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Terry Lyons

TL’s Sports Notes | Oct 13

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While We’re Young (Ideas) | At Columbia’s Sports Mgmt Conference

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS – Columbia University in New York City was established in 1897 upon completion of the historic Low Memorial Library and 14 other buildings which would make up the campus. The area of Manhattan – the Upper West Side, Riverside – were the Academic Acropolis of New York as Barnard College, Teacher’s College and later the Union Theological Seminary were all established as the 20th Century began and Manhattan expanded to the north.

In 1999, the Alfred Lerner Hall Student Center opened at Columbia. Within the structure is the Roone Arledge Auditorium, dedicated on April 25, 2000 to the Forest Hills born, Columbia Journalism School educated modern day father of sports television production. Among many pioneering accomplishments, Arledge personally produced 10 Olympic Games for ABC Sports, created the game-changing primetime sports property of Monday Night Football and is believed to be the man behind the iconic Wide World of Sports phrase, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”

The Arledge Center was the fitting venue for the 2024 Columbia University Sports Management Conference, a full-day seminar held earlier this week, and created, hosted by the administrators, faculty and students of Columbia’s School of Professional Studies’ Sports Management Program, a magnificent graduate degree level academic offering by one of America’s finest institutions.

Digital Sports Desk was invited to attend the seminar.

Among the highlights was a 30-minute discussion with former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson which was led by BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. Pilsen and Ackerman co-taught a course in “Leadership” in the two or three years between Ackerman’s service as the President of the WNBA and her role with the BIG EAST. Pilson led CBS Sports to the heights of sports television during the “Brent Musburger years,” a time when CBS Sports supplanted ABC Sports as the home of the NBA and before CBS gave way to Arledge protégé Dick Ebersol took NBC Sports to the mountaintop of sports with their coverage of every Olympic Games and the MichaelJordan years of the NBA on NBC.

Although the full agenda deserves your look-see, the highlight of the day was a Q&A conducted with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, hosted by the program’s leader, Scott Rosner who came off the bench to relieve his sports law Professor Joel Litvin who was President of the NBA’s League Operations before he stepped down in 2015. (Get Well Soon to my School of Rock colleague, Joel).

Here’s a good chunk of the Q&A and its presented word for word so you can decide your own conclusions on the various issues surfaced by Rosner. (Some editing has been done for brevity).

Rosner first asked Silver about the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the limitations to teams above the salary cap, paying luxury tax and on the “second apron” and the possibility the system will stop dynasties – “We’ve had six different champions over the last six seasons, so I would say that in terms of parity and competitive balance, that’s positive. Putting aside the details of the so-called ‘second apron’ system, the goal is for all teams to have ‘an equal number of chips’ so that every team, regardless of the market size, regardless of how deep the (team) owner’s pockets are, is in a position to compete (and to run a sustainable business).

“The theory is – and its not a perfect correlation in any sport between spending and success on the field/on the court. For instance, in Baseball, the system is not as ‘hard’ but for teams here in New York (spending) does not promise you’ll be successful but it definitely correlates, there’s no question about that. So, the goal of the so-called (NBA) apron is to push down high end spending, that’s no secret. To go to the second part (of Rosner’s question), yes, you can spend more and that will correlate with more success on the court, and I guess the implication is that it could potentially reduce the number of dynasties you have. But, on the other side of the coin, flip to another sport – the NFL which has the ‘hardest’ system, the hardest of any sport, and it hasn’t stopped any dynasties (editorial comment: think New England and the KC Chiefs). In the NBA, I look to a team like the San Antonio Spurs, I think they won four championships in 10 years, spending within reason. Ultimately, for the best General Managers, the best managed teams in our league, they would say, ‘as long as there’s a level playing field, we believe in ourselves. We believe that we’ll be able to compete for a championship. For fans, the goal is not to stop dynasties, but a dynasty that’s created by drafting well, potentially trading well, is very different than a dynasty that’s created by virtue of a team having an unlimited amount of spending power. In that case, what we’ve seen from our fans, even fans who don’t care about ‘that’ team (the club spending), there’s more respect for the competition when the team is built through hard work as opposed to excessive spending.

“In terms of our economic system, ‘we’ve set-out to convince the players – through collective bargaining – that a more competitive system will drive more fan interest and drive more revenue for the entire league.’

“We’re at a point this season, that the average NBA players salary is $11 million. So, if I were representing the players, on one hand you don’t want to see the restrictions, but if you look at the aggregate benefit of a system like this, it’s clearly working by not just generating the $50 million highest level salaries but in a league of 450 players, two-way contracts and all, but an average salary of $11 million is quite spectacular.”

(On team/franchise value) – Rosner noted, media estimates have the average NBA team worth $4 billion – assets don’t increase forever, is it possible we’re seeing a bubble in team value?

Silver: “I have to be careful (to predict future valuations), so my personal view is, if you look at where Forbes or Sportico rates the value of our teams, compared to how they trade, I would say – believe it or not – $4 billion by average under-estimates/under-states the value of our teams.

“There’s probably a lot of economists or people studying economics here, I’m not sure what the precise definition of a bubble is, but when I look, for example, the last 10 years when we’ve experienced avaerage growth of 15-20% a year, it doesn’t seem as though there’s any indicia of a bubble. I also look at the fundamentals of our league, the recent television/media deal we just entered into which is 11 years of guaranteed income. Now, something could always happen to those companies but they’re the most – Disney, Amazon, Comcast – they’re essentially the most blue chip companies – longterm, with collective bargaining. It doesn’t mean there aren’t black swans out there, with things happening in the world. To me, on a spectrum on what could look ‘bubble-like’ and, on the other end of the spectrum, what would look fairly conservative, it would seem to be very solid growth and a solid investment to me.

“One of the private investment (team) owners recently said in a meeting, this is becoming its own asset class, something my predecessor – David Stern – would be pleased to hear because he used to bemoan, in the old days, the major banks really didn;t even have a sports desk, so to say. They didn’t cover us as an industry sector. He viewed sports as a $2-to-$3 trillion dollar asset class.

“Historically, what drove investments in sports teams were the fundamentals, but if you think of them as a rarity, there was an aspect – compared to art – a scarcity value and also a desire for someone to get all the benefits that come from notoriety – the psychic premium of being a sports team owner.

“What you’re now seeing – institutions are now investing in sports teams, in many cases in a very passive way with no rights whatsoever, it would be difficult to assign those same psychic benefits for those investments. So, when you start looking at it as an investment class, they’re looking at the same fundamentals we talked about, as a stand-alone investment, especially one where you might look at a portfolio, looking at things that may trade contrary to the public markets, it (franchise ownership) becomes an important diversifier.”

“I think part of the reason that these assets are so valuable is because of how conservative we are in terms – for example, the amount of debt we allow on our teams – a small percentage based on the franchise value. And, how we insist the teams be governed. Part of what makes these teams so valuable is the trust someone has in investing hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in them. If you allow institutional ownership and maybe those institutions weren’t attached to the franchise as much as (individual) owners or families are, didn’t bring the same passion for it. In general, people are generally fans of the teams and the players and they appreciate what the league is doing, but ultimately, they’re deep support comes on the local level for a specific team. It may be that using institutions over time, may not bring the same result.

We’ve made changes along the way. Some of it got accelerated during the pandemic. For example, we opened up our equity investment opportunities to fund in the middle of the pandemic, as much out of the need. There was concern, at that point it was 2020 and the league was shut down and nobody knows if it’s going to be a year, two years, five years, and (there were) cash needs for the teams. We then opened it up to sovereign wealth funds, as well. It seems to be working right now in terms of minority/passive ownership. It’s a high class problem, because if you have these assets and they’re growing at the rate they are, at some point, we’re going to run out of individuals – wealthy individuals who can cut those types of checks. To compound the issue, there’s all these other benefits you get by being the principal owner, the main, governing owner of the team.

In the – not-so-old days – when you wanted to fill your cap table, so you could borrow a certain amount of money – before we had private equity or sovereign wealth – you could go out to other individuals and say, ‘I’m not in a position to run the team or I can’t because of the time commitment’ and a fairly wealthy individual could put in $20 million or even $50 million. Well, it becomes much harder as the teams go up in value. Think about it, if a team is worth $4 billion or $6 billion, and you can make a $1 billion investment, there’s still $5 billion you have to fill to buy that team. So, you have the institutional investments, but it’s that middle tier that becomes much harder to fill. It will cause us to keep looking at it.”

Rosner: (On international efforts in UAE, but you haven’t played a game in China since 2019, and that inlcudes the time during the pandemic), what’s the strategy? Is it about revenue? Is it about exposure, fan development, talent development? Is it all of those things)?

Silver: The short answer is ‘all of those things, and I’ll expand on it.’

“I’ll start with Africa. This number is mind boggling. We’re at a point where 10% of the players in the NBA, were either born in Africa or one of their parents was born in Africa. We’re seeing enormous growth in terms of player development. Before me, David Stern began programs there, like Basketball Without Borders and we’ve increased it fairly substantially, creating academies, clinics, bringing players over when we play exhibitions in the summer. So, there’s the basketball development but there’s also a business there. We created the BAL, (Basketball Africa League), really a league of existing clubs. It’s an investment right now, but we see an opportunity in the rest of the world just like the United States. Many of the countries are realizing that arena infrastructure can lead to enormous economic development. That’s the arena business not the stadium. If you think of Madison Square Garden in New York, you have the Knicks and the Rangers (NHL) but there are other nights for concerts and other activities. The arenas are these ‘Palaces of Entertainment.’ Many of the leaders of the African countries see the same opportunity.

“Also, as a media matter, as smart phone availability continues to grow. In Africa, roughly 1.2 billion people in 55 countries, and the last I read there’s 500 million smart phones have been delivered in those countries. Ultimately, it’s a media business. and as we travel to these cities it’s a media opportunity, as well.

“China – I think we will bring games back to China at some point. We had a well known incident there, pre-pandemic, with a tweet. China’s government took us off the air for a period of time. We accepted that and we stood by our values. We said ‘this is who we are.’ In that case, it was a general manager (Daryl Morey), or a player or anyone in our league has a right to speak out on matters. That was our red line and we continue to do that. We ended up back on. the air over a year later and we’re continuing to develop the game there.

“I would say the same for the Gulf region. We’ve played games in Abu Dhabi for the last three years. Basketball is the No. 2 sport after soccer. They have a State of the Art arena. It’s where our Olympic team played two games there before they went on to Paris. By the way, another New York school – NYU – has a beautiful campus there. There’s a branch of The Louvre, the Guggenheim. There’s a Cleveland Clinic. There’s a Warner Bros Studio. So many of the main, blue chip US brands are operating there. Institutions, as I said, NYU, great museums, but also commercial brands. I recognize, it doesn’t come without criticism. I certainly think, for us, we begin by following guidance of the US Government, the State Department specifically, regardless of who is in office. We look to what other institutions are there with us, and lastly and most importantly for us, we make a decision on whether we’re making a positive contribution to those societies.

“In the week leading up to our games in Abu Dhabi, we had two clinics, involving 7,000 kids – equally boys and girls. We bring our JrNBA and JrWNBA programs there and I think it’s very additive. People have an opportunity to experience American culture, see this diverse group of players playing over there. But. we’re happy to deal directly with the issues – something that’s not – nothing, these days, is completely clean. You may say, it’s not fair for people to have contrary points of view, but we’ve made the decision collectively as a league, in expanding our league internationally it’s positive. It’s part of our mission to create health and wellness around the game of basketball.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Because of the length of the interview with Adam Silver,this week’s notebook will be cut short. It’ll be back at full strength next weekend.

A few take-aways from the Scott Rosner-Adam Silver interview:

  1. NBA Players make an average of $11 million a year
  2. The NBA hopes to return to China to play games
  3. The Gulf region remains fertile ground for NBA development

Going to Kansas City, Here I Come

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Special Edition: While We’re Young (Ideas)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor in Chief, Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – On a rather quiet night on the Boston sports scene, a fan must turn his/or/her lonely eyes West, towards Kansas City – the one in Missouri, not Kansas for the geographically-challenged Presidential candidate.

Yes, Kansas City – the city that celebrated two big professional sports victories Monday night.

KC Royals catcher Salvador Pérez hit a baseball out where there once stood South Bronx tenements and otherwise nothingness, before the palace that Jeter built was erected. But, if it were the old Yankee Stadium or the middle semi-renovated version of Yankee Stadium, the ball would’ve landed out by Monument Park, the same place George Brett used to hit them for the Royals.

MLB Postseason Baseball (KC vs SF in World Series)

Perez’ solo homer was part of a big fourth inning that turned a 1-0 New York lead into a 4-1 KC advantage which held up as a 4-2 victory to even the American League Division Series at 1-1 as the clubs pack up and head west.

At the same time, out at Arrowhead Stadium in KC, the Chiefs were puttin’ a ‘hurtin on the New Orleans Saints, in a lopsided 26-13 victory where Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes threw for 331 yards on 28-of-39 while RB Kareem Hunt came from a locker full of mothballs to run for 102 yards and a TD while carrying the ball 27 times. Yes 27 times.

Another key to the KC football victory was 27-year old JuJu Smith-Schuster who secured seven of eight targets for 130 yards. Most NFL and New England Patriots observers do not need to be reminded, Smith-Schuster was recetly released from the Patriots’ wide receiver room, a place occupied by the distinguished DeMario Douglas, Ja’Lynn Polk, and oft-injured Kendrick Bourne – the latter having played one game and has one catch to his credit on the 2024 season.

The proven point is that a city which used to have October nights filled with David “Big Papi” Ortiz postseason baseball homers or game-winning Tom Brady to Julian Edelman touchdowns now has only a hard-fought Wakefield vs. Arlington high school soccer game on the books (Wakefield won, 4-3).

Meanwhile, Kansas City’s Royals clocked a big ALDS series victory on the road at Yankee Stadium and KC’s Chiefs won an important cross-conference Monday Night Football game to extend their unbeaten streak to five games, resistering as the only team in the NFL to be 5-0 in a season at the quarter pole.

Instead of world class model Gisele Bundchen and the kids skipping along on the sidelines, rooting for the World’s No. 1 quarterback Tom Brady, we were submitted to the return of World No. 1 pop star Taylor Swift returning to Arrowhead Stadium after taking two road games off. Her return prompted beau Travis Kelce to his best game of the new season, with the tight end grabbing a hefty nine catches for 70 yards, and averaging 7.8 yards per reception. Oh, the humanity.

While New England fans are starved without Sausage Guy leftovers on Landsdowne Street, the Kansas City faithful can go upscale BBQ at Q39, or head over to Arthur Bryant’s or Chef J BBQ for some pork belly burnt ends which are far better than New England burned corners and safeties.

The Chiefs are destined for a run at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Red Sox fans are destined for a winter of Polar Park and also a spring trip to Worcester to watch AAA ball, seeking out WooSox prospects between snowflakes.

While the Royals might upset the mighty Yankees, Patriots fans might be watching the worst team in the entire NFL, a club with a four game losing streak that’s likely to grow to five when the Houston Texans land in Foxborough this weekend. Only an October 20 contest vs Jacksonville (in London) might solve the troubles that first year head coach Jerod Mayo is facing this season.

Earlier in the season, rookie Javon Baker made a poor decision and posted an angry video after receiving a traffic ticket from one of Massachusetts’ finest. That spurt of hot water turned boiling this past weekend when team captain, safety Jabrill Peppers was arrested and later arraigned for alleged charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault of a family/household member, strangulation, and – the kicker, tough to deny, possession of a Class B substance, which allegedly tested as white powder cocaine.

That’s a quarter-season of misery for Mayo, owner of a resume that reads 1-4 (0-2 at home), a four game losing streak, a quarterback conundrum – not a controversy – between veteran Jacoby Brissett and first-round draft pick Drake Maye (No. 3, overall). Brissett is being subjected to protection by the worst offensive line in recent memory. The Patriots shuffled between five different starting offensive line combinations in their first five games. In doing so, they’ve allowed the highest pressure rate on their QB of all NFL teams. Miami only sacked Brissett twice, but San Francisco’s defense leveled Brissett six times.

Would you subject a rookie quarterback to that scenario?

And, where do the longtime buttoned-up, disciplined and character-first Patriots stand on charges against Peppers? Innocent until proven guilty is the way of the land, of course, but a bag of cocaine in possession is a pretty cut and dry violation of NFL rules.

The answer to all is a realization of a franchise hitting bottom, of early speculation on the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a Foxborough filled pack of season ticket holders who must experience the misery of losing – possibly for a very long time in the ultra-competitive AFC.

That all brings us to October 8, 2024 and Opening Night in the National Hockey League – the Boston Bruins in gusty Florida for their regular season opener against the pesky Panthers. The New Jersey Devils are undefeated (2-0) and the Buffalo Sabres are (0-2) after a pair of opening games in Prague. The rest of the league drops the puck tonight.

Meanwhile, the NBA shipped the Celtics to Abu Dhabi for a pair of preseason games in the friendly confines of Etihad Arena in Dubai. Nothing wrong with a (2-0) start against the Denver Nuggets and reigning MVP extraordinaire, Nikola Jokic, otherwise known as the greatest second round pick since the Spurs grabbed Manu Ginobili in Round Dos last century.

New England fans, lovers of blame and the pastime of pointing fingers have no other choice but to turn the pages of the calendar to the winter sports season. It’s ice hockey and hoops time in Boston.

See you in June.

 

THE PASSING OF LUIS TIANT

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox and all New England baseball fans today mourn the loss of Red Sox Hall of Famer Luis Tiant, who passed away this morning at his home in Maine at the age of 83. One of the most beloved figures in Red Sox history, “El Tiante” spent 31 years in the organization as a player, coach, broadcaster, and special assignment instructor.

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“Luis had the kind of unforgettable presence that made you feel like you were part of his world,” said Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry. “He was a pitcher with incredible talent, accomplishing so much with a style uniquely his own. But what truly set Luis apart was his zest for life, embracing every moment with an infectious spirit, even in the face of his many challenges. He channeled everything into his love for the game and the people around him. He was magnetic and had a smile that could light up Fenway Park. Luis was truly one-of-a-kind and all of us at the Red Sox will miss him.”

“Luis embodied everything we love about this game: resilience, passion, and an undeniable sense of belonging to something greater than himself,” said Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. “He was a cornerstone of the Red Sox pitching staff for years, with an unmatched grit and tenacity on the mound. His ability to rise in the most pressure-filled moments—especially his complete-game performances—cemented his place as a true legend. But what made Luis unforgettable was his vibrant personality. He was a gifted storyteller, always sharing tales filled with humor, honesty, and an enduring loyalty to his teammates. All of us are deeply saddened by his passing. We lost one of the great ones today.”

“Luis had a style of pitching that was as memorable as it was effective, but to me, the rarer gift was his ability to lift you up with just a smile,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “When you were with him, you were reminded of what really matters. Whether you were a teammate, a fan, or just someone fortunate enough to share a conversation, Luis had a way of making you feel special, like you were a close friend. His legacy on the mound is undeniable, but all of us today are mourning the man, the friend, the mentor who connected generations of fans and players. I am gutted by the news of his passing and will miss him more than words can express. Spring Training won’t be the same without Luis’s infectious energy spreading throughout camp.”

Born in Marianao, Cuba, Tiant went 229-172 with a 3.30 ERA and 2,416 strikeouts in 19 Major League seasons with Cleveland (1964-69), Minnesota (1970), Boston (1971-78), the New York Yankees (1979-80), Pittsburgh (1981), and the California Angels (1982). He finished among the top six in American League Cy Young Award voting three times—all with Boston—and finished fifth in 1968 AL Most Valuable Player voting. A three-time All-Star (1968, ’74, ’76), Tiant led the AL in ERA in 1968 (1.60) and 1972 (1.91), recorded four seasons with at least 20 wins, and served as his club’s Opening Day starter on four occasions (1969, 1973-75).

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Inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997, Tiant was signed by Boston as a free agent in May 1971. He compiled a 122-81 record and a 3.36 ERA for the club and still ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders in wins (5th, 122), starts (5th, 238), innings pitched (4th, 1,774.2), strikeouts (7th, 1,075), complete games (T-6th, 113), and shutouts (4th, 26). He led Boston in wins in 1973 (20), 1974 (22), and 1976 (21), and in 1972 he finished eighth in MVP voting after leading Major League Baseball with a 1.91 ERA. In his final outing as a member of the Red Sox, Tiant threw a two-hit shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays on October 1, 1978, setting up a one-game playoff against the Yankees.

The Red Sox won each of Tiant’s four starts in the 1975 Postseason, including Games 1, 4, and 6 of the World Series. After throwing a three-hitter against the Oakland A’s in Game 1 of the ALCS, he shut out the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the World Series. Tiant recorded another complete game in Game 4 of the Fall Classic, then threw 7.0 innings in Game 6, which ended with Carlton Fisk’s 12th-inning home run. In 1982, he was named to the Red Sox All-Time Second Team (as voted by the fans), and in 2012 he earned a spot on the All-Fenway Park Team as a First Reserve.

In addition to serving as a pitching coach in the Dodgers (1992-95) and White Sox (1997) organizations, Tiant was Nicaragua’s pitching coach in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He spent 1998-2001 as head coach for Division III Savannah (GA) College of Art and Design, then returned to the Red Sox organization in 2002 as a pitching coach for Short-A Lowell. From 2002-03, Tiant served as a broadcaster for the Red Sox Spanish Baseball Network. For the past 21 years (2004-24), he had served as a special assignment instructor.

Tiant is survived by his wife, Maria, and their four children, Luis Jr., Isabel, Daniel, and John Papile.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Chicago

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CHICAGO – When I think of Chicago, I think of the NBA and I immediately picture Chi-town native son Brian McIntyre, my boss and partner in crime at the league office for years and years – far too many to count. I also think of No. 23 – Michael Jordan – (pictured above) who took a symbolic NBA baton from Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Clyde Frazier and Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius “Dr. J” Erving, then Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson and ran it to every corner of the earth. How can you possibly think of Chicago and not think of Michael Jordan and the Bulls?

It’s great to be back in Chicago this weekend. I missed it a lot.

How did I miss thee? Let me count the ways.

I miss the 4:00am Blues Bar Kingston Mines. I miss the Twin Anchors and their baby back spare ribs.

I miss Magic Slim and the Teardrops. Slim passed away not long after a tour in 2013. We spent many a night chasing Slim to different dives around Chicago. One time during the 1997 Finals, were were disappointed not to see Slim playing in Chicago during the Game 1 and 2 schedule, only to find him at Club DV8 right next to the Salt Lake City Marriott for Games 3 and 4.

I miss Wrigley Field and the Cubs. And the great Harry Caray and his famous 7th inning stretch. How about Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub, stating, “Let’s play two,” because two games were better than just one in the days of frequent doubleheaders.

I miss a nice cold Old Style or a Falstaff. 🍺

I miss motoring down Lake Shore Drive in the spring and walking along Michigan Avenue in the summer.

I miss Buddy Guy’s at 700 S. Wabash. We had some good times there. I miss McCuddy’s, the old landmark Chicago saloon across the street from Comiskey Park.

I miss the Billy Goat Tavern on Lower Wacker. Word has it, this location wasn’t the original which was out on Madison. “Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger.” and “No Coke, Pepsi.” Now, they have eight locations. What a shame.

How about an Italian beef sandwich dreamt up by Al Ferrari? Or, maybe something as simple and great as a Chicago Hot Dog or Deep Dish Pizza?

I miss watching Gale Sayers running for the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Sayers was to NFL football what Julius “Dr. J” Erving was to the ABA and NBA. He was amazing and the best running back I’ve ever seen. Bears’ fans hold RB Walter Payton in the highest esteem, and I have no beef with that at all. Detroit Lions fans can boast of RB Barry Sanders, and they have every right to do so. But to me, Sayers was the best of all-time. He was drafted No. 4 overall in the 1965 NFL Draft. The Bears had the No. 3 (Dick Butkis) and No. 4 (Sayers), and they were preceded by the No. 1 pick, Tucker Frederickson of Auburn going to the New York Giants and No. 2 Ken Willard of North Carolina going to the San Francisco 49ers. Both Frederickson and Willard were Pro Bowl players. Butkis and Sayers are Hall of Famers.

I miss the Chicago Stadium, the loudest sports venue, by far, of any I’ve ever set foot inside and that goes for both ice hockey and basketball. Madison Square Garden rocks, and so did The Spectrum in Philly or the arenas – new and old – in the Bay Area, but the Stadium? Forget it.

Former Bulls PR man turned NBA guru Brian McIntyre says they had to wrap aluminum foil around the old Radio Shack computer couplers in order for reporters to send in stories late in the fourth quarter. It was so loud, the sound rattled the computer transmissions.

I miss Tony Esposito and Stan Mikita, Keith Magnuson and Bobby Hull, Pit Martin and Dennis Hull, all of the great Chicago Blackhawks teams. The most prominent musical instrument ever built was housed in the old Chicago Stadium. In fact, it was the largest Barton Organ ever built had some 51 ranks of pipes of massive scale with the usual percussion, traps, and effects. A rather gaudy red and gold “circus wagon” console (perhaps the largest organ console ever built) was on prominent display on the arena’s balcony. A balcony seat behind the goal was the best seat in hockey.

I miss Gate 3 1/2 – the media, employees, players and VVIP entrance to the Chicago Stadium, and possibly, the most unique “gate” in pro sports history. At a normal regular season game, parking in the Gate 3 1/2 lot was a breeze. In the Playoffs, forget it unless you had some serious juice. In many places around the league, the great (my old boss at NBA) Brian McIntyre had some juice. In Chicago, he was Mr. Tropicana. At NBA Finals games, we’d be able to drive within five-ten feet of Gate 3 1/2, hop out, grab out jackets and bags and Brian would hand the keys to an attendant – usually an off-duty or retired Chicago Police officers – would whisk the car away to be parked in a very safe and gated adjacent lot. On most nights, we’d be the last car to leave but the car would be waiting, backed in and facing outbound to make it easier to depart. On cold nights in the winter, the heater would be on and the car already nice and warm. On hot, steamy summer nights during the many NBA Finals games, the air conditioning would be on and the car perfectly cooled. A 5-10 minute heads up got the job done.

Yours truly bounding out Gate 3 1/2 on off-day of 1992 NBA Finals (NBA Photos)

So, I must state firmly, I miss the Chicago Bulls, in general, and I especially miss Tim Hallam and Joe O’Neill of the Bulls’ front office. And, yeah, I miss that guy who wore No. 23.

Think back to the Bulls introductions, beginning with the visiting team players being dead-panned (announced) to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon instrumental “On the Run,” accompanied by the crowd’s growing chorus of boos, was the greatest in sports history. … After the visitor’s were introduced and the dull, low of instrumental, then it really began, with an animation of a lonely bull browsing and grazing then gathering steam and running past the Chicago Theatre and through downtown Chicago until it reached the Madhouse on Madison. (a later animation had a whole stampede of Bulls on the way to the United Center). I miss hearing the instrumental of the Alan Parsons Project playing Sirius. … I miss the deafening introduction of Michael Jordan … And I miss having a courtside seat to see the most spectacular all-around player the NBA has ever seen. For those who never saw the intros in person, this version recorded in 1996 by NBC Sports and originating from the United Center doesn’t even do justice to the pure pandemonium that occurred at the old Stadium. Night and day with the level of noise, and United Center is a solid No. 2 in my eyes and ears, with Salt Lake City’s Delta Center being a distant No. 3 to back the Utah Jazz … But, back to Chi-town, when I think of the Chicago Bulls, I first think of Jordan and all the nights at The Finals, but I also think of Jerry Sloan, the toughest of all Bulls and one of the toughest players to ever play in the NBA. In most cases with the players and coaches of the NBA, you make acquaintance. With Sloan, you met him and – under the right circumstances – you had a true friend for life. Tough, sincere, loyal. I miss him greatly, and may he rest in peace. … As I close with my tribute to Chicago, I can say I even miss John Fett, the cranky old Operations Director of the Chicago Stadium. Fett was always clad in his NHL Blackhawks Starter jacket to show the NBA Bulls where his allegiance was every day of the season.

SPORTS TOWNS: I’ve always ranked the USA’s top sports towns as a three horse race, and here they are (in order):

  1. Philadelphia
  2. Chicago
  3. Boston

Everyone else is pretending or their city has so much else to offer (theatre, music, dance) that people are spread thinly with the many options. That said, if you’re going to measure sports towns by championships across the four major North American sports, here’s the list:

  1. New York (53 championships)
  2. Boston (40)
  3. Montreal (27)
  4. Chicago (26)
  5. Los Angeles (25)
  6. Detroit (22)
  7. Philadelphia (16)
  8. Toronto (16)
  9. Pittsburgh (16)
  10. St. Louis (15)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The sports division at Netflix has been busy signing deals with properties and greasing the skids on bigger and better relationships as live full game and highlights of sports programming continues to be the be-all, end-all of DVR-free content. Netflix is getting its NBA on with a 10-part series entitled “Starting Five.” It features: Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, Lebron James, Domantas Sabonis and Boston’s Jayson Tatum. Netflix has featured successful sports documentaries in NFL, Golf and Formula-1 car racing, among others. The Starting 5 has an impressive list of Producers, including James’ cohort Maverick Carter, Peyton Manning, President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. The series will drop its first episode on Oct. 9th.

VIDEO KILLED THE AM RADIO BAND: Get this? The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 45 to 2 to send a proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 8449) to the full House for a vote.

“It’s been a stalwart of American prosperity and information sharing,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC). “Having AM radio available is important to my constituents,” he added, noting its role during emergencies.

The role of AM during natural disasters was cited by several lawmakers as they spoke out during the bill’s markup, noting that FEMA has also spent tens of millions of dollars solidifying the Emergency Alert System with AM radio the backbone of EAS.

“For those of us who have experienced a natural disaster like Superstorm Sandy, we know that AM radio is an important lifeline when other forms of mass communication go out. It’s an important bill that I believe will help keep Americans safe,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), who cosponsored the bill.

If passed by the full House, the proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act will require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring access to AM broadcast stations in motor vehicles. If they don’t, carmakers could be fined, according to Inside Radio trade rag.

No truth to the rumor the House will mandate Cousin Brucie will return to WABC or if 1010-WINS will be back in the news business.

EAS: A quick question for our readers. During the global Pandemic/COVID-19, did the Emergency Alert System in your town utter one word of advice in your home? We’ve all endured countless show interruptions and middle-of-the-night awakenings to the sound of the Emergency Alert system, and its recording … You know it: “If this were an actual emergency …”

My thought is that the global pandemic was the most dangerous and lethal emergency to come down the pike in my lifetime, but not a “beep” from my EAS. What’s the deal with that? Can there possibly be a bigger emergency than a global pandemic knocking on the door?

TIDBITS AND GOLDEN NUGGETS: How many of you were absent from pop and rock school the day they taught Dua Lipa? That’s what 60 Minutes is for, right? In case you didn;t realize, 60 Minutes has been the best show on TV for 57 years. What is its secret? … It informs. … Case in point: Last weekend they had an in-depth 20 minute report on Due Lips. In case you didn’t know, Dua Lipa hails from London and was born to parents of Kosovo (Former YUG). Her father, a son of a historian, frequently played the music of David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, The Police/Sting and the Stereophonics. Her father played in a local rock band as he was a singer and guitarist. After being told as a youngster that she couldn’t sing, she practiced and took lessons. By age 15 she was recording covers and uploading them to YouTube and SoundCloud. She’d also signed with a top modeling agency which allowed her to audition for parts with singing roles. She recorded “Hotter than Hell” and it delivered a recording contract with Warner Brothers. The dance-pop/techno-pop tempo dictated the tones of the rest of her album recordings and she was on her way to stardom. … When you figure out why there’s a Dua Lipa note in the middle of a Sunday Sports column, let me know, although her workout routines are up there with Jerry Rice or Karl Malone. She reportedly does workouts with classic warm-ups and stretching, hill sprints, core training, all body weight programs, yoga, and even some boxing. Then she winds down with long dog walks and a nap. The message: 60 Minutes just rocks.

FUTSAL: Raise your hand if you’ve been following the Futsal World Cup ‘24. … Oh, let’s rephrase the question. What the hell is Futsal and where is its World Cup? The Futsal World Cup was listed in the Sports TV Guide of the Boston Globe this week and I was curious enough to check it out. … Futsal is a derivative of Futbal in a Salon, or, in other words, Indoor Soccer. It dates back to 1930 and was conjured up by a teacher in Montevideo, Uruguay who created a version of indoor football for the members of the local YMCA. … That sounds quite similar to the start of basketball, but came some 39 years after Dr. James Naismith began bouncing basketballs in Springfield. … Futsal was usually played on the basketball hardwood floors and it’s caught on in a big way. I can attest, in Phys Ed class in high school, we played football, soccer, floor hockey, European Handball (a personal favorite), basketball, tennis, track and field events – you name it. But we never played futsal. I wish we had tried it. … The Futsal World Cup is on-going in – their words, not mine – the multifunctional sports and entertainment complex in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. … Look it up on FS-2 or check your local listings and stream it.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | 9/15/2024

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Today is September 15th, 2024. You can grab a full deck of playing cards and deal one card per day to bring you to Election Day on November 5th, 2024. Meanwhile, we’re seven days away from Autumn, possibly the best and certainly the most beautiful season of the year in New England. We’re 16 days away from the first MLB Postseason Wild Card game, to be held October 1, 2024. The final Red Sox regular season game at Fenway Park will be held two days before that, on September 29th, 2024. The seasons of the sun, they are a’ changing.

Let’s take a good, long look at September 15ths of the past. It’s been a pretty amazing date on the calendar.

In 608, Saint Boniface IV began his reign as Pope. The 4th? Doesn’t this make you want to meet the other three guys?

In 1683, Germantown, Pennsylvania was founded by 13 immigrant families. Like Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote, “Immigrants, they get the job done.”

In 1789, the US Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed Department of State.

In 1851, Saint Joseph’s University was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That would eventually bring us all the great Mike Bantom.

In 1857, Timothy Alder of NY patented the typesetting machine. Good man he was.

In 1902, Chicago Cubs infielders Tinker, Evers, & Chance turned their first double play together in a 6-3 win over Cincinnati. But, get this, on September 19, 2024, I’ll be able to see Chicago’s Wrigley Field, first known to the world as a Federal League ballfield – Weeghman Park. The Cubs host the Washington Nationals in seven days. The game will take place in the “friendly confines.” The Cubs played their first home game at Wrigley on April 20, 1916, defeating the Cincinnati Reds, 7–6, in 11 innings. Only Fenway Park (1912), here in Boston, is older than Wrigley.

On September 15, 1921, WBZ-AM, here in Boston, began its radio transmission.

In 1946, the Dodgers beat Cubs, 2-0, in a shortened five innings when the game was called because of gnats.

In 1960, Maurice “Rocket” Richard announced his retirement from the Montreal Canadiens. He finished his career with 544 goals, an NHL record at the time. He played 18 seasons in the NHL and was the first 50 goal scorer.

A year later, in 1961, the 61st US Golf Amateur Championship saw Jack Nicklaus win at the age of 21. I’m pretty sure he turned pro and had a pretty nice run.

In 1963, the Alou brothers – Felipe, Matty, & Jesús – appeared in the San Francisco Giants outfield for an inning in a 13-5 win over Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field/

In 1966, then US President Lyndon B. Johnson, responding to an August 1 sniper attack at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote a letter to the United States Congress, urging the enactment of gun control legislation. The August 1 attack was known as the University of Texas Tower shooting where 15 people were killed and 31 others were injured before police shot the mass murderer, a 25-year old Marine. Forty-one years later, the Virginia Tech shootings took place, killing 32 and injuring another 17 people. That mass murder came seven Presidents after LBJ and nothing’s been done since.

In 1969, Steve Carlton was pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals when he struck-out 19 New York Mets but lost the game, 4-3, when the Metsies tagged him for two runs in the 8th inning when Ron Swoboda hit his second of two (two-run) homers. In the little-known facts department, the day before Swoboda’s two HR game, Mets broadcaster – the great Ralph Kiner – took Swoboda aside for some instructional batting practice. Tug McGraw earned the victory in relief of Gary Gentry. The Mets had rallied in September to take the divisional lead only five days before. It was the first year of division play in MLB. The Mets would go on to take the NL East by eight games over the Cubs. Then, they swept the Atlanta Braves in three games in the NL Championship Series, and defeated the Baltimore Orioles in five games in the World Series with Jerry Koosman gaining the two most important victories in franchise history, including a complete game in the ‘69 World Series finale. That team will forever be known as the “Miracle Mets.”

In 1974, Market Square Arena – home of the Indiana Pacers until 1999 – opened its doors in downtown Indianapolis.

In 1978, before 63,352 at the New Orleans SuperDome, the greatest – Muhammad Ali defeated Leon Spinks in 15 rounds. Spinks had upset Ali in February of ‘78 with a split decision.

In 1982, the first edition of USA Today was printed by satellite and distributed all over the United States. Editorial Note: Earlier that year, newspaperman Henry Freeman visited my office at the NBA to explain what they had in mind and asked for help with the NBA team PRs sending extra information and quickly sending full final boxscores which ran in the sports section, increasing NBA coverage exponentially over the short Associated Press boxscores.

In 1985, at The Belfry … Europe defeated the United Staes in the Ryder Cup 16½-11½, marking the first US loss since 1957. Sam Torrance clinched the win for Europe by beating Andy North, 1 up.

Sadly, on September 15, 2004 Johnny Ramone, the lead guitarist for the Queens, NY band passed away from prostate cancer. He was only 59. The Ramones were inducted to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and earned a Lifetime GRAMMY Award.

We can wish Long Island’s Marcus Iavaroni a happy 68th birthday today. Better known as Marc, the starting power forward for the ‘83 NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers, he hails from Plainview Kennedy H.S. in New York (Mid-Island) and attended Virginia before being drafted by the New York Knicks in the third round of the 1978 NBA Draft (55th overall). (Little known fact, the Knicks drafted two champion power forwards and watched them win as members of other teams. Iavaroni, you know. The other? Kurt Rambis of the Los Angeles Lakers. Almost a mirror image, the Knicks grabbed Rambis out of Santa Clara with the third round pick of the 1980 NBA Draft (58th overall).

There’s another 17 NBA players and two ABA players who were born on September 15, and the late Buddy Jeannette is the only Hall of Famer of the bunch. Jeannette was born in 1917 and attended Washington & Jefferson College. He was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994. Jeannette passed away March 11, 1998 at the age of 80.

And, aside from Marc Iavaroni, there are dozens of famous folks who were born on September 15, including Prince Harry, actor Tommy Lee Jones, US President William Howard Taft and explorer Marco Polo, if you can find him.

HERE NUNN, THE NOTES: That’s no typo. Here Now, former NBA referee and one time Director of Officiating Ronnie Nunn is being inducted to the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame, a newly reorganized entity that will undertake the huge responsibility of paying tribute to the City game. … Nunn played ball at Brooklyn Tech and went on to play college basketball at George Washington University in DC. He played pro basketball in Mexico for two seasons but returned to New York to find his first calling as a special ed teacher and as an assistant coach at Pace University and also his high school alma mater.

Nunn began his officiating career in 1984 when he worked in the Continental Basketball Association and the Pro-Am summer league. Nunn went on to work 1,134 NBA regular-season, 73 NBA Playoff and four NBA Finals games, while enjoying an assignment at the 1996 NBA All-Star Game.

After retiring from active duty as an official, Nunn served as the NBA’s Director of Officials for five years, including his work on “You Make the Call” for NBA Entertainment.

The 2024 NYC Basketball Hall of Fame festivities will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Thursday, September 19. Nine others will join Nunn for the honors.

TIDBITS AND GOLDEN NUGGETS: A follow-up to the terrible story of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau: The driver of the vehicle which struck and killed Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road has been charged with two counts of death by automobile. The driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of Woodstown, New Jersey, had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said. … At a hearing held September 13, a judge ordered that Higgins be held for trial after prosecutors described a history of alleged road rage and aggressive driving. Higgins told police he had five or six beers that day and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving, according to the criminal complaint. He also failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said.

The Boston Red Sox are 22-31 since the MLB All-Star break and 5-4 over their last nine games, a pace that just won’t get it done in the AL Wild Card race. They’re 4.0 games back from Minnesota in the AL Wild Card standings but have Detroit and Seattle in between them and the Twins.

SMALL FRYE: Remember the ill-fated Frye Festival of 2017? Well, the George Mason college basketball team contracted with The VII Group of Georgia for a trip to play games against top competition in Nassau (Bahamas) and has cancelled the trip completely as VII Group allegedly hasn’t fulfilled obligations. George Mason placed $160,000 with the VII Group to plan a four-night basketball camp and exhibition games between August 8-12, 2024. Apparently, the FBI is now looking into the case, according to SPORTICO.

RIP No. 7: New York Mets fan favorite, Ed Kranepool, passed away this week after fighting a lengthy illness. While Tom Seaver, Rusty Staub, Buddy Harrelson, Jerry Koosman, Tommie Agee, Ron Swoboda, Doc Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Mike Piazza and Pete Alonso might be the all-time headliners of Mets favorites, it was Kranepool who first held that honor in the 1960s.

 

Bills Crush Dolphins; Tua Hurt

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MIAMI GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Buffalo’s RB James Cook tallied three touchdowns, Ja’Marcus Ingram grabbed the first two interceptions of his career and the Bills trounced the Miami Dolphins 31-10 on Thursday in Florida.

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Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted three times, including a pick-6 by Ingram that blew the game open early in the third quarter. Tagovailoa later sustained a concussion when he collided with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin and left the game under his own power.

Skylar Thompson finished out the game at quarterback for Miami. De’Von Achane led the Dolphins with 96 rushing yards on 22 carries, seven catches for 69 yards and a receiving score.

Cook — who had two rushing touchdowns all of last year — ran for two scores and caught another on Thursday while gaining 78 yards on the ground for the Bills (2-0). Josh Allen completed an efficient 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards and one TD.

Buffalo defeated Miami (1-1) for the 12th time in their past 13 meetings (regular season and playoffs).

On Miami’s first possession of the second half, Tagovailoa was under duress and tried to throw a pass out of bounds, but it didn’t reach the far sideline and Ingram fielded it for an easy 31-yard pick-six.

 

Jin Young Ko Leads FM at Boston

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NORTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jin Young Ko shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after three rounds at the inaugural FM Championship at TPC Boston.

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The South Korea native bookended her day with birdies on the first two holes and the last two holes and added two more against a single bogey to take control at 11 under heading into the final round Sunday.

“I just wanted to have good golf this week in Boston,” Ko said. “I mean, a lot of Korean fans out there, so they are cheering me so much. I feel really loved. Yeah, one more round to go. I will focus myself tomorrow.”

Lauren Coughlin sits alone in second place after carding her third straight 69, putting her at 9 under for the tournament.

“Still trying to go play my game, stay in my bubble, do what I could do, hit good shots, and try to make some putts,” Coughlin said.

Three golfers are within three strokes of Ko at 8 under: Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (67), Allisen Corpuz (67) and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul (69).

“I just felt really comfortable with the putter this week. Been seeing a lot more putts go in,” Corpuz said. ” … Been able to get a few close and make the birdie putts.”

South Korean Haeran Ryu had shot a 10-under-par 62 on Friday to take a commanding six-stroke lead, but she had a Saturday to forget, suffering two double-bogeys among her first four holes and carding another five bogeys on her way to a 6-over 78.

Still, Ryu is tied for sixth with Germany’s Alexandra Forsterling (67) at 7 under despite the disastrous round and lurks within striking distance of her second career win.

At the other end of the spectrum, an impressive 8-under 64 vaulted China’s Ruixin Liu into contention. Her day included an eagle on the par-4 10th and eight birdies to go along with a pair of bogeys. That put her in a tie for eighth with Yealimi Noh (73).

“For me the biggest difference is I was able to hit more fairways compared to the first two days, so I gave myself more opportunities for birdies,” Liu said.

“I don’t have any expectation today because I barely made the cut … I’m just very grateful I’m able to play today, so I think that’s the most important reason why I’m able to shoot this low.”

Marina Alex, who led after one round, posted a 4-over 76 to fall into a tie for 46th at even par.

–Field Level Media

Diamondbacks Ride Win Streak

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The visiting Arizona Diamondbacks can complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a victory Sunday. Arizona won the opener, 12-2, on Friday night and posted a 4-1 victory on Saturday. The Diamondbacks enter Sunday’s matchup on a five-game winning streak, all on the road.

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Saturday’s win gave the Diamondbacks their 11th series victory in the last 12 tries. The only exception came last weekend, when Tampa Bay swept a three-game series as Arizona began its nine-game trip. The Diamondbacks are 25-8 since the All-Star break.

Arizona’s starting pitchers — Ryne Nelson on Friday and Zac Gallen on Saturday — combined to allow two runs on seven hits in 12 innings.

“Those guys (the Diamondbacks) are really good,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “What they do is not just against us — it’s against everybody. It’s a different type of pitching, too. Different angles, they change speeds, they don’t give in. You have to be very stubborn in the zone.

“They’re really good at what they do. They’re probably one of the best teams in the big leagues right now. They’re athletic, they run the bases well, they put good at-bats — it’s a complete team.”

Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez has four hits and seven RBIs in the series. He collected five RBIs — including a grand slam — on Friday and had a two-run double in Saturday’s win.

Boston’s pitchers walked six on Saturday, including four in the seventh when Arizona scored two runs without getting a hit.

“When the pitcher has good stuff or he’s attacking and we’re not getting hits, I think our patience will pay off,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re going to get some baserunners and create some run-scoring opportunities. That’s what we did today.”

A walk forced in the first run in the seventh, and the second scored on a wild pitch by Brennan Bernardino.

“At this level we cannot do that, obviously,” Cora said. “We had the right matchups. It just didn’t work out.”

 

 

Sunday’s pitching matchup has Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly (3-0, 3.63 ERA) facing Boston righty Tanner Houck (8-8, 3.01).

Kelly has made two starts since returning from the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury. He gave up two runs in five innings to beat the Phillies in the first start, then allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings during an 8-7 loss to Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg on Aug. 18.

Kelly has faced the Red Sox twice in his career and has a 1-1 record with a 1.26 ERA. He has 19 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings against Boston, and struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Red Sox last season.

Houck has made three straight quality starts, and gave up three runs (two earned) in six innings of a 5-4 loss to Houston on Monday. He made his only career start against Arizona last season — opposing Kelly in that 10-strikeout game — and took a loss after surrendering four runs on six hits in four innings. Arizona’s Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo each homered against Houck.

The Red Sox are expecting outfielder Tyler O’Neill to play Sunday after he missed the last three games because of a swollen finger on his left hand.

“He should be in the lineup,” Cora said.

–Field Level Media

Houston to Start Verlander

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Ttart HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – As Houston’s right-hand pitcher Ronel Blanco labored for 3 2/3 innings in the Astros’ 6-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, the return of veteran right-hander Justin Verlander gained an additional measure of significance.

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Verlander will make his first start since June 9 when host Houston and Boston meet on Wednesday afternoon for the rubber match of a three-game series.

Neck discomfort landed Verlander (3-2, 3.95 ERA) on the 15-day injured list back on June 18. With his arm back in the fold, the Astros will utilize a six-man rotation for the immediate future, a strategy that should lighten the workload for Blanco and rookie Spencer Arrighetti, both of whom are in uncharted waters as big-leaguers.

“It’s big getting JV on the mound. It’s getting one of the best back in there,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “We know what he means. We know he’s part of this winning culture and getting him back is a big boost for our team, especially down the stretch.”

The Astros did not announce a pitch count for Verlander against the Red Sox, but they will exercise caution. Verlander, 41, has worked only 57 innings this season after tossing 162 1/3 for Houston and the New York Mets in 2023, his lowest total in a 162-game season since he threw 133 1/3 innings for the Detroit Tigers in 2015.

“We’ll see how the outing goes and how efficient he is,” Espada said. “I don’t want to put a number because he can surprise us. But we’re going to keep a close eye on his workload for sure.”

Verlander is 6-6 with a 2.74 ERA over 20 career starts against the Red Sox.

Right-hander Cooper Criswell (5-4, 4.56) will start for Boston in the series finale on Wednesday.

It will be the first start since July 23 for Criswell, who is 1-0 with an 8.10 ERA and a blown save over his past five relief appearances. Criswell made 12 consecutive starts before his most recent stint out of the bullpen and went 4-3 with a 3.99 ERA during that stretch. The start against the Astros will mark his fourth consecutive road appearance.

Criswell will be making his first career appearance against Houston.

The Red Sox pulled out all the stops to even this three-game series on Tuesday, needing a monster 4-for-4 performance from center fielder Jarren Duran atop the order plus a 2-for-3 showing from first baseman Triston Casas, who homered, walked twice and drove in three runs.

Mix in a bullpen that allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings, and Boston found a successful formula to defeat the Astros for the first time in five games this season to set the table for a potential series victory.

“We knew we were gonna have our hands full coming into the week, with this series (against Houston),” Casas said. “We’re playing good baseball, and (Tuesday) was a full team effort.”

The Red Sox have won three of their past five games, while the Astros have won 11 of their past 13, with four of those victories coming against Boston.

–Field Level Media

Orioles Bats Heating Up

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Baltimore Orioles have been looking like significant offensive threats again and that should bode well for the American League East contenders. They meet the visiting Boston Red Sox again Friday night at Camden Yards.

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The Orioles won their second in a row by beating the Red Sox 5-1 in the series opener Thursday.

“They hit the ball hard,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “They grind at-bats.”

The Orioles have won six of seven meetings against Boston this year.

Baltimore’s big bats are cranking up again. Gunnar Henderson, who has 31 home runs, has homered in back-to-back games for the first time since June 25-26.

“I feel like we’ve been making strides in the right direction,” Henderson said.

Cedric Mullins, who also homered in the series opener, is finding the groove as well.

“It has been awesome to make those adjustments and see them incorporate themselves out on the field, staying on that path, staying to the grind, so I can be productive for the team,” Mullins said.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Mullins looks ready to be a difference maker.

“He’s always a power threat,” Hyde said. “He just changes the game for us ’cause it’s premier, premier defense in center field to go with it. He’s playing with some confidence right now, and it’s fun to watch.”

The Red Sox have lost two games in a row and six of their past eight.

The one run scored for Boston matched its lowest output since the All-Star break. The Red Sox also scored one run in the first game after the layoff against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Orioles are scheduled to start ace Corbin Burnes (12-4, 2.71 ERA) for the second game of the series. He’s 3-0 in his past five starts, though he had a no-decision Saturday at Tampa Bay after giving up three runs in six innings.

Burnes didn’t allow an earned run across seven innings in a home victory against Boston on May 29. He held the Red Sox to one run in seven innings on the road in April. He is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three career starts against Boston.

Right-hander Cooper Criswell (4-4, 4.02) is expected to return from the COVID-19 injured list and start Friday. He was roughed up in his only career start against Baltimore for seven runs on seven hits in four innings during Boston’s 11-3 loss on May 27.

Cora said there’s a huge emphasis on keeping the Orioles off the bases with free passes to try to limit big innings.

“They have to earn it, and they do that,” Cora said. “They’re very good at what they do.”

On Thursday night, the Red Sox got two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings of relief from Chase Shugart in his big-league debut. He allowed one run.

“He found the strike zone with good stuff,” Cora said. “He wasn’t afraid.”

Meanwhile, the Orioles sent infielder Coby Mayo back to Triple-A Norfolk a day after he picked up his first major league hit.

–Field Level Media