The Sportsletter - Mays Magic at Rickwood

BY JEFF YODER

JUNE 21, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

You made it, team. We’re keeping things short and sweet on this mid-summer Friday. The Lakers made J.J. Redick their next head coach amid a flurry of early NBA offseason moves, and baseball’s special night at Rickwood Field brought all the feels (and some Willie Mays magic). Plus, the LPGA Championship, international kicking, and Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals keep the weekend full of excitement.

🗓️ Upcoming Schedule: We’ll have more sports coverage next week before taking a break for the summer holidays — more baseball, soccer tournaments, the NBA Draft, and much more are right around the corner. Stay tuned.

Letter Rip!

  MLB  

Memories & Magic at Rickwood

Photo: Daniel Shirey / Getty Images

Willie Mays’ Memory On Display in Baseball’s Magical Birmingham Ballpark

One of baseball’s summer specials took center stage at iconic grounds last night in Birmingham, Alabama. Rickwood Field, the oldest MLB ballpark in America, opened in 1910. It was built before Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, and it played host to decades of memorable baseball. The park eventually became a monument to the memories of the Negro Leagues. Stories of triumph, excellence, and civil rights progress still echo throughout the hollowed grounds.

Rickwood Memories

The ceremonies included tributes to the Birmingham Black Barons — one of the key change agents for Black baseball players through the early 1900s — as well as a dozen-plus former players, and of course, Alabama native Willie Mays. Mays passed away earlier this week at the age of 93. His son, Michael, greeted the fans alongside Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds. Chants of “Willie! Willie! Willie!” rang through the park.

A Bit of Mays Magic on Display

The game itself featured the Cardinals and Giants, two mid-tier NL clubs fighting for .500 records. St. Louis got the win (6-5), but a few "Mays Magic" moments stole the show. Cards’ 2B Brendan Donovan — another Alabama native like Mays — went 3-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs to lead St. Louis. Giants’ center fielder Heliot Ramos also smacked a three-run homer. Of course, on this night, an Alabama native and a Giants' center-fielder (Willie Mays' team and position) hit home runs at Rickwood. I mean, c'mon.

Whether it’s the 'Field of Dreams' Game in Iowa or Rickwood Field in Alabama, MLB continues to highlight special events that remember its history. An awesome night.

Watch: Cardinals Beat Giants (6-5) in Rickwood Field Game

Read More

SI: Rickwood Field Was a Scene of Change for Jackie Robinson & Hank Aaron

MLB: The Best Moments From a Historic, Poignant Night at Rickwood Field

MLB Quick-Hitters

O’s Bury Yanks in 17-Run Rout

After splitting the first two games of a three-game series, the Orioles opened up a can on the Yankees last night (17-5). Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle recorded three hits each while Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander hit homers. What a performance.

Padres’ 3rd Straight Walk-Off HR

With two outs in the ninth, Jake Cronenworth cranked a solo shot for a 7-6 win against the Brewers. It was San Diego’s third straight win via walk-off homer, all at Petco Park this week.

Jose Siri’s Incredible Double Play

The Rays held off the Twins last night (7-6) in a wild 10-inning finish. Minnesota rallied with a four-run 9th inning to force extras, but Jose Siri’s sensational double play helped close it out in the 10th. Siri caught a fly ball in center and threw a frozen rope to tag Royce Lewis at third. *Highlight of the Day*

  NBA  

The Redick 🤝 LeBron Laker Era

Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images

Lakers Officially Hire J.J. Redick as Next Head Coach, A Move That Will Make Or Break LeBron James' Final Push

The next — and likely last — head coach of the LeBron James era has been identified. The Lakers and J.J. Redick agreed to a four-year deal on Thursday. The ESPN analyst and former sharpshooter has never been a head coach at any level, but his friendship with LeBron has been well-documented. Both Redick and James recently launched the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast in April. He's undoubtedly a LeBron-centric hire — a high-risk, high-reward move. Redick played 15 seasons in the NBA and was one of the league’s all-time great 3-point shooters. He ranks top-20 all-time in 3s made (1.950) and 3-point percentage (41.5%).

Redick 🤝 LeBron: The Next Laker Era

The former marksman spent four of his 15 seasons with the Clippers in a shared L.A. arena, so he’s more than familiar with the Lakers front office. His high basketball IQ has always impressed LeBron, but the L.A. brass believes his youth (39 years old) and ability to connect with players makes him invaluable. They just watched a young coach win a championship in Boston. And after Dan Hurley balked at the Lakers’ $70 million offer, the Lakers viewed J.J. as the ideal candidate. His four-year deal means he’ll (likely) be the last head coach in LeBron's career, and no one should be surprised if the Lakers draft Bronny James next week. LeBron would be 43 at the end of Redick's contract.

Remaining NBA Coaching Vacancies

Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers

Read More

The Ringer: Who’s Taking the Bigger Risk: JJ Redick or the Lakers?

B/R: Hawks' Trae Young Makes Cryptic Post After Lakers Hire Redick

ESPN: What’s Next for NBA’s Coaching Carousel After Lakers Move to Hire J.J. Redick

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

⚽️ Soccer (International)

EURO: 🇸🇮 Slovenia draw 🇷🇸 Serbia (1-1)

EURO: 🇩🇰 Denmark draw 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England (1-1)

EURO: 🇪🇸 Spain def. 🇮🇹 Italy (1-0)

COPA: 🇦🇷 Argentina def. 🇨🇦 Canada (2-0)

⛳️ Golf (Round 1s)

LPGA Championship

Lexi Thompson (-4), Nelly Korda (-3) in Lead

Travelers Championship

Tom Kim (-8) Fires Untouchable 62 in R1

🏀 WNBA

Liberty def. Sparks (93-80)

Sabrina Ionescu Scores Season-High 31 (Six 3s)

Sky def. Wings (83-72)

Angel Reese (16 pts, 18 rebs) Makes WNBA History With Most Consecutive Double-Doubles (7)

  STORYLINES   

🏈 The QB Salary Cap Convo

Some NFL owners are discussing a potential quarterback-only salary cap in the wake of an escalating QB market. The idea, however, doesn’t appear to have legs. Quarterback contracts could soon break the NFL’s ability to balance rosters. (CBS Sports)

🏅 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials

It’s left potential gold medalists sobbing and heartbroken. It’s reminded aging champions of their mortality. It’s rocketed young unknowns to superstardom. Welcome to the Olympic Track & Field Trials, a nerve-fraying, pressure-packed test of mettle. (Yahoo! Sports)

⚽️ The Golden Generation’s Test

Will the U.S. Men’s National Team earn its “Golden Generation” tag at this year’s Copa America or crack under pressure? The talent level is so high that fans -- and yes, even a few pundits and coaches -- are dreaming about what might be possible. (ESPN)

  NEWS   📰 

🎾 Coco Gauff to Lead U.S. Tennis Team at Paris Olympics (ESPN)

🏈 Ex-Stanford Head Coach David Shaw Joins Broncos Front Office (Yahoo! Sports)

🏀 Chicago Bulls Actively Shopping Zach LaVine Ahead of NBA Draft (SI)

⛳️ Tiger’s Son, Charlie Woods, Qualifies for First U.S. Junior Amateur (CBS Sports)

🏈 Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins Calls Out NFL Execs for Saying He ‘Can’t Play Anymore’ (B/R)

🎮 EA Sports Releases ‘Madden 25’ Trailer Showcasing New Game Technology (FOX Sports)

🏈 49ers TE George Kittle Lost Nearly 30 Pounds After Surgery This Offseason (CBS Sports)

🏊 French Swimmer Dislocates Shoulder While Celebrating Qualifying Win at Olympic Trials (Yahoo! Sports)

🥊 Boxing Star Ryan Garcia Suspended 1 Year Following Positive PED Test (ESPN)

🏀 Thunder & Bulls Complete Trade Swap of Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey (Sporting News)

  WEEKEND SCHEDULE   🗓️

The Weekend Must-Watch List

It’s another huge sports weekend before the summer holidays. If Game 6 goes to the Oilers tonight, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals will be Monday. Elsewhere, we’re kicking, swinging, and shooting all over the world. Enjoy!

🏒 Stanley Cup Finals

Gm 6: Panthers at Oilers (Fri. 8:00 pm, ABC)

FLA Leads Series (3-2)

⚽️ Soccer (International)

EURO: 🇵🇱 Poland vs. 🇦🇹 Austria (Fri. Noon)

EURO: 🇳🇱 Netherlands vs. 🇫🇷 France (Fri. 3:00 pm)

EURO: 🇹🇷 Turkey vs. 🇵🇹 Portugal (Sat. Noon)

EURO: 🇧🇪 Belgium vs. 🇷🇴 Romania (Sat. 3:00 pm)

COPA: 🇪🇨 Ecuador vs. 🇻🇪 Venezuela (Sat. 6:00 pm)

COPA: 🇲🇽 Mexico vs. 🇯🇲 Jamaica (Sat. 9:00 pm)

COPA: 🇺🇸 United States vs. 🇧🇴 Bolivia (Sun. 6:00 pm)

Streaming on FS1, Fox Sports or Fubo

⚾️ College World Series

Gm 1: #1 Tennessee vs. #3 Texas A&M (Sat. 7:30 pm)

Gm 2: #1 Tennessee vs. #3 Texas A&M (Sun. 2:00 pm)

All Games on ESPN

⚾️ MLB

Mets-Cubs Series

Braves-Yankees Series

Dodgers-Angels Series

Full MLB Schedule

🏀 WNBA

Sun at Aces (Fri. 10:00 pm, ION)

Sparks at Liberty (Sat. 3:00 pm, ESPN)

Fever at Sky (Sun. 4:00 pm, ESPN)

⛳️ Golf (Rounds 2-4)

LPGA: Women’s PGA Championship (Peacock)

PGA: Travelers Championship (Golf Channel & CBS)

*All Times ET

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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