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Everything coming out of St. Louis suggests that the Cardinals are at a major pivot point for the franchise. They are entering what could be a multi-year rebuild period as they focus on player development more than short-term contention. That has been the case for about a year already but all signs suggest the club will be leaning harder in that direction. Katie Woo of The Athletic reports that the ownership will now be more willing to eat money in trades, in order to extract greater returns. That reporting aligns with comments this week from Chaim Bloom, the new president of baseball operations. “As far as cash being a lever on the trade front, that should never be off the table,” he said, per Woo. “Obviously, you’d prefer not to do that, but you could end up in a situation where adding cash to make a preferred deal work just makes sense.” Between Bloom’s comments and Woo’s reporting about ownership, it seems the franchise is aligned. That should only add to the sense that highly-paid players like Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray are more likely to be moved this offseason than they were last winter. A year ago, the Cards made it clear that they were beginning this reset period. That initially made it seem likely that veteran players like Arenado, Gray and Willson Contreras could be logical trade candidates. However, Gray and Contreras quickly indicated that they wanted to stay in St. Louis. Arenado was a bit more open to a trade but had a narrow list of five clubs he considered acceptable landing spots and ultimately wasn’t traded. The club’s rebuilding plans now seem to be more firmly in place and both Arenado and Gray have publicly expressed a greater willingness to waive their no-trade clauses this time around. Contreras seems less interested in leaving but didn’t completely discount the possibility. That’s a good start for the Cardinals but eating money will be helpful to getting deals done. Gray is still a good pitcher and just wrapped a solid season, middling earned run average notwithstanding. Though he allowed 4.28 earned runs per nine over 180 2/3 innings, his .329 batting average on balls in play probably inflated that a bit. His 26.7% strikeout rate, 5% walk rate and 43.9% ground ball rate were all strong marks. ERA estimators like his 3.39 FIP and 3.29 SIERA suggest he was more his old self than the ERA itself would indicate. Even if clubs are willing to overlook the ERA, the contract is an obstacle. His three-year, $75MM deal with the Cardinals was heavily backloaded. He made just $10MM in 2024 and $25MM this year. He’ll then make $35MM next year, followed by a $5MM buyout on a $30MM club option. If that option is picked up, Gray can then opt out. At this point, there is just one more guaranteed season left on the deal but with $40MM still to be paid out. The option doesn’t really add any extra upside because of that opt-out. Despite Gray’s talents, $40MM for one year of a pitcher is a lot. That kind of average annual value has been reserved for ace-type pitchers. Even if it were a fair price for Gray’s services, eating more money to extract more prospect capital is a sensible tactic for a club focused on the long term. Arenado is going to make $27MM next year, though the Rockies are going to pay $5MM of that and $6MM is deferred. He’ll then make $15MM in 2027. That works out to less than $20MM annually but his stock is down after some rough years at the plate. He hit just .237/.289/.377 for a wRC+ of 84 this year and was barely above league average in the prior two campaigns. He still gets good grades for his glovework but isn’t the MVP candidate he once was. Other teams will have different valuations of what they expect from him going forward, but as mentioned with Gray, any money that the Cardinals are willing to eat should increase what teams are willing to give up. With Contreras, as mentioned, a trade seems less likely before even considering the money but it could happen. He is still owed $41.5MM over the next two years. That’s an $18MM salary next year, $18.5MM in 2027, and then a $5MM buyout on a $17.5MM club option for 2028. He has been moved from the catcher position to first base. He got decent grades for his glovework there this year, getting credit for six Outs Above Average, while Defensive Runs Saved had him just below par at -1. The bat is still strong, as he hit .257/.344/.447 this year for a 124 wRC+. Those numbers are all close to his career marks, where he has a .258/.352/.459 batting line and 122 wRC+. Though he’s going into his age-34 season, the deal isn’t bad. Christian Walker just got $60MM over three years from the Astros going into his age-34 campaign. But even if the Contreras deal isn’t underwater, other teams may not give up much for it unless the Cards pay it down somewhat. Last winter, the Cards seemed to be more motivated by salary relief. Arenado was still owed roughly $60MM over three years when they lined up a trade with the Astros. Arenado vetoed that deal but reporting indicated the Cards were only going to eat about $5MM per season, leaving the Astros on the hook for about $45MM. It’s unknown what the Cards were going to receive in that trade but is was likely going to be a salary dump deal. Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. later said they would have to find cuts elsewhere if they didn’t move Arenado, though that didn’t really end up happening. Per RosterResource, the Cardinals had a $144MM payroll in 2025. Thanks to some trades and some expiring contracts, they are projected for just $75MM next year. Arbitration salaries for players like Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar could push that up but those players are themselves candidates to be traded this winter. Perhaps that lighter payroll is what opened the path for the Cards to worry less about cost savings this time, which could increase their chances of adding meaning young talent to their pipeline. There will be non-payroll expenditures, however. Woo reports that the club is planning to make more investments in the fields of analytics, player development and scouting. There’s also some uncertainty with the club’s TV deal. The Cards reached a new agreement with Main Street Sports, formerly known as Diamond Sports Group, to be on the FanDuel Sports Network in 2025. Woo writes that the deal contains option provisions after each season. She says that no major shake-up is expected but that some renegotiations could take place. Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images View the full article

No, Ichiro Suzuki isn’t coming out of retirement to be part of the Mariners’ playoff roster. The Hall-of-Famer played six innings in the outfield during a split-squad tune-up game yesterday at T-Mobile Park, adding some extra fun to the proceedings as the M’s got ready for the start of their ALDS matchup with either the Tigers or the Guardians on Saturday. The final calls on the 26-man playoff roster won’t be announced until a few hours before Saturday’s game, and as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times notes, some of the Mariners’ decisions will likely depend on whether they’re facing Detroit or Cleveland. Perhaps the biggest roster question revolves about Bryan Woo’s status, but manager Dan Wilson said Woo is set to toss a bullpen session today. “It seems like things are going according to plan,” Wilson told Divish and other reporters. “He’ll get off the mound on Thursday, and so getting a chance to hear how he comes back from that on Friday and whatnot….We’ll just a continue to take it day by day and assess. And I do believe that we’re in a good spot with that.” The bullpen session will mark Woo’s first time throwing off a mound since September 19, when pectoral tightness forced him out of a start after five innings. The injury wasn’t severe enough to merit a placement on the 15-day injured list, though naturally the M’s are being as cautious as possible with a pitcher who has been Seattle’s most reliable starter in 2025. No announcement has been made about the Mariners’ playoff rotation, as Wilson said those decisions will wait until they team knows their opponent and has more input on Woo’s availability. Assuming Woo is able to pitch, however, Divish doesn’t think the right-hander will work in either of Seattle’s first two games of the series. Based on mound work during Wednesday’s warm-ups, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert (in some order) could be the favorites to start Game 1 and Game 2. The Mariners have long envisioned the idea of these two homegrown arms headlining a playoff series, ever since Kirby was drafted 20th overall in 2019 and Gilbert was the 14th overall pick of the 2018 draft. As MLB.com’s Jim Callis writes, team scout Rob Mummau played a big role in convincing the M’s to select Gilbert, whose stock had somewhat dropped after an ill-timed bout of mononucleosis during the spring before the draft. The focus of Callis’ piece is on Mummau’s real find of the 2018 draft, as the scout’s glowing reports led the Mariners to take Cal Raleigh with their third-round pick (90th overall). Raleigh wasn’t a complete diamond in the rough, as the M’s had to pay Raleigh $221.3K over the slot value of the 90th overall pick to convince Raleigh to leave Florida State after his junior year. However, while Raleigh was coming off a big season at FSU, his draft stock had fallen due to an unimpressive sophomore year. Mummau (who had some past ties to Raleigh’s family) knew that Raleigh had been dealing with a thumb injury that season. As a result, Mummau’s grades on Raleigh’s offensive and defensive tools were notably higher than other scouts, who projected Raleigh as a part-time starting catcher at best. It was enough for the Mariners to make the pick and the rest has become history, as Raleigh has exceeded all expectations to become a superstar on both sides of the ball. View the full article

Davis Chatfield made an albatross on the par-5 15th and closed with a 30-foot birdie putt for a 12-under 59 in the Korn Ferry Tour's Compliance Solutions Championship.View the full article

When the Absolute Universe first kicked off, readers were surprised that Lex Luthor did not immediately appear in Absolute Superman. Indeed, the series set Ra’s Al Ghul up as the archenemy of the Man of Steel. The Absolute Lex Luthor finally made his grand debut in the Absolute Evil special. However, his appearance and attitude are nothing like that of his variant in the main universe. Written by Al Ewing, with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Absolute Evil centers around the formation of the Absolute Justice League. Far from being a benevolent organization, this league is made up of rich villains who fear the rise of superpowered heroes will upset the status quo and their financial bottom lines. However, this league is already being manipulated from within by Brainiac, an alien cyborg seemingly under the control of Ra’s Al Ghul. In the comic’s coda, Brainiac discusses his plan and the nature of reflections with Mirror Master. The comic concludes with the first appearance of Lex Luthor, who has a full head of hair and beard. This runs in defiance of his trademark clean-shaven head and face. (Image Source: DC / Giuseppe Camuncoli) What do we know about Absolute Lex Luthor? We know very little about the Absolute Universe Lex Luthor based on his first scene. We do know that he is happily married to a woman named Dora and has children. He apparently lives on a farm somewhere, based on what little we see of his home. He also describes himself as having been “an angry young man” and “envious of others.” This sounds like a fair description of most versions of Lex Luthor, but implies that this Luthor has moved beyond his petty jealousy of others. Indeed, he answers the phone by asking a question more appropriate to Superman – “How can I be of help?” The most interesting aspect of this Lex Luthor is why Brainiac wished to recruit him to the Absolute Justice League. In speaking with Mirror Master, Brainiac describes how they can negate the team’s effectiveness by balancing the various powers with it against each other. Ra’s Al Ghul’s zealot nature, for instance, can be utterly negated by the bored apathy of Hector Hammond. To that end, Brainiac recruits the Absolute Universe Lex Luthor as a counter to the Joker. We know almost as little about the Absolute Joker as we do Absolute Lex Luthor. His name is ironic, for he is famed for his hatred of humor. He is also a corrupt billionaire with fingers in many immoral enterprises, such as the Ark M prison. It is possible Brainiac recruited Lex, thinking a benevolent billionaire could blunt the amoral Joker. In any case, the idea of an emotionally well-adjusted Lex Luthor is an intriguing one. Absolute Evil #1 is now available in comic shops everywhere. Originally reported by Matt Morrison on SuperHeroHype. The post DC’s Lex Luthor Is Unrecognizable in First Absolute Universe Look appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: DC Studios Little is known about DC’s upcoming The Batman Part II, but a new casting report suggests we might know something about what’s set to happen in the movie. Who is joining The Batman Part II cast? According to a new report from PopFilm (who also broke news like Joel Kinnaman and Kumail Nanjiani joining Peacemaker Season 2), The Crown actor Tobias Menzies is being eyed to play a big role in The Batman Part II. The role, according to the report, is none other than Amadeus Arkham, the founder of the iconic Arkham Asylum, an institution for the criminally insane that becomes home to many of Batman’s foes after they’ve been captured or apprehended. It’s unclear exactly what this report means for the overall story of the film. However, with Arkham Asylum potentially being introduced, it could mean we will see even more of Batman’s villains appear. The name Arkham was briefly teased in 2022’s The Batman, with The Riddler being placed in Arkham State Hospital after being caught by Batman. The development of The Batman Part II has been a long one. The original film was released three years ago in 2022 and was a massive hit. Starring Pattinson as the titular hero, the film made over $770 million at the box office. According to a recent report, The Batman 2 — also known as The Batman Part II or The Batman Part 2 — will begin production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in London, United Kingdom, on January 1, 2026. Pattinson will reprise his role as Batman in the movie, while the website lists the returning cast as Farrell, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon. It also says Barry Keoghan is “expected” to return as the Joker, though this has not been confirmed by Warner Bros. Pictures as of yet. (Source: PopFilm) Originally reported by Anthony Nash on SuperHeroHype. The post The Batman Part II Cast Eying The Crown Star for DC Movie appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Winning the AL East allowed the Blue Jays to bypass the wild card round, and get some needed time off before the ALDS begins on Saturday. The longer break created some hope that Bo Bichette (who hasn’t played since September 6 due to a left PCL sprain) could get healthy enough to be part of Toronto’s first postseason roster, yet at the moment it looks like the shortstop won’t be ready. Jays manager John Schneider told The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon and other reporters that Bichette has yet to start running as part of his recovery process. Schneider and GM Ross Atkins were both, as Bannon put it, ” vague and cautiously optimistic” about Bichette’s availability, yet it is hard to imagine Bichette being included on the roster if he isn’t yet able to run. Such a lack of mobility would naturally rule out a return to shortstop duty, and even a DH-only or pinch-hitting role seems like a long shot. Despite the importance of Bichette’s bat to Toronto’s lineup, it hurts the Jays’ overall flexibility by devoting a roster spot to someone playing under what would seemingly be severe limitations. Schneider said that a decision on Bichette’s status won’t be made until tomorrow, and the Blue Jays don’t have to officially announce their ALDS roster until Saturday morning. Some gamesmanship could be at play here just to not tip the Jays’ hand about Bichette to the Red Sox and Yankees’ advance scouts, but for now, the question might be if Bichette will even be available for the ALCS should the Jays advance. Bichette’s bounce-back season was a huge part of the Blue Jays’ run to the division crown. After an injury-marred down year in 2024, Bichette rebounded to hit .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs over 628 plate appearances this year, with a 134 wRC+ that ranked 20th among all qualified hitters in baseball. Getting Bichette back even in a bat-only capacity as a DH would be welcome news for the Jays, but all this uncertainty over one of their top players is a cloud hanging over the club’s postseason chances. In a more positive injury update, Chris Bassitt is slated to pitch multiple innings during an intrasquad game today, which will be the final checkpoint towards the right-hander’s availability for the ALDS roster. Bassitt last pitched on September 18, and was then (retroactively) placed on the 15-day injured list the next day due to lower back inflammation. The timing has worked out well enough that the 15-day minimum will expire just prior to Game 1 of the ALDS, and Bassitt is expected to be part of Toronto’s pitching mix. How the Jays’ pitching plans will shake out is anyone’s guess, beyond the expectation of Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber acting in traditional starting roles. A healthy Bassitt might be viewed as a favorite for another rotation spot, and the Blue Jays are also weighing both ends of the experience spectrum in future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer and rookie Trey Yesavage. One pitcher who won’t be involved in at least the ALDS roster is Jose Berrios, who went on the 15-day IL on September 25 due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Initial scans didn’t indicate any structural damage, and Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes that this diagnosis was supported once Berrios got a second opinion. Since Berrios hasn’t started throwing, it is hard to project whether or not he could be available if the Blue Jays make it deeper into October. The Jays had already made the decision to move the longtime starter into a bullpen role a couple of weeks ago, and Berrios likely would’ve continued to work as a reliever during the postseason. Atkins also had an update on first baseman Ty France, who is “feeling better” and “progressing at a level that he could be a factor for us” in the aftermath of an IL placement due to oblique inflammation. France last played on September 21 and is expected to try and face some live pitching soon, but it remains to be seen if this will come in time for France to be included on the ALDS roster. Acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline, France has hit .277/.320/.372 over 103 PA in a Jays uniform, and his right-handed bat could be a counter to Boston and New York’s left-handed pitchers. View the full article

(Photo Credit: Netflix) Netflix has announced the release date for The Abandons, its newest Western action drama, which hails from Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter. In addition, the streaming platform has also shared the official photos from the show, revealing the first look at its main cast led by Game of Thrones star Lena Headey and The Crown star Gillian Anderson. “Washington Territory — 1854 — The matriarchs of two very different families — one of wealth and privilege bound by blood, the other a found family of orphans and outcasts bound by love and necessity — find their fates linked by two crimes, an awful secret, a star-crossed love, and a piece of land with silver underneath. The collision echoes the American struggle of the haves and have-nots, in a place just beyond the reach of justice,” reads the official synopsis. THE ABANDONS. Lena Headey as Fiona Nolan in Episode 101 of The Abandons. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2025THE ABANDONS. Gillian Anderson as Constance Van Ness. Cr. MATTHIAS CLAMER/Netflix © 2024THE ABANDONS. (L to R) Diana Silvers as Dahlia Teller, Lamar Johnson as Albert Mason, Natalia del Riego as Lilla Belle, and Nick Robinson as Elias Teller in Episode 103 of The Abandons. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2025THE ABANDONS. Lena Headey as Fiona Nolan. Cr. MATTHIAS CLAMER/Netflix © 2024THE ABANDONS. Michiel Huisman as Xavier Roache in Episode 101 of The Abandons. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2025THE ABANDONS. The Redmask Bandits in Episode 101 of The Abandons. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2025THE ABANDONS. Gillian Anderson as Constance Van Ness in Episode 101 of The Abandons. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2025THE ABANDONS. Lucas Till as Garret Van Ness in Episode 101 of The Abandons. Cr. Michelle Faye/Netflix © 2024THE ABANDONS. (L to R) Nick Robinson as Elias Teller and Aisling Franciosi as Trisha Van Ness in Episode 101 of The Abandons. Cr. Michelle Faye/Netflix © 2024THE ABANDONS. (L to R) Diana Silvers as Dahlia Teller, Aisling Franciosi as Trisha Van Ness, and Toby Hemingway as Willem Van Ness in Episode 101 of The Abandons. Cr. Michelle Faye/Netflix © 2024THE ABANDONS. (L to R) Ryan Hurst as Miles Alderton, and Nick Robinson as Elias Teller in Episode 101 of The Abandons. Cr. Michelle Faye/Netflix © 2024THE ABANDONS. Gillian Anderson as Constance Van Ness in Episode 101 of The Abandons. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2025 When is the release date for Netflix’s The Abandons? The Abandons will be available for streaming starting on December 4, 2025, exclusively on Netflix. The ensemble cast also includes Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson, Natalia del Riego, Lucas Till, Aisling Franciosi, Toby Hemingway, Michael Greyeyes, Ryan Hurst, Katelyn Wells, Clayton Cardenas, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Brían F. O’Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Patton Oswalt, Michael Ornstein, Jonathan Koensgen, Jack Doolan, Michiel Huisman, Haig Sutherland, and Sarah White. The show is created by Sutter, who’s best known for his work on hit shows like The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, and Mayans M.C. He is also serving as an executive producer along with Chris Keyser, Robert Askins, Stephen Surjik, Otto Bathurst, Emmy Grinwis, and Jon Paré. “This first chapter of The Abandons is a classic American story — the frontier, two families — both at war and in love with each other, a battle over who owns the land and who makes the rules,” Keyser said in a statement (via Tudum). “So, smack in the middle of murder and revenge and a bit of illicit romance, we also get to explore all of these questions we never seem to get away from: What makes a family? How do you stay good in a bad world? And, would you change who you are and what you believe in to protect what you love? But, in this case, we do it all through the eyes of Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, as two widowed matriarchs battling to survive. And that, as they say, is really something to watch.” The post New Netflix Western TV Show The Abandons Gets Release Date & Photos appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

(Photo Credit: GameMill) I grew up with a lot of love for Nickelodeon cartoons, and it’s great getting to check in with them every few years through video game releases and recent movies. The latest celebration of Nicktoons comes in a surprising form: an action role-playing game in the vein of Diablo with a tabletop game aesthetic. With plenty of charm and some great drop-in/drop-out multiplayer, Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny is a refreshing celebration of imagination and some of the most beloved cartoon characters ever made. The Fairly Oddparents’ Timmy Turner sets the story in motion, as his wish brings his favorite game to life and also sucks in a wide array of different cartoon characters. With a surprising amount of voiced dialogue and some nice cutscenes, I was really impressed with the presentation here. You’re given five characters to choose from initially (and unlock a couple more throughout the game): Timmy, SpongeBob, Sandy Cheeks, Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Katara from Avatar. Each maps onto a different character class that is true to their personality, and it’s a great blend of the source material with fantasy tropes. Gameplay is on the relatively simple side of the genre, which is fitting, but you’ll still unlock special attacks and different loot as the game continues. Whether you’re playing with your kids or just looking to relax after a long day of work, Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny winds up being a charming and chill experience. The different maps look great, as you fight your way through enemies in environments based on different Nickelodeon shows. There are a lot of small touches, which means the bigger Nicktoon fan you are, the more you’ll get out of this. There are also a lot of fun side characters that make appearances as sidequest givers. I was shocked at just how many characters I remembered from some of the shows, especially since I haven’t seen Jimmy Neutron or The Fairly Oddparents in well over 15 years. It’s this trip of nostalgia, which is then paired with an enjoyable gameplay loop that is always fun yet never frustrating, that makes Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny just a really good time. My favorite moments in the game came in co-op, though, as it’s really easy for another player to jump in. The characters’ abilities mesh well together, such as Katara being able to heal, so you’re able to really aid any younger player through the experience if they struggle solo. Whether you know all the characters or not, they become inherently likable as you play with them, and that is sure to make children want to check out the shows they’re not familiar with. Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny Review: Final Verdict Developers Fair Play Labs and Petit Fabrik have done a great job with Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny. Not only does it pay proper respect to the cartoons and the characters we love, but it blends it with a clear reverence for tabletop gaming and fantasy tropes. It’s a rewarding combination that makes the game fun for gamers of all ages, especially if you are looking to play with others locally. SCORE: 8/10 As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact. Disclosure: The publisher provided a PlayStation 5 copy for our Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny review. Reviewed on version 1.002.000. The post Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny Review: Fun Co-Op Gaming for All appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mason-Miller-NLWCS-G2-2025.jpgDenis Poroy-Imagn Images It’s been six days since Mason Miller let somebody hit the baseball. Actually, that’s not quite true. Until the right-hander caught Michael Busch with a literal back-foot slider in the eighth-inning of yesterday’s Wild Card matchup between the Padres and the Cubs, it had indeed been five days, three relief appearances, and 11 batters since anybody came to the plate against Miller and did something other than strike out. However, six of those 11 victims managed to get their bats on the ball. Three of them did it twice. It’s just that over the past week, nobody has been able to figure out how to square up one of Miller’s disappearing sliders or 102 mph fastballs – yes, his four-seamer has averaged 102 mph over the last three outings – well enough to achieve so much as a tapper back to the mound. Busch’s unfortunate foot snapped the streak at 11, but it did nothing to look Miller look more hittable. In a fun twist, the all-time record for consecutive strikeouts (or at least since 1961, when full play-by-play data became available) belongs to Miller’s teammate Jeremiah Estrada. Estrada struck out a 13 straight batters across three appearances just last May. In fact, he struck all 13 of them out swinging. http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jeremiah-Estrada-Strikeout-Streak-Play-Log.png That’s a pleasurably tidy play log. Estrada’s streak only ended because, when he entered the game on May 31 against the Royals, manager Mike Schildt intentionally walked the first batter he faced. Anytime Miller is on the mound, the general feeling among spectators is astonishment that anyone ever manages to put the ball in play. He just threw an immaculate inning. Since his debut in 2023, Miller has allowed just 0.55 hits per inning, the lowest rate among all 473 pitchers who have thrown at least 100 innings. And now, following a 2025 season in which his 45.2% whiff rate ranked second among all pitchers, Miller has ascended to a higher plane. His whiff rate over the past three games has rocketed up to an absurd 61.9%. Now that the streak has run its course, it’s time to celebrate the six marvels who managed to connect with one of his pitches, no matter how inconsequential the contact. We’ll count down, from the weakest contact to the strongest, starting with Moisés Ballesteros getting the smallest amount of baseball possible it’s possible to get. You can just hear the sound of the foul tip before the ball hits the glove. Honestly, it’s impressive that Ballesteros got enough of this pitch to make a sound at all. This is a 102.6 mph fastball well above the strike zone. It came in at a height of 3.76 feet, and this season, Miller ran a whiff rate of 55.9% on fastballs 3.7 feet or higher. Even pitchers who don’t throw 102 lean on four-seamers above the zone because it’s so hard for batters both to lay off it and to hit it. This pitch is why we care about vertical approach angle. This pitch is why we’ll never forget the climax of A League of their Own. The pitch to Ballesteros technically went down as a whiff because Statcast counts foul tips for strike three as whiffs rather than fouls, but we don’t have to take that away from him. He gently brushed the baseball, and for that we honor him. Next up is Dansby Swanson, who got a tiny bit more of the pitch and a whole lot more of catcher Freddy Fermin. You may think Miller fooled Swanson with a 2-2 slider away, and he may well have done so. It’s also equally possible that Swanson really was trying to keep an eye out for the slider. It’s just that when you know you might see 104 up above the strike zone, trying to look for the slider and actually staying back long enough to be on time for it are two very different propositions. The shortstop was just able to slow down enough to throw the bat head at the ball. It was a great accomplishment, and because of it, Fermin will surely hold a lifelong grudge. Here’s another two-strike slider that just barely avoided ending up as strike three. Ahead 1-2, Miller missed high and inside to Seiya Suzuki, and this shows you why pitchers tend to think hard in, soft away. Batters need to catch the ball much further in front of the plate when it’s on the inside, so the fact that Suzuki was way out in front of this pitch didn’t hurt him too much. He still caught the smallest piece of it – so small that he barely kept it from sticking in the catcher’s mitt – but at least he caught that piece with the barrel of his bat. Did he barrel this pitch up? Absolutely not. Did he strike out anyway on the very next pitch? You bet he did. We’re done with the foul tips now. Up next, we have a group of four regular-looking foul balls. These ones stretch back to Miller’s last regular season appearance against the Diamondbacks on September 27, and they’re all just fastballs that nobody could catch up to. This is why pitching coaches tell pitchers aim for the middle of the zone and dare batters to hit it, and this is the benefit of throwing harder than just about anyone who has ever lived. Miller didn’t necessarily fool anybody here. They were geared up for the fastball and they got it. It was just too much to handle. Swanson, Connor Kaiser, Carson Kelly, and even contact maven Geraldo Perdomo are doing all they can just to slap this ball into the seats on the opposite side and live to see another pitch. Swanson took a robust hack and looked out to the mound as if to say, “I’m on to you, Mason Miller.” http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Dansby-Swanson-Staredown.png He was not, in fact, onto Miller, but you can see why this foul felt like a victory. Now we’re into the really impressive fouls. Here’s Kelly again, very nearly keeping the ball in the field of play! Kelly is out ahead of a slider on the inside corner here, and he sends a weak popup to the right side that just drifts out of play despite Luis Arraez’s heroic efforts to reel it in. Seriously, Arraez tossed himself over a thick concrete barrier. He must have ended up with a serious bruise, and he took his frustration out on the netting. I wrote about this exact kind of batted ball back in May. Normally when you’re ahead of a pitch, you hit it to the pull side, but sometimes you’re so far ahead that you have to drop your bat head to slow down. At that point, you can’t help but pop it up the other way. If Kelly had been above the ball, he would have hit a weak grounder to the left side – or, more likely, fouled it straight down and off his own foot – but since he was underneath it, he came just a few feet (or one gust of wind) from achieving the impossible dream of facing Mason Miller and coming away with a weak popout. Last up is Geraldo Perdomo, long one of the best hitters in baseball when it comes to making contact, and more recently, somehow one of the best hitters in baseball, period. Here’s Perdomo genuinely rifling a slider to the pull side. This ball came off the bat at 100 mph. Perdomo was still way out in front of it. It was probably foul by a good 25 feet at the moment it passed first base. Still, that’s the best contact anyone has made against Miller in nearly a week. Perdomo would go on to strike out like all the others, but he can take pride in knowing that he’s the last player ever to actually hit the ball hard off Miller. Source View the full article

Zac Gallen is one of the more intriguing pitchers on the free agent market this winter, as interested clubs will have to balance the right-hander’s solid track record up against his shaky 2025 season. Theoretically, the situation could present an opening for Gallen to accept a qualifying offer from the Diamondbacks, though John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7FM Radio (multiple links) feels “there is no chance he accepts it.” This winter’s qualifying offer is estimated to be worth roughly $22MM. While a nice one-year payday, Gallen is undoubtedly looking for much more in a longer-term commitment as he tests the market for the first time. Even if his struggles this year inevitably lower his asking price, baseball’s ever-present need for pitching means that Gallen should be able to land some kind of acceptable multi-year pact. Scott Boras (Gallen’s agent) has a long history of finding such deals for his clients, though Boras has also explored relatively shorter-term contracts with opt-out clauses for players who are entering free agency on the heels of so-so platform years. It isn’t hard to imagine Gallen signing such a deal, and then if he returns to form in 2026, enacting an opt-out clause to immediately return to free agency. Obviously there’s some risk in betting on himself in such a fashion, plus next year’s market has the added uncertainty of labor unrest and a potential lockout as the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. Gallen posted a 4.83 ERA, 21.5% strikeout rate, and 8.1% walk rate over 192 innings in 2025, with the ERA and K% both standing out as career worsts. Pretty much all of Gallen’s Statcast numbers were below the league average, and he was continually plagued by the home run ball — Gallen’s 31 homers allowed were the third-most of any pitcher in baseball. The inflated number is related in part to the number of innings Gallen tossed, though his barrel rate and hard-hit ball rates didn’t surpass the 26th percentile of all pitchers. The good news for Gallen is that he seemed to get on track over the season’s final two months. After posting a 5.60 ERA over his first 127 innings, he improved to a 3.32 ERA over his last 65 frames and 11 starts. Gallen’s turn-around came directly after the trade deadline, and had he started pitching better a little earlier, it is quite possible he already would’ve been gone from Arizona considering the Diamondbacks’ other deadline sells. Ken Kendrick is a known fan of Gallen, and the D’Backs owner stated earlier this week that it isn’t “out of the realm of reality” that the righty could be re-signed. Within that same interview, however, Kendrick said that “we will not be spending at the same level” as in 2025, though the Diamondbacks still plan to have a competitive payroll and are intent on winning next year. Whether this adds up to a salary number that can work for both the D’Backs and Gallen’s camp remains to be seen. If Gallen did reject the qualifying offer and sign elsewhere, Arizona would receive a compensatory draft pick just after the first round of the 2026 draft. Landing an extra pick in the 31-36 overall range would be a decent consolation prize if Gallen did depart, especially if the Diamondbacks could add starting pitching elsewhere at a lower price. For instance, a reunion with Merrill Kelly has been speculated on basically ever since Kelly was traded to the Rangers at the deadline. Kelly was open about his desire to stay in Arizona both before and after the trade, and Kelly would be available at a lower price than Gallen given their ages (Kelly turns 37 in a couple of weeks, and Gallen turned 30 last month). Gambadoro feels the Diamondbacks will pursue one of Gallen or Kelly but not both, leaving one rotation spot open for a younger pitcher until Corbin Burnes is ready to return from Tommy John surgery. Between Arizona’s pitching needs and the team’s desire to lower payroll, some other areas of the roster might receive less focus. For instance, Gambadoro thinks the D’Backs will probably stand pat at first base, with Pavin Smith getting the bulk of at-bats and Tim Tawa or Tyler Locklear facing as the right-handed hitting side of the platoon. Bringing in a veteran bat for the first base/DH mix would also seem logical, even if such an acquisition isn’t likely to be as high profile as last offseason’s trade for Josh Naylor. Smith appeared in only eight games after July 5, as an oblique strain and then a quad strain cost him essentially all of the back half of the season. Smith hit .258/.362/.434 with eight home runs over 288 plate appearances in 2025, facing right-handers in all but 24 of those trips to the dish. The result was a very solid 123 wRC+ for the season, yet almost all of Smith’s production came during a scorching-hot April, and his strikeout rate ballooned upwards to an ungainly 31.9%. Getting more out of Tawa or Locklear would go a long way towards solidifying the Diamondbacks’ first base platoon, but the unproven duo has only 390 combined Major League PA between them. View the full article

In another blow to the First Amendment Rights of library users, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida ruled that the Escambia County school board did not violate student or author rights when it pulled And Tango Makes Three from school library shelves. This is the second ruling in a matter of months to put the approved content of public library and public school library materials into the hands of government officials. It is also a ruling that contradicts one made in the U.S. Middle District Court of Florida in mid-August, where the judge found a Florida law used to remove books from public schools was “overbroad and unconstitutional.” Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, the creators of And Tango Makes Three, alongside an elementary school student in the district, filed the lawsuit against Escambia County school board in September 2023. It alleged that the district removed the nonfiction picture book about a pair of penguins at the Central Park Zoo who raised an egg together was removed by the board because it disagreed with their viewpoint. They argued the decision infringed on their free speech rights. Escambia officials claimed that library collections were government speech. They could curate the collection as they wished and authors did not have a right to have their materials included. Judge Allen Winsor oversaw the case in the District Court. But rather than lean on the arguments presented by Escambia, he went with a different approach. First, Winsor argued, school libraries are not a public forum for expressing opinions. In that, the authors didn’t have the right to have their books included. Second, Winsor stated that the book being removed from the school library didn’t hinder the student plaintiff’s ability to get the book. He could “order it online, buy it at a bookstore, or borrow it from a friend.” This is a common argument made by the individuals and groups who have been pursuing book bans in public schools and libraries since the unprecedented rise in book censorship began in 2021. The New York Times’s coverage on the case points out that Winsor did not address the issue of “government speech.” Instead, Judge Winsor leaned on the First Amendment argument. From the ruling: And Tango Makes Three was removed from Escambia Schools following a single parent complaint. After multiple review committees elected to keep the book on shelves, the parent appealed the decision to the board, who pulled it. In other words, one complaint from the community was enough to remove the book from an entire school district. Even by Escambia County’s current selection policy, removal of And Tango Makes Three–again, a work of nonfiction–would not be appropriate. Parnell et al. vs. School Board of Escambia County is the second case this year to directly address the First Amendment rights as they relate to patron access in public libraries. The first came from the Fifth Circuit Court in late May, which argued that the First Amendment cannot be used to challenge book removals in three U.S. states. Library books are government speech and thus, not subject to the Free Speech clause–in other words, Little vs. Llano County provides fertile ground for removing materials from shelves based entirely on political motivation and sets up ample opportunity for the development of biased library collections paid for by taxpayer dollars. The ruling currently applies to Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, but Judge Winsor pulled liberally from that case in making his decision in Parnell. At least one of the most prolific book banners in the country, Bruce Friedman, celebrated the judge’s decision. He told Clay County, Florida, schools in a message on X that he’d be seeking to get And Tango Makes Three removed from the district soon. This is one of two lawsuits that have been filed against Escambia County school board in relation to their mass book bannings. PEN America, Penguin Random House, and a group of authors joined with parents and students in Escambia County, Florida, to file a lawsuit against the school board in May 2023. That case is still moving through the court system. Parnell and Richardson have filed numerous lawsuits in relation to the banning of And Tango Makes Three, which celebrated its 20th publication anniversary this year. They settled one against Florida’s Nassau County School District, wherein the board not only had to put their book and several others inappropriately removed back on school shelves, but the district also had to acknowledge their decision had no basis. There are also a lot of unanswered questions as a result of this ruling. Where and how does this square with Judge Mendoza’s from August, wherein the law Florida instituted to remove books was deemed unconstitutional? Where and how does this decision contradict the ruling in 1982’s Island Trees vs. Pico, which held that public school libraries are places for voluntary inquiry and dissemination of information and ideas? If school and public libraries aren’t required to meet the diverse needs and interests of their communities, then what purpose do they even serve? The future of whether or not public library materials constitute government speech remains to be seen. The plaintiffs in Parnell can appeal the decision, and the decision rendered in Little vs. Llano County from earlier this year is eligible for appeal to the Supreme Court. View the full article

Credits: Lucasfilm Two years after its theatrical release, the actual budget of Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has finally been revealed for the fifth and final installment to the Harrison Ford-led franchise– and it cost a lot more than what it was previously reported. Since its debut, the movie has received a Tomatometer rating of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the franchise’s lowest-rated installment and the only one that didn’t maintain a Certified Fresh score. What was Indiana Jones 5’s budget? According to the recent filings released by Disney, the studio actually spent $419 million for the production of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, making it one of the most expensive movies ever made. Before this, it was initially reported that the movie cost around $300 million. This new revelation confirmed that the movie’s box office earnings weren’t able to surpass its total budget. During its theatrical run, the final Indiana Jones movie earned a worldwide gross of $384 million. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was directed by Academy Award nominee James Mangold (Logan), who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jez and John-Henry Butterworth. Joining Harrison Ford in his final adventure as Indiana Jones were Golden Globe winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw, Antonio Banderas as Renaldo, Mads Mikkelsen as Jürgen Voller, Thomas Kretschmann as Colonel Weber, Boyd Holbrook as Klaber, Shaunette Renée Wilson as Mason, and Toby Jones as Basil Shaw. Franchise vets John Rhys-Davies and Karen Allen also returned as Sallah and Marion Ravenwood, respectively. (Source: Forbes) Originally reported by Maggie Dela Paz for SuperHeroHype. The post Indiana Jones 5’s Actual Budget Reveals Harrison Ford Movie Is Even More of a Bomb appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. Authors Can See If They Can Get a Piece of that $1.5 Billion Anthropic Settlement There is $1.5 billion (less lawyer fees and administrative costs) up for authors to grab if their work was among the training data subject to the massive (but maybe even somehow still too small) lawsuit against Anthropic, and authors can now officially see what works are in there and how to get in on the settlement. The FAQ is your best place to start. You do have to file a claim through the website to be eligible for a payout and taking that payout also means you are giving up your right to sue Anthropic individually. All claims will be paid out equally, so if you are Stephen King or….not Stephen King, you will be paid the same for each valid claim. Weirdly, the fewer claims made, the more per claim the payout will be. I tried to do some math based on the number of works in the dataset, but there are too many confounding factors. I will wait to see some screenshots of happy/sad/resigned awardees. Where to Start with Thomas Pynchon Maybe you are one of those people who have always heard about the famously reclusive, brilliant, and difficult Thomas Pynchon. Maybe you have one or two under your belt. Maybe you are a completist. There is something for all Pynchon (and Pynchon-curious) readers in A.O. Scott’s guide. As for me, I have a very standard rec for people who want to grab a seat on the Pynchon Carousel: The Crying of Lot 49. Not only is it probably the most accessible, it is also crucially the shortest. Not everyone wants to stay on the ride after all. Is a Dedicated Social Media App Something That Can Work in 2025? Bindery Books is an influencer-centric publisher which pairs new books with social media influencers as sorta micro-publishers. Basically, folks with meaningful online platforms can get a piece of the action for hyping books. This kind of business is supremely subject to social media algorithms, on the upside as well as down. So it makes a sort of sense that Bindery would be interested in an app of one’s own that they can control. The devilish bit will be getting people to use it. Other devilish bits will follow (content moderation at scale is a nasty business), though it is unlikely to make it that far. The It Books of October 2025 Rebecca Schinsky and I do our monthly triage of the contenders to be the It Book of the month. View the full article

On July 31, 2022, NBA legend Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88. The Hall of Famer had one of the most historic careers in league history. Russell is a 12-time all-star, 11-time NBA champion, and five-time league MVP. To commemorate his impact on the NBA, his #6 was retired league-wide ahead of […] The post Thunder’s Jaylin Williams will be the last player in NBA history to wear #6 appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

2025 Global Hockey Forum was a great success!View the full article

Credits: 20th Century Films In Avatar 3, James Cameron revealed that Fire and Ash will have a major callback to the first movie. In an interview with Variety, Cameron previewed Avatar: Fire and Ash and discussed his creative process. Cameron said he rarely second-guesses his “creative impulses.” However, he did do it once while working on Avatar 3 when he felt the storytelling was “a little off.” “Our Toruk is back [in Fire and Ash], right? You know, the big bird that Jake rides [in Avatar]. I’ve always been waiting for the question, ‘Why doesn’t he just go get the big red bird and kill everybody like he used to do?’ Because that doesn’t exist in The Way of Water at all,” Cameron explained What scene did James Cameron add to reference Avatar? Originally, Toruk was not involved in Fire and Ash. Cameron went back to the drawing board and inserted Toruk back into the story, which meant reshooting some additional scenes. “I went, ‘Oh, he’s got to go get the bird.’ Come on! I was saving it for a later film. I was like, “F*** that! He should get the bird. Get the Toruk.” There’s something in Jake’s destiny that requires it, right?” Cameron said. “So I just rewrote it, and we went back, and we shot two or three scenes around that concept, and I threw some stuff out and stuck that in … it works beautifully, and the actors were super excited about that idea. It’s like, Oh, okay, that feels right, you know?” Avatar: Fire and Ash arrives three years after the second iteration, Avatar: The Way of Water. The first two Avatar films are the first and third highest-grossing movies of all time. If Fire and Ash wants to join the likes of its predecessors, it will need to gross at least $2 billion worldwide. Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19, 2025. Originally reported by Dan Girolamo on SuperHeroHype. The post James Cameron Changed Avatar: Fire and Ash to Reference Key Scene in Original Movie appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

The Chicago Bulls and restricted free agent Josh Giddey resolved their contract stalemate last month, when the former No. 6 overall pick of the 2021 draft agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal. “The fact it’s done now, I can move forward; the next four years, I’m locked in with the Bulls,” Giddey told ESPN’s […] The post Bulls’ Josh Giddey: ‘We Need To Start The Year Strong’ appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Dillon-Dingler-Preparation.jpgCary Edmondson-Imagn Images Dillon Dingler is developing into one of baseball’s better catchers. Playing in his first full big league season, the 27-year-old Detroit Tigers backstop banged out 13 home runs while slashing .278/.327/.425 with a 109 wRC+ over 469 plate appearances. Moreover, he was worth six DRS and posted well-above-average framing numbers. His 4.1 WAR ranked third best among junior circuit catchers. Dingler’s defensive chops extend to his game-calling, which is done in collaboration with Detroit’s pitching group. Preparation is a team strength — last year’s pitching chaos didn’t succeed by accident — and not just because pitching coach Chris Fetter is widely regarded as an adept game-planner. The entire coaching staff is thorough, and so too is the former Ohio State Buckeye, who squatted behind the dish in 115 games this season. (Dingler also filled in at the DH position from time to time.) The pregame pitcher meetings that precede every game was on my mind when I sat down with Dingler on the final day of the regular season. I was primarily interested in learning how the Tigers go about them, including just what role the catchers play in the dissemination of information. What I found out is that the Tigers — ditto Dingler himself — differ somewhat from most other teams. Not having both catchers in the room, which is the common practice, is an example. “We do it as the starting catcher, the pitcher, our catching coach, Ryan Sanko, Chris Fetter, and [assistant pitching coach] Robin Lund,” explained Dingler. “That’s pretty much it. It’s usually a smaller group.” And then there is the preparation he does before the meeting even starts. “I like to do my homework beforehand,” Dingler told me. “I’ll go on True Media — I found a system that I like — and take notes on the opposing lineup. I always write things down before the meeting, then think through them so that I can convert it to memory. Once we’re in there, Fet will go through their lineup. We basically go through each guy and determine the way that we’re going to pitch him.” Fetter usually does “most of the talking,” but there is back-and-forth throughout. For instance, if the starter feels that something else could work — he may have a strong preference for a certain pitch — he will communicate that to the group and the idea will be discussed. Dingler also chimes in, with his level of familiarity often dictating how much he has to say. If it is game three or four of a series, or if the Tigers have already faced the team multiple times on the season, he can “speak from memory” on what he’s observed behind the plate. And then there are his notes, which “are always in front of me.” The homework he does before the pitcher meeting remains fresh in his mind once the tools of ignorance have been strapped on, as does the information that was communicated to the parties at hand by Fetter. But even though diligent number-crunching and game-planning play a big role in how the Tigers go about attacking hitters, pitch-calling is far from a paint-by-numbers exercise. Dingler recognizes that. “We’ll do a quick little summary of the hitters right before we go out there, but that’s more so to make sure that we stick to our strengths and don’t try to get too cute,” Dingler said. “You probably don’t want your pitcher to be throwing his fourth-best pitch in many situations. Once the game starts, you’re also seeing the swings, seeing what the hitter is trying to do. You’re seeing his takes. You’re seeing what your pitcher has good command of, what he has feel for. You piece it all together from there.” But again, detailed game-planning is the Tigers’ way of going about it, and their studious catcher has the same kind of mindset. Not everyone who plays his position walks into a pregame meeting with a notepad of information that he gathered himself, but Dingler does. It’s a big part of how he prepares. “It’s one of those things where it’s not one size fits all,” Dingler said of his practice. “You’ve got to figure out what works for you, just like you’ve got to figure out what works for the staff. I like writing things down, because I can convert it to memory. It makes me feel more comfortable when I’m back there. When I’m uncomfortable is when I don’t know what to go to, and I don’t like that feeling. I like to be as prepared as possible.” Due diligence will be to the nth degree for Dingler and the Tigers today. When the group gets together for the pregame pitchers’ meeting, they will be comparing notes for a winner-take-all Wild Card Game 3 against the Guardians in Cleveland. The level of preparation will be high. It will come down to how well they execute the plan. Source View the full article

Top Golden Goals | #U18MensWorldsView the full article

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Credit: BBC A Peaky Blinders sequel show has been ordered at Netflix and BBC from writer and creator Steven Knight. The sequel series will feature two seasons of six hour-long episodes. The timeline of the new series will take place after the Peaky Blinders movie, which is in post-production. The official logline reads: “Britain, 1953. After being heavily bombed in WWII, Birmingham is building a better future out of concrete and steel. In a new era of Steven Knight’s Peaky Blinders, the race to own Birmingham’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest of mythical dimensions. This is a city of unprecedented opportunity and danger, with the Shelby family right at its blood-soaked heart.” What is Cillian Murphy’s involvement in the Peaky Blinders sequel show? Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy will executive produce the sequel series alongside Knight, Karen Wilson, Martin Haines, Jamie Glazebrook, Jo McClellan, Mona Qureshi, and Toby Bentley. Kudos and Garrison Drama will produce both series. The episodes will be shot at Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham, England. ‘I’m thrilled to be announcing this new chapter in the Peaky Blinders story,” Knight said in a press release. “Once again, it will be rooted in Birmingham and will tell the story of a city rising from the ashes of the Birmingham blitz. The new generation of Shelbys have taken the wheel and it will be a hell of a ride.” Created by Knight, Peaky Blinders starred Murphy as Tommy Shelby, the crime boss of the Peaky Blinders street gang in Birmingham. The show ran for six seasons from 2013 to 2022. Murphy will reprise his character for A Peaky Blinders Film at Netflix. Knight penned the script, while Tom Harper directed. Besides Murphy, the movie stars Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, Ian Peck, Jay Lycurgo, and Barry Keoghan. The film does not have a release date. The post Peaky Blinders Sequel Show Ordered, Cillian Murphy’s Involvement Revealed appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

A federal judge has allowed the Pac-12 Conference’s lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference over $55 million in “poaching fees” to go forward, according to The Associated Press. Pac-12 Lawsuit Against Mountain West Conference Continues U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Van Keulen of the Northern District of California filed an order denying the Mountain West’s motion […] The post Federal Judge Allows Pac-12 Lawsuit Against Mountain West To Proceed appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

(Photo Credit: Miramax Films) For the first time, Lionsgate will officially be releasing Quentin Tarantino‘s iconic Kill Bill franchise into one complete movie, more than two decades since the first volume was first released. Titled Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, the rare presentation of Tarantino’s revenge epic will also include a never-before-seen, 7½-minute animated sequence. ​ “I wrote and directed it as one movie—and I’m so glad to give the fans the chance to see it as one movie,” Tarantino said in a statement. “The best way to see Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is at a movie theater in Glorious 70mm or 35mm. Blood and guts on a big screen in all its glory!” When is the release date for Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair? Originally presented in two volumes, Tarantino’s combined epic action movie Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair will finally arrive in theaters on December 5, 2025. Select presentations of the release will be in 70mm and 35mm. The movie is written and directed by Tarantino, based on the character of “The Bride” created by Q&U. The Whole Bloody Affair stars Uma Thurman as Beatrix/ The Bride, Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii, Vivica A. Fox as Vernita Green, Michael Madsen as Budd, Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver, Gordon Liu as Johnny Mo, and Michael Parks as Ranger Earl McGraw, with David Carradine as Bill. It is produced by Lawrence Bender. “The movie unites Volume 1 and Volume 2 into a single, unrated epic—presented exactly as he intended, complete with a new, never-before-seen anime sequence. Uma Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover, Bill, ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child,” reads the official synopsis. “To exact her vengeance, she must first hunt down the four remaining members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad before confronting Bill himself. With its operatic scope, relentless action, and iconic style, The Whole Bloody Affair stands as one of cinema’s definitive revenge sagas—rarely shown in its complete form and now presented with a classic intermission.” The post Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair Sets Release Date, Quentin Tarantino Movie Includes New Scene appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/A.J.-Hinch-and-Riley-Greene.jpgKen Blaze-Imagn Images On Wednesday afternoon, I briefly thought that A.J. Hinch had lost his mind. I really don’t know how else to explain it. With runners on the corners and one out in the top of the seventh inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card Series between the Tigers and the Guardians — which Cleveland won, 6-1 — Detroit had Riley Greene, its best hitter, at the plate with a chance to break a 1-1 tie. The Guardians went to the bullpen, bringing in lefty Tim Herrin. Herrin, a 6-foot-6 curveball specialist, figured to be a tough matchup for Greene; he’s been lights out against same-handed batters throughout his career. But then Hinch made a surprising call to the bench. He pulled Greene back and pinch-hit with Jahmai Jones – and now here I am writing this article. Jones had one key thing going for him here: Like Inigo Montoya, he is not left-handed. He’s also hit lefties much better than righties in his brief major league career, and in his minor league career, too. Greene, on the other hand, is a poor left-on-left hitter. So you can at least see where Hinch’s decision was coming from. I want to give this kind of shocking decision the full consideration it deserves before just laughing it out of the building – after all, what if it was the right call? So let’s do all the math to get an idea of what Hinch was giving up, and what he was getting. To model pitcher-against-batter outcomes, I first took projections for both players, the granular ones that consider specific outcomes. I also calculated platoon splits for each player by taking their observed career splits and regressing them toward league average based on sample size. I put those two projections – hitter and pitcher – into a modified log5 formula and used it to predict the likelihood of each possible outcome of a plate appearance. Then I applied those outcomes to the game state when Greene’s spot came up in the lineup. That’s a lot of explanation jammed into one paragraph, so I think an example is in order. Let’s say that the Jones-Herrin confrontation results in a single 25% of the time, a deep fly ball 25% of the time, a strikeout 25% of the time, and a walk 25% of the time. Those are nowhere near reasonable, of course, but just an example. A single would mean runners on first and second (at least) and a 2-1 lead, for a win probability of 73.4%. A deep sacrifice fly? That would get the Tigers to 66.6%. A strikeout? 50.1%. Walk? 65.7%. Average those four probabilities, and the Tigers come out with a 64% chance of winning the game. There are more than four possible outcomes, of course, but this process is how I turn outcomes into win probabilities. Let’s start with the Greene-Herrin confrontation. Greene projects as a more or less 100 wRC+ hitter against lefties, with a bit of a strikeout problem but plenty of power. But few lefties project for a 100 wRC+ (that’s overall league average, all matchups) when they’re facing left-handed pitching. That’s because Greene is a very good baseball player. On the other hand, Herrin projects meaningfully better against lefties than righties. But he’s slightly worse against left-handed batters than the average left-handed pitcher, because he’s got a slightly worse projection than the average lefty pitcher in the first place. Put them together, and Greene projected for the following outcomes against Herrin (the fly out and groundout categories bucket possibilities for RBI and double plays): Riley Greene vs. Tim Herrin, Outcome Likelihood Outcome Likelihood Win Probability Single 11.7% 75.4% Double 4.6% 81.0% Triple 0.2% 85.7% Home Run 3.1% 88.8% Walk/HBP 13.7% 65.7% Strikeout 32.3% 50.1% Fly Out 15.5% 58.4% Groundout 18.9% 51.5% Sum all of that up, and the Tigers projected to win 59.4% of the time, at least by my math, with Greene at the plate. That’s some blend of big leads, little leads, and ties, with enough multi-run leads to make up for the strikeouts. In slash line terms, it’s .250/.332/.431, a perfectly respectable line. Not bad for a lefty-lefty matchup for a guy like Greene with a strikeout problem. But Herrin doesn’t strike many batters out and does walk a ton, so you can see how this method comes to its conclusions. In comparison, switching to Jones meant attacking Herrin with a slightly weaker hitter, but one in a more favorable situation. Jones has been slightly above average overall in his career, and he’s been so good against lefties that even with only a small sample of major league at-bats to his name, he projects as a true lefty killer. And Herrin is no great shakes against righties. My same model thinks that Jones projected to absolutely wallop Herrin, to the tune of a .299/.428/.472 batting line. Herrin is kind of wild, Jones can take a walk, and those tendencies tend to increase when hitters have the platoon advantage. Here’s the grid of Jones-Herrin results: Jahmai Jones vs. Tim Herrin, Outcome Likelihood Outcome Likelihood Win Probability Single 13.10% 75.4% Double 5.10% 81.0% Triple 0.70% 85.7% Home Run 1.9% 88.8% Walk/HBP 22.0% 65.7% Strikeout 28.0% 50.1% Fly Out 16.0% 58.4% Groundout 13.1% 51.5% Add those all up, and the Tigers projected to win 60.9% of the time when Jones batted. That’s a huge advantage over the numbers with Greene. It might even seem a little low of an estimate given that absurd slash line, but many of Jones’ positive results are walks, the least impactful way of reaching base here. But either way, check it out: Hinch’s decision was borne out by the math. He inserted a pinch-hitter because that pinch-hitter projected to give the Tigers a better chance of winning than the guy who was previously batting. Adding 1.5 percentage points of win probability with a pinch-hitter is a meaningful gain, verifiably so. Well, it would be borne out by the math if we treated this plate appearance in isolation. But this is a Ben Clemens article, a FanGraphs postseason decision-making article. We’re not leaving anything in isolation here. The first consideration: the pinch-hitting penalty. Historically, pinch-hitters have produced a batting line of about 24 points of wOBA lower than those same hitters when batting in the starting lineup. Render that into our format, and that would erase around half of the advantage the Tigers got. Not bad, but not great either. My next consideration: Could the Tigers have saved Jones for a better spot? After all, he’s an improvement here, but he’s an improvement from an already-high starting point. Greene isn’t a weak hitter, even in a bad matchup, so pinch-hitting for him doesn’t excite me when there are plenty of other lefties in the Detroit lineup to replace. Parker Meadows, Kerry Carpenter, Zach McKinstry: In a close game, the Guardians could have used the three other lefties in their bullpen to attack those weak-ish links. Sure, this was a high-leverage spot, but the game was unlikely to be short on those in the later innings (foreshadowing level: 1,000). This is a mark against using Jones, in my estimation. An even bigger problem: This spot in the order would bat again fairly often. By either extending the inning with a hit, or perpetuating the tie with an out, this spot in the order was likely to come up again regardless of outcome. And indeed, the Tigers had to first use a defensive substitute for Jones and then pinch-hit for that substitute with Justyn-Henry Malloy. I’d probably rather have Greene bat there, you know? When you pinch-hit for a good hitter, you’re giving up future access to that better hitter, so you better be certain of your advantage. I do think that this was the highest-leverage plate appearance Hinch was likely to get to pinch-hit with Jones. A runner on third and less than two outs in a tie game? That’s about as good as it gets. But why not wait a batter and then pinch-hit for Wenceel Pérez, standing in the on-deck circle, if Greene didn’t blow the game wide open? I’d rather use my best hitters than get the best platoon matchups, and a Jones-Greene pairing greatly outperforms a Jones-Pérez duo in my estimation. Greene’s propensity to hit into double plays might have played into Hinch’s mind, but Jones hit into them nearly as often on a rate basis, and neither had looked particularly GIDP-prone before this year. Hinch essentially said that he did the math differently in his postgame press conference. “We knew what was at the back end of the game,” he said, referring to the elite Cleveland bullpen, “which is why we were aggressive.” I take his point here. In essence, he discarded most of the long-game math and just tried to get his best matchup in the game against the worst reliever he was likely to see, and in a big spot to boot. After walking through the math, I can understand why Hinch made his decision. He had one extremely valuable pinch-hitting chip to play, and he decided that he was going to play it the first time he got the chance. Was it a bummer that it happened to be Greene’s spot? Sure. But he obviously would have done the same with the other lefties. I guess, in the end, I’m surprised to say that I don’t hate the decision to pinch-hit for Greene. I wouldn’t have done it. I’m not willing to discard those long-game numbers, because even if the Guardians bullpen is very good, I think that it can be beaten, and that I’d like to give my best hitters the most possible chances to do so. But the expected gains were certainly there. The move that Hinch made unquestionably increased the Tigers’ chances of getting a good outcome in that plate appearance. They didn’t, of course. Jones struck out. None of it mattered; the Guardians blew the game wide open with five runs in the bottom of the eighth after chewing through Detroit’s best relievers. It all came to nothing in the end. But I still found the decision fascinating. It looked very wrong on the surface. It turned out to be a very good decision within the framework of a single plate appearance after I ran the numbers. A number of other considerations related to the lost opportunity of future at-bats pulled it back to being within the margin of error, all before the opposing team washed away any evidence of the decision with a deluge of runs. Playoff baseball is delightful. Source View the full article

Continuity is what separates the good from the great teams in professional sports. The ability to have a sixth sense with teammates took a team like the Thunder to another level last season. Having the same group of core players over multiple seasons helped them win an NBA title. Heading into 2025-26, the Los Angeles […] The post Insiders report Lakers’ Rui Hachimura is expected to start over Marcus Smart appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article