Blue Jays crush Dodgers for statement win in World Series Game 1
The Blue Jays made their presence felt in a big way in Game 1 of the World Series.
Articles by Andrew Battifarano
5 articles found
Technology
The telling reason behind Angels manager Kurt Suzuki’s unorthodox contract
Kurt Suzuki might be the new skipper in town for the Angels, but that doesn’t mean he’s getting a long leash. In fact, he’s getting a uniquely short one. Suzuki was officially tapped by Los Angeles on Wednesday to become its next manager, though in a highly unusual move, he’s only getting a one-year contract. One of the main reasons? General manager Perry Minasian has just one year left on his contract, meaning the two will be viewed together and that their Angels futures will likely be determined on if this season is a success or not. What defines success for a team without a winning season since 2015 remains unclear. “He’s tied in with me,” Minasian told reporters Wednesday, according to the Orange County Register. The Athletic’s Sam Blum also noted that it’s possible owner Arte Moreno does not want to pay for a manager in 2027 — when there is a potential labor stoppage looming — if he doesn’t need to. The move to hire Suzuki comes weeks after the Angels dumped both manager Ron Washington and interim Ray Montgomery after a 72-90 campaign. The Angels had been in talks with three-time MVP Albert Pujols as their “first choice” to take over the role, but The Post’s Jon Heyman reported this week that talks broke down between the two sides as differences emerged. Now, they’ll have a former catcher of 16 years — two of which came with the Angels — to lead their team. Suzuki, who has no big league coaching or managing experience, served as a special assistant to Minasian for the last three years. He has a lofty challenge ahead of him, as the Angels have reached the playoffs since 2014 and have not attained 80 wins in a season since the 2018 campaign.
The telling reason behind Angels manager Kurt Suzuki’s unorthodox contract
Kurt Suzuki might be the new skipper in town for the Angels, but that doesn't mean he's getting a long leash.
Technology
Kevin Durant has his Chris Webber moment but refs miss call in wild NBA opening night controversy
The tipoff of the NBA season on Tuesday came with plenty of action — and some late-game controversy. With the Rockets and Thunder going back-and-forth in a game that went to double overtime, one mistake by Houston’s Kevin Durant in the first OT could have ended things, but the officials missed it. After Houston’s Tari Eason blocked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 18-foot jump shot with 2.2 seconds left in the first extra period and the game tied at 115-115, Durant corralled the rebound and appeared to signal for a timeout. Nevertheless, Houston did not have any left. That would have meant a technical free throw and possession for the host Thunder, allowing them to potentially ice the game away. But the referees did not make the call, and the clock ran out to send the game to a second overtime, despite the Thunder arguing over what appeared to be a brutal missed call. It brought back memories of Chris Webber pulling the same mistake in the 1993 NCAA championship game that all but sealed a loss for the University of Michigan against North Carolina. That infraction, though, was called, unlike Durant’s on Tuesday night. The missed call didn’t end up hurting the Thunder, however, as they won a 125-124 double overtime thriller to start their NBA title defense behind Gilgeous-Alexander’s team-high 35 points. His two free throws with 2.3 seconds left sealed the victory.
Kevin Durant has his Chris Webber moment but refs miss call in wild NBA opening night controversy
With the Rockets and Thunder going back-and-forth in a game that went to double overtime, one mistake by Houston's Kevin Durant in the first OT could have ended things, but the officials missed it.