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Archives for July 9, 2019

Gronk Speculations?

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Gronk Plays Catch with Brady; Fuels Spec

BOSTON – Rob Gronkowski continues to claim he’s happy in retirement from the NFL, but his Monday workout with Tom Brady fueled a new round of speculation of a potential return.

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The ex-New England Patriots tight end was back on the field, catching passes from his former quarterback on the UCLA campus. Gronkowski, who was at UCLA for a charity basketball game and plans to attend Wednesday’s ESPY Award ceremonies in Los Angeles, told TMZ Sports to not read too much into the reunion.

“It was great working out,” Gronkowski said. “Tom needs someone to throw to so, you know, he calls Mr. Reliable Robbie G the one and only!”

Gronkowski, 30, earned five Pro Bowl selections in nine seasons for the Patriots (2010-18), catching 521 passes for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in 115 games.

He said on the Rich Eisen Show last week that he has dropped 18 pounds to about 250, telling the host he feels good about his decision in March to retire but not entirely closing the door on an eventual return.

“There’s definitely going to be times when you miss it and everything,” Gronkowski said.

“I would always say that it’s still the offseason right now. I mean I can’t really say how I’m going to feel about it when the games start rolling around and everything. You know, I just felt like it was time. I feel really good right now and it was just definitely something I felt like it was the right time and the right thing to do. To have that load off your back, I mean I’ve been playing football for 15 years straight in a row of that grind. Just relaxing right now feels good.”

The Patriots open training camp on July 25.

–Field Level Media

Starry, Starry Night!

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CLEVELAND – Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros and Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Los Angeles Dodgers will start Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Progressive Field, home of the Indians.

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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced Verlander as the American League starter during Monday’s news conference. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the skipper of the National League squad, previously said Ryu would start and confirmed his selection.

Verlander, an eight-time All-Star, is starting the game for the second time; he took the loss in Kansas City in 2012, surrendering five runs in one inning. This will be the first All-Star Game for the 32-year-old Ryu. 

Despite all of his career success — a World Series title, an AL Cy Young Award and an AL Most Valuable Player trophy — Verlander said being an All-Star still is special.

“I don’t take these games for granted,” Verlander said. “I had the opportunity to go a few years in a row when I was younger, but then I got hurt, and it makes me appreciate it all the more now,” he said.

“To start one at 36 years old … it means a lot me to be out there doing this thing again.”

On the season, Verlander is 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA. Ryu is 10-2 with an MLB-best 1.73 ERA.

Verlander is one four Astros who will start the game, a franchise record. Outfielders George Springer and Michael Brantley will join third baseman Alex Bregman behind Verlander.

And the American League will face a power-packed National League starting lineup, which features five players — Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Josh Bell, Freddie Freeman and Javier Baez — in the top 10 in the league in home runs.

Game time is at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. Coverage begins on FOX at 7:30 p.m.

American League starting lineup

  1. George Springer, RF, Astros
  2. DJ LeMahieu, 2B, Yankees
  3. Mike Trout, CF, Angels
  4. Carlos Santana, 1B, Indians
  5. J.D. Martinez, DH, Red Sox
  6. Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros
  7. Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees
  8. Michael Brantley, LF, Astros
  9. Jorge Polanco, SS, Twins

Justin Verlander, P, Astros

National League starting lineup

  1. Christian Yelich, LF, Brewers
  2. Javier Baez, 2B, Cubs
  3. Freddie Freeman,1B, Braves
  4. Cody Bellinger, RF, Dodgers
  5. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies
  6. Josh Bell, DH, Pirates
  7. Willson Contreras, C, Cubs
  8. Ketel Marte, SS, Diamondbacks
  9. Ronald Acuna Jr., CF, Braves

Hyun-Jin Ryu, P, Dodgers

–Field Level Media

MLB All-Star Notebook

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CLEVELAND – Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander surrendered a MLB-high 26 home runs before the All-Star break, so it’s no great surprise his opinion of the spike in offense and home runs is explicit.

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“It’s a f—ing joke,” said Verlander, an eight-time All-Star who is starting his second All-Star Game on Tuesday. “Major League Baseball’s turning this game into a joke.”

He went a step further when asked if he believed MLB intentionally juiced baseballs to increase home runs and offense across the league.

“Yes. 100 percent,” Verlander said. “They’ve been using juiced balls in the Home Run Derby forever. They know how to do it. It’s not coincidence. I find it really hard to believe that Major League Baseball owns Rawlings and just coincidentally the balls become juiced.”

Players hit 3,691 home runs in the season’s first half and are on pace to hit 6,668, which would smash the 2017 record of 6,105 homers.

–Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said he is going to play in the All-Star Game.

Yelich was scheduled to participate in Monday’s Home Run Derby but dropped out due to a back injury. National League manager Dave Roberts slotted Yelich into the leadoff spot and left field for Tuesday’s contest.

Yelich, 27, is the defending NL MVP. He is hitting .329 with an MLB-best 1.140 OPS and 31 home runs.

–The New York Yankees are interested in Cleveland Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported.

Looking to add a starting pitcher before the July 31 trade deadline, the Yankees sent vice president of baseball operations Tim Naehring to observe the 28-year-old’s start Sunday in Cincinnati.

Bauer allowed one run on four hits and struck out nine batters in seven innings in an 11-1 victory, his fourth win in his last five starts. The 2018 All-Star is 8-6 with a 3.61 ERA in 20 starts this season.

–The Los Angeles Dodgers activated infielder David Freese from the 10-day injured list and optioned outfielder Kyle Garlick and infielder Edwin Rios to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Freese, 36, has been out since June 21 with a left hamstring strain. In 56 games this season, he is batting .308 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs.

–The Washington Nationals plan to sign reliever Brad Boxberger to a minor league contract, according to The Washington Post.

The 31-year-old right-hander was an All-Star with Tampa Bay in 2015, leading the AL that season with 41 saves. He was cut by Kansas City last week after going 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA and one save in 29 games.

–Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy suffered a concussion and a broken nose in Sunday’s home-plate collision with Houston’s Jake Marisnick.

Lucroy, 33, shared the diagnosis with ESPN via text message, adding he expected to be released from the hospital Monday. He is batting .237 this season with seven homers and 30 RBIs in 73 games.

–Field Level Media

HR Derby to “Outlaw Pete!”

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CLEVELAND – In a matchup of rookies, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets out-homered Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays 23-22 in the final round of the All-Star Home Run Derby at Progressive Field on Monday night.

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Alonso won $1 million of the $2.5 million prize pool.

Guerrero outlasted Joc Pederson of the Los Angeles Dodgers, 40-39, in a semifinal for the ages that went three tiebreakers. Guerrero, who in the first round had 29 homers to break the single-round record of 28 by Josh Hamilton at Yankee Stadium in 2008, hit 29 again in the next round.

Pederson ripped 27 homers in regulation and hit two more in the bonus round to tie. Guerrero then hit eight more going first in the 1-minute swing-off but Pederson matched him at 37 on his last.

Each player then had three swings and both homered once. They repeated the tiebreaker and Guerrero smacked two homers while Pederson connected on his first swing but then hit a liner and a grounder to end the epic battle.

“I believe in God and I believe in myself but that’s one hell of a player over there,” Guerrero said through an interpreter to ESPN in reference to Pederson. “That was a great show we put on.”

Pederson was spent after the hitting exhibition.

“Insane, just a lot of excitement. That’s why you participate in that,” he said to ESPN. “I feel bad he’s got to keep hitting. I’m toast.”

Guerrero hit 91 homers total to pass Giancarlo Stanton’s Derby record 61 set in 2016.

“That was much fun to watch,” Alonso said. “I’m glad I didn’t face (Guerrero) in an earlier round. He probably would have knocked me out.”

In the other semifinal, Alonso outhomered Ronald Acuna Jr. of Atlanta 20-19.

Guerrero, the son of 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Vladimir Guerrero, in the first round bettered Oakland’s Matt Chapman, who had 13 homers.

Guerrero, 20, was the youngest participant ever. Along with Acuna Jr., 21, they marked the first time multiple players under the age of 22 took part.

In other first-round results, Pederson beat Alex Bregman of Houston 21-16; Acuna won 25-18 over Pittsburgh’s Josh Bell, and Alonso hit his 14th homer with one second left to edge Cleveland’s Carlos Santana by one to the dismay of the crowd.

–Field Level Media

NBA Summer Notebook

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LAS VEGAS – LeBron James is preparing to take on a new role with the Los Angeles Lakers this season as point guard, according to a report Monday by Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes.

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The 34-year-old James will take over floor general duties from Lonzo Ball, who was traded to New Orleans, and Rajon Rondo, who remains one of three other point guards on the Lakers’ roster along with Quinn Cook and Alex Caruso.

While James has started sparingly as a point guard in his career, the job falls within his comfort zone since the 15-time All-Star and four-time NBA MVP has functioned primarily as a point forward for most of his career.

James is starting his 17th season in the league and will be surrounded by several new faces looking to contend for a championship thanks to the addition of All-Star forward Anthony Davis and six-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.

–Russell Westbrook’s 11-year run in Oklahoma City could be coming to a close as the Thunder shift into rebuilding mode.

The latest move from Thunder general manager Sam Presti came as forward Jerami Grant was traded to the Denver Nuggets for a 2020 first-round pick. Moving Grant saves the Thunder $39 million, according to ESPN.

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Grant, 25, averaged 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 80 games (77 starts) for the Thunder last season.

–Point guard Avery Bradley signed a two-year deal with the Lakers after officially clearing waivers.

Bradley joins a rebuilt roster around LeBron James that features a multitude of newcomers including Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Danny Green.

Bradley, 28, was a target of the Lakers in trade talks in 2017 and 2018. He split time last season between the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 16.1 points and 4.0 assists in Memphis.

—Jabari Parker agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks.

Parker, 24, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft but will be starting over with his fourth team.

Injuries have limited Parker to 247 career games — he suffered torn anterior cruciate ligaments in 2014 and 2017 — but he holds averages of 15.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the NBA.

–Eight-year veteran point guard Ricky Rubio signed a multi-year deal with the Phoenix Suns.

Rubio, who will pair in the backcourt with shooting guard Devin Booker, averaged 12.7 points, 6.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds last season, his second with the Utah Jazz. He helped Utah to consecutive playoff appearances, averaging 14.6 points, 7.7 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals in the playoffs the past two seasons.

Rubio has career averages of 11.1 points, 7.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 498 games (477 starts). He ranks fifth among all active players in assists per game (18th all-time) and second among active players in steals per game (19th all-time) with five career seasons ranking in the league’s top 10 in assists per game and four seasons in the top 10 in steals per game.

–The Clippers will re-sign forward JaMychal Green to a two-year, $10 million deal, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported.

Green reportedly turned down more lucrative offers elsewhere to return to the Clippers and try to win a championship.

Green, 29, split the 2018-19 season between Los Angeles and the Grizzlies. With the Clippers, he played in 24 games and averaged 8.7 points and 6.5 rebounds in 19.6 minutes.

–The Golden State Warriors acquired forward/center Omari Spellman in a trade with the Hawks and reportedly signed veteran guard Alec Burks.

The Hawks received center Damian Jones and a 2026 second-round draft pick from the Warriors in exchange for Spellman.

Spellman, 21, appeared in 46 games (11 starts) during his 2018-19 rookie season and averaged 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds. The 24-year-old Jones played in 49 regular season games during three seasons with the Warriors, averaging 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds.

–The Toronto Raptors re-signed Patrick McCaw on Monday.

The deal is for two seasons, according to The Athletic.

McCaw played in 29 games this past season for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto. McCaw signed with the Cavs on Dec. 30, 2018, but was released on Jan. 7. Three days later, he was picked up by the Raptors.

McCaw spent his first two years with the Golden State Warriors. He played in 128 games (30 starts) with the Warriors, averaging 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds.

In each of McCaw’s three seasons, he was an NBA champion. His personal three-peat was the first since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neil accomplished the feat from 2000-2002.

–The Minnesota Timberwolves claimed point guard Tyrone Wallace off waivers from the Clippers.

Wallace, 25, appeared in 92 games (19 starts) over the past two seasons with the Clippers, averaging 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16.1 minutes.

Wallace also played in 64 games (40 starts) in the G League during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns, averaging 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

–The Brooklyn Nets signed free-agent guard Garrett Temple and re-signed guard/forward Theo Pinson.

Temple, 33, spent last season with the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers, appearing in 75 games (career-high 55 starts) and averaging 7.8 points, a career-high 2.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in a career-high 27.2 minutes per game.

Pinson agreed to a deal with the Nets two days after the team rescinded its qualifying offer to the 23-year-old to maximize cap space.

Pinson appeared in 18 games with Brooklyn last season, averaging 4.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 11.7 minutes per game. He also appeared in three playoff games for the Nets, averaging 3.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 7.3 minutes per contest.

–Field Level Media

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