Aug 8, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A view of an official San Diego Padres New Era on field hat against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Padres may not be looking too far to find their next manager. One internal candidate appears to be in the lead for the job.
Padres coach Mike Shildt is reportedly “seen by many as the favorite” to land the Padres’ vacant managerial post, Jon Heyman reports. Shildt was previously rumored to be one of four finalists for the role alongside Ryan Flaherty, Benji Gil, and Carlos Mendoza.
Shildt’s chances increased after one of his fellow finalists recently landed a job with another NL team.
Shildt spent time as the Padres’ third base coach and has served as the team’s senior advisor for player development.
The 55-year-old coach spent four seasons managing the St. Louis Cardinals before making the move to the Padres organization. Shildt had a 252-199 record managing the Cardinals from 2018-2021. He was named NL Manager of the Year in 2019 after St. Louis went 91-71 for the season.
The Padres’ previous manager Bob Melvin departed from the team last month to become the manager of the San Francisco Giants.
Melvin’s 2-year tenure in San Diego was tumultuous to say the least.
The Padres had a top-5 payroll in each of the last two seasons, but fell well short of expectations in 2023.
The team lost 4-1 in the 2022 NLCS. The Padres missed the playoffs entirely last season, finishing just barely above .500 with their 82-80 record.
Mar 20, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr encourages his players during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
Steve Kerr thinks there is one Western Conference NBA team on the rise to watch out for.
Kerr’s Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 141-139 on Friday night. Though his team escaped with the win, Kerr knew exactly how dangerous OKC would be.
Prior to the game, Kerr lavished the Thunder with praise. He sent a warning regarding OKC too, saying “these guys are coming.”
“These guys are coming, everyone can feel it,” Kerr said of the Thunder. “You could feel it last year and now they have Chet (Holmgren) back healthy playing at a high level. He’s really added a different dimension to their team.
“So OKC’s coming, and they’re loaded with talent, extremely well coached. We know that they’re going to be a factor all year.”
The Thunder were one of the best teams in the NBA during the 2010s when they had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the show. After Durant left for the Warriors, the squad continued to be a regular playoff team, though they couldn’t make it out of the first round.
The Thunder then went through a rebuilding period that has been brief. After a pair of poor seasons with win totals in the low-20s, the Thunder went 40-42 last season. This season, they have Chet Holmgren back healthy after the 2022 No. 2 overall draft pick missed all of last season.
Between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort and Holmgren, the Thunder have built their roster well and stocked it with young talent. They’re a homegrown squad with a bright future — and Kerr knows it.
May 12, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A detailed view of the Washington Nationals logo on a weighted bat during the seventh inning of the game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
A former Washington Nationals pitcher could be looking to make an MLB return after becoming a star in Korea this season.
Erick Fedde, who pitched in MLB from 2017-2022 with the Nats, played for the DC Dinos of the KBO. He went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA this season. His strong pitching led him to receive the Choi Dong-won award, which is the KBO version of a Cy Young Award.
According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Fedde is drawing interest from MLB teams.
Fedde attracting interest from MLB teams is quite a twist.
The 30-year-old has gone 21-33 with a 5.41 ERA during his MLB career. Fedde went 6-13 with a 5.81 ERA over 27 starts in 2022, which preceded his move to Korea. Fedde is from Las Vegas and a Scott Boras client.
Oct 2, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) poses for a picture at Rockets media day at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Dillon Brooks apparently didn’t learn his lesson the first six times around.
Brooks and his new team, the Houston Rockets, will be facing off against LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers on Wednesday. When asked about the matchup after practice Tuesday, Brooks decided to lob more trash talk at The King.
“Ready to lock him up,” said Brooks of James, per Rockets writer Lachard Binkley. “He’s been shooting the ball well, been playing well. So I’m just there to make him tired, make him get into that fourth quarter early.”
Here is the full clip of Brooks’ remarks.
Of course, that is some high comedy from Brooks given how poorly things went for him the last time that he tried to come at James. Brooks, who was then with the Memphis Grizzlies, made some very disrespectful comments about James in their first-round playoff series last year. But it was Brooks who ended up with raw egg on his forehead as James and the Lakers upset the Grizzlies in six games (and helped hasten Brooks’ ultimate departure from Memphis).
That being said, this is just who Brooks is — a cartoonish villain who will still be running his mouth even if he is boarding a plane to Cancun. The Rockets’ decent start to the season (riding an active three-game win streak as Brooks averages 16.3 points per game on hardly-believable 56.5 percent three-point shooting) has certainly helped his confidence too. Brooks has produced other cocky quotes in recent weeks as a Rocket and clearly still isn’t afraid of poking LeBear.
May 30, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell returns to dugout before the first inning of game one of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Many folks in Wisconsin are not happy with Craig Counsell.
Counsell on Monday left his job as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers to sign with the NL Central rival Chicago Cubs. The Cubs signing him came as a shock to many, including David Ross, who had been replaced despite not being fired.
Someone (or group) was not happy with Counsell leaving the Brewers and decided to send a message by vandalizing a sign at Whitefish Bay for Craig Counsell Park at the Whitefish Bay Little League. The three-letter word “a–” was spraypainted over “Craig Counsell Park” on the sign.
Here is the uncensored version.
Counsell reportedly received a 5-year, $40 million deal from the Cubs.
Counsell managed the Brewers from 2015-2023. The team made the playoffs in five of the last six years, including an NLCS appearance in 2018. The Cubs have missed the playoffs the last three seasons.
Jul 26, 2022; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at training camp press conference at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver room is getting a little more crowded.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the Cowboys are signing veteran wideout Martavis Bryant following a recent workout. Bryant has not played in the NFL since the 2018 campaign but was recently said to be training for a return.
Bryant, 31, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014 and spent the first several seasons of his career there. His best year came in 2015 when Bryant caught 50 passes for 765 yards and six TDs over just 11 games. But Bryant was suspended numerous times for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and got suspended indefinitely on his third one in 2018 (when he was with the then-Oakland Raiders).
Commissioner Roger Goodell finally decided to officially reinstate Bryant several days ago. The ex-Clemson receiver had kept busy in recent years by playing in both the CFL and the XFL and is now getting another chance in the NFL with the Cowboys. There likely won’t be much leeway for Bryant to actually produce though since CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, and others are already in the WR pecking order for Dallas.
Apr 4, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts to being called for a foul against the Utah Jazz in the last minute of the fourth quarter at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers are asking to speak with the manager.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported Tuesday that the Lakers reached out to the league office about multiple perceived missed foul calls in the previous night’s defeat to the Miami Heat. The Lakers were particularly upset about how LeBron James was officiated and submitted various clips of supposed illegal contact by Heat defenders that went uncalled, McMenamin adds.
Monday’s game was a nailbiter in which the Lakers lost 108-107 after a missed three-pointer by Cam Reddish on the final play. James shot just four free throws despite constantly attacking the rim against the Miami defense.
Numerous clips did indeed circulate on social media of moments where James was thought to have been fouled but got no call from the officials.
Adding to the frustration on the Lakers’ end was that James was called for a dubious foul late in the fourth quarter on a play where he was defending Heat star Jimmy Butler.
Lakers teammate D’Angelo Russell was also ejected in the fourth quarter for arguing a non-call with a referee.
On James’ end, he has averaged 7.7 free-throw attempts per game for his career but is down to 5.7 per game this season. That would tie a career low but is still generally in the ballpark of what James has been averaging in his last several years as a Laker.
The Lakers have complained to the league office before about supposed missed calls, and they also seemed to get a much more favorable whistle in the second half of last season after voicing their frustration about a blatant missed call in January. The team will now be hoping for some similar luck by airing out their grievances once again.
Lakers fans, show everyone who runs LA with this great T-shirt. It makes a perfect gift for you or a friend. You can buy it here.
Aug 26, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) warms up before a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Rodgers sent New York Jets fans into a frenzy with a comment he made that was caught on camera following his team’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, but the quarterback has since shared some less exciting news.
Following New York’s 27-6 loss at MetLife Stadium, Rodgers and Chargers safety Derwin James had a brief conversation on the field. James asked Rodgers when he is coming back, and the 39-year-old smiled and told James to “give me a few weeks.” You can see the video here.
Some interpreted that to mean Rodgers is very close to returning from his torn Achilles. He set the record straight during his Tuesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I didn’t realize that was gonna get caught there. Obviously, that was said with a little tongue-in-cheek,” Rodgers said. “It’d be nice to be able to be back in a couple of weeks. That’s probably not anywhere near a realistic timeline. A couple could be a few or could be a lot. It’s more of a phrase that didn’t have a specific timetable. I said it smiling and joking. … Obviously, it’s gonna be more than a couple of weeks.”
It has been less than two months since Rodgers tore his Achilles. While he did undergo a procedure that is supposed to allow for a shorter recovery period than the usual 10-12 months, Rodgers said Tuesday that he is a “long way off” from playing.
“I’m feeling a lot more strength in the Achilles, but we’re a long way off from being able to be under center and get out to an outside zone and get out to a keep-fake,” he added. “It’s gonna be a process, but I like where I’m at. (I’m) definitely, obviously, ahead of schedule.”
Rodgers has been very visible during his recovery and seemed to take another big step on Monday. There was never a chance of him returning after just a few months, however.
Dec 12, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; A detailed view of a New York Giants helmet at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Giants are onto their Plan D at the quarterback position.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Tuesday that the Giants have signed veteran QB Jacob Eason, who worked out for them earlier in the day, to their practice squad. The move comes after the season-ending ACL tear suffered by starter Daniel Jones in Week 9.
Eason, a 2020 draftee, has bounced around several different teams to this point of his NFL career. He has already been on Indianapolis (the team that drafted him), Seattle, Carolina, and San Francisco, making the Giants his fifth total stop. Eason only has two total game appearances under his belt thus far, neither of which were starts.
But unfortunately for the 2-7 Giants, they don’t have a lot of better options right now with Jones done for the year and his backup also recently going on injured reserve. That leaves the undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito (who has thrown for one touchdown and two interceptions over two games for the Giants thus far) and now Eason to possibly contend for the starting role (with journeyman Matt Barkley on the depth chart as well).
Jan 11, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel against the Baltimore Ravens in the second quarter in a AFC Divisional Round playoff football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV/The Tennessean via USA TODAY NETWORK
Will Levis took over as the starting quarterback of the Tennessee Titans after Ryan Tannehill suffered an ankle injury in Week 6, and the rookie will not be giving the job up.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel announced on Tuesday that Levis will remain the team’s starting quarterback going forward. Vrabel said Tannehill has made progress in his injury rehab and should be cleared for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the veteran will be No. 2 on the depth chart.
“Let me just try to clear up some things here going forward — Will’s gonna be our quarterback. We’re gonna go with Will,” Vrabel told reporters. “We think that’s the best opportunity for our football team right now.”
Levis made his first NFL start in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, and most people were surprised by how well he played. The former Kentucky star went 19/29 for 238 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions while leading Tennessee to a 28-23 win. He did not play as well in last week’s 20-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which led to some criticism from Vrabel.
Tannehill is in the final season of a 4-year, $118 million contract. It is possible he has taken his last snap with the Titans.
