Former Diamondbacks 1st baseman Christian Walker receives ovation in Chase Field return
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Forbes
4 minutes ago
- Forbes
Rays' Junior Caminero Has Impressed At The Plate, And Also At Third Base
Carlos Pena holds the Tampa Bay Rays' record for most home runs in a season with 46. Junior Caminero will have some work to do over the season's final 30-plus games to catch the former first baseman, though he seems to be a lock in becoming the second player in team history to hit at least 40. With 35 heading into Wednesday evening's game against the Yankees, the 22-year-old is sixth on the single-season list and one behind Evan Longoria. Caminero's first full season in the majors has been a treat for Rays fans, who caught a glimpse (seven games) of the third baseman at the end of the 2023 season after he was called up from Double-A Montgomery. He then had something of a sample size last year (43 games, .248, 6 HR) after he was summoned from Triple-A Durham in mid-August. When asked about his expectations heading into this season, Caminero noted health and a home run plateau he has blown past. 'My expectation was to be healthy, which I asked God for, and I thank God for keeping me healthy,' he said prior to Tuesday's game against the Yankees, via Rays' communications specialist and interpreter, Eddie Rodriguez. 'I wanted to hit 30 homers, and I have done that. It's a matter of finishing the season healthy. I am very proud of what I have accomplished so far.' He should be. In addition to his home run total and team-leading 85 RBI while playing more games (120 through Tuesday) than any other player in a Tampa Bay uniform, Caminero has worked overtime in becoming quite a fielder at the hot corner. He has impressed in ability to bare hand dribblers and flag down blazing one-hoppers while making strong and accurate throws across the diamond. Frankly, he has made it look routine far more often than not. 'I really appreciate all the help that Brady has given me,' said the native of the Dominican Republic, of assistant hitting coach Brady North, who has worked with Caminero in the field. 'The confidence that I have right now, it's because of the work I have put in with him. I have been practicing my fielding a lot since spring training and feel that I have gotten better. I feel very good about the work that I have put in and I am really appreciative of Brady for spending all of that time with me.' Caminero wears No. 13 like the player he looks up to, Manny Machado. He has often confided in the Padres' 33-year-old third baseman, seeking playing tips and guidance on being a big leaguer. 'He's on his way to being a Hall of Famer and it's great that I can talk to him,' he said of the South Florida native with Dominican Heritage, who made his MLB debut 13 years ago this month. While Machado's resume includes more than 2,000 hits – he picked up his 2,000th on July 8 at Petco Park – to go with 362 homers and 1,121 RBI, Caminero's first full taste of the big time has been rather impressive. Consider that he is only the ninth player since 1901 to hit at least 35 homers during an age-21 or younger season. (MLB bases that on a player's age as of June 30. Caminero turned 22 on July 5.) Among others on the list are fellow Dominican Albert Pujols. Then there is the 27-year history of the Rays and Caminero's march up a single-season home run list that not only includes the aforementioned Pena and Longoria, but also Jose Canseco and Fred McGriff. He passed both of them during a 12-game West Coast trip in which he launched seven home runs. 'It feels great to have my name mentioned in those categories,' he said. 'I have put in the work and I am very proud of myself for doing it.' Then there is his work in the field, which has certainly caught the attention of his manager. 'Junior has worked on the defensive side as hard as anybody (on our team),' said Kevin Cash. 'He wants to be elite. I think he has proven on a nightly basis that he is pretty elite when he has a bat in his hands, and he wants to be elite (with the glove). He is working toward that, and I am really proud of him.'
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pirates call up Bubba Chandler, baseball's top pitching prospect
PITTSBRURGH (AP) — Baseball's top pitching prospect is getting called up to the majors. The Pittsburgh Pirates have decided to promote 22-year-old right hander Bubba Chandler ahead of their game Friday against the Colorado Rockies, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the roster move was not yet official. Chandler will join a staff that already includes 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. The Pirates are shuffling their pitching rotation after sending veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney to the bullpen last weekend. Chandler got off to a hot start in Triple-A this year but has stumbled lately and is currently 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA this year for Indianapolis. ___ AP MLB: Will Graves, The Associated Press
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
John Wall announces retirement from the NBA after 11 seasons, will join Amazon Prime Video as an analyst
Washington Wizards superstar John Wall is calling it a career. Wall announced his retirement from the NBA on Tuesday in a video thanking his fans, family and teammates for their support during his 11 years as a player. Wall said he's leaving the game with no regrets, saying, "I gave this game everything I had." Near the end of his retirement video, Wall mentioned that basketball will always be part of his life, and mentioned that "new opportunities" led him to take on the next chapter of his life. On Wednesday, NBA on Prime announced that Hall would join the team as an analyst. Amazon Prime Video will broadcast NBA games every Friday night, with additional weekly national games on the platform on Thursday and Saturday starting midseason. Wall rose to prominence as a high schooler, receiving an invite to the Reebok All-American Camp as a sophomore. He continued to show out during high school and entered college as one of the top-ranked players in the country. That ranking turned out to be accurate. Wall spent just one season at the University of Kentucky before going pro. He entered the 2010 NBA Draft, where the Wizards made him the No. 1 overall pick. He more than lived up to that promise early in his career. Wall averaged 16.4 points as a rookie, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year award voting. He put up similar production in each of his next two seasons before taking a step forward in his fourth year. Wall averaged 19.3 points and 8.8 assists during the 2013-14 NBA season, earning his first All-Star appearance. It was his first of five straight appearances in the All-Star Game. Wall also earned recognition for his defense during the 2014-15 season, making second-team All-Defense. He notched a seventh-place finish in the MVP voting during the 2016-17 season after averaging a career-high 23.1 points and 10.7 assists. He was off to a similarly strong start during the 2018-19 season before injuries struck. Wall was limited to just 32 games that season. During the offseason, Wall fell at home, rupturing his Achilles. He missed the entire 2019-20 NBA season recovering. He returned to action with the Houston Rockets in 2020-21, and still produced strong numbers before again missing time due to injuries. The Rockets, intent on developing younger players, reached an agreement with Wall in which the veteran would not play for the team. Both sides eventually settled on a buyout, but Wall did not play the entire year. Wall signed with the Los Angeles Clippers ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season. He averaged 11.4 points in 34 games before he was traded back to the Rockets and waived three days later. Prior to his injuries, Wall was one of the league's premier players. He had incredible speed and court vision and looked capable of carrying the Wizards to great things. But injuries cut his prime short and — eventually — sapped Wall's effectiveness.
