Sports

More news - Recent news Imagine a baseball season without the iconic crack of an ash bat. This could become a reality thanks to the emerald ash borer, a tiny beetle that causes massive destruction of ash trees across North America. For decades, ash has reigned supreme in baseball bats. From legendary players like Babe Ruth to modern sluggers like Mark McGwire, ash has been the go-to material for its feel and performance. Companies like Hillerich & Bradsby, makers of the Louisville Slugger, produced hundreds of thousands of ash bats each year. However, agrilus planipennis has changed the game. This invasive insect, the size of a grain of rice, attacks ash trees by laying its eggs under the bark. The larvae then feed on the tree's vital nutrients, killing it. Since its arrival in...

More news - News 24 hours Mike Duggan and his hockey buddies were strapping on their gear one recent morning when their banter turned, as it often does, to the topic of joint replacement surgeries. Duggan, 74, the proud owner of an artificial hip, marveled at the sheer number of titanium body parts in the locker room. He nodded toward Mitch Boriskin, who was putting on a pair of skates along the opposite wall. “I don't think there's an original part to you,” Duggan said. Boriskin, 70, smiled. “Two fake knees, a spinal cord stimulator, 25 surgeries,” he began, as if he were reciting a sheet of music. “And a lobotomy,” Duggan chimed in, as laughter rippled through the room. All that titanium, at least, was being put to good use. Their team, Oregon Old Growth, had joined dozens of ot...

Related media - Breaking news The niche world of hockey romance novels is gaining public attention after the wife of an NHL player criticized fans of the books who she said had made comments and videos on social media about her husband as " predators and exploiters". Here's what happened when the worlds of professional sports, romance novels and TikTok collided. First there was BookTok. On TikTok, people share book recommendations and reviews under the hashtag #BookTok, and the community has become a powerful force in publishing: More than 100 authors with large followings on BookTok generated $760 million in sales in 2022, a up 60% from 2021, according to Circana BookScan, which tracks print sales. Romance is a big part of the BookTok universe, as is its popular subgenre of hockey r...

Related media - Recent news He also took several trips to Europe, discovering a passion for exploring his father's ancestral land in the Basque Country in northern Spain. And he drove a camper van around Australia and Indonesia. But the boat was his greatest pleasure. “I want my life to be simple and there's nothing simpler than being on a sailboat,” she said. “You treat the boat well and it treats you well. That's all. Before the pandemic, the Roaming Rose docked in Turks and Caicos. Due to travel restrictions, she was stuck there for almost two years. When he was allowed to return to the boat in 2022, she took her girlfriend, Jayden Davila, with her for a three-month sail around the Caribbean. They docked in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the...

More news - Latest news There were streakers, kissers and wannabe prize fighters. There were arrests, threats and flying chairs. There were bruises, there was blood and there was beer. So, so much beer. There was plenty of blame to pass around: the fans, the umpires, the team officials, the managers, local broadcasters and radio hosts. Oh, and according to one Cleveland resident, the real instigator causing that evening’s mayhem? The moon. And that’s not a reference to the fans who yanked down their pants and showed Rangers players their backsides. Fifty years ago, chaos descended upon Municipal Stadium on 10-Cent Beer Night. Now, the infamous events of June 4, 1974, when an alcohol-fueled crowd spilled onto the field, confronted players and forced a forfeit, are often viewe...

More news - Recent news After the reinstatement, Major League Baseball executives established an unwritten quota system that limits the number of Black players on rosters, Shieber said. “This led to unbalanced trading,” he added. “It's not just a one-to-one exchange. Like, “We have enough black player trades.” Toward the end of the exhibit, Shieber pointed out the locker once used by Willie Mays, who Barry Bonds took over as a player for the San Francisco Giants. One of Stewart's fondest early memories involves meeting Mays, his favorite player, when he was 5 years old. But Stewart might also look up to Gibson, Aaron, Frank Robinson and a host of other black stars. Today, he said, kids probably emulate Betts. He struggled to name another current American-born black star. Below th...

More news - News 24 hours While sports fans enjoy the defining moments of this month's NBA Finals and Stanley Cup, Jason Arasheben studies like a college student before exams. Arasheben, a famous jeweler whose clients include rappers Drake and ASAP Rocky, is investigating the contending teams' history, connections to their hometowns and any other interesting facts that might go into an extravagantly bejeweled ring. He is also examining his personal contacts to look for someone who can facilitate a meeting with the wealthy owners of the winning franchises. “You just have to start connecting the dots,” said Arasheben, CEO of the Jason jewelry house in Beverly Hills, near Los Angeles. “Billionaires talk to other billionaires.” In recent years, Arasheben has established itself as the g...

Related media - News 24 hours Sometimes, smaller is better. For decades, major sports leagues have sought to place teams in the country's largest markets, in hopes of selling more tickets and sponsorships, as well as satisfying broadcasters who want to reach as many viewers as possible. But in recent years, leagues have embraced the allure of smaller markets. Teams moved to cities like Oklahoma City, Las Vegas, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, seeking financial incentives, newer arenas and stadiums, and more devoted fans. In early April, the National Hockey League approved the $1.2 billion sale of the Arizona Coyotes to tech billionaire Ryan Smith and his wife Ashley. The team, which will be renamed, will begin play next season at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, home of another Smiths t...

Associated media - Connected media Ken Holtzman, a left-hander who pitched two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs and won three World Series with the Oakland A’s in a 15-season career, died on Monday in St. Louis. He was 78. He had been hospitalized for the last three weeks with heart and respiratory illnesses, his brother, Bob, said in confirming the death. Holtzman won 174 games, the most for a Jewish pitcher in Major League Baseball — nine more than the Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, who is considered one of the best pitchers ever and who had a shorter career. In addition to his win total, Holtzman, who at 6 feet 2 inches and 175 pounds cut a lanky figure, had a career earned run average of 3.49 and was chosen for the 1972 and 1973 All-Star teams. Holtzman, at 23, threw his first ...

Connected media - Related media By now, you probably understand what Bills general manager Brandon Beane is all about. He has a history of trading up. He did it for Josh Allen, Tremaine Edmunds, Cody Ford, Dawson Knox, Zack Moss, Kaiir Elam, Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid. That’s eight times in six drafts, four in the first round. To his credit, he actually has traded down during one draft, doing so twice in the 2022 second round before taking James Cook. Beane said he had a trade to move down last year and would have done it if he couldn’t get Kincaid — but he didn’t. Despite giving us the information, he doesn’t get credit for doing the move, because ultimately, he did what he has always done in the first round. He chased after a player who excited him, just as he always said he’...