Author: Michael

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame induction class for 2023 was announced Tuesday.
Former third baseman Scott Rolen was the only player voted in by sportswriters, with several other notable names left out.
Rolen played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds during his 16-year MLB career.
He was commonly known as the best defensive third baseman of his era, while generally being a well above average hitter. According to Fangraphs, the metrics back up the eye test.
Rolen saved 180 runs more than the average third baseman in his Hall of Fame career.

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For the second consecutive year, the BBWAA elected just one player to the Hall of Fame.
A year after electing just one player—David Ortiz—in the 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame class, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America has chosen just one player yet again.
Third baseman Scott Rolen received the call Tuesday that he’s heading to Cooperstown, surpassing the 75% threshold among the writers’ ballots. Rolen received 76.3% support five years after receiving just 10.

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New inductee Scott Rolen is one of four players who received Verducci’s vote.
Don’t let this election fool you. The flow of players into the Hall of Fame is accelerating.
Here are the number of players annually elected by the baseball writers to the Hall of Fame in my first six years voting 30 years ago: 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1. Voting was so tough that 324-game winner Don Sutton waited five years to get in.
Here are the number of players elected in the same manner in the past six years: 4, 4, 2, 0, 1, 1.
Five electees in six years gave way to 12 in six years.

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Amid discussion of a possible lawsuit against the University of Georgia and recent stories that the victims partied at a strip club before a car crash that killed a football player and staff member last week, Georgia’s athletic director released a statement on Tuesday.
“The athletic department is conducting a thorough review in coordination with appropriate legal counsel to fully understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic event,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said.
Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock died in a car crash in Athens, Ga.

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Twenty-four of the nation’s best high school basketball players will feature in this year’s game in Houston.
Bronny James, the eldest son of Lakers star Lebron James, is among the country’s top high school players who were selected to play in the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game.
Along with James, DJ Wagner, Isaiah Collier, Justin Edwards and Andrej Stojacković are also part of the 24 chosen to showcase their talents on the hardwood inside the Toyota Center on March 28.

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The San Francisco 49ers will travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the youngest QB matchup during an NFC Championship Game in history. Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts 7-0 in the team’s past seven games. Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni called Purdy ‘a winner.’ Hurts was a first round pick, while Purdy is Mr. Irrelevant (final pick of the draft) but how wide is the gap between the two young QBs? LeSean McCoy compares both QB’s skills and accolades, then explains why the gap is large between Hurts and Purdy.

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