Saying goodbye to the Say Hey Kid. Plus, the College World Series final is set.
A final goodbye to the Say Hey Kid.
I’m not a fan of having to deliver bad news, but for the third time in the last month, the sports community has lost a key figure. Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays has died at the age of 93, due to heart failure.
Last week, we said goodbye to NBA legend Jerry West, and three weeks ago we said goodbye to another NBA Hall-of-Famer, Bill Walton. While those losses are monumental in their own ways, Willie Mays, also known as the ‘Say Hey Kid,’ is deemed by many as the greatest baseball player to ever have lived.
This newsletter was going to include a note on Thursday’s MLB game set to honor Mays in Alabama, and how the legend would not attend due to health reasons…but here we are. Mays was honored at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham as scheduled, but now as a tribute in the news of his passing. Tributes to the legend are pouring in from all around the sports community, and the debate has a clear winner: Willie Mays was the greatest baseball player to ever live.
Tennessee vs. Texas A&M in College World Series final
If watching the San Francisco Giants battle the St. Louis Cardinals in honor of Willie Mays, or simply enjoying the insane home runs coming off the bat of Yankees slugger Juan Soto isn’t enough baseball this weekend, there’s always the College World Series.
The final matchup is set: The Tennessee Vols face the Texas A&M Aggies in an all-SEC showdown in a best-of-three series. In a packed schedule on Wednesday that included a postponed game and a doubleheader, Texas A&M secured a 6-0 victory over Florida, while Tennessee triumphed over Florida State, 7-2. I’m just here for good baseball…and maybe a Vols win.
Other Top Stories:
The Florida Panthers are still hopeful that they will hoist the Stanley Cup, but the Edmonton Oilers have forced a Game 6 after falling behind 0-3 to start the series. Now, the Panthers must regroup and address key areas of improvement, including slow starts, special teams, and containing the explosive Connor McDavid.
The Boston Celtics finally clinched their 18th NBA title, becoming the winningest franchise in the NBA, pulling ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers (17). The win came at the expense of the Dallas Mavericks, who Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Mac Engel argues were part of maybe the best sports year the city has ever seen.
Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink suffered a torn left ACL in her rookie season. The details of her injury and recovery plan have yet to be disclosed, but Brink will be sidelined for an indefinite period.
Read the last edition of The Scorecard here.
