Edward Lennon

NBA: Blockbuster Trade Saves Caris LeVert’s Life

by Edward Lennon | Jan 27, 2021 | Featured, NBA

On January 14, 2021, Caris LeVert was shocked when he was no longer a member of the Brooklyn Nets after being involved in the four-team blockbuster James Harden trade. LeVert thought that getting traded to the Indiana Pacers would be the craziest thing that happened to him that week. Then, he had his physical.

The appointment, necessary to complete the trade, revealed that Caris LeVert had a small mass on his left kidney. Soon after finding out the life-altering news, the former Nets guard had successful surgery earlier this week to treat kidney cancer, the Pacers announced Tuesday.

“No further treatment is needed,” the team said in a statement. “Caris is expected to make a full recovery and will be out indefinitely.”

The 26-year-old claimed to have been feeling healthy. He did not feel any symptoms from the cancer on his kidney, which could have spread or become deathly. If he was not included in this trade, who knows when LeVert’s health condition would have been discovered.

LeVert is blessed and happy to know that this trade exposed what was going on in his body. He admits that this trade was potentially lifesaving.The entire details of the trade are below. After LeVert’s physical held up the trade, the Nets ended up sending cash and an addition second-round pick (via Cleveland) to the Pacers to complete deal.

LeVert was traded to to Indiana (IND) from Brooklyn (BKN) as part of a 4-team trade: Cleveland (CLE) traded Dante Exum to Houston (HOU); Cleveland (CLE) traded 2024 2nd round pick to Indiana (IND); Houston (HOU) traded 2023 2nd round pick to Indiana (IND); Houston (HOU) traded James Harden to Brooklyn (BKN); Indiana (IND) traded Victor Oladipo to Houston (HOU); Brooklyn (BKN) traded Jarrett Allen, Aleksandar Vezenkov and Taurean Prince to Cleveland (CLE); Brooklyn (BKN) traded Rodions Kurucs, 2022 1st round pick, 2026 1st round pick, 2024 1st round pick and 2022 1st round pick to Houston (HOU); Brooklyn (BKN) traded $2.6 million to Indiana (IND)

Everyone around the NBA is happy that LeVert’s cancer was caught early and did not spread. Many fans are in great anticipation to see the guard debut for the Pacers in the near future.

Jan 27, 2021 No Comments

Philadelphia Phillies Lock Up Best Catcher in Baseball

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by Edward Lennon | Jan 27, 2021 | Featured, MLB

The Philadelphia Phillies just locked up All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto to a five-year, $115.5 million contract. The two-time All-Star will be returning to the city of brotherly love.

Realmuto’s average salary on this new deal is $23.1 million per year, which is the highest ever for a catcher in Major League Baseball history. He is the first catcher to sign a contract worth over $100 million in free agency.

There have been catchers that have signed larger extensions, like Joe Mauer and his eight-year, $184 million extension with the Minnesota Twins in 2010, and Buster Posey nine-year, $167 million extension with the San Francisco Giants in 2013. Realmuto’s new deal surpassed Mauer’s previous record for highest average annual value at $23 million.

Realmuto, 29, has earned this deal. He patiently waited and he was paid handsomely, after declining the Phillies’ one-year qualifying offer. He is a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and won a Gold Glove. He is one of the best all-around catchers in the majors.

2018 is when things changed for Realmuto. He had a monster season for the Marlins and then generated a ton of trade interest, which ended up with him being sent to Philadelphia. This was the year of his first All-Star game.

Since 2018, Realmuto leads all MLB catchers in WAR (10.1), RBIs (189) and stolen bases (16) and is second best in slugging percentage and OPS. He has hit 57 home runs during that span, which ranks third among MLB catchers during that span. All stats are from baseballreference.com.

On the defensive side of the ball, he has 11 runs saved since the start of the 2019 season. This ranks fourth among catchers who have played more than 1,000 innings during that span.

In 2019, Realmuto batted .275 with 25 homers and 83 RBIs while earning his second consecutive All-Star selection in 2019, when he led the National League catching 43 runners stealing.

Realmuto is passionate about the Phillies’ organization. “I love this organization,” he said. “They’ve been great to me and my family since I showed up. From top to bottom, they’re good people and they care about baseball. That’s important to me.”

Now that the Phillies have Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, and JT Realmuto signed for the next four seasons. A new winning culture is trying to be built in Philadelphia, slowly, but surely.

Realmuto is a career .278 hitter has had an OPS. of .825 since 2018. Realmuto is the best catcher is the majors and is now one of the richest catchers in the league. This was a huge move for the Phillies, and this keeps them competitive in the race for the NL East.

Jan 27, 2021 No Comments

MLB Power Rankings: August 7th

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by Edward Lennon | Aug 7, 2020 | Featured, MLB

Welcome to Sneaker Reporter Power Rankings for MLB 2020.

Major League Baseball is continuing their quest to prolong the 2020 season, despite numerous COVID-19 outbreaks across the league. There is a looming threat that the next serious outbreak could force the league to end the season just two weeks into it.

Rob Manfred, baseball’s commissioner, has warned the players and partners of the league (TV stations, writers, advertisers) that the season could end soon. He blames players for not following protocol and basically deflected all accountability for the worsening situation.

The top teams of the league are as expected, but there is some rumble in the top 10. Here are your power rankings. All records and statistics are through Aug. 6.

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1. Los Angeles Dodgers (9-4)

Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Justin Turner are all off to a slow start. They are all batting below .200. But, that has not stopped the Dodgers from dominating.They have outscored opponents by 33 runs. A.J. Pollock has stepped up, as well as Corey Seager. Both started hot and continued to hit. Mookie Betts is doing well and starting to heat up. Their defense has been outstanding and some say it is one of the best in a long time.

Besides a surprisingly slow start by Walker Buehler, LA’s pitchers have been impressive. Rookie Dustin May has done well in his three starts, but has yet to show he can go deep into the game.

Julio Urias and Ross Stripling have hung in there and proven they can help a winning team. Clayton Kershaw is healthy again and has impressed in lone start this season. He is getting hot and could become a dominant force.

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2. New York Yankees (9-3)

A fully healthy Aaron Judge has returned to his MVP-caliber self. He has been absolutely dominant. Through 12 games, he has seven home runs and 17 runs batted in. DJ LeMahieu is back in the lineup and has picked up where he left off last season, now hitting .429. Gio Urshela is hitting consistently and is play insane defense and third.

Gerrit Cole has been Gerrit Cole, and is the ace the Yankees’ have needs for a very long time. However, all starters besides Cole have combined for a 7.11 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, and are averaging 3.1 innings per start, allowing 40 hits, 25 earned runs, and 16 walks in 31.2 innings.

Their bullpen has been elite and has picked up the slack for most of their starters. Aroldis Chapman’s return is going to help their depth greatly.

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3. Minnesota Twins (10-3)

The Minnesota Twins are flourishing because of their explosive lineup and phenomenal pitching. They have outscored opponents by 29 runs.

Their pitching has been a pleasant surprise. After their starting pitchers posted a 4.19 ERA in 2019, their pitching staff has had a 2.71 ERA through 13 starts.

Their bullpen has allowed just just two runs in 27.1 innings. Their team ERA is 2.97, the second-best in the American League.

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4.Chicago Cubs (10-3)

Despite a brutal loss to the Kanas City Royals on Thursday, the Chicago Cubs have been playing very well. Ian Happ has been playing better than he ever has before, perhaps playing everyday due to the new DH rule in the National League has helped.

Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, and Yu Darvish have carried their weight and posted an impressive rotation ERA for the Cubs. Tyler Chatwood was impressive until his explosion on Thursday.

Their offense has been powered by Happ, Anthony Rizzo and Wilson Contreras. They have steady control of the division.

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5. Oakland A’s (9-4)

The Oakland A’s have been doing superbly well because of their elite defense and consistent bullpen.

Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Ramon Laureano have all been great assets in the field and at the plate. Marcus Semien is not what he was last year at the plate, but that could change quickly. He is still great defensively.

In 55 innings through 13 games, their bullpen has an ERA of 1.80, which is insane. They keep winning close games and can be a disturbance in the postseason.

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6. Atlanta Braves (9-5)

Despite the absolutely brutal loss of ace and All-Star Mike Soroka to a torn Achilles tendon, the Atlanta Braves have been the best team in the NL East.

Marcell Ozuna has been a fantastic addition and is slugging well for Atlanta. Dansby Swanson is playing the best he ever has and is driving in a lot of runs. All-Stars Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna are off to slow starts, but could quickly turn the corner, which would make this team even more dangerous.

Max Fried and other young starters need step up to make this team a real threat in the playoffs. Losing Soroka was a big blow to their already thin pitching staff.

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7. Cleveland Indians (8-6)

Besides being ace material, Shane Bieber has been a front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award this season. He is a strikeout machine and has been a doing fantastic for Cleveland. Carlos Carrasco and Mike Clevinger have been contributing greatly for the club.

Jose Ramirez has looked like his younger self as of recently. He is slugging and moving well. Francisco Lindor has been slugging as well. Ceasar Hernandez has turned out to be a great signing, hitting above .300 and playing decent in the field.

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8. Colorado Rockies (9-3)

Colorado has finally found a pitcher worthy of calling an ace. German Marquez has been outstanding through the first fifth of the season. Through three starts, he has a 1.89 ERA and 23 strikeouts through 19 innings, while only walking five batters. If he keeps this up, he will make the Rockies a serious contender to make the playoffs.

Nolan Arenado already had three home run, but is not hitting as well he usually does. Despite that, his defense has been as good as ever. He is on-pace to win another Gold Glove. Trevor Story has been carrying their offense. Charlie Blackmon, Daniel Murphy, and Matt Kemp have all been contributing to their offense.

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9. Chicago White Sox (7-6)

Perhaps one of the more disappointing teams of this season, the Chicago White Sox are doing well, but not great.

Leury Garcia has been a surprising slugger for the team on the Southside. He and Eloy Jimenez lead the team in home runs. Yasmani Grandal has yet to go deep. Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert have been doing great at the plate.

Alex Colome, Evan Marshall, Ross Detwiler and Matt Foster have pitched a combined 23.1 innings of relief without allowing a run, truly impeccable. They have made up for a sloppy starting rotation. Dallas Keuchel has been stellar, but Lucas Giolito has been fairly disappointing, same with Gio Gonzalez and Carlos Rodon.

This team is doing alright for now, but could either excel or implode.

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10. Houston Astros (6-6)

Houston’s offense has been explosive yet again, even under the new regime of veteran skipper Dusty Baker. They lead the American League in runs scored. Carlos Correa has been hitting .386 thus far. George Spring, Alex Bregman, and Jose Altuve have not been consistent, but have slugged for the Astros.

Justin Verlander has one good start, but is back to battling injury. Houston has had nine pitchers make their debut in the teams first 11 games of the year.The team’s pitching is weaker than it has been in a while and basically has not depth. Zack Greinke needs to step up as the veteran in this rotation and put together the impressive season everybody knows he is capable of.

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Aug 7, 2020 1 Comment

Latest of MLB’s 2020 COVID Catastrophe: After going AWOL, Yoenis Cespedes Opts out of the 2020 Season

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by Edward Lennon | Aug 3, 2020 | Featured, MLB

And just like that, Yoenis Cespedes‘ time as a New York Met is over. The 34-year-old slugger opted out of the 2020 season today, on his own terms.

Once a superstar, an icon, and a team leader. Yoenis Cespedes was a lot to New York Mets fans.

After being told he was not in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, Cespedes did not report to the stadium for the game. The team tried to contact him and he was not responding. He decided to ghost the organization. There was actual fear in the organization that he might not be okay.

Eventually, Cespedes’ agent put out a statement that he was opting out of the remainder of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 related issues. This is a beyond disappointing end to his four-year contract. He was a New York Met since 2015, helping them reach the World Series in 2015 and the Wild Card Game in 2016. He made the 2016 NL All-Star team.

Weirdly, a few undisclosed New York Mets said they were approached by Cespedes on Saturday and he told them of his intentions to end his 2020 season.

He had served as the Mets’ designated hitter in eight games this season, going 5-for-31 (.161) with 15 strikeouts. 2020 Opening Day was his first game since July 20, 2018. He missed time due to a series of leg problems. He required surgery on both heels and broke an ankle after an incident on his Florida ranch with a wild boar. Yes, you read that correctly.

After this season, Cespedes’ four-year, $110 million contract, signed after the 2016 season, is over. It is unlikely that the Mets would bring him back. He played in five seasons in orange and blue after being acquired in 2015 from the Detroit Tigers. Since 2015, Cespedes has played in 316 games for the Mets, hitting 76 home runs, driving in 205 runs, and posting a .883 OPS.

Nobody blames Cespedes for opting out because MLB’s season is in jeopardy and there is an issue containing the spread of the Coronavirus from team to team. After the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies had breakouts throughout their organizations, the St. Louis Cardinals had a breakout as well.

Cespedes is the latest player in the MLB to opt-out. Milwaukee Brewers Gold Glove Center fielder Lorenzo Cain ended his season on Saturday because he wanted to do what was best for his wife and his three young sons.

The season could be over by the end of the week. If they can make it that far. Nobody knows if it can be pulled off. We’ll just have to enjoy the sport while we can.

Aug 3, 2020 No Comments

One-Day-Away: SneakerReporter 2020 MLB Preview

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by Edward Lennon | Jul 22, 2020 | Featured, MLB

MLB is back on July 23 when the defending champion Washington Nationals play the New York Yankees and the Los Angles Dodgers take on the San Francisco Giants.

It is July 22^nd. The world is still in the midst of a global pandemic. However, Major League Baseball has done whatever it takes to bring sports back to the United States. The league attempts to begin their 60-game season on Thursday, July 23rd hoping that they can play it through completion, without fans in attendance of course.

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

As negotiated between Commissioner Robert Manfred and the MLB Player’s Association, an abbreviated 60-game season is replacing MLB’s regular 162 season. Nobody knows if it will be finished, or how many games will be played. This is new to everybody

There is no denying the fact that the country needs baseball. Needs a distraction. Something to unify our society and bring cities together.

This is going to be a unique season. We won’t see another 50-homer season from Pete Alonso. Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are not going to strike out 300 batters each. There could be some history made. We could see the first .400 hitter since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941.

There are no clear candidates for who that batting title champ could be. Maybe a guy like Whit Merrifield. Or Jeff McNeil. Cody Bellinger could definitely make a run for it.

There are three new rules during this season. There is a universal Designated Hitter for the first time. To start extra innings, there will be a runner on second base. In addition to those two new changes, there is a three-batter minimum for relievers.

One of the oddest things of this season is going to be the absence of an All-Star game. There will be no Mid-Summer Classic to honor the game’s brightest stars. This is the first time since 1945 that there will be no MLB All-Star Game.

Another interesting aspect of this season is the trade deadline. Who knows if teams are going to be willing to part ways with their All-Star caliber players.

Now, let’s get to the predictions. Here are SneakerReporter’s predictions for the MLB standing, postseason, and awards.

National League East

New York Mets
Washington Nationals- WC
Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Phillies
Miami Marlins

National League Central

Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds- WC
Milwaukee Brewers
Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Pirates

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers
Colorado Rockies
San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Francisco Giants

Washington over Cincinnati

New York over Chicago

Los Angeles over Washington

Los Angeles over New York

NL Champs: Los Angeles Dodgers

American League East

New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays- WC
Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles

American League Central

Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox- WC
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals
Detroit Tigers

American League West

Houston Astros
Oakland A’s
Los Angeles Angels
Texas Rangers
Seattle Mariners

Tampa Bay over Chicago

Minnesota over Houston

New York over Tampa Bay

Minnesota over New York

AL Champs: Minnesota Twins

World Series Champs: Los Angeles Dodgers

This 60-game season is going to be molded by the major transactions of this past offseason. Gerrit Cole’s signing in the Bronx will help the Yankees return to the postseason but will not be enough with their short-handed rotation. Josh Donaldson will be a huge asset for the Twins and will be their main driving force to their World Series run, and all those signings by the White Sox will bring them back to the playoffs. Mookie Betts, and his new $392 million extension, will finally help the Dodgers over the hump and win a World Series title.