SIMMONS SAYS: Leylah’s run at the U.S. Open won’t soon be forgotten

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The pictures will likely be with us without end.

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The best arm within the air pointed upwards. The tight fist pump, near her physique. The smile that lit up the New York nights.
The persona that grabbed you and everybody watching — and wouldn’t let go.

That was Leylah Fernandez on the U.S. Open. Little-known and flippantly regarded two weeks in the past. Now, nearly a champion, by no means to be forgotten.

What a narrative this has been in real-time, a two-week drama that didn’t finish the way in which we wished it to. Fernandez placing herself and her persona and her nationality and her recreation on show — making all of it the way in which to the ladies’s closing of essentially the most energetic event in tennis, succumbing to a different teenager, Emma Radacanu, the Toronto-born Brit, within the championship closing on Saturday afternoon.

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This will likely be a permanent debut for individuals who by no means knew Fernandez earlier than and even cared about tennis, two weeks of moments and recollections that won’t go away simply. It doesn’t construct simply — the connection between a non-American participant and a pro-American crowd in New York. It occurred right here.
New York will bear in mind. We are going to bear in mind. Even in a straight-set defeat, This one was actual, this one was sensational.

THIS AND THAT

Charlie Montoyo is good and well mannered and demure, and oh so boring: Simply now and again, I’d prefer to see him go a bit Billy Martin or Earl Weaver on any person. Simply to indicate us the fireplace is there someplace within him … Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien are 1-2-3 within the American League in runs scored, which has by no means occurred earlier than for the Blue Jays. The Jays did end 1-2-3 in batting in 1993, with John Olerud successful the title, adopted by Paul Molitor and Roberto Alomar. However that trio didn’t lead in runs scored. Rafael Palmeiro of the Texas Rangers did, adopted by Molitor, then Kenny Lofton of Cleveland and Devon White of the Jays … It has occurred earlier than in runs scored: The 1937 Yankees had gamers end 1-2-3. Their names have been Joe DiMaggio, Pink Rolfe, and Lou Gehrig. The Yanks did it earlier than that additionally in 1928 led by Babe Ruth, Gehrig and Earle Combs … Guerrero received’t win the devalued Triple Crown, which remains to be valued by these of us of a sure age and reminiscence. He’s, nevertheless, first in batting within the AL, second in residence runs, fourth in RBIs. In different stats that matter greater than RBIs, Vladdy is first in OPS, first in runs scored, first in hits, first in on-base proportion, second in slugging behind Shohei Ohtani, whom he additionally trails in residence runs … Add this to the Ohtani file: Not solely does he have 44 residence runs and a 3.36 earned run common in 21 begins, however he’s additionally stolen 23 bases. That’s reasonably nuts … Boy, has Joey Gallo been a bust with the Yankees: He’s hitting a pathetic .136 with an OPS of .642 since arriving from Texas on the commerce deadline … Joey Votto, who turned 38 on Friday, and has missed 30 video games with the Cincinnati Reds, is top-10 within the Nationwide League in OPS, slugging, residence runs and RBIs. The Richview Collegiate (Toronto) product will observe Larry Walker at some point to the Baseball Corridor of Fame. Class of, say, 2030 … Born in Montreal between March 16, 1999 and September 6, 2002: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Leylah Fernandez.

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HEAR AND THERE

For each objective Auston Matthews scores and each objective Mitch Marner units up throughout the upcoming season, there will likely be a slight shrug and a query: What does it matter if it isn’t April? This will likely be an extended NHL season of anticipation, ready to see who and what the Maple Leafs grow to be … Matthews led the NHL in objective scoring and Marner turned the primary Leafs ahead to realize a first-team all-star spot since Frank Mahovlich in 1963 and it’s exhausting to rejoice any of that after dropping the way in which they did to Montreal in seven video games … The documentary I’d actually prefer to see: All that was lower from the Leafs’ upcoming Amazon collection referred to as All Or Nothing … Jim Pappin shares a birthday with Votto. He turned 82 on Friday. He was a part of simply concerning the worst commerce in Maple Leafs historical past. Punch Imlach despatched younger Pappin to Chicago for an previous legend, Pierre Pilote in 1968. Pilote performed one season with the Leafs earlier than retiring. Pappin scored 41-36-32-30-28-27 and 22 objectives within the subsequent seven seasons with the Blackhawks. Pilote scored three objectives complete for Toronto … My guess: Jack Campbell begins 45 video games in objective for the Leafs, Petr Mrazek begins 37 … Shouldn’t some Canadian maple syrup producer join Fernandez now that the U.S. Open is over? I might … Not a nasty two weeks work for Auger-Aliassime. He will likely be paid $660,000 US for his journey to the semifinals on the Open. Fernandez will get $1.2 million for making the ultimate … Mike Milbury was let go by NBC greater than a yr in the past for the form of issues Shaq O’Neal says recurrently on tv with out discover of any variety … The Leafs struggled to discover a goalie coach for the Marlies after hiring Dusty Imoo and eradicating him from the job as a result of he didn’t cross their inside protocol take a look at. They wound up hiring Hannu Toivonen, after asking round lots and undecided the place they have been headed.

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SCENE AND HEARD

Chris Bosh performed seven of his 13 NBA seasons in Toronto, but his induction to the Basketball Corridor of Fame was barely celebrated right here. When the time comes, and Kyle Lowry will get his name, the response will likely be far more exuberant. Bosh was a nice participant for the Raptors however actually, I by no means as soon as thought I used to be seeing a Corridor of Famer … Marc Bergevin has taken every kind of warmth, as typical, for the drafting of Logan Mailloux and the dealing with of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the free agent now gone. However misplaced in all of the noise was a reasonably sensible summer time of asset-building. He has added Christian Dvorak, Mike Hoffman, Matthieu Perreault, David Savard, Cedric Paquette and, assuming he will get Jonathan Drouin again, that’s six gamers of some form of substance so as to add to a Canadiens workforce with out Shea Weber. Underneath horrible circumstances, a few of his personal doing, Bergevin has managed up with the Habs … My listening to should be going. I heard a DoorDash business from the opposite room and I believed they have been saying Gord Ash … What an absolute treasure of a golf course Rocky Crest is … If ESPN does hockey something like the way in which it does tennis or the NFL, the NHL goes to be thrilled with its new broadcast associate within the U.S. The mix of ESPN and TSN on the Open, with gold medals going to Mark Roe and Mark Masters, has been fairly near spectacular … The most effective free-agent signing of the summer time: One of many Toronto Star firms has employed Chris Johnston away from Sportsnet. Don’t be stunned if Johnston winds up performing some work for TSN, as effectively … And don’t be stunned if former TSN insider Frank Seravalli winds up at Hockey Evening In Canada … In case you didn’t know, Andi Petrillo received’t be again internet hosting Leafs Lunch this season. Her tv work made it too troublesome to proceed with the present. Phrase round is she’ll get replaced by younger Julia Tocheri, taking over her first radio task … Totally different sports activities, other ways. Baseball suspended Roberto Osuna years in the past when no prices of home violence had been filed in opposition to him. Baseball has basically suspended Trevor Bauer for related issues. On the similar time, the ATP Tour has mentioned nothing and achieved nothing about allegations in opposition to Sascha Zverev, who made it so far as the semifinals of the U.S. Open.

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AND ANOTHER THING

No plans to make on Sundays for the following 5 months. Simply soccer. A lot of soccer. A lot of channel-changing … Might this be the yr Josh Allen accomplishes in Buffalo what Jim Kelly couldn’t? … How dumb is that this: Canadian season-ticket holders for the Buffalo Payments or Seattle Seahawks can’t drive to video games. They’ll fly from Canada to these cities, they simply can’t drive, which is fairly ridiculous. At the very least the groups have accommodated them accordingly … If I have been CFL commissioner for a day, I might change the no-yards rule. I’d hold the rule as is whereas the ball is within the air. The second the ball hits the bottom, the penalty would disappear … Why did Orlondo Steinauer attempt a brief kickoff with 1:25 to play and trailing by a degree on Friday evening in opposition to the Argos? In case you kick lengthy, cease the Argos on two performs, you get an opportunity to win the sport by a area objective. An onside kick hardly ever works at any time … The Argos don’t give D.J. Foster the ball sufficient. He seems like he could possibly be particular … So the Lou Marsh Award argument will get deeper: Andre De Grasse, Damian Warner, Leylah Fernandez, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Maggie MacNeil, Stephanie Labbe, Marie-Philip Poulin, Aurelie Rivard, Connor McDavid, Votto. I modify my thoughts each time I learn that listing and add one other title … On subsequent yr’s Corridor of Fame poll: Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz, and with them extra arguments about what to do with steroids and historical past … It’s an insult to those that coached and developed Greg Rusedski in Montreal via Tennis Canada to say Fernandez is the primary Canadian in a U.S. Open closing. Rusedski referred to as himself a Brit. That was his determination. We all know who taught him to play and we all know the courts he first performed on … Pleased birthday to George Chuvalo (84), Nick Robertson (20), Mike Murphy (71), Bob Elliott (72), Yao Ming (41), Paul Heyman (56), Freddie Freeman (32), Andrew Luck (32), Mickey Lolich (81), Ellis Burks (57), Joe Lundrigan (73) and JaGared Davis (31) … And hey, no matter turned of Jennifer Capriati?

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A.L. CY YOUNG CHASE AS TIGHT AS IT GETS

How shut it the race between Robbie Ray and Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees for the American League Cy Younger Award?
Effectively, we’ve damaged down the numbers right here :

Class RAY COLE
IP 170.1 158,2
ERA 2.69 2.78
Strikeouts 220 217
WHIP 1.03 0.99
AVG VS .209 2.10
Bases on Balls 43 34
High quality Begins 21 17
BABIP .223 .293

They need to end 1-2 within the voting. It’s that shut with three weeks to go. It’s that spectacular.

TRADING SOUP MAN NOW WOULD BE FOOLISH

So, Ilya Mikheyev, the erstwhile soup man, acquired himself in some scorching water when he requested the Maple Leafs to commerce him. Which is form of humorous. You don’t commerce a participant when he has subsequent to no worth within the open market. You don’t promote low until you’re determined, which the Maple Leafs, for all of the consternation in Southern Ontario, aren’t.

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In his final 20 video games with the Leafs, together with seven in opposition to Montreal within the playoffs and the ultimate 13 video games of the season, Mikheyev scored one objective. That’s all. One objective and two assists and no factors in opposition to the Habs within the seven-game collection. Montreal acquired every kind of objectives from their bottom-line gamers. Mikheyev couldn’t do what Paul Byron did or Joel Armia or Corey Perry managed in opposition to the Leafs.

He has some expertise. He has top-six velocity and a top-six body. And he seems at occasions like a front-line participant. However I believe, sadly, he has my arms. He generates offence from the penalty-kill however hardly ever turns it into something tangible.

However giving him away can be silly asset administration for the Leafs. He’s nonetheless a viable participant.

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Perhaps giving him a possibility to make the most of his expertise is likely to be the way in which to go together with Mikheyev earlier than figuring out precisely what his profession is and the way a lot a possibility is misplaced right here.

THANK GOODNESS FOR WILD CARDS

Within the final days of September, the Blue Jays play the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners play the Oakland A’s — and it’s solely attainable that these head-to-head collection so late within the season might decide this topsy-turvy wild-card race within the American League?

Think about this season with out wild-card spots. There can be no races within the AL. Tampa Bay, Chicago and Houston have received their divisions with out pressure. They’ve dominated.

Now, with the Yankees and Pink Sox collapsing and the Jays coming off a reasonably astounding run since late August, the 5 groups are within the wild-card race — Toronto, Boston, New York, Seattle and Oakland — are all mashed along with solely two of these about to emerge for a one-game playoff.

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Even when there have been only one wild-card spot, the way in which it was once, this race would nonetheless be considerably baseball loopy.

Over the following week, the Yankees play Minnesota, Baltimore, and Cleveland — the form of alternative to start out successful once more. That occurs because the Jays start a three-game collection with the first-place Rays. And on the similar time, the Pink Sox and Mariners play one another earlier than the Sox get three with Baltimore, which doesn’t appear to be the reward many believed it to be.

Give the Orioles credit score, they might be awful, however they’re not laying down. The Yankees have three extra video games with the O’s; Boston has six, the Jays 4.

Seattle might have essentially the most difficult schedule with a 10-game street journey, 4 of these video games in Oakland. The A’s end with their closing 13 video games in opposition to both Seattle or Houston.

The twists and turns of the previous 10 days have been fully surprising. The guess right here: All of that is coming all the way down to the ultimate week of the season. Jays vs. Yankees. A’s vs. Mariners. With the without end battered Pink Sox ending up in Baltimore and Washington.