Antoan Richardson, NY Mets Clinch Wild Card Sport

Advertisement

U.S.A. – You would think a team that started 0-5 and feel to 11 games under .500 in late May wouldn’t have a shot at the wild card – but that’s exactly what Antoan Richardson and the New York Mets did in the regular season finale.

The Mets clinched a national league wild card spot with a thrilling 8-7 win over the Atlanta Braves Monday at Truist Park in Georgia.

It was the second time in his career as a coach that Richardson will advance to the postseason. In 2021, his San Francisco Giants advanced to the NLDS before they were eliminated by the Dodgers.

There was little time to celebrate though, attention quickly shifted to the best-of-three NL Wild Card Series which began Tuesday at Milwaukee.

Game two in the series is Wednesday night with first pitch at 7:38pm. 

Rowing

The Sandals Foundation partnered with the Nassau Rowing Club to add a new addition to its fleet and aid the development of one what is becoming one of the fastest growing sports in the country.

The organizations hosted a dedication ceremony Monday where the foundation donated an eight-person rowing boat to the Nassau Rowing Club (NRC).

The boat’s name – “Forever Jilly” in honor of Jill Stewart, the late wife of Sandals Executive Chairman Adam Stewart.

This new addition helps the NRC to expand access to the sport to even more students, leading the way to athletic and academic opportunities through international recruitment. 

Student athletes from Windsor School and the NRC took the “Forever Jilly” out on the water for the first time.

NBA

Buddy Hield is back on the west coast, but this time in the bay area with this generation’s NBA dynasty – the Golden State Warriors.

In the offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers and Warriors agreed to a sign and trade deal which included Hield.

The 31-year-old joins his fifth franchise of his career after being drafted sixth overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016. 

He also had stints with the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, and 76ers.

Last season, Hield averaged 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 25.7 minutes per game for the Pacers and Sixers, shooting 39 percent from three.       

Meanwhile, Deandre Ayton is headed into his second season with the Portland Trailblazers and plans to take on a bigger leadership role as the team continues to rebuild.

Sporting a new look for media day, Ayton discussed his goals for the upcoming season.

The 2023-24 season was Ayton’s first with the franchise and the veteran big called it a learning experience for his career moving forward.

He averaged 16.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game and shot 57 percent from the field in 55 contests for the Trailblazers.

His  numbers over the last two months of the season increased to over 23 points and 12 rebounds per game and he looks to continue that momentum headed into this season.