It would seem quite the challenge to select the 25 best songs from legendary entertainer Elton John, and his longtime lyrical collaborator Bernie Taupin. But, we went ahead anyway.
Here's our ranking of the 25 must-haves to complete any Elton John playlist.
More must-reads:
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The New York Yankees have continued to fortify their bullpen, acquiring right-handed reliever Jake Bird from the Colorado Rockies, per YES Network's Jack Curry. This trade marks the second recent deal between the Yankees and Rockies, following New York’s July 25 trade for infielder Ryan McMahon. In return, Colorado receives a pair of New York's prospects, second baseman Roc Riggio (No. 10 in the Yankees' system) and left-handed pitcher Ben Shields (No. 28). Both players advanced through the Yankees’ system this season, rising from rookie ball to Double-A. Bird, 29, has posted a 4.73 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings this season. With team control through 2028, Bird represents a long-term asset for New York rather than a short-term rental. Unlike most power arms in the Yankees' bullpen, Bird relies on finesse. His repertoire centers around an 84 mph sweeper — his most used pitch, thrown 39.5% of the time — complemented by an 80.5 mph changeup and a 94.4 mph sinker. Bird will join a revamped bullpen that now includes David Bednar, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates less than an hour prior to the Bird transaction.
The LA Clippers are putting the final touches on a roster that looks to be a great one, on paper. They've had a busy offseason when many expected them to mostly stand pat, adding Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and Bradley Beal in free agency while trading Norman Powell away in a three-team deal that netted them John Collins. To make the Bradley Beal move, the Clippers had to waive Jordan Miller, a young prospect they have a lot of belief in. He stayed with the team for the NBA Summer League, made the All-Summer League First Team, but still couldn't find any other opportunities, so it was believed the Clippers could bring him back in some capacity. The Clippers announced on Tuesday that they re-signed Jordan Miller, bringing the former Miami Hurricane back on a two-way contract. They had three two-way players signed already, so they also announced who they waived. "The LA Clippers have signed Jordan Miller to a two-way contract," they announced. "In a corresponding move, the Clippers have waived Patrick Baldwin Jr." Miller averaged 4.1 PPG in his 37 appearances for the Clippers last season, and a staggering 24.5 PPG in his infrequent appearances in the G-League. He was the 48th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and has made a lasting impression on the organization in his time. Baldwin, a former first-round pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Draft, wasn't signed to his two-way contract by the Clippers until March, and he only appeared in two games for them. He was traded after his rookie season for Chris Paul, spent a year and a half with the Wizards, then who traded to the San Antonio Spurs in a four-team deal last year before being waived.
After being unable to find an NFL opportunity in 2024, Latavius Murray is hanging up his cleats. The veteran running back announced on Thursday that he is retiring at the age of 35 (video link via NFL insider Jordan Schultz). A sixth-round pick of the Raiders in 2013, Murray played on a rotational basis the following year before taking on starting duties. He recorded his first and only 1,000-yard campaign in 2015 and secured a Pro Bowl nod in the process. A career-best 12 rushing touchdowns during his final Raiders season set Murray up for a strong free agent market. The UCF product landed a three-year, $15M Vikings pact on the open market. Murray ended up spending a pair of seasons in Minnesota, where he operated as part of a backfield tandem with Dalvin Cook. A similar setup was in place with New Orleans when Murray paired with Alvin Kamara for the 2019 and ’20 campaigns, during which he remained a consistent producer on the ground. Murray caught on with the Ravens in 2021 shortly after being cut. As part of a Baltimore backfield ravaged by preseason injuries, he managed to handle a notable workload before finding himself on the move once again the following season. In 2022, Murray briefly returned to the Saints before signing from the practice squad to the Broncos’ active roster midway through the campaign. That decision set up a starting role to close out the season and helped earn him a Bills pact for 2023. Logging a 32% snap share with Buffalo, Murray remained healthy but saw his yards per attempt average dip below 4.1 for the first time since 2017. That was a key factor in the Bills’ decision not to retain him, even though Murray was open to an extended stay with the team. After spending last season without a deal, today will mark the end of the line after 10 NFL seasons. In all, Murray played 158 combined regular and postseason games throughout his NFL tenure, totaling over 8,000 scrimmage yards and 61 touchdowns. He amassed more than $21M in career earnings.
The 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline will pass on Thursday night and as of writing, the Milwaukee Brewers haven't done too much this week. Milwaukee upgraded the backup catcher position by acquiring Danny Jansen from the Tampa Bay Rays. Outside of that move, there hasn't been many rumors out there about the Brewers. Milwaukee has been linked to sluggers, like Ryan O'Hearn of the Baltimore Orioles. But, there's not much out there right now. While this is the case, if the Brewers don't end up making some big, splashy deal, that is okay. Milwaukee has been aggressive in the trade market all season to this point. For example, when the Brewers' rotation was struggling early on this season, the Brewers called up the Boston Red Sox and acquired Quinn Priester. The 24-year-old has pitched to a 3.27 ERA and 89-to-36 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 107 1/3 innings pitched. He's appeared in 20 games overall with the Brewers, including 15 starts. He has a 10-2 record and league best 83.3 winning percentage. Priester hasn't even hit arbitration yet. He won't be a free agent until 2031. Milwaukee got him early on this season. If he was available on the trade block now, the Brewers would've had to pay a significantly higher price. Sure, the Brewers may not make a big move now. But, they are 64-44 and seemingly have enough to make a run. It would be great to add more power to the left side of the infield and as of writing there's still time to do that, but the Brewers are in good shape anyway.