Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on how Mark Walter will help Lakers
There is always a sense of uncertainty when a sports team gets sold. But in the case of the reported sale of a majority share of the Los Angeles Lakers from the Buss family to Mark Walter, there seems to be plenty of optimism and even excitement among fans.
The Buss family has gotten plenty of criticism for many years due to its penny-pinching ways when it comes to running the Lakers. But Walter is the CEO of Guggenheim Partners and has been the primary owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2012. During that time, the Dodgers have won 11 of the last 12 National League West titles and two of the last five World Series championships.
Walter has spared no expense when it comes to running the Dodgers. He freely spent money to bring in prominent players such as former MVPs Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani. That willingness to spend money has extended throughout the organization, as he has brought in the best people.
One of those people is manager Dave Roberts, who was hired in 2016. He talked about what Walter will do for the Purple and Gold.
Via Los Angeles Times:
"He's really committed to the city of Los Angeles in various ways. Sports is something that he's very passionate about, and certainly Los Angeles sports. I think it's a very exciting day for the Lakers, for the city of Los Angeles. And I think speaking from [the perspective of] a Dodger employee, he's very competitive. He's going to do everything he can to produce a championship-caliber team every single year and make sure the city feels proud of the Lakers and the legacy that they've already built with the Buss family.
"... I think he does everything he can to provide resources, support. He wants to win. He feels that the fans, the city, deserves that. I think that's never lost."
When Dr. Jerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979, they had a reputation as a bridesmaid franchise. But they won five NBA championships over the next nine seasons, and they then won five more in a span of 11 seasons starting with the 1999-2000 campaign, turning them into the gold standard of basketball.
After he passed away in 2013, his kids inherited the franchise, but in the last dozen seasons, it has missed the playoffs seven times and lost in the first round of the postseason three times. Although it won the 2020 world title, some would say the franchise doesn't have quite the same mystique or luster it once boasted.
At least now, money may not be an obstacle to putting together the best Lakers rosters possible within the confines of the NBA's new, ultra-restrictive salary cap.
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CNN
19 minutes ago
- CNN
The Dodgers say ICE tried to enter its stadium grounds. The federal agency calls the report ‘false': Here's what we know
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Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MLB Notebook: What will it look like if the Red Sox are sellers at trade deadline?
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The possibility exists, if the team doesn't rebound and soon, that the Sox may be reluctant sellers on July 31, focused on shedding veterans who could fetch still more prospects as the Sox continue their rebuild. That wasn't the plan, of course. It could be argued that the Sox haven't been in full sell mode since 2014, when they auctioned off Jon Lester, just nine months after he had helped pitch them to another World Series title. Advertisement (They probably should have been sellers more often, including 2015 when, on their way to a second-straight last place finish, they unloaded only outfielder Shane Victorino). Obviously, the Red Sox don't wish to be sellers next month. The hope is that the team rights itself, gets improved performance from both the rotation and the lineup, and plays well enough to climb back into contention. There are plenty of recent examples of teams rallying in mid-summer, including the 2019 Washington Nationals, the 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks, to name two. As it is, the Sox enter their weekend series in New York just four games out of the last wildcard spot. That's hardly an insurmountable number. Advertisement But what if there's no improvement coming? What if, high hopes and all, this is who the Red Sox are? In that case, there would be an auction. Which players would become available and who would have the most value? A look: STARTING PITCHERS At first glance, this would seem an unlikely place from which to deal since the rotation has been among the biggest weaknesses — Garrett Crochet aside. But contending teams are desperate to bolster starting rotations every July, and just because a pitcher has failed to meet expectations doesn't mean there aren't teams still interested, believing that they can figure things out – if only for a few months. Advertisement Walker Buehler would be the most sought-after, if mostly for his resume rather than his 2024 performance to date. 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Or is he the guy who's been shelled for six runs or more on three other occasions. Even the Red Sox are unsure about the answer to that one. Advertisement But the mere fact that Giolito has even occasionally provided quality starts will attract suitors. Like Buehler, he's effectively on a one-year deal and would cost a little more than $6 million, with the potential for a small buyout ($1.5 million) for a team option in 2026 if he gets to 140 innings before the end of the season. BULLPEN Teams are also seemingly always looking to upgrade their bullpens, making Aroldis Chapman a very valuable piece. In fact, other than the Cardinals' Ryan Helsley, Chapman could be the most in-demand closer in the game in six weeks. Chapman is having a fine season, having converted nine of 10 save opportunities. He still gets a lot of swing-and-miss (11.9 strikeouts per nine innings pitched), and is on track to post his lowest WHIP and lowest walk rate since 2020. At 37, Chapman remains a physical marvel. Advertisement Add in the fact that he's lefthanded, offering matchup possibilities and there may be no end to potential teams with interest. Certainly, his salary obligations — he'll be due just $3.5 million for the final two months — won't scare anybody off. Fellow bullpen southpaw Justin Wilson is another with value. Wilson doesn't close, but he has been terrific against lefty hitters, holding them to a .115 batting average. At a time of year when teams are searching for the smallest advantage, trading for a veteran who can get tough lefties out will create a strong market. The fact that he'll be owed less than $1 million for the final third of the season only increases his attractiveness. POSITION PLAYERS It will be fascinating to see how they handle the Alex Bregman situation. (This presumes, of course, that Bregman is back well before the deadline and fully recovered from his significant quad injury). 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Refnsyder typically mashes lefties (.962 OPS this season) and would be an attractive pickup as a platoon player or pinch-hitter. It's not out of the realm of possibility that some team may see him as an everyday option, too, given that he's got an .875 OPS against righties this season in an admittedly small sample size. The Sox value Refsnyder's role as a clubhouse voice and leader and might want to bring him back for 2026, but given his age (34) and the fact that he contemplated retirement at recently as the end of last season, it's unclear how much longer he intends to keep playing. At the start of the year, Connor Wong was the team's primary option behind the plate, and with the loss of Kyle Teel, that status seemed to provide him with some job security on the roster. Advertisement But things can change quickly in baseball, and just a few months later, Carlos Narvaez as emerged as the catcher of the present and future. That makes Wong expendable, and with three full seasons of control, he wouldn't be just a short-term rental. It's unlikely that many other teams view Wong as a No. 1 catcher at this point, but he could certainly fill that role for a short period of time if injuries strike. Also, his athleticism and versatility (he's capable of at least filling in at a few infield spots) could up his value. ____________ The Colorado Rockies are flirting with history this season – and not in a good way. Advertisement The Rockies entered Thursday with a 12-50 record, and that came after they swept a series from the Miami Marlins, constituting their longest winning streak of the season. Earlier, they became the first franchise to lose 50 games before winning their 10th game of the season. They're on pace to obliterate the ineptitude of last year's Chicago White Sox, who set a modern record in 2024 with 121 losses. All of which can't help but make Ellis Burks, the former Red Sox outfielder and TV analyst, sad. 'It's unfortunate,' said Burks, 'I have no idea what the problem is. I don't know if it's scouting or player development. I've talked to some people there and they can't figure it out. But they're spiraling in the wrong direction. I don't know if they're trying to rebuild and it's going to take a few years, but it's unfortunate what's happened. It's tough to watch. Advertisement 'They do have a great fan base. Fans were hungry for a team, so it was great to place a franchise there. But it hasn't gone well for a while there.' Burks spent almost five seasons with the Rockies in the 1990s when the club annually drew almost four million fans and set offensive records with their powerful lineup. The 'Blake St. Bombers' featured, among others, Burks, Dante Bichette, Andres Galarraga, Vinny Castilla and Larry Walker. They would bludgeon teams to death and provide high-scoring action on a nightly basis. Even when they didn't win, fans at Coors Field got their money's worth. 'We knew it was going to be a track meet every night,' recalled Burks. 'We knew we had to score nine and hope the pitching staff held them to eight. The atmosphere in those years was electric every night. We knew whoever was coming into Coors Field were already thinking about what they were going to be facing. Advertisement 'I used to say it was a 'Nightmare on Blake St' for pitchers. I don't care who it was — I guarantee you, they had nightmares before games. It was one of those situations where we knew we were good. We knew we were going to score runs. We would tell the pitching staff, even if they gave up three or four runs in the first inning, 'Don't worry – we got you.' And the fans knew that as well That brought a lot of excitement to the Denver region where they came out in bundles to watch us play." 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Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
As giddy Rafael Devers arrives in San Francisco, Red Sox drama ‘in the past'
SAN FRANCISCO — Rafael Devers had no interest in talking about his past life as a member of the Red Sox on Tuesday at Oracle Park. His body language, however, told the whole story. Devers, who retained his smily, happy-go-lucky countenance at times on the field this season but kept to himself and often looked downcast — if not downright angry — behind the scenes, was a rejuvenated man as he was introduced ahead of his Giants debut. He was greeted with smoke cannons as he entered the park in left field, vowed to play wherever the team asked him and palled around with home run king Barry Bonds. The drama of a tumultuous final four-plus months in Boston was behind him. Advertisement Devers, made that clear on numerous occasions. 'That's in the past,' Devers said through translator Erwin Higueros. 'I'm moving forward. I really don't want to talk about it.' Devers, much like his former bosses Sam Kennedy, Craig Breslow and Alex Cora, didn't rip the other side of a messy divorce that came to a head Sunday when the Red Sox shipped Devers to the Giants in a shocking, five-player blockbuster. He thanked the Red Sox organization for signing him as an amateur in his opening statement and later answered a question about Boston fans by expressing gratitude for their support. There was no reminiscing, rehashing, reconciling or rewriting history. Devers didn't even give his old team bulletin board material when asked about Boston's upcoming series by the Bay this weekend. 'Obviously, the goal is to win the games, right?' he said. 'But I will try to give my 100% and try to win the series.' Advertisement Devers' production didn't suffer because of the behind-the-scenes tension he had with the club since spring training, when Breslow and manager Alex Cora moved him to designated hitter to accommodate the addition of Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman. Despite a horrible start (0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts), Devers still powered Boston's offense through 73 games by hitting .272 with 15 homers, 18 doubles, 58 RBIs and a .905 OPS. Outside of the batter's box, though, as Breslow said Monday, something was amiss. Devers, clearly disenchanted with his Boston experience that had included a World Series title and $300+ million contract, was no longer the jovial figure he had previously been. Devers made his displeasure with the organization — and Breslow — clear in a May 8 media scrum at Fenway Park. From that point on, he stayed quiet, refusing countless media requests — including those of rightsholders like FOX and NESN — much to the chagrin of team officials. On numerous occasions, Devers brushed off asks from team employees with a quick 'no' and left Fenway in a hurry. Devers, often donning wireless headphones, kept to himself and kept his head down in the clubhouse. Things were instantly different Tuesday, though, as a chipper Devers took questions from Bay Area-reporters and smiled and laughed with a group of new bosses that included president of baseball operations Buster Posey, general manager Zack Minasian and manager Bob Melvin. Devers laughed loudly when an Oracle Park employee, without knowing there was a press conference going on, loudly interrupted by taking a phone call. He excitedly talked about how his new No. 16 was a good luck charm during his days in the minors. And he couldn't contain his excitement being around Bonds, who sat in the first row for the press conference on the club level and later talked shop with Devers during batting practice. 'I think just looking at him, my game has already improved a lot,' Devers quipped. Advertisement Devers never demanded a trade from the Red Sox, but his agents made it clear he'd be open to one. He didn't have advance notice a deal was coming Sunday but wasn't necessarily beaten up about the news when he was taken off Boston's team plane and told to gather his belongings at Fenway Park, then head west. There wasn't a no-trade clause in the $313.5 million deal Devers signed two years ago — Chaim Bloom wasn't a fan of such provisions — but the guess here is that Devers would have waived one to get out of town. 'I took the news like a man and I appreciate the fact they traded me in order to give me an opportunity to continue playing baseball,' Devers said. Devers had only played nine games at Oracle Park before Tuesday but it must have immediately felt like a home. Posey referred to him as 'a dude,' then got laughs when he said he loved Devers' strategic answers about putting Boston behind him. Fans were already donning Devers' No. 16 jerseys — and had given him a standing ovation — by the time he laced a 111.4 mph RBI double into the right field gap in the third inning of his club debut. Signage and video boards around the ballpark provided a heavy dose of Devers. With a clean slate came a fresh outlook. 'I'm moving forward from the situation in Boston and looking ahead to being a San Francisco Giant,' Devers said. Advertisement In Devers' new spot in the San Francisco's clubhouse — which spanned three lockers — there was no red (or alternate yellow, or green, for that matter) to be found. Instead was a collection of shoes, a supply of brand new team-issued Giants gear... and a large plastic container filled with Starburst. The affable, smily kid Red Sox fans fell in love with was back — but in orange and black. More Red Sox coverage Read the original article on MassLive.
