Armadillo Sports
Thursday’s 6-pack:
Last six head coaches for the New Jersey Jets:
2001-05— Herm Edwards, 41-44 (2-3 playoffs)
2006-08— Eric Mangini, 23-26 (0-1)
2009-14— Rex Ryan, 50-52 (4-2)
2015-18— Todd Bowles, 24-40
2019-20— Adam Gase, 9-23
2021-present— Robert Saleh, 18-33
Quote of the Day
“Sports is a business of failure but the fact that you finish second or third or fourth it doesn’t mean you had a bad year.”
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said that last year; his team is 15-42 this year.
Thursday’s quiz
In the history of the Chicago White Sox, who has hit the most home runs?
Wednesday’s quiz
Brewers started playing in Milwaukee in 1970, but the year before that, they were an expansion team playing in another city; in 1969, they were the Seattle Pilots.
Tuesday’s quiz
When Bill Walton played at UCLA, they lost one NCAA tournament game; to NC State in overtime, in the national semi-finals in 1974.
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Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud……..
— If you coach your kids in youth basketball, show them that a regulation basketball hoop is exactly two basketballs wide. Kids usually don’t believe that until you show them, but it does make shooting easier when you realize the hoop is bigger than it looks.
— Dodgers 10, Mets 3
In their last seven games, Mets have been outscored 27-8 from the 7th inning on.
Mets are 11-19 at home; they’re 10-25 in their last 35 games overall.
Mets are retiring Darryl Strawberry’s #18 Saturday, when they host Arizona.
Dodgers took P James Paxton out after three IP (50 PT); they said later it was planned, since it was Paxton’s first start on four days’ rest, but they never announced that beforehand.
— Mariners 2, Astros 1 (10)
Seattle has now won four games in a row.
Astros are 10-17 on the road- they need a 1B who can hit.
— Blue Jays 3, White Sox 1
Chicago went 61-101 last year, with a payroll of $181.2M
White Sox are 15-42 this year, with a payroll of $129.1M.
— Rangers 6, Diamondbacks 1
Corey Seager has eight home runs in his last eight games.
Marcus Semien took this game off, ending his streak at 349 consecutive starts.
— Brewers 10, Cubs 6
Shota Imanaga had his worst start in this country, giving up seven runs in 4.1 IP.
Milwaukee leads the NL Central by 4.5 games.
— Royals 6, Twins 1
Seth Lugo pitched 6 innings for the win; he is 9-1, 1.72 this season.
Why don’t the Twins have a domed stadium? The weather is cruddy in Minnesota; they have a dome in Milwaukee, you’d think the Twins would, too.
Famous birthdays, May 30th:
Ruta Lee, 89
Wynonna Judd, 60
Billy Donovan, 59
Manny Ramirez, 52
CeeLo Green, 49
Zach Wheeler, 34
Harrison Barnes, 32
— Bronny James apparently turned down a chance to work out for eight NBA teams, accepted workouts with the Lakers, his dad’s team, and the Phoenix Suns. Bronny James started only six of USC’s 33 games as a freshman last season.
— LA Clippers are going to be paying coach Tyrone Lue $14M a year going forward; Lue is 197-151 in his four years as the Clippers coach, but is only 13-17 in playoff games.
— New Jersey Jets are -150 to make the playoffs this fall; they haven’t made the playoffs since 2010, have a QB coming off an achilles injury.
— Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna has now played only 409 games the last four years, tearing up both his knees. Acuna is on the books for $17M a year thru 2028.
— Cleveland Guardians are 12-4 in games where the winning run scored from the 7th inning on.
— San Diego Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada recently struck out 13 consecutive batters over a three-game stretch, which is the longest such streak since at least 1961.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Braves, Giants, Padres
AL: New York, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: Orioles, Royals, Twins
Thursday’s 6-pack:
Last six head coaches for the New Jersey Jets:
2001-05— Herm Edwards, 41-44 (2-3 playoffs)
2006-08— Eric Mangini, 23-26 (0-1)
2009-14— Rex Ryan, 50-52 (4-2)
2015-18— Todd Bowles, 24-40
2019-20— Adam Gase, 9-23
2021-present— Robert Saleh, 18-33
Quote of the Day
“Sports is a business of failure but the fact that you finish second or third or fourth it doesn’t mean you had a bad year.”
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said that last year; his team is 15-42 this year.
Thursday’s quiz
In the history of the Chicago White Sox, who has hit the most home runs?
Wednesday’s quiz
Brewers started playing in Milwaukee in 1970, but the year before that, they were an expansion team playing in another city; in 1969, they were the Seattle Pilots.
Tuesday’s quiz
When Bill Walton played at UCLA, they lost one NCAA tournament game; to NC State in overtime, in the national semi-finals in 1974.
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Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud……..
— If you coach your kids in youth basketball, show them that a regulation basketball hoop is exactly two basketballs wide. Kids usually don’t believe that until you show them, but it does make shooting easier when you realize the hoop is bigger than it looks.
— Dodgers 10, Mets 3
In their last seven games, Mets have been outscored 27-8 from the 7th inning on.
Mets are 11-19 at home; they’re 10-25 in their last 35 games overall.
Mets are retiring Darryl Strawberry’s #18 Saturday, when they host Arizona.
Dodgers took P James Paxton out after three IP (50 PT); they said later it was planned, since it was Paxton’s first start on four days’ rest, but they never announced that beforehand.
— Mariners 2, Astros 1 (10)
Seattle has now won four games in a row.
Astros are 10-17 on the road- they need a 1B who can hit.
— Blue Jays 3, White Sox 1
Chicago went 61-101 last year, with a payroll of $181.2M
White Sox are 15-42 this year, with a payroll of $129.1M.
— Rangers 6, Diamondbacks 1
Corey Seager has eight home runs in his last eight games.
Marcus Semien took this game off, ending his streak at 349 consecutive starts.
— Brewers 10, Cubs 6
Shota Imanaga had his worst start in this country, giving up seven runs in 4.1 IP.
Milwaukee leads the NL Central by 4.5 games.
— Royals 6, Twins 1
Seth Lugo pitched 6 innings for the win; he is 9-1, 1.72 this season.
Why don’t the Twins have a domed stadium? The weather is cruddy in Minnesota; they have a dome in Milwaukee, you’d think the Twins would, too.
Famous birthdays, May 30th:
Ruta Lee, 89
Wynonna Judd, 60
Billy Donovan, 59
Manny Ramirez, 52
CeeLo Green, 49
Zach Wheeler, 34
Harrison Barnes, 32
— Bronny James apparently turned down a chance to work out for eight NBA teams, accepted workouts with the Lakers, his dad’s team, and the Phoenix Suns. Bronny James started only six of USC’s 33 games as a freshman last season.
— LA Clippers are going to be paying coach Tyrone Lue $14M a year going forward; Lue is 197-151 in his four years as the Clippers coach, but is only 13-17 in playoff games.
— New Jersey Jets are -150 to make the playoffs this fall; they haven’t made the playoffs since 2010, have a QB coming off an achilles injury.
— Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna has now played only 409 games the last four years, tearing up both his knees. Acuna is on the books for $17M a year thru 2028.
— Cleveland Guardians are 12-4 in games where the winning run scored from the 7th inning on.
— San Diego Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada recently struck out 13 consecutive batters over a three-game stretch, which is the longest such streak since at least 1961.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Braves, Giants, Padres
AL: New York, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: Orioles, Royals, Twins
WNBA
Dunkel
Thursday, May 30
WNBA
Thursday, May 30
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Trend Report
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Seattle @ Indiana
Seattle
Seattle is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Indiana
Seattle is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 11 games when playing Seattle
Los Angeles @ Chicago
Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
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Dunkel
Thursday, May 30
WNBA
Thursday, May 30
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Trend Report
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Seattle @ Indiana
Seattle
Seattle is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Indiana
Seattle is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 11 games when playing Seattle
Los Angeles @ Chicago
Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
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Friday’s 6-pack:
— Dallas 124, Minnesota 103— Mavericks advance to NBA Finals.
— Mets 3, Arizona 2- Arizona P Gallen left after 6 pitches (hamstring)
— Tigers 5, Red Sox 0- Flaherty allowed one hit over 6.1 IP.
— Nationals 3, Braves 1- Washington is 9-2 in Trevor Williams’ starts.
— Astros 4, Mariners 0- Rookie Arrighetti tossed 6.2 scoreless IP.
— Brewers 6, Cubs 4- Gary Sanchez hit a 2-run HR in 8th inning.
Quote of the Day
“There are times in the job when you’re a bully and times you need to be a statesman. I try not to be a bully, really, but that day was enormously frustrating. It was for several reasons. I, as a commissioner, can go invite Oklahoma and Texas to join. I can sign media deals … but I can’t decide who’s on the women’s golf team.”
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey
Friday’s quiz
Who was the Dallas Mavericks’ coach when they won their only NBA title, in 2011?
Thursday’s quiz
In the history of the Chicago White Sox, Frank Thomas has hit the most home runs.
Wednesday’s quiz
Brewers started playing in Milwaukee in 1970, but the year before that, they were an expansion team playing in another city; in 1969, they were the Seattle Pilots.
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— Arizona was 28-21 LY vs lefty starting pitchers; they’re 6-14 this year.
Merrill Kelly hasn’t pitched since April 15; Zac Gallen left Thursday’s start with an injury, after throwing only 6 pitches.
— Braves are 5-10 in their last 15 games.
Atlanta is 11-5 vs AL teams, 20-18 vs NL teams.
— Cubs lost seven of their last eight games.
Cubs are 8-2 in Imanaga’s starts, 20-27 with anyone else starting.
— Since April 26, Reds are 0-10 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.
Cincinnati won five of its last six series openers.
— Rockies won eight of their last ten home games.
Over is 10-4 in Colorado’s last fourteen games.
— Dodgers are 8-2 when James Paxton starts.
Under is 12-5 in their last 17 road games.
— Marlins are 2-18 against lefty starting pitchers, 18-19 vs righties.
Over is 12-3 in their last 15 home games.
Under is 7-1 in their last eight road tilts.
— Brewers are 10-3 in their last 13 home games.
Rookie P Gasser is 2-0, 2.35 in his first four MLB starts.
— Mets are 7-17 in their last 24 games.
Last year, Mets had a $346M payroll, they went 75-87.
This year, Mets have a $323M payroll, they’re 23-33.
— Phillies won 18 of their last 20 home games.
Phillies are 10-1 when Ranger Suarez pitches, 7-0 at home.
— Pittsburgh are 16-9 when Keller, Falter, Skenes start.
Over is 10-1 in Pirates’ last eleven home games.
— St Louis won 12 of its last 15 games.
Cardinals are 9-15 in day games, 18-12 in night games.
— Padres are 11-4 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.
San Diego is 13-19 at home, 17-10 on road.
— Giants won 10 of their last 13 games.
San Francisco is 16-9 in day games, 13-19 in night games.
— Nationals won seven of last eight series openers.
Washington is 9-2 when Trevor Williams pitches.
Famous birthdays, May 31st:
Clint Eastwood, 94
Joe Namath, 81
Tom Berenger, 75
Chris Elliott, 64
Lea Thompson, 63
Kenny Lofton, 57
Dave Roberts, 52
Jake Peavy, 43
Nate Robinson, 40
Shane Bieber, 29
— Orioles are 6-1 in their last seven games.
Baltimore is 13-4 vs lefty starters.
— Red Sox lost six of their last eight home games.
Nick Pivetta struck out eight straight Tigers in Thursday’s game.
— White Sox lost 12 of their last 13 games.
Chicago scored total of eight runs in their last five games.
— Guardians are 16-3 in their last 19 home games.
Cleveland is 10-4 vs lefty starting pitchers, 27-15 vs righties.
— Tigers are 13-9 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.
Over is 10-3 in their last 13 games.
— Astros’ last six games stayed under the total.
Houston is 6-12 against lefty starting pitchers, 19-20 vs righty starters.
— Royals are off to a 35-23 start; their last winning season was 2015, when they won the World Series.
Kansas City is 21-8 at home, 14-15 on road.
— Angels are 7-21 at home, 14-14 on foreign soil.
Over is 14-7 in their last 21 home games.
— Twins won seven of their last nine games.
Under is 8-2 in their last ten home games.
— New York won 20 of its last 26 games.
NY scored in first inning in nine of its last 15 games.
— A’s lost 10 of their last 11 road games.
Over is 8-4 in their last 12 home games.
— Mariners are 8-1 in home series openers, 3-6 in road series openers.
Seattle is 14-5 in its last 19 home games, overall.
— Rays are 8-5 vs lefty starters, 20-24 vs righty starters.
Tampa Bay is 3-8 in home series openers.
— Texas lost eight of its last nine road games.
Under is 18-5 in Rangers’ last 23 home games.
— Toronto is 7-4 in its last eleven games.
Blue Jays are 3-7 vs lefty starters; LY, they were 20-15.
— Dallas 124, Minnesota 103— Mavericks advance to NBA Finals.
— Mets 3, Arizona 2- Arizona P Gallen left after 6 pitches (hamstring)
— Tigers 5, Red Sox 0- Flaherty allowed one hit over 6.1 IP.
— Nationals 3, Braves 1- Washington is 9-2 in Trevor Williams’ starts.
— Astros 4, Mariners 0- Rookie Arrighetti tossed 6.2 scoreless IP.
— Brewers 6, Cubs 4- Gary Sanchez hit a 2-run HR in 8th inning.
Quote of the Day
“There are times in the job when you’re a bully and times you need to be a statesman. I try not to be a bully, really, but that day was enormously frustrating. It was for several reasons. I, as a commissioner, can go invite Oklahoma and Texas to join. I can sign media deals … but I can’t decide who’s on the women’s golf team.”
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey
Friday’s quiz
Who was the Dallas Mavericks’ coach when they won their only NBA title, in 2011?
Thursday’s quiz
In the history of the Chicago White Sox, Frank Thomas has hit the most home runs.
Wednesday’s quiz
Brewers started playing in Milwaukee in 1970, but the year before that, they were an expansion team playing in another city; in 1969, they were the Seattle Pilots.
***************************************
Friday’s Den: Trends for all 30 MLB teams…….
Trends for all 30 MLB teams…….— Arizona was 28-21 LY vs lefty starting pitchers; they’re 6-14 this year.
Merrill Kelly hasn’t pitched since April 15; Zac Gallen left Thursday’s start with an injury, after throwing only 6 pitches.
— Braves are 5-10 in their last 15 games.
Atlanta is 11-5 vs AL teams, 20-18 vs NL teams.
— Cubs lost seven of their last eight games.
Cubs are 8-2 in Imanaga’s starts, 20-27 with anyone else starting.
— Since April 26, Reds are 0-10 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.
Cincinnati won five of its last six series openers.
— Rockies won eight of their last ten home games.
Over is 10-4 in Colorado’s last fourteen games.
— Dodgers are 8-2 when James Paxton starts.
Under is 12-5 in their last 17 road games.
— Marlins are 2-18 against lefty starting pitchers, 18-19 vs righties.
Over is 12-3 in their last 15 home games.
Under is 7-1 in their last eight road tilts.
— Brewers are 10-3 in their last 13 home games.
Rookie P Gasser is 2-0, 2.35 in his first four MLB starts.
— Mets are 7-17 in their last 24 games.
Last year, Mets had a $346M payroll, they went 75-87.
This year, Mets have a $323M payroll, they’re 23-33.
— Phillies won 18 of their last 20 home games.
Phillies are 10-1 when Ranger Suarez pitches, 7-0 at home.
— Pittsburgh are 16-9 when Keller, Falter, Skenes start.
Over is 10-1 in Pirates’ last eleven home games.
— St Louis won 12 of its last 15 games.
Cardinals are 9-15 in day games, 18-12 in night games.
— Padres are 11-4 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.
San Diego is 13-19 at home, 17-10 on road.
— Giants won 10 of their last 13 games.
San Francisco is 16-9 in day games, 13-19 in night games.
— Nationals won seven of last eight series openers.
Washington is 9-2 when Trevor Williams pitches.
Famous birthdays, May 31st:
Clint Eastwood, 94
Joe Namath, 81
Tom Berenger, 75
Chris Elliott, 64
Lea Thompson, 63
Kenny Lofton, 57
Dave Roberts, 52
Jake Peavy, 43
Nate Robinson, 40
Shane Bieber, 29
— Orioles are 6-1 in their last seven games.
Baltimore is 13-4 vs lefty starters.
— Red Sox lost six of their last eight home games.
Nick Pivetta struck out eight straight Tigers in Thursday’s game.
— White Sox lost 12 of their last 13 games.
Chicago scored total of eight runs in their last five games.
— Guardians are 16-3 in their last 19 home games.
Cleveland is 10-4 vs lefty starting pitchers, 27-15 vs righties.
— Tigers are 13-9 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.
Over is 10-3 in their last 13 games.
— Astros’ last six games stayed under the total.
Houston is 6-12 against lefty starting pitchers, 19-20 vs righty starters.
— Royals are off to a 35-23 start; their last winning season was 2015, when they won the World Series.
Kansas City is 21-8 at home, 14-15 on road.
— Angels are 7-21 at home, 14-14 on foreign soil.
Over is 14-7 in their last 21 home games.
— Twins won seven of their last nine games.
Under is 8-2 in their last ten home games.
— New York won 20 of its last 26 games.
NY scored in first inning in nine of its last 15 games.
— A’s lost 10 of their last 11 road games.
Over is 8-4 in their last 12 home games.
— Mariners are 8-1 in home series openers, 3-6 in road series openers.
Seattle is 14-5 in its last 19 home games, overall.
— Rays are 8-5 vs lefty starters, 20-24 vs righty starters.
Tampa Bay is 3-8 in home series openers.
— Texas lost eight of its last nine road games.
Under is 18-5 in Rangers’ last 23 home games.
— Toronto is 7-4 in its last eleven games.
Blue Jays are 3-7 vs lefty starters; LY, they were 20-15.
WNBA
Friday, May 31
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Trend Report
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Las Vegas @ Atlanta
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Las Vegas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Las Vegas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games
Dallas @ Connecticut
Dallas
Dallas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Dallas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Connecticut
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Connecticut's last 5 games
Washington @ New York
Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing New York
Washington is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing New York
New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games when playing Washington
New York is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Phoenix @ Minnesota
Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota
Minnesota is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix
Minnesota is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix
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Friday, May 31
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Trend Report
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Las Vegas @ Atlanta
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Las Vegas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Las Vegas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games
Dallas @ Connecticut
Dallas
Dallas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Dallas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Connecticut
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Connecticut's last 5 games
Washington @ New York
Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing New York
Washington is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing New York
New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games when playing Washington
New York is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Phoenix @ Minnesota
Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota
Minnesota is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix
Minnesota is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix
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Armadillo Sports
Saturday’s 6-pack:
— Padres 11, Royals 8- Game was 0-0 after 5 innings; KC led 3-2 after seven.
— Phillies 4, Cardinals 2- Philly has won seven in a row at home.
— Blue Jays 5, Pirates 3 (14)- Longest game in majors this season.
— Guardians 7, Nationals 1- Cleveland has won eight in a row at home.
— Brewers 12, White Sox 5- Chicago led 5-4 in the 7th inning.
— Reds 5, Cubs 4- Chicago lost eight of its last nine games.
Quote of the Day
“When it boils down to it, I wanted the sunshine a bit longer. I like what we’ve built here starting with ownership, the head coach, the GM on down. We have a great group of guys in the locker room and I want to reap the rewards with them a little bit longer.”
Detroit Lions’ OC Ben Johnson, on why he stayed with the Lions
Saturday’s quiz
Darryl Strawberry played 17 years in the majors, for four teams; the two New York teams, and what other two teams?
Friday’s quiz
Rick Carlisle was the Dallas Mavericks’ coach when they won their only NBA title, in 2011.
Thursday’s quiz
In the history of the Chicago White Sox, Frank Thomas has hit the most home runs.
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Saturday’s Den: Some college football QB’s who transferred this year……
This is a listing of QB’s who transferred this season; it is NOT a ranking; players are listed alphabetically by their new school’s name.
— Dequan Finn, Baylor- A 3-year starter at Toledo, was MAC Player of the Year LY, throwing for 2,657 yards, 22 TD’s. Also ran for 563 yards, 7 TD’s.
— Maalik Murphy, Duke- A former 5-star recruit, Murphy started twice for Texas LY, but threw only 71 passes all season. Former starter Riley Leonard bolted to Notre Dame.
— DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State- Threw for 2,638 yards and 21 TD’s for Oregon State LY, after starting for two years at Clemson before that. FSU has only 10 starters back, but they added 14 transfers. Uiagalelei needs to be a more accurate passer.
— Cade McNamara, Iowa- Hawkeyes ranked 129th in scoring last year, 127th in passing yardage; fair to say they had the worst offense in the country, but they went 10-4, despite losing their last two games, 26-0/35-0. McNamara was QB for a 12-2 Michigan team in 2021; he had a torn ACL last year. Iowa brought in a new offensive coordinator to try to score some points.
— Tyler Shough, Louisville- Texas Tech transfer threw for 177 yards in Louisville’s spring game; Cardinals coach Brohm is an excellent offensive coach, but Louisville has only two starters back on the offensive line.
— Cam Ward, Miami- Started out at I-AA Incarnate Word, then bolted to Washington State; he threw for 6,963 yards, 48 TD’s in two years at Wazzu. Miami was 1-4 last year in games decided by 7 or fewer points last year. Ward was brought in to reverse that trend.
— Max Johnson, North Carolina- Started 22 games at LSU/Texas A&M; his dad is former NFL QB Brad Johnson, his uncle is Mark Richt, the former Miami coach. Tar Heels started last year 6-0, but then the defense imploded and they finished 8-5.
Famous birthdays, June 1st:
Morgan Freeman, 87
Brian Cox, 78
Tony Bennett, 55
Teri Polo, 55
Paula Malcomson, 54
Alanis Morrissette, 50
Brandi Carlile, 43
Nick Young, 39
Andrew Abbott, 25
— Grayson McCall, NC State- 3-time Sun Belt Player of the Year at Coastal Carolina, where he threw for over 10,000 yards. Wolfpack has September games against Tennessee/Clemson, so McCall better mesh with his new teammates fairly quickly.
— Riley Leonard, Notre Dame- This is what Notre Dame does now, they just poach QB’s; last year it was Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman (they went 10-3), now it is Leonard, who led Duke to 9-4/8-5 records the last two years. Notre Dame added three transfer WR’s, figures to have a more wide-open offense this season,
— Will Howard, Ohio State- Was a 4-year starter at Kansas State (Wildcats were 31-19 during that time); he is more of a run/pass guy than a deep passer, will be interesting to see how he does under Buckeyes’ new OC, former Oregon/UCLA/Eagles coach Chip Kelly.
Ohio State lost to Michigan the last three years; there is heat on the head coach.
— Alex Bowman, Oklahoma State- Is going into his 7th college season (even I got out of college faster than that); he threw for 3,460 yards LY, with only 15 TD’s, 14 INT’s (RB Gordon ran for 21 TD’s). Cowboys’ entire offensive line returns, so their offense should be stellar.
— Dillon Gabriel, Oregon- Started for two years at UCF, two more years at Oklahoma, now plays for an Oregon team that scored 44.2 points/game LY, with Bo Nix at QB.
Ducks are in the Big 18 now (there are 18 freakin’ teams in this league); November visits to Michigan, Wisconsin will test Gabriel’s skill in cold weather.
— EJ Warner, Rice- Son of Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner, EJ threw for 3,076 yards last year for a 3-9 Temple squad; he is still an Owl, but a Rice Owl now. Warner led the AAC in passing yards the last two years; he figures to help Rice improve on last year’s minus-14 turnover ratio.
Rice went bowling the last two years, which hasn’t happened a lot for them; they’ve got an experienced team, actually have some expectations this year.
— Will Rogers, Washington- Rogers started for four years at Mississippi State, where he played for the late Mike Leach, but things imploded in Starkville LY, after Leach’s untimely death. He ranks #2 in passing yards in the history of the SEC.
Huskies lost all 11 starters on offense after their head coach bolted to Alabama; they’ve got only one starter back on defense, but new coach Jedd Fisch rebuilt Arizona’s program fairly quickly
This is what college sports are becoming; the rich poaching from the not-so-rich. Not an ideal situation, but it is what it is……..
Saturday’s 6-pack:
— Padres 11, Royals 8- Game was 0-0 after 5 innings; KC led 3-2 after seven.
— Phillies 4, Cardinals 2- Philly has won seven in a row at home.
— Blue Jays 5, Pirates 3 (14)- Longest game in majors this season.
— Guardians 7, Nationals 1- Cleveland has won eight in a row at home.
— Brewers 12, White Sox 5- Chicago led 5-4 in the 7th inning.
— Reds 5, Cubs 4- Chicago lost eight of its last nine games.
Quote of the Day
“When it boils down to it, I wanted the sunshine a bit longer. I like what we’ve built here starting with ownership, the head coach, the GM on down. We have a great group of guys in the locker room and I want to reap the rewards with them a little bit longer.”
Detroit Lions’ OC Ben Johnson, on why he stayed with the Lions
Saturday’s quiz
Darryl Strawberry played 17 years in the majors, for four teams; the two New York teams, and what other two teams?
Friday’s quiz
Rick Carlisle was the Dallas Mavericks’ coach when they won their only NBA title, in 2011.
Thursday’s quiz
In the history of the Chicago White Sox, Frank Thomas has hit the most home runs.
*************************************************
Saturday’s Den: Some college football QB’s who transferred this year……
This is a listing of QB’s who transferred this season; it is NOT a ranking; players are listed alphabetically by their new school’s name.
— Dequan Finn, Baylor- A 3-year starter at Toledo, was MAC Player of the Year LY, throwing for 2,657 yards, 22 TD’s. Also ran for 563 yards, 7 TD’s.
— Maalik Murphy, Duke- A former 5-star recruit, Murphy started twice for Texas LY, but threw only 71 passes all season. Former starter Riley Leonard bolted to Notre Dame.
— DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State- Threw for 2,638 yards and 21 TD’s for Oregon State LY, after starting for two years at Clemson before that. FSU has only 10 starters back, but they added 14 transfers. Uiagalelei needs to be a more accurate passer.
— Cade McNamara, Iowa- Hawkeyes ranked 129th in scoring last year, 127th in passing yardage; fair to say they had the worst offense in the country, but they went 10-4, despite losing their last two games, 26-0/35-0. McNamara was QB for a 12-2 Michigan team in 2021; he had a torn ACL last year. Iowa brought in a new offensive coordinator to try to score some points.
— Tyler Shough, Louisville- Texas Tech transfer threw for 177 yards in Louisville’s spring game; Cardinals coach Brohm is an excellent offensive coach, but Louisville has only two starters back on the offensive line.
— Cam Ward, Miami- Started out at I-AA Incarnate Word, then bolted to Washington State; he threw for 6,963 yards, 48 TD’s in two years at Wazzu. Miami was 1-4 last year in games decided by 7 or fewer points last year. Ward was brought in to reverse that trend.
— Max Johnson, North Carolina- Started 22 games at LSU/Texas A&M; his dad is former NFL QB Brad Johnson, his uncle is Mark Richt, the former Miami coach. Tar Heels started last year 6-0, but then the defense imploded and they finished 8-5.
Famous birthdays, June 1st:
Morgan Freeman, 87
Brian Cox, 78
Tony Bennett, 55
Teri Polo, 55
Paula Malcomson, 54
Alanis Morrissette, 50
Brandi Carlile, 43
Nick Young, 39
Andrew Abbott, 25
— Grayson McCall, NC State- 3-time Sun Belt Player of the Year at Coastal Carolina, where he threw for over 10,000 yards. Wolfpack has September games against Tennessee/Clemson, so McCall better mesh with his new teammates fairly quickly.
— Riley Leonard, Notre Dame- This is what Notre Dame does now, they just poach QB’s; last year it was Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman (they went 10-3), now it is Leonard, who led Duke to 9-4/8-5 records the last two years. Notre Dame added three transfer WR’s, figures to have a more wide-open offense this season,
— Will Howard, Ohio State- Was a 4-year starter at Kansas State (Wildcats were 31-19 during that time); he is more of a run/pass guy than a deep passer, will be interesting to see how he does under Buckeyes’ new OC, former Oregon/UCLA/Eagles coach Chip Kelly.
Ohio State lost to Michigan the last three years; there is heat on the head coach.
— Alex Bowman, Oklahoma State- Is going into his 7th college season (even I got out of college faster than that); he threw for 3,460 yards LY, with only 15 TD’s, 14 INT’s (RB Gordon ran for 21 TD’s). Cowboys’ entire offensive line returns, so their offense should be stellar.
— Dillon Gabriel, Oregon- Started for two years at UCF, two more years at Oklahoma, now plays for an Oregon team that scored 44.2 points/game LY, with Bo Nix at QB.
Ducks are in the Big 18 now (there are 18 freakin’ teams in this league); November visits to Michigan, Wisconsin will test Gabriel’s skill in cold weather.
— EJ Warner, Rice- Son of Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner, EJ threw for 3,076 yards last year for a 3-9 Temple squad; he is still an Owl, but a Rice Owl now. Warner led the AAC in passing yards the last two years; he figures to help Rice improve on last year’s minus-14 turnover ratio.
Rice went bowling the last two years, which hasn’t happened a lot for them; they’ve got an experienced team, actually have some expectations this year.
— Will Rogers, Washington- Rogers started for four years at Mississippi State, where he played for the late Mike Leach, but things imploded in Starkville LY, after Leach’s untimely death. He ranks #2 in passing yards in the history of the SEC.
Huskies lost all 11 starters on offense after their head coach bolted to Alabama; they’ve got only one starter back on defense, but new coach Jedd Fisch rebuilt Arizona’s program fairly quickly
This is what college sports are becoming; the rich poaching from the not-so-rich. Not an ideal situation, but it is what it is……..
WNBA
Saturday, June 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago @ Indiana
Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, June 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago @ Indiana
Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armadillo Sports
Sunday’s 6-pack:
Most home runs in New York Mets’ history:
262— Darryl Strawberry
242— David Wright
220— Mike Piazza
204— Pete Alonso
192— Howard Johnson
154— Dave Kingman
Quote of the Day
“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.”
George McDonald
Sunday’s quiz
When was last time an Eastern Conference team won the NBA title?
Saturday’s quiz
Darryl Strawberry played 17 years in the majors, for four teams; the two New York teams, and the Giants/Dodgers.
Friday’s quiz
Rick Carlisle was the Dallas Mavericks’ coach when they won their only NBA title, in 2011.
******************************************************
Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…….
— Chicago Bears will be on this summer’s version of HBO’s Hard Knocks, which should be very interesting, seeing how they have a rookie QB and all. Bears are 16-35 the last three years, have not had a winning season since 2018.
— Last year, Notre Dame poached QB Sam Hartman from Wake Forest, after he started for the Deacons for four years; he probably made a lot of $$$ making the move, but a disturbing lack of loyalty. Wake Forest is in the ACC after all, but then after a 9-3 regular season, Hartman sat out Notre Dame’s bowl game, so he could prepare for the NFL Draft.
Oy.
Problem is, Hartman never got drafted; he will be in the Washington Commanders’ camp as an undrafted free agent. Too bad the Commanders aren’t on Hard Knocks.
— Miami Dolphins inked WR Jaylen Waddle to a 3-year deal worth $84.75M, with $76M of that money guaranteed. He is now the 4th highest-paid WR in the league.
Last year, Waddle caught 72 passes for 1,014 yards, and 4 TD’s; he’s had 1,000+ receiving yards in all three of his years in the NFL.
— Bought my first college football magazine of the year couple days ago; hard to process the shuffling that has gone on in college sports.
The Big 10 is now the Big 18
Stanford, Cal and SMU are in the ACC, which makes zero sense.
Oklahoma/Texas are in the SEC.
— Mets retired Darryl Strawberry’s #18 Saturday; Strawberry last played for the Mets in 1990- since then, 19 different players have worn #18 for Mets, but no one else will anymore.
— Sacramento Kings more than doubled coach Mike Brown’s salary; he re-upped with the Kings for $8.5M a year, a deal that runs thru 2027. Sacramento was 94-70 the last two seasons, ending a 16-year playoff drought.
— All four of these guys went to the same college, three of them played QB there:
Jimmy Garoppolo
Sean Payton
Tony Romo
Mike Shanahan
Pretty impressive list; I never would’ve guessed they all went to Eastern Illinois.
Famous birthdays, June 2nd:
Jerry Mathers, 76
Lawrence McCutcheon, 74
Joanna Gleason, 74
Dennis Haysbert, 70
Dana Carvey, 69
Al Wood, 66
Earl Boykins, 48
Nikki Cox, 36
Austin Davis, 35
— Panthers 2, Rangers 1
Florida wins series 4-2, is in Stanley Cup for third time ever, second year in a row. They also made the finals in 1996, their third year in existence.
— Orioles 9, Rays 5
Ryan Mountcastle hit two homers.
Tampa Bay lost nine of its last 12 games.
— A’s 11, Braves 9
Miguel Andujar was 4-5, with 3 runs scored, 4 RBI
Atlanta is 3-8 in its last 11 home games.
— Phillies 6, Cardinals 1
Phillies have won eight in a row at home.
P Ranger Suarez got hit in the hand with a line drive; x-rays came back negative.
— Brewers 4, White Sox 3 (10)
Chicago has lost ten games in a row.
Milwaukee is 5-0 when Robert Gasser pitches.
— Rangers 7, Marlins 0
Michael Lorenzen tossed 6.1 scoreless innings.
Texas has won four of its last five games.
— Some media people have been mumbling about Shohei Ohtani winning MVP this year; can’t see how a DH could ever win MVP- he doesn’t play the field, all he does is hit, plus the Dodgers have Mookie Betts hitting in front of him, Freddie Freeman behind him. Lot of talent there; why would one guy be more valuable than the other two?
— Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson has a deal in his contract where he has to participate in 80% of the Ravens’ offseason workouts to earn a $750,000 bonus, but when you sign a contract worth a total of $260M, $750,000 probably seems like pocket change.
Jackson has missed most of Baltimore’s workouts this spring.
Sunday’s 6-pack:
Most home runs in New York Mets’ history:
262— Darryl Strawberry
242— David Wright
220— Mike Piazza
204— Pete Alonso
192— Howard Johnson
154— Dave Kingman
Quote of the Day
“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.”
George McDonald
Sunday’s quiz
When was last time an Eastern Conference team won the NBA title?
Saturday’s quiz
Darryl Strawberry played 17 years in the majors, for four teams; the two New York teams, and the Giants/Dodgers.
Friday’s quiz
Rick Carlisle was the Dallas Mavericks’ coach when they won their only NBA title, in 2011.
******************************************************
Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…….
— Chicago Bears will be on this summer’s version of HBO’s Hard Knocks, which should be very interesting, seeing how they have a rookie QB and all. Bears are 16-35 the last three years, have not had a winning season since 2018.
— Last year, Notre Dame poached QB Sam Hartman from Wake Forest, after he started for the Deacons for four years; he probably made a lot of $$$ making the move, but a disturbing lack of loyalty. Wake Forest is in the ACC after all, but then after a 9-3 regular season, Hartman sat out Notre Dame’s bowl game, so he could prepare for the NFL Draft.
Oy.
Problem is, Hartman never got drafted; he will be in the Washington Commanders’ camp as an undrafted free agent. Too bad the Commanders aren’t on Hard Knocks.
— Miami Dolphins inked WR Jaylen Waddle to a 3-year deal worth $84.75M, with $76M of that money guaranteed. He is now the 4th highest-paid WR in the league.
Last year, Waddle caught 72 passes for 1,014 yards, and 4 TD’s; he’s had 1,000+ receiving yards in all three of his years in the NFL.
— Bought my first college football magazine of the year couple days ago; hard to process the shuffling that has gone on in college sports.
The Big 10 is now the Big 18
Stanford, Cal and SMU are in the ACC, which makes zero sense.
Oklahoma/Texas are in the SEC.
— Mets retired Darryl Strawberry’s #18 Saturday; Strawberry last played for the Mets in 1990- since then, 19 different players have worn #18 for Mets, but no one else will anymore.
— Sacramento Kings more than doubled coach Mike Brown’s salary; he re-upped with the Kings for $8.5M a year, a deal that runs thru 2027. Sacramento was 94-70 the last two seasons, ending a 16-year playoff drought.
— All four of these guys went to the same college, three of them played QB there:
Jimmy Garoppolo
Sean Payton
Tony Romo
Mike Shanahan
Pretty impressive list; I never would’ve guessed they all went to Eastern Illinois.
Famous birthdays, June 2nd:
Jerry Mathers, 76
Lawrence McCutcheon, 74
Joanna Gleason, 74
Dennis Haysbert, 70
Dana Carvey, 69
Al Wood, 66
Earl Boykins, 48
Nikki Cox, 36
Austin Davis, 35
— Panthers 2, Rangers 1
Florida wins series 4-2, is in Stanley Cup for third time ever, second year in a row. They also made the finals in 1996, their third year in existence.
— Orioles 9, Rays 5
Ryan Mountcastle hit two homers.
Tampa Bay lost nine of its last 12 games.
— A’s 11, Braves 9
Miguel Andujar was 4-5, with 3 runs scored, 4 RBI
Atlanta is 3-8 in its last 11 home games.
— Phillies 6, Cardinals 1
Phillies have won eight in a row at home.
P Ranger Suarez got hit in the hand with a line drive; x-rays came back negative.
— Brewers 4, White Sox 3 (10)
Chicago has lost ten games in a row.
Milwaukee is 5-0 when Robert Gasser pitches.
— Rangers 7, Marlins 0
Michael Lorenzen tossed 6.1 scoreless innings.
Texas has won four of its last five games.
— Some media people have been mumbling about Shohei Ohtani winning MVP this year; can’t see how a DH could ever win MVP- he doesn’t play the field, all he does is hit, plus the Dodgers have Mookie Betts hitting in front of him, Freddie Freeman behind him. Lot of talent there; why would one guy be more valuable than the other two?
— Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson has a deal in his contract where he has to participate in 80% of the Ravens’ offseason workouts to earn a $750,000 bonus, but when you sign a contract worth a total of $260M, $750,000 probably seems like pocket change.
Jackson has missed most of Baltimore’s workouts this spring.
WNBA
Sunday, June 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecticut @ Atlanta
Connecticut
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Connecticut is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games at home
Los Angeles @ Phoenix
Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Indiana @ New York
Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Indiana's last 9 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing New York
New York
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 8 of New York's last 9 games when playing at home against Indiana
Dallas @ Minnesota
Dallas
Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Dallas
Minnesota is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, June 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecticut @ Atlanta
Connecticut
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Connecticut is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games at home
Los Angeles @ Phoenix
Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Indiana @ New York
Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Indiana's last 9 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing New York
New York
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 8 of New York's last 9 games when playing at home against Indiana
Dallas @ Minnesota
Dallas
Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Dallas
Minnesota is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armadillo Sports
Monday’s 6-pack:
Last six Stanley Cup champs:
2023— Vegas Golden Knights
2022— Colorado Avalanche
2021— Tampa Bay Lightning
2020— Tampa Bay Lightning
2019— St Louis Blues
2018— Washington Capitals
Quote of the Day
“It’s a lot that myself, and we can learn from that experience being in the Finals, and this time, this go-around is a lot different. Obviously, we’ve been there before, we came up short. And a great opportunity to make it to the Finals again. You don’t always get a second chance, so really just looking at it as a second chance and trying to simplify things as much as we can.”
Celtics star Jayson Tatum
Monday’s quiz
Who was coach of the Boston Celtics, last time they won the NBA title?
Sunday’s quiz
2021 was last time an Eastern Conference team won the NBA title, when the Milwaukee Bucks beat Phoenix 4-2 in the Finals.
Saturday’s quiz
Darryl Strawberry played 17 years in the majors, for four teams; the two New York teams, and the Giants/Dodgers.
****************************************
Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports weekend…….
— Baseball front offices have been overrun by over-educated morons; the new thing is that a marginal starting pitcher is only allowed to face 18 batters, no matter how he is doing. There is evidence that pitchers struggle when they go thru lineups a third time, but for the love of Christ, use some freakin’ common sense.
Saturday afternoon, Arizona is beating the Mets 4-1 in bottom of the 5th; rookie pitcher Slade Cecconi is pitching. Mets have a man on 2nd, two out- Cecconi got the last two hitters out, but they take him, because he had gone thru the lineup twice.
How the hell is he supposed to develop into a dependable starting pitcher if he isn’t allowed to finish the 5th inning? He had only thrown 71 pitches. It makes no sense.
— Baltimore Orioles are 37-20, they’re probably going to make the playoffs; they’re 3 games out of first place in the AL East, but they’ve got an 8.5-game lead for a Wild Card slot, so they’re a solid bet to make the playoffs.
Problem is, their starting pitching is banged up; Means/Wells are out for the year, and they’ve got several position player prospects in the minors. It makes sense that between now and July 31 (the trade deadline), Orioles are going to trade for a couple starting pitchers.
— Detroit 8, Boston 4 (10)- Tigers have won five games this year that they trailed in by 3+ runs, more than any American League team.
— Arizona 5, Mets 4- Mets, on the other hand, have lost six games that they led after eight innings. Mets have the 3rd-worst record in the National League. Ketel Marte homered twice; the second one was a 2-run blast in the ninth inning.
— Texas 6, Miami 0- Marlins start out June by getting beat 7-0/6-0. Not ideal.
— Brewers 6, White Sox 3
Chicago has now lost 11 games in a row.
OF Tommy Pham had been a bright spot for Chicago, but he was 2-21 last week.
— Oilers 2, Stars 1
Edmonton is in Stanley Cup finals for first time since 2006.
Oilers haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1990.
There is a player on Edmonton, Corey Perry, who is the first player in NHL history to play in the NHL’s Final Four for five different teams. He is 39 now, has been in NHL since 2005; he was on the Anaheim Ducks when they won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
Florida Panthers opened as -125 favorites to win the Stanley Cup final.
Famous birthdays, June 3rd:
Billy Cunningham, 81
Anderson Cooper, 57
Az-Zahir Hakim, 47
Al Horford, 38
Rafael Nadal, 38
Imogen Poots, 35
Harrison Bader, 30
Luis Gil, 26
Host of The Gong Show, Chuck Barris, was born on June 3, 1929. The Gong Show was one of the funniest game shows ever; it was American Idol without talented contestants.
— Week 10, UFL:
Birmingham 20, Michigan 19
These teams meet again in the playoffs next week.
St Louis 13, San Antonio 12
These teams also meet again in the playoffs next week.
Arlington 32, DC Defenders 31
Arlington drove 41 yards, scored game-winning TD with 2:28 left.
Memphis 19, Houston 12
Houston lost despite outgaining the Roughnecks, 323-203.
Four games decided by total of 10 points in the last week of the regular season.
— Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel is now an assistant with the Cleveland Browns; I was so hoping Browns-Titans played each other this fall, but they don’t. Vrabel coached under Cleveland DC Jim Schwartz in Tennessee.
— Ever hear of Reese Poffenbarger? Didn’t think so.
Reese Poffenbarger played QB for the I-AA Albany Great Danes, which is where I went to college. Back then, Albany was D-3; they ran the wishbone and usually won. My work-study job in college was doing stats for football/basketball games, a really good work-study job.
These days, Albany is I-AA, and Poffenbarger has thrown for 6,613 yards and 60 TD’s the last two years— he is very good. Good enough to get poached by an ACC team.
Miami’s QB the last three years, Tyler Van Dyke bolted to Wisconsin, so Miami hit the transfer portal and paid Poffenbarger, but then they also hit the portal for Washington State QB Cam Ward, so now Poffenbarger gets paid to run the scout team, unless Ward gets hurt.
— New York 7, Giants 5
Juan Soto homered twice, including the game-winner in the 9th inning.
Blake Snell left in the 5th inning with a leg injury, is likely headed to the IL.
Snell, who signed a 2-year, $62M deal just before the season, is 0-3, 9.51 in six starts.
— All six division leaders have a 3+ game lead in their division; the three NL leaders have leads of 6.5, 6.5 and 7 games over the second place teams. Good thing the Wild Cards exist.
— Clemson was playing Coastal Carolina in the college baseball tournament, and they actually used the hidden ball trick in the second inning- it worked. Clemson won the game 12-5; college baseball is high-level stuff. How do you fall for the hidden ball trick?
— Early part of the week is going to be quiet; NBA Finals don’t start until Thursday, Stanley Cup Finals start Saturday.
Monday’s 6-pack:
Last six Stanley Cup champs:
2023— Vegas Golden Knights
2022— Colorado Avalanche
2021— Tampa Bay Lightning
2020— Tampa Bay Lightning
2019— St Louis Blues
2018— Washington Capitals
Quote of the Day
“It’s a lot that myself, and we can learn from that experience being in the Finals, and this time, this go-around is a lot different. Obviously, we’ve been there before, we came up short. And a great opportunity to make it to the Finals again. You don’t always get a second chance, so really just looking at it as a second chance and trying to simplify things as much as we can.”
Celtics star Jayson Tatum
Monday’s quiz
Who was coach of the Boston Celtics, last time they won the NBA title?
Sunday’s quiz
2021 was last time an Eastern Conference team won the NBA title, when the Milwaukee Bucks beat Phoenix 4-2 in the Finals.
Saturday’s quiz
Darryl Strawberry played 17 years in the majors, for four teams; the two New York teams, and the Giants/Dodgers.
****************************************
Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports weekend…….
— Baseball front offices have been overrun by over-educated morons; the new thing is that a marginal starting pitcher is only allowed to face 18 batters, no matter how he is doing. There is evidence that pitchers struggle when they go thru lineups a third time, but for the love of Christ, use some freakin’ common sense.
Saturday afternoon, Arizona is beating the Mets 4-1 in bottom of the 5th; rookie pitcher Slade Cecconi is pitching. Mets have a man on 2nd, two out- Cecconi got the last two hitters out, but they take him, because he had gone thru the lineup twice.
How the hell is he supposed to develop into a dependable starting pitcher if he isn’t allowed to finish the 5th inning? He had only thrown 71 pitches. It makes no sense.
— Baltimore Orioles are 37-20, they’re probably going to make the playoffs; they’re 3 games out of first place in the AL East, but they’ve got an 8.5-game lead for a Wild Card slot, so they’re a solid bet to make the playoffs.
Problem is, their starting pitching is banged up; Means/Wells are out for the year, and they’ve got several position player prospects in the minors. It makes sense that between now and July 31 (the trade deadline), Orioles are going to trade for a couple starting pitchers.
— Detroit 8, Boston 4 (10)- Tigers have won five games this year that they trailed in by 3+ runs, more than any American League team.
— Arizona 5, Mets 4- Mets, on the other hand, have lost six games that they led after eight innings. Mets have the 3rd-worst record in the National League. Ketel Marte homered twice; the second one was a 2-run blast in the ninth inning.
— Texas 6, Miami 0- Marlins start out June by getting beat 7-0/6-0. Not ideal.
— Brewers 6, White Sox 3
Chicago has now lost 11 games in a row.
OF Tommy Pham had been a bright spot for Chicago, but he was 2-21 last week.
— Oilers 2, Stars 1
Edmonton is in Stanley Cup finals for first time since 2006.
Oilers haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1990.
There is a player on Edmonton, Corey Perry, who is the first player in NHL history to play in the NHL’s Final Four for five different teams. He is 39 now, has been in NHL since 2005; he was on the Anaheim Ducks when they won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
Florida Panthers opened as -125 favorites to win the Stanley Cup final.
Famous birthdays, June 3rd:
Billy Cunningham, 81
Anderson Cooper, 57
Az-Zahir Hakim, 47
Al Horford, 38
Rafael Nadal, 38
Imogen Poots, 35
Harrison Bader, 30
Luis Gil, 26
Host of The Gong Show, Chuck Barris, was born on June 3, 1929. The Gong Show was one of the funniest game shows ever; it was American Idol without talented contestants.
— Week 10, UFL:
Birmingham 20, Michigan 19
These teams meet again in the playoffs next week.
St Louis 13, San Antonio 12
These teams also meet again in the playoffs next week.
Arlington 32, DC Defenders 31
Arlington drove 41 yards, scored game-winning TD with 2:28 left.
Memphis 19, Houston 12
Houston lost despite outgaining the Roughnecks, 323-203.
Four games decided by total of 10 points in the last week of the regular season.
— Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel is now an assistant with the Cleveland Browns; I was so hoping Browns-Titans played each other this fall, but they don’t. Vrabel coached under Cleveland DC Jim Schwartz in Tennessee.
— Ever hear of Reese Poffenbarger? Didn’t think so.
Reese Poffenbarger played QB for the I-AA Albany Great Danes, which is where I went to college. Back then, Albany was D-3; they ran the wishbone and usually won. My work-study job in college was doing stats for football/basketball games, a really good work-study job.
These days, Albany is I-AA, and Poffenbarger has thrown for 6,613 yards and 60 TD’s the last two years— he is very good. Good enough to get poached by an ACC team.
Miami’s QB the last three years, Tyler Van Dyke bolted to Wisconsin, so Miami hit the transfer portal and paid Poffenbarger, but then they also hit the portal for Washington State QB Cam Ward, so now Poffenbarger gets paid to run the scout team, unless Ward gets hurt.
— New York 7, Giants 5
Juan Soto homered twice, including the game-winner in the 9th inning.
Blake Snell left in the 5th inning with a leg injury, is likely headed to the IL.
Snell, who signed a 2-year, $62M deal just before the season, is 0-3, 9.51 in six starts.
— All six division leaders have a 3+ game lead in their division; the three NL leaders have leads of 6.5, 6.5 and 7 games over the second place teams. Good thing the Wild Cards exist.
— Clemson was playing Coastal Carolina in the college baseball tournament, and they actually used the hidden ball trick in the second inning- it worked. Clemson won the game 12-5; college baseball is high-level stuff. How do you fall for the hidden ball trick?
— Early part of the week is going to be quiet; NBA Finals don’t start until Thursday, Stanley Cup Finals start Saturday.
Armadillo Sports
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Last six NBA champs:
2023— Denver Nuggets
2022— Golden State Warriors
2021— Milwaukee Bucks
2020— Los Angeles Lakers
2019— Toronto Raptors
2018— Golden State Warriors
Quote of the Day
“I think I was able to reel it in a little bit, got right into the at-bat. I guess there’s something about competing against the people you know that makes you lock in a little bit. But also, the guy on the mound [Wheeler] was pretty good tonight, so you better do that, or you’re probably not going to have too much of a chance.”
Milwaukee DH Rhys Hoskins, talking about his first game against his old team
Tuesday’s quiz
In the first-ever episode of Cheers, why was Diane (Shelley Long) in Sam Malone’s bar?
Monday’s quiz
Doc Rivers was coach of the Boston Celtics, last time they won the NBA title.
Sunday’s quiz
2021 was last time an Eastern Conference team won the NBA title, when the Milwaukee Bucks beat Phoenix 4-2 in the Finals.
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Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….
— Vikings’ WR Justin Jefferson broke the bank Monday, landing a 4-year, $140M deal, with $110 of that money guaranteed, the biggest contract ever for a non-quarterback.
In four seasons with Minnesota, Jefferson has 392 receptions for 5,899 yards, 30 TD’s.
His problem is that Kirk Cousins lives in Atlanta now, so at some point this fall, the Vikings will be breaking in a rookie QB, which figures to hamper Minnesota’s passing game, at least for a little while.
— Read this Monday and thought it was interesting:
Say there are two NHL players, both of whom earn $3M a year; one plays in Toronto, the other guys plays for Tampa Bay or Florida.
The guy on the Maple Leafs will play roughly $500,000 more in taxes than the guys who call Florida home. Has to hurt the Canadian teams in free agency, right?
— Edmonton beat Dallas 2-1 Sunday night to win the Western Conference; they got outshot 34-10, tied for the fewest shots on goal ever for a team that won a playoff game.
— Tigers 2, Rangers 1
Jake Rogers, Detroit’s #9 batter, hit two homers.
Wonder how many times a team scored two runs, won the game, with both runs coming on home runs hit by the #9 hitter?
— Diamondbacks 4, Giants 2
Pavin Smith hit a 2-run, pinch-hit, walk-off home run for Arizona.
Giants have lost five games in a row.
— Seattle Mariners are 34-27, lead the AL West, but they recently fired their bench coach.
Brant Brown was the bench coach/offensive coordinator; he was the Marlins’ hitting coach LY, when Miami made the playoffs, but this year’s Mariners are 29th in runs/game and have struck out the most of any team.
Firing a 1st-year assistant coach on a successful team around June 1st? Must be an interesting story there.
Famous birthdays, June 4th:
Terry Kennedy, 68
Xavier McDaniel, 61
Scott Servais, 57
Noah Wyle, 53
Darin Erstad, 50
Angelina Jolie, 49
Aaron Nola, 31
Freddy Peralta, 28
Skylar Thompson, 26
— Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee, Brewers beat the White Sox 6-3; Freddy Peralta’s line was mediocre, three runs in 5 IP (97 PT) but a deeper dive shows that he threw 43 pitches in the first inning, barely survived that, then needed only 54 pitches to get thru the next four innings and get the win.
When you’re the ace of a staff, part of your job is to eat up innings, to take strain off the bullpen. Getting knocked out in the first inning would’ve screwed up the bullpen for a couple days.
— Reds 13, Rockies 3
Cincinnati is 7-3 in its last ten games.
Spencer Steer is 8-14 in his last three games.
— Astros 7, Cardinals 4
Alex Bregman tied game with an 8th inning home run.
Yainer Diaz hit a 2-run homer later that inning for game-winning runs.
— Angels 2, Padres 1
Angels snapped their 5-game losing streak.
Manny Machado homered for San Diego’s only run.
— Mets 8, Nationals 7
Starling Marte had three hits, scored two runs.
Jose Iglesias had three hits, including the go-ahead single.
— Phillies 3, Brewers 1
Zach Wheeler pitched seven strong innings for the home team.
Rhys Hoskins homered against his old team, his first game back in Philly.
— Orioles 7, Blue Jays 2
Austin Hays homered twice for Baltimore.
Orioles are 9-2 in their last eleven games.
— Detroit Tigers are going to retire former manager Jim Leyland’s number 10 in a ceremony August 3rd, two weeks after he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Last six NBA champs:
2023— Denver Nuggets
2022— Golden State Warriors
2021— Milwaukee Bucks
2020— Los Angeles Lakers
2019— Toronto Raptors
2018— Golden State Warriors
Quote of the Day
“I think I was able to reel it in a little bit, got right into the at-bat. I guess there’s something about competing against the people you know that makes you lock in a little bit. But also, the guy on the mound [Wheeler] was pretty good tonight, so you better do that, or you’re probably not going to have too much of a chance.”
Milwaukee DH Rhys Hoskins, talking about his first game against his old team
Tuesday’s quiz
In the first-ever episode of Cheers, why was Diane (Shelley Long) in Sam Malone’s bar?
Monday’s quiz
Doc Rivers was coach of the Boston Celtics, last time they won the NBA title.
Sunday’s quiz
2021 was last time an Eastern Conference team won the NBA title, when the Milwaukee Bucks beat Phoenix 4-2 in the Finals.
*********************************************
Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….
— Vikings’ WR Justin Jefferson broke the bank Monday, landing a 4-year, $140M deal, with $110 of that money guaranteed, the biggest contract ever for a non-quarterback.
In four seasons with Minnesota, Jefferson has 392 receptions for 5,899 yards, 30 TD’s.
His problem is that Kirk Cousins lives in Atlanta now, so at some point this fall, the Vikings will be breaking in a rookie QB, which figures to hamper Minnesota’s passing game, at least for a little while.
— Read this Monday and thought it was interesting:
Say there are two NHL players, both of whom earn $3M a year; one plays in Toronto, the other guys plays for Tampa Bay or Florida.
The guy on the Maple Leafs will play roughly $500,000 more in taxes than the guys who call Florida home. Has to hurt the Canadian teams in free agency, right?
— Edmonton beat Dallas 2-1 Sunday night to win the Western Conference; they got outshot 34-10, tied for the fewest shots on goal ever for a team that won a playoff game.
— Tigers 2, Rangers 1
Jake Rogers, Detroit’s #9 batter, hit two homers.
Wonder how many times a team scored two runs, won the game, with both runs coming on home runs hit by the #9 hitter?
— Diamondbacks 4, Giants 2
Pavin Smith hit a 2-run, pinch-hit, walk-off home run for Arizona.
Giants have lost five games in a row.
— Seattle Mariners are 34-27, lead the AL West, but they recently fired their bench coach.
Brant Brown was the bench coach/offensive coordinator; he was the Marlins’ hitting coach LY, when Miami made the playoffs, but this year’s Mariners are 29th in runs/game and have struck out the most of any team.
Firing a 1st-year assistant coach on a successful team around June 1st? Must be an interesting story there.
Famous birthdays, June 4th:
Terry Kennedy, 68
Xavier McDaniel, 61
Scott Servais, 57
Noah Wyle, 53
Darin Erstad, 50
Angelina Jolie, 49
Aaron Nola, 31
Freddy Peralta, 28
Skylar Thompson, 26
— Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee, Brewers beat the White Sox 6-3; Freddy Peralta’s line was mediocre, three runs in 5 IP (97 PT) but a deeper dive shows that he threw 43 pitches in the first inning, barely survived that, then needed only 54 pitches to get thru the next four innings and get the win.
When you’re the ace of a staff, part of your job is to eat up innings, to take strain off the bullpen. Getting knocked out in the first inning would’ve screwed up the bullpen for a couple days.
— Reds 13, Rockies 3
Cincinnati is 7-3 in its last ten games.
Spencer Steer is 8-14 in his last three games.
— Astros 7, Cardinals 4
Alex Bregman tied game with an 8th inning home run.
Yainer Diaz hit a 2-run homer later that inning for game-winning runs.
— Angels 2, Padres 1
Angels snapped their 5-game losing streak.
Manny Machado homered for San Diego’s only run.
— Mets 8, Nationals 7
Starling Marte had three hits, scored two runs.
Jose Iglesias had three hits, including the go-ahead single.
— Phillies 3, Brewers 1
Zach Wheeler pitched seven strong innings for the home team.
Rhys Hoskins homered against his old team, his first game back in Philly.
— Orioles 7, Blue Jays 2
Austin Hays homered twice for Baltimore.
Orioles are 9-2 in their last eleven games.
— Detroit Tigers are going to retire former manager Jim Leyland’s number 10 in a ceremony August 3rd, two weeks after he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
WNBA
Dunkel
Tuesday, June 4
WNBA
Tuesday, June 4
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Trend Report
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Washington @ Connecticut
Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games on the road
Washington is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
New York @ Chicago
New York
New York is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games on the road
New York is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Chicago
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing New York
Phoenix @ Seattle
Phoenix
Phoenix is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 9 games on the road
Seattle
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
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Dunkel
Tuesday, June 4
WNBA
Tuesday, June 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Washington @ Connecticut
Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games on the road
Washington is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
New York @ Chicago
New York
New York is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games on the road
New York is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Chicago
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing New York
Phoenix @ Seattle
Phoenix
Phoenix is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 9 games on the road
Seattle
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
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