Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
MLB: Red Sox at Mariners, 10:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB: Yankees at Mets, 7:10 p.m. (ESPN)
Basketball: Exhibition, United States vs. Nigeria, 8 p.m. (NBA TV)
Soccer: Exhibition, Liverpool vs. AS Roma, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
AROUND THE WEB:
Andrew Miller
— Yankees manager Joe Girardi continues to insist his team has a chance this season, but the actions of the past few days have made it clear that the team has begun a rebuilding process with an eye toward the distant future.
Less than a week after shipping closer Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs for four prospects, the Yankees continued to dismantle their heralded bullpen, sending Andrew Miller to the Indians for another four minor leaguers. And there are rumors that veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran is on the block (with the Red Sox among the teams said to have interest).
General manager Brian Cashman acknowledged that the days of loading up through free agency have passed, as MLB rules changes have made that strategy a less viable one.
“The chessboard that’s lined up that we’re playing is not the same chessboard that we were playing back when I just started in the late ’80s,” Cashman told reporters Sunday after the Miller trade. “It’s a recognition of how the industry’s completely different today and the operating standards are completely different today, and there’s just a sounder recognition of that. And if you want to become a super team, there’s certain ways to go about that that you have to strongly consider. And although they may be tough decisions, the one thing the Yankees have always stood for and do stand for is the effort in trying to become a super team.”
Added Cashman: “We’re trying to get back to a situation where we can build an uber team and a sustainable one. So we’ll see where it takes us, but that’s the effort that we’ve got going on here, and I think fans should be excited by that.”
After their second straight loss to the last-place Rays, the fourth-place Yankees are 52-52 and in danger of finishing with a losing record for the first time since 1992. But that’s not how Girardi views it.
“I don’t ever wave a white flag. This organization never waves a white flag,” the manager said. “I don’t view it as that, and they better not view it in that room as that.”
— Warriors forward Draymond Green’s eventful offseason continued Sunday when he posted a picture of his penis on Snapchat, then took it down and apologized.
“It was a situation where it was meant to be a private message and kind of hit the wrong button, you know?” Green said before the U.S. Olympic team’s practice in Houston. “Like I said, it was meant to be private, but we’re all one click away from placing something in the wrong place and I suffered from that this morning.”
When the picture was first removed, Green took a different approach, claiming someone accessed his account.
Tweeted Green: Hacked….. Can’t win right now
Added Green: Lol sheesh
Green was arrested in early July for an incident in which he struck a football player from his alma mater, Michigan State. He reached a plea agreement in which he’ll pay a fine and restitution. And he’s coming off an NBA Finals in which he was suspended for Game 6 after hitting LeBron James in the groin.
Despite it all, Green said he’s in a good place.
“There’s so many people who struggles on a daily basis, that are going through the struggles on the daily basis, that for me to sit here and say I can’t catch a break because I got suspended for a game in the Finals, or I can’t catch a break because of this situation or, like I’m living my dreams, I’m playing in the Olympics,” he said. “So to say I can’t catch a break, I think that’s disrespectful to everybody because like, how many people get to live their dream?”
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On Aug. 1, 2004, which newly acquired Red Sox player (part of the Nomar Garciaparra trade) debuted with a home run off Twins ace Johan Santana in his first at-bat?
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We find a way to dig a little bit deeper before the 27th out is recorded, and give credit to our guys that keep fighting and keep battling.” — Red Sox manager John Farrell, after his team rallied from a three-run deficit in the ninth inning for a 5-3 victory over the Angels
STAT OF THE DAY: 2 — Angels baseunners tagged out at home during the first inning Sunday, as Red Sox starter Steven Wright allowed three hits and a walk but escaped the frame without allowing a run
‘NET RESULTS: With a runner on third base in a tie game in the bottom of the 12th inning, Cubs pitcher Jon Lester lays down a suicide squeeze bunt — despite having two strikes — to score the winning run against the Mariners.
With two outs in the ninth inning, Derek Dietrich hits a triple to give the Marlins a walk-off win over the Cardinals.
Padres baserunner Will Myers steals home as Reds pitcher Homer Bailey, upset with walking a batter, loses focus and walks off the mound with his back turned toward home.
TRIVIA ANSWER: Orlando Cabrera
SOOTHING SOUNDS: Counting Crows lead singer Adam Duritz was born on this day in 1964.