quick hits 13/?
Oddball quick hits posts are, generally speaking, links-heavy sports-concerned jetsam and flotsam missives curated and written up by me, combatdavey, a.k.a. your favourite player's favourite player.
I had way too much coffee today I mean like way way way too much and I've been going like 120mph for the past five hours and there is no end in sight so I'm just gonna let it rip and see where we're at when the dust clears. If I die please engrave "Died Tragically Rescuing His Family From The Wreckage Of A Destroyed Sinking Battleship" on my tombstone.
Lights up let's go, baybee!
βΎπ£ With his 56th jack last night, Cal Raleigh broke Mickey Mantle's record for HR in a season by a switch hitter that had stood since 1961 and tied Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners franchise record for HR in a season (which he did in both 1997 and 1998). (ESPN)
βΎπ George Springer's second half has been astonishing. Like, he's leading the majors in runs, batting average, and on-base percentage, and OPS since the All-Star break. (Twitter/SNstats)
βΎπ€ The Blue Jays (six wins in a row) are rolling, but won't get Bo Bichette back until the postseason at the earliest. (Sportsnet)
ππ The Ravens are going hog wild with the fixins for their upcoming MNF date with the Lions. (Twitter/jeffzrebiec)
ππΆ Patriots WR Stefon Diggs and Cardi B are with child. Legit didn't even know they were together, but this kind of thing has always been one of my pop culture blind spots. (SI)
πΎπΈ Taylor Townsend, the #1 ranked women's doubles player in the world, had to issue a public apology after posting some craaaaaazy offensive things about the local cuisine in Shenzhen. (ESPN, The Spun)
ππ€ Kobe Bufkin (who is known in our home as my "son" or "Baby Bufkin") got traded to the Nets, leading some to ask why Brooklyn would trade for a young combo guard prospect after drafting two point guards and a combo guard in the first round of the NBA draft. (Yardbarker)
ππ Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase (53 votes) was named the WNBA Coach of the Year yesterday. It is well-deserved. Dream HC Karl Smesko (15) finished second in the voting. Aces HC Becky Hammon (2) and Lynx HC Cheryl Reeve (2) tied for third. (WNBA)
ππ Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (68 votes) was named the WNBA's Most Improved Player yesterday. It is also well-deserved, as Burton finally looks like a player you'd draft 7th overall (and a lot of that likely has to do with COTY Nakase). Sparks big (and the WNBA's answer to Evan Mobley) AzurΓ‘ Stevens (2) finished second in the voting. Dream guard Allisha Gray (1) and Lynx studbud guard Natisha Hiedeman (1) tied for third. (WNBA)
ππ Paige Bueckers won WNBA Rookie of the Year yesterday, and the trophy was awarded to her at the end of... actually I'mma just let you watch it because it's better that way. (Twitter/JHudShow)
Sidebar: Paige Bueckers is already a better basketball player than Caitlin Clark. I'm a big, big, big Caitlin Clark fan (like, I own this t-shirt) but Paige is a very, very special player. I could not be more serious about this. I've said it on my podcast and to my WNBA friends. Paige looks generational to me.
If you haven't tried your hand at this week's trivia questions, get on it.
π² gonna
πΌ go
π± touch crash
π³ grass hard
π· now
D
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