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With Willie Mays dead, is godson Barry Bonds the best living player?

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Some of it might be attributed to the naturally elevated status given the recently deceased, but all week Willie Mays has been described as indisputably the greatest living baseball player. Let’s accept that to be true.

Who’s next? No one indisputable.

So let’s dispute.

Choosing the greatest living player now demands parameters. Barry Bondswho happens to be Mays’ godson — amassed the most exceptional batting statistics in the history of baseball and Roger Clemens did close to the same as a pitcher in the modern era. They have by far the most wins above replacement (WAR) of any living players.

Yet both are forever stained by their alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. So is Alex Rodriguez, another astounding hitter, who ranks third in WAR among living players.

Reds' Pete Rose rounds first base after hitting a single to break Ty Cobb's record for career hits

The Cincinnati Reds’ Pete Rose rounds first base after hitting a single to break Ty Cobb’s record for career hits in 1985.

(Associated Press)

Pete Rose is the all-time hit king, yet he’s been banned from baseball since 1989 because he bet on games as a player and manager. Betting presumably didn’t enhance his performance, but it raised questions about the integrity of the competition, questions that are cropping up again because sports betting is now legal in most states and has been embraced as a revenue stream by all major sports.

An “everyone was doing it” rationale can be applied to PEDs, and those who take that route can feel free to rank Bonds, Clemens and A-Rod at or near the top of their greatest living player list.

A quick dive on social media establishes that an equal number of fans refuse to consider the inflated numbers of proven steroid users. Position players jumping to the top of their lists include all-time stolen base and runs scored king Rickey Henderson, the inimitable outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., and slugging third baseman Mike Schmidt.

Fans with long memories mention Big Red Machine catcher Johnny Bench, Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski and “the straw that stirred the drink” Reggie Jackson. Those wanting a more contemporary choice bring up Albert Pujols, Cal Ripken Jr. and Adrian Beltre.

Ken Griffey Jr. drops the bat after hitting the ball

Some fans consider Ken Griffey Jr. to be the greatest living ballplayer now that Willie Mays has died.

(John Froschauer / Associated Press)

A list of the greatest living pitchers can start with two left-handers: the Dodgers’ three-time Cy Young Award and World Series winner Sandy Koufax and 6-foot-10 flamethrower Randy Johnson, who won four consecutive Cy Youngs and five overall.

Right-handers getting support include Nolan Ryan, who has by far the most strikeouts and walks of all time, and Greg Maddux, whose surgical precision was the polar opposite of Ryan’s intimidating velocity. The jovial Pedro Martinez has his avowed supporters, and Steve Carlton shouldn’t be overlooked just because he was surly.

Mays was the oldest living Hall of Fame player at 93 when he died. The honor now belongs to Luis Aparicio, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound shortstop who dazzled with his glove and led the American League in stolen bases in each of his first nine seasons.

Again, nothing is indisputable at this point. It’s great fun to revisit the illustrious careers of so many ballplayers, and ranking them is a personal choice that involves research, memory and flat-out fandom. Enjoy the process.

Greatest living player candidates

Sorted by Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement and age

THE BLEMISHED
Barry Bonds, 162.8, 59
Roger Clemens, 139.2, 61
Alex Rodriguez, 117.6, 48
Pete Rose, 79.5, 83

THE PITCHERS
Greg Maddux, 106.6, 58
Randy Johnson, 101.1, 60
Steve Carlton, 90.2, 79
Pedro Martinez, 83.9, 52
Nolan Ryan, 81.3, 77
Sandy Koufax, 48.9, 88

POSITION PLAYERS
Rickey Henderson, 111.1, 65
Mike Schmidt, 106.9, 74
Albert Pujols, 101.4, 44
Carl Yastrzemski, 96.5, 84
Cal Ripken Jr., 95.9, 63
Adrian Beltre, 93.5, 45
George Brett, 88.6, 71
Ken Griffey Jr., 83.8, 54
Johnny Bench, 75.1, 76
Reggie Jackson, 74.0, 78
Derek Jeter, 71.3, 49
Ichiro Suzuki, 60.0, 50

ACTIVE PLAYERS
Mike Trout, 86.2, 32
Justin Verlander, 81.4, 41
Clayton Kershaw, 79.7, 36
Mookie Betts, 68.8, 31
Shohei Ohtani, 38.5, 29

OLDEST LIVING HALL OF FAMERS
Luis Aparicio, 90 years old
Sandy Koufax, 88
Bill Mazeroski, 87
Orlando Cepeda, 86
Juan Marichal, 86
Billy Williams, 86
Tony Oliva, 85
Jim Kaat, 85
Carl Yastrzemski, 84
Tony Perez, 82
Ferguson Jenkins, 81



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India Wins T20 Cricket World Cup, Stamping Its Domination of the Sport

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India won the men’s Cricket World Cup on Saturday, defeating South Africa to end a dry spell in tournament victories that had lasted over a decade, even as the nation was dominating the sport globally in other measures like talent, cash and influence.

The tournament was played across several Caribbean islands, with a few of the matches hosted in the United States, including at a pop-up stadium in New York. When the final, in Barbados, ended with India declared the champion, it was close to midnight back home, where joyful crowds poured into the streets across several cities.

“Maybe in a couple hours it will sink in, but it is a great feeling,” said Rohit Sharma, India’s captain, who took a tour of the stadium with his daughter propped on his shoulders to thank the crowd. “To cross the line — it feels great for everyone.”

It was a closely fought match, and a deeply emotional one for India, in part because many of its senior players, including Sharma, 37, were near the end of their careers. India last won the World Cup in T20, the shortest format of cricket, in 2007, when Sharma was just getting started. The top prize had also evaded Virat Kohli, 35, one of cricket’s most recognized icons. Rahul Dravid, India’s coach, had never won a World Cup during his long and illustrious career as a player.

All three men ended the night on a happy note, with Sharma and Kohli announcing their retirement from the fast-paced short form of the game. Dravid, who finished his stint as India’s coach, is normally a quiet, stoic presence. But after the win, he was screaming and celebrating.

India’s president, Droupadi Murmu, and prime minister, Narendra Modi, both congratulated the team. “In the field, you won the World Cup. But in India’s villages, streets, and communities, you won the hearts of our compatriots,” Mr. Modi said in a video message.

Cricket, followed by hundreds of millions of people, is a crucial part of India’s global brand — perhaps even more important than the country’s film industry. The governing body of cricket in India has at times been accused of using its outsize economic heft to dictate terms around global cricket events, reflecting its status as the richest contributor and a destination for the world’s best players.

The start of the Indian Premier League in 2007 transformed a sport that was once seen as slow and short of cash. In just 17 years, the league’s brand value has surpassed $10 billion, making it among the richest sports leagues in the world. Players routinely earn contracts worth over $1 million for a season that lasts about eight weeks, with some of the highest-paid bagging close to $3 million.

Last year, India launched the I.P.L.’s sister league, the Women’s Premier League, with $500 million — an investment similar to the one that started the men’s league — and is already expanding opportunity for women in India and for talent from around the world. The league’s wealth has meant more investment at the grass roots to develop more players. Female players long in the shadow of the men’s game are now finding brand endorsements, more TV viewers and thousands showing up for their matches at stadiums.

And the foreign players in both the leagues — all with large followings at home — are a public relations boost for India as they travel around to play, using social media to post admiration for the culture of a vastly diverse country.

In India, a cricket-crazy nation that closely follows the players’ every move on and off the field, many of this generation of stars have been role models that could help the country move the needle on social issues, particularly about a public life that remains male-dominated.

Sharma, the captain, who is married to a sports management professional, and Kohli, who is married to an actor, often speak of the role of their partners in their careers. Sharma’s wife, Ritika Sajdeh, and their daughter are often at his side during tours, while Kohli is frequently seen video-calling his family from the stadium after matches.

“Our daughter’s biggest concern was if all the players had someone to hug them after she saw them crying on TV,” Anushka Sharma, Kohli’s wife, posted on social media after the win.

Jasprit Bumrah, who was named the World Cup’s most valuable player, found himself doing his post-award interview with his wife, the broadcaster Sanjana Ganesan. This was a working couple on tour. Behind them amid the celebrations was their 10-month-old baby being looked after in a stroller.

“Thank you so much for talking to us, Jasprit, and all the best for—” Ms. Ganesan began as she wrapped up the interview. But her husband went in for a hug before she finished speaking and then ran back to join his teammates in celebrating.





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Euro 2024: Spain v Georgia – Nico Williams’ remarkable journey to the top

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Despite their new found security, life was far from easy for the Williams family. They moved 150 kilometres south east to Pamplona.

Nicholas Williams Arthuer was born there on July 12, 2002, but unable to find enough work to keep his family, Felix moved to London doing whatever he could to send money home.

He cleared tables in a food hall in a Chelsea shopping centre and worked as a security guard, even on the turnstiles at Chelsea FC.

He was away for 10 years – he is back in Bilbao now – during which time Inaki became like a father to Nico, while their mother worked up to three jobs at a time in her efforts to provide for her family.

When they go for lunch at their mum’s, she reminds them to clear the table, wash the dishes, and tells them off if they step out of line. The education from their parents is constant.

Inaki, who decided to play for Ghana as a homage to them, would watch over Nico all the way.

From picking him up from school and giving him a ‘bocadillo’ (sandwich) when they come out of class, to later instructing him in the behaviour that he needed to follow if he wanted to make it as an elite athlete.

“For me he is a reference, he is everything for me,” said Nico. “He has helped my parents and me so that we can eat, so that I could go to class, so that I could get dressed.

“He corrects me, he advises me, he has always done it actually, but we get along very well. He is my brother, but he also acts as a father a little.”

On 28 April 2021, the brothers were brought on as second-half substitutes in Athletic’s 2-2 draw at home against Real Valladolid to become the first siblings to play for the club together since 1986.

After the final, they immediately went to visit their mum, who was unable to watch the match as fans were banned from the stadium because of the Covid pandemic.



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Ventura Pier reopens after a year-and-a-half closure caused by storm damage

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Ventura’s famous pier reopened Saturday after massive waves damaged the landmark last year.

Social media posts and news video footage showed people striding onto the pier early Saturday, carrying fishing poles, coolers and folding chairs. The pier — the oldest in California — is a popular fishing and sight-seeing spot and draws tourists, families and lovebirds.

“The Ventura Pier is open!” the city of Ventura announced on its X feed.

High surf from a winter storm pummeled the boardwalk in January 2023. In December, another storm swept through, causing more damage to the pier’s piles and braces.

Mary Joyce Ivers, deputy public works director in Ventura, told KTLA that the city had to replace 37 timber piles, which hold up the deck of the pier, as well as 100 pieces of hardware and cross-bracing and 3,000 square feet of deck board.

“It’s such an important piece of our city,” Ivers told KTLA. “It’s such a great landmark and so many great things happen on this pier for families and our community.”

The repairs cost at least $3.3 million, with the federal government and the state expected to pick up the tab, according to a city news release.

The pier, first built in 1872 as a private commercial wharf, has been repaired or rebuilt countless times throughout its history. It closed in 1992 for 13 months after it was clobbered by waves and reopened after a $3.5-million restoration.

More recently, it closed in 2015 for several months for repairs after another storm.

Ventura purchased the pier for $7,000 in 1940 but gave it to the state in 1949.

In 1990, the city moved to take it back after state officials said they were considering demolishing the structure because of the high maintenance costs.



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