Can you imagine a team striking out 45 times in three games? A major league team? The New York Yankees accomplished the “feat” in the first three games of their crucial, four-game set at Tampa Bay. I offer some comments in the video.

Volpe denies the story

Beleaguered Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is denying a story that he refused to play second base in the minor leagues, because of his difficulties as a big league shortstop. The story gained traction the last two days, when Yankees television voice Michael Kay, who also hosts a daily sports talkshow on ESPN-New York, stated he had it confirmed by two “reliable sources” that Volpe did not want to try a new position.

On his show yesterday Kay had to backtrack on his claim, stating other people told him the story that Volpe did not want to play second base in the minors was not true. To his credit Kay apologized to his audience.

When Volpe was hit with the story before the Yankees game last night at Tampa Bay, he stated the Yankees have never asked him to play second base. To me that is the real story. Knowing his difficulties as shortstop, how come the Yankees have not asked Volpe to try second base, particularly as it appears Jazz Chisholm will not return to the club, when he becomes a free agent after the season?

Maybe baseball Hall of Fame writer Bill Madden said it best, when he wrote the other day, the Yankees do not like to admit the mistakes they have made with their number one picks. And there have been many mistakes, for sure.

R.I.P. Phil Regan

One of the first baseball cards I ever collected was a Topps card of Phil Regan in a Detroit Tigers uniform. Regan died yesterday at the age of 89. He was a baseball lifer.

Regan was mostly a reliever for several clubs, winning 96 games and losing 81. He was nicknamed “The Vulture” by teammate Sandy Koufax, when he pitched for the Dodgers, because “he would swoop in and win a game in relief.”

Regan’s second act was even more amazing, as he coached collegiately and in the big leagues. In fact, after serving as a roving pitching instructor in the New York Mets system, Regan was named pitching coach at the age of 82 for the Mets in 2019, when Dave Eiland was dismissed early in the season. He did not let his age bother him and would throw batting practice. He said his arm was never sore.

Regan’s departure from the Mets was acrimonious. When the club let him go, he sued the Mets for age discrimmination.

Some other thoughts

• Who had Tyler Tolbert on their card for getting hits in 12 consecutive big league at bats?

• Red Sox fans may not have much to root about this season - although they are playing better as of late - but they can take delight in sending the Yankees to their demise. The Yankees are 2-11 over their last 13 games, including New York’s 3-0 loss last night at Tampa Bay. It all started with Boston’s four-game sweep of the Yankees last month at Fenway Park.

• Wondering if Fox is rooting for a White Sox-Marlins World Series?

• Leave it to the NBA to be the one league that could pull off a six-team trade.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you so much for being a subscriber

DAN

Is there a UConn mafia? A Boston Globe sports columnist thinks so. I break it down in the above video/audio commentary.

When baseball was the attraction

On July 4, 1961, with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees embroiled in a red-hot pennant race, with talk of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle making a run at Babe Ruth’s single season home run record, the Yankees hosted the Tigers in a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.

How big was this 4th of July attraction? A crowd of 74,246 jammed “the big ballpark in the Bronx,” as broadcaster Red Barber used to describe it. You read that correctly: 74,246. The Yankees outdrew the entire National League that day.

There were no giveaways; no free t-shirts to the first 18,000 fans, no bobblehead dolls. A good, old fashioned doubleheader, involving the American League’s top two clubs and stars galore on both sides, was the attraction. Dick Young wrote about the crowd in the next day’s New York Daily News:

I dare say there has not been a crowd that large to watch a baseball game without a give away since and there never will be, as today’s ballparks do not have that large a capacity. In 1961 giving away caps, balls, bats, t-shirts, etc. to fans was unheard of. Sixty-five years ago the fans turned out to watch good-old fashioned baseball.

Speaking of watching baseball…

If you plan on watching your favorite baseball team on its usual local station tomorrow, forget about it. MLB is promoting the day as “Star-Spangled Sunday.” It’s more, however, a look into how baseball will be delivered in the future, costing fans even more money.

Your local affiliate, be it the Yankees on YES, the Red Sox on NESN, the Mets on SNY, etc., will not be carrying their teams games tomorrow. Two of MLB’s 15 games will be televised on NBC. The remaining 13 will be carried by either the NBC Sports Network or its streaming service Peacock.

What all this means is, if your cable system does not carry the NBC Sports Network, you are out of luck. Of course, you can plunk down money to subscribe to Peacock, even though you are already paying money to subscribe to the regional sports networks being shutout by MLB.

MLB is attempting to put a positive spin on Sunday’s show, claiming fans will only have to seek out one entity - NBC and its streaming service Peacock- to watch their favorite teams. That’s a bunch of bullspit. The ultimate goal, once MLB settles its labor situation, is to take away as many games televised by the RSNs, and make them national so that you will continue to pay the same amount for an RSN subscription, while paying extra to watch your club on a national platform. Count me out, no matter how “Star-Spangled” Sunday may be.

What MLB is doing that I wholeheartedly endorse is combining a showing of the 1993 movie The Sandlot with an actual MLB game at select drive-in movie theaters across the country. Here’s hoping the Great Bambino goes long.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for being a subscriber and have a great 4th of July weekend!

DAN

Stunned is the word to best describe the reaction in New England to the Boston Celtics trade of forward Jaylen Brown to the division rival Philadelphia 76ers. The Boston media is in an uproar. I break it all down in the video/audio commentary.

Mickey Mantle discovered the fountain of youth 60 years ago

Sixty years ago the once, proud New York Yankees had hit rock bottom. Two years removed from their last World Series, the Yankees were floundering. After winning 10 World Series and 15 pennants in 18 seasons, the Yankees suffered through their first losing season in 40 years in 1965. But many, including Yankee management, thought it was an aberration and that the club would bounce back in 1966. They did not.

Manager Johnny Keane, who took over for the fired Yogi Berra in 1965, was himself dismissed, after the club got off to a 4-16 start. But the Yankees rallied under Ralph Houk, who returned to the dugout - Houk had managed the Yankees to three straight pennants and two World Championships between 1961-63, before becoming general manager - to win 14 of their next 20. Soon, however, the team resorted to its losing ways, except for one fleeting week.

Everyone knew the best years of Mickey Mantle’s career were over. Playing on two aching legs, Mantle struggled through each game. In all honesty, the Yankees were using him as a gate attraction.

Then on June 28, 1966, in a 5-3 loss to the Red Sox before 14,922 at Fenway Park - Yankees-Red Sox did not sellout back then - Mantle slugged two home runs off of Jose Santiago. They were his eighth and ninth of the season. Mantle struck again the next night at Fenway in New York’s 6-5 win over Boston in front of 14,614. He hit two more home runs, both off of ex-Yankee teammate and UConn alum Rollie Sheldon. Four home runs in two games. The baseball world was beginning to take notice.

Mantle did not homer in the final game of the series, but in Washington on July 1, he belted his fifth home run in four games and 12th of the season in the Yankees 8-6 win over the Senators. The home run came off of Phil Ortega. The next day, a Saturday, the Yankees were trounced by the Senators, 10-4, but Mantle slugged two more home runs, both off of Mike McCormick. Mantle concluded his assault the next day in New York’s 6-5, 11-inning win over Washington, with a first inning homer off of Pete Richert.

(You can listen to the July 3 game in its entirety via this link. For aficionados of baseball broadcasters, I urge you to fast forward to the seventh inning. Legendary Yankees broadcaster Red Barber called the last five innings. It is a lesson on how to broadcast a game for a poor club. The Yankees were 32-40, but without disguising the Yankees ills, Red brought as much enthusiasm and preparation to the mic, as if the pennant was hanging in the balance. I am still upset, lo these many years later, that Yankees president Michael Burke fired him - for no cause - at the end of the season.)

Mantle had slugged eight home runs in six games. He and his Yankees were once again the talk of the baseball world. Dick Young of the New York Daily News, captured the magic of the moment.

The baseball world was abuzz! Were the Yankees back? Had Mantle discovered the fountain of youth? Alas, Mantle slumped and so did the Yankees, sinking into a last place finish. For one brief shining moment, however, Mantle was once again Mantle and the Yankees were once again the Yankees, 60 years ago.

Travelers Championship a ratings hit

No one knows what will happen to the Travelers Championship, when the PGA Tour launches its revised schedule in 2028. The Travelers is a signature event, which would seem to be in the tournament’s favor, but the PGA Tour is going to do what it wants to do, and if that means adding tournaments in Boston and New York at the expense of Connecticut, it does not matter what we think.

A signature event, by the way, is a tournament where total prize money is $20M and there are no cuts after 36 holes. Of the eight signature events held so far, the Travelers had the second highest final round television viewership at 4.2M viewers last Sunday. That is a 19.3% increase from the season before. Only the RBC Heritage did better at 4.35M on CBS and that was a decrease of -0.2%.

One would think these numbers will work in the Travelers favor, but one never knows. We shall see.

That will do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for subscribing and have a fabulous Friday!

DAN

When New York Mets baseball boss David Stearns spoke to the media on Friday, following the firing of manager Carlos Mendoza, he made it clear Andy Green was the most interim of interim managers. Stearns specifically stated, after the season, Green who was heading the Mets farm system, would return to the front office. Of course, the speculation has been running rampant, even when Mendoza still held the job, who the next manager would be. In the video/audio commentary, I explain why Alex Cora will not be the next manager of the Mets.

Some other quick thoughts with two days remaining in June:

• Cora is apparently having a grand time, taking the summer off and getting paid millions by Red Sox owner John Henry. The Sunday Boston Globe had a picture of the ex-Red Sox manager at the World Cup in Foxboro last week and also wrote Cora is having a blast coaching his kids and engaging in other activities he would be unable to do, if he was still managing the Sox.

• I’m not the biggest fan of these alternate uniforms but can these clubs be mandated to wear them once per homestand? The Red Sox have among the best traditional uniforms in baseball history and they rarely wear them. In fact, they rarely wear a uniform that has any red in it.

• I always love to remind people how difficult it is to play major league baseball. You can count all the players who have played in at least one MLB game and it would not come near filling Fenway Park. Less than 23,000 people have ever played in a big league game. And once you get there, it is tough to stay. In round numbers something like 3,700 players have managed to stick around for 10 years or more playing in the majors.

• Kudos to the folks running the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, CT. They did everything in their power to complete the tournament, following a nearly 90 minute rain delay yesterday. Play resumed at 7:20 last night and they managed to finish in regulation. The only problem was Scottie Scheffler and Victor Hovland put on quite a show, battling hole-for-hole down to the finish. Both ended 21-under-par and with play suspended because of darkess, the two will battle in sudden death, beginning this morning at 9:00. But the Travelers people almost pulled it off. I know how hard they work, having covered that tournament and interviewed tournament director Nathan Grube many times. These people put their nose to the grindstone year round to stage one of the best tournaments on the PGA Tour. Today’s coverage will be carried on the Golf Channel.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for being a subscriber and have a marvelous Monday!

DAN

We are weeks away from the MLB trade deadline and two names are popping up the most as potential trade targets; Giants first baseman Rafael Devers and Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal. But will they be traded? I break it down in the above commentary.

Here are some other thoughts on the last Sunday in June:

• The Athletic has done a deep-dive into the last 24 hours of the New York Mets, leading up to and following the dismissal of manager Carlos Mendoza. Remarkably, as the Mets slide continued last week, no team meetings were called, either by the manager or players. It is not unusual for leaders of a team to call a players-only meeting. And that highlighted one of the Mets biggest problems, according to players who spoke off the record to The Athletic. There are apparently no leaders on the Mets at a time when the scene cried out for leadership.

• The piece did mention that Andy Green, hired as interim manager, struck a positive note among players in his first comments, praising Mendoza. For whatever his shortcomings as a manager, he was well-liked by his players. Mendoza will return to baseball at some point. For now he can enjoy his summer off.

• Turned out Friday was a tough day not only for Mendoza but Perry Minasian, who was dismissed as GM of the Los Angeles Angels. His tenure as Angels GM has been a disaster. And that is putting it mildly.

• Here’s a great note from newsletter subscriber Brian Mic. The Yankees are 1-17 in the last 18 games they have played at Fenway Park in June. The Yankees entered Thursday night’s four-game series against the rival Red Sox with the best record in the American League, while the Red Sox had the worst. Boston has won the first three games. The overall season series stands at 4-4.

• All good things must come to an end and so it is with the New York racetrack Aqueduct. The track will close for good after today’s card.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. As always, thank you for being a subscriber and have a stupendous Sunday!

DAN

The PGA Tour is in my neck of the woods this week, playing the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, CT, but big changes are on the horizon. Earlier this week the Tour used Connecticut as a backdrop for making the announcement, with Tiger Woods delivering the news. I detail it in the above commentary. (Just a note. In the commentary I mentioned the changes start in 2027, but as a point of clarification, the goal is to institute the major changes in 2028.)

The story that will not go away

The New York Times did a story on the departure of Dianna Russini from The Athletic, but the website Front Office Sports, speculated the piece was more a hit on New York Times ownership, upset the company bought The Athletic three years ago and eliminated the newspapers sports section, directing its readers to The Athletic’s website. Times writers kept prying why the Athletic’s investigation into the Russini saga has not been completed. FOS also speculated the Times writers, currently in contentious contract negotiations, are peeved Russini was making $800,000 per year, more than the ruckus over the alleged interactions between Russini and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.

Here is what is for certain: whenever the Patriots are televised and Vrabel is shown roving the sidelines, the first thought that will come to most viewers’ minds will be Russini. It is the story that keeps on giving.

PGA outpaced U.S. Open

The numbers are in for the U.S. Open won by Wyndham Clark. The tournament averaged 5.5M viewers on NBC and streaming outlets, reaching a peak of 9.3M as Clark clinched the victory at around 6:30 PM. The PGA Tournament, televised last month on CBS, attracted 5.6M on TV only, while the Masters brought in an audience of 13.99M.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Have a fabulous Friday and thank you so much for being a subscriber.

DAN

MLB’s All-Star game is slated for July 14. In years past, I could not wait for the event. As I explain in the commentary, however, it’s time to end the Mid-Summer Classic.

Here are some other thoughts on the first Tuesday of summer:

• Why does Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole always look as if he’s about to get a tooth pulled, every time he is on the mound? Hey Gerrit? Smile once in a while. You are getting paid tens of millions of dollars to do what you like. Enjoy it.

• That said, watching Cole pitch these days is becoming tedious. He throws too many pitches. Put it this way: he is not the Cole of his prime.

• The Jets just cannot seem to get their quarterback situation straightened out, can they?

• So the Mets and Cubs got rained out last night in New York. They will make up the game as part of a split-admission doubleheader on tomorrow. What a joke. This day-night crap is about charging separate admission. Just adopt the minor league standard or your own policy during Covid: have a single-admission doubleheader with each game going seven innings.

• I’m guessing no one had Dusty May to the NBA on their bingo card. The coach of the national champion Michigan Spartans has left to become the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. May famously stated last month that for Michigan to repeat as national champs, it would cost the school at least $10M to bring in top-notch talent. Maybe he just became fed up with the entire college scene and decided to end the charade by going to the pros.

• Wish I thought of that. Someone posted on X yesterday that the Red Sox could not get Rafael Devers to play first base. Now the Giants can’t get him off first base.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. I have a busy week of Hartford Yard Goats broadcasts coming up, so I may not be posting regularly over the next few days. Thank you for your understanding and for being a subscriber. It means a lot.

DAN

You can talk all you want about a Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, but right now the Yankees and Blue Jays have a true rivalry. I break it down in the above commentary.

Here are some other thoughts for this third Friday in June:

• You knew it was only a matter of time before Mike Trout was sidelined. The days of the Angels star playing a full season are long gone and have been for some time. Trout, who turns 35 on Aug. 7, has been placed on the IL with a hamstring injury. What’s laughable is all these clickbait websites suggesting the Angels trade Trout. He still possesses great ability, but with that contract and his injury history, no one is going to touch him. He is the Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees.

• I have never been a fan of the home run derby MLB holds the day before the All-Star game, even more so now that it is going to be streamed on Netflix. For those who are, however, the rules have been changed. Here you go:

• If yesterday was any indication, the U.S. Open could be an interesting one this weekend. Among those on the leaderboard is Ryder Cowan an amateur. He is the grand nephew of former Connecticut State Sen. Michael McLachlan of Danbury, who was a frequent guest on my radio show back in the day.

• Golfer Retief Goosen, who now plays on the PGA Tour Champions - Among the qualifications is you must be 50 or older - says he would welcome those golfers who jumped ship and went to LIV Golf, once they turn 50 on the Champions. Goosen, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, won the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, the location for this year’s Open. He is part of the field.

• It’s not going out on a limb to say Ryan McMahon is right up there with Clete Boyer and Graig Nettles as among the best third basemen to don Yankee pinstripes. McMahon is also starting to hit too, but any offensive they get out of this former Hartford Yard Goat is a bonus. He is there for his glove.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you, as always, for subscribing and have a fabulous Friday!

DAN

Owners of the second worst record in the National League, the San Francisco Giants, are hinting they could be dealers between now and the trade deadline Aug. 3. Does that make them a perfect fit with the Yankees? I break it down in the above commentary.

Here are some other thoughts on this third Wednesday in June:

• Nothing lasts forever and so it is after 74 seasons the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will no longer televise NHL games. That’s right no more NHL on the CBC, which has been televising a national game of the week since the 1952-53 season, under the brand “Hockey Night In Canada.” For decades the public broadcaster produced the NHL telecasts but over the last 12 seasons it sublet the production from Rogers Sportsnet. Rogers will continue to lease the NHL telecasts to cable and streaming outlets but it won’t be able to use the banner “Hockey Night In Canada.” The CBC owns that brand.

• Turns out Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the clincher for the New York Knicks, averaged 24.5M viewers. That’s the most watched NBA Finals since 1998.

• There should be plenty of twists and turns this week for the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. Expect wind off the Atlantic Ocean to be a huge factor.

• In case you are wondering, Scottie Scheffler is the clear favorite to win the Open to complete golf’s grand slam.

• Entering last night’s game against the Yankees, the Chicago White Sox had 38 wins. They did not win their 38th game last season until July 25.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you so much for being a subscriber and have a wonderful Wednesday!

DAN

It took more than half a century, but the New York Knicks have finally won their third World Championship. I break it down and discuss much more in the above commentary.

Here are some other thoughts for this June 15:

• This date used to be the trade deadline for MLB and some huge trades have been transacted on June 15. It was on this date in 1977 that a petulant M. Donald Grant, president of the New York Mets, traded Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson and Dan Norman.

• It was on this date in 1976, with free agency becoming part of MLB the following season, Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley sold pitcher Vida Blue to the New York Yankees for $1.5M and Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers to the Boston Red Sox for $1M each. They would become free agents in 1977 and Finley wanted to get something, before those players left. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn stepped in and voided the deals, using his authority as commissioner to “act in the best interests of baseball.”

• There were many more trades consummated on this date and fans eagerly anticipated the deadline, just as much as they do today, even though the deadline is seven weeks later and the date is never set in stone. This season MLB’s trade deadline will be Aug. 3

• Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico writes each player on the New York Knicks will receive $770K for winning the NBA Title.

• Fans are getting into the World Cup with record TV ratings reported for Fox. Numbers show 15.99M tuned in to view the U.S.-Paraguay match.

• Two weeks ago he was pitching for the Hartford Yard Goats of the Eastern League, the Rockies AA affiliate. Yesterday he recorded the save in the Rockies whacky 23-9 win over the Athletics in Las Vegas. That’s right, the save in a 23-9 game. Eiberson Castellano was called up to the Rockies on Saturday morning. Yesterday he pitched three scoreless innings to finish the game in Vegas. Under baseball rules, if a relief pitcher hurls the last three innings of a game without relinquishing the lead, regardless of the score, he is awarded a save.

• Happy for Tyler Murray, the radio voice of the New York Knicks. I’ve know Tyler since he was broadcasting games for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Eastern League. He landed the Knicks radio gig two years ago and in his two seasons at the mic the Knicks have made it to the Eastern Conference finals and won the NBA championship. Congratulations to a class act.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for subscribing and have a marvelous Monday!

DAN

With less than one week to go before the U.S. Open, reports are emerging that the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour is about to go under. In the video/audio commentary, I break down the seismic shift that is about to hit the professional golf world.

Here are some other thoughts on the second Friday in June:

• Would you believe me, if I told you the San Antonio Spurs will win the NBA championship in seven games? I did not think so. But hear me out. The Spurs have outplayed the New York Knicks in just about every game in this series yet are trailing in the best-of-seven, 3-1. Dumb plays and the ball bouncing the wrong way have cost San Antonio, but that does not mean they aren’t capable of winning the next three games, especially with two games at home. Repeat after me. DO NOT COUNT OUT THE SPURS!

• Speaking of which, I would not count out the Vegas Golden Knights either. With Carolina’s win last night, the Hurricanes are up 3-2 and one victory away from the franchise’s second Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights return home Sunday night for Game 6. They are more than capable of winning the next two and truth be told, although many people in my neck-of-the-woods are rooting against Carolina, because they used to be the Hartford Whalers, I’m rooting against them for how they unceremoniously dumped their radio broadcaster Chuck Kaiton, who moved with the franchise to Raleigh. Kaiton is one of the all-time great broadcasters. When the penurious, filthy-rich, billionaire Tom Dundon, who recently bought the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, purchased the Hurricanes, he eliminated their radio team and simulcasted the team’s television feed on radio, claiming no one listens to the games on radio anyway. Wow! Go Golden Knights!

• What does it say about our society, when parts of New York City could be ravaged, whether the Knicks win or lose in the finals?

• I don’t know about you but I am liking the Chicago White Sox being in first place. To this point, they are the story of the baseball season in my book.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you so much for being a subscriber. It means so much!

DAN

We have passed the one-third mark of the MLB season. How are my picks, made in the preseason, doing? I check it out in the video/audio podcast.

Some other thoughts on this second Tuesday in June

• The pressure is now on the Knicks to win their first NBA title since 1973, even though they entered the series as decided underdogs. Winning the first two games of the finals on the road changes the entire dynamic of the series.,

• The numbers show that the Stanley Cup Finals and NBA Finals continue to deliver big ratings for ABC. Why? There are several reasons but not the least of which we are talking live television. The nation’s appetite for canned TV can be satiated with social media. These days, the only consistent live programming revolves around sports. That is why the networks are all in for live sporting events.

• Can you believe football camps open next month?

• We live in a different world. Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby placed bets on his own team in 2022, when he played for Indiana. That is a clear violation of NCAA policy. In fact the NCAA ruled the fifth-year senior was permanently ineligible to play college football. Sorsby appealed the decision and won. A Texas state court granted a temporary injunction in his lawsuit against the NCAA, meaning Sorsby can play in 2026, after sitting out the first two games of the season. The NCAA is appealing the decision. By the way, the four judges who ruled on permitting Sorsby to continue his college career graduated from the Texas Tech University School of Law. Where have you gone Shoeless Joe Jackson?

• I won’t be producing as much content for the remainder of the week, although I will try to cobble together a newsletter or two. It’s Hartford Yard Goats baseball time this week, and the Yard Goats have a huge series against New Hampshire in Hartford. The Eastern League plays a split season and there are 13 games remaining in the first-half for Hartford, which is in first place by a 1/2 game over New Hampshire. In fact the top four teams in the six-team Northeast Division are separated by just 1 1/2 games. Jeff Dooley and I will have all of the action on MiLB.tv, the Bally Sports App and on the Audacy and iHeart apps. Our Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday games will also be televised on NESN. Gabby Lucivero, the reigning Connecticut Sportscast of the Year, will join us for the Thursday telecast. It should be fun.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for being a subscriber!

DAN

The injury to Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is a wake-up call that plays right into the hands of owners. I explain why in the video/commentary. My apologies for the video cutting off part of my head.

Remembering D-Day

Eighty-two years ago today, Allied Expeditionary forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. Eleven months later Nazi Germany surrendered. 4,414 Allied soldiers died in the invasion. Thousands more were wounded.

Not many MLB players were involved in the initial invasion, but one famous player was: Yogi Berra. He was a 19-year-old Navy Gunner’s Mate, part of a six-man crew on a 36-foot Navy rocket boat better known as a LCS (Landing Craft Support boat). Berra and his crew were under heavy enemy fire. During his service in World War II, Berra earned a Purple Heart, a Distinguished Unit Citation, two battle stars and a European Theatre of Operations ribbon.

The Bears a step closer to leaving Chicago and Illinois

It would seem all but a given the Chicago Bears are going to pull up stakes and not only leave Chicago but the entire state of Illinois for greener pastures in next door Indiana. The team’s board of directors voted Thursday to proceed with plans for a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana. I’m guessing if the Bears depart Illinois, that great Chicago Bears fan, Abe Lincoln, will be rolling over in his grave.

Here are some other thoughts on this first Saturday in June:

• The Stanley Cup Final has the elements of being a classic, following Carolina’s overtime, 4-3 win over Vegas on Thursday night. Game three is tonight in Las Vegas. The series is tied, 1-1.

• The third leg of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, the Belmont, is at Saratoga today. The Belmont track in New York is still undergoing a massive renovation. There used to be a time when I got into horse racing but these days I do not even pay attention. If you are watching the race, enjoy and I hope your horse wins.

• A subscriber to this newsletter from the San Francisco area tells me the chatter in those parts has fans discussing a Rafael Devers-to-Yankees trade. Now that would add some spice to “the Greatest Rivalry in Sports.”

• Since I wrote the SF Giants are in need of massive changes, they have scored 30 runs in their last two games, beating Milwaukee on Thursday, 12-9, and clobbering the Cubs yesterday, 18-3. They are still 12 games under .500 (26-38).

• And what of the Cubs, who lost yet again? They fall to 33-31. Once in first place in the NL Central, they keep alternating in the cellar with the Cincinnati Reds. It is not a stretch to say highly-paid manager Craig Counsell, in the third year of a $40M contract, is on the hot seat. It would not surprise me if Counsell was shown the door, if the Cubs swoon continues.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Have a sensational weekend and thank you for being a subscriber!

DAN

Big time college sports is out of control with millions being doled out to “student-athletes,” players switching schools yearly and coaches seemingly doing the same. Does a bipartisan bill in the Congress tame this schizophrenic environment? I break it down in the video/audio commentary.

You be the Judge

The Yankees are in big trouble, if Aaron Judge is out for any period. The bruise near his right shoulder, or is it his rib cage, seems to be getting bigger with each passing report. The fact is, the Yankees have not been specific about the injury that has sidelined their captain since Tuesday, but it doesn’t sound good. Without Judge, who was in a slump for the last three weeks of May, the mediocre Yankees offense is nearly impotent. They just lost two-of-three at home to Cleveland, scoring a total of 10 runs.

The reality is, even with Judge in the lineup - obviously we now know he was playing hurt - the offense was stagnant. Without Judge, even though Ben Rice and others have their moments, the Yankees offense is lacking consistent firepower. Their starting pitching might be the best in the American League, but without a more balanced offense, they are going to lose more one-run games than win them. The next few weeks could be very interesting.

Not the same

The Yankees will host the Red Sox in a three-game series, starting tonight. The media is already building this up, once again, as “the greatest rivalry in sports.” It is all manufactured hype. The Red Sox are in last place and the Yankees are battling for first. Come talk to me, when these two teams are fighting for the ultimate prize.

When you see a jammed Yankee Stadium tonight - and most New Yorkers will be watching the Knicks and San Antonio in Game 2 of the NBA Finals - remember it never used to be that way. Before Thurman Munson became the Yankees catcher and Carlton Fisk the Red Sox backstop in the early 1970s, Yankees-Red Sox was not even a big draw at their respective ballparks.

Case in point. 60 years ago this past Wednesday, the Yankees lambasted the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 15-5. The big story was the fact 27,000 fans attended the game. The media could not believe such a “big” crowd was in attendance to watch a Friday night game. After all, many times, when the Yankees and Red Sox met, crowds were lucky to surpass 15,000 for a game at either Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park. There was no rivalry back then. The Babe Ruth-to-the-Yankees story was not a big deal. It was the Yankees and Red Sox, two American League teams from cities 217 miles apart, just playing a three-game series. The rivalry was yet to be born, even though these clubs did play some important games. But the truth be told, it was rare when both the Yankees and Red Sox were in a tight pennant race together.

Times change, but remember it wasn’t always this way. I know. I lived it. Yankees-Red Sox was no big deal. And if it wasn’t for social media and the hype that goes with everything in this day-and-age, this series would be no big deal too. The last place Red Sox are fighting to survive in the mediocre American League, while the Yankees are attempting to save the bottom from dropping out of their offense. Enjoy the games this weekend, but remember Yankees-Red Sox isn’t always what they tell you it is.

Loving the book

I live and die by the website retrosheet.org. Just about every box score and play-by-play description of every game that has been played in MLB is on the website. Now there is a book out about the origin of Retrosheet, entitled How Retrosheet Saved Baseball History. It’s just 10 bucks, if you download it to your Kindle. And if you are a baseball numbers nerd like I can be at times, you’ll thank me later, especially since the book, believe it or not, is more than the numbers that tell the story about the game.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for subscribing and have a fantastic Friday!

DAN

It’s two months before MLB’s trade deadline and the “insiders” say the Detroit Tigers will trade ace Tarik Skubal. But will they? I offer some perspective in the video/audio commentary.

Some other thoughts on the first Thursday in June:

• Following owners meetings in New York yesterday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred let it be known the owners are insistent on a salary cap. The MLBPA is just as insistent on no salary cap. If neither side budges, it is going to be a long, cold winter. Sad!

• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has declined an invitation from the U.S. House Judiciary Committee to testify on the NFL’s television contracts. Now this thing could get interesting.

• Russell Wilson has officially retired from the NFL and will join CBS as an NFL game analyst. My hunch is he will do a superb job.

• As I hunker down to watch Game 1 of NBA Finals, it would not surprise me if this series does not go seven games. Let’s say Knicks in six. That has a nice ring to it. I know San Antonio is a 2-1 favorite, but wasn’t OKC supposed to win the Western Conference?

• I see Gerrit Cole has not lost his penchant for throwing the gopher ball.

• Game two of Stanley Cup Finals is tonight in Carolina, with Vegas up 1-0. If the series is anything like Tuesday night’s 5-4 win, this could be a record, ratings winner.

• Something has got to give with the San Francisco Giants. They cannot go on like this.

• The next time you watch a MLB game, with a shot from the grass behind the pitcher’s mound, think Hartford Yard Goats. MLB chose Dunkin’ Park and a series of Yard Goats games last season to test these mini cams, before sanctioning their placement on national and local MLB telecasts.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. As always, thank you for subscribing and have a terrific Thursday!

DAN

Here are some other thoughts on this first hump day of June:

• The NBA Finals start tonight in San Antonio between the Spurs and New York Knicks. San Antonio is the overwhelming favorite but that’s why they play the games. We shall see.

• The Stanley Cup Finals started last night with the Vegas Golden Knights taking on the Carolina Hurricanes.

• Yesterday I wrote how the media downplayed the passing of Lou Gehrig, when news of his death broke. I posted some pictures of the New York Daily News. Well, upon further research, I cannot say the same about the Chicago Tribune, which was all over the story the day after Gehrig’s death:

• Meanwhile, Yankees TV broadcaster Michael Kay told an interesting story, during last night’s Yankees game against Cleveland that still has be scratching my head. Kay said he heard that the day Gehrig pulled himself out of the lineup in Detroit, ending his then record 2,136 consecutive game playing streak, Gehrig and the “Voice of the Yankees,” Mel Allen, took a long walk around Detroit later in the day. How could this be? The Yankees broadcasters did not travel with the club back then. Road games were recreated back at a New York radio station. Allen broadcast the home games of the Yankees and the New York Giants in 1939. Cannot see how he was in Detroit that day, but hey, it makes for a great story.

• Here’s another great story that, using one of Mel’s favorite phrases, “Is a matter of actual fact.” Entering last night’s game against the Minnesota Twins, the Chicago White Sox had already won 32 games. Two years ago, they did not win their 32nd game of the season, until September, when their record was 32-109. A team can rebuild, making the right moves.

• Somehow you knew the New England Patriots were going to get A.J. Brown, didn’t you?

• The Yankees are famous for downplaying major injuries, but somehow I am thinking Aaron Judge could be out a long time, now that he has been sidelined with a bone bruise near his right shoulder. The Yankees are saying Judge is “day-to-day.” In the words of the great Vin Scully: “Aren’t we all.”

That is going to do it for today newsletter. Thank you for subscribing and have wonderful Wednesday!

DAN

The NBA Finals start on Wednesday and with the New York Knicks as participants ratings should be good. But the NBA needs to undertake some changes, as I outline in my commentary.

Some other thoughts for the last Sunday in May:

• I do not believe it’s the last Sunday of the fifth month. Last night, broadcasting the Yard Goats game, I was bundled up like it was March. Wind chills were in the 30s. Ridiculous.

• You are lying if you had the Chicago White Sox 10 games better than the Detroit Tigers at the end of May.

• I don’t know which team is in more trouble, the San Francisco Giants or the Boston Red Sox. What is going on here?

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for subscribing!

DAN

I have not been posting that much content this week, as I have been busy broadcasting Hartford Yard Goats games, but here goes: my take on the Houston Astros no-hitter against the Texas Rangers.

Here are some other thoughts on the last Saturday in May:

• Nothing like a deciding seventh game, and that is what’s on tap for the NBA Western Conference finals tonight between defending champion Oklahoma City and San Antonio. The winner advances to the championship series against the New York Knicks, starting next Wednesday night. I had OKC beating the Knicks in the finals, when I made my prediction on January 1 so I will stick with the Thunder for tonight’s contest.

• Plenty of NFL news this week with OTA’s etal, but IMHO the media is pounding the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini and Jaxson Dart-Abdul Carter stories to death. This is nothing more than being bereft of original ideas and an attempt at more clickbait.

• So much on my Yankees diatribe.

• Now Sacramento is making a big push for an MLB expansion franchise. Do not rule the city out, but Nashville and Salt Lake City seem to have a leg up in the race for two more teams, which is expected to happen once the labor situation is settled.

• The “insiders” all but have Tarik Skubal wearing Dodger blue, once he proves he has recovered from his elbow surgery. Put it this way, I’m not an insider and can tell you the Dodgers are the favorites to land him. Never has a franchise wanted so badly to bury the storied Yankees and become the next team to win three straight World Series. The Yanks were the last to do it, winning the Series in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter! Thank you so much for being a subscriber and have a terrific weekend!

DAN

The New York Yankees are once again spinning their wheels. Baseball’s signature franchise has not won a World Series since 2009 and only one this century, if you are among those who count the 21st Century as starting in 2001. The franchise which used to change managers the way people change clothes, is now hesitant to make a change, when one is needed. I know they beat the Rays, 2-0, yesterday on the Aaron Judge walk-off homer and good for them. Including yesterday, however, the team has scored five runs in their last four games. That is not going to cut it. And they are still six down in the loss column to the Rays. I break it down in the video/commentary.

Never forget

In 2018 I made a trip I will remember forever, visiting Omaha Beach in Normandy. It was a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made to preserve our freedom. Never forget.

Other notes:

• Wyndham Clark certainly made a statement winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

• Wow! Closest finish ever in the Indianapolis 500.

• Mets swept by Marlins. How does Mendoza last as manager?

• There used to be a time, when opposing teams feared going into Fenway Park. Now they welcome it. The Twins just completed a three-game sweep against the Red Sox this weekend in Boston, their first sweep there since 1994. The Red Sox have played eight series at home this season and lost seven of them. SEVEN! There is a reason for that “interim” tag in front of manager Chad Tracy’s title. The question is will there be an “interim” tag in front of the replacement for baseball boss Craig Breslow, because it is not working out in Beantown.

• Make that eight straight losses for the Cubs. They are crashing faster than the 1929 stock market.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for being a subscriber!

DAN

The critics are out there saying the New York Giants made the wrong move giving GM Joe Schoen a contract extension. I disagree and explain why in my video/podcast commentary.

Here are some other thoughts on this Saturday of Memorial Day weekend:

• I love these so called influencers. One of them, a huge NY Mets cheerleader, is out there posting on social media, “The Mets should contact the Astros about catcher Christian Vasquez.” With injuries, the Mets have catching issues. My question to the influencer would be, “How do you know the Mets haven’t contacted the Astros about Vasquez?” If you have been around baseball executives - and I have - they are wedded to their phones. They are almost always on them. “The Mets should?” I guarantee you the Mets already have.

• The 2026 Yankees are right up there with the 1967 Yankees of Jake Gibbs, Dooley Womack, Horace Clarke, Dick Howser, John Kennedy, Steve Whitaker, Charley Smith and, of course, Mickey Mantle, Elston Howard, Tom Tresh and Joe Pepitone. #OTD in 1967, just as they are now, they were seven down in the loss column to the first place team. Those Yankees crashed and burned. These Yankees are hitting about the same as that crew. Their only savior? They now play under a contrived system where even a club as bad as the Red Sox are still in the thick of the playoff race. What a game!

• So how is my World Series pick of the Cubs vs. Tigers looking?

• If Jacob deGrom, with a 99-68 2.58 ERA lifetime record is a Hall of Fame candidate, as many suggest, then Ron Guidry, with a 170-91 3.29 ERA lifetime record belongs. BTW, deGrom’s winning percentage is .592, while Guidry finished with a .651 winning percentage.

• I would say Mike Elias, the head of the Baltimore Orioles baseball operations, is in big trouble. He was hired in 2019 to turn around this once glorious franchise. After early success - the Birds made the playoffs twice and won the AL East twice - the team has been a flop. His firing of manager Brandon Hyde a year ago failed to spark the franchise, and they are currently in last place under new manager Craig Albernaz. At some point it comes down to the head honcho and that’s Elias, who has failed to bring the magic to Baltimore that he brought to Houston.

• The Chicago Bears have ruled out building a new stadium near Soldier Field. The team announced yesterday that they will build a new stadium in Arlington Heights, IL or northwest Indiana. Stay tuned.

• Which leads me to the governor of New Jersey, who said this week she wants to convince the Brooklyn Nets to move back to New Jersey. The author of the story stated New Jersey currently has only one major league sports team, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. I could be wrong, but the last time I checked both the NFL’s Giants and Jets were based in New Jersey. Just sayin.’

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Please don’t wish someone a happy Memorial Day. It is a day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our country. Never forget. Thank you for reading and being a subscriber.

DAN