— San Francisco Giants hired former Tennessee Vols coach Tony Vitelloas their new skipper, the first time a big league team has hired a manager directly from a college program without any experience as a professional coach. Vitello won the College World Series with the Vols in 2024.
Giants have missed the playoffs the last four years; they went 81-81 this past season.
— Sounds like there will be two Japanese sluggers moving to the major leagues next year.
Munetaka Murakami is a 3B/1B who has hit 246 home runs in 892 games for the Yakult Swallows, including a 56-homer season in 2022.
1B/3B Kazuma Okamoto has hit 248 home runs for the Yomiuri Giants, hitting 30+ homers six years in a row, from 2018-23. Okamoto hit two homers, had 7 RBI when Japan won the World Baseball Classic in 2023.
— Freddie Freeman has homered in six of his last seven World Series games.
— Baseball is expected to expand by two teams in the next four years; MLB hasn’t expanded since 1998 (Arizona/Tampa Bay). When the expansion happens, will realignment happen too?
Geographic realignment would cut down on travel costs, and probably raise attendance with more games between regional rivals.
— Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels (hamstring) won’t play when the Commanders play in Kansas City Monday night. Backup Marcus Mariota will start his third game this year.
— NFL coaches’ instant replay challenges have succeeded 60% of time this year, compared to 39.6% at this time last year.
This season, coaches and club staffers in the coaching booth can watch the same camera feed as the replay official at the game, which has helped them make better decisions.
— Miami Dolphins won consecutive Super Bowls in the early 70’s; when they beat the Vikings 24-7 in the Super Bowl after the 1973 season, their QB, Bob Greise, threw only seven passes the whole game. Griese was 6-7/73 passing. Total yardage in the game was 259-238, Miami.
Football sure has changed a lot.
— Famous birthdays, October 23rd:
Weird Al Yankovic, 66
Doug Flutie, 63
Mike Tomczak, 63
Keith Van Horn, 50
Ryan Reynolds, 49
John Lackey, 47
Kyle Gibson, 38
Jordan Crawford, 37
Dylan Carlson, 27
— Delaware 31, Middle Tennessee 28
QB Minicucci threw for 276 yards, four TD’s.
Blue Hens led 24-14 at halftime.
Delaware improves to 4-3 in its first year as a I-A team.
— Missouri State 24, New Mexico State 17 OT
NM State scored TD with 1:49 left to force overtime.
Missouri State outgained Aggies, 409-289.
Bears won despite committing 12 penalties for 110 yards..
— 76ers 117, Celtics 116
VJ Edgecombe scored 34 points in his debut, the most points anyone scored in his first NBA game since Wilt Chamberlain scored 43, in 1959.
Tyrese Maxey scored 40 points to lead the 76ers.
76ers were +18 in the 32:00 Quentin Grimes played.
— Spurs 125, Mavericks 92
Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points, had 15 rebounds.
Spurs outscored Dallas 65-41 in the second half.
Dallas was minus-29 with rookie Cooper Flagg on the floor.
ESPN’s announcers wouldn’t shut up about Flagg, who shot 4-13 “He’s done nothing but win”; the kid played one year in college and Duke didn’t win the national title. Let him play some before you induct him into the Hall of Fame.
— Knicks 119, Cavaliers 111
OG Anunoby had 24 points, 14 rebounds.
Knicks led 65-50 at halftime.
Knicks were 31-36 on the foul line, Cleveland 12-18.
— Jazz 129, Clippers 108
10-point underdog Utah led 43-19 after first quarter, 78-47 at half.
Walker Kessler had 22 points, nine rebounds.
Jazz made 17 of 44 3-point shots.
— Timberwolves 118, Trail Blazers 114
Minnesota outscored Portland 30-19 in the fourth quarter.
Anthony Edwards scored 41 points, had one assist (his job is to score points)
Timberwolves made 15 of 30 shots on the arc.
