
I Dig Sports
2019 NHL draft sleepers: Intriguing low-risk, high-reward late-rounders
Published in
Hockey
Friday, 14 June 2019 05:54

Every year's NHL draft class features some prospects who don't make my final top-100 rankings -- which will be published early next week -- but make for decent value picks in the mid-to-late rounds. These draft sleepers stand out to me mainly for their potential upside as low-risk, high-reward swings after the top names are off the board.
Here are 14 such players who make for intriguing depth draft selections.
Marc Del Gaizo, D, UMass (Hockey East)
Age: 19 | Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 188 | Shot: L
41 GP | 13 G | 16 A
Undrafted a year ago despite winning the USHL's Defenseman of the Year award, Del Gaizo is a tad undersized, but he plays an aggressive brand of defense aided by his strong gap control and ability to close on forwards quickly. While he certainly benefited from pairing with Cale Makar at UMass last season, Del Gaizo handles his own business quite well. The main thing holding him back at this point is his skating, which is probably average. But he has a lot of other tools that suggest he can make a case for himself this draft season. I was especially impressed with his maturity and the effectiveness of his game as a freshman defenseman.
Matej Blumel, RW, Waterloo (USHL)
Age: 19 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 198 | Shot: L
58 GP | 30 G | 30 A
He was one of my sleepers for last year's class, and I simply won't give up on the kid. I put a lot of value in versatile, multidimensional players, and that's exactly what Blumel is. He's aggressive, physical and smart, and he has good defensive skills. He'll be headed to UConn next season, where he should get a pretty decent opportunity to play a key role right away. I think his work ethic, compete level and versatile game could get him to the higher levels of the game.
Cameron Rowe, G, USA U18 (NTDP)
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Maurizio Sarri has left his post as manager of Chelsea to take over at Juventus as a replacement for Massimiliano Allegri.
A Chelsea statement said that "the two clubs have reached an agreement for the early termination of Sarri's contract with Chelsea FC which had two years left to run and is ending at his request."
- When is the Champions League group-stage draw?
- Top European league honours 2018-19
Sarri's exit comes despite leading the club to a top-three finish and Europa League success. Chelsea also narrowly missed out on winning the Carabao Cup, as they lost to Manchester City on penalties in a final made memorable by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's refusal to be substituted despite struggling with an injury.
The Italian was brought in over the summer as a replacement for Antonio Conte, who had won the Premier League and FA Cup in his two seasons in charge before falling out with the club hierarchy and several key players.
Sources told ESPN FC in May that Chelsea were prepared to grant Sarri's request to join Juventus. The 2018-19 campaign was Sarri's first managing outside Italy and he said he missed home in what had a been a "difficult year."
Sarri had yet to win a major trophy when he came to Chelsea, but was hired by owner Roman Abramovich because of his eye-catching style of play and impressive record in three seasons at Napoli.
He came in alongside midfielder Jorginho, whom he had managed at Napoli, while Chelsea also signed Gonzalo Higuain who played under Sarri at the San Paolo in the 2015-16 season on a lucrative January loan deal.
Chelsea started the campaign with five straight wins in the Premier League, before suffering a a dip in form in the middle of the campaign -- which included a 6-0 defeat to City. However, results improved late on and they guaranteed a top-four finish with a game to spare.
Sarri becomes the 10th full-time to leave before the end of his contract since Abramovich took charge of Chelsea in July 2003.
The 60-year-old returns to his homeland to succeed Allegri, who left Juventus at the end of last season after five years in charge.
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MLB dads dish on when they knew their sons would be stars
Published in
Baseball
Saturday, 15 June 2019 07:28

Fathers of five MLB All-Stars -- Mike Trout, Kris Bryant, Max Scherzer, Nolan Arenado and Justin Upton -- reveal the moments they realized their sons had what it takes to make it as pro ballplayers.
Jeff Trout, father of Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike:
When Mike was 7 years old, he was playing tee ball. The kids all run toward the ball at that age. It's a mess. Mike was playing shortstop, and a big kid came to the plate. The kid hit a sharp line drive like you'd see hit off of a tee, and Mike moved two or three steps to his left and dove for it. He was actually parallel to the ground as he caught the ball. It was the kind of play that Andrelton Simmons, the shortstop for the Angels, would make now. I looked at my wife, and she said, "Did anyone get that on video?" Nobody did, but after the game, I just told Mike, "Hey, nice catch, pal." It was incredible, but I didn't make a big deal out of it.
I'd been around enough players and kids and sports in my day to know that even at that age, Mike was a cut above his peers athletically. He was a little faster, a little more agile, had better hand-eye coordination and great instincts. But I also knew that there's already so much built-in pressure to the game itself. You don't need parents basing their day on how well their kid played in Little League.
Mike was dunking a basketball when he was 5-foot-9 in ninth grade. At such an early age, he was doing things athletically that kind of made me think, "He may be a special kind of kid."
Even though Mike was talented, he was exposed to all types of things and never pigeon-holed growing up, and I think it has made him a better person and a better player. He's the youngest of our three kids. My daughter is a Realtor. My other son is an attorney and owns his own consulting business. Mike is the baby. Three successful kids in their own right.
I was not one of these parents who said, "Hey, keep working on going to the big leagues." It was always about college and education -- that was our focus. I think that took a lot of pressure off of Mike. My wife and I just wanted him to play and enjoy the game. And then we thought that maybe one day, it will help pay for a college education. We're both teachers, so we focused on that.
Our mentality was, let's go fishing or go get an ice cream after the game. People are so astonished by that because you see how talented and refined Mike is as an athlete, and you'd think he spent 90 percent of his days playing baseball. But not even close. He played all sports, he did art classes, he golfed, he hunted. Too many parents these days push, push, push their kids into sports.
We gave him the opportunities and tools to be the best that he could as an athlete, as a player. Any time he wanted to hit or play catch, I did it. But I didn't go to him. I didn't wake him up to go hit. And if he wanted to go fishing that day instead, we went fishing. -- As told to Anna Katherine Clemmons
Mike Bryant, father of Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris:
When Kris was 5 years old, he wanted to hit after one of my older boy's practices. We were playing coach-pitch. So I took all the younger siblings onto the field so I could throw some pitches to them.
Everybody is doing their thing -- not squaring up, hitting weak ground balls. Then Kris comes up. He's like 45 pounds. He's got this huge, 31-ounce bat in his hands. The first pitch I throw to him, boom! He launches it 140 feet into the outfield. He just drops the bat head behind him and, instead of chopping down, he elevates it. I look back to see where the ball landed and think: Holy Christ, my kid can hit.
Then he rips a half-dozen more high fly balls into the outfield. They look like major league popups. By the time he's 7, he's launching balls into the outfield during games. By 8, he's knocking them over the fence.
At 12, he hit 23 home runs in 67 at-bats. He had 20 walks. At this point, I could tell he was pretty good. I told him, "Don't tell anybody. I won't either. Just keep doing this." So then Kris started dreaming about what could happen. My son became good enough to dream. -- As told to Robert Sanchez
Brad Scherzer, father of Washington Nationals pitcher Max:
When he was little, Max said, "I want to be a major league baseball player." But at one point he also wanted to be a firefighter or a police officer. In high school, he never was about being a pro ballplayer. There was never that one instant when I knew this would work out for him. Baseball is full of potholes. Some bad things can happen. I always preached to him about taking things one step at a time.
Sure, I saw something in Max's eyes -- his enthusiasm for sports, especially baseball. When he was 2, I'd come home from work and find him already downstairs in the basement, waiting for me so we could play.
Max was the cliché. From an early age, he was coachable. He was curious. He liked to learn. You could offer a suggestion, and you could see him thinking, 'Gee whiz, that's a good formula.' Back in the Little League days, you'd see those parents who were overinflated with their kids' accomplishments. They had short-term goals. I'd point that out to Max. I'd say, "These parents are so worried about how their kid is going to do in sixth grade and how they're going to fit in high school." Max saw it too. They had the wrong priorities.
Succeeding at this sport is so much about the right spot and the right training, and Max understood that. You have to say, "What are the steps I need to follow? What kind of training? What do I need to learn?" Max never worried about an entire season. He was concerned with the game right in front of him.
Even when he'd have success, I never got ahead of myself. Neither did Max. He was always looking at the next step. I'm sure there eventually was a realistic goal about becoming a major league baseball player, but that was never a discussion we had back then. He knew getting there meant going through innumerable steps first. Have lofty goals but be realistic about the steps it will take to achieve them. You don't go from sixth-grade star directly to the majors.
Max had a sore shoulder at one point during his junior year of high school. I was never worried because he had a strong academic background too. When he was growing up, we told him that school helps sports and sports helps school. Even after the St. Louis Cardinals drafted him out of high school, Max was set on going to college. He needed an education first. Even back then, he was creating a life where baseball would be one of his alternatives, not his only alternative. That took a lot of pressure off of him. -- Sanchez
Fernando Arenado, father of Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan:
I knew Nolan had it his junior year of high school. His team won a [state] championship. His travel team was playing all over California. He got to go to the Area Code Games. He got to go to Georgia and to Florida, and his team won a big wood-bat tournament. You could see everything coming together.
People thought he was chubby back then, so he wanted show he was prepared to play at a high level. He showed he could compete every day. He could hit and throw, but it was his hitting that got attention. He was finally getting noticed. Good things were happening. His mom and I started hearing rumors that Nolan could get drafted. It was humbling and exciting, but Nolan realized he couldn't get ahead of himself. He never did.
That whole year, he kept showing up and proving he could play against anyone. He was never overwhelmed. The added pressure of having people watching him was no problem. I knew he had certain skills that other kids didn't have, even if they might have been getting more attention. He didn't brag about it. But I knew in my heart that Nolan had something special. -- Sanchez
Manny Upton, father of Angels left fielder Justin:
I saw it in Justin when he was 14. He had just finished his freshman year in high school. We were heading out to Long Beach, California, for the Area Code Games with Justin's brother, B.J., who had been drafted [No. 2 overall by the Tampa Bay Rays]. I was scouting with the Chicago White Sox, so I asked the White Sox guys if they could let Justin play for their team, maybe give him a little time. [Teams are named for major league franchises, with each representing an area of the country.]
Traditionally, the players in the Area Code Games are the ones who will get drafted the following year. But the White Sox team put Justin at shortstop. He was 14, playing short with that kind of talent around him.
Justin wasn't intimidated at all. He was holding his own. He would take whatever opportunity he was given; he just loved to play. You have to remember that he'd already been working out with his brother and David Wright for several years. He tagged along with them back home in Virginia. Ever since Justin was in the seventh grade, he'd been hitting with them every morning before school. He'd seen those guys come through -- along with Mike Cuddyer -- so Justin had maturity most kids his age didn't have. He wasn't overwhelmed when he got to the Area Codes because he was already practicing at a high level.
He ended up playing with two teams. The Area Code team from Virginia hadn't invited Justin to its tryout earlier because he was just 14. The Red Sox were running that team, and I guess the guy saw Justin and said he should be playing for them. To keep everyone happy, Justin played on both teams. He was playing two games a day. By the end of the week, he was worn out.
I never wanted to put pressure on either of my boys to play pro ball. I didn't put my scouting hat on with them. I had my dad hat on. So when we were in California, I told Justin, "Just go out and play and have fun."
I know quite a few guys who were either scouting directors or assistant directors. Duane Shaffer was the scouting director for the White Sox, and Danny Montgomery of the Colorado Rockies was also there. I knew both of them well, so I told them they needed to be honest with me: Did they see something with Justin? I'll never forget their responses. They both said that Justin had a legitimate chance at making it. They said he was one of the best players there, and I was like, "OK. Here I am, and my scouting buddies are saying Justin could get drafted."
I was just as excited with Justin as I was when I heard that about B.J. [who now goes by his given name, Melvin]. I can tell you, it doesn't get old. Very few kids get drafted, and here I had the No. 2 pick in 2002 and then the No. 1 in 2005 [when Justin was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks]. That's a blessing. How can you not get excited about that? -- Sanchez
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'Where I am now, it's because of my dad': Phenoms follow in footsteps of their big league dads
Published in
Baseball
Sunday, 16 June 2019 07:23

There's a wave of talent on the rise into the major leagues, one made up of players who have something in common: Their dads all got there first. And with that in mind on Father's Day, we spoke to some of them about the impact of having a big league dad and how it helped them get to where they are today.
Some of the names should already be familiar, from this year's box scores as well as prospect rankings:
The Toronto Blue Jays take pride of place with their trio of "Juniors": Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio, sons of Hall of Famers Vladimir Guerrero and Craig Biggio who made their big league debuts this spring, as well as Bo Bichette, the son of slugger Dante Bichette who is still on his way up from the minor leagues. The San Diego Padres surprised many by adding MLB's No. 1 prospect on Keith Law's top prospect list, Fernando Tatis Jr., to their Opening Day roster; his dad had an 11-year career split between five different teams. And not far from the majors, the Pittsburgh Pirates have Ke'Bryan Hayes, son of longtime big league third baseman Charlie Hayes, and the Detroit Tigers have Daz Cameron, son of Mike Cameron, a 17-year major leaguer and longtime center fielder.
We spoke with all six to get their thoughts about the benefits and challenges of following in the footsteps of their fathers.
How has having a former MLB player for a dad helped you be the player you are today?
Cameron: It's definitely an advantage, because you know how the atmosphere of the clubhouse works. You know how to be a big leaguer every day. You know how to go about the day, the routine, because growing up you see it. You see these guys going through it and they're getting their work in. They're doing different things, whether it be looking at swings. Just being themselves around the clubhouse. You know the vibe that goes around.
Guerrero: It was an advantage for me because it taught me early on how to be a professional and how to behave in a major league clubhouse. I learned by watching, by being around it. I already knew what to do. It also taught me about how much hard work you have to put in the offseason. You have to work very hard to prepare for when the regular season comes.
Hayes: It definitely benefited me. Just how much knowledge my dad was able to give to me from the time I started playing [on] my first travel ball team, just how much ahead I was because of stuff he taught me when I first started playing.
Tatis: I have always said that I am here today because of my father. Look where I am now, at such an early age, and it's because of my dad. I had the advantage of being on the field since I was young, since I was a little kid. I grew up around baseball and got to see what it's all about, how things worked. It has always been an advantage for me to grow up in the game of baseball, and it led me to where I am today.
What's the best lesson you've gotten from you father?
Biggio: I think the overall thing has been to respect the game. That can expand to so many different things, like being humble, running out a ground ball, running out a lazy fly ball. He taught me that at a very young age. and I think I've run everything out my whole life except one ball in high school -- he yelled at me. I deserved it, for sure.
Cameron: You got to keep it simple in this game. When it all comes down to it, it's all mental. This game is hard. You got a little round ball and a solid barrel. It's a hard sport. Just going out there and being in the moment, going out there and being able to execute in the moment. It's hard. It's tough. It's all mental. And also, that you don't take any moment on the field for granted. Take everything in and make the best of it. Enjoy the ride. My dad always told me enjoy the ride, good or bad. Enjoy the ride.
Guerrero: To stay humble and respect everything and everyone; it's all about humility and hard work. Respect the game. Respect your teammates. Respect everyone. Because my father, being Vladimir Guerrero, I saw that the way he behaved, and he was exactly the same guy with everyone. And that taught me humility. I learned to be humble from my family, not just from my dad, from my entire family.
Tatis: My dad has helped me in so many ways, on the day-to-day stuff, all the adjustments, so many little things. But one thing he told me, after I was going to make my major league debut at 20, was that, 'Now you are here because of how you have handled yourself and how you have played.' And he also told me to always keep being the same person and not change. And to shine with my own light.
"Not too many people can say their dads played in the major leagues -- I embrace that. I am thankful for it because it made my life a lot easier growing up." Ke'Bryan Hayes
Do you feel the weight of expectations, or that there was a target on your back, because you're following in your dad's footsteps?
Bichette: Not at all. Everything that my dad has brought into my life like having his name has been positive for me. I wouldn't have the opportunities that I have. I wouldn't have had the start that I had in my career, like knowing things that people learn in their third year of pro ball. The way that he pushed me too, I wouldn't be the player I am right now. Obviously, there was a target on my back growing up, but I think that the positive outweighs the negative by a lot.
Biggio: When I was growing up, guys just wanted to get out Craig Biggio's son or beat the team that he was on. But I don't see it as a target anymore. Even growing up in Houston, my dad playing and playing travel ball, I think that was the biggest time where I felt I had a target in my back. Once I got into high school, kind of finding my own way, I took the target off. Now I've made it to the big leagues and people see me as my own ballplayer.
Hayes: At times I forget that my dad played; I just called him Dad. I kind of embraced it. I loved playing against the best competition. I just always wanted to play against the best teams, and anytime we were playing someone, they would be throwing their best pitcher and they were going to be playing their hardest. Not too many people can say their dads played in the major leagues -- I embrace that. I am thankful for it because it made my life a lot easier growing up. He was fortunate to have money for me to go to showcases and get exposure and things like that. I would be the first one to tell you I was spoiled the way I grew up. I always had clean sneakers. Always had food on the table. So I am very thankful for that. Every time we have the national anthem, I think about that type of stuff, growing up.
Cameron: I think when your dad is a major leaguer and plays in the league for as long as he did, of course you're going to have that target right away because of that name. For me, the pressure is going to be there because of that name. But to just go out there and be myself has been an escape for me. When I first got to pro ball, it was tough because I am trying to do something I am not -- trying to do too much, be a superhero. You're not going to be perfect. I just go out there trying to be the best in the world -- and doing that for yourself.
Guerrero: No, why? Why should I feel pressure for any expectations? I am just here to work hard. If things go well, they turn out well. If they go wrong, they go wrong. If you put pressure on yourself, you will never accomplish what you want to accomplish. The only reason I am up here is to work hard. I can't focus on the results or the expectations. I am focused on doing my job.
Tatis: Yes, yes, yes, that did happen. [That is, having a target painted on his back.] The competition was always good, because "there is Fernando Tatis' son." That was great in the Dominican Republic, where I grew up playing ball; it made for really good competition. But I have never felt pressure. I have always been grateful to God for the father he gave me, for the family he gave me. I always say to my dad, I am perfectly happy under your wing. I follow in his footsteps, I have his same discipline. But I have never relied on saying that my dad did this, that my dad did that. I have had to work very hard to earn the things I have earned so far.
How are you different or similar to your dad as a player, and what would your dad have to say about it?
Bichette: People forget that when my dad broke into the big leagues, he was a five-tool player. He had a really good arm, he could run, he was a center fielder, he had power and he could hit and everything. Then later in his career, he wasn't as good out on the field. So a lot of people kind of gave me that reputation, just because of what he was. We're very similar, when he was young. We kind of do everything the same. What he tells me is the ability to hit with two strikes is the most similar thing that we have, letting the ball get deep and hitting pitches the other way, stuff like that. That is something he really did well and I've carried on. He always tells me that I can be the best player in the world. He always tells me I am way better than he was.
Cameron: He always tells me that I am ahead of him, at the age I am at. Just mentally and just knowing my game a little bit more. He did everything on the field, and I kind of do everything on the field too. But in my mind and in my heart, I believe I am going to be a better player than my dad, just because I know what I can do day in and day out. I am going to forever believe that as long as I am playing.
Guerrero: I think we're different. He was a little slimmer, and in that sense, he had a better physique than I do. He had a naturally athletic physique. When it comes to my body, I have to work hard to be in shape. He didn't; he was born and raised with that body. That's the only thing in which we are different. And in the sense of playing baseball, he already had more experience than I do when he debuted. He already knew what he had to do.
Hayes: He says I am way better than he was at his age. So that gets me kind of excited. My mom says I do everything [the same], all my mannerisms are just like his. I posted a picture on Instagram and my older brother Junior put "Charlie Hayes III" and my other brother put "Charlie Hayes." I tell my dad all the time, "I am going to be better than you," and he's like, "I hope you are."
Did you feel pressure to play baseball because of who your dad is?
"If I am someone today, it's because of what my dad taught me; that's why I'm a Junior." Fernado Tatis Jr.
Bichette: No, he wanted me to play tennis. What he doesn't like -- you see it a lot going on in baseball, right -- he doesn't like the whole, "You can be one of the best 25 players." And it's not about that, it's about something else, so it's not up to you. When I was growing up, I was a pretty good tennis player. I played tournaments up until I was 13, high-level tournaments. I didn't play a lot, just every once in a while; I was pretty good at it. Every tennis pro was always like, "Come on, you got to play tennis." My dad said, "You win in tennis, you win. There's not somebody saying you're not ready. If you win, you win." And baseball is not like that. So that is what he doesn't like about baseball.
Guerrero: My dad never pushed me. My dad used to take me to the stadium all the time; and in Montreal, they allowed me to stay in the dugout, and I saw everything my dad did. That's where my love for baseball began. I was always the one who wanted to be a baseball player.
Hayes: I played everything growing up -- baseball, basketball, football. He always told me growing up, "If you don't play baseball, I am fine with that. Find something to do." Baseball was just what I loved the most.
Tatis: I never felt any pressure. It was my choice. And if I am someone today, it's because of what my dad taught me; that's why I'm a Junior. I am so excited to put my jersey on every day, and I am excited to put my dad's name on a higher pedestal than it already is.
Was your dad your first coach? What was his impact on you as a young ballplayer?
Biggio: In the offseason, we really didn't talk about baseball, because I played football and my dad was a really good football player in high school, so we pretty much talked about football. After he retired, he was my high school baseball coach for four years, and it went from zero to 100. It was weird at first, but he was great with everybody on the team -- he treated everybody as if they were his son. We had a pretty good team; we won two state championships when I was there. Where, with a different coach you'd be doing drills and all these things, a lot of hands-on stuff, he was really hands-off and really professional. It allowed for a lot of the guys on the team to have their own personalities and have more fun. I think he got the most out of his players. I would say not just me, but a bunch of guys who ended up going to college or got drafted out of high school. He was a big influence on a lot of us.
Cameron: He just let me go out there and do my thing. I would say he was a mentor and a coach. He wasn't tough, just because he was around the game. He's kind of been there and done it, so he doesn't get frustrated. It was always a process. It's about the moments, and try to accomplish something in the moment and just try to be simple.
Guerrero: I only worked with my dad in the offseason, when he came back to the Dominican Republic. My uncle Wilton saw how much I liked to play baseball, so when I got a little older, I started working out and going to practice with my older cousin and with him. I started hitting and practicing regularly at 7, 8 years old. All the things my cousin did -- he was like five years older than me -- I had to do too. That's how it all began. Then in the offseason, we'd go hit with my dad and my uncle. Nowadays, my dad, he calls me after games and leaves me messages. My uncle too. They still keep tabs on what I am doing.
Hayes: He was my coach probably around the age of 8, because he had opened a baseball facility with teams. As long as I showed that I wanted to do it, he would always give me tips and tell me I am not doing it right. He is like, "If you're going to do it, you're going to do it right." He wasn't really tough. Actually, the funny thing is my mom was more tough on me than my dad. Like, if I'd be in the outfield, she'd be sitting behind the fence [saying], "You better not let the ball drop."
Tatis: During the offseason, and during off days in the regular season, every day off, my dad would take me to the park, to play, to have fun, to play ball. It was always about the basics. It was always about doing what I liked to. He never forced me. But my dad has always been very strict. He likes when things are done well. He always likes for you to do things right, and I learned that, to put in all that effort and discipline -- that's all from him.
On how being a public figure is different in the social media age than it was during their dads' day
Biggio: Just growing up, like when they just had Facebook, my mom and my dad always got really big on, like, "You represent more than yourself, you're representing the whole family," and my dad's name. I am just not representing myself. I am representing my dad, still, my siblings, my mother and the rest of my family. So whatever I do, affects all of them.
Guerrero: What I like about social media is that I have more direct contact with the fans than existed before, when my dad played. I really like interacting with the fans. Of course, there will always be someone who says negative things about you, but I don't pay any attention; that does not bother me. But you always have to be careful and represent yourself well.
Hayes: My parents just raised me to always do the right thing and say the right thing. One thing they always taught me is there is always someone watching, especially in this day in age. There is always a camera on you.
Tatis: You do have to be careful, because there are eyes on you 24/7. You have to think twice what you are going to do, even if there is nothing wrong with it, because you have to worry about how it will be perceived by people, because there are so many different cultures, upbringings, religions, etc. And you have to respect everyone. I have been a public figure since I was young, and you have to live up to your last name and represent your last name well. And it is my job to keep it on the same level or even take it to a higher level, if possible.
On being part of a generational wave of sons of MLB players reaching The Show
Guerrero: When we [Bichette, Biggio and Guerrero] got together in Dunedin [in the minors] two years ago, and the whole "three sons of former major leaguers" storyline really started to come out, it was exciting to think about. And I believe that one day it will. But we never really talked about that. Bo will tell you and Cavan will tell you, we don't talk much about our parents. We're like brothers. We talk about ourselves, what we can do, what we can accomplish, what we have to work on. What our parents did is already done. Now it's our turn to do our part.
Bichette: I think they'd agree with me that when we're on the field, we don't look at each other like anything is different. I don't look at the lineup and see me hitting second, Vladdy hitting third and Cavan hitting fourth and be like, oh, man, Bichette, Guerrero, Biggio. It's just normal to me. I think they would agree with that. We're really excited about what we can do, the possibilities of what we can accomplish; but the names don't really mess with us too much. We definitely know that. We definitely know what's going on, what people are saying about it. But I don't think internally, in our own thoughts, we're very wowed by what we are doing.
Hayes: It's pretty neat. I've gotten to play against or with all those guys. I played against Biggio in high school; I used to pitch against him. His dad was coaching the school at that time. I've gotten to play against Bo and Guerrero the last few years and played against Tatis Jr. in the [All-Star] Futures Game. It's pretty special that a lot of our dads that played, we're getting to follow in their footsteps and play against each other. It's pretty awesome.
Cameron: It's definitely cool to see. I know Ke'Bryan personally; we played on the USA team together. I played with him for a minute there, and he's a good person. He likes to have fun; he doesn't try to take it too serious. It's always good to see guys that your dad played with and to see the kids and to be able to play with them, to be able to get that same opportunity they did to play against each other and with each other.
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Sun Yingsha keeps her cool to earn second title
Published in
Table Tennis
Sunday, 16 June 2019 02:16

Unseeded for the event, Sun Yingsha was required to negotiate the two-day qualification tournament before going on to claim main draw victories over Suh Hyowon, Kasumi Ishikawa and Wang Manyu to reach the last four.
Recovering from a game down to beat second seed Chen Meng in the semi-finals, but in the final itself it was Sun Yingsha who gained the early momentum with successful outings in games one and two handing the 18-year-old a 2-0 lead.
However, she was up against Liu Shiwen, newly crowned World champion and one of the sport’s finest players – there was always bound to be some form of response and there was as the no.4 seed struck three consecutive game wins to fight back from two games behind to move 2-3 in front.
Finding her stride, all of a sudden the odds looked to be stacked in Liu Shiwen’s favour but there was still room for one more twist.
Summoning her inner warrior Sun Yingsha took her game up a level, securing games six and seven to lift the trophy with a 4-3 victory (11-4, 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-3).
Not only has Sun Yingsha taken home her second women’s singles gold from the Japan Open stage but also collects her second-ever ITTF World Tour singles title, bringing a two year wait to a close. One thing’s clear, Sun Yingsha loves playing in Japan – could this bode well for her Tokyo 2020 ambitions?
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Fighting back to eliminate top seed Fan Zhendong earlier in the day, Xu Xin successfully booked his spot in the men’s singles final where he would meet a surprise opponent in the form of Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju.
Just 17 years of age, no.16 seed Lin Yun-Ju impressed with four victories in the run-up to the final, two of which came against seeded opposition as the likes of China’s Lin Gaoyuan, seeded second, and Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, seventh, fell to the teenager.
The stage was set as the hot favourite Xu Xin took to the court to face the young pretender in an exciting battle for the men’s singles crown.
Both players started well but one held the slight advantage as Xu Xin edged the opening game by a two point margin, then in game two the penhold specialist saved two game points from 8-10 down to win 14-12, moving 2-0 up on the games scoreboard.
Missing out in game two but Lin Yun-Ju didn’t let the disappointment get to him, responding with a fine display in game three to reduce the deficit to 2-1. However, ultimately experience prevailed as Xu Xin found the necessary tools to win back-to-back games, securing a 4-1 victory in the process (11-9, 14-12, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8).
Last year at the Seamaster 2018 Korea Open, Jang Woojin made history by becoming the first triple crown winner and stood alone in achieving the feat since July 2018. But 11 months later and we finally have a second name to add to that list and his name is Xu Xin.
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Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has suggested that he could be open to a move away from the Premier League side, telling reporters in Tokyo on Sunday that now "could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else."
Pogba, 26, has been linked in the British media with a move to Real Madrid to work with coach Zinedine Zidane, or with a return to his former club Juventus. Sources told ESPN back in May that he would force an exit this summer even if United were not open to a sale.
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The Frenchman's time at Manchester United has coincided with some insipid performances on the pitch and organisational turmoil at the club.
"Like you said, there is a lot of talking and a lot of thinking as well," Pogba told reporters in Tokyo. "For me I have been for three years in Manchester and have been doing great; some good moments and some bad moments, like everybody. Like everywhere else.
"After this season and everything that happened this season, with my season being my best season as well... I think for me it could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else. I am thinking of this: to have a new challenge somewhere else."
The Frenchman was in Tokyo to play in a four-a-side tournament pic.twitter.com/K8Tu0a5u73
— Jack Tarrant (@TarrantJack) June 16, 2019
Pogba, who moved to Old Trafford from Juventus for a then-world record transfer fee of £89.3m ($112.43m) in August 2016, has seen Jose Mourinho replaced as coach by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his time at the club.
Although inconsistent, the World Cup winner has scored 24 goals in 92 appearances for United and was named in last season's PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Mino Raiola, the agent who represents players including Pogba and Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt, has had his worldwide ban lifted by FIFA, making the possibility of a transfer easier.
Should Pogba force a move, sources have told ESPN FC United have identified Tottenham's Christian Eriksen and Leicester's James Maddison as possible replacements.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham are also interested in 22-year-old Maddison, who impressed in his first season in the Premier League following his move to the King Power Stadium from Norwich last summer.
Eriksen is open to a move away from Tottenham after helping Mauricio Pochettino's side reach the Champions League final. The Denmark international, who has been at the club for six years, is also on Real Madrid's radar.
Solskjaer is already targeting at least one new midfielder this summer after Ander Herrera left on a free transfer. The Spaniard is expected to join Paris Saint-Germain.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
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Update final day: Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Lion Japan Open
Published in
Table Tennis
Saturday, 15 June 2019 17:52

Sun Yingsha crowned champion once again
Claiming her first women’s singles title at the Seamaster 2017 Japan Open in Tokyo, two years later in Sapporo and it’s Sun Yingsha who has emerged as champion for a second time on Japanese soil following a thrilling final against Liu Shiwen.
Establishing an early 2-0 lead qualifier Sun Yingsha made the stronger start of the two finalists but not long after it was Liu Shiwen who held the advantage with the World champion earning three games in a row to move 2-3 ahead. Down on the scorecard and with momentum against her but 18-year-old Sun Yingsha remained calm, responding with back-to-back game wins to prevail by a 4-3 margin (11-4, 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-3).
Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin seal gold
At the final hurdle of the men’s doubles event it was China’s Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin who emerged as champions with the no.6 seeded pair proving too strong for German qualifiers Benedikt Duda and Qiu Dang (12-10, 11-9, 11-7).
Success in Sapporo marks Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin’s third title-winning display as a pair while the latter player collects his second men’s doubles gold of the year having partnered Liang Jingkun to victory at the season opener in Budapest.
Seniority not status prevails
Seniority prevailed, Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen, the no.5 seeds, beat Chinese national team colleagues, Sing Yingsha and Wang Manyu, the top seeds, to win the women’s doubles title. They succeeded in four games (11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9).
Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen seized the initiative from the very start; both were very severe on the opening attacking strokes. It was their second career ITTF World Tour women’s doubles win as a partnership; in 2015 they had won on home soil in Chengdu.
Xu Xin beats Fan Zhendong
An all Chinese men’s singles semi-final, the verdict went in favour of Xu Xin, the no.3 seed, he beat Fan Zhendong, the top seed, in seven games (5-11, 11-4, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3).
The contest ebbed and flowed, Fan Zhendong electing for “Time Out” when leading 8-5 in the fifth, Xu Xin following suit when ahead 8-6 in the sixth game. Crucially in the seventh game, Xu Xin came out all guns blazing; at the change of ends he led 5-1; Fan Zhendong reduced the arrears to 6-3 but that was the last success he was to enjoy.
Touch of class
Men’s Singles: Semi-Final
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju, the no.16 seed, beat China’s Sun Wen (6-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4) to reserve his place in the men’s singles final.
After losing the opening game, Lin Yun-Ju found a rhythm to his play, his control outstanding, he won the first nine points of the second game. He secured the third and fourth games being able to match Sun Wen in every department. In the fifth game, Sun Wen established a 4-2 lead, he didn’t win another point.
World champion books final place
China’s Liu Shiwen, the no.4 seed, beat the host nation’s Miu Hirano, the no.9 seed (9-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-3, 12-10) to book her place in the women’s singles final.
Advice from Ma Lin, the Beijing 2008 Olympic champion, Liu Shiwen imposed her authority on proceedings after losing the opening game; Miu Hirano had any opportunity to reduce the deficit when leading 10-8 in the fifth game. Liu Shiwen responded, won four points in a row to end matters.
It was the seventh time when Liu Shiwen and Miu Hirano had met on the international stage, it was the seventh time Liu Shiwen had prevailed.
Repeat performance
Sun Yingsha beat Chinese national team colleague, Chen Meng, the no.2 seed (5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 14-12, 11-6); thus she repeated the performance of two years’ earlier when in 2017 she had beaten Chen Meng in the final. The defeat meant the run of success enjoyed this year came to an end, previously she had won in Budapest and in Shenzhen.
Quick short efficient attacking strokes from Sun Yingsha proved a telling factor; crucially in the fourth game Chen Meng called “Time Out” at 12-all but then lost the next two points; itbvwas the pivotal stage of the contest.
Order of Play (Local Times)
10.00 am Semi-Final: Women’s Singles – Sun Yingsha (CHN) v Chen Meng (CHN)
10.50 am Semi-Final: Women’s Singles – Miu Hirano (JPN) v Liu Shiwen (CHN)
11.40 am Semi-Final: Men’s Singles – Sun Wen (CHN) v Lin Yun-Ju (TPE)
12.30 am Semi-Final: Men’s Singles – Fan Zhendong (CHN) v Xu Xin (CHN)
1.20 pm Final: Women’s Doubles – Sun Yingsha / Wang Manyu (CHN) v Chen Meng / Liu Shiwen (CHN)
2.10 pm Final: Men’s Doubles – Fan Zhendong / Xu Xin (CHN) v Benedikt Duda / Qiu Dang (GER)
4.00 pm Final: Women’s Singles
5.15 pm Final: Men’s Singles
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WHEATLAND, Mo. – Cody Frazon had been knocking on the door of his first Lucas Oil Speedway feature win, with three top-five finishes this year alone.
Finally, he knocked down that door Saturday night.
Frazon made a late pass of Toby Ott and went on to capture the O’Reilly Auto Parts Street Stocks 25-lap main event, the headliner on Midseason Championship night.
Also picking up feature wins in the program presented by the Bolivar Herald-Free Press and NMI-VMG Marketing were Joe Duvall (Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds), Kris Jackson (Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods) and Todd Shute (Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Models).
Jackson also celebrated a Midseason Championship with his third straight win. Other midseason champs were Paden Phillips (USRA Modifieds), Toby Ott (Street Stocks) and Kaeden Cornell (ULMA Late Models).
Each midseason champion received a $500 bonus. Victory Lane Track Action Race Review contributed $1,000 toward the bonus and Lucas Oil Speedway management matched the contribution with another $1,000.
The total of $2,000 was split among the points leaders in the four divisions.
In the evening’s featured division, Frazon went around Ott with two laps remaining and held on to prevail by .721 seconds.
“I had no idea tonight would be the night,” Frazon said of his breakthrough win. “What better night than $750 to win?”
Frazon started third, but had a poor start and fell out of the top five in the early going. But he rallied for a memorable win.
“I had a really terrible start,” Frazon said. “I couldn’t figure it out to be honest. I just started hitting some marks that were working for me.”
Ott and Bob Barnett spent the first 15 laps running side by side, trading the lead four times as Barnett used the top groove and Ott the inside line.
The race was caution-free until Daniel Deason and James Flood, in a battle for third, came together and spun going into turn three.
On the restart, Ott got a good start and Barnett lost the runner-up spot to Frazon. It was a sign of things to come.
“That wreck obviously closed the gap for me and I could see Toby was losing a little bit where he was running,” Frazon said. “I knew if I kept running underneath him, kept trying and kept trying, I would get it.”
From there, Frazon reeled in Ott, with Johnny Coats finishing third and Marc Carter fourth.
“I want to congratulate that guy,” Ott said, pointing toward Frazon. “He pulled off one heck of a race. I knew it was coming for him.
“I feel fortunate to be up here,” Ott added of his midseason title. “There are some good cars here, like (Frazon) and others who are tough.”
Duvall roared from his 14th-starting position and into the lead before the midpoint en route to the Pitts Homes USRA Modified feature win.
Duvall, a frequent United States Modified Touring Series competitor, was dominant in finishing ahead of second-place Robbie Reed, Phillips and Jason Pursley.
Phillips’ run was good enough to vault him past Jon Sheets for the midseason championship.
The points race was thrown into a jumble on lap two when Sheets – who led by six points at the start of the night – spun and hit the wall in turn three. He was unable to continue.
Reed started fourth and passed pole-starting Pursley for the lead on lap two. Meanwhile, Duvall scooted from 14th and into third by lap five as the race’s third caution came out.
Duvall slid past Reed in turn four to finish lap nine to take the lead and pulled away from there.
Midseason Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod track champion Jackson continued his roll, picking up his third straight feature win at Lucas Oil Speedway.
He led all 20 laps and finished .608 seconds ahead of runner-up Taylor Moore.
It also was his third feature win of the week. Jackson won in Iowa on Wednesday and at Midway Speedway in his hometown of Lebanon on Friday.
Jackson had nearly a two-second lead wiped out when the race’s lone caution waved with four laps to go. He handled the restart without any issues and opened a comfortable lead when another yellow, as he was taking the white flag, forced him to endure one more restart.
Moore finished second, ahead of third-place JC Morton, who rallied from 11th, and Eric Turner.
Shute led flag-to-flag to claim the Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Model feature, holding off Johnny Fennewald by just under one second.
It was the first feature win of the season in just his second start at Lucas Oil Speedway for Shute.
Cornell passed Larry Ferris for third place with two laps remaining. That was good enough to protect Cornell’s points lead as Aaron Marrant, who began the night six points behind, was 10th.
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RAPID CITY, S.D. – Making it a sweep on the weekend in South Dakota with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, Australia’s Scott Bogucki parked his Sawblade.com No. 28 in victory lane Saturday at Black Hills Speedway.
Taking off with the lead on the start, Bogucki opened his advantage quickly following a caution on lap two.
Finding slower traffic on lap seven with John Carney II and Sam Hafertepe Jr. in pursuit, the race for a second changed hands, with Hafertepe making the pass off the second turn as Carney was held behind a slower car.
Reeling in Bogucki as slower traffic built around the leaders, Hafertepe found the back bumper of the No. 28 on lap 12.
Looking top and bottom for room to pass, Hafertepe found his shot on lap 14 with Bogucki stuck to the bottom entering the first and second turns.
With Ryan Bickett in the mix, Bogucki dove for the slide, but came up short, making contact with Bickett and launching the No. 17b up the track into Hafertepe – who ended up going upside down in the second turn.
Making it into the work area, the team barely made repairs for Hafertepe to rejoin the field.
On the contact, Bogucki noted, “I apologize to those two guys first and foremost. I hadn’t ventured near the bottom the whole race and it was a lot slicker than I thought and things went back. We were fortunate that we didn’t get damaged and were able to stay out front.”
Keeping Carney at bay on the restart, Bogucki again stretched his lead until the caution lights came on again on lap 18 for Jordon Mallett.
Peeling to the bottom of the track on the restart, Carney took his shot at the lead.
Pulling even with Bogucki off the first turn, clean air and momentum again proved the better for the No. 28, despite a scare in slower traffic on the final lap, with Bogucki crossing 1.336 seconds ahead of John Carney II.
“Sometimes that’s the disadvantage of leading and he got a good run on me and luckily I had enough momentum to get back by him where I could cover him and not slip out of the rubber,” said Bogucki on the restart.
Grabbing third was Blake Hahn, with Roger Crockett fourth. Moving up from 12th, Harli White completed the top five.
Matt Covington made up two spots to sixth, while Robbie Price was the night’s hard charger after a run from 17th to seventh. Despite getting upside down and having to secure the top wing in place with a ratchet strap, Hafertepe came back to finish eighth.
Tucker Doughty and Alex Hill filled out the top 10.
The finish:
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 28-Scott Bogucki [2]; 2. J2-John Carney II [1]; 3. 52-Blake Hahn [4]; 4. 11-Roger Crockett [5]; 5. 17W-Harli White [12]; 6. 95-Matt Covington [8]; 7. 21P-Robbie Price [17]; 8. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [3]; 9. 2X-Tucker Doughty [6]; 10. 77X-Alex Hill [7]; 11. 17B-Ryan Bickett [9]; 12. 86-Donovan Peterson [10]; 13. 88-Travis Reber [18]; 14. 11M-Mindy McCune [21]; 15. 77-Damon McCune [22]; 16. 0J-Jeremy McCune [11]; 17. 14B-Ben Holmberg [16]; 18. 14-Jordon Mallett [14]; 19. 2K-Kevin Ingle [13]; 20. 8X-Randy Dolberg [20]; 21. 2-Shad Petersen [19]; 22. 15-James Sires [15].
Lap Leader(s): Scott Bogucki 1-25
Hard Charger: Robbie Price (+10)
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