Dusty Baker keeps rolling along with managerial master class
The biggest change for the Houston Astros has been the return of their offense.
Since the All-Star break, Houston has been sending balls into orbit with regularity and sending runners around the basepaths. They lead the AL in runs and RBI, are second in home runs and walks, and rank third in batting average and OPS.
Guiding the team through all of this has been Dusty Baker.
On May 1st, the Houston Astros were just 16-13, with the sixth-best record in the American League. One month later, the Astros were ten games above .500 but had fallen further behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West standings, trailing by 2.5 games.
June was brutal, as Houston suffered four-game and five-game losing skids, but they closed that month by winning four of their last five.
Houston Astros 5th In Standings On July 1
The defending American League champs were still sitting fifth in the standings on July 1st. The World Series letdown talk was rampant.
However, since then, the Astros are 23-12. Over their last 20 games before Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels, Houston had been tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the best record in the AL with 13 wins during that stretch.
And yet, there are consistent calls and even petitions to have Baker fired. Those who want to see Dusty go can point to the team’s lackluster records in close games and overall losing record against winning teams.
Houston’s pitching staff has been mediocre at best, carried by the offense.
Baker Has Achieved Unprecedented Success Since Joining Astros
Still, since Baker took over as manager prior to the start of the 2020 season, the Astros have been to the American League Championship Series three times, advanced to the World Series twice, and won it all last year.
They’ve experienced only two months with a losing record under Baker and have won almost 61 percent of their regular season games in August, September, and October since the start of the 2021 season.
In the postseason, the Astros are 28-14 with Baker in the dugout, posting an impressive .667 winning percentage. Both marks outpace his overall regular season (.591) standards and surpass his overall postseason percentage as well (.526).
Let’s not forget how Dusty single-handedly navigated the Astros through the aftereffects of the “cheating scandal” under former manager AJ Hinch. Dusty’s presence at the helm softened the venom from opposing fans and media because of the respect and reverence he’s acquired since he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 26th round of the 1967 MLB Draft.
Dusty Baker Has Houston Sitting Pretty
A baseball season is a marathon. It is a battle of endurance. As the cliche says, “You want to be playing your best baseball at the end of the year.”
Looking at the American League landscape, Houston is where it wants to be. The schedule down the stretch isn’t easy, but the Astros only face four teams with winning records away from Minute Maid Park the rest of the way.
Perhaps the Astros haven’t reached their peak this season. But based on Baker’s record, any panic at this stage is unwarranted.
The Houston Astros are expected to be in the mix for another world championship come late October.
But win or lose, Baker’s legacy is cemented.
The post Dusty Baker keeps rolling along with managerial master class appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
The Gardiner Foundation to hold its 18th Annual Basketball Classic
This weekend, the Gardiner Foundation will hold its 18th Annual Gardiner Memorial Basketball Classic at St. James Park, located on West 192nd Street and Jerome Avenue in the Bronx.
Over the past three decades, the tournament has grown into one of the most well-attended and impactful events on the New York City summer basketball landscape because of its social-emotional and educational objectives for youth. School supplies, bookbags, five college scholarships, the raffling of iPads, and the offering of free food will accentuate the two-day gathering. The basketball games will begin at noon Saturday and Sunday.
The Classic is founded and operated by Dexter Gardiner, who showcased his skills at SUNY-Canton and was a fixture in the 1980s and 90s at tournaments, such as the Entertainers Basketball Classic at Rucker Park and the Gun Hill Tournament in the Northeast Bronx, earning a reputation as a prolific backcourt scorer.
Similarly, a noted player, his twin brother Derrick was tragically killed in a horrific car accident in July of 2006 on the Bronx River Parkway. The crash claimed the lives of six members of the Gardiner family. Dexter, of Jamaican heritage, was subsequently compelled by his Christian faith to commit to a life of service, establishing the Gardiner Foundation as an attestive part of his legacy.
“Uplifting others and creating pathways and opportunities for the youth is deep in my spirit,” Gardiner said to this writer early this month. “When I see some of the kids who came through our foundation and witnessing the success they are having now as good students, having strong family values, and making a positive difference in their communities, it reinforces our mission.”
Based in the Northeast section of the Bronx, the foundation aids underprivileged families, providing them with food and monetary assistance, grants college scholarships to high school students, sponsors turkey giveaways during Thanksgiving, and organizes children’s toy drives during the Christmas holiday, among other initiatives.
With roots in the island of Jamaica, Dexter operates the foundation out of its base in the North Bronx, where he was raised and honed his hoop skills, leading him to SUNY-Canton. In the mid-80s, Dexter became the nation’s leading junior college in the school’s division. The symmetry of his eternal bond with Derrick is accentuated by the latter also leading the country in scoring for one season while attending Bronx Community College. Dexter has used basketball as a vehicle to mentor numerous young men and women, teaching them the game but, more importantly, life skills. His efforts have helped spur a cadre of college players and high academic achievers who have leveraged athletic and academic scholarships into college degrees and successful careers in various fields.
The post The Gardiner Foundation to hold its 18th Annual Basketball Classic appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
Jets add Dalvin Cook while Giants shape their offensive line
The long speculation ended on Monday when Dalvin Cook became a New York Jet.
For weeks, the four-time Pro-Bowl running back seemingly had focused his options on the Jets and his hometown Miami Dolphins after spending his six-year NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings. The Jets reaffirmed their commitment to making a Super Bowl run this season by signing Cook to a one-year deal worth up to $8.6 million.
He now allows Breece Hall, who was arguably the leading candidate for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season before tearing his ACL and meniscus in his left knee on October 23 in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, to gradually build his strength and endurance.
Ultimately, Hall’s teammate, Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, was named Rookie of the Year.
The combination of the 28-year-old Cook and Hall could eventually emerge as the best backfield tandem in the league. Hall, drafted 36th overall by the Jets out of Iowa State in 2022, returned to practice on Tuesday after being activated from the physically unable to perform list (PUP). He was well on his way to exceeding 1,000 yards rushing a season ago before his injury. The Omaha, Nebraska, native had 463 in seven games.
Cook ran for 1,173 yards last season and had 39 catches for 295 yards receiving. The last time the Jets had a 1,000-yard rusher was Chris Ivory (1,070) in 2015.
The Giants backfield will also be led by Saquon Barkley, like Cook, one of the elite performers at his position in football. But both the Jets and Giants are still endeavoring to shore up their respective offensive lines, critical to the success of both teams.
Giants rookie John Michael Schmitz had a promising showing versus the Detroit Lions last Friday in his team’s 21-16 preseason opening road loss. A second-round pick (No. 57) from the University of Minnesota, Schmitz is expected to help stabilize an evolving front that is led by left tackle Andrew Thomas, the fourth overall pick by the Giants in 2020. Thomas was named Second-Team All-Pro after a stellar 2022 campaign. He was rewarded with a five-year, $117 million deal in July.
The Giants hope right tackle Evan Neal has a comparable trajectory. The Alabama product, drafted No. 7 last season, possesses the necessities to be an elite tackle but struggled as a rookie. He was diagnosed with a concussion sustained at a Giants practice on August 4 and remained in concussion protocol at the start of this week’s practices.
The Giants host the Carolina Panthers tomorrow at MetLife Stadium in the second of their three scheduled preseason games. The Jets will be at MetLife on Saturday to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The post Jets add Dalvin Cook while Giants shape their offensive line appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
Joshua wins by stunning knockout, Canelo and Charlo face off in New York
Anthony Joshua is trying to make the climb back to the heavyweight mountaintop.
The former two-time unified heavyweight world champion (26-3, 23 KOs) landed a powerful right hand that sent opponent Robert Helenius down, and referee Victor Loughlin quickly stopped the fight Saturday at the O2 Arena in London. It is the second brutal knockout Helenius (32-5, 21 KOs) has suffered in the past 10 months. He was floored even more viciously by former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder last October. A Joshua vs. Wilder fight finally seems destined, and is rumored to be in the works for early next year.
In an action-packed Saturday fight day, Emanuel Navarrete (38-1, 31 KOs) retained his WBO junior lightweight world title with a unanimous victory (116-112, 118-110, and 119-109) over fellow Mexican pugilist Oscar Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) in Glendale, Arizona.
On yet another boxing card, Emmanuel Rodriguez became a two-time IBF bantamweight champion on Saturday evening with a unanimous victory over Melvin Lopez at the MGM National Harbor in Maryland. Rodriguez (22-2, 13 KOs) dominated the fight, dropping Lopez (29-2, 19 KOs) three times in the final round to earn 120-105 on each scorecard.
Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Álvarez and undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo stared each other down for the first time on Tuesday at the Palladium in Times Square in Midtown Manhattan on the first leg of a two-city press conference tour before their upcoming clash on Saturday, Sept. 30, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, to be aired on Showtime PPV.
Many think Canelo is not the same dominant fighter he was in rising to become an all-time great (sentiments shared by this writer), in large part because of punishment suffered in his loss to Dmitry Bivol and his first two battles with Gennady Golovkin. In addressing that speculation, Canelo said, “It’s good that people are saying I’ve lost a step. It’s fine. I know why I didn’t look as good in my last two fights. I know why and I’m different now. I’m preparing now for a different type of fighter.”
Charlo discussed not only why he took the fight, but what will motivate him to defeat the Mexican legend. “I just want to quiet my haters and doubters, and turn non-believers into believers,” he asserted. “I’ve watched a lot of great people in the sport of boxing and now I think this is the best moment for me to leave my mark. With two great fighters in there, you get nothing but fireworks. When this fight presented itself, it was a no-brainer to make this happen.”
Charlo certainly would quiet his haters if he jumps two divisions, adds up to 14 pounds, and defeats Canelo.
Aljamain Sterling, who defeated Henry Cejudo to retain his UFC bantamweight title at UFC 288 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, will return to the Octagon to defend his title against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 on Saturday at the TD Garden in Boston. The prelims will air on ESPN+ and ESPN, while the main card will air on ESPN+ PPV.
Finally, the PFL Playoffs will take place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Aug. 18, when the men’s heavyweights and women’s featherweights will battle, and Wednesday, Aug. 23, when the lightweights and welterweights will compete. PFL will air on ESPN and ESPN+.
The post Joshua wins by stunning knockout, Canelo and Charlo face off in New York appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
The formidable Liberty Aces in WNBA Commissioner’s Cup
Over the past week, the New York Liberty has won three games, clinched a spot in the WNBA playoffs with a month still remaining in regular season play, and set several franchise landmarks. This includes a stunning 82-63 win over the Las Vegas Aces in the Commissioner’s Cup, showing that a long-elusive WNBA Championship may actually come to fruition.
While the in-season Commissioner’s Cup tournament games are not included in the standings, it was a significant event for the players, with notably each of the Liberty earning a $30,000 winner’s share.
“Things have been coming better and better for us after the All-Star [break],” said Sandy Brondello, now in her second season as the Liberty’s head coach. “We knew we were going to be a good team. We knew it would take some time to get the chemistry together.”
In defeating the Indiana Fever 100–89 this past Sunday, the Liberty established a new franchise record with its 24th win of the season. The victory also marked the Liberty’s fifth 100-point game and set a franchise record road winning streak of seven consecutive games.
“I was getting some good looks, they were switching a lot, just continuing to read what the defense gave me, and that just kind of continued throughout,” said Breanna Stewart, who is making a strong case for MVP with her third 40-point performance in the win over the Fever. “I’m really happy with how we all played in general.”
Jonquel Jones described Stewart as a leader on the team.
“We look to her to talk to us and share her insights…You see where we started as a team and the way the season has been going for us. She’s never wavered in what she’s brought to this team and her professionalism and her belief in what we’ve brought together. Definitely our MVP, and hopefully at the end of the season, we can be where we need to be because I think she definitely deserves it,” said Jones.
As stellar as Stewart’s play has been, the Liberty’s success has been a collective effort. Jones had a double-double—15 points and 12 rebounds—against the Fever. Sabrina Ionescu continues to put on an offensive show, and Betnijah Laney has also been outstanding. Stefanie Dolson has returned from injury and put up 7 points versus Indiana.
“We’re playing at the right pace, and we understand where we all need to be and how the other team is obviously defending us,” said Brondello. “[Low turnovers] means we’re playing really selfless and finding the best shots possible and we’re making them.”
The Liberty are on the road this week and next week, facing the Phoenix Mercury tomorrow, the Connecticut Sun next Thursday, and the Minnesota Lynx on August 26. They return to the Barclays Center for a rematch with the Aces on August 28.
The post The formidable Liberty Aces in WNBA Commissioner’s Cup appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.