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Legendary CBS Sportscaster Greg Gumbel Passes Away At 78

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Trailblazing longtime CBS sportscaster Greg Gumbel unfortunately passed away from cancer last week at the age of 78, his family posted in a statement released by CBS. 

“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten,” his wife Marcy Gumbel and daughter Michelle Gumbel said.

Back in March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 due to “health issues” according to his family at the time. 

Gumbel signed an extension with CBS last year which allowed him to continue to host college basketball while taking a break from NFL announcing duties. 

Gumbel left an incredible legacy throughout the past few decades. In 2001, he became the first Black announcer in the US to call play-by-play for a major sports championship when he announced Super Bowl XXXV for CBS. 

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David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Gumbel as “breaking barriers and setting standards for others during his years as a voice for fans in sports, including in the NFL and March Madness,” according to the Guardian. 

“A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time,” said Berson.

Gumbel was mainly known for his announcing in football and basketball. He hosted the CBS NFL studio show “The NFL Today” from 1990 to 1993 and in 2004. 

He called NFL games as CBS’ lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003. During that time he announced for Super Bowl XXXV and XXXVIII. He came back to the NFL booth in 2005 where he worked until the 2022 season. 

“Like all who knew and loved him, I too am saddened by his death, yet also so very grateful to have known him in my life,” Clark Kellogg, a CBS Sports college basketball game and studio analyst, said in a statement. 

“What a gift to be touched by such a good man and partner.”

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MLB Planning To Modify Uniforms Ahead Of 2025 Season Following Multiple Complaints 

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Major League Baseball (MLB) is planning to modify its uniforms ahead of the 2025 season following complaints from both players and fans, according to reports. 

The MLB Players Association (MLBPA) sent a memo to players stating that the league is planning to make modifications to the uniforms including “a return to larger lettering on the back of jerseys, remedying mismatched gray tops and bottoms and addressing the new Nike jerseys’ propensity to collect sweat.” 

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The league also wants to fix the pants, as a lot of players complained about them being see-through. Players and fans were also concerned over the new jerseys that were worn during spring training and at the start of the season, which is what led MLBPA executive director Tony Clark to talk about the pants. 

“A lot of the rhetoric is confirmation that the pants are see-through. It’s been an ongoing conversation where each day has yielded something new that doesn’t seem to make as much sense as you would like it. Universal concern is the pants.”

Back in 2019, the MLB, Nike, and Fanatics announced a 10-year partnership when Fanatics began to manufacture the on-field player uniforms for Nike in 2020.

In the recent memo sent out regarding the uniform changes, the union absolves Fanatics of any blame regarding the uniforms. 

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“[We] recognize the vital importance of soliciting Player feedback, obtaining Player buy-in and not being afraid to have difficult conversations about jerseys or trading cards. Our hope is that, moving forward, Nike will take a similar approach.”

“This has been entirely a Nike issue. At its core, what has happened here is that Nike was innovating something that didn’t need to be innovated,” the memo said.

“We cautioned Nike against various changes when they previewed them in 2022, particularly regarding pants,” the memo added. 

“MLB had been, and has been, aware of our concerns as well. Unfortunately, until recently Nike’s position has essentially boiled down to: ‘nothing to see here, players will need to adjust.’”

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto Reportedly Signs With The Los Angeles Dodgers For Huge $325 Million Contract

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Sources have told ESPN that Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto is reportedly signing a 12-year $325 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This would mark one of the largest deals for a pitcher in Major League Baseball.

The Dodgers will also pay an additional $50.6 million posting fee to the Orix Buffaloes, Yamamoto’s previous team. Sources also stated Yamamoto himself will get an additional $50 million signing bonus. 

The deal is pending a physical, and marks the end of a massive free agency bidding war. The New York Yankees were the initial favorite to sign Yamamoto with a $300 million offer, but the Dodgers beat them out with their deal. The Dodgers themselves have accounted for more than half of the spending across the MLB free agency this winter season, ESPN said. 

25-year-old Yamamoto has won three consecutive MVP awards and Sawamura Awards. “Over 820⅓ innings, he has posted a 1.65 ERA, struck out nearly five times as many hitters as he has walked and allowed one home run every 28 innings,” wrote ESPN’s Jeff Passan. 

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“With a fastball that runs up to 99 mph, a devastating split-fingered fastball and a looping curveball that often buckles batters’ knees, he brings as good an arsenal as any pitcher who has come to Major League Baseball from Japan. 

At 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds, Yamamoto lacks the size of a typical frontline starter, but teams interested in him were not concerned, focusing more on the quality of stuff his body can generate,” Passan wrote. 

MLB teams have been lining up for over a year to sign Yamamoto, including the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Dodgers president Andrew Friedman, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, Giants president Farhan Zaidi and Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer all traveled to Japan this year at some point to see Yamamoto in person, as were many others.  

Yamamoto also toured across America during his free agency to meet with each team and see the cities, in the end, it seems like Yamamoto will be heading for sunny LA.

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Liam Hendriks Met With Love And Admiration During MLB Return 

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Liam Hendriks made his MLB comeback this week after beating Stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and was met with open arms, loving cheers, and standing ovations as he made his return to the field.

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MLB Trade Deadline: Which Pitchers Or Hitters Could Be On The Move?

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With the MLB trade deadline only a week away, contenders will be looking to cash in players that can help to push them over the line. There are a number of notable names this year, and even one generational superstar, that are seeing their names frequently mentioned throughout the rumor mill.

Luis Castillo, Frankie Montas Headline The Pitching Market

For pitching needy teams, this is an extremely solid market. One of the biggest reasons why is because of controllability: both Cincinnati’s Luis Castillo and Oakland’s Frankie Montas will be eligible for arbitration in 2023 before hitting free agency in 2024, giving teams an extra year of control.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, both will “almost certainly move in the next week.” Passan also notes the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, and New York Yankees have been the teams in the hottest pursuit.

Both Castillo and Montas have impressed despite the below-average teams around them. Castillo carries a 2.77 ERA and 3.04 FIP in 78.0 innings, while Montas comes in with a 3.18 ERA and 3.36 FIP across 104.2 innings.

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With those performances and financial factors comes a much-higher cost. A package centering around a top-100 prospect or two would almost certainly be needed. For teams attempting to boost their talent while keeping the farm system intact, a number of pitchers could be of interest.

Among the potential targets listed by Passan include Nathan Eovaldi, Noah Syndergaard, and Jose Quintana. All have ERAs in the high 3.00s, solidify back-of-the-rotation depth, and wouldn’t cost as much in terms of prospects due to their rental status.

Will Juan Soto Be On The Move? Probably Not

By far the biggest name on the hot stove is Washington Nationals’ star outfield Juan Soto. After rejecting a $440 million dollar contract, it’s clear Washington and Soto have no future together, and recouping as much value for the 23-year-old right now would seem to be a wise, though hard to swallow, decision.

The only problem? It remains to be seen if a team will actually pay.

This year, he’s in the 98th percentile in xwOBA, 91st in max exit velocity, and 100th in BB%. Soto’s stats, age, and career trajectory suggest he’ll be a Hall of Fame player. Naturally, Washington is seeking a package of at least several valued prospects or young, MLB-ready talent.

Only two teams — the Cardinals and San Diego Padres — are seen by league insiders who could be a match with that criteria. While Washington could perhaps let up its value asking price, the reality will likely be the team feels out the market and does the deed in the offseason.

Cubs Looking To Sell Ian Happ, Willson Contreras

The Chicago Cubs are once again in sell-mode. After a solid trade deadline last year — acquiring a bevy of prospects for names like Kris Bryant and Javier Baez — they’ll try to replicate the result with catcher Willson Contreras and outfielder Ian Happ.

Contreras, a three-time All-Star, is having a solid hitting year (14 home runs, .373 slugging percentage) but Passan notes some teams are wary. “Multiple teams, sources said, worry about Contreras — who is not known for his game-calling acumen — meshing with a new pitching staff on the fly,” he said.

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Of course, this is a new-look MLB, which helps Contreras’ case. With DH now in the NL, teams could acquire Contreras for his bat and give him occasional starts at catcher.

Meanwhile, Ian Happ has had a revival, batting .282/.366/.446 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs. Happ is controllable for 2023, is young (he turns just 28 next month), has solid defensive skills, and is a switch-hitter (he’s hitting .346 against left-hand pitching as a right-handed batter).

Among the other batters who could be moved include Kansas City’s Andrew Benintendi and Mike Moustakas (though with the latter likely as a salary dump), Washington’s Josh Bell, and Baltimore’s Trey Mancini.

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Grading MLB’s Biggest Offseason Moves At The Season’s Midway Point

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With the MLB season reaching the All-Star break, it presents a time to look back and grade how game-changing deals made in the offseason have turned out so far.

Some look to be steals, while others long to perhaps cripple a franchise more than aid them over the next several years. Which players live up to the hype? Let’s find out.

Mets sign Max Scherzer to three years, $130 million

New York made waves by nabbing Scherzer to a $130 million deal while adding to an extremely impressive rotation that also features Cy Young winner Jacob DeGrom.

So far, that contract has shown two extremes. The first is Scherzer’s potential. He’s gone 6-1 with a 2.22 ERA and 2.6 WAR in 11 games, being the ace expected of him.

The second is the potential risks. Scherzer missed nearly seven weeks with an oblique strain, and at 37, injuries could only become more frequent. As long as he can stay healthy, however, this is a win for the Mets.

Grade: B+

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Phillies sign Kyle Schwarber to four years, $79 million

Kyle Schwarber wasn’t even the Phillies’ biggest offseason signing (that honor belongs to Nick Castellanos). However, the move has paid huge dividends, and might even be what saves Philadelphia’s season. Thus far into 2022, Schwarber is first in the National League (and second in MLB) in home runs with 29.

Obviously, there are some areas of concern with Schwarber. He’s hitting .208 and has 120 strikeouts, putting him on pace for a career season-high. Production in scoring opportunities is also alarming: Schwarber’s hitting .215 with RISP, and .198 with men on base.

Still, Schwarber pulling the weight after 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper went down with a thumb injury has been critical to the Phillies’ playoff push, and any hope of securing a division title or wildcard no doubt rests with him.

Grade: B

Astros sign Justin Verlander to two years, $50 million

After missing all but one game in 2020 and all of 2021, no one exactly knew what to expect of the 39-year-old Verlander. It showed with the New York Yankees, who offered Verlander $25 million but on a one-year deal.

The Astros were smart enough to offer Verlander the same deal, but with a 2023 player option at $25 million. What a decision that’s turned out to be. Verlander currently leads the American League in wins with 12, which goes nicely with a dazzling 1.89 ERA, 0.878 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts over 109.1 innings.

Verlander’s deal was certainly a high-risk, high-reward situation for Houston, and they put their faith in the nine-time All-Star to reward them for it. He delivered, making this probably the best signing of the offseason.

Grade: A+

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Rockies sign Kris Bryant to seven years, $182 million

Colorado shocked the baseball world by signing Kris Bryant to a seven-year deal at a value of $26 million per year. When he’s played, Bryant’s produced like many thought he would. Through 33 games, he’s batting .302/.366/.460 with four home runs and 12 RBIs.

Unfortunately, everything that made the signing originally bizarre still remains. Why didn’t the Rockies just keep Nolan Arenado, which actually would have been cheaper in the long run? Why didn’t they use that money to try and fill in multiple holes? Why even spend if you’re trying to save?

Due to Bryant’s unlucky back injury, the Rockies’ big splash has equaled a 43-50 record, good for fourth in the NL West. Unless Colorado’s pitching staff or protection around Bryant suddenly shapes up, that’s perhaps all they’ll ever see during the former MVP’s tenure there.

Grade: D

Rangers sign Corey Seager to 10 years, $325 million

Seager’s first season of his mega-contract has been a mixed bag. His slugging numbers are great: he’s at 22 home runs and 52 RBIs through 88 games. That would be him on pace for around 40 home runs and 100 RBIs, both would-be career-highs.

But his batting average is lacking. .251 for a career .291 hitter is unacceptable given the circumstances. Defense is also a negative, with Seager putting up 11 errors and a -7 Rtot through 746.1 innings fielded.

Still, given Seager’s resume, expect him to bring his batting totals back up to speed sooner than later.

Grade: C+

Thanks To San Francisco Giants’ Alyssa Nikken, Women Coaching In MLB Is More Possible Than Ever

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On April 12, San Francisco Giants’ first base coach Antoan Richardson was ejected from the game. In his place step assistant coach Alyssa Nikken, who became the first woman to coach in a Major League Baseball game. The historic achievement drew praise and hope for more women roles down the line.

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MLB Free Agency: Kris Bryant, Freddie Freeman Nab Massive Deals

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With the MLB lockout in the rearview mirror and the season creeping closer, teams are now hustling to add crucial pieces to their rosters in an ever-growing arms race between top contenders. Of course, there are always surprises to be had, such as with the case of third baseman Kris Bryant.

In a very unexpected turn of events, the Colorado Rockies signed the 30-year-old Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million deal on Wednesday. It’s the second-largest contract given this offseason behind Corey Seager’s 10-year, $325 million signing.

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In 144 games last season with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, Bryant hit .265/.353/.481 with 25 home runs, 73 RBIs, 86 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. Bryant, a former MVP and four-time All-Star, registered a 1.1 WAR, the second-lowest season mark of his career.

From an outsider’s perspective, it’s difficult to say what the Rockies’ plan is here. The team finished fourth in a very tough NL West with a 74-87 record, and haven’t added many additional pieces beyond Bryant that would push them significantly above that win area. Fangraphs currently projects Colorado’s odds for a championship at 0.0%, with a 0.3% chance of making the playoffs.

Even more confusing is Colorado’s prior moves to eliminate cap space by trading homegrown talent Nolan Arenado, a six-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove award winner, to the Cardinals before the 2021 season. Arenado signed a nine-year, $275 million contract with Colorado back in 2019, which meant if they had kept the third baseman, they’d actually be set to pay him less ($179 million) in the same time the majority of Bryant’s contract lasts.

Of course, all players are different, so perhaps the Rockies feel more confident about Bryant’s value and versatility in a hitter-friendly environment over that time than Arenado. However, most would agree Arenado is likely to age better while having less injury concerns.

The Rockies weren’t the only western team to nab a premier player. After losing Seager, the Los Angeles Dodgers pivoted by signing 2020 NL MVP first baseman Freddie Freeman to a six-year, $162 million deal. Last year, Freeman hit .300/.393/.503 with 31 home runs, 83 RBIs, and scored a career-high 120 runs.

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As ESPN notes, Freeman’s deal is the second-highest average annual value (AAV) for a first-baseman ever at $27 million, right behind Miguel Cabrera’s $31 million AAV from the contract he signed with the Detroit Tigers back in 2012. With the deal, Los Angeles’ odds for the World Series rose from 6-1 to 5-1 at Caesars Sportsbook.

It’s another star for the Dodgers, who already possess former MVPs in Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, and Cody Bellinger. Freeman, 32, will bring a deadly combination of power and contact to a lineup that, along with Betts and Bellinger, features Trea Turner and Max Muncy.

For Atlanta Braves fans, it’s a tough pill to swallow. Freeman became a favorite amongst fans — as well as a respected clubhouse leader — during his 12 years in Atlanta. Freeman had previously rejected the $18.4 million qualifying offer the team presented. Still, it’s not as if Freeman’s time was wasted. Atlanta’s success over the last half decade culminated in a 2021 World Series victory.

“We went through the very highs together and some lows but those lows is what made last year so special,” Freeman said on social media in a letter to the fans. “I gave everything I had in and day out and I hope you guys saw that as well.”

Elsewhere in the league over the past week, outfielder Kyle Schwarber signed a four-year, $79 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the Cubs, and the Braves replaced Freeman with first baseman Matt Olson in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.

MLB To Begin Canceling Regular Season Games If Lockout Deal Is Not Reached By Feb. 28

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Major League Baseball will begin canceling regular season games if the league and the MLBPA cannot agree to a new collective bargaining agreement deal by Monday, Feb. 28, a league spokesperson said Wednesday.

The spokesperson confirmed that not only will missed games not be made up, players would not be paid for any potential games canceled. “A deadline is a deadline. Missed games are missed games. Salary will not be paid for those games,” the spokesperson said. The news comes after the two sides met for the third straight day Wednesday, a first during the lockout.

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The league will not cancel certain games but instead just start by chopping the early slate of games, which kick off March 31, and move from there. The season would pick up whenever spring training — which MLB wants to be four weeks long due to health concerns — ends, with teams playing the games that were scheduled for that time.

At the start of the 2021 season, the average MLB player’s salary was $4.17 million, which equals to around $25,740 per game. Depending on how many games are cancelled, players could be looking at losses in the six figures. While MLB doesn’t plan on adding more doubleheaders or lengthening the second-half of the season, some believe this could be negotiable.

MLB had previously alerted players of the deadline two weeks ago, while the players never acknowledged it. Sources told ESPN that the union will pull MLB’s desired expanded playoffs — which would feature feature 12 to 14 teams instead of 10 —off the table if players aren’t pulled a full season’s salary.

While efforts have clearly been amplified in recent weeks, a deal still appears to be far apart with a number of issues, from revenue sharing to a draft lottery, still need addressing. Sources noted the only new proposal Wednesday was changing the minimum salary offer by adding an additional $10,000. The union wants $750,000, while the league is offering $640,000 with a $10,000 raise every year after.

According to ESPN, a number of changes have been made by both sides on previous offers. The league added $5 million to a proposed bonus pool for pre-arbitration players, bringing the total pool to $20 million. The union wants $15 million.

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Meanwhile, the union reduced their demand for Super Two eligibility, asking that salary arbitration comes to players who rank in the top 75% in terms of service time among those with two to three years of playing in the majors, down from the previous asking point of 80%.

Missed games would be a tough scenario for a league that was only able to play 60 out of a possible 162 games two seasons ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There could also be serious ramifications in terms of how parity plays out. For example, the St. Louis Cardinals’ first nine games feature two division opponents — the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs — with seven against the Pirates.

Pittsburgh is coming off a 61-101 season, and is expected to continue to remain a division bottom-dweller. Those seven games could not only result in four or five wins lost for St. Louis, but their division rivals would end up playing them more times, giving them an easier schedule and an advantage over the Cardinals – a factor that’ll no doubt be apparent come the playoff push in Sept.

Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani Named NL, AL MVPs

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Wrapping up their awards season, Major League Baseball announced the league’s two most valuable players Thursday. Philadelphia Phillies’ right fielder Bryce Harper took home the National League MVP with 17 of 30 first-place votes and 348 voting points, while Los Angeles Angels’ designated hitter and starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani came away with the American League MVP unanimously (420 voting points).

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finished behind Ohtani in the AL MVP voting with 29 out of 30 second-place votes and 269 voting points. The NL MVP race was much tighter, with Juan Soto finishing second with six first-place votes (274 voting points) and Fernando Tatis Jr. in third with two first-place votes (244 voting points). Despite their impressive campaigns, neither winner’s team made the postseason.

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In 141 games, Harper had a .309 batting average with 35 home runs, 84 RBI, 101 runs, 100 walks, and a 6.6 fWAR. His doubles (42), SLG (.615), OPS (1.044), and OPS+ (179) all led the league. This is the second time the six-time All-Star has won MVP, with his first coming back in 2015.

Harper joins Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, and Barry Bonds as the only outfielders in MLB history to have at least 100 walks, 100 runs, 40 doubles, and 35 home runs in a single season.

Harper, 29, was named the NL Hank Aaron Award winner as well, the second of his career. Harper’s production is a sigh of relief for Philadelphia fans who were worried the superstar would underwhelm after signing a 13-year, $330 million deal in 2019 – which at the time was the highest contract a professional athlete ever received.

An emotional Harper discussed his hard-earned victory, explaining how he had to overcome a gruesome injury when he was hit in the face with a 97 mph pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals back on April 28.

“This year was tough. It started out [with me] getting hit in the face. It was definitely a tough couple days for me, tough couple of weeks for me trying to get back. My teammates were incredible through the whole process of trying to get me back.”

A highly-touted two-way prospect coming out of Japan, Ohtani signed with the Angels back in 2017. While he demonstrated his potential and production throughout his first three seasons, injuries ultimately held him back as he played in just 254 games out of a possible 486. In 2021, Ohtani finally shook off his injury proneness and put it all together for an utterly outstanding performance.

In 155 games, Ohtani hit .257 with 46 home runs — third-most in the league — , 100 RBI, 103 runs, 96 walks, and 26 stolen bases. Ohtani also shined on the mound, starting 23 games while going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 156 strikeouts, and 1.090 WHIP. The 27-year-old also sported a league-leading 9.1 bWAR.

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Ohtani is the first Japanese-born player to win the AL MVP since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. After being named the first two-way All-Star in MLB History, Ohtani was presented with the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award. It’s the first time commissioner Rob Manfred has selected a recipient since taking the role in 2015.

For Major League Baseball, Ohtani’s emergence was very much needed. The sport’s inability to properly market its biggest stars has been well-documented for quite some time, and Ohtani offers the ability to catch the attention of both younger and global audiences.

Among the other major MLB award winners include Gabe Kapler and Kevin Cash as the NL and Al Managers of the Year, respectively; Jonathon India and Randy Arozarena as the NL and AL Rookies of the Year; and Corbin Burnes and Robbie Ray as the NL and AL Cy Young winners.