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The Arizona Diamondbacks have seen their franchise rise ever since former UCLA Bruin Torey Lovullo took over as the franchise's manager in 2017.
In the time he has been manager, the Diamondbacks have finished over .500 five times, won a National League pennant, and even appeared in the World Series.
However, with the NL West being one of the most stacked in the MLB, Lovullo has had to pull out the big guns to get as many wins as possible. With the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants starting off the 2025 campaign well, the Diamondbacks and former Bruin have some work to do.
Lovullo is very good at defending his players. He uses the bullpen well and has a ton of positive things to say following a big game in his press conferences. But one thing that Lovullo loves to do as a manager to win is put his players in motion.
Since becoming the manager in Arizona, the UCLA product has put his players in motion in terms of stealing bases. Last season, the Diamondbacks had a 119 stolen bases, but when they did steal those bases, they would score 35% of the time, which led the MLB.
Lovullo also helped the franchise lead the MLB in the most bases taken, earning themselves 204, with second place having 179. It's the little things like this that get you nominated for Manager of the Year, which the UCLA product has won back in his first season with the franchise.
Given that the Diamondbacks hold the 12th position in team batting average, they have to make the most of the opportunities they have when they are on base. Thus far this season as well, he is 50-50 with challenges going the team's way, something that he has been better at in the past.
The franchise hasn't won the division title since 2011, as the Dodgers continue to be the team to beat. But if Lovullo can light a fire underneath his players sooner rather than later, and keep that fire burning, the Diamondbacks have the talent to win this division this year.
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Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg dies after battle with cancer
Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg lost his battle with cancer on Monday. He was 65. A 20th-round selection by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1978 MLB Draft, Sandberg quickly moved through the Phillies system despite his humble beginnings. He made his major league debut at the end of the 1981 season, getting six plate appearances in 13 games, his only hit coming off of a bat he borrowed from shortstop Larry Bowa. Drafted as a shortstop, the Phillies hoped that Sandberg would be the heir apparent for Bowa. However, that 13-game stint convinced the Phillies that he was not the answer. Although Sandberg had played at second and third as well in the minors, he was blocked at those positions by Manny Trillo and Mike Schmidt respectively. Bowa and Sandberg were traded to the Cubs during the 1981-82 offseason, with shortstop Ivan DeJesus heading to Philadelphia. Sandberg, now a second baseman, had a solid first two seasons in Chicago before exploding into stardom in 1984. He posted a .314/.367/.520 batting line in his 700 plate appearances, hitting 19 homers and 36 doubles while stealing 32 bases as he led the Cubs to their first postseason berth since 1945. Sandberg made his first All-Star Game, was named the NL MVP, won a Silver Slugger and his second Gold Glove award. A perennial All-Star, Sandberg possessed a combination of power and speed at second base that was rare for his era. He was a 10-time All-Star, winning nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers. Sandberg posted a lifetime .285/.344/.452 batting line in his 9282 plate appearances, hitting 282 homers and 403 doubles while stealing 344 bases. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame 2005 in his third year on the ballot. After a decade away from the game, Sandberg returned as a minor league manager in the Cubs system in 2007, moving up the ladder to Triple-A in 2009. After Cubs manager Mike Quade was fired, and Sandberg was passed over for the opening, he joined the Phillies organization in 2011. After three years in the Phillies organization, he became the interim manager in 2013, and was eventually hired full-time at the end of the season. Sandberg lasted just over two years in total as the Phillies manager, resigning after 74 games in 2015 as the losses piled up. He remained in the game as a goodwill ambassador for the Cubs before announcing that he had prostate cancer in 2024. Although his cancer had gone into remission, it returned in December, spreading to other organs before Sandberg ultimately lost his battle. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Sandberg during this difficult time.
Steelers reporter shares big claim about how Aaron Rodgers has looked in training camp
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent the bulk of the spring as an unsigned free agent and, thus, only began officially practicing with Pittsburgh Steelers teammates during the team's three-day mandatory minicamp in June. During a Monday appearance on Pittsburgh radio station 102.5 WDVE, Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette addressed how Rodgers looked during his first few training camp practices with the club. "His release is just astonishing to watch," Dulac said about Rodgers, as shared by Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "Everybody knows about it, and when you see it in person, you see it every day in practice, you just marvel at it. To me, he's the greatest thrower of the football I have ever seen, even at 41 (years old). That flick of that wrist and that ball comes out, it's moving and it is something to see." Rodgers was with the New York Jets when he suffered a torn Achilles four offensive snaps into the 2023 regular-season opener. He was then slowed by a nagging hip issue, injuries to both his knees, a low ankle sprain and a serious hamstring problem as the 2024 Jets went 5-12. According to Pro Football Reference, Rodgers finished last season ranked 28th in the NFL among qualified players with a 48.0 adjusted QBR and 26th with a 43.9 percent passing success rate. That said, he was also eighth with 3,897 passing yards and tied for seventh with 28 passing touchdowns. Rodgers and Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson endured some struggles during training camp sessions last summer before the two allegedly "never saw eye-to-eye" during the season. It sounds like Pittsburgh fans should be encouraged by how Rodgers performed in recent practices. "That guy can get rid of the ball as quick as anybody," Dulac added. "He made three throws in seven-on-seven (drills) the other day that the cumulative total I bet couldn't have exceeded 2.1 seconds. And two of those were for touchdowns." Rodgers wants to finish his career "the right way" and help the Steelers notch at least their first playoff win since January 2017. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Pittsburgh at -150 betting odds to miss the playoffs for the upcoming season.
Suns Rejected Massive Trade Offer From Pelicans During 2025 NBA Draft: Report
It has been a busy offseason for the Phoenix Suns as they have completely overhauled their roster after another disappointing season last year. Of course, the Suns have broken up their star trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal as they traded Durant to the Houston Rockets and bought out Beal’s contract. Now Booker is the only one remaining and it is clear that Phoenix is looking to build around him for the future after they gave him a massive two-year contract extension. For the Suns, they have added a ton of talent this offseason via trades, free agency and the draft with the headliners being Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams. During the draft, the Suns selected Maluach 10th overall with the pick they received from the Rockets in the Durant trade but they reportedly turned down an offer from another Western Conference team during the draft. According to The Athletic’s John Hollinger, the Suns turned down an unprotected 2026 first-round pick and the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 draft from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the 10th pick. Of course, the Pelicans would later trade both picks they offered to the Suns for the 13th overall pick from the Atlanta Hawks that they used to select Derik Queen. This is a move that may haunt the Pelicans as they could end up being one of the worst teams in the NBA again next season due to the loaded West but it could also come back to hurt the Suns as well. For the Suns, it is clear that they have high hopes for Maluach but if they would have pulled off the trade with New Orleans and the Pelicans end up being a bottom feeder once again next season, they could have gotten the first pick in next year’s draft. Instead, the Hawks now own the Pelicans’ first-round pick next season and it remains to be seen whether not making this trade will come back to haunt the Suns in the future.
WNBA Coach Involved in Caitlin Clark Incident Called a ‘Liar’
Still without Caitlin Clark, who has missed 14 games (including Commissioner's Cup championship) so far during the 2025 WNBA season, the Indiana Fever have improved to 14-12 and are in the midst of a two-game winning streak. Clark has missed the last four games for Indiana thanks to another groin injury. This also kept her out of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game when her team, Team Clark, fell to Team Collier. Caitlin Clark's Past With One WNBA Coach Even with Clark sidelined, the former Iowa guard received the most fan votes, earning All-Star captain honors. She selected her team during the All-Star draft and made headlines by orchestrating the first-ever All-Star coaching swap, trading Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve for New York Liberty’s Sandy Brondello. Clark and Reeve have had a bit of a history since Clark joined the league in 2024. She was notably left off Reeve's Team USA roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, a decision that did not sit well with many. Reeve even downplayed questions about Clark's snub and impact on the WNBA last year. Cheryl Reeve Called Out For 'Lying' Still, despite the controversy, Christine Brennan, author of "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports," was eager to hear the Lynx coach’s perspective on Clark’s rookie season. In a recent episode of "The Robin Lundberg Show," Brennan discussed her new book and shared how she approached Reeve for an interview. "I texted her, I called her PR people," Brennan said. "I got in touch with the PR, emailed the PR people. Went through USA basketball several times in May when that first story broke for USA Today, and then all the way through, including, I forget exactly when, but certainly December, maybe January, to give her an open opportunity to talk to me. I would have run the quotes at length." She went on to reveal that Reeve accused her of not "doing the due diligence," prompting Brennan to call the coach out. "Um, you know, if she didn't want to do that, okay, that's fine," Brennan added. "But when she said, I think at one point in that appearance she had that, well, I didn't do the due diligence. Oh, I so did the due diligence, and she knows that because she had the messages, including text messages, when I got her cell number. So, the lying Robin, it's it makes me sad to say this because I like Cheryl Reeve. I mean, the lies, you know, are there, and anyone can find them and see them." The Fever will be back in action on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET, facing the Phoenix Mercury. It is unclear if Clark will be able to play at the time of this article.
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