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The regular season is coming to a close and the final playoff standings are beginning to form. Every manager that will arrive in the playoffs will prepare their team for a potential World Series run. However, there are two managers that have more extensive experience in the postseason,  and are both ready to push for their second championship.

Dave Roberts has already led the Dodgers to the NL West title and Dusty Baker, who guided the Houston Astros to a World Series victory last season, headed into last night’s game versus the Seattle Mariners with his team holding a half game lead over the Mariners for the third and final AL wildcard spot.

Roberts piloted the Dodgers to a World Series title in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Although he is a proven winner, Roberts has won only one of three of the World Series appearances in which he has taken the Dodgers. Expectations are high for him and the Dodgers again ahead of the upcoming playoffs. Currently, the Atlanta Braves are the favorite to win the National League pennant.

Baker brought legitimacy back to the Houston Astros organization after a few years of chaos following a cheating scandal which many baseball fans believe was the primary reason they captured the 2017 World Series. In the aftermath, the general assumption was the Astros run was over, but Baker, hired by Houston in January of 2020, helped steady the franchise and regain credibility

An Astros repeat as World Series champions would place Baker in an elite category as he would join Cito Gatson as the only other African-American manager to win back-to-back World Series titles. Baker is the only manager to win a division with five different teams. And over the last 30 years he’s accumulated 2.179 wins, good for seventh place all-time just behind Sparky Anderson, who Baker should pass in 2024 if he manages next season.  

Another pennant for the Astros this season would mark Baker’s club winning three straight in the American League, a feat that has not happened since the New York Yankees did it from 1998-2000. Roberts has been the Dodgers manager since 2016 and they have garnered 10 of the last 11 NL West crowns.  He has never won less than 91 games in seven full seasons as manager. 

A dream scenario would be to see Roberts and Baker meeting up against each in the Fall Classic.

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Undisputed super middleweight world champion Canelo Álvarez will defend his titles against undisputed junior middleweight world champion Jermell Charlo on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be broadcast by Showtime PPV.

The 33-year-old Charlo, who is 35-1-1, not only hasn’t fought since May of last year, but is also moving up from a maximum of 154 lbs at junior middleweight to a maximum weight of 168 lbs at super middleweight. Charlo most certainly is daring to be great.
The fight is also historic. It is the first time that two reigning, undisputed male champions will face each other. If Charlo can pull off the upset, he would become just the second man to earn the undisputed title in two divisions during the four-belt era, following Terence Crawford, who became the first with a victory over Errol Spence in their welterweight bout in July. Charlo would join boxing legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, and Roy Jones Jr., who each successfully jumped two weight classes to win a championship.
Both Alvarez and Charlo spoke to the media earlier this week before the clash.
“I feel the love and support from my people and I’m proud to represent my country,” said the
59-2-2, 33-year-old Alvarez of his Mexican heritage. “I am 100% right now and ready to show you a different Canelo on Saturday. Charlo is a great fighter who knows how to box. He is strong and has nothing to lose. He came to my division to win it all. But I’ve been in this position for a long time and I’m ready.” 

Charlo exuded confidence in knowing what’s ahead against an opponent considered an all-time great by numerous boxing pundits.
“These fans think Canelo is the best in the world, but I’m going to come here and show that I’m the best,” said Charlo. “I do this for the dogs, the hungry ones. I do it for the animals. I’m made for this. After I beat Canelo, the world will be screaming ‘Charlo, Charlo!’ You dig? Now it’s my turn, my time, my moment. I’m going to shine on Saturday night. We can’t talk about it; we have to be about it. Come fight night, you’ll all see what that means.”
Alvarez is favored in the fight and he should be. But Canelo hasn’t knocked out an opponent since November 2021 and suffered the second loss of his career in May of last year versus Dmitrii Bivol. Canelo has absorbed a lot of punishment in his 63 fights and even acknowledged looking subpar in his last three matches.
Shakur Stevenson is scheduled to return to action when he battles Edwin De Los Santos for the vacant WBC lightweight title on November 16 in Las Vegas. 

Devin Haney will dare to be great when he moves up to junior welterweight to battle WBC welterweight champion Regis Prograis. Haney is currently the undisputed lightweight champion.

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will take on MMA fighter Francis Ngannou on October 28 from Saudi Arabia. 

Finally, 22-year-old Irishman Callum Walsh will make his Madison Square Garden debut and defend his WBC US silver super welterweight title against Ismael Villarreal on November 9.

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Zach Wilson isn’t ready. 

The 24-year-old, third year quarterback, and the No. 2 overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft, is not ready to be an effective starter in the league.

He has played in 25 career games as a professional. Last Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium was start No. 24 for Wilson. Ideally, it would be his last for most, if not all of the remainder of this season. However, the Jets’ circumstances dictate that Wilson remains as their first string QB until the team can acquire a more viable player at the position. 

The Jets’ playoff and Super Bowl aspirations were plausibly high when they opened the regular season on September 11 versus the Buffalo Bills. But if those thoughts still persist now, it’s mere magical thinking. When four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn left Achilles tendon less than five minutes into the game on just the Jets’ fourth offensive play of the 2023 campaign, the team’s hopes effectively sidelined with him.

Rodgers will not return this season. As of today, neither will any semblance of a Jets team that could’ve been a champion. They defeated the Bills 22-16 in overtime and since then lost 30-10 to the Dallas Cowboys and 15-10 to the Patriots. The Jets are statistically the worst offense in the league. Subtract the six points that Jets punt returner Xavier Gipson scored on a 65-yard walk off touchdown in OT against the Bills, and the Wilson-led offense has posted just 36 total points for an average of 12 per game.

It is virtually impossible to compete for victories with such alarmingly low offensive output. In defense of Wilson, he never expected to be starting this season. As the No. 2 quarterback behind Rodgers to begin the season, yes, it’s his charge to be prepared to step in and perform capably. The urgent issue for the Jets is that Wilson, at this stage of his young career, is demonstrably incapable. It gets more problematic for head coach Robert Saleh and his squad as the Jets’ next opponent is the 2-1 defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in a showdown at MetLife on Sunday night. 

“Right now he is the best player, he’s the one who gives us the best chance to win. That’s the cleanest answer I can give you,” said Saleh after Sunday’s loss regarding Wilson’s status.

 It’s demoralizing for Jets fans to reconcile Saleh’s words but it’s true. Wilson’s backups are Tim Boyle, who has just 106 career passing attempts in his fifth season with three teams and Trevor Siemian, who the Jets signed earlier this week. Siemian was the Bears’ second-stringer last season for the Chicago Bears behind Justin Fields.

To assert that the Jets are in dire straits is an understatement.  

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* This article was originally published here

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart was honored for her stellar WNBA regular season performance by being named the league’s 2023 MVP for the second time in her career. The former UConn collegiate star also won the award in 2018 as a member of the Seattle Storm.

But for the first two games of the No. 2 seed Liberty’s semifinal playoff matchup against the Connecticut Sun, Stewart has been uncharacteristically off kilter. In the Liberty’s 78-63 Game 1 loss on Sunday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Stewart had a team-high 19 points but shot just 7-25 and was 0-8 on 3-point attempts.

“They were being aggressive. I don’t think we handled it well. We didn’t stay poised and composed,” Stewart said. “Frustrating to drop this one at home. We’ll bounce back Tuesday.”

And they collectively did reverse make adjustments, even with Stewart still misfiring. 

With the crowd serenading her with chants of “MVP,” Stewart again couldn’t find her offensive rhythm, going 3-13 from the field and posting just 11 points, 12 below regular season average of 23 per game. But the two-time WNBA champion (2018, 2020) and two-time Finals MVP was picked up by her teammates, themselves accomplished stars. 

Guard Sabrina Ionescu led the Liberty with 21, forward Betnijah Laney dropped 20 and guard Courtney Vandersloot added 19 to lift the Liberty to a critical 84-77 win and tie the best-of-five series at 1-1 with Game 3 tomorrow at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

“It was hard for Stewie, a very emotional day for her. It’s not easy to win MVP,” said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello. “For AT (Sun’s forward Alyssa Thomas, who was 2-13 in Game 2), that’ll be motivating for the other team, but they’re both worthy of MVP, it could’ve gone either way. They’re lifting the standard of this league with how they play.”

“It’s been an unbelievable season as a whole for the WNBA,” noted Stewart. “Really to see what all the top players have done, it’s only going to continue to make this league shine brighter and be better. 

“And the fact that there’s multiple people in the conversation—obviously AT and A’ja [Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces] had amazing seasons, just showed that we’re reaching new heights and we’re doing things that have never been done before, and we’re continuing to show that greatness shines in many different ways.”

Game 4 will also be in Connecticut on Sunday at 3 p.m. 

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* This article was originally published here

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts’ month-long pursuit of presumed National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. may not result in winning his first NL MVP award—but going forward there is potential for Betts to accomplish something just as special on the game’s largest stage.

On Saturday, in the Dodgers’ 7-0 win over the San Francisco Giants, Betts reached one of the most unique achievements in MLB history for a leadoff hitter.

His 105th RBI this season from the top of the lineup eclipsed Colorado Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon’s record of 104 RBI that was set in 2017.

“There’s been a lot of great leadoff hitters, and for him to be No.1 is pretty remarkable,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “It seems like every night we’re eclipsing milestones as individuals.”
The record comes in a season that has seen Betts do it all for the Dodgers at the plate, especially since the All-Star break.

Over his previous 30 games at the start of the week, Betts was slashing .360/.474/.622 with 7 homers, 21 RBI and 22 walks. With 39 home runs when the Dodgers faced the Rockies last night (Wednesday), it is the third time he has reached the 30-plus milestone. One more will put him at 40 for the first time in the 30-year-old’s 10-year career. This is his fourth season as a Dodger after six with the Boston Red Sox.

On most teams, a power bat like Betts’ would almost automatically be placed in the cleanup spot, but the Dodgers aren’t normal. They are an offensive juggernaut with heavy hitters throughout their lineup and Betts is the head of the snake.The Dodgers, champions of the NL West, have clinched a first-round bye in the postseason.

Betts’ value to the Dodgers has been immense. Already establishing himself as one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, his ability to play the infield has helped the Dodgers through injuries while also providing Roberts with additional strategic options.  

Betts flashed a lot of leather on Sunday while playing second base in the Dodgers series finale against their longtime division rival Giants, making two fantastic diving stops on back-to-back plays. Given the plethora of injuries to the Dodgers pitching staff, strong defense will be key to their pursuit of a World Series title.

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* This article was originally published here

It was Caitlin Clark’s first visit to New York City. Although the college basketball star who propelled the University of Iowa to the title game in the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament was only in town for 24 hours, it was a memorable time because she was named recipient of the 93rd Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) James E. Sullivan Award at the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) last week. In addition to athletic excellence, the Sullivan Award recognizes qualities of leadership, character, and sportsmanship on and off the field of play. It is presented annually to the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the U.S.

“It’s kind of a full circle moment; I grew up playing a lot of AAU sports—softball, basketball, soccer,” said Clark, whose father was her first-ever AAU basketball coach. “The reason I went to Iowa was to be able to do something different and take them to a place they really hadn’t been… I hope I can continue to push women’s sport forward and be an advocate.”

The other finalists were Dylan Crews, a baseball player at LSU who is now with the Washington Nationals; Jordan Chiles, a collegiate gymnast at UCLA (unable to attend due to the trials for the World Championships); Jordan Crooks, a swimmer for the University of Tennessee; Zach Edey, a basketball player with Purdue University; and Kate Douglass, a swimmer and recent graduate of the University of Virginia who began her swimming career at a swimming club affiliated with the NYAC.

Other memorable moments of last week’s Sullivan Award event included a keynote speech by Leon Carter, editor-at-large of The Athletic and co-director of the Sports Journalism Institute, a nine-week training program for aspiring sports journalists with an emphasis on minorities and women.“You will see people who will not be with you,” Carter said. “Stand tall in the face of adversity. When people say you can’t do something, stand tall.”

The AAU’s Humanitarian Award went to NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, who has worked with the AAU for several years on organizing sports programs for young people in NYC. This year’s AAU Urban Initiative featured three-on-three basketball courts in Time Square.

 “Through this partnership with AAU, this platform, I was able to pull together resources and create opportunities,” said Maddrey. “Boys and girls together playing basketball…We have to think of something bigger for next year!”

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* This article was originally published here

The Big East Conference hosted its eighth annual Transition Game program earlier this month, providing current women’s basketball student-athletes with insights into planning for life on and off the court after graduation. More than 30 student-athletes attended, listened, and asked questions of speakers about subjects ranging from playing professional basketball to using skills developed in sports to launch new careers. Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Liberty Keia Clarke addressed the attendees.

Shenneika Smith, now an assistant coach at her alma mater, St. John’s University, spoke about moving into the pro game. She admitted she’s not fond of public speaking but was happy to share her story of being drafted by the New York Liberty, getting cut, and then learning the ropes of playing overseas.

“One of the mistakes I made when I first went overseas was not being more in tune with my teammates, not gravitating to them where they could help me with the language barriers or even the small things like where to go eat, what’s fun to do,” said Smith, who played in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and Australia. “Also, I was not used to not having a schedule because in college, everything is planned out.”

Other than practice and games, Smith spent a lot of time in her first season in her apartment, watching Netflix or NBA games. Fortunately, she became more a part of the community as her career progressed. She also learned to accept not making a WNBA roster.

“I was the last person waived by the New York Liberty, and it was heart-wrenching,” said Smith, now in her seventh season on the St. John’s coaching staff. “I let them know [that] just because you didn’t make a team or you got waived doesn’t mean you don’t go forward. Go overseas and enjoy your time over there.”

Kae Satterfield, a fifth-year guard/forward at Seton Hall, attended and soaked up the wealth of information. Her post-graduation goals include playing professionally. “The real world is coming fast,” said Satterfield, who also listened intently to Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble’s insights about mental health. “I really appreciated the former athletes panel and their honesty. Their insights into overseas professional basketball, as well as the WNBA, were really helpful. They gave good tips for when you’re in other countries.”

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North Carolina Central (NCCU) is atop the HBCU power rankings heading into this weekend’s Black college football schedule after a commanding 45-3 win over Mississippi Valley State in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Lucas Oil Stadium in the Circle City Classic this past Saturday. 

NC Central, of the MEAC, is 3-1 overall and their only loss is to UCLA in a 59-7 drubbing to the PAC-12 Power Five conference school two weekends ago in Los Angeles. Mississippi Valley State of the SWAC fell to 0-3 and faces a formidable task at home this Saturday when they will play their first conference game of the season against Florida A&M. 

The Rattlers are No. 2 in the HBCU Power Rankings and are coming off of a 23-10 victory over Alabama State. They are followed by No. 3 Tennessee State (2-1) of the Ohio Valley Conference, No. 4 Jackson State (3-2) of the SWAC and No. 5 Hampton (2-1) of the Colonial Athletic Conference. 

NCCU, which had its seven-game win streak dating back to last season snapped by UCLA, opened up a 14-0 lead in the first quarter against the Delta Devils and were never threatened after. Eagles junior quarterback Walter Harris was 17-28 for 263 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

NCCU is back home at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium this Saturday after two games on the road to play Campbell University (2-2) of the Colonial Athletic Conference. The Eagles ended last season as the Black college champions with a gripping 41-34 overtime win in the Crickett Celebration Bowl over the Jackson State Tigers led by the program’s former head coach Deion Sanders, who now is in his first season leading the Colorado Buffaloes.

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* This article was originally published here