Top News:
Tim Kephart / WGCL-TV:
Hall of Famer Henry “Hank” Aaron dies at 86 — LIVE COVERAGE: — Hall of Famer and one-time home run king Atlanta Braves legend Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron passed away this morning at the age of 86, CBS46 has learned. He leaves behind an indelible legacy on and off the baseball diamond.
Discussion:
ESPN, Talking Chop, New York Post, FiveThirtyEight, CBS San Francisco, MLB Trade Rumors, Bleacher Nation, Brew Crew Ball and Cubs Insider
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Richard Goldstein / New York Times:
Hank Aaron, Home Run King Who Defied Racism, Dies at 86 — He held the most celebrated record in sports for more than 30 years. — Hank Aaron, who faced down racism as he eclipsed Babe Ruth as baseball's home run king, hitting 755 homers and holding the most celebrated record in sports for more than 30 years, has died.
Howard Bryant / ESPN:
Hank Aaron's lasting impact is measured in more than home runs — Henry Aaron, who rose up from the depths of Southern poverty to become one of the towering figures in baseball history as well as a bittersweet symbol of both American racial intolerance and triumph, has died. He was 86.
Discussion:
Faith and Fear in Flushing, New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today, The Ringer, Slate and Halos Heaven
WSB-TV:
Braves legend Hank Aaron dies at age 86, daughter says — ATLANTA — He is the one man that Muhammad Ali said he idolized “more than myself.” He became known to the world as “Hammerin' Hank.” — Legendary Atlanta Brave and Major League Baseball record holder Hank Aaron died Friday at the age of 86, according to Aaron's daughter.
Discussion:
New York Post, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Deadspin and MLB Baseball News …
Dan Shaughnessy Globe / The Boston Globe:
What's the Red Sox' plan? Sam Kennedy says they're ‘building back up’ rather than going all-in — The president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox admits the Sox are not “all-in” trying to win the World Series this year. — “I think it would be inaccurate to say we are going for it with an all-in approach …
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Steve Gardner / USA Today:
Toronto Blue Jays land top free agent George Springer with $150 million deal — The top hitter on the free-agent market this offseason has found his new home. — Outfielder George Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a six-year, $150 million contract, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Samantha Pell / Washington Post:
Capitals' Ilya Samsonov tests positive for coronavirus; Ovechkin, two others remain off the ice — Washington Capitals goalie Ilya Samsonov has tested positive for coronavirus, two people with knowledge with the situation said Thursday. The team received news of Samsonov's positive test Tuesday night …
Discussion:
NoVa Caps, Raw Charge, RMNB, USA Today, Japers' Rink, New York Post, Capitals Outsider, All About The Jersey, NBCSports.com, Puck Prose and Sportsnet.ca
Xbox Wire:
No Changes to Xbox Live Gold Pricing, Free-to-Play Games to be Unlocked [Update] — We messed up today and you were right to let us know. Connecting and playing with friends is a vital part of gaming and we failed to meet the expectations of players who count on it every day.
Discussion:
dbltap, New York Post and TechCrunch
Justin Toscano / NorthJersey.com:
Who is new NY Mets farm director Kevin Howard? Here are 3 things to know — As active as the Mets have been with their roster, they've spent just as much, if not more, time filling out organizational positions in the front office and baseball operations team.
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant not having as much fun playing baseball as before — After intimating as much over the past year or so, Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant admitted he isn't having as much fun playing baseball as he used to. — Bryant, 29, spoke to Red Line Radio …
Discussion:
Call to the Pen
Kevin Acee / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Philip Rivers retiring from NFL after 17 seasons — Rivers played 16 years for Chargers, final season for Colts; he will fulfill lifelong dream of coaching prep football — The time has come, dadgummit. — The man whose good-natured hollering was as renowned as his highly unorthodox …
Deesha Thosar / New York Daily News:
Baseball cannot be surprised by Jared Porter — For women working in baseball, there is always a moment when we question: What exactly is this guy's motive? — It can be as simple and harmless of a comment as, “Terrific job so far, you're handling the new gig really well.”
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune, Sports Illustrated and Beyond the Box Score