<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Former-President-Barack-Obama-reacts-to-passing-of-_inspiring_-Hank-Aaron-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Former President Barack Obama reacts to passing of ‘inspiring’ Hank Aaron</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T12:23:06-08:00">January 22nd, 12:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T12:23:06-08:00">January 22nd, 12:23pm</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>President Barack Obama released a written statement on Friday eulogizing baseball legend Hank Aaron, who <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hall-of-famer-braves-legend-hank-aaron-passes-away-86-years-old/">passed away</a> at 86.</p><blockquote>“Hank Aaron was one of the best baseball players we’ve ever seen and one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.Whenever Michelle and I spent time with Hank and his wife Billye, we were struck by their kindness, generosity and grace — and were reminded that we stood on the shoulders of a previous generation of trailblazers.…Today, Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Aaron family and everyone who was inspired. this unassuming man and his towering example.”</blockquote><p>You can read Obama’s full statement below (via <a href="https://twitter.com/KellyO/status/1352693831226023939">NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell</a>), which recognizes Aaron’s accomplishments amidst racist threats and his lifelong pattern of setting leadership examples, including receiving COVID-19 vaccines last month.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Statement from <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@BarackObama</a> on Henry Aaron. <a href="https://t.co/so32FBUfl6" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/so32FBUfl6</a></p><p>— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) <a href="https://twitter.com/KellyO/status/1352693831226023939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Aaron was one of the 20th century’s most dignified and enduring athletes. Over 23 seasons—primarily for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves—Hammerin’ Hank slugged 755 home runs and made 21 consecutive All-Star teams (1955-75). He is still MLB’s all-time leader in total bases and runs batted in.</p><p>One of the great all-around players in baseball history, Aaron also won three Gold Gloves and racked up 240 career stolen bases (in this regard, Aaron is actually underrated). He earned his lone MVP award in 1957.</p><p>His 715th home run on April 8th, 1974 remains perhaps the most iconic moment in baseball history:</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Obama’s predecessor, President George W. Bush, awarded Aaron with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.</p><p>In 2009, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown opened a <a href="https://baseballhall.org/discover/museum/hank-aaron-chasing-the-dream">permanent exhibit</a> on Aaron’s remarkable life and career.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Former President Barack Obama reacts to passing of ‘inspiring’ Hank Aaron

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mike-Francesa-gives-backhanded-Hank-Aaron-Twitter-eulogy.jpg"></figure><h1>Mike Francesa gives backhanded Hank Aaron Twitter eulogy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T11:53:56-08:00">January 22nd, 11:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T11:53:56-08:00">January 22nd, 11:53am</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New York sports radio host Mike Francesa tweeted a eulogy for Hank Aaron on Friday, and he couldn’t help but take a slight back-handed dig at one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived.</p><blockquote>“He didn’t have the explosive magic of Mantle or the charisma of Mays. He played in Milwaukee and Atlanta at a time when that mattered. But Aaron was a dignified force, an all-around performer who dared to break ‘the’ record. He was a true hero,” Francesca <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeFrancesa/status/1352654732930777092">wrote</a>.</blockquote><p>Aaron <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hall-of-famer-braves-legend-hank-aaron-passes-away-86-years-old/">passed away</a> at the age of 86. The Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves icon is one of the most towering sports figures of the 20th century. Despite being on the receiving end of constant racism and hatred, Aaron hit the second-most homers (755) and drove in the most runs in baseball history. He made 21 consecutive All-Star teams from 1955-75, among countless other accomplishments in his unparalleled career.</p><p>Francesa’s tweet is referencing the long-held and debatable assessment of Aaron’s game: a hallmark of consistency, longevity, and quiet dignity, who was solid-to-good in nearly every aspect of the sport but not elite in one particular category.</p><p>Hammerin’ Hank ranks first all-time in total bases (6,856) with career splits of .305/.375/.355. He also won three Gold Gloves, stole 20 or more bases six times, and slugged at least 24 home runs in 19 different seasons. He won National League MVP honors in 1957, after hitting .322 with 44 homers and 132 RBIs.</p><p>His 715th home run to surpass Babe Ruth as the all-time home run king (at the time) in April of 1974 remains one of the most indelible moments in MLB history.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Rest in Peace to Henry “Hank” Aaron, a true legend.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mike Francesa gives backhanded Hank Aaron Twitter eulogy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Stephen-King-reacts-to-Hank-Aaron_s-passing.jpg"></figure><h1>Stephen King reacts to Hank Aaron’s passing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T10:52:04-08:00">January 22nd, 10:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T10:52:04-08:00">January 22nd, 10:52am</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Hank Aaron was one of the greatest all-around baseball players of all time, so his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hall-of-famer-braves-legend-hank-aaron-passes-away-86-years-old/">passing was mourned</a> not just by athletes, but also by others who were fans of the sport. One of them happened to be horror novelist Stephen King, who <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1352663530521157632">paid tribute</a> to baseball’s one-time home run king on his Twitter account.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">RIP The Hammer—Hank Aaron has passed away. Could he play the game, or what?</p><p>— Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1352663530521157632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Aside from being a best-selling author, King is also a lifelong baseball fan and is a known supporter of the Boston Red Sox and a season ticket holder. His love for the sport has also shown in his writing, as he published a novella in 2010 entitled “Blockade Billy,” about a fictional baseball catcher.</p><p>Even though he roots for a different team, the author clearly has a lot of respect for Hank Aaron, who played 23 seasons in the MLB, the majority of which was spent with the Milwaukee and later the Atlanta Braves. However, he did spend a couple of seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers toward the end of his illustrious career. The Hammer was a 25-time All-Star and the 1957 National League MVP, while also helping the Braves win the World Series that same year.</p><p>His record of 755 career home runs remained unchallenged for 33 years, and though it may have been surpassed, he still holds several MLB records to this day, including runs batted in, extra-base hits, and total bases. As one of its greatest players, it is only fitting that Aaron’s passing makes an impact beyond just fellow MLB players and athletes, as shown by King’s tribute on social media.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Stephen King reacts to Hank Aaron’s passing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Barry-Bonds-pays-his-respects-to-the-late-Hank-Aaron.jpg"></figure><h1>Barry Bonds pays his respects to the late Hank Aaron</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T10:29:34-08:00">January 22nd, 10:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T10:29:34-08:00">January 22nd, 10:29am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former MLB great Barry Bonds paid homage to Hank Aaron after “Hammerin’ Hank” <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hall-of-famer-braves-legend-hank-aaron-passes-away-86-years-old/">died Friday</a> at the age of 86.</p><p>Bonds said he had the “deepest respect and admiration” for Aaron’s work both on and off the field, calling him a “trailblazer.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rest In Peace <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HankAaron?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#HankAaron</a>. A true baseball legend. <a href="https://t.co/bDeuzfh8hx" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/bDeuzfh8hx</a></p><p>— Barry L Bonds (@BarryBonds) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarryBonds/status/1352676505067773953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds will forever be linked by the all-time home run record.</p><p>Bonds passed Aaron as MLB’s all-time leader when he hit home run No. 756 on Aug. 7, 2007. The record that once defined Aaron’s career as a baseball pioneer has come under scrutiny because of Bonds’ alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs.</p><p>But while Aaron often spoke on the complications regarding Bonds and other alleged PED users, he was adamant in stating the record still belongs to Bonds:</p><blockquote>“I played the game long enough to know, and it is impossible for players — I don’t care who they are — to hit 70 home runs,” Aaron said in 2009, via <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/hof09/news/story?id=4355886">ESPN</a>. “It just does not happen. I think that’s one reason why people’s eyes started opening up and they said, ‘How can this guy do this?’“It’s hard to say the reason you hit a home run is because you’re on steroids. I don’t believe that. I believe your body can recuperate quickly to come back on the field. But I certainly don’t think you can stand up there and hit a Nolan Ryan 100 mph fastball just because you put something in your arm or took a pill.”</blockquote><p>However, as Bonds noted in his own post, Aaron was far more than a home run king.</p><p>The Braves legend was someone who stood tall in the face of racism as he chased down Babe Ruth. He defined excellence for more than two decades, always carrying himself with the utmost grace and class.</p><p>Bonds understands just how meaningful it was for the likes of Aaron to lay the foundation. He joins the baseball world in mourning Aaron’s passing.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Barry Bonds pays his respects to the late Hank Aaron

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Braves-Hank-Aaron.jpg"></figure><h1>Sports world reacts to death of Braves legend Hank Aaron</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T09:22:39-08:00">January 22nd, 9:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T09:23:08-08:00">January 22nd, 9:23am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Baseball lost an absolute titan Friday <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hall-of-famer-braves-legend-hank-aaron-passes-away-86-years-old/" rel="noopener">with the death of</a> Hank Aaron.</p><p>The longtime home run king died at the age of 86, leaving behind one of the greatest legacies in sports. Aaron was more than just a baseball player, but a standard bearer and humanitarian who came to transcend the game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/4hOMsSGnRi" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/4hOMsSGnRi</a></p><p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1352650753920430083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are devastated by the passing of Hammerin’ Hank Aaron, one of the greatest players and people in the history of our game. He was 86. <a href="https://t.co/bCvLOydGBZ" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/bCvLOydGBZ</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1352652383709507585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>A number of former players took to Twitter to offer their condolences to Aaron’s family and <a href="https://clutchpoints.substack.com/" rel="noopener">share personal recollections,</a> including legendary designated hitters David Ortiz and Frank Thomas.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A legend on and off the ball field… the best to ever do it… RIP Mr Hank Aaron 🙏🏿 #44 <a href="https://t.co/3LH6iB9auV" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/3LH6iB9auV</a></p><p>— David Ortiz (@davidortiz) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidortiz/status/1352650615655194633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I’m speechless! RIP to the greatest of all time Mr. Hank Aaron!! I’m just stunned. Hank was the standard of greatness for me. The one man  who I acted like a kid around star struck always! He was the definition of class! God  Bless you and your family!! #HRKing#HammeringHank🙏🏾🙏🏾</p><p>— Frank Thomas (@TheBigHurt_35) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBigHurt_35/status/1352654290108735492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Aaron’s greatness on and off the field also resonated with Los Angeles Lakers icon Magic Johnson, who credited Aaron with helping him transition into the business world.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rest in Peace to American hero, icon, and Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. I still remember where I was back in the day when he set the record, at that time, to become the home run all time leader. While a legendary athlete, Hank Aaron was also an extraordinary businessman…</p><p>— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1352654385411592192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">and paved the way for other athletes like me to successfully transition into business. </p><p>Hank Aaron is on the Mount Rushmore for the greatest baseball players of all time! Rest In Peace my friend. Cookie and I are praying for the entire Aaron family. 🙏🏾</p><p>— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1352654386174914560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Numerous reporters shared personal stories of encounters with Aaron, emphasizing the sheer aura that surrounded Hammerin’ Hank Aaron.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This was the only time I was in a room with Hank Aaron. I was so flabbergasted and speechless I’m surprised I was able to take the picture. A true American hero. RIP to the 🐐, and thank you. <a href="https://t.co/AtS4wYHGrT" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/AtS4wYHGrT</a></p><p>— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidaldridgedc/status/1352645508540542976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Henry Aaron was a true American hero. Raised in the Jim Crow South, he ignored hatred as he conquered baseball and went on to live a life of eminence. He was a paragon of grace and class. When he walked into a room, everyone froze, then marveled. We all knew we were among a king.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1352650726984527872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Indeed, Aaron’s baseball journey is one of tremendous longevity, excellence and perseverance.</p><p>The Milwaukee-Atlanta Braves legend made the All-Star team in every single season between 1955 and 1975. He led baseball in RBI on four separate occasions, also hitting 40 or more homer runs eight times during that span. Aaron is still the all-time leader in RBI and total bases, records unlikely to be broken anytime soon, if ever.</p><p>But it is Aaron’s chase of the all-time home record that is ultimately the definitive period of his career. He received death threats and was constantly engulfed by scrutiny as a Black man seeking to surpass Babe Ruth’s 714 home runs. Yet, he persisted, breaking the record on April 8, 1974 in one of the most memorable moments in MLB history.</p><p>Major League Baseball’s Hank Aaron Award is one of the highest honors players can receive, and his legacy as a sportsman and a genuine figure will live on forever.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sports world reacts to death of Braves legend Hank Aaron

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Hall-of-Famer-and-Braves-legend-Hank-Aaron-passes-away-at-86-years-old.jpg"></figure><h1>Hall of Famer and Braves legend Hank Aaron passes away at 86 years old</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T07:32:10-08:00">January 22nd, 7:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T07:46:57-08:00">January 22nd, 7:46am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Hall of Famer and Braves legend Hank Aaron passed away Friday morning at the age of 86, <a href="https://www.cbs46.com/news/hall-of-famer-henry-hank-aaron-dies-at-86/article_71a37148-5cc4-11eb-9cdf-1bbe85006da2.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter_cbs46" rel="noopener">according to CBS 46 in Atlanta.</a></p><p>Hammerin’ Hank broke Babe Ruth’s longstanding home run record in 1974 when he hit the 715th dinger of his career. Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs, a record broken by Barry Bonds in 2007. Bonds finished with 762 homers.</p><p>Hank Aaron spent nearly his entire career with the Braves, first in Milwaukee and then when they moved to Atlanta for the 1966 season. He spent the final two seasons of his 23-year career back in Milwaukee, but this time playing for the Brewers.</p><p>While Aaron doesn’t hold the home run record anymore, he does still own the records for most RBI (2,297) and total bases (6,856). He hit .305 for his career with an on-base percentage of .374 and a slugging percentage of .555, good for an OPS of .928.</p><p>Aaron won his lone MVP in just his fourth season in 1957, but he was a candidate in numerous other years. He made 21 consecutive All-Star Games at one point in his career, with his first and last seasons in MLB representing the only years he didn’t play in the Midsummer Classic.</p><p>What made Aaron’s success even more impressive was that he did it while dealing with racism, especially during his time in Atlanta as he chased Ruth’s home run record. Aaron even received death threats during the chase, but he persevered through it all and is a hero to many.</p><p>Hank Aaron was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1982.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hall of Famer and Braves legend Hank Aaron passes away at 86 years old

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/jt-mauer.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies’ JT Realmuto seeking $115 million record contract, breaking Joe Mauer’s deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-21T15:55:00-08:00">January 21st, 3:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-21T15:55:41-08:00">January 21st, 3:55pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Free agency in the MLB is certainly heating up. Philadelphia Phillies star JT Realmuto looks to be the next big name who’s going to be signing on the dotted line. and as it appears, the 29-year-old appears to be gunning for a long-standing Phillies contract record currently held by the great Joe Mauer.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/trevor-bauer-j-t-realmuto-likely-destinations">Mark Feinsand of MLB.com</a>, JT Realmuto is looking for an extension in the range of a whopping $115 million:</p><blockquote>Multiple reports this week suggest that the Phillies have extended five-year offers in the $100-110 million range. JT Realmuto is said to be seeking a deal that would set a new standard for average annual value at his position, a mark currently held by Joe Mauer ($23 million). For a five-year deal, that means something just north of $115 million.</blockquote><p>It was previously reported that Philly was preparing a bid for JT Realmuto in the range of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-prepare-to-pony-up-100-million-for-star-catcher-jt-realmuto/">$100 million</a>, which as it turns out, falls a tad short of the highly-touted catcher’s valuation of himself.</p><p>The Phillies seem intent on bringing back JT Realmuto for 2021, so it seems likely that they will opt to cover the deficit.</p><p>It is worth noting that Philadelphia appeared to have a change of heart with regards to Realmuto’s extension upon the arrival of new President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski. The team didn’t offer JT Realmuto an extension when they had a chance, and instead, waited for him to hit free agency.</p><p>Perhaps Dombrowski convinced the front office that re-signing JT Realmuto would be in the team’s best interest — a move that’s now going to cost them a fortune.</p><p>The Phillies have hit their heads on a low ceiling the past few seasons. The Washington Nationals won the World Series in 2019, and the Atlanta Braves came within one win of making the World Series in 2020, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games in the National League Championship Series. JT Realmuto matters to Philadelphia’s plans, but should it matter this much?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ JT Realmuto seeking $115 million record contract, breaking Joe Mauer’s deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Trevor-Bauer-Reds-Mets-Angels.jpg"></figure><h1>2 teams with ‘best shot’ to land Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-21T15:24:16-08:00">January 21st, 3:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-21T15:24:54-08:00">January 21st, 3:24pm</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s mid-January, and Trevor Bauer is still a free agent.</p><p>Bauer, who won the Cy Young award last season, is the best starting pitcher remaining on the market.</p><p>With the hot stove heating up, two teams have reportedly emerged as the front-runners to land the 30-year old right-hander, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/trevor-bauer-j-t-realmuto-likely-destinations">according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand</a>,  the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels :</p><blockquote>“Mets team president Sandy Alderson made it clear early in the winter that he likes Bauer…even after signing Marcus Stroman, James McCann and Trevor May for a combined $75 million.”</blockquote><blockquote>“As for the Angels, they have been the most logical landing spot for Trevor Bauer all along, and nothing that has happened this offseason has changed that. They have been in search of a No. 1 starter for years, trying to build a championship-level rotation to help Mike Trout get back to the postseason.”</blockquote><p>Trevor Bauer is a Southern California native who pitched at UCLA. The Los Angeles Dodgers are “monitoring” the Bauer situation, too, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Los Angeles Dodgers are monitoring the market for right-hander Trevor Bauer and could be a player depending on the price, sources tell ESPN. Focus for the Dodgers now remains on a right-handed infield bat, but Bauer and the Dodgers remain a possibility as his market develops.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1351981834595430400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Mets have had as busy of an offseason as any team in baseball. In October, the franchise was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-billionaire-steve-cohen-approved-as-new-team-owner/">purchased</a> by mega-billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen, who has quickly sought to turn the beleaguered organization into a stable contender. Cohen made his first major splash earlier this month, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-new-owner-steve-cohen-has-jokes-after-blockbuster-francisco-lindor-trade/">acquiring</a> star shortstop Francisco Lindor and RHP Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians. Trevor Bauer would simply top it off for the Mets as well.</p><p>Cohen also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-fire-gm-jared-porter-after-revelation-he-sent-explicit-texts-reporter/">fired</a> general manager Jared Porter this week after an ESPN report was published detailing his sexual harassment of a female reporter via explicit text messages while working for the Chicago Cubs in 2016.</p><p>The Mets were reportedly in the running for All-Star outfielder George Springer, who ended up <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-george-springer-blue-jays-agree-to-massive-6-year-150-million-deal/">signing</a> with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday for $150 million over six years. Feinsand noted that the Jays remain in the running for Bauer, too.</p><p>New York has been linked to catcher J.T. Realmuto, who may be the most coveted position player left on the market.</p><p>Trevor Bauer led the National League with a 1.73 ERA and .795 WHIP in 2020.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2 teams with ‘best shot’ to land Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Astros-Michael-Brantley-George-Springer.jpg"></figure><h1>Michael Brantley reverses course, agrees to stay with Astros</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-20T13:32:29-08:00">January 20th, 1:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-20T13:33:04-08:00">January 20th, 1:33pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-in-serious-talks-with-michael-brantley/">initially reported</a> Wednesday morning free-agent outfielder Michael Brantley was headed to the Toronto Blue Jays. Instead, Brantley is returning to the Houston Astros.</p><p>Mark Berman of FOX 26 reported Brantley is re-signing with the Astros for two years and $32 million.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">MLB source: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Astros</a> reach an agreement with Michael Brantley on a two-year deal worth $32 million.</p><p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/1351998674801479684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>There were mixed reports about Brantley’s destination throughout the day. <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1351936891294281729">Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic</a> and others were among those to report Brantley had signed a three-year deal with Toronto after the Blue Jays signed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-george-springer-blue-jays-agree-to-massive-6-year-150-million-deal/">George Springer</a> late Tuesday night.</p><p>However, reports surfaced shortly thereafter suggesting the two sides had not reached a deal. It was assumed there was some momentum to get something done, but nothing was official.</p><p>The Astros put a swift end to all the drama by bringing Brantley back into the fold.</p><p>Realistically, it always seemed likely Brantley would return to H-Town. The Astros had suggested back in November they were open to a reunion with the sweet-swinging left-hander, and they were not about to lose <i>both </i>Springer and Brantley in the same offseason.</p><p>One wonders what happened on Wednesday that changed the course of Brantley’s decision. It is possible the Astros were willing to offer him a higher annual average, which could have been more important to Brantley at this stage of his career. This deal will allow him to re-enter the market at 35, and he should have a decent market as a designated hitter even in his mid-30s.</p><p>Months and months of inactivity have seemed to define the 2020-21 MLB offseason, but the last 18 hours have been full of surprises.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Michael Brantley reverses course, agrees to stay with Astros

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Blue-Jays-George-Springer-Michael-Brantley-Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr..jpg"></figure><h1>Blue Jays in serious talks with Michael Brantley</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-20T09:36:39-08:00">January 20th, 9:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-20T10:32:35-08:00">January 20th, 10:32am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/toronto-blue-jays">Toronto Blue Jays</a> have made quite the splash in the last 12-plus hours.</p><p>Toronto signed star free-agent center fielder George Springer to a six-year, $150 million contract on Tuesday night. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-george-springer-blue-jays-agree-to-massive-6-year-150-million-deal/">Shortly after signing Springer</a>, it was reported the Blue Jays were hot after Michael Brantley, who was Springer’s teammate in Houston.</p><p>General manager Ross Atkins is on the verge of securing a three-year deal with Brantley as discussions continue to heat up between the two parties. Initially, a deal was in place, but now it’s said to still be in the works.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Source confirms: Free-agent Michael Brantley in agreement with Blue Jays on a three-year contract, pending physical. First: <a href="https://twitter.com/thehazelmae?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@thehazelmae</a>.</p><p>— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1351936891294281729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">There is not an agreement in place between outfielder Michael Brantley and the Toronto Blue Jays, according to a source. The Blue Jays are among the teams still in on Brantley, and a deal may eventually get done, but it is not finished.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1351956258715283456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p><a href="https://twitter.com/DSzymborski/status/1351944181363695620">The addition of both Springer and Brantley</a> would give Toronto one of the most loaded lineups in baseball.</p><p>Brantley is one of the steadiest left-handed bats in the game. He hit .309 with a .867 OPS in his two years in Houston and would give the Blue Jays lineup that much more balance with his consistent ability to generate contact and drive the ball to all fields.</p><p>However, there is also quite a bit of crowding in the outfield. Springer figures to replace Randal Grichuk in center. Brantley could spend some time as the designated hitter, but those at-bats are mostly reserved for Rowdy Tellez, unless Tellez plays first base and the Blue Jays move Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back to third base.</p><p>Whichever way you slice it, the Blue Jays still have a plethora of outfielders. Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. might become trade bait if Toronto looks to acquire a controllable starting pitcher, such as Luis Castillo or Sonny Gray.</p><p>Regardless, it would seem MLB’s Hot Stove is heating up after months of dormancy. The Blue Jays are also seizing their opportunity to make impact moves with the rest of the American League East mostly resting on its laurels.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays in serious talks with Michael Brantley

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/springer.jpg"></figure><h1>George Springer, Blue Jays agree to massive 6-year, $150 million deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-19T20:49:27-08:00">January 19th, 8:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-19T20:49:27-08:00">January 19th, 8:49pm</time><address><a>Chris Guest</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays bolstered their outfield by signing George Springer to a six-year, $150 million deal. <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Jeff Passan of ESPN</a> broke the news, while <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Jon Heyman of MLB Network</a> provided the contract details.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Outfielder George Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a deal, sources familiar with the situation tell ESPN. </p><p>Springer is headed to Dunedin for a physical. And if all goes according to plan, Toronto will get the star it’s been looking for all winter.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1351739382135447553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Springer and Jays agree at $150M for 6 years</p><p>— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1351740142743130114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Springer was a three-time All-Star during his seven-year tenure with the Houston Astros, during which he won a World Series in 2017 and was named World Series MVP, albeit with the help of some off-field treachery that has been widely reported. In the shortened season last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Springer put up 14 home runs with 32 RBIs with a .899 OPS and .265 batting average.</p><p>Adding Springer means that the Blue Jays now have four extremely talented outfielders for the upcoming season. Aside from Springer,  they have Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Randal Grichuk. Those three players led the team in home runs last campaign with 16 for Hernandez, 12 for Grichuk, and 11 for Gurriel Jr.</p><p>They also led the team in RBIs, with Grichuk taking the lead with 35, while Hernandez and Gurriel had 34 and 33, respectively. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also matched Gurriel’s output.</p><p>The addition of the 31-year-old Springer gives the Blue Jays a good chance to improve from their season last year when they finished 32-28 and were the no. 8 seed in the expanded playoff format.</p><p>Though they were swept by eventual World Series runner-up Tampa Bay Rays, the Blue Jays still have a young core highlighted by a bevy of talented all-around players, which was only bolstered by the proven production of Springer.</p><p>While other teams also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-dj-lemahieu-finally-getting-new-deal-with-new-york-after-growing-restless-negotiations/">improving their lineup</a>, the Blue Jays are positioning themselves as a major contender next season with George Springer now in the fold.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

George Springer, Blue Jays agree to massive 6-year, $150 million deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/sutton.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>Dodgers ace and Hall of Famer Don Sutton passes away</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-19T14:36:20-08:00">January 19th, 2:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-19T14:37:53-08:00">January 19th, 2:37pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and Hall of Famer Don Sutton has passed away on Tuesday at the age of 75.</p><p>Sutton’s son, Daron, shared the news on Twitter.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Saddened to share that my dad passed away in his sleep last night. He worked as hard as anyone I’ve ever known and he treated those he encountered with great respect…and he took me to work a lot. For all these things, I am very grateful. Rest In Peace. <a href="https://t.co/cvlDRRdVXa" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/cvlDRRdVXa</a></p><p>— Daron Sutton (@lifeisgreatsut) <a href="https://twitter.com/lifeisgreatsut/status/1351640873377779715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Don Sutton became an icon with the Dodgers, going <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suttodo01.shtml" rel="noopener">233-181</a> with a 3.09 ERA in 16 fabulous seasons, including a career-capper in 1988 in which he had a 3.92 ERA at the age of 43.</p><p>The Alabama native finished his career with 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts, numbers that rank 14th and seventh, respectively, on the all-time leaderboards.</p><p>Sutton made four All-Star teams and won an ERA title in 1980, when he also led baseball with a 0.989 WHIP. He finished in the top five for the National League Cy Young Award five times. He also played for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics and then-California Angels, but he will always be remembered for his days with the Dodgers.</p><p>Sutton’s roots extended beyond the playing field, however. He joined the Atlanta Braves’ broadcast booth after he hung up the spikes, and he was revered for his broadcasting skills until he left his position in 2018. Sutton even said he enjoyed broadcasting as much as playing:</p><blockquote>“I’ve come to love broadcasting,” Sutton said, via the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/sports/hall-of-famer-don-sutton-dies-at-75/3FXWFPGP2VHKJBPWJGFYUKL3JY/">Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>. “I like broadcasting more than I liked being a player. I don’t like anything more than I liked being a pitcher, getting the ball and going (to the mound every fifth day) was the biggest charge. But four days out of five, broadcasting is more fun.”</blockquote><p>Baseball lost a number of Hall of Famers in 2020. The new year has brought about more sadness, with Sutton passing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-tommy-lasorda-passes-away-at-93/" rel="noopener">just weeks after fellow Dodgers legend</a> and manager Tommy Lasorda.</p><p>The right-hander will be fondly remembered for his brilliance and longevity on the mound, as well as his brilliance in the booth.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers ace and Hall of Famer Don Sutton passes away

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mets-fire-GM-Jared-Porter-after-revelation-he-sent-explicit-texts-to-reporter.jpg"></figure><h1>Mets fire GM Jared Porter after revelation he sent explicit texts to reporter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-19T06:22:05-08:00">January 19th, 6:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-19T06:29:26-08:00">January 19th, 6:29am</time><address><a>Mike Cruz</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/new-york-mets">New York Mets</a> relieved general manager Jared Porter of his duties on Tuesday morning, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-gm-brodie-van-wagenen-others-fired-as-new-owner-steve-cohen-takes-over/" rel="noopener">new owner</a> Steven Cohen announced.</p><p>This decision <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30737248/ny-mets-gm-jared-porter-acknowledges-sending-explicit-images-female-reporter-worked-chicago-cubs" rel="noopener">comes after an explosive ESPN report revealed</a> Porter sent graphic, uninvited text messages to a female reporter back in 2016, when he was still an executive with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/chicago-cubs">Chicago Cubs</a>.</p><p>Here’s Cohen’s statement:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have terminated Jared Porter this morning . In my initial press conference I spoke about the importance of integrity and I meant it.There should be zero tolerance for this type of behavior.</p><p>— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenACohen2/status/1351513683663450116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>ESPN reportedly first learned of the situation back in 2017 and had reached out to the woman to get her story. The woman, who has opted to keep her anonymity, came into the United States as a foreign correspondent for MLB. She revealed that she ignored over 60 messages from the 41-year-old executive after he sent her a picture of pants with a bulge in the crotch area.</p><p>Despite not getting responses, Porter, who couldn’t get the hint, still went on with sending her messages. The final straw came after Porter allegedly sent a photo of his penis. The woman reportedly revealed that this vile experience became one of the reasons why she left the industry and went back to her home country.</p><p>Porter has since spoken about the allegations and acknowledged the wrongdoing himself. He expressed regret for his actions, but the Mets had no choice but to fire him. Despite his track record as an executive, this permanent stain of sexual harassment will always be on his resume no matter where he goes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets fire GM Jared Porter after revelation he sent explicit texts to reporter

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Former-two-time-AL-Cy-Young-winner-Corey-Kluber-nearing-two-year-deal-with-Yankees.jpg"></figure><h1>Yankees land free-agent starter Corey Kluber in big-name acquisition</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T16:46:12-08:00">January 15th, 4:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T16:58:45-08:00">January 15th, 4:58pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/new-york-yankees">New York Yankees</a>, who already have ace Gerrit Cole in their starting rotation, are adding another <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/new-york-yankees">high-end starting pitcher</a>. Corey Kluber is finalizing a deal <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1350237590763544576">to join the Bronx Bombers</a>, pending a physical.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Right-hander Corey Kluber and the New York Yankees are finalizing a deal that will bring the two-time AL Cy Young winner to the Bronx, pending a physical, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1350237590763544576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><div class="code-block code-block-20" style="margin: 8px 0; clear: both;"></div><p></p></figure><p>The Yankees have been hit by injuries to their starting rotation in recent years, and acquisition James Paxton did not max out with New York last season. Yet, those realities aren’t the foremost reasons the Yankees aggressively pursued Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner from his days with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/cleveland-indians">Cleveland Indians</a> who briefly pitched for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/texas-rangers">Texas Rangers</a>.</p><p>The Yankees needed a pitcher with Kluber’s stature and experience because the word on the street is that New York veteran pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will pitch in Japan, not Major League Baseball, in 2021. The Yanks just found their Tanaka replacement.</p><p>The Yankees continue the “rich get richer” reality of baseball, months after the wealthy and deep-pocketed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers</a> won the World Series.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kluber deal with Yankees is expected to be for $10M plus</p><p>— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1350241346464964608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Kluber threw a session open for scouts earlier in the week, and discussions seemingly progressed quickly from there with the Yankees. While Kluber isn’t the Cy Young talent he once was, he’s still a solid starter and a veteran.</p><p>Kluber has battled injuries over the past few years, so the 10 million the Yankees are reportedly giving him might seem a bit high. However, the Yankees have money to spend and are in need of starting pitching.</p><p>Before coming to the Yankees, Corey Kluber spent nine seasons with the Cleveland Indians before throwing just one inning in 2020 for the Texas Rangers. He led the majors in ERA (2.25) and wins (18) in 2017, and has posted double-digit wins in five seasons throughout his career. Kluber is 34 years old and faces the challenge of many pitchers who deal with wear and tear as they age.</p><p>The Yankees don’t need Kluber’s Cy Young version to reappear. They need him to pitch six innings and prevent American League opponents from getting big innings. That is regularly the task for non-ace pitchers in Yankee Stadium.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees land free-agent starter Corey Kluber in big-name acquisition

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Phillies-prepare-to-pony-up-100-million-for-star-catcher-JT-Realmuto.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies prepare to pony up $100 million for star catcher JT Realmuto</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T15:50:57-08:00">January 15th, 3:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T15:51:37-08:00">January 15th, 3:51pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies are gearing up to make a monster offer for free agent catcher JT Realmuto.</p><p>While Realmuto and the Phillies organization have been in negotiations since the sports world paused last March, it seems as though they are ready to give him the offer he wants.</p><p>Per <a href="https://theathletic.com/2326320/2021/01/15/stark-phillies-make-jt-realmuto-nine-figure-offer/" rel="noopener">Jayson Stark of The Athletic</a>:</p><blockquote>According to an industry source familiar with the negotiations, the offer was for five years and slightly north of $100 million, which is believed to be somewhere in the range of where the club stood last March, when negotiations screeched to a halt because of MLB’s COVID-19 transactions freeze.</blockquote><p>While this might seem like a huge offer for JT Realmuto, it’s a move the Phillies need to make to have any chance to compete in the National League.</p><p>The New York Mets recently acquired star shortstop Francisco Lindor. The Atlanta Braves made the NLCS just a few months back, and the San Diego Padres acquired Blake Snell and Yu Darvish.</p><p>The Phillies <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-news-bryce-harper-agrees-13-year-330-million-contract-philadelphia/" rel="noopener">shelled out a 13-year, $330-million deal</a> to Bryce Harper in 2019, so the Phillies throwing money around shouldn’t be a surprise–especially considering Realmuto is one of the top free agents remaining.</p><p>While the specifics aren’t clear on the terms of the deal, and while much can change over time, the Phillies and Realmuto seem close to an agreement.</p><p>The Phillies’ new president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, declined to comment on Friday, saying: “We continue to have interest in J.T. But from a negotiating standpoint, these are things that have to be kept private,” per The Athletic.</p><p>That statement certainly seems like the talks are close to being done. Will Realmuto be with the Phillies?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies prepare to pony up $100 million for star catcher JT Realmuto

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Yankees-news-DJ-LeMahieu-finally-getting-new-deal-with-New-York-after-growing-restless-with-negotiations-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Report: DJ LeMahieu finally getting new deal with Yankees after growing restless with negotiations</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T06:58:00-08:00">January 15th, 6:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T07:14:37-08:00">January 15th, 7:14am</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/new-york-yankees" rel="noopener">New York Yankees</a> are finalizing an agreement with free-agent infielder DJ LeMahieu. A deal could get done as soon as Friday, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/dj-lemahieu-yankees-deal">according to Jon Paul Morosi and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com</a>.</p><p>If an agreement to bring LeMahieu back to the Bronx is indeed reached, the news will come as a sigh of relief to Yankees fans. The slow pace of negotiations with the versatile infielder to this point fueled concerns that another team could swoop in and steal the MVP candidate.</p><p>Like so many other organizations in baseball, the Yankees — despite being, you know, <i>the Yankees</i> — have generally cut back on free-agent splurges in recent years, though re-signing LeMahieu seemed like a no-brainer.</p><p>LeMahieu had <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/dj-le-mahieu-engaging-other-teams-in-free-agency-as-yankees-resist-meeting-his-price-010043569.html">reportedly</a> grown impatient with the pace of the talks and asked his agent to contact other teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets.</p><p>The infielder has been one of the most dependable and consistent players in baseball since arriving in New York, and a steady force atop a lineup that has been ravaged by injuries for two consecutive seasons.</p><p>MLB Network’s Jon Heyman provided some insight into the negotiations, per WFAN:</p><blockquote>“I’ve heard four years and close to $20 million [per year that the Yankees are] offering at this point … he’s looking for a five-year deal and the word was he was looking for well over $20 million, probably close to $25 million a year … There seems to be compromising room in there. Somewhere around that Josh Donaldson deal [with the Minnesota Twins] — four years for $92 million.”</blockquote><p>Now, it appears LeMahieu will be getting a six-year deal worth around $90 million, <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1350097927524536322" rel="noopener">per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.</a></p><p>The 32-year-old posted .336/.386/.536 splits over the past two years while shuffling between three infield positions. He finished third in the American League in MVP voting in 2020 and fourth in voting the year before. He led the AL in batting average (.364), on-base percentage (.421) and OPS (1.011) last season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Report: DJ LeMahieu finally getting new deal with Yankees after growing restless with negotiations

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Islanders-Anders-Lee.jpg"></figure><h1>Islanders’ Anders Lee gets smacked in the face, scores on same shift vs. Rangers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T17:38:08-08:00">January 14th, 5:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T17:38:43-08:00">January 14th, 5:38pm</time><address><a>Brandon Biskobing</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NHL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Anders Lee showed some real toughness during the New York Islanders’ season-opener against their crosstown rivals the New York Rangers.</p><p>While setting up in front of the net for a pass on a behind the net play, Lee took a high stick to the face from Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller. While play was on the other side of the ice, Lee looked to appear to be heading for the bench, but a quick outlet pass came straight to him, giving the Islanders a two-on-one opportunity, which Lee capitalized on with a quick wrist shot for the goal.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">That was quick .. another goal by NYI as Anders Lee scores <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Islanders?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Islanders</a> 2 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#NYR</a> 0 P1 <a href="https://t.co/njGmWVwkwa" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/njGmWVwkwa</a></p><p>— Sports ②④x⑦ (@B_R_R_D) <a href="https://twitter.com/B_R_R_D/status/1349875596424261632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Lee showed the toughness many admire in hockey players, being willing to stay in the game instead of coming off in order to help his team score the goal.</p><p>Lee is starting his ninth season in the NHL. He has been one of the key players in helping the Islanders rebuild and get to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, getting the Islanders to the Eastern Conference Finals in the bubble last season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ranking-the-fire-nhl-reverse-retro-jerseys/">The NHL started their regular season on Wednesday</a>, a few months later than usual due to the 2019-2020 finishing late due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After stopping play in March, the league created two bubbles, one in Toronto for the Eastern Conference and the other for the Western Conference in Edmonton.</p><p>The Stanley Cup was eventually played in Edmonton as well, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/28/sports/hockey/tampa-bay-lightning-win-stanley-cup.html">with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning it all</a>. Due to the continued ongoing travel restrictions by the Canadian government, this year’s season was reorganized, with four divisions, all exclusively playing each other. The north division consists of exclusively Canadian teams.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Islanders’ Anders Lee gets smacked in the face, scores on same shift vs. Rangers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mickey-Mantle-rookie-card-Yankees.jpg"></figure><h1>Yankees legend Mickey Mantle rookie baseball card shatters record after selling for $5.2 million</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T09:31:57-08:00">January 14th, 9:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T09:32:54-08:00">January 14th, 9:32am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A Mickey Mantle rookie card has sold for a huge fortune. Mantle is one of the more heralded legends in New York Yankees history.</p><h2><b>Mickey Mantle rookie card sells for $5.2 million</b></h2><p>His rare 1952 Topps card reflects the reverence baseball fans have for him, as it sold for a whopping $5.2 million.</p><p>Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Rob Gough purchased the card through the PWCC Marketplace.:</p><blockquote>“I’ve always wanted this card,” Gough said of the Yankees legends rookie card, via <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/01/14/mickey-mantle-rookie-card-sells-for-52-million-setting-record-for-largest-card-transaction/?sh=4cc7e7de32d0">Tommy Beer of Forbes</a>. “I’ve been searching for this ‘Holy Grail,’ the Mona Lisa of sports cards, the [1952 Mantle PSA-graded] 9. I finally got the 9.”</blockquote><p>There are only nine of these Mickey Mantle rookie cards in existence. According to Forbes, this one last sold in 2018.</p><p>The sale easily eclipses the previous record for a rookie card, per Forbes:</p><blockquote>The previous record for the highest-selling sports card of all time was set in August when a signed rookie by Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout sold for $3.93 million at auction (supplanting the T206 Honus Wagner card, which was purchased for $3.12 million in 2016).</blockquote><p>Mantle is one of the renowned all-around talents in MLB history. It also helps that he was a mainstay on some legendary New York Yankees teams.</p><p>The three-time MVP finished his career with 536 home runs. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-surpass-lakers-as-title-favorite-after-james-harden-trade/" rel="noopener">He won the</a> Triple Crown in 1956, and helped lead the Yankees to seven World Series titles. The “Mick” also made 16 All-Star teams over the course of his career.</p><p>Mantle is considered by many arguably the best talent in the history of the game. But his career was plagued by injuries and alcohol abuse. The legendary switch-hitter and Yankees legend was a prolific talent and pop culture icon, yet also one of the greatest “What If?” persons in MLB history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees legend Mickey Mantle rookie baseball card shatters record after selling for $5.2 million

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Todd-Howard-announced-as-Executive-Producer-for-upcoming-Indiana-Jones-game-Thumbnail.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Todd Howard announced as Executive Producer for upcoming Indiana Jones game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-13T05:06:33-08:00">January 13th, 5:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-13T21:35:47-08:00">January 13th, 9:35pm</time><address><a>Carmelo Favie III</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Gaming</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Good news for Indiana Jones fans, Bethesda dropped the bomb on an upcoming game project featuring the beloved movie icon. A new game based on the movie franchise officially enters development. Bethesda also announced that legendary game director Todd Howard takes up the Executive Producer position.</p><h2><a href="https://twitter.com/bethesda/status/1349024654611120130">A Bethesda Indy game</a></h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A new Indiana Jones game with an original story is in development from our studio, <a href="https://twitter.com/machinegames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@MachineGames</a>, and will be executive produced by Todd Howard, in collaboration with <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasfilmGames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@LucasfilmGames</a>. It'll be some time before we have more to reveal, but we’re very excited to share today’s news!</p><p>— Bethesda (@bethesda) <a href="https://twitter.com/bethesda/status/1349024654611120130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 12, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Todd Howard famously captained the development of several iconic Bethesda games such as Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and many others. His involvement with the new Indiana Jones project drew concern from many Bethesda fans. Currently, Todd Howard’s work hinges on the ongoing development of The Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield. Bethesda vice president of public relations and marketing Pete Hines weighed in on audience concern on the game director’s involvement.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Todd is currently EP on many BGS and other projects, such as the Fallout TV show. His main focus remains Directing the upcoming Starfield and TES6 games, which aren't affected by today's news.</p><p>— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) <a href="https://twitter.com/DCDeacon/status/1349032143792594946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 12, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Player concern regarding the new announcement is well-founded given Howard’s seemingly-heavy workload. To Clarify, the game director is heading up three games in development and also has a hand in the ongoing development of the online game Fallout 76. Hines further expressed Howard’s excitement regarding the newly-announced project.</p><blockquote><b>“Todd is a lifelong Indy fan, and has been trying for over a decade to make this game. He’s beyond excited to work with the award-winning MachineGames team, a perfect fit for Indy.”</b></blockquote><p>Bethesda promised to give more details regarding the game once they have more to share. Unfortunately, the Indiana Jones game joins Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI on the list of games fans will have to wait for. Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda potentially translates to the new game being an Xbox exclusive but there has been no confirmation so far.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Todd Howard announced as Executive Producer for upcoming Indiana Jones game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/AGDQ-2021-raises-USD-2.75-million-for-the-Prevent-Cancer-Foundation.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>AGDQ 2021 raises USD 2.75 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-11T06:46:43-08:00">January 11th, 6:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-11T06:46:43-08:00">January 11th, 6:46am</time><address><a>Carmelo Favie III</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Gaming</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Awesome Games Done Quick 2021 Online successfully continued the streak of raising over USD 1 million despite being completely online. The eight straight AGDQ raised a total of USD 2,759,815.03 after seven days of neverending speedruns. The event breached it’s USD 2.5 million goal thanks to the endless support of its viewers.</p><h2><a href="https://twitter.com/GamesDoneQuick">As fast as they can</a></h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Our final <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AGDQ2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#AGDQ2021</a> total is $2,758,847 for <a href="https://twitter.com/preventcancer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@preventcancer</a>! </p><p>We hope that you had a wonderful time watching all of the runs and talented runners, and want to say thank you to everyone involved in the event, everyone who donated, and of course, all of you for being here with us! <a href="https://t.co/nBShMysTxR" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/nBShMysTxR</a></p><p>— Games Done Quick (@GamesDoneQuick) <a href="https://twitter.com/GamesDoneQuick/status/1348199099493879810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 10, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The event being transferred online birthed several technical issues but the fundraiser was an overall success. This year marks the eighth straight year that AGDQ has raised over USD 1 million. The event also pushed GDQ’s overall lifetime donation total over USD 30 million. This year’s AGDQ featured the first back-to-back world record to ever happen at any GDQ-sanctioned event.</p><p>It’s an exciting time for supporters and organizers of this established annual event. AGDQ 2021 breached the USD 1 million mark during a speedrun of Halo 3 on day five which was a GDQ personal best for the record. Subsequently, fan donations breached the USD 2.5 million goal during a run of <i>Pokémon Blue </i>towards the end of the event.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">WOW! $2.5 MILLION raised at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AGDQ2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#AGDQ2021</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/preventcancer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@preventcancer</a>! Thank you to everyone for your incredible generosity! We absolutely cannot contain our hype and excitement!</p><p>Oh! And before we forget … you're getting <a href="https://twitter.com/zfg111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@zfg111</a>'s Ocarina of Time All Dungeons run AND the glitch exhibition! <a href="https://t.co/M7XFpE1rAf" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/M7XFpE1rAf</a></p><p>— Games Done Quick (@GamesDoneQuick) <a href="https://twitter.com/GamesDoneQuick/status/1348169450688704513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 10, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The audience received an additional All Dungeons run for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time thanks to beating the goal. The organizers expressed their undying gratitude towards their fans, audience, and supporters.</p><blockquote><b>“While the GDQ team and I step forward cautiously into 2021 and leave 2020 behind us, we acknowledge that there are challenges that remain and are still to come. The team that is empowered by the speedrun community’s support will keep building on what we have and continue forth with our mission — to showcase amazing talent for great causes.”</b></blockquote><p>The organizers wrapped up the event by reminding its audience of the upcoming Summer Games Done Quick 2021 event. GDQ made no announcements if the event will remain a wholly online affair but we can be sure that a lot of people will continue to be helped by the selfless event organizers. SGDQ takes place sometime in June 2021.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

AGDQ 2021 raises USD 2.75 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Kyle-Korver-LeBron-James-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Bucks-Lakers.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>EXCLUSIVE: Playing with Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, per Kyle Korver</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-03-07T11:04:39-08:00">March 7th, 11:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T04:21:23-08:00">January 22nd, 4:21am</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Exclusive</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><i>Note: This article was written in March, 2020.</i></p><p>LOS ANGELES – LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1236174681402511360" rel="noopener noreferrer">113-103</a>. The game brought forth spectacular showings from two of the leading candidates for the season’s MVP award. James <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/0926b2c6-ed7b-4be0-8165-dad097726421/Milwaukee-Bucks-Los-Angeles-Lakers-03-06-2020" rel="noopener noreferrer">finished with</a> 37 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and three steals in 37 minutes while Antetokounmpo finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 36 minutes.</p><p>One guy that’s had the opportunity to play with both players is journeyman Kyle Korver. Korver, a native of Paramount, California, has played six different NBA teams across 17 NBA seasons, two of which include James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and Giannis’ current Bucks.</p><p>An All-Star in 2015, Korver reached the NBA Finals with the Cavs in 2017 and 2018, but fell short against the Golden State Warriors both times.</p><p>Korver’s Bucks currently sit hold a 53-10 record, which easily the best in the NBA, and many have them as an essential lock to come out of the Eastern Conference. Still, Kyle Korver tells ClutchPoints he isn’t ready to say this is the best chance he’s had at an NBA Championship yet.</p><p>“It’s hard to say,” admitted Korver. “I mean, certainly, our Cleveland years, we were in the Finals. There’s no guarantee that we’re gonna make it there, but we’re in the mix and I think that’s all you can ask for going into a season. It’s to be on a team that you know is in the mix and I believe that about this team and I’m excited about what may happen down the road.”</p><p>The Bucks had been on pace for 70 wins, but have lost two of their last three contests at the hands of the Miami Heat and Lakers. Unless they have a complete collapse down the stretch here, Giannis Antetokounmpo is widely expected to be named the MVP of the 2019-20 season.</p><p>“He’s got the right stuff and it’s really up to him,” Korver responded when asked about how much better Antetokounmpo can be.”</p><p>“I think he has maybe the most unique physical tools or one of the most unique physical gifts and bodies that the NBA has ever seen. He has a heart that people not see al; the time, but he wants it, he loves it.”</p><p>Having played alongside both LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Korver has been able to see firsthand the similarities as well as the differences in the way both superstars lead. The most sizable distinction right now might be the gap in experience. James has 1,256 regular season and 239 playoff games under his belt. Antetokounmpo, on the other hand, only has 522 regular season and 34 playoff games of experience.</p><p>“You know…,” Korver paused, trying to find the words to describe James. “LeBron’s just had so many experiences in the NBA. Like he’s been through literally everything. The highs, the lows, the championships, the MVP’s, the losses, injuries. He’s been through so much, and I think Giannis is still a young guy, But they both want it, they both love the game, they both work really hard, and you naturally fall in line behind these guys because of who they are, how they conduct themselves, how hard they work.”</p><p>Korver, who currently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-kyle-korver-becomes-4th-player-nba-history-with-2400-triples/" rel="noopener noreferrer">sits in fourth place</a> on the all-time three-pointers made list, will turn 39 years old on March 17th. At this point, it’s unlikely Korver plays more than another year or two as retirement inches closer. Korver did, however, add that he and his family ‘kicked around’ the idea of playing in Los Angeles, just north of his hometown of Paramount.</p><p>“Yeah, we kicked around the the idea this summer. And I guess you just never know for a bunch of reasons. We felt like Milwaukee was the right place for us this year. I have no idea.”</p><p>Korver declined to specify whether he was eying the Clippers as well, but the purple and gold <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-free-agency-rumors-lakers-bucks-sixers-front-runners-to-land-kyle-korver-after-buyout-with-suns/">were among teams interested</a> in the guard last summer. Both LeBron James’ and Kawhi Leonard’s teams certainly could have used his shooting at different points. He did, however, specify that his NBA future beyond this season won’t depend on him.</p><p>“That’s a better question for my wife,” Korver said with a smile. “We’ll see.”</p><p>For his career, Kyle Korver has 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.0 three-pointers per game on 44 percent from the field and 42.8% from beyond the arc.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

EXCLUSIVE: Playing with Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, per Kyle Korver

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Steve-Kerr-Warriors-Pissed.jpg"></figure><h1>‘Pissed’ Steve Kerr threatens to pull players from rotation after Knicks fouling debacle</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T06:33:24-08:00">January 22nd, 6:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T06:33:24-08:00">January 22nd, 6:33am</time><address><a>Mike Cruz</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was irate with the way his team performed in their 119-104 loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday night. The three-time champion coach stressed about the Warriors’ fouling issues and made it clear he wants changes in terms of how they play undisciplined defense.</p><p>Kerr even issued a warning to the entire squad, saying he could move away from deploying his usual rotation if a player commits unnecessary reach in fouls during a game.</p><p>Via Anthony Slater of The Athletic:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">As pissed as Steve Kerr's been after the Warriors' seven losses. On the fouling: "Maybe it means if a guy reaches he comes out. Forget the rotation. Just take a few games where you reach, you come out and we have a bunch of guys filing in and out of the game."</p><p>— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1352496192073027584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>In one of the weirdest officiating games of the season, the Warriors committed 26 fouls on the evening. The Knicks, meanwhile, had 29 fouls themselves, combining for 55 whistles on fouls throughout 48 minutes of basketball. In fact, at the start of the fourth quarter, the refs called four fouls on the Dubs in less than 20 seconds.</p><p>Kerr certainly has every reason to be pissed with the officials, especially after they mistakenly issued Draymond Green’s second technical foul near the end of the first half, which tossed the Warriors forward out of the game. And despite the trigger-happy whistle from Ben Taylor and crew, Kerr didn’t slam the officiating at all during the game. Instead, he went on a tirade about how they need to stop committing these ticky-tack reach-ins on defense that puts pressure on the refs to call silly fouls.</p><p>Kerr certainly has his assessment on point. The Dubs currently lead the league in total fouls through the early goings of the 2020-21 season. In 15 games, Golden State has committed <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2021.html">356 fouls</a>, averaging 23.7 per contest, which ranks no. 2 in the entire league.</p><p>The Warriors have prided themselves on defense and believe this could be their recipe of success this season. However, they need to stay disciplined on that end of the floor if they want to boast a top-5 defense by the end of the year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

‘Pissed’ Steve Kerr threatens to pull players from rotation after Knicks fouling debacle

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NBA-news-LeBron-James-Kevin-Durant-snap-back-at-_old-heads_-hating-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>LeBron James, Kevin Durant snap back at ‘old heads’ hating on NBA stars</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T11:51:05-08:00">January 22nd, 11:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T14:49:29-08:00">January 22nd, 2:49pm</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As athletes who play a sport watched by millions around the world, NBA players are no strangers to criticism, whether they are made by strangers online or by fellow players. Some even welcome criticism at times as they look to improve and become better versions of themselves.</p><p>However, for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, there’s a difference between constructive criticism and just hate, especially when it comes to the way former NBA players comment on today’s stars:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"There’s a difference between constructive criticism and soft hating… You can hear it in their delivery."</p><p>"Them old heads need to go enjoy retirement. These boys have coaches they work with everyday lol."</p><p>LeBron James &amp; Kevin Durant react to Shaq's Donovan Mitchell comments. <a href="https://t.co/osVrkyxciu" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/osVrkyxciu</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1352749097002778624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>In an Instagram post, the user @CuffsTheLegend asked why young NBA players are sensitive to constructive criticism made by older players, questioning why the level of respect has changed. James and Durant took the time to comment on the post, with Durant telling the older players to just enjoy retirement while saying that today’s players already work with the coaching staff of their respective teams.</p><p>James, meanwhile, made it clear that there is a difference between a player offering constructive criticism and simply hating, adding that he has mostly received the hate. The four-time champion revealed that he noticed that he could always tell the difference in the way the criticism is delivered.</p><p>Former players have recently been more vocal in criticizing today’s players, such as when Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/james-harden-trade-shaquille-oneal-charles-barkley-take-shots-at-newest-member-of-nets/">offered their takes on James Harden’s departure</a> from the Houston Rockets. On Thursday night’s edition of TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Shaq made a blunt comment about Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell not being able to reach the next level, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jazz-news-donovan-mitchell-has-pointed-one-word-reply-to-shaqs-blunt-comment-about-his-game/">which Mitchell shrugged off with a pointed reply</a>.</p><p>This IG conversation involving LeBron and KD was clearly in reference to that viral moment, and they don’t seem to be too happy about these “old heads” criticizing the NBA’s current stars.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James, Kevin Durant snap back at ‘old heads’ hating on NBA stars

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Pittsburgh-Steelers-3-early-free-agent-targets-for-the-2021-offseason-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>3 early free agents Steelers must target in 2021 offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T12:27:37-08:00">January 22nd, 12:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T12:28:28-08:00">January 22nd, 12:28pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the most volatile teams in football in 2020.</p><p>Pittsburgh stormed out to an 11-0 start, overwhelming opponents with a suffocating pass rush and balanced offensive game. The Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs appeared to be a rung above all other teams in the league, though Pittsburgh looked even more well-rounded than Kansas City.</p><p>Of course, things fell apart down the stretch. The Steelers limped to a 1-4 finish in the final five weeks of the regular season. Ben Roethlisberger had a hard time moving the ball through the air, though his receivers’ strange case of the drops hardly helped matters. Pittsburgh also lost some key starters on the defensive side of the ball.</p><p>The collapse was complete after the Steelers were dominated by their AFC North rival, the Cleveland Browns, in the Wild Card Round. Cleveland jumped out to a 28-0 lead and never looked back, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/browns-news-jarvis-landry-mocks-juju-smith-schuster-steelers-after-win/" rel="noopener">putting a humiliating stamp on the Steelers’ season.</a></p><p>Things will only grow more challenging in the next couple months. Roethlisberger’s contract makes for a number of complications at the quarterback position. The Steelers have a number of impact players set to be free agents, but lack the cap space to make big splashes. In fact, Pittsburgh’s cap situation is so dire the Steelers will almost certainly have to cut players to save money against the cap.</p><p>So, how can the Steelers improve the roster with practically zero cap space? Here are three early targets in free agency for Pittsburgh heading into the 2021 offseason, two of which are internal options.</p><h2><b>3. Zach Banner</b></h2><p>Banner played in just one game before undergoing season-ending knee surgery. But that could actually simplify things for the Steelers.</p><p>The former USC offensive tackle won one of the outside jobs during training camp. He started in the team’s Week 1 win over the New York Giants, and Pittsburgh could still regard Banner as being a starter heading into 2021.</p><p>Again, the Steelers cannot truly afford to sign any impact free agents given they are already over $34 million in the red, per <a href="https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space/">Over The Cap</a>. Yet, they desperately need to preserve depth in the trenches.</p><p>Fellow offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva will be an unrestricted free agent, and the two-time Pro Bowler figures to attract attention from a number of teams. Matt Feiler is also a free agent and could prove tough to re-sign this spring.</p><p>Banner has the benefit of being someone who already won one of the Steelers’ tackle jobs before, so there is some faith in his capabilities. Additionally, the injury could mitigate interest on the open market, which could be a good thing for the Steelers.</p><h2><b>2. Mike Hilton</b></h2><p>Hilton has played a more prominent role in Pittsburgh’s secondary in recent years, and he plays an imperative role as the nickelback.</p><p>Will the Steelers be able to re-sign him this offseason?</p><p>Hilton was a tremendous playmaker in 2020. He had a career-high three interceptions and also notched seven passes defended. The 26-year-old can play up in the box to stop the run or blitz off the edge, finishing the season with 3.0 sacks and eight tackles for a loss.</p><p>Pittsburgh might have to cut Joe Haden for salary relief. Yes, Haden was a Pro Bowler in 2019 and had another strong season as a cover corner. But he will also be 32 in April, and the Steelers can save close to $13 million by cutting him.</p><p>Regardless, the Steelers will likely have to be choosy with respect to the secondary, though they certainly need to retain at least one or two key pieces.</p><p>Cameron Sutton will also be a free agent in the coming months, and he is another guy possibly deserving of a contract. Sutton has been a strong cover guy in the last two seasons and had a career-high eight passes defended in 2020.</p><p>But it could be worth the extra work (and money) to bring back the experienced Hilton, who has quietly become a staple of the Steelers’ secondary.</p><h2><b>1. Brandon Copeland</b></h2><p>Not the guy you were expecting to hold down the No. 1 spot, was it? That is the reality of this upcoming offseason for a frugal Steelers team.</p><p>Nevertheless, Copeland has some upside as an outside linebacker.</p><p>The 29-year-old has primarily been a special teams ace, but recent history suggests he could be productive on the outside.</p><p>Copeland started 10 of 16 games for the New York Jets in 2018, finishing the season with 5.0 sacks, eight tackles for a loss and 14 quarterback hits. But he has not been much more than a depth guy since, and he suffered a torn pectoral after playing just six games with the New England Patriots in 2020.</p><p>Pittsburgh will need to find some depth at linebacker. The Steelers are all but guaranteed to lose Bud Dupree and will also likely lose inside linebacker Avery Williamson. They need to find guys who can play meaningful snaps while also being capable of rushing the passer.</p><p>Copeland would hardly be the flashiest of additions. But he can rush the passer, and provides depth at a position of need.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 early free agents Steelers must target in 2021 offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Lakers-LeBron-James-1-2.jpg"></figure><h1>Hey haters, LeBron James has a message for you after season-high vs. Giannis and the Bucks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T05:21:48-08:00">January 22nd, 5:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T05:22:47-08:00">January 22nd, 5:22am</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NBA season is only a month old, and statement games aren’t usually made in January. However, in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 113-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, LeBron James did just that.</p><p>The King’s brilliant performance against Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke volumes when it came to the debate about the league’s best player. The game marked the first meeting between James and Antetokounmpo since LeBron finished second in the MVP voting last season, which didn’t sit well with the four-time champion, who believed that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-is-pissed-about-not-getting-more-mvp-votes/">he should have received more votes</a>.</p><p>Against Giannis and the Bucks, James finished with a game-high 34 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, making 13 of 25 shots, including six triples, while playing 38 minutes. Antetokounmpo, who also bagged the Defensive Player of the Year award last season, led the Bucks with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists. But The Greek Freak also committed nine turnovers, and when the game was on the line, it was The King who made the biggest plays.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LeBron. Sixth trey of the night. </p><p>(📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/SpectrumSN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@SpectrumSN</a> &amp; TNT) <a href="https://t.co/a8yKO6M3Qd" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/a8yKO6M3Qd</a></p><p>— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1352453684571983872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The win gives the Lakers a 12-4 record, the best in the league, and a half-game ahead of the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference. Milwaukee, meanwhile, fell to 9-6 and absorbed their first back to back losses this season, though they remain third in the Eastern Conference. After the game, James clarified that last season’s MVP voting was far from his mind when he faced the Bucks, and he was merely focused on getting the win for the Lakers, which moved up to 8-0 on the road this season.</p><blockquote>“It’s never been about individual (honors),” Lakers superstar LeBron James said, per <a href="https://tv5.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401267386">ESPN</a>. ”It’s all about the team success. That’s all that matters. I just want to play well and help our team versus any opponent. That’s what it’s all about.”</blockquote><p>But aside from getting the team success that he was referring to in the win against the Bucks, James also made a strong case about why he should win the MVP for the fifth time in his career. After winning the title for the first time in a decade in October, the Lakers faced the shortest offseason in NBA history and were expected to have some early struggles, especially as they replaced four key players from last year’s squad on top of a grueling championship run.</p><p>However, that doesn’t seem to be the case early in the season, with the team racing to the league’s best record and James picking up right where he left off, averaging 23.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in his 18th season. And in one of the Lakers’ biggest games so far, LeBron was at his best, draining shots from beyond the arc and bullying defenders inside the paint in one of his finest performances this season. Whether he admits it or not, games against Giannis and Milwaukee also seem to light a fire and bring out the best in him.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LeBron James has scored 30 points in 6 of his last 7 games against Giannis Antetokounmpo, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@ESPNStatsInfo</a>.</p><p>— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) <a href="https://twitter.com/E_Woodyard/status/1352453379570675714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It remains to be seen if either James or Antetokoumnpo will win the MVP <a href="https://clutchpoints.substack.com/" rel="noopener">by the end of the season</a>, as other players like Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic have also emerged as contenders for the award. There’s also a lot that could still happen this season, with the Lakers beginning a tough road trip and the Bucks still trailing the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings.</p><p>But on Thursday, in a game against the reigning MVP and the team that dominated the regular season in the last two years, LeBron James put the Lakers on his back and turned in one of his best performances in Year 18, making it clear that The King isn’t planning to give up his throne as the league’s best player any time soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>