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The Los Angeles Angels hosted their annual Ducks Night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim this weekend and some Anaheim Ducks players showed up and showed off.
Anaheim forwards Mason McTavish and Troy Terru displayed some stickhandling skills, by using hockey sticks to shoot ceremonial first pitches from the grass in front of the pitcher’s mound.
During the batting practice before the game, forward Max Jones showed that he has more than just a powerful shot, launching a baseball over the centerfield fence and then celebrating with a bat flip.
The New York Red Bulls have signed highly advertised academy product Julian Hall, the club announced on Thursday.
Hall aged 15 years, becomes the second-youngest homegrown signing in RBNY history, inking a three-and-a-half-year deal through the 2026 season with the option for renewal in 2027. He is eligible for both the US and Poland national teams.
“We are very excited to add Julian to our roster for this season and also the long-term,” RBNY head of sport Jochen Schneider said in a release. “Julian has had a very good season, not just at the academy level, but the MLS NEXT Pro level as well and he has demonstrated that he has the qualities to succeed in our system.”
Hall has shown a knack for goalscoring, securing 28 goals in 39 academy appearances over the past three seasons. He is featured in seven matches for New York Red Bulls II in MLS Next Pro this season, becoming the youngest goal-scorer in club history (15 years, 73 days) after scoring against the New England Revolution II on June 4.
Julian Hall also emerged a top performer during this year’s U-15 MLS Nex Cup, gathering MVP honors after scoring five goals in the tournament, plus a game-tying goal that spearheaded his side’s MLS NEXT Cup title victory. He won the 2023 GA Cup Golden Boot too.
“We have seen very good things from Julian over the last calendar year,” RBNY head coach Troy Lesesne said. “Julian is a very promising young striker that has a lot of potential and we are excited to help him to continue to grow.”
Ex-Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney is reportedly thinking about going back to England with Birmingham City, and his friend and minority owner of the team, Tom Brady, is the reason for this decision.
Rooney, who is presently the DC United coach in the MLS, is reportedly showing interest in the project being created by Birmingham City’s new mangement in the English second division, known as the Championship.
The expert is regarded as a global figure in the soccer world and can bring big names ot the club, with the vision of taking Birmingham City back to the Premier League in the near future.
Brady, who won seven Super Bowl rings and one of the greatest names to ever grace the NFL, is constantly in contact with Rooney and is said to be the one facilitating the potential move. There is a chance that Rooney will return to England if he got the right opportunity.
Working with Birmingham City would also mean that Rooney and his family go back to their exquisite Chesire mansion, valued at more than 20 million, once they have completed their time in the United States.
Birmingham, presently managed by John Eustace, made a great start in the Championship, sitting fourth in the table thanks to three wins and two draws.
Rooney had planned to be a manage for another English club after his time with DC United in MLS. Reports state he is frustrated by the lack of communication with the American club’s owners over making a new offer, as his contract expires in December.
While speaking recently, Wayne Rooney aired his frustration at the lack of communication from the club about his future and hammered on the need to plan for the next season properly.
“I’m a bit disappointed and frustrated that there has been no contact for two months,” said Rooney. “I asked about a new deal. We can sit down and talk about it, but I haven’t heard back.
“I asked to sit down and talk because we need to move forward with planning for next season and that’s frustrating because I’d rather know what the plan is anyway because we need to plan for next season. We need to do it sooner rather than later.”
A return to England, courtesy for Brady and Birmingham City, may signify a new chapter in Rooney’s career as a coach.
In Cincinnati Reds VS St. Louis Cardinals, two NL Central opponents open a series in the city of Skyline Chili searching for a win. St. Louis is on the road as they kick off a three-game series with Cincinnati this evening. Find out what’s in store for Reds VS Cardinals with this preview.
The Cardinals closed a three-game series on the road with the Atlanta Braves in Hotlanta Thursday night in search of a series sweep. They secured an 11-6 win in the second game of the set on Wednesday night.
The Reds missed their chance to sweep the Seattle Mariners in an interleague set at home as they lost 8-4 in the finale of the series Wednesday night. In the season series, the Reds have a 4-3 advantage, plus two of three on the road in the most current series between clubs June 9-11.
The Cincinnati Reds watched their two-game win streak end when they couldn’t complete the sweep at the home of the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night. They entered Thursday 73-69 and are 3rd in the NL Central. On Wednesday, the Reds had multiple opportunities as they shelled out 10 hits with Will Benson scoring 3 as a lone player with multiple knocks.
Andrew Abbott takes the mound, making his 18th start of the season for Cincinnati in this campaign. He enters the series 8-4 with a 3.22 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, 36 walks and 104 strikeouts over 95 innings of work this tear. Abbott is 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA, a 0.947 WHIP, 16 walks and 50 strikeouts over 50.3 innings in eight career starts at the Great American Ball Park.
Betting On The St. Louis Cardinals
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.216
1XBet Over/Under: Under 10.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.05
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 10.5
The St. Louis Cardinals won their third straight and fifth in the last seven games, when they beat the Atlanta Braves for the second night in a row on the road, Wednesday night. They entered Thursday 61-78 and dropped to the bottom of the NL Central. On Wednesday, the Cardinals got two hits from Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Alec Burleson to lead a 14-hit charge.
Drew Rom takes the mound for St. Louis, starting for the fourth time this season in this campaign. Rom is 0-2 with a 7.24 ERA, a 1.902 WHIP, eight walks and 11 strikeouts over 13.2 innings of work this year.
MatchPlug Prediction
Despite winning 5 of their last 7 games, St. Louis is almost outside the playoff race, as they are 11 matches back with 23 to play. The Cardinals have a lot of work to do in this game especially with Rom sputtering his three starts at the big league level.
With the Reds deep in the playoff chase, they should find it easy to get the upper hand on St. Louis, who are grasping at straws here.
Chicago Cubs VS Arizona Diamondbacks continue a four-game series this afternoon. Arizona (73-68, 74-66 RL, 61-72-7 O/U) will send Zac Gallen to the mound. While the Cubs (76-65, 73-67 RL, 71-65-4 O/U) will counter with Jameson Taillon.
The Diamondbacks went 4-3 against the Cubs last season, posting a 6-2 win on Thursday.
The Chicago Cubs are in excellent form. They now have a 3.5 match in the wildcard after delivering a devastating three-game sweep against the San Francisco Giants this week. This is thanks to the offense, gathering 22 runs while restricting the Giants to 10 runs. They are presently 9 games above .500 at Wrigley Field and are just 1.5 games back of the Brewers. Chicago is 7-3 in their last 10.
Jameson Taillon will pitch for the team. Last time, he permitted 5 runs on 7 hits in 5.2 innings against the Pittsburgh Piratesand managed an escape with a no-decision in a match Chicago won. He has not been reliable, fumbling four runs in three straight outings. Taillon has a 5.73 ERA and 1.35 WHIP accompanied by a 7-9 record in 127.1 innings. He blew 7 runs in 12 career innings against Arizona.
Betting On The Arizona Diamondbacks
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.867
1XBet Over/Under: Under 7.5
BetMGM Spread: -1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.87
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 7
The Arizona Diamondbacks came back from a series loss to the Baltimore Orioles by winning two of three against the Colorado Rockies before this series. They secured 18 runs, lost two of their last three series and are just 4-6 in their last 10 games. Arizona is 0.5 matches out of the wildcard spot.
Zac Gallen will pitch for the Diamondbacks in tonight’s game. He was defeated in his last pitch, surrendering 6 runs on 9 hits in 5.1 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and suffered a loss. Gallen currently sports a 3.48 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP coupled with a 14-7 record in 178.2 innings on the year. He has low numbers against Chicago, posting a 4.35 ERA and a 1-1 record in 20.2 innings.
MatchPlug Prediction
Arizona has momentum after pulling off a series win against the Rockies and against Chicago on Thursday. The Diamondbacks have won 2 of their previous 3, road series. They have a high chance at victory with, Gallen taking the rubber. He has surrendered two or fewer runs in four of his last 6 outings.
First baseman for the New York Yankees , Anthony Rizzo learned that his season ended Tuesday, following a post-concussion syndrome diagnosis.
“He is going to be shut down for the year,” manager Aaron Boone told reporters before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium.
Rizzo joined the injured list on August 3rd when he was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.
Doctors believe he got the concussion when the San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. crashed into him while returning to first base on May 28 in the Bronx.
Tatis’ hip hit Rizzo’s head/neck/shoulder region. He did not finish the game and took three matches off while he recovered. But he was not the same star player when he returned. In 46 games after the collision, Rizzo hit only .172 with one home run, nine RBIs and a .496 OPS. Before the incident, he was one of the best-performing first basemen in the game, hitting .
304 with 11 home runs, 32 RBIs and a .880 OPS in 53 games.
He hopped to come back this season despite the diagnosis. In mid-August, he said he was “feeling better on a day-to-day” basis and that the “fogginess” he was experiencing had lifted.
But recently, Rizzo met with doctors again, who put him through tests and told him they saw progress but he was not clear to return to playing.
Boone said Anthony would probably have another checkup in a few weeks. He added that the baseman did not fight the team’s decision.
“I think he’s in a good place,” Boone said, adding that he worked out in the Yankees’ weight room with Rizzo earlier in the day and that he was “getting after it.”
The manager said he hoped that Anthony would be able to come back to being the significant lefty hitter he had been throughout his 13-year MLB career. He is due to make $17 million next season with a $6 million buyout of his 2025 team option. Rizzo is a career .236 hitter and he is only five homers away from 300. He has been an All-Star three times and won four Gold Gloves.
“He’s been kind of a model of consistency in what’s been a really good career,” Boone said.
“So I think the fact that we can trace it is obviously got everyone’s attention, and initially is alarming. But, also, there probably is a reason here now that you weren’t the player you’ve been really your entire career. I think the things that he’s doing, and the tools that we now have that I think help guys that have been through something like this, should put him on good footing moving forward.”
Does Boone regret that doctors weren’t able to diagnose Rizzo more quickly?
“I think you always have regret if something doesn’t get diagnosed right away,” he said. “Yeah, you always want everything to be — but that’s not the reality sometimes. I think all the right things and right steps are happening.
You can’t go back. But, sure, you would have liked to have been able to know right away what he was dealing with.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías was arrested on a felony charge of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said on Tuesday.
He did not travel with the Dodgers to Miami, where they’ll open a three-game series against the Marlins on Tuesday night.
He has been scheduled to make his next start Thursday.
“For us, now it’s day to day,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “I don’t want to get too far ahead of things. As time’s gone on with certain things, you learn that simplifying, day to day, is the best way to handle it.”
Urias was picked up late Sunday night by Department of Public Safety officers in Exposition Park, south of downtown Los Angeles. The park houses the BMO Stadium, where Lionel Messi was playing a Major League Soccer match with many celebrities attending.
LASD Deputy Maria Lucero affirmed the felony charge. DPS has not released details of the arrest. Except for acknowledging “an incident involving Julio Urías,’’ the Dodgers have failed to make any comments.
Urías posted ,000 bail and was released early Monday morning, according to sheriff’s department booking records.
He is due to appear in court on September 27th.
Major League Baseball will be investigating the claims.
This is not the first time Urías had a run-in with the law. In 2019, the pitcher was arrested for domestic battery.
He was suspended for 20 games by MLB, but he was not prosecuted by the Los Angeles city attorney on the condition that he complete a 52-week domestic violence counselling program. No player has been suspended twice under MLB’s joint domestic violence policy since its establishment in 2015.
“I haven’t addressed the team,” Roberts said. “I think everyone is aware of it. I think everyone feels the same way I do as far as a very unfortunate circumstance. I don’t think anyone knows all that has gone on and went on.
I think our guys are just focused on today and let things play out.”
Urías is the second key player on a contending team investigated by MLB in recent weeks after Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was sent on administrative leave as Dominican Republic authorities investigated him for an alleged relationship with a minor.
Brad Maxwell, a key player on the Minnesota North Stars blue line and the team’s most creative signing died on Sunday after losing a battle to lung cancer that spread through his body. Maxwell was 66.
“We want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to us during this difficult time,” Maxwell’s family announced Sunday on his GoFundMe page. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Brad ‘Maxy’ Maxwell on Sept. 3, 2023. Those who knew him were truly lucky, and he will be deeply missed. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.”
His family had created a fundraising page to fund the costs of the new treatment he was undergoing.
In his active days, Maxwell played 613 regular season games between 1977-87 with the North Stars, Quebe Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, ending his career in Minnesota with 17 matches in 1986-87. He played another 79 matches in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a key cog for the North Stars in their run to the 1981 Final, when the lost the best-of-7 series in five games to the New York Islanders.
He had 368 points (98 goals, 270 assists) in the NHL, accumulating 1,292 penalty minutes. He contributed 61 points (12 goals, 49 assists) and 178 penalty minutes in the postseason.
Young Brad Maxwell playing for Minnesota North Stars
Brad played for Canada three times in the IIHF World Championship, in 1978, 1979 and 1982.
Just like his father, Maxwell was a fantastic golfer but found his calling in hockey, playing three seasons for the major-junior New Westminister Bruins from 1974-77. He won the Memorial Cup in 1977 with New Westminister before being drafted by the North Stars in the first round (No. 7) of the 1977 NHL Draft.
Before he could sign with the North Stars, the Birmingham Bulls of the opposing World Hockey Association found him, offering a lucrative contract for 1977-78 and booking him on a flight to Birmingham for a gala signing.
Maxwell’s flight in June flew him through Chicago and that was where the executives of Minnesota practically ambushed him when he got off the plane and headed to his connecting flight sweeting the Bulls deal and taking him to Minnesota to join the NHL.
Back in Birmingham, Bulls owner John Bassett, a brass band, civic leaders and even Miss Alabama watched as every passenger came down from the plane that arrived from Chicago, but Maxwell was not one of them.
The Bulls folded later that month with the NHL-WHA merger.
Brad Maxwell got a media introduction at the Metropolitan Sports Center on June 24, happy to discuss his come back to the arena.
“I played here once in a peewee tournament when I was 11,” he told reporters. “I lived in Brandon, and we came down here to play. We lost but I remember how nice the people were. Five of us stayed with a family in Bloomington and they were great to us.”
North Stars coach Ted Harris, ex-captain and great defensemen who was with the team before, worked to build a stronger blue line and he liked Maxwell’s 194 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame.
Harris too was a rugged defenseman, four-time Stanley Cup champion in the 1960s with the Montreal Canadiens, who included one more with the 1975 Philadelphia Flyers.
“I know defensemen have to play defense and I think I can help the North Stars in front of the goal,” Maxwell said upon signing. “I’ll be there. But I also like to make rushes.
“All I want is a chance to play. I’ll be there if anyone challenges me or goes after anybody else on the team.”
The NHL season were Maxwell was most productive offense-wise was in 1983-84, when he had 73 points (19 goals, 54 assists) and an NHL career-high 225 minutes in penalties during his lone All-Star season.
The MLS Disciplinary Committee has found Houston Dynamo FC and the Portland Timbers in violation of the Mass Confrontation Policy during the 89th minute of their match on August 20.
Houston and Portland violated the Policy for the first time this season and have each received an official warning for their actions.
Due to their part in the mass confrontation, Dynamo defender Franco Escobar and midfielders Griffin Dorsey and Amine Bassi, and Timbers midfielders Christhian Paredes and Sebastián Blanco have each been issued an undisclosed fine for inciting and/or escalating a mass confrontation.
Petretta fined
The MLS Disciplinary Committee has found Toronto FC defender Raoul Petretta guilty of not leaving the field promptly in the 77th minute of Toronto’s match against CF Montréal on August 20.
He too have been fined an undisclosed amount for the violation.
Fernández fined
The MLS Disciplinary Committee has also found New York City FC forward Julián Fernández guilty of simulation-embellishment in the 84th minute of the club’s match against Minnesota United FC on August 20.
Fernández will be paying an undisclosed amount for his actions.
Racing a former NFL running back is never a good idea, particularly if you are a 44-year-old comedian. Kevin Hart learned this lesson the hard way and is now in a wheelchair for the time being.
Hart posted a video to Instagram where he explained his injury. He and Stevan Ridley got into an argument about who would win in a race, so they decided to settle it by running the 40-yard dash.
Kevin said he tore multiple muscles in his abdomen, as he laid out his injuries in agonizing detail. He also said the incident was a clear reminder that he is no longer a spring chicken.
“We get out there, we go run the 40-yard dash,” Hart said.
“40-yard dash. Guys, I blew all my s–t. Tore my lower abdomen, my abductors. I don’t even know what that is, but I tore them. I tore those too. I can’t walk. Sit my ass down. This is 44.”
Hart received a bit of feedback from other celebrities with stars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Will Smith commenting on the video.
Even if Kevin Hart had not gotten hurt, it would be hard to imagine the race turning out well for him. After a successful career at LSU, Ridley played eight seasons in the NFL, four of them with the New England Patriots. In 2012, Ridley rushed for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns.
That is not the type of person to be challenged to a race, a mistake Hart will not be making again.
