(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland Guardians 6, Seattle Mariners 3 Tampa Bay Rays 7, Minnesota Twins 6 Houston Astros 5 Chicago White Sox 3 Kansas City Royals 3, Oakland Athletics 2 Baltimore Orioles 17, N.Y. Yankees 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Washington Nationals 2 L.A. Dodgers 5, Colorado Rockies 3 St. Louis Cardinals 6, San Francisco Giants 5 Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres (TBD)
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Atlanta Braves 7, Detroit Tigers 0 New York Mets 3, Texas Rangers 5 Milwaukee Brewers 2, Los Angeles Angels 0
AMERICAN LEAGUE Seattle Mariners 0, Cleveland Guardians 8 New York Yankees 6, Baltimore Orioles 7 Boston Red Sox 7, Toronto Blue Jays 3 Chicago White Sox 1, Houston Astros 4 Minnesota Twins 2, Tampa Bay Rays 3 Oakland Athletics 5, Kansas City Royals 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE Cincinnati Reds 0, Pittsburgh Pirates 1 Arizona Diamondbacks 1, Washington Nationals 3 Miami Marlins 4, St. Louis Cardinals 3 Philadelphia Phillies 2, San Diego Padres 5 Chicago Cubs 6, San Francisco Giants 5 Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Colorado Rockies 7
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Washington Mystics 81, Indiana Fever 88 Atlanta Dream 55, Minnesota Lynx 68 Seattle Storm 83, Las Vegas Aces 94
San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds (L) laughs with godfather and Giants legend Willie Mays as Mays was introduced during the Giants Opening Day against the San Diego Padres on April 5, 2002 ,in San Francisco, California. (JOHN G. MABANGLO/AFP via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The baseball world is in mourning following the death of Willie Mays at 93.
Major League teams across the U.S. expressed their condolences as they remembered the iconic athlete of their sport, who played 22 seasons and had 660 home runs.
The San Francisco Giants, the team Mays spent the most time on, announced the news of his death Tuesday night, going on to share the outpouring of love from across the baseball community.
“He leaves us with a lasting reminder: to work hard and find joy in this great game and this extraordinary life,” the Giants posted Tuesday evening on X. “Say Hey, Willie Mays. The best there ever was.”
Some of the biggest athletes in sports, legends in their own right, also turned to social media to share memories of the former San Francisco Giants player.
Read on to see how the baseball community and notable figures are remembering Mays:
“We join the baseball world in mourning the passing of Willie Mays,” read a post on the Mets’ X page.
Barry Bonds, Mays’ godson and whose father played with Mays on the Giants, shared his heartfelt emotions on Instagram.
“I am beyond devastated and overcome with emotion,” Bonds, also a Giants legend, wrote. “I have no words to describe what you mean to me- you helped shape me to be who I am today. Thank you for being my Godfather and always being there. Give my dad a hug for me. Rest in peace Willie, I love you forever. #SayHey”
New York Yankees alum Derek Jeter called Mays, “One of the best to ever play the game and even a better person.”
“Thoughts and prayers are with Willie’s family and loved ones,” he added on X.
The Seattle Mariners called Mays, “an icon of the sport.”
“Our hearts break at the news of Willie Mays’ passing, and we send our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones,” the team’s statement continued. “His impact on and off the field will live on forever.”
Jose Canseco wrote on X, “One of the best to ever play the game. Rest in Peace Willie Mays.”
“We join the baseball community in mourning the passing of the legendary Willie Mays.Our hearts go out to the @SFGiants and all of Willie’s family and friends,” read a post on the St. Louis Cardinals’ X page.
Former President Barack Obama posted on Threads, writing, “Willie Mays wasn’t just a singular athlete, blessed with an unmatched combination of grace, skill and power. He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person – and an inspiration to an entire generation. I’m lucky to have spent time with him over the years, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family.”
Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson shared condolences on behalf of himself and wife Cookie Johnson.
“I’m devastated to hear about the passing of the legendary Hall of Famer Willie Mays, one of the main reasons I fell in love with baseball. Cookie and I are praying for his family, friends, and fans during this difficult time,” Johnson wrote.
Former MLB pitcher CC Sabathia wrote on X, “I’ll never forget this day when I walked in and heard, ‘that’s that boy who wears his hat like this.’ RIP Willie Mays. You changed the game forever and inspired kids like me to chase our dream. Thank you for everything that you did on and off the field. Always in our hearts.”
Tennis legend Billie Jean King wrote on X, “He was a 24-time All-Star, a 12-time Gold Glover, a 2-time MVP, World Series champion, and a Hall of Famer.”
“The great Willie Mays has passed away. It was a privilege to know him. We were both honored by @MLB in 2010 with the Beacon Award, given to civil rights pioneers,” her post continued.
“He was a such a kind soul, who gifted my brother Randy a new glove and a television during his rookie year with the @SFGiants,” she wrote, adding, “My deepest condolences to his family. He will be missed.”
Actor and comedian Billy Crystal wrote on X, “The great @Willie Mays has passed away. Had the honor of talking with him several times. He loved that we mentioned his ‘54 World Series catch in @CitySlickers.The man who hit the ball and the “ Giant” who caught it signed this ball. RIP #24.. a thrill to watch you play.”
“Willie Mays was more than just a baseball icon. He broke barriers and inspired millions of Americans — setting records, bringing joy to countless fans, and becoming a role model for a generation of future athletes. The ‘Say Hey Kid’ will be dearly missed — and never forgotten,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement on X.
The mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, shared a lengthy post commenting on Mays’ legacy.
“To a native San Franciscan, some things just go without question: it’s foggy in the summer, cable cars go halfway to the stars, and Willie Mays is the best there ever was. It was an unbelievable opportunity of a lifetime to meet someone like Willie Mays. I remember hearing about the struggles that he endured because he was black, and what he overcame to become an icon on the field and the greatest baseball player of all time. He was from a generation who faced segregation and racism, a generation that paved the way so that many of us could have the freedom to thrive. Willie Mays meant so much to this city as a player, but also as a leader, staying involved in San Francisco and the Giants organization long after he retired from the game he loved. Willie Mays will forever be the greatest of giants in the story of San Francisco,” she wrote on X.
The Philadelphia Phillies posted, “We join the Giants and all of baseball in mourning the loss of Hall of Famer Willie Mays.Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones.”
(NEW YORK) — Willie Mays, widely considered to be one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game, has died at 93.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that San Francisco Giants Legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93,” the San Francisco Giants posted in a message on X announcing the news on behalf of Mays’ family.
In his own statement, Willie Mays’ son, Michael Mays, offered his gratitude for fans’ “unwavering love” for his father.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” Michael Mays said in his statement. “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life’s blood.”
From his start in the Negro Leagues with the Birmingham Black Barons to winning rookie of the year with the New York Giants in 1951 and through 24 All-Star Game appearances, including one in his final season, Mays dazzled fans with his combination of power, speed and joy on the field. He was the personification of a “five-tool” player, excelling at the five basic skills of baseball: throwing, fielding, power-hitting, hitting for average, and base running.
Known as “the Say Hey Kid” — the moniker’s origin has remained ambiguous — Willie Howard Mays Jr. was born in Westfield, Alabama, on May 6, 1931. He was a star athlete in many sports in high school and played with the Black Barons starting at 16 years old. He signed with Major League Baseball’s New York Giants after high school graduation two years later and won Rookie of the Year his first season. Mays was named the National League MVP twice, in 1954 and 1965, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.
Mays called it a career after 22 seasons with 660 home runs, which was the third-highest of all-time when he retired in 1973, and posted a career batting average of .301. He finished with 2,062 runs scored, 1,323 extra-base hits, 6,066 total bases and 136.6 offensive wins above replacement — all in the top 10 of all-time.
“The Hall of Fame is something that you play baseball for,” Mays said in an interview with the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. “You start off playing and you say to yourself, ‘if you get to the Hall of Fame you got good numbers.’ … To me, to be a part of the Hall of Fame and be a part of all the guys that come through it, it’s tremendous.”
Despite being one of the greatest hitters of all-time, Mays — also one of the sport’s greatest defensive outfielders — will always be remembered for one of baseball’s greatest catches.
The Giants were playing the Cleveland Indians in game one of the 1954 World Series when Mays made a running, over-the-shoulder basket catch on a deep fly ball hammered by Cleveland’s Vic Wertz into the New York City Polo Grounds’ immense center field.
The catch in the eighth inning with two runners on base preserved a 2-2 score and allowed the Giants to ultimately win in extra innings. It also instantly became seared in the minds of baseball fans. Now known simply as “The Catch,” its legacy has lived on in references made after thousands of over-the-shoulder catches since.
Though many baseball historians believe “The Catch” is the best defensive baseball play ever, Mays was always humble about it.
“When Vic hit the ball to center field, I never was worried about catching the ball,” Mays told MLB Network in 2010. “I was worried about getting the ball back into the infield. And I’m saying to myself, ‘I gotta get this ball back in the infield or Larry [Doby]’s gonna score.”
But, Mays said, “As the ball was coming down, I knew I had the ball.”
Mays won 12 career Gold Glove awards for exceptional fielding, one each season from 1957 to 1968. He also remained in the top five in career home runs from 1965 to 2020.
Mays would’ve finished with even more records had he not missed most of 1952 and all of 1953 due to military service. He was drafted in the Army in 1951, during the Korean War, but didn’t see combat overseas, instead spending most of his service at Fort Eustis in Virginia.
Mays was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama in 2015. Perhaps more fitting, MLB in 2017 — 63 years after ‘”The Catch” — renamed the World Series MVP Award to the Willie Mays World Series MVP Award.
Mays was set to be honored in a game at historic Rickwood Field in Alabama, the home of the Black Barons on Thursday, when his former team, the San Francisco Giants, take on the St. Louis Cardinals.
“I’m not able to get to Birmingham this year but will follow the game back here in the Bay Area,” Mays said in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle. “My heart will be with all of you who are honoring the Negro League ballplayers, who should always be remembered, including all my teammates on the Black Barons.”
Mays was married twice, the second time in 1971 to wife May Louise Mays. The two remained together until her death in 2013.
Giants Chairman Greg Johnson addressed Mays’ “profound influence” on America and baseball.
“Today we have lost a true legend” Johnson’s statement read. “In the pantheon of baseball greats, Willie Mays’ combination of tremendous talent, keen intellect, showmanship, and boundless joy set him apart. A 24-time All-Star, the Say Hey Kid is the ultimate Forever Giant.”
“He had a profound influence not only on the game of baseball, but on the fabric of America,” Johnson’s statement continued. “He was an inspiration and a hero who will be forever remembered and deeply missed.”
Major League Baseball shared a message on X on Tuesday, saying the organization was “heartbroken.”
“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Willie Mays, one of the most exciting all-around players in the history of our sport,” the MLB post read.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after finishing the 18th hole during the final round of the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort, June 16, 2024, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Rory McIlroy came up one stroke short of ending his decade-long major drought at Pinehurst on Sunday. Despite the visceral disappointment on display as he departed the parking lot without taking questions from the press, his sights are now set on Scotland with a resilient mentality.
Rory McIlroy taking time off golf until The Open, describes ‘resilient’ outlook
McIlroy announced on X Monday that he will “take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon.”
“The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I’ve shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again,” he stated.
The four-time major champion lost the 124th U.S. Open to Bryson DeChambeau after taking three bogeys over his final four holes, which included two missed short putts on the 16th and 18th holes.
He called Sunday’s round “probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer.”
“As I reflect on my week, I’ll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the 2 missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day. But, as I always try to do, I’ll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives. As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have,” he continued.
After congratulating DeChambeau, who notched his second U.S. Open title in five years, McIlroy said, “He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.”
“Rory is one of the best to ever play. Being able to fight against a great like that is pretty special,” DeChambeau said after his win on Sunday. “For him to miss that putt, I’d never wish it on anybody. It just happened to play out that way.”
McIlroy has been at the heart of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf divide over the last couple of years, acting as the prominent voice for players in the U.S. organization who declined or opposed the Saudi-backed league. He, along with many fellow PGA Tour players, was blindsided last summer when Jay Monahan did a complete 180-degree pivot from banning LIV players from competition to announcing a merger with help from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The Northern Irish golfer will look to secure the final major of the season and his fifth ever later this summer on the links at Royal Troon.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Atlanta Braves, 2 Detroit Tigers 1 New York Mets 7, Texas Rangers 6 Milwaukee Brewers 6, Los Angeles Angels 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE Seattle Mariners 8, Cleveland Guardians 5 New York Yankees 4, Baltimore Orioles 2 Boston Red Sox 4, Toronto Blue Jays 3 Chicago White Sox 2, Houston Astros 0 Minnesota Twins 7, Tampa Bay Rays 6 Oakland Athletics 7, Kansas City Royals 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE Cincinnati Reds 2, Pittsburgh Pirates 1 Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Washington Nationals 0 Miami Marlins 9, St. Louis Cardinals 8 Philadelphia Phillies 4, San Diego Padres 3 Chicago Cubs 5, San Francisco Giants 2 Los Angeles Dodgers 11, Colorado Rockies 9
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Edmonton Oilers 5, Florida Panthers 3
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Connecticut Sun 79, Los Angeles Sparks 70 Phoenix Mercury 99, New York Liberty 93
Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics lifts the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after Boston’s 106-88 win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
(BOSTON) — The Boston Celtics bested the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals Monday night to win their 18th championship, setting a new league record.
Small forward Jayson Tatum led Boston to their 106-88 victory over Dallas with 31 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists followed by Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown, who scored 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Brown, 27, went on to be named the MVP for the series.
With the win, which came on the 16th anniversary of Boston’s last championship in 2008, the Celtics passed the Los Angeles Lakers for the most NBA titles in league history.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Atlanta Braves 2, Detroit Tigers 1 New York Mets 14, Texas Rangers 2 Los Angeles Angels 5, Milwaukee 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE Boston Red Sox 7, Toronto Blue Jays 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Cincinnati Reds 1 Philadelphia Phillies 9, San Diego Padres 2 St. Louis Cardinals 7, Miami Marlins 6 San Francisco Giants 7, Chicago Cubs 6 Los Angeles Dodgers 9, Colorado Rockies 5
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Boston Celtics 106, Dallas Mavericks 88
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Minnesota Lynx 90, Dallas Wings 78
(INDIANAPOLIS) — The 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials are underway in Indianapolis and Katie Ledecky, the greatest female swimmer in U.S. history, has already made her fourth Olympics team in Paris.
Team USA swimmer Katie Ledecky punches Olympics ticket to Paris
The superstar swimmer from Maryland swam the 400-meter freestyle in 3:58.35 to cement her place on Team USA at the upcoming Summer Games.
Ledecky was a full body length ahead of her competition for much of the race and was the only swimmer to break four minutes.
The seven-time Olympic gold medalist has 21 world championship titles and first made a splash with her 800-meter freestyle gold at just 15 years old at the 2012 London Games.
Ledecky has since become an Olympic champion at every freestyle distance from 200 meters to 1,500 meters.
Now, she’s the eighth American swimmer to qualify for four Olympic Games.
Others making a splash at US Olympic Swimming Trials
A world record was smashed on Saturday with a shocking swim in the semis by 21-year-old Gretchen Walsh, one of the young stars for Team USA.
The 6-foot-2 University of Virginia product set a new world record in 55.18 seconds in the semifinals of the 100-meter butterfly, which smashed the previous record of 55.48 by Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjöström set in 2016.
Walsh had never recorded a time below 56 seconds until Saturday.
While she didn’t lower her world record, Walsh locked up a spot in Paris with a win in the finals on Sunday. Walsh, then 18, just missed out on the Tokyo Games, but she’ll be featured prominently on the U.S. team in Paris.
The best story of the trials so far belongs to Gabrielle Rose.
The 46-year-old two-time Olympian — who last competed at the Sydney Summer Games in 2000 — shocked everyone by coming out of her qualifying heat to make the 100-meter breaststroke semis. Rose has been swimming in seniors events and decided to give the trials a try after swimming some of the best times of her life. Sadly, the Cinderella story came to an end with a fifth place finish in the semifinals on Sunday, but she still notched her personal best time.
Of the 16 women who made the semis in the 100-meter breaststroke, only Lilly King was alive when Rose swam in Sydney 24 years ago.
King, the queen of the breaststroke, cruised to first place in the semis with a time of 1:05.57 and is set to jump back in the pool on Monday for the finals. King, a five-time Olympic medalist, is aiming to make her third U.S. team in Paris.
