Sports

SIMMONS SAYS: Larry Walker and Ferguson Jenkins a rare breed

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They are going to quickly be collectively in that almost all unlikely of locations — the best Canadian pitcher and the best Canadian ballplayer there ever was.

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Ferguson Jenkins and Larry Walker.

About to turn into teammates within the Baseball Corridor of Fame.

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There have been every kind of Canadians within the Main Leagues for so long as there was baseball, so many lasting a season right here or an at bat there, some having lengthy and affluent careers, however solely two climbing their technique to all-time greats.

And actually, within the fashionable period, solely two gamers turned eligible, then elected to the Corridor of Fame, as a result of actually, there have been no different Canadian gamers to contemplate.

Jenkins was a no brainer, elected in 1991 after profitable 20 video games seven totally different occasions again when profitable video games was the excellence that mattered most. Not solely did Jenkins have these years of significance, he had eight seasons wherein he accomplished 20 video games or extra.

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Typically, over time, it appears as if his many accomplishments have been forgotten.

Walker is more moderen, even when it took him 11 years to get to the Corridor of Fame, 10 of them ready to get the required quantity of votes, one other 12 months ready for the delay of COVID-19 to listen to his identify known as. The wait, he’ll inform you now, was price it, if not difficult. He has a profession OPS of .965, 18th greatest in historical past, simply behind Frank Thomas, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

Being within the Corridor of Fame appears nearly unattainable for any Canadian. Being there alongside Fergie Jenkins — what may very well be higher than that for a child who grew up enjoying ball along with his dad for the native {hardware} workforce in Maple Ridge, B.C.?

THIS AND THAT

Gents, begin your Olympic hockey workforce hypothesis. On Friday, all groups should identify their first three gamers. Little doubt will probably be Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid for Group Canada as two of the three. The third choose for common supervisor Doug Armstrong may very well be anybody from Brad Marchand to Nathan MacKinnon to Carey Worth to Cale Makar. The U.S. will seemingly begin with Patrick Kane and Auston Matthews after which identify both Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox, defenceman Charlie McAvoy or former Vezina winner, Connor Hellebuyck … The Olympic rosters of 25 gamers wouldn’t have to be finalized till January, however earlier than {that a} lengthy record of prospects — 42 skaters, 5 goalies — have to be named by mid-October which can result in its regular quantity of over-analysis and angst … In no specific order, my least favorite names to sort: Antetokounmpo, Hellebuyck, Nieuwendyk, Vasilevskiy and Lyubushkin … Maple Leafs gamers seemingly heading to the Olympics in February: Matthews (USA), Mitch Marner (Canada), William Nylander (Sweden), Petr Mrazek, Ondrej Kase and David Kamph (Czech Republic), and Marlies defenceman Kristians Rubins (Latvia). Different prospects embrace John Tavares and Morgan Rielly (Canada), and Jack Campbell (USA).

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HEAR AND THERE

The celebration exterior Rogers Centre on Friday night time was oh so uncommon. Individuals dancing on sidewalks. Some followers screaming and taking selfies. One I heard yelled: “Greatest recreation for the reason that Bautista bat flip.” And no person exterior appeared to be conscious that on the night time of two exceptional Blue Jays comebacks in a single victory over Oakland that each the New York Yankees and Boston Purple Sox have been winners as properly. In different phrases, the Jays gained with a grand slam to tie the sport, a three-run homer to win within the backside of the ninth, large win and large pleasure they usually picked up no floor on the groups they’re chasing for a wild-card spot within the American League. Does something sum up their season greater than that? A spectacular win, signifying subsequent to nothing … Invoice Parcells, who together with Don Matthews, would all the time say you might be what your report says you might be, should not be watching the Blue Jays this season. The standings say they’re the eighth-best workforce within the American League. The standings, for my cash, lie … And that’s one thing Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins are going to have to judge on the finish of this season. How does a workforce with this a lot expertise find yourself to this point behind groups that don’t look like their equals … And coming to a Manhattan comedy membership close to you: The New York Mets. You couldn’t invent this story and this workforce and this operation, actually. It’s tailor made for a Netflix or Amazon Prime mini-series … I have a look at the rosters of Tampa Bay, New York and Boston and might’t decide how the Jays aren’t anyplace close to these groups within the standings.

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SCENE AND HEARD

If Marie-Philip Poulin isn’t the best huge recreation aim scorer in Canadian hockey historical past, males or ladies, then who’s? She scored the Olympic gold medal profitable aim in 2010, scored the tying and profitable aim within the exceptional 2014 gold medal win for Group Canada, and added to her legacy by scoring the extra time winner Tuesday on the world championships in Calgary. Who has performed something related? … No sport has modified extra up to now 25 years than ladies’s hockey. The standard of the athletes, the velocity with which they play, the energy and the shot high quality has come to this point in so brief a time. The sport performed on the Nagano Olympics in 1998 doesn’t exist anymore on the highest stage … I do sit up for the day, although, when it gained’t be so obvious that Canada and the USA will play for each gold medal in each event. That’s one flaw hampering the game … One other flaw — and the woke technology gained’t like this — however the high quality of officiating on the world event was not corresponding to the standard of play. The gamers deserve higher refereeing. If meaning having some males officiate till there’s sufficient ladies who can work on the highest stage, then so be it. The ladies deserve higher than the officiating on the Calgary occasion … What a time in historical past that is for Canadian ladies in sports activities. A gold-medal soccer workforce. A gold-medal hockey workforce. An Olympic medal in softball. Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Fernandez on the U.S. Open. The ladies’s swim workforce in Tokyo. Aurelie Rivard and others on the Paralympics. That is historic and worthy of every kind of celebration.

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AND ANOTHER THING

The enduring energy of the U.S. Open: You may flip in your tv late at night time and be pulled in by a match performed by Karolina Pliskova and Amanda Anisimova, gamers you might not be accustomed to, and you’ll’t flip away. And some nights later, it’s Frances Tiafoe and Andrey Rublev, two gamers you wouldn’t acknowledge strolling down any road, and once more it pulls you in, grabs you, and makes you care about one thing you usually wouldn’t care about. That’s sport at its greatest … Andreescu is rounding into the sort of kind that ought to have the remainder of the attract New York involved … It makes no financial sense, but when you consider it, wouldn’t Cam Newton be the right CFL quarterback? … After 16 years and 253 video games with the Dallas Cowboys, Canadian lengthy snapper L.P. Ladouceur shouldn’t be able to retire on the age of 40. He desires to maintain enjoying. All he wants is somebody within the NFL to name … Actually, how lengthy earlier than the Washington Soccer Group has an actual identify? Shouldn’t this have occurred by now? … Naomi Osaka can stroll away from tennis for so long as she wants with out worrying about her future. She’s lucky that method. She has earned greater than $50 million in endorsements up to now calendar 12 months … Labour Day often represents the start of the stretch run within the CFL season. Now, like the whole lot else, we’re making an attempt to determine what’s what and who’s who and why no person appears to be scoring within the CFL … In terms of hockey sense, OHL commissioner David Department repeatedly hits the correct notes. His indefinite suspension of Montreal draft choose Logan Mailloux, which can seemingly quantity to a misplaced half-season of junior hockey, was acceptable, even when had nothing to do along with his league or the London Knights … I perceive Edmonton releasing offensive lineman Jacob Ruby as a result of he misrepresented his vaccinated standing with the Elks. Unsure I agree with the ruling that he’s ineligible to play for every other workforce this season … Dr. Carson Wentz on his unvaccinated standing with the Indianapolis Colts: “Belief me, I’ve weighed quite a lot of issues. I do know what’s at stake. It’s simply the place I’m at and the place I’m at with my household.” … Comfortable birthday to Doyle Alexander (71), Sweet Maldonado (61), Carl Brazley (64), Stacey Dales (42), Frank White (71), Don Maloney (63), Jim Schoenfeld (69), Mike Piazza (53), Dave Dryden (80), Stan Jonathan (66) and Billy Kilmer (82) … And hey, no matter turned of Byron Parker?

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RAPTORS SHOULD TAKE LONG LOOK AT SIMMONS

I do know Masai Ujiri properly sufficient to know that expertise greater than intrigues him. If there’s a Damian Lillard or a Ben Simmons sort of participant obtainable, he’s going to research, ask the correct questions, see if he can’t pull off one other Kawhi Leonard sort of deal that gained him and the Raptors a championship two years in the past.

Clearly, Simmons is on the market and gained’t return to the Philadelphia 76ers and, clearly, the asking value from the Sixers could be very excessive. However that’s now. That is early September. A month from now, six weeks from now, the worth could also be extra manageable and there’s a lot to love about Simmons if you happen to see basketball by Ujiri’s expansive eyes.

Masai loves defence and there might not be a greater defender within the NBA than the 6-foot-11 level guard. And instantly that doesn’t make sense. A 6-foot-11 level guard? The place do you discover a type of who shoots 56% from the sector, and is sort of unstoppable driving to the basket, and scores 16 factors an evening with out taking pictures from three, all whereas enjoying on a workforce with a 26-point-a-night, first-option scorer at centre in Joel Embiid.

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What would he rating in one other circumstance? Simmons does the whole lot however shoot threes. He’s a playmaker. He’s a rebounder. He’s a defender. And he’s solely 25, signed for the following 4 seasons.

His contract pays him the whopping determine of $35.4 million a season, simply barely greater than the Raptors pay Pascal Siakam.

Some sort of Simmons-for-Siakam commerce with just a few further elements is a deal that must be checked out, if obtainable.

The Raptors don’t have a star. You want a star to be essential within the NBA. Out of Philadelphia, Ben Simmons may very well be that star.

HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO KEEP RAY?

Is Robbie Ray a one-year surprise or is that this the start of a exceptional run as a significant league pitcher?

That’s the most important query dealing with the Blue Jays because the low season comes a month from now.

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How a lot do they provide Ray in free company, assuming he’s serious about returning to Toronto. For many of his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he was a hard-thrower with management points and too typically a house run goal. However the Ray we’ve seen this season up shut, is true there with one of the best pitchers in baseball.

The free-agent class of 2022 has Ray obtainable together with Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Zach Grienke — names he wouldn’t usually be related to. The cash might be gigantic for these 4 starters. However with Ray, you’ve remember: At 29, he’s doing issues he has by no means achieved earlier than. Nobody has had a greater season pitching within the American League. If he doesn’t win the Cy Younger Award, he might be a finalist, assuming the voters do their homework.

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His pitching coach, Pete Walker, believes it is a new starting for Ray. That that is who he’s within the huge leagues. It doesn’t typically occur this fashion in any sport, the place a run-of-the-mill participant turns into nice fairly late of their profession.

If I’m Robbie Ray and my life has modified and that is the place my life modified, this may be the place I might need to spend the remainder of my profession. At what value, although, and for the way lengthy, are among the many questions.

CANADA’S YOUNG TENNIS STARS MIGHT NEED TO SLOW DOWN

Years in the past, when he was carefully concerned with the profession of Paul Tracy, famed automotive racing impresario Roger Penske mentioned this concerning the Canadian driver: “I can train him to decelerate. However I can’t train somebody is to hurry up.”

Tracy knew solely two speeds as a driver — quick and quicker. Management wasn’t all the time his buddy. Self-discipline, that was for different professionals. Penske tried to refine the supreme expertise of Tracy and had some success doing so, and a few disappointment.

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I considered this the opposite night time watching Denis Shapovalov play on the U.S. Open.

He has a lot expertise. He has a lot moxie. He has extra guts at occasions than guile. And like Tracy behind a race automotive, typically he simply must decelerate.

With slightly finesse, slightly frequent sense, slightly endurance, Shapovalov has all that it takes to turn into a part of the brand new wave that may finally take over from the dynasty of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. A wave that features two younger Canadians.

Not far behind Shapovalov — if behind him in any respect — is his shut buddy, Felix Auger-Aliassime. Auger-Aliassime is smoother than Shapovalov, possibly not as aggressive, however equally erratic.

No matter they’re educating children within the growth applications of Tennis Canada seems to be working fairly miraculously proper now. Two males in competition on the Open. Two ladies, Bianca Andreescu and the rising Leylah Fernandez, factoring as properly. All of them seemingly fearless in a sport the place typically it’s greatest to decelerate a contact.

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