Harvick will leave incomparable legacy that goes beyond rookie year

Published

2 years ago

January 12, 2023

admin

6:05 PM ET

If Kevin Harvick had announced his retirement on Jan. 12, 2002 instead of Jan. 12, 2023, he would have already had a plenty strong-enough case for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Thankfully, he didn’t then. He did now, dropping the news via social media on Thursday morning that the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season will be his last as a full-time racer.

In that video, the once-fresh-faced kid from Bakersfield, California, who once shouldered a load that no one should ever be asked to carry, was now a weathered-eyed grown man. And as he spoke the words that announced his retirement plans, he looked like someone who was excited to finally set that weight down. After all these years of chippiness, smart remarks and sarcasm, punctuated by winks, laughs and pearls of downright wisdom, the racer who was long ago ironically nicknamed Happy looked and sounded, well, happy.

All I could think of was a quote from the late Bobby Hamilton. It was at Martinsville in 2001, Harvick’s 30th Cup Series start. He’d had a run-in with Hamilton, then a 12-year series veteran, that ended his day penalized by NASCAR. The rookie shrugged it off on national TV. Hamilton responded, “The problem you have here is you have a young kid with a lot of talent trying to fill Dale Earnhardt‘s shoes and thinks he is Dale Earnhardt, and he wouldn’t make a scab on Dale Earnhardt’s butt right now. He just needs a little more time.”

He got that. More than two decades of it. Harvick used that word, “time,” a lot during the media rounds that followed his announcement.

#4EVER pic.twitter.com/iH5dzpt4HY

— Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) January 12, 2023

“From a personal side, I’m just out of time. I need things to do where I have more options with my kids,” he said to Sirius XM’s NASCAR channel shortly after the announcement. He spoke of daughter Piper, 5, and son Keelan, 9, who now races karts. He expressed regret that he hadn’t been able to attend his son’s races as much as he would have liked last year. “I’ve always told you that when it started affecting my kids, it was probably going to be the deciding factor, and in the end that’s really what the deciding factor was.”

He turned 47 last month, a milestone that was celebrated one month after the close of his 22nd season racing at NASCAR’s highest level and his 13th with multiple race wins. His 60 victories are tied for 10th on the all-time wins list. Among those triumphs are three Brickyard 400s, two Coca-Cola 600s, a pair of Southern 500s, a NASCAR All-Star Race victory and one of the gutsiest last-lap dashes ever seen in the Daytona 500. Do yourself a favor and enter a web search for “Kevin Harvick’s 2007 Daytona 500 Last Lap On-Board Camera.”

He won the Cup Series title in 2014, to go with a pair of Busch (now Xfinity) Series championships, a NASCAR Winston West title and even an IROC championship. He ranks 10th all-time in Cup Series top-five finishes (245), fifth all-time in top-10s (430) and 11th all-time in laps led (15,901). He has finished in the top five in the final season championship standings a stunning 13 times, including eight of the past ten years.

But not even all of those years and all of those wins or even that avalanche of trophies and statistics have been enough to overshadow what he did in 2001. Certainly not for those of us who witnessed it firsthand.

On the morning of Feb. 18, 2001, the day of the Daytona 500, he was known only as the California late-model racer who had been handpicked by Richard Childress to perhaps one day slide into one of RCR’s two Cup Series Chevrolets. But first, he was to continue to prove himself in the Busch Series, where he’d just won three races in his first year with Childress. He was engaged to be married to DeLana Linville, the daughter of a North Carolina short track legend. The stage was set for a very typical slow-burn ladder climb with the end goal of perhaps becoming teammate to Earnhardt, the biggest star in the sport.

By the time the sun had set that night, though, Earnhardt was dead. Five days later, in Rockingham, North Carolina, Harvick was behind the wheel of the Monte Carlo that have been prepared for The Intimidator. It was painted white instead of black and the number on the door was 29 instead of 3. For the remainder of that season, Harvick was asked to do the impossible. Not only was he expected to drive NASCAR’s most famous ride, he was to do so while being thrust into the roles of grief counselor and legacy defender.

He was 25.

Somehow, he won his third race in that car, a dramatic 0.006-second photo finish over Earnhardt’s last great rival, Jeff Gordon. The image of his pit crew — Earnhardt’s pit crew — weeping as he did a reverse victory lap with three fingers extended into the air, will always be one of the single most memorable moments in the 75-year history of NASCAR.

He backed that up with a second victory at brand-new Chicagoland Speedway that summer. He finished the season ranked ninth in the standings and earning Rookie of the Year honors. All while winning five races and a championship in his Busch Series car. All the while, he feuded with veterans and banged doors with his youngsters. See: 2002 Bristol, coming off the hood of Greg Biffle‘s car like Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka to land on Biffle’s head.

At the time, so many of us agreed with Hamilton. The kid was trying too hard to be Intimidator II, right? The strain of it all had frayed his nerves and shredded his common sense, right? There was no way he could keep that kind of intensity turned up to 11 without burning out over the course of a career, right?

We were wrong, on all accounts. Even Hamilton corrected himself years later, laughing as he said, “This seems to have worked out for him pretty well, hasn’t it?”

Harvick himself spent years dodging questions and conversations about that first year. You couldn’t blame him for that. Every racer wants to be remembered for what they did, not what they were forced to do in the shadow of those who came before. It is why he ultimately left Childress to drive for a fellow chip-on-his-shoulder kindred spirit in Tony Stewart, where Harvick finally won that elusive championship.

Every racer also wants to be remembered for their legacy. For Harvick, that legacy is about all of those victories, but it is also about the kid who grew into the role of a leader among his peers. Always outspoken, always pointed, and looking back, pretty much always correct. When he hangs up his helmet in November at Phoenix Raceway, where he has the most wins all time with nine, he will become one of so many among his generation to have retired in recent years. Finally ceding the garage to the youngsters whom he not so long ago had a war of words with over their failure to have truly earned the attention they were receiving as superstars of the sport.

The twist being that years ago he started a sports management business to represent athletes all over the sports world, but especially youngsters with potential. Now he will go to work hoping that his racing-obsessed son might one day be one of those athletes.

But in the end, no matter what he has done and no matter what he might do in the future, we should all take this year, Harvick’s final year, and thank him for that one year so long ago. When that kid shouldered so much on all of our behalf.

Sports

2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

Published

3 hours ago

July 13, 2025

admin

2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

Jul 11, 2025, 08:19 PM ET

The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.

Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.

On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.

With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.

Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more

2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet

Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.

Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.

2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.

Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.

2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet

Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.

Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.

2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet

Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.

Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.

2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet

Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.

Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.

2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet

Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.

Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.

2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.

Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.

2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet

Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.

Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.

Sports

Reds’ Fraley to play through partially torn labrum

Published

4 hours ago

July 12, 2025

admin

Reds' Fraley to play through partially torn labrum

Associated Press

Jul 12, 2025, 02:28 PM ET

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday.

He had injured his right shoulder while trying to make a diving catch June 23 against the New York Yankees.

An MRI revealed a partially torn labrum that will eventually require surgery. Fraley received a cortisone shot and will try to play through it for the rest of the season.

The Reds were 7-4 in his absence.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who hasn’t played since Noelvi Marte returned from the IL on July 4, was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.