'We All Believed Again': Looking Back At American Pharoah's Triple Crown
'We All Believed Again': Looking Back At American Pharoah's Triple Crown originally appeared on Paulick Report.
Ten years ago, in late April, American Pharoah had achieved plenty in life, but the name didn't carry nearly the weight it does today.
At the time, he had the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male on his mantle, and he shipped into Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., as one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby. A few weeks later, he became a household name as the 12th winner of the Triple Crown, ending a 37-year drought.
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FanDuel TV takes a look at the magical 2015 Triple Crown season compiled by the Bob Baffert-trained colt, narrated by renowned racecaller Larry Collmus (see video above).
To cement his place in the annals of racing history, American Pharoah locked down Horse of the Year honors after capping his season with a win in the Breeders' Cup Classic. A few years later, he entered the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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New York Times
9 minutes ago
- New York Times
Matt Chapman's walk-off homer sends Giants to a fourth consecutive one-run victory
SAN FRANCISCO — Major league clubhouses undergo renovations so often that HGTV could make an episodic series out of it. Teams are forever juggling office space, making room for new technology, seeking to inspire a new vibe, responding to the whims and preferences of a new front office or coaching staff. They've even been known to consult a feng shui expert or two. Advertisement It was no different for the Giants after Buster Posey took over as president of baseball operations this past October. The previous administration gradually mothballed most of the signage and emblems that commemorated the franchise's three World Series championships from 2010 to 2014. Perhaps there was a constructive thought behind the conscious decision to mute clubhouse reminders of that decade-old dynastic run. When nostalgia becomes a narcotic, it might blur your purpose in the present day. Or maybe it got awkward to see daily reminders of a gloried past that you had nothing to do with. Posey, of course, had everything to do with those three World Series championships. And he appreciates the power of nostalgia, in its proper dosage, to the mind of a major league player. So after barely a month on the job, Posey expressed a resolve to redecorate the clubhouse — beginning with the office space adjacent to the front door that had been converted to a hub for the analytics staff. 'It'll change,' Posey said in November. 'I want to be clear: They're a valuable piece to the entire picture. But trying to figure out where they can be available for the coaches and the players where maybe it's not right when you walk in the door? That's going to be a good thing.' The office shuffling was not meant to be punitive. It was meant to reestablish a primacy of purpose: competing to win, no matter how it was arrived at or what it looked like or how a computer modeled it. Now when you enter the Giants clubhouse, look to your left and you'll find a mini lounge with a chessboard and a Golden Tee arcade console. And in the hallway, you won't merely find a framed photo or tacked-up replica pennants to commemorate the three World Series titles. The Giants spent some money, kicked up some gypsum dust and installed three recessed and backlit display cases. The shiny circle-of-flags trophies are the first things that players see when they walk into the clubhouse and the last things they see when they head to the field. Advertisement Nostalgia doesn't have to be an escape from reality. Not when it can help to model the present. The Giants were down to their final out in yet another one-run game on Saturday when Matt Chapman's two-run home run sent them to an exhilarating, 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves. See if any of these postgame comments sound familiar: 'They all come down to the last pitch,' Giants manager Bob Melvin said. 'Seems like every game does.' 'I wouldn't love to play them every single day, but, yeah, it's going to serve us because we know how to play those games,' Chapman said. 'We know what it takes to come out on top. When the pressure is on, you got to make a play or take a good at-bat. Everything's heightened in those moments.' 'Yeah, torture,' Logan Webb said. 'It's torture baseball here.' You cannot reincarnate a World Series championship season like 2010, when the Giants eked and squeaked their way to so many nail-biters that announcer Duane Kuiper made on-air appeals to the Geneva Convention. You cannot define every contour of a season, either, when 98 games remain on the schedule. But this current team continues to groove to a tune that includes some heavy sampling from its past. The Giants played their sixth consecutive one-run game on Saturday — their longest streak since an eight-game run in 2014, when they won their last World Series championship. Their 27 one-run games this season are tied with the Braves for the most in the major leagues. The difference is that the Braves are 9-18 in those games, and by now, conditioned for calamity. The Giants, after winning four consecutive one-run games, are 15-12 in them and perhaps beginning to develop a muscle memory for coming out ahead. 'But it seems like we've played them for three weeks straight,' Chapman said. 'So I think everybody would prefer to score some more runs.' Advertisement That's what the players said in 2010, too. All the way to a dogpile on the mound in Texas. 'That's why you keep playing, keep fighting,' said Melvin, after managing his 13th consecutive game that was decided by two runs or fewer. 'One swing can do it. We've seen it happen many times. What is that, our eighth walkoff? So we're used to these types of games. It feels like with as many as we've had like this, we're battle-tested to the end. And until the last out, we have a chance.' They only have that chance because their bullpen leads the major leagues with the lowest ERA (2.30 entering Saturday) as well as baserunners per inning (1.07). Their frontline trio of Camilo Doval, Randy Rodriguez and Tyler Rogers has been both effective and efficient, which is important because it's kept them on the table for Melvin to use without multiple days off. Those frontline relievers have been needed so often because the Giants rotation seldom pitches the team out of a game. Their starters rank seventh in the majors with a 3.50 ERA, Robbie Ray is coming off Pitcher of the Month honors for May, and Webb, who was already a perennial presence on Cy Young ballots, is discovering ways to become even better on the mound. Webb continued to assert his reinvention as a strikeout pitcher on Saturday while delivering another dominant home start. He struck out 10 in six innings; of his 11 career double-digit strikeout games, four have come this season. It was Webb's fifth career start with double-digit strikeouts and no walks. He's one of three pitchers in franchise history to meet those qualifications at least five times. (If you're looking for more 2010 parallels, the other two are Tim Lincecum (5) and Madison Bumgarner (12).) 'He doesn't need a double play at times,' Melvin said of Webb, who also drastically addressed past issues holding runners and has had one base stolen against him all season. 'Instead of getting a ground ball, he gets a couple punchouts. He's just a better pitcher now.' Webb would pledge every spring to boost his strikeout rate and embellish the effectiveness of his grounder-inducing sinker. But who could've seen this coming? A third of the way into the season, Webb already has struck out 101 batters. The only pitchers with more are the Nationals' Mackenzie Gore and the Tigers' Tarik Skubal. Advertisement What's the difference now? It's not like Webb's velocity is spiking through the roof. So is it the cutter he added to the mix? Throwing more two-strike four-seam fastballs at the top of the zone? Recapturing a changeup that faded in all the wrong respects at times over the past two seasons? Maybe it's all of the above. Mostly, it's getting consistently ahead in counts and giving Webb a chance to sharpen his knives. 'There's the scouting part of it, throwing the right pitches at the right time, setting guys up,' Webb said. 'As a collection, we've done a really good job of that.' Webb credited catcher Patrick Bailey, pitching coach J.P. Martinez and assistant pitching coach Garvin Alston with those enhanced scouting reports and game preparation. Webb also credited two unofficial coaches who are former Cy Young Award winners — teammates Ray and Justin Verlander — for helping him hone his strikeout mentality. 'I'm not necessarily trying to strike everybody out. I just think I'm setting people up better for it,' Webb said. 'I always think about what Greg Maddux says about getting to 0-2. You get one chance to strike them out and then you go back to just trying to get them out. That's always been part of my mindset.' The team's mindset and mood were different following Webb's previous start against the San Diego Padres when they lost 1-0 and their lack of offensive production was threatening to drag down their season. Then changes were made. Perhaps it's more than a coincidence that the Giants haven't lost in four games since replacing LaMonte Wade Jr. with Dom Smith at first base in addition to adding backup catcher Andrew Knizner and outfielder Daniel Johnson. Smith has made the most noticeable impact with his situational at-bats as well as his defensive contributions at first base. He caught a foul pop against the netting in Friday's extra-inning victory over the Braves. On Saturday, he helped to snuff out a potentially troublesome ninth inning behind Tyler Rogers when he made a diving attempt at a ground ball and somehow recovered in time to take a throw from second baseman Casey Schmitt. That defensive effort helped the Giants maintain a one-run deficit. They only managed three hits, including a home run from Wilmer Flores, in eight innings against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder. But Atlanta stayed away from closer Raisel Iglesias, who had a 6.75 ERA after blowing the last of a six-run lead to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. Instead, the Braves handed the assignment to right-handed curveball specialist Pierce Johnson, who had thrown a game-ending wild pitch the previous night. Advertisement Johnson gave up a one-out single to Heliot Ramos and retired Flores to bring the Giants to their last gasp. Then Johnson did worse than bounce another curveball. With a 1-1 count to Chapman, he hung one. 'His go-to is that curveball,' said Chapman, whose drive landed in the third row of the left field bleachers. 'I had a feeling that's what he was going to lean on in that situation.' Chapman circled the bases to a cacophony of cheers, then arrived home to a water-splashing, jersey-ripping pile of bodies. It was his first walk-off hit as a Giant and his third career walk-off home run. He'd hit a pair of them for Melvin with the Oakland A's over a six-week span in 2019. 'I think Chappy's going to hit a home run any time,' Webb said. 'I thought Flo was going to do it, too. But I guess it was Chapman's day.' Chapman was asked for his thoughts about the Giants' winning streak coming on the heels of a mini roster overhaul. Did those moves stir a sense of urgency in the clubhouse? 'It's funny, you know?' Chapman said. 'How things can change super quickly.' (Top Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
An early look at the jersey numbers for Kentucky basketball
An early look at the jersey numbers for Kentucky basketball Mark Pope spent this offseason putting together a roster that many consider one of the country's best. They upgraded the defense, and brought in more high-level talents, adding them to a solid Freshman class, and a great group of returning players, including Otega Oweh, who removed his name from the NBA draft. The season is still a ways away, but there is plenty of excitement around the program. Pope took a squad that was cobbled together quickly to the Sweet 16 last season, so expectations are high. While fans wait for the season to get here, one of the fun parts of the summer is finding out the jersey numbers the players will wear. Kentucky hasn't released an official list yet, but there have been clues or reveals to many of them already. Here's a look at each player on the roster, and their expected number. These aren't official, and could be wrong, so take them with a grain of salt for now. Returning Players Otega Oweh Number- 00 There's no reason for Oweh to change his iconic number from last season. Fans are excited to see number 00 back on the court for his Senior season. Collin Chandler Number - 5 Chandler got better as the season wore on last year, and hit some big shots late in the season. He should be even better in year two. Trent Noah Number - 9 Noah is one of the home-grown talents on the team, and returns for his Sophomore season. His hustle and knack for making shots made him a fan favorite last year. Brandon Garrison Number - 10 The coaching staff is expecting big things from Garrison this season. He'll be one of the leaders on the team, and will get a chance to shine. The Freshmen Jasper Johnson Number - 2 If the number you've been wearing is available, you wear it. That's what Johnson, the talented guard recruit has done with the number two. Andrija Jelavic Number - 4 This is more of a prediction than fact, but Jelavic wears number four with his overseas team, and it's free, so it makes sense. Braydon Hawthorne Number - 22 Hawthorne was the last addition to the Kentucky roster, and a big recruiting win for Pope. Like Jasper Johnson, he wore #2 previously, so switching to 22 makes sense. Malachi Moreno Number - 24 Moreno will also stick with his high school number as a Wildcat. He is a multi-talented big man with loads of potential in Pope's offensive system. The Transfers Denzel Aberdeen Number - 1 It looks like Aberdeen will switch from 11 to 1 with the Wildcats. He was a big addition for Kentucky, and brings a multi-faceted skillset. Kam Williams Number - 3 This isn't official yet, but Williams wore number 3 at Tulane, and it's an open number, so it's likely that he'll keep it. He was Kentucky's first transfer commitment, and is a big-time shooter. Jaland Lowe Number - 15 Like Williams, keeping the number he's been wearing is likely for Lowe. He'll almost certainly be the starting point guard for the Wildcats, and looks to benefit from a more talented supporting cast. Jayden Quaintance Number - 21 Quaintance was number 21 at Arizona State, and will likely be number 21 at Kentucky. He is a potential superstar, and was a huge win for Pope and his staff. Mouhamed Dioubate Number - 23 This one is perhaps the most uncertain, but it has been reported that he'll take number 23. He wore number 10 at Alabama, but Garrison has that. Reece Potter Number - 33 Potter has worn numbers in the 30s in high school and at Miami (OH), so it's logical that he'll stay in that range. Number 33 is a great number if that's what he goes with.
Associated Press
27 minutes ago
- Associated Press
With record crowd watching, Sky get blown out by Fever in first WNBA game at United Center
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh recalled working the 2020 NBA All-Star game at the United Center when he was an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. He mentioned that his first experience at a WNBA All-Star game was also in Chicago — two years later at Wintrust Arena. 'It's been cool moments,' Marsh said. There was another big one on Saturday night. Though the Sky got blown out by Indiana 79-52, it was the first WNBA game at the United Center. 'It's an incredible moment for this league,' said Marsh, in his first season coaching the Sky. 'It's an incredible moment for our team and our staff and our city, really. I think that's the cool part about it is we get to represent our city in this building on a historic night. It's not lost among us how important and significant it is — and for myself to be part of that and to represent the W in that capacity, to represent the Sky in that capacity, is something that I don't take for granted.' A matchup that got moved from the smaller Wintrust Arena and was supposed to feature two of the league's brightest young stars in Chicago's Angel Reese and Indiana's Caitlin Clark didn't play out as envisioned. The Fever rolled over the Sky for the second time this season. And they did it without the injured Clark. The 2024 Rookie of the Year missed her fourth straight game because of a quad issue and watched the primetime, nationally televised game from the sideline. That had to be a bummer for the fans who showed up wearing Clark jerseys. The enthusiastic crowd of 19,496 surpassed Chicago's previous high of 16,444 in 2016 at Allstate Arena in suburban Rosemont, though tickets weren't hard to find. They were listed on StubHub for as little as $9 a few hours before tipoff. By comparison, when Clark and Reese played their first game in Chicago last season, courtside seats at Wintrust Arena were going for $5,000 on Ticketmaster an hour before tipoff. That game drew the celebrities, with Chicago native Chance The Rapper, comedian Jason Sudeikis and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson in the sellout crowd along with Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Swoopes. Even so, this was a big night. And the significance of playing at the United Center wasn't lost on the players and coaches. The Sky and Fever will meet again at the home of the NBA's Bulls and NHL's Blackhawks on July 27. 'We just continue to make milestones for women,' Reese said. 'Women belong here. I think this is gonna be the first of many. Obviously, we have two here this year. But we could continue to see this — and all our games at NBA arenas.' Reese and Clark have helped carry the league to new heights in popularity after taking their rivalry from LSU and Iowa to the pros. They brought the style and swagger that captivated the nation when they were going at it in college and spurring debates about sport and society. But the night wasn't just about them. 'It just shows how much women's basketball is growing, and it's amazing to see it,' said Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, another young star. For Fever assistant Austin Kelly, who was filling in with coach Stephanie White missing the game for personal reasons, playing at the United Center brought back memories of watching the Bulls during the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen dynasty. 'I was born in '89,' he said. 'I played AAU basketball. We were on the road, me and my teammates were crammed into hotels — the Days Inn or whatever it was — watching them in June. A lot of memories of watching Jordan, watching the Bulls growing up. I think they were everyone's favorite team, especially youngsters like us growing up in the '90s.' Marsh said Sky player-development coach Aaron Johnson, who's from Chicago, had this game circled on his proverbial calendar. 'Since it got announced that we would be playing this game, it was something that he really got emotional about. Not to put him on Front Street, but this is a building that he grew up idolizing and sitting in the nosebleeds, and going from that to being able to step on the floor, those are the types of moments that you can't really put a price on,' Marsh said. You take those experiences for what it is and it comes with the moment, but also, you're extremely excited for our players to be a part of that as well.' ___ AP WNBA:
