Jamaican shocks rivals to go No.10 on world all-time lists on day two at IAAF World Championships

Tajay Gayle rose to the occasion in spectacular style to win the men’s long jump title with the biggest leap for a decade and the 10th furthest in history.

The 23-year-old is an early contender for biggest surprise winner of the IAAF World Championships in Doha as he improved his best from 8.32m to 8.69m to smash James Beckford’s long-standing Jamaican record by 7cm.

Gayle set his stall out with an 8.46m first round effort but jumped 8.69m (0.5m/sec) in the fourth round as Jeff Henderson, the Olympic champion from the United States, finished runner-up with 8.39m (-0.1m/sec), while Juan Miguel Echevarria of Cuba took bronze with 8.34m (0.1m/sec).

Twenty-four hours earlier the winner only squeezed into the final as the 12th best qualifier with 7.89m. “Yesterday I made some mistakes and I went back to the drawing board,” he said, explaining how he turned things around. “On the runway … I just ran faster!”

It was the best legal long jump mark since four-time world champion Dwight Phillips’ 8.74m in 2009.

Of the many stunning statistics relating to his achievement, which was he most pleased with? “The personal best,” he said simply, before adding after a pause: “And the gold medal.”

Silver medallist Henderson said: “I wasn’t supposed to be here,” as he explained he’d planned to have a quiet year ahead of a more committed Olympic campaign.

Echevarria had led the qualifiers but was in good spirits after the competition despite losing gold. “Even though they beat me they are my colleagues and I’m not mad,” he said through a translator.

“I’m happy that I was able to make it on to the podium,” added Echevarria, who also saw Gayle pass him on the all-time rankings by 1cm.

Close behind in fourth was 2017 champion Luvo Manyonga, who jumped 8.28m (-0.1m/sec) just ahead of fellow South African Ruswahl Samaai, who jumped 8.23m (-0.3m/sec).

Stahl heads discus qualifiers

World No.1 Daniel Stahl led the men’s discus qualifiers with 67.88m and in Monday’s final the giant Swedish thrower will be going for gold after missing out on the title by just 2cm in 2017 to Andrius Gudžius.

Olympic champion Christoph Harting went out, though, as the German finished 14th with 63.08m.

World record-holder Renaud Lavillenie went out in pole vault qualifying at 5.60m but he wasn’t the only big name to exit. Paweł Wojciechowski, the 2011 world champion and reigning European indoor champion, cleared only 5.70, while British hope Harry Coppell wasn’t even able to take a vault after aggravating a hip injury during warm up.

World champion Sam Kendricks, European champion Mondo Duplantis, Olympic champion Thiago Braz and European Team Championships winner Piotr Lisek were among those to clear the automatic qualifying height of 5.70m however.

“It is devastating,” said Coppell. “I was hoping that I could come in and do myself justice and I haven’t done that. I did a couple of jumps in warm up and if I had continued in the competition it would have just been dangerous. I would have come away with worse than what I have now and it just wasn’t worth it. I’ll come back stronger for it.”

Check out the dedicated Doha 2019 section on our website here.

American creates historic and emotional moment for her country at IAAF World Champs in Doha and sends inspirational message to fellow female throwers

DeAnna Price became the first American woman to win a world outdoor throws title after sealing hammer gold with a 77.54m effort. The 26-year-old dropped to her knees at the end of the contest, broke into tears, hugged runner-up Joanna Fiodorow of Poland and draped the US flag around her shoulders.

Price led the world rankings coming into the championships with a North American record of 78.24m, but she says her form dipped drastically earlier in the year to the extent she was even thinking of quitting.

“All my numbers dropped in training,” she said. “I thought ‘do I keep going til Tokyo 2020 or do I retire?’ There was a lot of crying and pain. But myself and my husband (and coach) decided to keep going.”

She is now glad she continued and she hopes her victory will send a message to female throwers that “women can be strong and beautiful”.

Talking openly about her see-sawing weight, Price explained she was an 800m runner who weighed 145lb at school and a talented softball player in Missouri. She ballooned to 275lb and, she remembers, “I was really big and couldn’t move fast”.

But inspired by the Scottish hammer coach Stewart Togher, who deliberately cajoled her with taunts of ‘you’re too fat’, she found herself haunted by his friendly jibes and trimmed to 228lb and her performances improved as she finished ninth at Rio 2016 and eighth in London 2017.

“I did track and field to stay in shape for softball originally,” she remembers. “I got handed a hammer aged 16 and didn’t even know what it was.

“First time I used it I accidentally hit myself on the head with the handle and dropped it and said, ‘I’m never using this again’. But softball was taken out of the Olympics so I thought I’d take this track and field thing a go.”

On her ‘strong and beautiful’ message, she added: “You can have the best of both worlds. I’ve been strong, I’ve been smaller and I’ve been bigger. I’ve had all sides.”

Rarely have three medallists at a global championship shown such friendliness toward each other either. Fiodorow was delighted with her PB of 76.35m, while Zheng Wang of China was also happy with bronze after throwing 74.76m and the trio were all smiles in their press conference.

World hammer champion DeAnna Price says “women can be strong and beautiful”. She is pictured here with runner-up Joanna Fiodorow and bronze medallist Zheng Wang. #IAAFDoha2019 pic.twitter.com/ZkSuwdczyF

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 28, 2019

“Silver and a PB but maybe next time it’s going to be better,” Fiodorow smiled as she threw down a good-natured challenge to Price.

“This is like a family,” said Wang. “The other girls are so friendly and happy. I don’t feel nervous when we compete because the environment is so good.”

The contest for Olympic medals will not be easy, though, as world record-holder Anita Wlodarczyk is expected to return after a knee injury kept her out of this championship. Wlodarczyk is working for television in Doha and Fiodorow said: “I am sure she will come back well next year to defend her Olympic title.”

Young American storms to 100m gold in Doha as Gatlin has to settle for second

Christian Coleman produced a stunning performance to become 100m world champion in Doha but, for the second championships in succession, the fastest man on the planet is a figure who is followed by controversy.

The 23-year-old was a clear and impressive winner of the showpiece final as he clocked a world-leading 9.76 (0.6m/sec) to finish ahead of fellow American and defending champion Justin Gatlin’s 9.98 and the personal best 9.90 of Canadian Andre de Grasse.

European champion Zharnel Hughes, the sole Briton to reach the final, was sixth in 10.03.

Coleman, the world indoor 60m champion, has been a class apart from his competitors in the Qatari capital and was the only man to break 10 seconds on the way to the final (he ran 9.98 in the opening day heat and 9.88 in the semi-final).

Yet ever since the US Anti-Doping Agency charged him with missing three drugs tests within 12 months – a charge since withdrawn – the reputation of the man many had previously seen as the new global star of athletics has undoubtedly been damaged.

“I wanted to come out here and compete to the best of my ability. The road to success is never just going to be straight. You’re going to have ups and downs, bumps and bruises along the way.” Comment from Christian Coleman after his world 100m win in Doha #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/FZ6WrWd7m5

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 28, 2019

Like Gatlin, booed in London due to his doping past when winning world gold two years ago ahead of his successor, Coleman now has to spend most of his time answering questions about matters other than his sprinting prowess.

That is a great pity given how good he is at his day job. Coleman has never run quicker than he did in the Khalifa Stadium, his time puts him sixth on the world all-time list, and he rose to an occasion preceded by an elaborate light show which saw the competitors’ names and faces emblazoned across the track as they were introduced.

South Africa’s Commonwealth champion Akani Simbine reacted fastest to the gun but it was soon clear who would cross the line first as 37-year-old Gatlin, who made it through from the semi-final as a fastest loser, had to settle for second.

“I’ve been blessed with incredible talent and tonight I was able to show it,” said Coleman. “Being able to come and compete here and run in this race is a dream. I have been working incredibly hard and this just makes it all worthwhile.”

Coleman has gone to great lengths to defend himself but, asked if it had been difficult to handle the attention which surrounds him, he added: “I wouldn’t say it’s been difficult, more disheartening. I feel like logic will prevail in these situations.”

Hughes was at a loss to explain why his body did not respond the way he wanted it to, revealing he felt light-headed as the gun sounded.

“It wasn’t the best race unfortunately for me tonight but hey, congratulations to the winners and the medallists and all the best to them,” he said.

“My body wasn’t feeling up for it. When I pushed out, I just wasn’t feeling myself. I was all over the place and I lost my form and I’m not happy with that, but I live to fight another day.”

Britain’s Adam Gemili took to social media to post a picture of him appearing to finish second in his semi-final, but was adjudged to be third in 10.13 and so missed out on the final.

Team-mate Ojie Edoburun, competing at his first world championships, was sixth in his race with 10.22.

Men’s 100m final stats

Christian Coleman      9.76 WL PB               0.128 (reaction time)
Justin Gatlin                9.89                             0.148
Andre De Grasse         9.90 PB                      0.140
Akani Simbine            9.93 SB                        0.117
Yohan Blake                9.97                             0.142
Zharnel Hughes           10.03                           0.119
Filippo Tortu               10.07 SB                      0.158
Aaron Brown               10.08                           0.155

Fraser-Pryce issues a statement of intent

The women’s 100m will be hotly contested and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wasted no time in throwing down the gauntlet to her sprint rivals by winning the opening qualifying heat in 10.80 (-0.2), the fastest time ever recorded at this stage of the competition in the IAAF World Championships.

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith was third-fastest overall in winning heat four with 10.96 (-0.1), while 2017 silver medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou clinched heat two with 10.85 (-0.3).

Olympic champion and world leader Elaine Thompson also eased through to tomorrow’s semi-final stage in winning heat three with 11.14 (-0.4), while two-time 200m world champion Dafne Schippers progressed with 11.17 (-0.3) from heat six.

Britain’s Daryll Neita produced a personal best of 11.12 (-0.3) to come second in heat two and qualify automatically, while her team-mate Imani Lansiquot’s 11.31 (-0.3) was enough to see her get through from heat six, though Asha Philip does not join them following a run of 11.35 (-0.4) in heat three.

“I’ve run a PB and I know I could have gone a lot faster,” said Neita. “It was a good first run out but I’ve got a lot more to come.”

Warholm waltzes into 400m hurdles final 

Defending champion Karsten Warholm was completely untroubled in qualifying fastest for Monday’s 400m hurdles final.

The Norwegian European record-holder eased down as he clocked 48.28 to win the second race, while Brazilian Alison dos Santos ran 48.35 to win the opener and American Rai Benjamin and home favourite Abderrahman Samba both progressed from the third semi-final with times of 48.52 and 48.72 respectively.

Commonwealth champion Kyron McMaster did make it through but his path was not smooth, having to appeal a disqualification after his run of 48.40.

Chris McAlister’s world championships adventure came to an end, though he gave everything he could in clocking a PB of 49.18.

“It was an incredible experience out there,” said the Briton. “Stuck out in lane nine, I had to get out hard and I saw some of the boys really early and I thought ‘I have got to keep going here, I have got to push all the way through’ and I did that, stormed through for a PB which was a great feeling.

“I am so motivated now to get back into winter and keep trying for Tokyo. Lots of hard work to go but we are almost there now.”

Records fall in mixed relay heats

A small slice of athletics history was made with a first IAAF World Championships appearance for the 4x400m mixed relay.

The first qualifying heat of two for tomorrow’s final produced further landmarks, with the USA team winning in a world record of 3:12.42 and the British line-up of Rabah Yousif, Zoey Clark, Emily Diamond and Martyn Rooney finishing fourth but progressing with a European record of 3:12.80.

.@EmilyDiamond11 talks to @euancrumley after the GB team secure a spot in the mixed 4x400m relay final #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/9pexPP1IM1

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 28, 2019

Poland took heat two in 3:15.47, while Jamaica, Bahrain, Brazil, India and Belgium were the other nations to qualify.

“I loved it,” said Diamond of the contest. “I always love relays. I have been part of the relay programme for a fair few years now. I loved taking part and it is another opportunity to represent your country and it was really fun being part of the team today and something a bit different. Hopefully we can go out there again tomorrow and really fight for a medal.”

CONCORD, N.C. – Chase Briscoe will begin his pursuit of a second-straight victory on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL from the pole on Saturday afternoon.

Briscoe, wheeling the No. 98 Ford Mustang, earned the first pole of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career at the same track where he earned his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory one year ago.

The 24-year-old Indiana native circulated the 2.28-mile, 17-turn course in 83.232 seconds for a speed of 100.346 mph to earn the right to lead the field to the green flag during the Drive for the Cure 250.

“This is a really good way to start off trying to go back to back,” said Briscoe, who sits seventh in the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff standings. “The problem is now, we can’t go any further forward, so we have to try to stay up there and protect.

“Last year, our strategy was a bit different with me not being in the playoffs, but now we have the best track position and we’ll try to hold it. I’m really proud of all our guys and if we could win again today, it would be pretty special.”

Tyler Reddick qualified second in his No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, followed by Briscoe’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Cole Custer in fourth. A.J. Allmendinger, making his final start of the season for Kaulig Racing, completed the top-five in qualifying.

Playoff drivers make up the first four starting positions in Saturday’s race.

Canadian Alex Labbe, making his eighth start of the season, qualified an impressive sixth in the No. 90 Chevrolet. Playoff driver Justin Allgaier, Jeremy Clements, playoff driver Justin Haley and Will Rodgers.

Christopher Bell missed one of the chicanes during the last qualifying session and was unable to set a competitive time, forcing him to start 11th.

Noah Gragson advanced to the final round of qualifying, but chose not to turn a lap in the final session because he was in a backup car and would be forced to start the race from the rear regardless of where he qualified.

Drive for the Cure 250 Starting Lineup

1. Chase Briscoe
2. Tyler Reddick
3. Austin Cindric
4. Cole Custer
5. A.J. Allmendinger
6. Alex Labbe
7. Justin Allgaier
8. Jeremy Clements
9. Justin Haley
10. Will Rodgers
11. Christopher Bell
12. Noah Gragson
13. Ryan Truex
14. John Hunter Nemechek
15. Brandon Jones
16. Preston Pardus
17. Gray Gaulding
18. Tommy Joe Martins
19. Lawson Aschenbach
20. Josh Williams
21. Timmy Hill
22. Harrison Burton
23. Michael Annett
24. Ray Black Jr.
25. Ryan Sieg
26. Stephen Leicht
27. Garrett Smithley
28. Josh Bilicki
29. J.J. Yeley
30. Joe Nemechek
31. David Starr
32. Cody Ware
33. Joey Gase
34. B.J. McLeod
35. Brandon Brown
36. Vinnie Miller
37. Chad Finchum
38. Bayley Currey

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship had two more surprise leaders Saturday, with Victor Perez and Matthew Southgate out in front on 20 under par after the third round.

Perez shot an 8-under 64 at Kingsbarns while Southgate returned a 7-under 65 at St. Andrews, leaving them two shots clear of Paul Waring after his 7-under 65 at Carnoustie.

None of those players are in the top 100 of the world rankings, with Southgate as low as No. 300.

The first-round leader, Justin Walters, is ranked No. 444 and the second-round leader, Matthew Jordan, is No. 292.

Every golfer has now played 18 holes at the three Scottish courses. The 60 players to make the cut will return to the Old Course for the final round of the pro-am event on Sunday.

Perez, a Scotland-based Frenchman who is ranked No. 184, has had rounds of 64-68-64 as he goes for a first European Tour victory in his rookie season, having graduated from the Challenge Tour last year.

Southgate is making his 140th appearance on tour and the closest he has come to a win was a share of second place at the Irish Open in 2017.

American golfer Tony Finau, one of the highest-ranked players in the field at No. 14, shot 66 at the Old Course and was tied for fourth on 17 under.

Liverpool extended their record of consecutive Premier League wins to 16 after beating Sheffield United 1-0 at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

Georginio Wijnaldum scored the only goal of the game but it came from a terrible mistake by goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who is on loan from Manchester United.

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Liverpool recorded their first ever Premier League victory at Bramall Lane in four attempts and extended their perfect start to the new campaign.

Wijnaldum admitted afterwards that Jurgen Klopp's side did not play well during the game.

"We didn't start the game well," said Wijnaldum. "In the first half we slowed the game down too much and that's why they could stop us.

"It was not the best game we had but we won. A few years ago we would not have been able to win these games."

The hosts started the game very brightly with Oliver McBurnie forcing Adrian into a save inside the opening five minutes.

Liverpool started to find their way back into the game and after 34 minutes, Virgil van Dijk produced a long ball which Sadio Mane controlled but sliced his shot high and wide.

The Senegal international missed another golden chance just before the break after he hit the post from close range after being put through by Roberto Firmino.

Liverpool dominated posession in the second half but failed to create any clear cut chances.

John Fleck had a glorious chance for the hosts to score but Andrew Robertson produced a great block to keep the scores level.

Liverpool took the lead three minutes later in fortutious fashion when Wijnaldum struck a volley on the edge of the box that went straight through Henderson's legs.

Salah had a fantastic chance to score a second but Henderson made a save with his foot.

Substitute Leon Clarke had a wonderful opportunity to score an equaliser late on but blazed his shot wide from a cross.

Despite the victory, Jurgen Klopp said that he was "frustrated" by his side's performance.

"These games, they are not all beauties and you have to work hard for the results," he said. "I was frustrated, and at half time we spoke about it.

"We started well, but you have to do the same things again and again. It's about body language, it starts with the centre halves, it's the little things."

United States national team star Christian Pulisic called his lack of playing time at Chelsea "very frustrating" but vowed to keep working to break into Frank Lampard's lineup.

Pulisic, 21, was an unused substitute in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday at Stamford Bridge. It is the fourth time in five matches that the ex-Borussia Dortmund player has sat on the bench.

"Yeah, of course, it is very frustrating, but I will continue to work my hardest because I want to play," Pulisic told NBC Sports after the match.

- Pulisic Watch: Match-by-match breakdown of USMNT star

Lampard opted to deploy Mason Mount, Pedro, Ross Barkley and Willian in support of striker Tammy Abraham. Callum Hudson-Odoi came on for Pedro in the 63rd minute and the Chelsea academy product made the most of his time on the field, leading a counterattack to set up Willian for Chelsea's second goal in the 76th minute.

Pulisic played earlier this week in Chelsea's 7-1 win over fourth-tier side Grimsby Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup competition, where he picked up an assist.

When asked if Lampard had given him any pointers on how to break into the regular lineup, the man from Hershey, Pennsylvania, said: "Not so much."

"He said to keep working and I have to improve myself in training and try to get back in the line up," Pulisic added.

Lampard spoke about Pulisic in the run-up to Saturday's match saying that: "He needs time to adapt, but we support him on that ...His time will come.

"A huge part of any manager's job is to sit and work with the players -- younger or older, but with younger players you want to pass on more knowledge and help them.

"Sometimes it is being tough. I try to do that as much as possible."

Pulisic made the move from after three seasons at Dortmund to London this summer following a $73 million deal -- a record for an American player.

"The city is great, I've enjoyed it. It has been good but it has been a change. There are going to be challenges," Pulisic said on his time so far in London. "I knew it was going to be tough coming here. It is never going to be easy. I've got to grind out. I want to be back and be a part of the team and help the team win games.

"I want to play as many minutes as I can, that is really my goal, I want to be on the field... It is tough for me right now. I just have to continue to learn. Like I said, I want to be on the field really bad, I have to continue to work and prove myself to be there."

The BCCI Ethics Officer, Justice (retd.) DK Jain, has served a notice to all three members on the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) led by Kapil Dev, asking them to explain the alleged conflict of interest charge pressed by Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association.

Justice Jain has asked all three CAC members to respond to the charge by October 10 failing which the Ethics Officer would be forced to draw his own conclusion.In his complaint to Justice Jain, Gupta pointed out that all three CAC members have multiple conflicts.

Kapil is part of the steering committee on the newly formed, BCCI-funded Indian Cricketers' Association (ICA). He is also one of its directors. Kapil also works as an expert for Indian television channels. As for Anshuman Gaekwad, it is alleged that in addition to working as a pundit on TV, he is also part of the BCCI's Member Affiliation Committee, which grants membership to state associations. Gaekwad, too, is part of the ICA's steering group, as is the third member, Shantha Rangaswamy, who is also an ICA director.

Gupta had sent his complaint to Justice Jain immediately after the Committee of Administrators (CoA) had appointed former Indian cricketers Kapil, Gaekwad and Rangaswamy as the CAC to shortlist and appoint a head coach for the Indian men's team. The CAC had re-appointed Ravi Shastri in that position till 2021 T20 World Cup.

Gupta had pressed similar charges against the members of the previous CAC - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman - for carrying out multiple roles within the board, when the rules dictate that one person could hold just one position in Indian cricket. During the hearing of the case, Tendulkar submitted that he had decided not to be part of any BCCI committee so Justice Jain let him off. But he did uphold the charges against Ganguly and Laxman.

Even the appointment of th Kapil-led CAC had not been straightforward. It was assembled for the first time late last year to pick the Indian woman's head coach, with former Tamil Nadu captain and India opener WV Raman eventually taking charge.

However, Diana Edulji, former India woman's team captain, who is part of the Committee of Administrators overseeing the BCCI, expressed her dissatisfaction with the entire process and asked the BCCI ombudsman - who happens to be Justice Jain - to intervene. There has been no final verdict on that matter as yet.

Once Gupta had filed conflict charges against Kapil, Gaekwad and Ramaswamy, Edulji told her fellow CoA members - Vinod Rai and Ravindra Thodge - that all three CAC members should first give a written undertaking before proceeding to pick the men's head coach.

Jalen Ramsey, who hasn't been with the Jacksonville Jaguars since Wednesday because of the birth of his second daughter, has rejoined the team and is on the team's flight to Denver, a source confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.

Ramsey is still listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.

In addition to the personal leave, Ramsey, who had been in Nashville for the birth, also is dealing with a lower back issue.

NFL Network was the first to report that Ramsey was on the team plane.

Ramsey has not missed a game since the team drafted him fifth overall in 2016. Coach Doug Marrone is hopeful that the streak continues. If Ramsey does not play, his replacement would be second-year player Tre Herndon, who made the team as an undrafted rookie last season.

It has been an eventful two weeks for Ramsey, who asked the team to trade him after being chastised by Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin after the Jaguars' 13-12 loss at Houston on Sept. 15.

Ramsey played against Tennessee on Sept. 19 but did not practice Monday because of an illness. He also missed Wednesday's practice with a back injury.

ESPN's Michael DiRocco contributed to this report.

The first rule of the Yankees' bullpen is: You check your ego at the door. The second rule of the Yankees' bullpen is: See rule No. 1.

The New York Yankees are known for having one of the powerhouse bullpens in the majors, with names that read like the stuff of hitters' nightmares: Chad Green, Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman.

And now that veteran starters CC Sabathia and J.A. Happ will likely join their ranks ahead of the playoffs, they will experience firsthand the extreme level of focus that it requires to ... put up with Kahnle's antics, not touch Britt's water, stay clear of Chappy Island and make sure your fantasy football trash talk is up to par.

It all starts with the bullpen boss, Mike Harkey, who sets the tone by making sure there's levity in such a pressure-cooker environment.

"We don't have too many rules, but the first rule is whatever Hark says goes. He is the ringleader out there," Green said. "So Hark likes playing jokes on guys like saying you're going to pitch but you don't really pitch. Guys get super nervous! When the phone is about to ring everybody is on edge because you don't really know; as soon as the phone rings your heart drops."

"It's one of the funniest things when they call down and he'll say whoever's name. And I hope he pulls it on CC one time; I really do. I really want to see his reaction," Britton said.

"I've been doing that for over 10 years, I used to even do it to Mo!" Harkey explained. "Especially on a day when Mo was off or he wasn't pitching, the phone would ring and I would say, 'Mo.' And he'd give me that 'No chance' look. I still do it to Kahnle and Chappy sometimes."

Now in his 10th season as the Yankees' bullpen coach, having held the position from 2008-13 before returning in 2016, Harkey has learned to cherish the personal aspect of his role.

"Obviously, because you're not the pitching coach, most of the time you're not in charge of scouting reports and stuff like that. So the biggest job of a bullpen coach is that you need to be more of a motivator, a psychologist," Harkey said. "You're with the guys right up until the very moment they have to go in the game, and frequently it's in high-leverage situations. So to be able to find out what it is that helps them relax or helps them feel more confident when they're going into the game, that's probably the biggest thing."

"To be an elite reliever it takes a lot of confidence and a short memory, and that's the environment we create for them," Harkey added. "It's fun to watch friendships develop and their relationships develop. Since Otto's [Ottavino] come here, since Tommy's come back here, since Britt's [Britton] come here, since Chappy's [Chapman] come back, all these guys are able to be really close and they dig each other and don't take it personal. It's kind of made it for a very light bullpen. That makes it easier for these guys to cheer for each other."

"I know I haven't had many bullpen coaches, but he's the best," Chapman said about Harkey. "He is always happy. He is always laughing and telling jokes. I can't wait for CC to be back there because their laughter together is unreal. I laugh just thinking about it. Harkey's laugh makes the bullpen tremble. And when CC laughs it's three times louder. It's going to be great."

"Everyone getting along and keeping things light and fun are important factors in a good bullpen," Britton added. "It's a long season, so it's not like you agree on everything. We argue like brothers do. But it's feel-good competition. If you have a bad outing, the next day we'll come in there and get on them. And that's good because, first off, when people do that after you have a bad outing, it makes you relax a bit. Not everyone is looking at you, 'Oh, you blew the game.' It keeps a good atmosphere, and with Harkey, his main thing is keeping us loose in there and that goes a long way in keeping us focused."

Ottavino also believes the relaxed dynamic they have created in the bullpen is also a product of a group of mostly veteran guys who truly understand their roles within the team.

"I think just because we're not in a situation where there's much competition amongst us for like roles and stuff like that, and we were brought in for the right reason, which is winning," Ottavino said. "So I don't think we had any of those issues from the jump like a lot of teams do. We definitely root for everybody to do good."

The expectation with the New York Yankees is never to win the American League East. It is never to win the AL. It is to win the World Series. And Harkey has embraced those expectations in a singular way, by fostering a relaxed bullpen environment that breeds success.

"I think that's what probably scares a lot of players and a lot of people from working for this organization, that the expectations are so high," Harkey said. "When the expectations are high you have to find a way to be able to deal, and usually the best way to deal is to make light of them and go with the flow and remember that the game doesn't change, whether you play for a small-market team or for the New York Yankees."

KEEP UP WITH YOUR TRASH TALK

During the football season almost every member of the bullpen, except Chapman, runs a fantasy football team. That's where the relievers let loose with their trash talk, and the bulk of it is directed toward Kahnle and his two favorite football teams: the Philadelphia Eagles and Notre Dame's Fighting Irish.

"Everybody's always got something to say to Tommy," Green said. "He always leads the conversation. He knows all the stats; he knows everything. The first three innings are kind of quiet, but then Kahnle gets there in the fourth ..."

"No one is immune to the trash talk; no one is immune," Britton added. "But Kahnle, he loves to criticize everyone's team. Then as soon as you criticize his team he gets all defensive. He's so sensitive when it comes to the fantasy football stuff."

"I hope both [the Eagles and the Fighting Irish] lose every time they're playing. But if they're playing while we're playing, I actually root for them to win because I don't want to see Kahnle melt down," joked Ottavino.

"I am just the one that is easy to pick on," Kahnle explained. "I do have the more energetic personality, so it's easy to target me!"

SO WHAT'S UP WITH KAHNLE?

Once Kahnle arrives in the fourth ...

"It gets animated," Green said. "The first three innings sometimes there's not a word said. We just sit back and relax. Majority of the time the first three innings we're watching the game and just kind of hanging out. Then three or four guys come down, and they always got something to say, especially Kahnle."

"It's just random screams," Harkey said of Kahnle. "We leave the Eagles at the door, which is probably the best thing. He's just such an easy target. Notre Dame football, North Carolina basketball, Orlando Magic basketball, the Philadelphia Eagles. ... He is the most diverse sports fanatic I have ever seen, and I never met a person who takes it that seriously! ... Well, I have ... in the stands when they're screaming at us!"

VERY SUPERSTITIOUS

When Britton was the closer for the Baltimore Orioles, he started removing the label on the water bottle he took to the bullpen, in order to identify it. Former teammate Darren O'Day started telling the staff in the bullpen that Britton hated to have the label on his water, it became a running joke and Britton has kept it up as part of his routine.

But "Britt," as his teammates call him, doesn't consider himself to be superstitious. "I'm superstitious about not being superstitious," Britton said.

"I try to be the same way, being superstitious about not being superstitious," Ottavino said. "But this year I've been leaning more into superstition with the color of my Gatorade. I like them all. So if I pitch and I am drinking the purple one for a while, and it's working, I'll keep going. And then if I give up a run I switch to red. But no one is really that superstitious."

"No one is really superstitious," Green said. "If we give up a few runs we're not changing seats or banning certain items or stuff like that. But Britt never wants the wrap around his water. He just doesn't like the label."

And of course, Britton had to get one more dig on Kahnle.

"He says he's not superstitious, but Tommy Kahnle has a weird one where he throws water all over his face when he is on the mound. We're like, what the heck is that? Every time he does that, as usual, we're just like what is he doing?" he said.

CHAPPY ISLAND

"No man is an island, except Aroldis Chapman." -- Anonymous

Chapman has no interest in football, so he doesn't partake in the fantasy discussions. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't enjoy interacting with the rest of the guys ... from afar.

"I don't talk much, unless they talk to me. I'm in my corner, always focused, watching the game. But I do like to listen to what they say, and it cracks me up," Chapman said. "And it's mostly Kahnle, all the time, with football and fantasy. He's like a madman. I love it."

"Chappy's got too much stuff going on. Shopping. Fashion. We'll never get Chappy into fantasy football," Harkey said. "But you know, he's got the language barrier, but he understands almost everything we talk about."

"With Chappy, he doesn't have anything to worry about because he's got it all," Ottavino said.