BASEBALL'S SUPERNOVAS COLLIDE AS YANKEES MEET DODGERS IN WORLD SERIES FOR THE 12TH TIME
You won’t need a telescope to see the biggest stars in the game of baseball as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers meet in the 2024 World Series.
Two seasons ago, Aaron Judge set the American League home run record with 62, but the Yankee captain hasn’t been the best player for New York this postseason. Giancarlo Stanton was named MVP of the American League Championship Series, with his powerful and consistent offense. Juan Soto was the most clutch of any Yankee, delivering the game winning home run in extra innings of Game Five to send New York to the World Series. Offense aside, the Yankees are led by ace pitcher Gerritt Cole on the mound, who grew up going to Yankee Stadium, dreaming of wearing the pinstripes with a championship on the line.
Across the country, the Dodgers list of future Hall of Famers begins with world renowned superstar Shohei Othani. Considered by many the greatest baseball player since Babe Ruth, Othani became the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season this year. The once-dual threat pitcher has been used purely as a designated hitter in his first season with the Dodgers. Aside from Othani, they have shortstop Mookie Betts was named MVP of the American League back in 2018, a season he went on to win the World Series with the Boston Red Sox. Tommy Edman was the Dodgers’ MVP of the NLCS, after being acquired at the trade deadline this season. Edman is batting over .340 on average in the postseason, providing consistency to the middle of the Dodgers’ batting order.
The most well known players meeting in a World Series between New York and LA is nothing new. They’ve met eleven times before in the Fall Classic, with the Yankees winning eight of their twenty-seven rings against the Dodgers. In their first World Series clash, Joe DiMaggio and Phil Rizzuto lined up for the Yankees against Pee Wee Reese and Billy Herman of the then-Brooklyn Dodgers in 1941. In the mid-to-late 50’s, New York’s Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra took on the Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson. Their last meeting, in the 1981 World Series, featured Ron “The Penguin” Cey and Pedro Guerrero of the LA Dodgers, who beat New York’s Reggie Jackson four games to two.
The 2024 World Series begins tonight, in Los Angeles. Games One and Two will be at Dodger Stadium tonight and tomorrow, first pitch of both games is at 8PM.
SABRES LOOK TO WIN THREE IN A ROW, HOST DETROIT SATURDAY
Last season, the Buffalo Sabres took till late February to win three consecutive games. Tomorrow, they have the chance to win three in a row, and it’s just the ninth game of the new season.
What has gotten them back to back wins so early in the year? Well, for starters, they’ve spent more time working with Lindy Ruff as their Head Coach. What he preaches isn’t anything revolutionary. Honestly, it’s more simple than any new-age coach might bring to the table. From day one of training camp, Ruff has been challenging his players to raise the compete level, to win puck battles, get in lanes to block shots, and play a quick transitional offensive style. Their last two games have been clear examples of Buffalo doing thsee things well. When you see the fruits of your labor, it makes putting the work in that much easier to do moving forward.
Buffalo hosts Detroit tomorrow afternoon. Currently, Detroit and Buffalo have the two longest active playoff droughts in the NHL, with the Sabres going on year 14 and the Red Wings going on year 9. Despite that, the Red Wings have been a team directly competing with Buffalo for a playoff spot down the stretch of the last couple seasons. Two years ago, the Sabres were one point out of the postseason, and last year Detroit missed out on a tiebreaker for the final playoff spot.
Safe to say, this is a mighty good chance for Buffalo to get back to a .500 record, gain ground on an opponent that may come in handy in April, and to see the process pay off even more. Puck Drop for the first Black and Red throwback game at KeyBank Center this season is slated for 1PM on Saturday.
CANISIUS HOCKEY HOSTS #8 MICHIGAN STATE, TOP SABRES PROSPECTS
It’s not often that a Top-10 nationally ranked college team in any sport comes to Buffalo, but this weekend the Canisius Golden Griffins hockey team hosts #8 ranked Michigan State.
If that’s not reason enough to check out the game, the top defensive pairing for Michigan State is composed of two Buffalo Sabres draftees. Both sophomores for the Spartans, Maxim Štrbák (a 2023 second round pick) and Patrick Geary (a 2024 sixth round pick) have been living together and playing on the same defensive pairing all season.
Canisius just picked up their first win of the year over Mercyhurst earlier this week, moving their record to 1-4. Michigan State’s lone loss came against #2 ranked Boston College two weeks ago. The Griffs and Spartans faceoff twice this weekend in downtown Buffalo: tonight and Saturday, both 7PM puck drops at the LECOM HARBORCenter.
BILLS AT SEAHAWKS PREVIEW - SUNDAY
The Buffalo Bills are in Seattle this Sunday for a non conference meeting with the Seahawks. The Bills won handily at home last week, defeating Tennessee by twenty-four points, but even in that win, the trend of starting slowly continued. Buffalo trailed the Titans 10-0 before scoring thirty-four unanswered points. It was the fourth game this season that the Bills were losing at halftime, a majority of their games thus far. A hot start in Seattle will be key for Buffalo, as Seattle is a perfect 3-0 this season when they have the lead at halftime.
Kickoff from the west coast is at 4:00 on Sunday.
TWO OF WNY’S BEST WOMEN’S HOOPS TEAMS MEET IN EXHIBITION SUNDAY
The UB Bulls women’s basketball team welcomes the Daemen Wildcats to Alumni Arena this weekend for a tune up ahead of the new season.
After falling in the Mid American Conference Championship game last season, the University at Buffalo Bulls women’s basketball team has their eyes set on a title run again. The Bulls enter year three under Head Coach Becky Burke with two major cornerstones returning, both named to the Preseason All-MAC First Team. Chellia Watson was atop the nation in scoring last year, averaging twenty-three points per game, and set a UB record with a forty-seven point performance at Toledo, on route to a First Team All-Conference Selection. Kirsten Lewis Williams was phenomenal as a first year, taking home MAC Rookie Of The Year honors. Both are set to lead the Bulls this season, who were picked 3rd in the Preseason Coaches Poll.
In Division II, the Daemen Wildcats are a powerhouse in the East Coast Conference, winning three straight ECC titles, and four in the last five years. Three-time ECC Coach of the Year Jenepher Banker enters her ninth season at the helm of the Wildcats, and the third with former UB Bull star Summer Hemphill as an assistant coach. Graduating four of their top five scorers from last season, Coach Banker turns to a new wave of Wildcats, including graduate in-conference transfer Danielle DiCintio. In two of her four seasons at Roberts Wesleyan, DiCintio was one of the best playmakers in all of DII, averaging over 5 assists per game. She’ll be joined by Holland High School grad, junior Claire Pikett, who ranked third on the Wildcats with over 200 shots taken last year.
Tipoff for the exhibition match between the Bulls and the Wildcats is set for Sunday at 2PM at Alumni Arena.