Wednesday, 12 July 2017
MLB All-Star MVP Robinson Cano takes keys to Chevrolet Corvette
Seattle Mariners slugger Robinson Cano once came close to buying a
Chevrolet Corvette. After winning the MVP award in the MLB All-Star
Game, he finally got his wish.
It’s customary for Chevrolet, the official vehicle sponsor of
Major League Baseball, to present a new ride to the All-Star Game’s Most
Valuable Player. Cano, who hit the go-ahead home run in the 10th inning
of the American League’s victory on Tuesday night, had a choice between
a Corvette Grand Sport or Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 off-road pickup truck .
The choice was easy, Cano said. “I’ll take the Corvette.”
Watch: New app connecting MLB players with fans
“You know what, to be honest, I almost bought that car three years ago. But I was like, you know what, I’ll get it later. And look at what happened tonight,” Cano said during the MVP award presentation after the game, held in Miami.
The Corvette Grand Sport, which returned to the Chevy lineup for
2017, offers some of the features found in the track-ready Z06. The 2018
Grand Sport can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds with a
460-horsepower V8 engine. It has a starting price of $65,495.
The choice was easy, Cano said. “I’ll take the Corvette.”
Watch: New app connecting MLB players with fans
“You know what, to be honest, I almost bought that car three years ago. But I was like, you know what, I’ll get it later. And look at what happened tonight,” Cano said during the MVP award presentation after the game, held in Miami.
Chevrolet U.S. Vice President Brian Sweeney
(right) presents 2017 Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player
Robinson Cano, of the Seattle Mariners, with a Chevrolet Corvette Grand
Sport during the MVP award ceremony Tuesday, July 11, 2015 at Marlins
Park in Miami, Florida.
(Mike Ehrmann/MLB Photos and General Motors)
Josh Harrison: solid player but underwhelming All Star
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison participated in his second All Star game yesterday. His first came back in 2014, when he broke out in a major way. It was in that year that Harrison was pressed into action due to a bout of appendicitis from then-Pirates second baseman Neil Walker.
Carrying multiple gloves, Harrison’s versatility at multiple positions kept him in manager Clint Hurdle’s lineup and resulted in an out-of-nowhere 5.0 fWAR season.
Having signed a 4-year/$27.5 million extension — with two team options — after his career year, Harrison struggled through the two intervening seasons, never quite putting together a season approaching his 2014 highs.
But that’s not to say he was not a productive player during that time. In 2015 and 2016, Harrison put up a combined 2.8 fWAR. Though a seven-week thumb injury in 2015 was partially to blame, Harrison cooled considerably after 2014, posting two consecutive seasons with a slugging percentage less than .400. His average wRC+ of 94 was below the MLB position player average of 100, though not by much.
And in that way, Harrison seemed to have carved out a profile for himself that represented the type of player many clubs would love to have: a solid-but-unspectacular bat that carries great value and flexibility on defense. Whether or not those same clubs would like to have him at the price tag the Pirates are paying him is another question altogether.
But flash forward to 2017, and Harrison seems to have recaptured his 2014 form, or something close to it. With Harrison, it is hard to tell what exactly the Pirates are getting for their money. Yes, he’s a 2017 NL All Star, and he does deserve that recognition, however underwhelming it might seem.
A return to form
Despite a rocky start to July — Harrison was mired in a 2-for-28 start to the month before breaking out for a 3-for-5 day in the team’s final game before the break — Harrison has already posted 2.3 fWAR on the season, good for the third-best mark among all second baseman in Major League Baseball. That certainly is rarefied air in a field that includes players such as Jose Altuve, Daniel Murphy and Robinson Cano among others.
Harrison has always been a patient hitter, with a 14.5 percent career strikeout rate despite a somewhat-high 37.2 percent O-swing rate. Despite chasing a bit more than many would like, Harrison has often made more contact on balls out of the zone — at a 74.8 percent clip — and more overall contact — 82.2 percent — than accepted averages.
With just a 3.9 percent walk rate for his career, Harrison loves to put the ball in play. During his 2014-2015 downturn, that ended up serving as his undoing.
After hitting the ball at a 31.8 percent hard-hit rate in 2014, Harrison saw that figure dip to a 27.7 percent rate by the end of 2016. His groundball rate also increased seven percent over that time frame, up to 44.3 percent from 37.3 in 2014. For a player who relies on good things happening after he makes contact like Harrison, a dip in hard-hit rate can be fatal.
2017 has seen a Harrison rebound in several key peripherals that lead directly to his high fWAR and All Star nod:
That .361 on-base percentage is undoubtedly buoyed by pitchers seemingly seeing a bullseye on Harrison’s various appendages, as his league-leading hit-by-pitch total of 20 suggests. But no matter; Harrison is still enjoying a fine season simply by getting back to making good contact while maintaining his patient approach.
Harrison is undoubtedly an All Star at his position, of that there is no question. Then why is it that fans and observers might have felt underwhelmed by his selection?
A solid approach is not always the exciting one
For one, Harrison does not carry the natural pop seen in players such as Altuve, Cano or even the up-and-coming Jonathan Schoop of the Orioles. Harrison has displayed 10-15 home run potential at most throughout his career, and his firm placement at the top of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ batting order does not result in many opportunities to drive in runs with any consistency.
Of 33 “full time” second basemen with at least 25 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, Harrison ranks 29th with just 40 trips to the plate, and hits .233 in that scenario. Harrison also extracts most of his value from his defense play, which, admittedly, chicks (and dudes) do not seem to dig as much.
In this enlightened age of baseball that we find ourselves in, fundamentally sound players such as Harrison deserve to recognized when recognition is due. Harrison deserves his all-star status, and we should be happy about his selection.
'Big Bang's' Melissa Rauch pregnant after miscarriage
LOS ANGELES — "Big Bang Theory" star Melissa Rauch is expecting her first child with her husband, screenwriter Winston Beigel.
Rauch has revealed her pregnancy in an essay for Glamour magazine in which she also opens up about a miscarriage she suffered. She writes that she's "terrified at the moment that it will happen again," but is making the news public before someone sees her pregnant and announces the news first.
She says the miscarriage "was one of the most profound sorrows" she has ever felt and led to a bout with depression.
The 37-year-old Rauch says the experience has changed her forever and hopes it will make her a better mother.
Rauch plays Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz on the CBS sitcom.
Conor McGregor Wore A Suit That Said "Fuck You" And It Was Savage AF
As he's one of the most prolific fighters in the world, you've probably heard of Conor McGregor. I guess you could say that the Irishman is a big deal.
McGregor is currently the UFC Lightweight Champion, and when he won the belt, it made him the first person in UFC history to hold two belts in two different weight classes at the same time, as he was also the UFC Featherweight Champion.
It was recently announced that McGregor would compete in a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather on 26 August. I guess you could say that is also a big, big deal.
One of the things McGregor is known for is his trash-talking, and when the press tour for the fight began last night, trash-talking was taken to a whole new level.
Did you see it? Look again. Those aren't pinstripes on McGregor's suit...
Yep, he let his suit do the talking with a subtle "fuck you" written from head to toe all over it.
The press tour for the fight is due to hit New York City, Toronto, and London over the next few days, so let's see what else McGregor's got in store for us.
Ex-Piston Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gets 1 year to bet on himself with Los Angeles Lakers
Vince Ellis and Chris Thomas of the Free Press went on Facebook Live to dissect the Pistons' trade with the Celtics for Avery Bradley, and decision to let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave, July 7, 2017. Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press
LAS VEGAS — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gets another year to bet on himself.
Five days after the Detroit Pistons pulled Caldwell-Pope’s qualifying offer in the wake of the trade for Avery Bradley, making Caldwell-Pope an unrestricted free agent, Caldwell-Pope has reportedly landed with the Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst was first to report the one-year, $18 million agreement late Tuesday night.
The deal officially marks the end of Caldwell-Pope’s tenure in Detroit, which began in 2013 when the Pistons used the eighth pick of the NBA draft on the 6-foot-5 Georgia shooting guard.
More Pistons:
Pistons bringing back forward Anthony Tolliver for one-year, $3.3 million
Stan Van Gundy explains why Pistons added Avery Bradley, moved on from KCP
Caldwell-Pope, 24, became a restricted free agent in October when the Pistons and agents Rich Paul and Mark Termini failed to reach an agreement before the deadline. A person with firsthand knowledge of the situation told the Free Press that a four-year, $80-million offer was turned down by Caldwell-Pope.
Caldwell-Pope played well this season until receiving a vicious pick from Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia, which caused Caldwell-Pope to miss four games with a shoulder injury.
He struggled the rest of the way, but the Pistons extended a $4.9 million qualifying offer with the intention of negotiating a new deal when the free agency moratorium began July 1.
But a deal didn’t materialize and the Pistons signed combo guard Langston Galloway and later traded Marcus Morris to the Boston Celtics for Bradley.
With the drafting of Duke shooting guard Luke Kennard, the Pistons viewed Caldwell-Pope as expendable and they rescinded the qualifying offer.
Here’s how the internet’s net neutrality day of action is unfolding
Today, some of the world’s biggest internet companies and activist groups are coming together
to protest the FCC’s proposed rollback of net neutrality protections.
Google, Twitter, and Reddit have weighed in, as have groups like Mozilla
and the ACLU.
The complete tally
of groups and people involved in the protest, organized by activist
group Fight for the Future, is massive, so any list will necessarily be
incomplete. Others have pledged to participate, but as of publication
have not released their messages. But here is a running look at several
of the most noteworthy — messages of support from the biggest players,
creative displays from smaller upstarts, and some odder entries in the
internet’s net neutrality “day of action.”
Tim Berners-Lee
The founder of the web, already a prominent supporter of
net neutrality, published a short video defending the FCC’s rules. “If
we lost net neutrality, we lose the internet as we know it,” he said in
the video.
The company released a policy blog post
in defense of net neutrality, saying, “We hope you’ll make your voice
heard,” but the company didn’t release a prominent banner or any other
far-reaching message.
Mark Zuckerberg posted a note of support
on his personal Facebook page. “Right now, the FCC has rules in place
to make sure the internet continues to be an open platform for
everyone,” he writes. “At Facebook, we strongly support those rules.
We're also open to working with members of Congress and anyone else on
laws to protect net neutrality.”
Sheryl Sandberg posted a similar message.
“Keeping the internet open for everyone is crucial,” she writes. “Not
only does it promote innovation, but it lets people access information
that can change their lives and gives voice to those who might not
otherwise be heard.”
The ACLU
The prominent civil rights group placed a banner on its
homepage. “Trump’s FCC wants to kill net neutrality,” the message reads.
“This would let the cable and phone companies slow down any site they
don’t like or that won’t pay extra.” The banner directs to an FCC
comment-submission form.
In one of the most prominent messages, Reddit placed a
pop-up message that slowly loads the text, “The internet's less fun when
your favorite sites load slowly, isn't it?” The site’s usual homepage
image is also animated so it appears to load slowly.
Amazon
The shopping giant placed an image of support on its homepage, although it’s not easy to spot at a glance.
Airbnb
The rental platform released a short message on its homepage directing visitors to contact Congress and “support a free and open internet.”
The company released a policy blog post
defending net neutrality principles. “Net Neutrality is foundational to
competitive, free enterprise, entrepreneurial market entry — and
reaching global customers,” the company wrote. “You don’t have to be a
big shot to compete.” The company also promoted the #NetNeutrality
hashtag.
Mozilla
Mozilla is a longtime, vocal supporter of net neutrality.
The company got creative for the day’s protest, releasing a nine-hour,
“soothing” video where narrators read pro-net neutrality comments to the
FCC.
Netflix
The company released a homepage banner directing visitors
to the Internet Association trade group. The message: “Protect Internet
Freedom. Defend Net Neutrality.”
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
The activist group put up a fake “blocked” message from
“Atcast” jokingly urging visitors to “upgrade to our Premium Internet
Bundle.” Another pop-up then explains the gag.
OkCupid
The internet dating site released a message urging users to “stop the FCC from destroying net neutrality.”
Vimeo
The web video company released a video message asking viewers to “join the fight for a free, open, weirdo internet.”
Twitch
The game-streaming company put up a homepage banner in protest.
Spotify
The music company put up a banner directing to the Internet Association.
Tumblr
The company, which has been notably quiet up until very recently, released a statement as part of the protest, directing readers to dearfcc.org. “The new head of the FCC wants to undo the net neutrality protections you fought so hard for,” Tumblr’s statement reads.
Dropbox
The digital storage company released a statement of support.
“On this Day of Action, we want to state clearly where Dropbox stands:
we strongly favor a free and open internet with fair rules that promote
competition, choice, and innovation,” the statement reads.
FCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn
Commissioner Clyburn, a Democratic commissioner at the FCC and net neutrality supporter, released a statement
approving of the protest. “Today I stand with those who believe that a
free and open internet is a foundational principle of our democracy,”
Clyburn writes. “Its benefits can be felt across our economy and around
the globe.”
College Humor
The humor site put up a video called “Why Net Neutrality Matters (And What You Can Do To Help)” that explains the issue.
The Telecom Response
AT&T has said
it is “joining” the protest, despite being against the FCC’s net
neutrality rules, and itself being a major target of the protest.
Verizon released a statement today saying it applauds “their passion” but asks Congress to take action instead. Comcast put up a similar message.
GoDaddy
The company’s CEO, Blake Irving, released a statement on the company’s homepage.
“If you value the spirit of the Internet that’s driven so much
prosperity and freedom around the world, please join forces with GoDaddy
to get informed and take action today,” Irving writes.
Pornhub
The porn site asked homepage visitors to “join Pornhub in the fight to save net neutrality” because “slow porn sucks.”
Sonos
The company released a message on its site, saying, “Sonos experiences wouldn’t be possible without the net neutrality policies that exist today.”
Opera
The browser-maker said in a post
that it will “join hands with web sites, online communities, and
internet users, like yourself, to sound the alarm about the threat to
net neutrality.”
The Internet Archive
The group put up a homepage pop-up message from Fight for the Future.
DuckDuckGo
The search engine placed a message on its homepage: “Net neutrality is under threat. Protect it today!”
BitTorrent
The torrent client also used Fight For The Future’s pop-up homepage message.
Expedia
A homepage image is directing visitors to the Internet Association.
Change.org
The petition site put together a “save net neutrality” petition, and is promoting it on its homepage.
Sen. Ron Wyden
The Oregon senator is a prominent pro-net neutrality
political voice. On his site, he asks that visitors “Help Democrats
stand up to Trump and protect #NetNeutrality, before July 17.”
Rosetta Stone
The language education company used Fight For The Future’s widget on its homepage, and also released a short video on Twitter.
Color of Change
The activist group placed the Fight for the Future banner on its homepage.
The FCC
The agency and Chairman Pai have declined to comment.
We’ll be updating this post as more net neutrality protests and statements come in throughout the day.
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