Jenny Gunn, England's veteran allrounder, has announced her retirement from international cricket after a 15-year career.
Gunn made her debut as an 18-year-old in 2004, and went on to make 259 appearances across formats, winning three World Cups and five Ashes series. Only Charlotte Edwards (309) has represented England Women more often.
Her maiden England appearance came in the world's first T20 international - against New Zealand at Hove in August 2004, a year before the men followed suit - while her final outing came against West Indies at Chelmsford in June.
As a probing, accurate seam bowler, Gunn's strength lay in her wicket-to-wicket discipline, allied to a range of slower balls including one, nicknamed the "whiff" by her team-mates, which barely registered on the speed gun.
She finishes her career as England's second-highest wicket-taker in both ODIs and third in T20Is. Her ODI tally of 136 wickets at 28.10 was recently overhauled by Katherine Brunt, while Anya Shrubsole (87) and Dani Hazell (85) nudged ahead of her T20I total of 75.
In the course of her career, Gunn was forced to endure accusations of chucking - her long-term team-mate, Sarah Taylor, even gave her the nickname "Chucky" - but she kept plugging away with a pared-down action that was as effective as it at times looked awkward.
In Test cricket, her best figures of 5 for 19 in 18 overs came in her final Test outing, against India at Wormsley in 2014, and her impact as a lower-order batsman was always valuable. In all, she amassed 2702 runs in all three formats for England, with seven half-centuries and a best of 73 against New Zealand in 2007.
Gunn was born into a sporting family, with her father Bryn playing in the Nottingham Forest side that won the European Cup under Brian Clough in 1980. And that achievement was ultimately matched by Gunn's three World titles - two World Cups in 2009 and 2017, and the World T20, also in 2009.
"I have made one of the hardest decisions and decided the time has come to retire from international cricket," said Gunn. "I started as a young kid playing the game I loved for fun and I could only dream of becoming a professional cricketer.
"I've been lucky enough to play in some great teams and to be part of some amazing battles over the years but as a small girl I always said I wanted to put a World Cup medal next to my dad's European Cup winner's medal, and there are now three of them next to his medal on the mantelpiece!
"I'm so grateful for the support throughout my career and I couldn't have done it without my friends. But most of all, I couldn't have done it without my family, all of whom have been there for me every step of the way."
Managing Director of Women's Cricket, Clare Connor, said: "Jenny has been the most tremendous servant to England Women's cricket throughout the 15 years she has played for England.
"Her longevity, work ethic and commitment have been hugely impressive across both the amateur and professional eras and on countless occasions she has delivered match-winning performances for the team with both bat and ball.
"Very few international cricketers have carried themselves with so much humility and shown such care for her team-mates as Jenny. She will be very missed by players and staff alike."
Rather than the crowning achievement of her career, winning a second consecutive World Cup title marked the end of three years that Carli Lloyd hopes never to repeat.
In an interview this week on ESPN's "Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy" podcast, the 37-year-old Lloyd spoke at length about her frustrations with a diminished role on the U.S. women's national team after the 2016 Olympics and the toll the past three years took on her professionally and personally.
"I'm not going to lie and sugarcoat it," Lloyd said. "It was absolutely the worst time of my life. It affected my relationship with my husband, with friends. It really was rock bottom of my entire career. But somehow, you see light at the end of the tunnel and I can honestly say I'm having more fun now playing than I ever have in my career. I think I just learned a lot throughout it."
Lloyd said that a badly sprained ankle sustained while playing for the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League in 2017 took her off the field at a time when the U.S. national team under Jill Ellis was shifting to a 4-3-3 formation.
Feeling marginalized even at that time, the player who rose to fame as an attacking midfielder said she nonetheless committed to learning a new role as a forward to fit the new system. Yet despite believing she was playing the best soccer of her life as the 2019 World Cup arrived, the co-captain remained largely a reserve.
"There's no denying it," Lloyd said. "I deserved to be on that field that whole World Cup, but I wasn't. And I think I've grown as a person, as a player. It sucked. It absolutely sucked."
Lloyd played in all seven World Cup games for the U.S., but her only start came in the group phase against Chile. She scored in each of the first two games to set a record by scoring in six consecutive World Cup games overall. She also set a record as the oldest player to score two goals in a World Cup game, a month shy of her 37th birthday when she did so against Chile.
Although vocal throughout World Cup preparations and the tournament itself about her desire to start, Lloyd served as captain without incident. She reiterated in this week's interview with Foudy that her frustration was personal and not a distraction to the team.
"I was super happy for my teammates and happy for Megan [Rapinoe], who put the team on her back, and for several other players," Lloyd said. "It was great to see, and I'm happy that I could still have been a part of it."
With her interest in kicking footballs generating more attention of late, Lloyd said she's still entertaining that idea. However, she also said she feels like she still has a couple of years left in soccer.
She scored eight goals in 14 games this season for the NWSL's Sky Blue FC. That helped a team previously plagued by poor performance and off-field controversy regarding its commitment to professional standards to an impressive uptick in results and optimism.
With Ellis stepping down as as U.S. coach, Lloyd said she wants to talk with whomever takes over as coach about where she fits in for next summer's tournament in Japan, qualification willing. She didn't rule out a scenario in which she participated without a starting role, saying it was too difficult to set such parameters without knowing where a new coach was coming from.
"I hope a coach comes in that values me, respects me, wants me [as] a part of the Olympic plans," Lloyd said. "There's no question my abilities are there. I'm able to do it, physically I'm able to do it. I would love to be a part of it, but I want to have an open, honest conversation, because if I'm not, I can't go through what I went through for three years."
STAMFORD, Conn. -- Former Ohio State star Cardale Jones was among eight quarterbacks assigned to XFL teams Tuesday in advance of the league's inaugural draft.
Jones, who spent the past three seasons as an NFL backup, will play for the D.C. Defenders.
As it prepares for its February 2020 kickoff, the XFL is largely targeting players who have been released from the NFL or are otherwise unsigned. Commissioner Oliver Luck said earlier this month that the XFL will have a "very small number" of players who have college eligibility remaining. Those players will be subject to a supplemental draft in November.
Jones spent one season as a reserve for the Buffalo Bills and two with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2016 to 2018 and fits the profile of some of the other quarterbacks assigned Tuesday. Each is considered his team's presumptive starter.
Dallas Renegades:Landry Jones, who spent six seasons as NFL backup and will be reunited with Renegades coach Bob Stoops, Jones' college coach at Oklahoma.
Los Angeles Wildcats: Luis Perez, a former professional bowler who played at Division II Texas A&M-Commerce and later in the Alliance of American Football (AAF).
Tampa Bay Vipers: Aaron Murray, a third AAF veteran who also spent four seasons as an NFL backup.
During a two-day draft this week, each XFL team will add 71 players from a list of hundreds of players who accepted invitations into the draft pool and passed background checks. There will be 52 players on final rosters, to be determined in January, and 46 active for games.
Players will be paid base salaries of $2,080 every two weeks, according to information distributed this month to agents and confirmed by a source. There will be a $1,685 bonus for being on the active roster for a game, and a $2,222 bonus for every team win. So a player who is active for all 10 games and is on a team that goes 5-5 in the XFL's schedule would earn $55,000 for the year.
Quarterbacks are expected to earn higher salaries, but their exact financial terms are unknown.
As we conduct another version of the NFL Power Rankings, we got to thinking -- what's the one thing that could hold each team back?
Some teams have a lot of flaws to choose from (sorry, Dolphins and Redskins fans). Pinpointing a weakness on other teams might seem a bit nitpicky -- it's kind of hard to take Patriots and 49ers complaints seriously at the moment. But every team has that little imperfection that could hold it back, and our NFL Nation reporters highlight them below. Our power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- evaluates how teams stack up throughout the season.
Injuries to starting center David Andrews and left tackle Isaiah Wynn have had a trickle-down effect on the consistency with which lanes are open in the running game. With 175 rushes for 609 yards, the Patriots are averaging just 3.48 yards per carry in their 6-0 start, which has put more pressure on QB Tom Brady in the passing game. -- Mike Reiss
So far, this hasn't hurt the Saints because their defense is playing so well. They are a remarkable 4-0 since Drew Brees underwent thumb surgery but rank 25th in the NFL over the past five weeks in both yards per game (311.6) and offensive points per game (17.0). And it won't get any easier this week at Chicago. It's not as simple as just pointing to the switch at QB, where Teddy Bridgewater has been more efficient than electrifying. The Saints rank 27th in the league in red zone efficiency over that same span -- and first in offensive penalties. -- Mike Triplett
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Clark: The 49ers are for real
Ryan Clark believes the 49ers have proved themselves and have what it takes to be strong contenders in the NFC after a 5-0 start.
The 49ers finished last in the NFL a year ago when it came to turning red zone drives into touchdowns. They've made some progress this year (they're up to a 46% touchdown rate from 41% in 2018) but still have plenty of room to improve. Getting their starting offensive tackles and fullback back from injury should help, but if nothing else, they must cut down on turnovers when they get deep in opposing territory. They have three giveaways in the red zone in their first five games, second most in the NFL. -- Nick Wagoner
The Seahawks have gotten impact plays out of Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah, but those two have combined for only two sacks and the Seahawks have just 10 sacks in six games after getting blanked the past two weeks. They've pressured opposing quarterbacks on 23.3% of their dropbacks, which ranks 25th in the NFL. It's a good thing for the Seahawks that Jarran Reed -- he of 10.5 sacks last season -- is back this week from a six-game suspension. They need him. -- Brady Henderson
Beyond Davante Adams and Aaron Jones, what does Aaron Rodgers really have at his disposal? The tight ends are old and the rest of the receivers are inexperienced and inconsistent. GM Brian Gutekunst rightly put his resources into fixing the defense, and his signings and draft picks have worked. You can't fix everything in one offseason, so he'll have to find more options for Rodgers next time around. -- Rob Demovsky
The Chiefs have allowed at least 180 rushing yards for a staggering four straight games. They had 20:12 time of possession on Sunday against the Texans, their lowest total ever for a home game. The Texans had 83 plays compared to 47 for the Chiefs. Kansas City has to be perfect on offense to overcome these numbers and hasn't been anything close to that the past two weeks. -- Adam Teicher
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Is Watson in the conversation for MVP?
Dan Orlovsky and Rex Ryan give their take on where Deshaun Watson ranks among this year's MVP candidates.
Kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed another extra point Sunday, his fourth miss in the past four games. He is now tied with the injured Stephen Gostkowski for the most in the NFL in 2019 after missing only two last season. Fairbairn also missed a 46-yard field goal in the third quarter. "We have to get that area improved," head coach Bill O'Brien said after the game. "I think we have to go back and look at the technique," he added. "Everybody is involved in that. It is the whole operation." -- Sarah Barshop
It's a fixable problem, but the Bills' 11 turnovers are tied for fifth in the NFL -- which is an obvious ball and chain for an offense ranked fifth in average time of possession, ninth in first downs per game and 11th in yards per game. If Buffalo takes better care of the ball, it will be a dangerous team given the strength of its defense. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
The Ravens have 11 sacks through six games and are on pace for their second-lowest sack total over the past two decades. Only Matthew Judon (four sacks) is getting consistent pressure. To make matters worse, two of Baltimore's biggest free-agent departures -- Terrell Suggs and Za'Darius Smith -- have nearly matched Baltimore's sack total, combining for nine. The lack of sacks is a big reason for Baltimore's No. 25 ranking in pass defense. The Ravens' next four games include matchups with Russell Wilson, Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson, and Baltimore has to put pressure on them if it expects to win. -- Jamison Hensley
Many expected a tight end to assume the role of WR3 in the Vikings' offense given Gary Kubiak's history with the position. However, in Minnesota's first six games, Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. have a combined 16 catches for 165 yards and no touchdowns while Tyler Conklin has yet to be targeted. The Vikings rank 27th in receiving yards, 26th in receptions and are one of three teams without a receiving TD by a tight end. The Vikings paid a pretty penny to bring back Rudolph this offseason and used a high draft pick on Smith but haven't utilized this position group all that much beyond run blocking. -- Courtney Cronin
Too much passing? Too much running? Not enough of anything? Six games in, and through a 3-3 start, the Rams' offense is still in search of an identity, which is shocking given how efficient the unit has been since Sean McVay took over as coach in 2017. "We look like a good offense, sometimes, look like a bad offense," receiver Robert Woods said. "Just not being consistent." The Rams have been unable to find consistency in their running game and rank 21st in the league, averaging 98 yards per game. They've relied heavily on their passing attack, which ranks sixth in averaging 272 yards per game, though even that floundered against the 49ers. -- Lindsey Thiry
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Orlovsky: Garrett isn't the answer for the Cowboys
Dan Orlovsky doesn't see head coach Jason Garrett as the answer to fixing the Cowboys after their Week 6 loss to the Jets.
The Cowboys have five takeaways on the season (two interceptions, three fumbles). Rod Marinelli and Kris Richard have typically had defenses that can take the ball away, but this group just simply hasn't done it enough. The Cowboys are not pressuring the quarterback to create hurried throws. They don't poke the ball away. The last time a Cowboys defensive back had more than four interceptions was in 2010. As a result, the offense does not have many opportunities to work with a short field. Nothing is coming easy for this team at the moment. -- Todd Archer
This might sound crazy for a team that had five interceptions Sunday against Tampa Bay, but the Panthers have been vulnerable, particularly in the middle of the field. They have been sending extra pressure up front for a league-best 27 sacks, which means less help on the back end, so this might be nitpicking. But they have allowed seven touchdown passes. Again, nitpicking for a team that has won four straight. -- David Newton
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Has Newton lost the Panthers' starting QB job?
Chris Mortensen questions whether Ron Rivera is committed to starting Cam Newton once he is able to return from his foot injury.
The Eagles are tied with the Giants for most pass plays of 40-plus yards allowed (seven). Six receivers have had 100-plus-yard performances against them. Their injury-depleted cornerback group could get Jalen Mills (foot) and Ronald Darby (hamstring) back this week. Whether the duo's return makes an appreciable difference is unknown. -- Tim McManus
The Colts are 27th in the NFL in takeaways with just five. That's a significant drop-off from last season, when their 26 takeaways were good enough for 10th in the league. The returns of linebacker Darius Leonard and safety Malik Hooker, the team's two best defensive playmakers, should help in that area. Leonard, who forced four fumbles in 2018, was cleared to return after missing the previous three games with a concussion. Hooker, who has an interception this season, could return as early as this week after missing the past two games with a knee injury. -- Mike Wells
The Bears don't have enough of them. Their vertical passing attack is limited with Mitchell Trubisky or Chase Daniel at quarterback. The offense has been equally ineffective on the ground. Chicago has gained eight or more rushing yards on just 10 running plays through five games. Head coach Matt Nagy cited the club's lack of explosive plays as the No. 1 offensive issue that needs to be corrected after the bye. -- Jeff Dickerson
The Lions have showed improvement in almost every area compared with a season ago, but they've struggled against the run. They are allowing 4.84 yards per carry (26th in the league) along with 124.8 yards per game. They allowed over 100 yards rushing in every game the first month of the season and had given up five rushing scores entering Monday night against Green Bay. -- Michael Rothstein
Or did you miss Jon Gruden, in praising Derek Carr, lamenting the constant turnover at wideout? "Well, he's completing a lot of passes to a lot of different players," Gruden said, "some he's never met before." Indeed. The Raiders are still trying to recover from the Antonio Brown Experience at the position and Carr has already completed passes to 14 players ... only five of whom were on the roster last season. Carr has been efficient of late, but he needs someone to step up as a deep threat too -- especially with Tyrell Williams nursing a sore foot. -- Paul Gutierrez
Biggest weakness: Does continually shooting oneself in the foot count?
The Browns top the league in penalties (57), penalty yardage (506) and interceptions (11). They are tied for second in red zone turnovers (3) and are fourth in drop rate (4.7%). With those numbers, it's actually rather remarkable that they even have two wins, with chances to win in two of their losses as well. The schedule gets easier for Cleveland after the upcoming bye, but the Browns are going nowhere unless they eradicate the bevy of self-inflicted mistakes first. -- Jake Trotter
It's crazy to say that a team with JuJu Smith-Schuster is struggling in the passing game, but that's been the case, as the Steelers rank 28th in passing yards per game. With the extra attention Smith-Schuster is receiving as a WR1, the Steelers desperately need a solid second option to draw attention away from him or capitalize on open opportunities. Smith-Schuster is coming off a game in which he had just one catch for 7 yards and was targeted four times -- the lowest regular-season output of his career when he has been targeted. The carousel of quarterbacks isn't helping, as Devlin Hodges is already starter No. 3. -- Brooke Pryor
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Bomani surprised "Rick-roll" attempt affected Chargers in loss to Steelers
Bomani Jones says the Chargers still should have defeated the Steelers despite being "Rick-rolled" in their home stadium by Steelers fans.
The Chargers have 11 giveaways this season, including five in the red zone and three within their opponent's 2-yard line. Slow starts also have been an issue of late, as the Chargers have been outscored a combined 38-0 in the first half the past two games. The Bolts are struggling to score points, but at the heart of this team's 2-4 record is its inability to protect the football. -- Eric D. Williams
The blame can't be placed solely on any part of the group. There are times when the offensive line gave Marcus Mariota time to throw the ball, but the receivers didn't get open. Sometimes the receivers were open, but Mariota missed them or was pressured and didn't get a chance to scan the field. The Titans have scored only 38 points over the past four games. Entering Week 6, Tennessee averaged 290.5 yards on offense, 27th in the NFL. That number will get worse after the Titans gained a measly 204 yards in their 16-0 loss to Denver. A change at quarterback could be on the horizon, but the problems reach beyond that position. -- Turron Davenport
The Jaguars rank 27th in turnover margin (minus-5). Rookie QB Gardner Minshew II is responsible for six of the team's seven turnovers (four fumbles, two INTs) and opponents have scored 27 points off those miscues. While the offense (with the exception of Sunday's loss to New Orleans) has been better than expected after Nick Foles went down in the opener, there's still not much margin for error. The Jaguars have forced only two turnovers (one on defense), which is a bit surprising given their talented pass rush. Coach Doug Marrone has told his team he just wants the Jaguars to play even in terms of turnover margin each week. That would improve their chances of winning significantly. -- Mike DiRocco
Biggest weakness: The inability to finish on offense
The Broncos can put drives together, but they don't get the payoff because they haven't found the right personnel groupings and haven't won enough one-on-one matchups in the red zone. They are 13th in the league in the number of plays run but are 26th in scoring (17.7 points per game) and 25th in yards per game. They've had 22 scoring drives this season -- 12 have been eight plays or more, eight have been 10 plays or more. So they have been able to grind it out at times, but they haven't shown the ability to flip the field quickly or strike fast. They have to find more consistency and efficiency. -- Jeff Legwold
At quarterback, Jameis Winston threw for seven touchdowns and two interceptions in Weeks 3-4 before throwing for one touchdown and five interceptions two weeks later. As a defense, the Bucs have gone from limiting teams to an average of just 14 points a game in Weeks 1-2 to allowing 33.5 in Weeks 3-6. They allowed opposing receivers to catch just 56.6% of their passes in Weeks 1-2 -- third-best in the league -- before that figure rose to 64.7% in Weeks 3-6. They gave up an average of 3.0 sacks a game in Weeks 1-2 and have given up nearly 5.0 per game the past four weeks. -- Jenna Laine
The Giants haven't exactly faced many top-end quarterbacks and are 31st in the league against the pass, allowing 285.0 yards per game. It's a multifaceted, talent-centric problem. Opposing offenses have their choice of whether to attack the limited Giants linebackers, the young cornerbacks or the aging safety. While they have shown improvement at times in recent weeks, it's still the weakest part of a troubled defense. -- Jordan Raanan
The Cardinals have given up a league-high 599 yards to tight ends this season and Falcons tight end Austin Hooper became the third tight end to record 100 yards receiving against the Cardinals in six games. For perspective, the next-worst team at defending tight ends is Tampa Bay, which has allowed 497 yards -- 102 fewer than Arizona. -- Josh Weinfuss
It has been nonexistent, even with one of the best running backs in the league, Le'Veon Bell (3.0 yards per carry). The Jets have yet to crack the 100-yard mark in any game, largely due to inconsistent blocking. QB Sam Darnoldprovided a spark on Sunday, but he won't be able to carry them against the really good defenses, and they will face one Monday night against the Patriots. -- Rich Cimini
The Falcons rank at the very bottom of the league in sacks per pass play at 2.6%. There are four teams over 10%, and the Falcons are the only team under 3.5%. The Falcons and Dolphins are tied for last in the league with five sacks each, and we know how folks have viewed the tanking Dolphins all year. Yes, the Falcons have faced some shifty quarterbacks and guys who have gotten the ball out quickly, but that's no excuse when you have Grady Jarrett creating havoc in the middle and a former sack champ in Vic Beasley Jr. -- Vaughn McClure
As expected, the line has struggled this season. With three new starters on the line and left tackle Cordy Glenn out indefinitely, it has been a long six games. The Bengals are fifth in the league in yards allowed, 29th in pass block win rate (according to ESPN Stats & Information) and are 30th in rushing. The line's problems are a major reason for the offense's overall lack of production under new coach Zac Taylor. -- Ben Baby
Although the defense has struggled, it has played better of late -- even if the results aren't always there. But the offense has done it few favors. The Redskins are missing several key players, but they've hurt themselves with too many penalties. The quarterback play has been mediocre to bad, and the quarterbacks' passer rating (46.0) ranks 31st. Because of that -- and being tied for fifth with the most turnovers -- Washington can't control the ball (31st in this area, too). Rookie receiver Terry McLaurin has been a terrific bright spot, but with better quarterback play he'd be among the top 25 receivers in terms of catches. If the Redskins want to have any sort of strong finish to the season, they must improve in multiple areas offensively. -- John Keim
The Dolphins are averaging an NFL-low 8.4 points per game, more than four points fewer than the second-worst team (Jets). Their quarterbacks have an NFL-worst 55.2 quarterback rating. They also rank in the bottom five in total offense, passing offense, rushing offense and sacks allowed. So yeah, the Dolphins have a lot of work to do on offense. -- Cameron Wolfe
When he was asked if he remembered his first NBA basket, Danny Green's answer was swift.
"Of course I do," he told ESPN. "I think everybody remembers their first NBA bucket."
But the Los Angeles Lakers guard -- who has since made an additional 1,967 baskets -- would be wrong about that. Because when ESPN posed the same question to Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez, the big man drew a blank.
"Uhh ... shoot ... I don't know if I remember my first basket," he said. "I remember my first shot was an airball. But I don't remember my first basket, no."
Lopez's forgetfulness aside, scoring the first basket of your career is a memorable moment. There were more than 500 players in the NBA last year, and nearly all of them have lived through the experience of seeing one of their shots fall through the net for the first time. Those shots include poster dunks, deep 3-pointers and just about everything in between.
As a new crop of NBA players begins to make those memories, we look back at the ones that have been made so far, through the eyes of the players who made them.
New teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis made nearly mirror-image baseline jumpers to start their careers nine years apart. Damian Lillard made a 3-pointer, a few feet closer than the one he made to end the Thunder's season this past April. And after sitting out his first two seasons in the NBA due to injury, Joel Embiid made a free-throw line turnaround jumper to score the first of his 1,290 baskets. Every shot tells a story, more than 500 of them in fact.
Of the 530 players who suited up and saw action in an NBA game in 2018-19, 525 of them scored at least one basket either last season or in a previous season. Some of them, like Michael Beasley (who scored 14 seconds into his NBA debut in 2008), took very little time to get their name in the official NBA scorebook. Others, like Sam Dekker, took a little longer. Back surgery limited Dekker, then with the Houston Rockets, to just three games as a rookie, during which he didn't attempt a single shot. Dekker got his chance to score on opening night of his second season, dropping in a layup early in the second quarter against the Lakers.
Dekker's layup wasn't an uncommon first make for an NBA player. Of the 525 baskets we tracked, 242 of them -- nearly half -- came from inside 3 feet. Dunks accounted for 52 of those baskets, from players you'd expect, like Gerald Green, Tyson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan, to less likely candidates like Marcus Smart, Jeff Teague and Michael Carter-Williams, whose slam came in the opening minutes against the two-time defending champion Heat.
Carter-Williams is one of 15 players from last year who scored his first basket against the Heat. The Rockets have allowed the most first baskets, with 29, followed by the Spurs and Wizards (25 each), Mavericks (23), Nuggets and Bucks (22 each). On the opposite end of the spectrum, only 10 players scored their first career basket against the Jazz, while the Trail Blazers (11) and Grizzlies (12) have also been stingy in this category.
However, Carter-Williams is part of a much less exclusive club when it comes to the team he scored his first basket for. Not surprisingly, given the number of players they churned through in the "Process" era, the 76ers were the team for which 33 of last year's players scored their first basket -- a group that ranged from Kyle Korver (Nov. 14, 2003) to Zhaire Smith (March 25, 2019).
Korver is one of 119 players whose first basket was a 3-pointer. Stephen Curry, the NBA's active leader in 3-point baskets, is not among that group (he made a 19-foot jumper less than three minutes into his NBA debut). However, his brother Seth is. The younger Curry made his first basket, a 25-foot 3-pointer on March 22, 2014, as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
For both Curry brothers, their first NBA basket did not come on their first NBA shot, which is more common than not. Of the 525 players in this group, 309 missed at least one shot before making one, including Jamal Murray, who missed his first 17 field goal attempts before finally breaking through with a 3-pointer in his fifth career game. Murray turned out all right, as did Clint Capela (11 misses before making his first basket), Draymond Green (nine) and Joakim Noah (nine). Still, it's always nice to see that first basket go through the net, as multiple players said.
The Stories
De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings The No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 draft showed off his trademark speed immediately after coming off the bench in his debut, blowing past the Rockets' defense in transition for an easy layup.
"I checked in. It was actually on Trevor [Ariza], who's with us now. I did my little move, went by him, he did a back-tap, missed it and I had a layup. Yeah, I remember that. It was great. It was cool. For me, playing against the Rockets, growing up in Houston and then playing them for my first regular-season game in the NBA, it was definitely fun. It was a great experience."
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Green breaks down his first NBA bucket
Danny Green shares the memory of his first basket in the NBA and how he felt in the moment.
Danny Green, Los Angeles Lakers Green was a little-used reserve with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a rookie and didn't score his first basket until the team's 16th game of the season -- just the third game in which he'd seen action that year.
"It was unlike any other Danny Green bucket. It was not a typical Danny Green bucket. It was an offensive rebound left-handed layup [against] Charlotte. I think they were the Bobcats at the time. It was on the road. I don't remember what quarter it was, but it was before the half. ... I was excited, seeing my teammates on the sideline cheering and yelling for me, showing so much love and support and being excited for me, but it was intense. I tried to keep my cool and act like it was a normal bucket and keep playing."
Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies The No. 4 overall pick in last year's draft wasted little time getting into the scorebook, dropping in a layup 42 seconds into the second quarter of his debut.
"It was against the Pacers. I was under the basket, and I thought I was about to dunk it, but then I was like, 'Man, I just want the two points.' I just laid it in and it kind of went around a bit and dropped. And then the bench started yelling, and then I was like, 'Aww, s---, that's my first basket.' I didn't really grasp it."
Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers Kuzma's first basket came at home in a Staples Center showdown against the LA Clippers.
"My first basket in the league was a floater over DeAndre Jordan. It was pretty crazy because I always knew him as a kid as a shot blocker, and it was kind of fitting that I just got it over the top of him. Honestly, I didn't really think about it until after the game, because it was a quick floater, then I ran back on defense, probably got scored on -- I don't know, I don't remember it. [Editor's note: Not only did Kuzma not get scored on, he secured the rebound after a Clippers missed 3-pointer on the ensuing possession.] But after the fact, it was cool."
Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings Hield came off the bench in his NBA debut, after having been the No. 6 pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, and missed his first three shots before making a layup early in the second quarter.
"It was at New Orleans. We played against the Denver Nuggets. It was an isolation play and I got a left-handed layup going down the lane. It was wide open, and it was one of the hardest layups I've ever made. I don't know how I made it, but I made it, because it was wide open. It was one of those things. Your first NBA basket [comes with] all the anxiety, all the pressure, but it was fun, it was cool."
JJ Redick, New Orleans Pelicans Redick had to wait until the 14th game of his rookie season before making his NBA debut after being drafted by the Orlando Magic in 2006, and he made his first shot in garbage time of a 19-point win over the Hawks off an assist by former No. 2 overall pick Darko Milicic.
"I do remember my first regular-season bucket of my career. Unfortunately, I didn't get to play a lot in my rookie year, so my first bucket was probably two or three weeks into the season. I came off a screen on the right side and hit a jumper from the top of the key at a long 2 and remember just honestly feeling a sense of relief that I had finally made an NBA basket."
Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics Smart, the No. 6 overall pick in 2014, made three shots on seven attempts in his NBA debut. Not surprisingly, the defensive standout's first basket came off -- what else? -- a steal.
"I think my first one was against the Brooklyn Nets, Deron Williams. I got a steal and I got a fast-break dunk. I think that was my first one. But, I mean, it was a good feeling. Kind of got the nerves and the jitters out, so it was a good feeling. [I reacted] like I'd done it before, but inside I was ecstatic. On the outside I kept my composure and went down and continued to play defense."
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Tatum breaks down his first NBA bucket
Jayson Tatum shares how he felt scoring his first points in the NBA.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Tatum's first basket came in his first game, under the intense national-TV spotlight focused on the first meeting between LeBron James and Kyrie Irving after Irving had been traded from Cleveland to Boston.
"My first field goal was a third-quarter alley-oop. Two-on-one fastbreak from Kyrie to start the third quarter. It kind of took the pressure off. Now I could settle down. I was nervous at first. I mean, we were playing LeBron. Felt good after that."
Mason Plumlee, Denver Nuggets Plumlee was a first-round pick of the Nets in 2013 but played sparingly early in the season after the team's summer acquisitions of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
"It was a road game down in Orlando. Garbage time, fourth quarter, simple screen-and-roll. Maybe Jason Terry threw it to me, I forget, but got a little dunk, and it felt good. I just remember I was ready to go. I had been sitting a long time. I don't think I got any run the first two games of the season, so it was just good to get in there."
Troy Daniels, Los Angeles Lakers After getting called up from the G League, Daniels attempted 31 shots in five games with the Rockets as a rookie, with 25 of those attempts coming from beyond the arc. So it's no surprise his first NBA basket was a 3-pointer.
"I was with the Houston Rockets. I think it was a fast-break 3 or something like that. Probably a shot [then-Rockets coach] Kevin McHale didn't like, but as a shooter you've gotta take it. And I hit it. ... It was an unbelievable feeling. You always dream about that moment, and for me to do that and my family to see that, it was awesome."
Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers After sitting out the Pacers' first game in 2015-16, Turner made his NBA debut at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.
"It was the second game of the year, first time I got playing time. I came in right away ... got a tip dunk. My first NBA bucket was a tip slam. Very memorable. I think Monta [Ellis] went up for a left-handed layup, he missed, I just came up out of transition and cleaned it up. My parents were at the game. I remember looking over at them, looking over at my dad and pointing. It was pretty cool for me. ... Couldn't have drawn it up any better myself."
Derrick White, San Antonio Spurs White failed to make a basket in his first four career games, finally breaking through in his fifth appearance for the Spurs, in what was San Antonio's 23rd game of the year.
"It was against Oklahoma City at Oklahoma City. I drove from the top, shot a little floater. It's just special to have that first one, that first basket that not a lot of people could get, so I was happy about it. Growing up, floater would've been my best guess. Actually, if I was younger, I'd probably think 3 or something, but floater fit my game more than anything. I think I was guarding Russ [Westbrook], so I didn't have time to celebrate."
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Dudley can't remember his first basket
Jared Dudley doesn't remember his first bucket, but shares how he felt during his first NBA game.
Jared Dudley, Los Angeles Lakers Dudley drew a blank when asked to recall the details of his first basket, but he remembered plenty of other details from his Nov. 2, 2007, NBA debut -- during which he went scoreless. (He made his first NBA basket two nights later in Miami.)
"I remember playing the Milwaukee Bucks, going against Michael Redd, the lefty, getting two quick fouls in about 30 seconds, got subbed out, going like, 'Man, he was an All-Star, USA team.' I don't even know if I scored. I might've got zero points. But most likely [my first basket] was a jump shot, because I was getting no layups my rookie year. I remember it being a right-wing jump shot and thinking, 'Hey, that was cool.' My mom was there, because she came for the first two or three games, and [when you make that first basket] you've arrived, basically."
Thaddeus Young, Chicago Bulls While Dudley might not have remembered all the details of his first basket, Young remembered when he first scored for the 76ers back in 2007 -- in part because it came against Dudley.
"My first NBA basket, I think I blew past Jared Dudley. I think it was something like that. We played Charlotte. I'll tell you one thing, it takes a lot off your shoulders. When you get that first basket, see it go in, the basket gets bigger, your eyes get wider. So I was ecstatic, I was hyped and ready to go. I think I even got hyped after I scored the basket. It's definitely one of the biggest things. That's what every kid dreams about, coming into the league and scoring his first NBA basket. So it happened and I was hyped."
ESPN's Malika Andrews, Tim Bontemps, Kirk Goldsberry, Andrew Lopez, Dave McMenamin, Raajik Shah and Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this story. Statistical support provided by Jose De Leon, Vincent Johnson, Michael Schwartz and Matt Williams of ESPN's Stats & Information Group.
The birth of the walk-off home run. A playoff ace afraid of being poisoned. Mr. October going unrecognized. Mr. November's advice to the commander in chief. A home run still orbiting the Earth.
Each week during the playoffs, Tim Kurkjian will open up his notebook to share behind-the-scenes stories of some of the wildest games, moments and characters in MLB postseason history.
We'll reveal a new decade of vignettes right here all month. This week: the 2000s.
2009: 'They are my parents. They always come first'
When the final out was made in the 2009 World Series, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter did his signature celebratory leap, two hands in the air, then joined the dogpile on the pitcher's mound at Yankee Stadium. It was his fifth championship.
That moment was supposed to be about third baseman Alex Rodriguez winning his first World Series ring, but my first job that night was to get an interview, on camera, as soon as possible with Jeter.
After all the on-field hysteria was over, the party shifted to the Yankees clubhouse, which was a sea of champagne, screaming, yelling and hugging. Jeter arrived a little late, with me right behind him, waiting for him to stop so I could ask him about winning one for the thumb.
He deftly dodged his teammates and all members of the media, much like he dodged a runner coming to break up a double play at second base. He made his way through the clubhouse until he reached the lobby on the other side.
There stood his mom, Dorothy, and dad, Charles. Jeter had won his fifth ring. And he went to them first to thank them.
Then Jeter joined the celebration with his teammates.
"They are my parents," he said. "They always come first."
2006: Welcome to the club, Tony
Only Connie Mack managed more games in major league history than Tony La Russa. Only Mack and John McGraw won more games than La Russa's 2,728.
Before every game he managed, if someone asked, "How are you doing?" La Russa would instinctively answer, "I'll tell you in 3½ hours," meaning his mood would depend on the outcome of the game.
La Russa was perhaps on his way to Cooperstown in 2006, but managing in St. Louis is different than managing almost anywhere else. In St. Louis, former stars of the team show up in the clubhouse more than occasionally, be it Stan Musial or Lou Brock or Bob Gibson, just another reminder of the rich tradition of the Cardinals. To the fans in St. Louis, the Cardinals aren't just important. They are intimate in their lives.
But after 11 years in St. Louis, La Russa was hardly revered. In fact, Cardinals fans hadn't recovered from the retirement of Whitey Herzog, who was folksy and funny and, more importantly, won a World Series for the Cardinals in 1982. La Russa was great, but he hadn't won it all.
Soon after the Cardinals beat the Tigers to win the 2006 World Series, I saw La Russa breathlessly running through the halls of Busch Stadium. He needed someone to talk to, anyone, and I happened to be there.
"You're not going to believe what just happened to me!" he said. "Bob Gibson just gave me a big hug and told me, 'Welcome to the club!' Bob Gibson just welcomed me to the club in St. Louis! Can you believe that!?"
2005: Attention, passengers: Albert Pujols' home run 'appears to be orbiting the earth'
One of the most stunning, dramatic home runs in postseason history was hit by Albert Pujols in Game 5 of the 2005 National League Championship Series.
The Astros were one out away from going to the World Series for the first time. When closer Brad Lidge made his 0-1 pitch to Pujols, Minute Maid Park was louder than any ballpark I had ever been to other than the Metrodome. Then Pujols hit a ball so far out of the ballpark to left field, so far over the train tracks that Minute Maid went silent.
The look on the face of Astros pitcher Andy Pettitte was unmistakable as he mouthed the words, "Oh, my God."
Most teams might not have recovered from that, but those Astros weren't most teams. They were led by Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman, and those guys were really good and really cool. So was pitcher Roy Oswalt, a slow-talker from Mississippi who never worried and would sit around in his underwear, feet up on a table, drinking coffee until 30 minutes before each start. "If I had his s---," Bagwell said, "I wouldn't worry either."
Oswalt would pitch Game 6 in St. Louis. The team charter took off 90 minutes after Pujols' homer. Maybe 30 minutes into the flight, Astros catcher Brad Ausmus got on the airplane's public address system, the one the flight attendant uses to tell the passengers to fold up their tray tables.
"If you look outside, left side of the airplane," Ausmus said, "you will see Albert Pujols' home run. It is still going. It appears to be orbiting the Earth."
Everyone howled, including Lidge.
Oswalt shut down the Cardinals in Game 6 to advance to the World Series.
2003: Aaron 'Bleepin' Boone and the Ice Bucket Challenge
Aaron Boone was a late-season addition to the Yankees in 2003, and he was not expected to be a postseason star.
But in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, Boone delivered an unforgettable walk-off home run to lead off the 11th inning, sending the Yankees to the World Series. The Bombers' win also led to the firing of Red Sox manager Grady Little, who left Pedro Martinez in the game in the eighth inning, when the Yankees tied the score with three runs.
But this game was about Aaron Boone.
"As soon as I hit it, I knew it was gone," Boone said many years later. "I said to myself, on the way to first, 'Please soak this in. You might never be here again.' And for the jog to first base, I remember everything. But after I hit first base, I blanked. I don't remember a thing. It was a total blur."
From that day on, he was known in New England as Aaron "F---ing" Boone.
Twelve years later, Boone was working at ESPN. We did Monday Night Baseball together. At that time, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was extremely popular, a challenge in honor of Anthony Senerchia Jr., who died in 2017 after a 14-year battle with ALS.
I did the Ice Bucket Challenge from my home in Maryland, then I publicly challenged my friend and colleague, Aaron Boone, to do the same.
Naturally, he took the challenge. At noon on a Monday, Boone went to the hotel bar in Boston and asked one of the young workers there if he'd be willing to dump a bucket of ice water over his head to complete the challenge.
"It would be my pleasure. I'm a Red Sox fan," the worker said with a respectful laugh. "You are Aaron F---ing Boone. I hate your guts. I would be happy to throw water on your head."
2002: 'I will hit it so far, you won't even see it come down'
Long before we knew more of the story of Barry Bonds, we marveled at him during the 2002 postseason.
He was unstoppable. No one could beat him, especially on the inside part of the plate. In the National League Championship Series that year, he went 3-for-11 with a home run and 10 walks against the Cardinals. I watched St. Louis left-hander Chuck Finley throw away from Bonds again and again, then try to slip one by him on the inside part of the plate. Bonds didn't just keep it fair. He hit it into McCovey Cove.
Bonds was even better during the 2002 World Series. He clobbered Angels pitching, going 8-for-17 with four homers, six RBIs and 13 walks. But in Game 4, Angels rookie reliever Francisco Rodriguez, whose stuff was spectacular, got Bonds to ground out to first base on a slider.
Before Game 6, Bonds was talking on the Giants' bench with Peter Gammons, who was working for ESPN. He told Peter, "if that f---ing guy [Rodriguez] tries to throw me that slider again tonight, I will hit it so far, you won't even see it come down."
That night, Frankie Rodriguez threw Bonds a slider in the sixth inning. As predicted, Bonds hit it so far, we never even saw where it landed.
I was sitting next to Gammons that night in the ESPN perch beyond the left-center-field fence.
As Bonds rounded first base, he pointed right at Gammons, as if to say, "I told you!"
2001: 'Whatever you do, don't bounce the first pitch'
Perhaps the most memorable ceremonial first pitch ever came from President George W. Bush before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium.
The United States had been attacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, just one month and 19 days earlier. President Bush was asked to throw out the first ball that night in the Bronx. He is the son of a president who was also a college baseball player at Yale, George H.W. Bush, so George W. was up for the challenge.
"I asked [Yankees shortstop] Derek [Jeter] if he had any advice," Bush told me. "Derek said, 'First, you don't have to throw from the rubber. You can throw from the front of the dirt. Whatever you do, don't bounce the first pitch. This is New York. They'll boo you here.'"
Bush got loose throwing underneath the stadium while wearing a bulletproof vest. On the mound, on an emotionally charged night, he threw a strike, an athletic strike, bringing a thunderous applause from the crowd at Yankee Stadium.
"I was really, really nervous," Bush told an intimate gathering of players and media at the White House several years later. "I'm so glad I didn't bounce it."
The 1990s
1998: Are the Yankees really that good?
Padres great Tony Gwynn, then age 38, returned to the World Series in 1998 after a 14-year absence.
He was so excited to be there, yet always being such a perfectionist, he stormed out of the cage after a seemingly great batting practice before Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, screaming to no one in particular, "Damn it, I can't see at all like I used to!"
"So Tony," I asked, "are you 20-20 now?"
"No," he said, "I'm 20-15, and I can't see at all like I used to."
The Yankees won Game 1 that night on a grand slam by Tino Martinez off Mark Langston, who had given up just two grand slams in his 15-year career prior to that. The Yankees rolled through the Padres in the first two games at Yankee Stadium, then took both games in San Diego en route to one of the most dominating seasons in major league history -- it was maybe the greatest American League team since the Yankees of 1927 and 1939.
Before Game 4 in San Diego, as I walked down the tunnel to the field, Gwynn was right behind me. There was interleague play at that time, but San Diego and New York hadn't played yet, so he had never seen the '98 Yankees until the World Series.
He turned to me, of all people, for an opinion.
"Are they really that good?" he said.
"Yes, Tony," I said. "They are that good."
1997: 'The Chicken Runs at Midnight'
Rich Donnelly has been a major league coach, mostly a third base coach, for most of the past 40 years. He held that job for the 1997 Marlins when they beat the Indians in seven games in the World Series.
Donnelly's daughter, Amy, had died from brain cancer five years earlier at age 18. She used to delight in watching her dad relay signs to his runners on base by bending over, cupping his hands and yelling. It was a strange, awkward approach, so she asked her dad, "What are you yelling at the runners, 'The Chicken Runs At Midnight,' or what?"
In 1992, a few months before Amy died, it became the rallying cry of Donnelly's Pirates. Second baseman Chico Lind would routinely walk through the dugout during a rally and yell to his teammates, "Let's go, The Chicken Runs At Midnight!"
And five years after Amy died, it was the rallying cry of the 1997 Marlins.
By that time, Donnelly's sons, Tim and Mike, had become huge fans of Marlins second baseman Craig Counsell, who had an unusual batting stance. Counsell would raise his hands high in the air, then flick his left elbow, like a chicken might. So Tim and Mike lovingly called Counsell "The Chicken."
By 1997, the story of the Donnelly family was well known within baseball circles, but nothing could have prepared anyone for what happened the night of Oct. 26, 1997, Game 7 of the World Series, Marlins against the Indians.
The Marlins tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. In the 11th inning, the Marlins' Edgar Renteria lined a walk-off single to center field, scoring ... Craig Counsell. Tim Donnelly looked at the clock on the scoreboard seconds after Counsell's foot hit home plate, and the Marlins had won the World Series.
"Dad!" Tim Donnelly yelled. "Look at the clock! It's midnight! The Chicken ran at midnight!"
Rich Donnelly's eyes filled with tears, as did those of Tim and Mike.
Donnelly, with author Tom Friend, has written a book called "The Chicken Runs At Midnight." There's a chance it will be made into a motion picture.
"There's no way Hollywood could have even dreamed this up," Donnelly said. "But it's true, All of it is true."
1997: The coldest October
The coldest World Series games in recent history had to be the three middle games in Cleveland in 1997.
I sat in the right field auxiliary box, uncovered, in the stands, for all three games. It snowed, I recalled, all three games. I have never been so cold in my life. But, I didn't have to hit a 90-mph fastball, run as hard as I could or field a ground ball.
Craig Counsell, the second baseman for the Florida Marlins in that World Series, did. But he was ready.
Counsell grew up in Milwaukee, where it was cold all the time. So cold, in fact, former Brewers reliever Curtis Leskanic once described the seasons in Milwaukee as "spring, then July 27, then the fall." Counsell, said, "I will never forget scraping snow off our fields so we could play high school games."
In 2014, when Counsell worked in the front office for the Brewers, the great Hank Aaron asked him to come to the stage and join a roundtable discussion about baseball in Milwaukee, and Aaron asked him, "How in the world did you get to the big leagues growing up here?"
Anyway, during those three games in Cleveland, Counsell played next to shortstop Edgar Renteria, who is from Barranquilla, Colombia.
"Edgar was always cold, Edgar really hated playing in the cold," Counsell said. "So, for the games in Cleveland, I was freezing also, but I had to pretend I wasn't cold, because I am from Milwaukee, and if Edgar looked at me and thought I was cold, he couldn't take it. I made it look like I was warm."
As it turned out, Renteria hit the walk-off single in Game 7 ... in Florida.
1994: MLB in "Jeopardy"
There was no postseason in 1994. The strike canceled the World Series for the first time since 1904. Still, I was sent by Sports Illustrated to cover the World Series -- the International League World Series.
This was Triple-A baseball, the closest thing we had to the big leagues. In the West Division finals, it was the Charlotte Knights against the Richmond Braves.
Before Game 1, David Bell, the Charlotte third baseman, told me that his grandfather (Gus) and father (Buddy), would both be at the game that night, but, he said, "you'll never find them, they'll be the two white-haired guys sitting as far from home plate as possible." I found them, two former major leaguers, all alone, up in the corner of the right-field seats, watching David play. They secluded themselves to watch the game in peace.
But baseball players are the same everywhere, even in October, even during a devastating strike. So I wandered into the Knights' clubhouse before Game 3 of that series. All the players were in the miniature lounge for the players, and they were watching "Jeopardy!" which I found odd. Usually, players are watching a game, or some stupid movie, or some blooper reel, not a show that tests you intellectually.
A minute later, a Knights player came running out of the room, screaming euphorically. I glanced at the TV screen and saw that the final "Jeopardy!" answer was in poetry. Did a Knights player get the final "Jeopardy!" answer in poetry?
"No, no, that's not how we play," Charlotte infielder Tim Jones said. "We are baseball players. The way we play is if you guess the final "Jeopardy!" category, you win."
1993: 'Sorry I cost you your book deal'
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On this date: Joe Carter hits World Series-clinching HR
On October 23, 1993, Joe Carter crushed a three-run home run off Mitch Williams in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the World Series to clinch back-to-back titles for Toronto.
Mitch Williams was, in every way, The Wild Thing.
Teammates with the Cubs said he pitched "like his hair was on fire," one reason why he is the only pitcher in major league history to throw as many innings as he did (691 1/3) and allow more walks than hits in his career (and it's not even close). Williams, as a member of the Phillies, also gave up one of the most famous home runs in postseason history, the walk-off blast to Toronto's Joe Carter, ending the 1993 World Series -- the only World Series to end on a home run that brought a team from behind to ahead.
I was sitting in the first row of the auxiliary press box beyond the left-field fence at the SkyDome when the ball left Carter's bat.
Immediately, two thoughts came to mind: One, the World Series is over, and two, this ball is going to hit me right in the middle of my chest. Fortunately, it landed just short of where I was sitting. Unfortunately, I had to go into the Phillies' clubhouse after the game to do the story on Williams.
Mitch was a nut, but in a good way, and he stood there for 15 minutes, answering every question from every writer. But after 15 minutes, after the same question had been asked many times, teammate Danny Jackson screamed at the writers, "Get the hell out of here! Leave him alone!"
Yet Mitch stayed and answered questions, patiently and politely, for another 15 minutes.
When the grilling was finally over, Williams walked by a Phillies beat writer who was writing a book on that season, but it was only to be published if the Phillies had won the World Series. Williams looked the writer, laughed and said, "Sorry I cost you your book deal."
1992: Abra Cabrera
Francisco Cabrera was the Braves' third catcher that magical night at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Oct. 14, 1992, four days after he turned 26.
It was Game 7 of the National League Championship Series against the Pirates, and Cabrera's only job was to catch the ceremonial first pitch from Rubye Lucas, a member of the Braves' board of directors.
There was no chance Cabrera would play that night. He had batted 10 times that season, with three hits and three RBIs. But when the Braves were down to their final out, behind 2-1, and had already used all their pinch hitters, Cabrera was the only position player left.
With the bases loaded, he rifled a single between third base and shortstop, scoring two. Sid Bream famously outran left fielder Barry Bonds' throw to the plate, beating catcher Mike LaValliere's tag by a matter of inches. The Braves became, and remain, the only team in postseason history to win a winner-take-all game in which they went from behind to ahead on the very last play and down to their final out.
Pirates center fielder Andy Van Slyke crumpled to the ground, then sat on the outfield grass with his head between his legs, the position passengers are told to assume when a plane is crashing.
Cabrera would play only one more season. He would finish his career with 62 RBIs, but those were two of the most dramatic ones in the history of the postseason.
And as the crowd of almost 52,000 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium exploded around us, the brilliant writer Steve Rushin, who was covering the game with me for Sports Illustrated, looked at me 10 seconds after that winning run had scored and said, "Abra Cabrera."
1991: A near-murder on the mound
The Twins' Jack Morris threw a 1-0 shutout in 10 innings in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. Since that day, only two pitchers have thrown a 10-inning, 1-0 shutout -- but not in the playoffs and not in Game 7 of the World Series.
After nine innings of that remarkable game at the spectacularly loud Metrodome in Minneapolis, I turned to Steve Rushin, my writing colleague at Sports Illustrated. I bowed to him and told him, "This is too big for me. I am not worthy of this. I can't write this. It is too much."
And then it got even bigger.
At one point, Morris found trouble, requiring a visit from Twins manager Tom Kelly. He went to the mound to take Morris out of the game. Morris looked at him as if to make perfectly clear, "I'm not coming out of this game!"
Kelly left him in. Morris escaped the inning. Gene Larkin's single won it in the last of the 10th.
I had recovered by then to write the sidebar on Morris. After the game, I spoke to Twins outfielder Randy Bush, a smart guy who always understood what was going on around him.
"I am so glad that TK (Kelly) didn't take Jack out of the game," Bush told me, "because if he had, it would have been the first time that a manager ever had been killed on the pitching mound by his own pitcher. There was no way Jack was coming out."
1991: 'Get on my back tonight boys, I'm going to take us home'
Twins outfielder Randy Bush used to say, "The best 30 minutes of every day for a Twins player was the 30 minutes, after the media left the clubhouse, when it was just the players in the room. And Kirby was getting all of us ready to play that night. There was nobody better."
Kirby, of course, is Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, whose enthusiasm and energy was unmatched in baseball for 12 years from the mid-1980s and to the mid-1990s.
Famously, before Game 6 of the 1991 World Series, Puckett looked at his teammates, down 3-2 to the Braves, and said, "Get on my back tonight boys, I'm going to take us home."
And on that amazing night, Puckett went 3-for-4. Early in the game, his leaping catch against the Plexiglas in left center field took an extra-base hit away from Ron Gant.
Then, in the bottom of the 11th inning, Puckett hit a walk-off home run off Charlie Leibrandt, completing one of the greatest single-game performances in World Series history.
Kirby took them home, as he had so many times. Only this was Game 6 of the World Series.
1990: Glenn Braggs' broken-bat whiff
The most muscled, chiseled major league player I've ever seen was Reds outfielder Glenn Braggs.
In 1990, while he was playing in the World Series, he swung at a pitch and broke his bat without making contact with the ball. I had heard stories about Lee May, a very strong man for the Astros, Reds and Orioles, breaking his bat on a checked swing. I had seen all sorts of players break a bat over their knee in anger. I saw Bo Jackson, after yet another strikeout, break a bat over his helmet. Baseball players are so strong.
But in Game 4 in Oakland-Alameda County Stadium against A's ace Dave Stewart, Braggs broke a bat without hitting the ball.
TV technology back then wasn't like it is today, so even the replays didn't clearly show what had happened: Braggs had broken his bat when he swung and missed so hard the bat whipped against his shoulder blade on his violent follow-through, and broke in half.
"I have never seen that before," I told him.
"Well, you haven't been watching me," Braggs said. "That's the 15th time I've done that this year."
1990: The biggest Reds fan in the nursery ward
Reds pitcher Tom Browning's wife, Debbie, was due in a week with the couple's third child.
But during Game 2 of the 1990 World Series against the A's in Cincinnati, word came from a clubhouse kid that Browning's wife was looking for him -- she needed to get to the hospital to deliver the baby.
So Browning, in full uniform, went to the hospital without telling anyone on his team.
Normally, that would not be a problem given Browning was scheduled to start Game 3. But in the eighth inning, the score was tied, 4-4, the Reds were running out of pitchers, and manager Lou Piniella told pitching coach Stan Williams to get Browning ready, just in case.
But Browning was already at the hospital when he heard, via the TV broadcast, that he might be needed to pitch that night. There was no time for him to get back to the ballpark, so, as any good husband would, Browning stayed put, the Reds won without him, and ultimately went on to win the World Series.
Piniella and Williams understood that their Game 3 pitcher had done the right thing. Tucker Thomas Browning was born the following day at 12:27 p.m.
I saw Browning later that day and asked about the whole experience. I asked if anyone in the hospital even asked why a full-grown man was wearing a Reds uniform in the hospital.
"I think," he said, "they just thought I was a big Reds fan."
The 1970s/1980s
1988: Gibson, Eck and the birth of the walk-off homer
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On this date: Gibson hits iconic, walk-off World Series HR
On Oct. 15, 1988, Kirk Gibson hit a pinch-hit, walk-off home run for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series despite being injured.
Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series came in Game 1, but it was one of the biggest home runs in baseball history.
Gibson, who would soon be named the MVP of the National League, was clearly hurt. He couldn't run -- he could barely move -- because of a leg injury. In the eighth inning, he was sitting in a room, not far from the Dodgers clubhouse, with teammate Orel Hershiser, when NBC broadcaster Bob Costas said Gibson had no chance of playing that night.
Gibson angrily said, "Oh yeah, I'll show him! I'll show everybody!"
Gibson told Hershiser, "Help me get ready." Gibson had the message relayed to Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda that he was available to pinch hit that night. So Lasorda sent him to the plate with two outs in the ninth, a runner at first, and the Dodgers down 4-3. Gibson had the report from Dodgers advance scout Mel Didier, who said that A's closer Dennis Eckersley liked to throw a backdoor breaking ball when he was ahead in the count.
Gibson got one, and hit a two-run home run to right.
"I don't believe what I just saw," the great Jack Buck said.
After the game, Eckersley, the ultimate stand-up guy, took every question from reporters. The Eck had his own language: He called money "iron," a fastball "cheese" and hair "moss." But that night, he used a phrase I had never heard. He called Gibson's homer a "walk-off homer."
I asked, "What does that mean?"
He said, "Well, he hit a homer, and everyone walked off the field."
The birth of a famous phrase, that night.
1988: 'The chef might poison me'
Orel Hershiser's run through the 1988 postseason was spectacular.
After a regular season in which he won the NL Cy Young, and set the record for the longest scoreless streak (59 innings) in major league history, Hershiser went 3-0 with two shutouts, a save and a 1.05 ERA in 42 2/3 innings in October. He was named the MVP of the 1988 World Series, the last time the Dodgers won it.
After that season, he attended a celebratory function at the White House. When Hershiser emerged from the limousine, a U.S. Marine greeted him. Hershiser jokingly slipped a $5 bill in the Marine's pocket as a tip.
"That will be enough, Mr. Cy Young," the Marine said.
Many years later, I asked Hershiser about that magical postseason, and wondered if he deviated his schedule or habits from that of the regular season. He said the biggest difference was that in the postseason "I never told anyone publicly where I was going out to dinner because it might end up in the newspaper. I didn't want anyone to know where I might eat. The chef might poison me."
He added that there were times, on the road, where he and his wife would order dinner, but when the meals arrived, they would switch: His wife would eat what he ordered, and he would eat what she ordered. He said he did that just in case the chef had, indeed, tried to poison him.
But that meant your wife would then be poisoned?
Hershiser smiled and said, jokingly, and without malice, "Well, we're divorced now."
1986: Simply Amazin'
My story, the biggest one I had ever covered, was written and ready to go.
It was Oct. 26, 1986, at roughly 12:25 a.m. My editor at the Baltimore Sun had edited it, all they had to do was send it to print after the final out. The story would say that the Red Sox had won the World Series for the first time since 1918 -- The Curse of the Bambino had been lifted.
The Mets had no chance to come back, it seemed, and in the 10th inning, someone in ballpark operations at Shea Stadium accidentally flashed "Congratulations" to the Red Sox on the scoreboard for winning the 1986 World Series.
Then everything changed.
At first, there was no reason for me to panic. A couple of Mets got on base, but then things quickly escalated. And in an instant, the Mets had miraculously tied the game, then the ball went through Bill Buckner's legs, the Mets won and the biggest story I had ever written had gotten even bigger. And I had 10 minutes to rewrite it to make the final edition.
That was challenging enough, but the worst was yet to come. I was sitting in the auxiliary press box down the left-field line at Shea. Suddenly, it was as if someone had emptied a keg of beer in the upper deck above me, and within seconds, I was soaked. I covered up my computer so it wouldn't short out from a tidal wave of Budweiser. Remarkably, my computer functioned despite a dousing of suds, and I got my story in the paper with a one-word lede (there was no time) for this most incredible finish:
Amazin'.
After the game, a colleague saw me, staggering, soaked in beer.
"What happened to you?" he asked.
I had no good response.
"It was a great game," I said. "I got involved."
1986: 'But the Red Sox lost yesterday'
The greatest baseball game I've ever seen was Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and Angels.
The Red Sox were down, three games to one. It looked like no World Series for them again that year -- they had last won it in 1918. The Angels had never been to the World Series, nor had their legendary manager, Gene Mauch, whose 1964 Phillies team had executed a historic collapse down the stretch.
The Angels held a 5-2 lead entering the ninth. Angels reliever Gary Lucas hit a batter (Rich Gedman) for the first time in four years. The Red Sox took the lead on a two-out, two-run home run by Dave Henderson, his only hit of the series. He had been 1-for-13 in late-inning pressure situations with two out and runners on base during the season. Henderson's homer came off Angels closer Donnie Moore, who years later killed himself. He was a deeply troubled man, but it's thought that allowing that homer contributed in part to his later depression.
The Angels had a chance to win the game in the last of the ninth, with Doug DeCinces at the plate with one out and the potential winning run at third. DeCinces had delivered that runner home in those situations 68% of the time during the regular season. Mauch said after the game, "I would have bet my house that DeCinces would have gotten him in."
Henderson hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th, and the Red Sox won 7-6. At the time, it was only the second game in postseason history -- and the second game in the past 21 hours in that ballpark -- that a team had won a game down by two runs entering the ninth inning.
Two tortured Red Sox fans, a husband and wife, had left the ballpark after eight innings, and went drinking, then vowed not to watch or read anything about the game, or about the Angels going to the World Series. The next morning, the couple was on a plane to Boston, sitting next to a baseball writer who was covering the series.
"Do you have family in Boston?" the wife asked.
"No, I am going there for Game 6," the writer said.
"But the Red Sox lost yesterday," the husband said.
"No," the writer said. "They won. Didn't you hear?"
1984: Bless You Boys
There was nobody better than Sparky Anderson.
He was the manager of the 1984 Tigers, the team that won 35 of its first 40 games and rolled, wire-to-wire, to win the World Series. They demolished the overmatched Padres in the World Series, which was memorable for so many reasons: the sheer dominance of the Tigers, the energy outfielder Kirk Gibson brought to the team, the near perfection of closer Willie Hernandez and the beauty of watching Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker play up the middle every day.
But that team was about Sparky, who became the first manager in history to win the World Series in both leagues. That team was about Sparky and his effusive charm. He was your white-haired grandfather, smoking his signature pipe, rocking on the front porch on a summer evening, explaining the beautiful game of baseball, all the while embellishing the facts and the greatness of his players, as well as fracturing the English language.
He asked in wonderment why there had to be a "your, a you're and a you are." He questioned why there had to be a "there, a they're and a their," when, he said, they are all the same. And why, he asked, do we really need "a to, a too and a two?" Three of them?
No one ever misunderstood what Sparky was saying because, in the end, he was smarter than most, especially about baseball. After the 1984 World Series, he wrote a book (with help) called Bless You Boys. It had become the moniker for that team, and that season.
The night the World Series ended, I asked Sparky about his team.
He said: "There will never be another like it. How blessed am I?"
1982: Bruce Sutter's long-fingered fastball
The 1982 Cardinals were so entertaining. They had a shortstop, Ozzie Smith, who did backflips. An outfielder, Tito Landrum, who was a male model. An outfielder, Willie McGee, affectionately known as E.T. -- except he didn't phone home, he ran home, really fast. Maybe the best defensive first baseman of all time, Keith Hernandez. And a kooky starting pitcher, Joaquin Andujar, who once said you can sum up baseball in one word: youneverknow.
And, at the end, they had a closer named Bruce Sutter, who saved 36 games that season, and finished third in the Cy Young voting and fifth in the MVP race. In the postseason, he was overpowering in the NLCS against the Braves, then saved two games in the 1982 World Series against the Brewers, including Game 7.
Sutter threw 102 1/3 innings that season; he was a premier closer before they became one-inning specialists. And he had a devastating split-fingered fastball, one of the first pitchers to popularize it.
Before Game 3 of the World Series that season, I was talking to him about throwing that pitch so well.
"How are you able to stick the ball so easily between your index and middle finger?" I asked.
He looked and me and laughed at my youth, then thrust his huge right hand in front of my face.
"Look how long my fingers are!" he said. "I can pick my nose from here!"
1979: The Orioles gotta see Wapner
The 1979 Orioles were a great team, and the best team ever to cover. I know because I covered them briefly that year.
They were filled with personalities, funny guys, loose guys -- and none of them funnier or looser than pitcher Mike Flanagan.
Flanagan was the master of nicknames. He called Orioles closer Don Stanhouse "Stan The Man Unusual" because he was so wild on the mound, and off the field, so obtuse in so many ways. (Orioles manager Earl Weaver called Stanhouse "Full Pack" because Weaver would smoke a full pack of Camels when Stanhouse pitched.)
Flanagan won the Cy Young that season. The next season, 1980, when Steve Stone was on his way to winning the Cy Young, Flanagan presented "The stages of Cy." He was Cy Young because he was the reigning Cy Young winner. Stone was Cy Present because he was going to win that year. Jim Palmer, of course, was Cy Old, because he had won the award three times previously. And young Scott McGregor was Cy Future because Flanagan believed he would win the award someday.
Anyway, back to 1979. The Orioles beat the Angels in the ALCS in part because John "Tonight Let It Be" Lowenstein hit a pinch-hit, three-run, walk-off home run in Game 1. Weaver was way ahead of the analytics craze -- he had the pitcher-batter matchup numbers he needed on index cards -- but he didn't have any numbers on reliever John Montague, who was new to the Angels.
Weaver called the press box. Charles Steinberg, a dentist who worked for the club in public relations, found the Montague matchups and gave them to an Orioles BaseBell, who was usually a young woman who ran errands during a game. This night, the BaseBell was Earl's daughter, Kim. She hastily ran the card through the Orioles clubhouse, past a naked Palmer, and got the information to her dad. Lowenstein had great numbers against Montague. He was the choice. Then he hit the game-winning homer.
The Orioles advanced to the World Series against the Pirates. The Orioles were slightly late to the pregame introductions before Game 1.
The word was, they were nervous for their first World Series game since 1971.
"We weren't nervous," Flanagan said. "We were in the clubhouse waiting for (famed TV) Judge Wapner to make his ruling. We couldn't leave until we knew."
What makes a world no.1? From all the athletes that have held the ranking ever, if there is one thing to learn, it is never ever count them out to make a significant comeback into the limelight.
Fan Zhendong has shunned away the ghosts of this year and successfully secured his first 2019 ITTF World Tour title. The Chinese star defeated compatriot and current world no. 1 Xu Xin to claim the German Open in Bremen (5-11, 11-8, 14-12, 11-7, 11-7).
Significantly, it his first ITTF World Tour men’s singles final since Sunday 4th November 2018 when he emerged successful in Sweden.
Clearly in the 343 days since his last title, he can probably argue he was never close enough to reach the trophy as much in Bremen.
Barren but only barely
It is highly intriguing to note the journey of the 22 year old and those around him over the past 12 months. Over the intervening period, Fan lost his world no.1 position to Xu, who in turn went on to confirm his supremacy by winning three consecutive gold medals at this year’s Japan, Korea and Australian Opens.
Fan won the Liebherr 2018 ITTF Men’s World Cup in Disneyland Paris, something which incidentally came to be because of his fantastic display against Xu Xin. Having lost the title in 2017, his win the following year was looked at the point of his coronation – something which did not last into the new year.
What’s more – on Sunday, up until the second game of the final, media channels were in fact working on multiple statistical records being broken by Xu with his potential win over Fan. It had looked like Fan’s barren streak would continue in Bremen and Xu had his sights set on equalling the record of four ITTF World Tour men’s singles titles in a calendar year. How they all were proven wrong, was probably a delight for the current world no.2.
Fan has had several close run-ins during this year but sadly was unable to convert any of them. The semi-final exits in Hungary and then again in Japan really made him contemplate his personal decisions at the table, especially because he was still winning consistently across the doubles – with Xu Xin at Japan, Korea and Sweden Opens.
At the semi-final stages in Bremen, Fan needed to dig deep versus no.7 seed Liang Jingkun and that was the first sign of the visible change in Fan’s new found mental steeliness in the face of possible loss.
These inner thoughts had clearly made him focus on the problems at hand and he rallied his mental ability to fight back in the final on Sunday. The German Open now becomes the 12th of his career in the ITTF World Tour men’s singles competition, raising hopes that he is finally ready to kick on and put a difficult 2019 behind him.
“This is an enormously important victory for me. I am overjoyed to have won against Xu Xin. Since we know each other so well it’s really hard for me to surprise him with anything. I never let up, always put pressure on him until the last rally. I had a lot of fun here, especially with this great crowd.” – Fan Zhendong
“Fan-ing” Olympic Dreams
It comes as no surprise the Chinese winner in Germany has no bigger dreams than to make the Olympic Games happening next year in Tokyo. After the slow start to 2019, it seemed to be dream that would be long-lost especially given the immaculate form of his peers.
Fan has previously won two gold medals at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing 2014 – for singles and mixed team. However, he is yet to participate at an Olympic Games – and what better time is there than the present?
The immediate next challenges for Fan Zhendong will now be the ITTF Men’s World Cup and the final world tour of the year, the ITTF Austria Platinum Open – both happening within weeks of one another in November. His performances across both events will be critical in the choices made for Tokyo 2020 by the Chinese Team coaches. If Fan’s previous years’ winter displays are any evidence, we might just see the enigmatic Fan close to the Olympic Games medals next year.
Too much money is focused on the big nations in rugby union, making it harder for others to reach the top tier, an ex-England international says.
Rugby Union is played in 119 countries, but only four - England, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia - have won the World Cup since it started in 1987.
Andy Gomarsall, who played in two World Cups for England, thinks it is hard for newcomers to compete with the funding.
He told BBC 5 live that there needs to be a better balance of the money,
"When England play to a full house at Twickenham, the expense, the money they make - it doesn't sit well with current and former players that you could be playing Fiji, who are struggling to pay the bills just to get players to the game," he told the Wake Up To Money Business of Sport programme.
"It just seems extraordinary that in this day and age this could ever be a possibility."
Rugby has a rich pool to pick new host nations from and, according to Deloitte, a potential television reach of four billion.
Mick Hogan, executive director of Newcastle Falcons, says: "None of this exists without money and with World Rugby 85% of the money generates comes from the World Cup, and you have to have big games and big showpiece events that fund the game.
"What we should be doing is looking longer term and not looking at how much money we need to pay the bills next year. How do we get a tier one nation to actually go and play in Fiji, Tonga or Samoa? It just never, ever happens."
One method of promoting the sport in new rugby playing areas includes World Rugby's Beyond Legacy programme, which is aiming to grow broadcast audiences for rugby in Asia, and to get one million new Asian players participating in rugby by 2020.
They aim to do this through schemes such as holding rugby lessons in Japanese schools in the host cities of the World Cup and investing in the growth of local teams.
Japan pulled off a shock victory over Ireland in their World Cup Pool A game, defeating them 19-12.
Su Carty, who sits on the World Rugby council and the committee of the Irish Rugby Football Union, reflected on the defeat, saying: "It was a tough day for the Irish, but an amazing day for Japan and an incredible day for the tournament.
"You want teams like Japan coming through and making a statement on the world stage. Their day in the sun isn't done, and they'll be committed to build on that great day against us."
In a major change, this year also marks the first time an Asian nation has ever hosted the World Cup, and there is speculation that the United States could bid for the 2027 World Cup, which would be the first time it has ever been hosted in North America.
Mr Hogan added: "It proves the value that bringing major tournaments to new areas can do. It really can ignite a passion for the sport in that area - and hopefully we see that in the legacy in five, 10, 20 years' time in Japan and Asia."
Hosting the Rugby World Cup could also be a wise investment for a nation new to the sport - with EY estimating that the six-week tournament could bring in £1.5bn to Japan's economy and support 25,000 jobs across the 12 cities hosting matches.
Japan has also invested 40bn yen (£290m) on infrastructure. This has included boosting transport links between the cities, and enhancing the stadiums and team camps with the aim of using them for Japan's growing domestic rugby scene after the World Cup has ended.
Developing the domestic rugby scene is an important step, especially for Japan as it seeks to capitalise on its continued success. According to Statista, Japan has almost 3,000 recognised clubs with 95,000 active players.
Akira Shimazu, head of Japan's rugby organising committee, said that the tournament was "on track to deliver a significant economic legacy for our nation".
Japan's continued success could lay the framework for other nations in future tournaments - and with the support of the top tier nations, the Rugby World Cup finals could start seeing other teams making their way to the semi-finals and finals of the World Cup.
Lucy Li was among amateurs making strong starts Monday at LPGA Q-School’s second stage event at Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice, Fla.
Li, who just turned 17 on Oct. 1, opened with a 3-under 69, good for a tie for 17th, five shots behind Germany’s Olivia Cowan, a Ladies European Tour member. Min A. Yoon, a 16-year-old amateur from South Korea, opened with a 65 and sits one shot back.
A minimum of the top 30 and ties will advance to the Q-Series finale later this month, with the possibility up to 48 players advancing, though Li and Yoon won’t be among them, no matter how well they play this week. At 17, Li isn’t old enough to advance to Q-Series, by tour rules, nor is Yoon, though they will be eligible to play the Symetra Tour by finishing the 72-hole no-cut event.
Li, of Redwood Shores, Calif., has told LPGA officials she wants to play the Symetra Tour next year, but she isn’t sure yet when she will officially turn pro.
“I’m excited to be playing here and really looking forward to the Symetra Tour next year, then hopefully take that jump to the next level,” Li told LPGA media.
Li became the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open when she was 11. She won the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship when she was 13 and was low amateur at the ANA Inspiration when she was 14. She was co-medalist at the U.S. Women’s Amateur when she was 15. Li ran into some issues earlier this year after appearing in an Apple Watch advertisement, with the USGA ruling she violated its amateur status rules. Li retained her status with the USGA issuing her a “one-time warning.”
Amateur Albane Valenzuela, a Stanford standout who is No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, also got off to a strong start opening with a 69. She is tied for 17th.
Jill McGill didn’t win an LPGA event in her prime, but she became quite popular for a runner-up finish in 2002.
That’s the year she finished second to Caryn Koch in a Playboy poll asking readers which LPGA player they would most like to see pose nude in its pages.
McGill, winner of the 1993 U.S. Women’s Amateur and ’94 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, got an offer from Playboy to pose but ultimately passed on it.
About that elusive LPGA title, McGill is in the running to win the Senior LPGA Championship with her quick start Monday at French Lick (Ind.) Resort’s Pete Dye Course. She opened with a 6-under 66 to take a four-shot lead on 13-time LPGA winner Rosie Jones and Moira Dunn-Bohls and a five-shot lead on Maria McBride and Audra Burks.
Major champions Juli Inkster and Helen Alfredsson are six shots back, as are Jane Crafter and Trish Johnson.
Defending champion Laura Davies opened with a 74.
McGill, 47, said she doesn’t get to compete a lot anymore, spending her time as a mom and a golf teacher to young children who are just getting into the game. She said she surprised herself with Monday’s play.
“I wanted to throw up all day today,” McGill said. “I have nothing to lose really.
“All the gals are excited to be here at French Lick and the Senior LPGA Championship, and it’s a fun opportunity to go out and see what kind of golf scores we can shoot.”
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