than 7.5 billion minutes watched through Monday. Games on the NHK channels in Japan are averaging 2.7 million. The average does not include the Tokyo Series games between the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs which began the regular season. The ratings are on pace for MLB's most-watched regular season in Japan as the audience has increased every year since 2021. On streaming viewership has increased 27% vs 2024, which was the most-watched season in the history of the service. For games through Monday, June 2, has more than 7.5 billion minutes watched this season.
Chicago Tribune
03-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
MLB sees double-digit viewership increases in the United States and Japan
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball's viewer numbers in the United States and Japan during the first two months of the season have seen double-digit increases, MLB and Nielsen reported Tuesday. ESPN's coverage is up 22%, averaging 1.74 million viewers. It is the most-watched season on ESPN through the first two months since 2017. This might be the last year ESPN is carrying baseball after it opted out of its rights deal in February. The MLB Tuesday package on TBS has a 16% increase. Fox Sports is up 10%, averaging 1.84 million viewers per game. Last Saturday's 18-2 rout by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Yankees averaged 2.2 million on Fox. The streaming package has seen its viewership increase 27%, with more than 7.5 billion minutes watched through Monday. Games on the NHK channels in Japan are averaging 2.7 million. The average does not include the Tokyo Series games between the Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, which began the regular season. The ratings are on pace for MLB's most-watched regular season in Japan as the audience has increased every year since 2021. On streaming viewership has increased 27% versus 2024, which was the most-watched season in the history of the service. For games through Monday, June 2, has more than 7.5 billion minutes watched this season.
San Francisco Chronicle
03-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
MLB sees double-digit viewership increases in US and Japan
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball's viewer numbers in the United States and Japan during the first two months of the season have seen double-digit increases, MLB and Nielsen reported Tuesday. ESPN's coverage is up 22%, averaging 1.74 million viewers. It is the most-watched season on ESPN through the first two months since 2017. This might be the last year ESPN is carrying baseball after it opted out of its rights deal in February. The MLB Tuesday package on TBS has a 16% increase. Fox Sports is up 10%, averaging 1.84 million viewers per game. Last Saturday night's 18-2 rout by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Yankees averaged 2.2 million on Fox. The streaming package has seen its viewers increase 27%, with more than 7.5 billion minutes watched through Monday. Games on the NHK channels in Japan are averaging 2.7 million. The average does not include the Tokyo Series games between the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs which began the regular season. The ratings are on pace for MLB's most-watched regular season in Japan as the audience has increased every year since 2021. On streaming viewership has increased 27% vs 2024, which was the most-watched season in the history of the service. For games through Monday, June 2, has more than 7.5 billion minutes watched this season. ___
