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2 years ago

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  • ESPN News Services

Oct 26, 2023, 01:31 PM ET

As Dusty Baker officially ended one notable chapter in his illustrious career, he said Thursday he feels an obligation to do more around the game with his next one.

Baker, 74, confirmed his retirement at a news conference following his fourth season managing the Houston Astros, who came one win shy of reaching the World Series for a third straight year with a loss to the Texas Rangers on Monday night in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series.

“I would first like to say thank you to [Astros owner] Jim Crane and family for giving me this opportunity over the last four years,” Baker said Thursday. “It has been a tremendous honor to be the leader of this ballclub. Thank you to the fans for their unwavering passion. The amount of love I’ve received in my time in Houston has been unmatched.

“Thank you to all my players and coaches for their many sacrifices on our multiple pursuits to a World Series title. You all gave me all you had every day, and that’s all I can ever ask for. Lastly, I want to say thank you to all my friends and family. I have immense gratitude for all of the love and support you have shown me throughout the years, and I can’t say thank you enough. This isn’t a goodbye, it’s simply a ‘see you later.'”

Baker ranks seventh with 2,183 wins, and all eligible managers with 2,000 wins are in the Hall of Fame. He became the first Black manager to reach that milestone and would be the first inducted into Cooperstown.

He compiled a record of 2,183-1,862 (with one tie) across 4,046 games on the bench for the Giants (1993-2002), Cubs (2003-06), Reds (2008-13), Nationals (2016-17) and Astros (2020-23). He is the only manager to lead five different teams to division titles and was the National League Manager of the Year in 1993, 1997 and 2000.

His Astros won the AL West for the third straight season in 2023. In 2022, the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to win the World Series.

“It was probably the quickest four years I ever spent in my life,” Baker said. “But that’s what happens when you’re winning. When you’re losing, three or four years can feel like a decade.”

Baker helped restore luster to a franchise embarrassed by a sign-stealing scandal that ultimately led to suspensions for general manager Jeff Luhnow, manager AJ Hinch and bench coach Alex Cora.

“When we hired Dusty four seasons ago, we felt that he was the right person to guide this club during a tumultuous time — and we were right,” Crane said. “The success we’ve had under Dusty on the field is obvious, and the impact that he has had on our players, our organization and within our community has been tremendous. Dusty is a Hall of Famer as a manager, but more importantly, he is a Hall of Fame person. It has been an honor to have him as our manager.”

Baker began managing in 1993 after a 19-year playing career as an outfielder. The two-time All-Star played with Hank Aaron on the Atlanta Braves and won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981.

Baker said Thursday that attending Aaron’s funeral in 2021 was an eye-opening experience for him.

“All these people were talking about how Hank had contributed and helped out their college education and affected this life and that life,” Baker said. “I came back home and told my wife, ‘I don’t feel like I’ve done anything.’

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I know it’s going to be good, whatever it is. I believe that.”

Baker also played with the Giants (1984) and Oakland A’s (1985-86) during his career, compiling 1,981 hits with 242 homers and 1,013 RBIs in 2,039 games.

He wore his World Series ring on Thursday and said he hasn’t worn his 1981 Dodgers ring in a while because “it hasn’t fit in 30 years.”

“I was kind of mad at the world when I got through playing,” Baker said. “Like a lot of African-Americans and Latin players, there aren’t jobs, really. I was going to go home. And then my dad told me, ‘After all the people you’ve met, it’s not up to you to take with you and possess what they gave you. It’s up to you to pass it on to somebody else.’ That’s what I’ve tried to do.”

Baker said he feels like he has unfinished business around baseball.

“I haven’t made my mind yet on what I’m going to do, but I’m going to go home to talk to my daughter, who thinks she’s my mother, and spend some time with my grandkids and let the Lord tell me where to go and what to do with my life,” Baker said. “I still feel like I haven’t done what I’m supposed to do in life, so I believe the Lord has some great things ahead for me.”

Houston has the sixth manager opening of the offseason after Cleveland, the New York Mets, San Diego, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Angels. Only the Giants have filled the vacancy, hiring Bob Melvin from the Padres.

“We’ll work on it quickly,” Crane said. “[General manager Dana Brown] and I will do the work and we’ll find someone. It’ll be tough to replace Dusty, but we’ll work fast to get somebody in place.”

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2025 Kentucky Derby: Date, time, horses, odds, format, purse

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3 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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2025 Kentucky Derby: Date, time, horses, odds, format, purse

  • Keith Jenkins

Apr 29, 2025, 08:15 PM ET

The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is set to deliver yet another exhilarating race to the finish. From the field to the favorite, here is everything to know about the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

When is the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

The 2025 Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

What time does the 2025 Kentucky Derby begin?

The post time for the 2025 Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET.

How can fans watch?

Coverage of the 2025 Kentucky Derby begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Peacock will stream early coverage beginning at noon ET.

How many horses run in the Kentucky Derby?

Twenty horses have the chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby.

How do horses qualify for the Kentucky Derby?

To earn a spot in the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby, a horse must compete in a series of designated races from September through mid-April. Points are awarded to the top five finishers in each race. The 20 horses with the most points, or the horses who win their international series, earn a spot in the starting gate in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.

Who is the favorite in the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, opened as the 3-1 favorite.

What are the post positions for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

Post 1: Citizen Bull (20-1 morning line odds)

Post 2: Neoequos (30-1)

Post 3: Final Gambit (30-1)

Post 4: Rodriguez (12-1)

Post 5: American Promise (30-1)

Post 6: Admire Daytona (30-1)

Post 7: Luxor Cafe (15-1)

Post 8: Journalism (3-1)

Post 9: Burnham Square (12-1)

Post 10: Grande (20-1)

Post 11: Flying Mohawk (30-1)

Post 12: East Avenue (20-1)

Post 13: Publisher (20-1)

Post 14: Tiztastic (20-1)

Post 15: Render Judgment (30-1)

Post 16: Coal Battle (30-1)

Post 17: Sandman (6-1)

Post 18: Sovereignty (5-1)

Post 19: Chunk of Gold (30-1)

Post 20: Owen Almighty (30-1)

Alternate: Baeza

Which post has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners?

Post 5 has produced the most winners, with 10.

What three races make up horse racing’s Triple Crown?

The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes are the three races needed to accomplish the Triple Crown.

Who won the 2024 Kentucky Derby?

Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek, won last year’s Kentucky Derby at 18-1 odds.

What is the purse for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

Since 2024, $5 million in prize money has been guaranteed for the Kentucky Derby.

Check out the ESPN horse racing hub page for the latest news and notes ahead of the big race.

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Panthers’ Ekblad suspended 2 games for Hagel hit

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4 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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Panthers' Ekblad suspended 2 games for Hagel hit

  • Associated Press

Apr 29, 2025, 07:28 PM ET

NEW YORK — Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for two games for elbowing Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in the head midway through Game 4 of Florida’s first-round series against Tampa Bay.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced its ruling after a phone hearing with Ekblad earlier Tuesday. He will be out for Game 5 and either Game 6 of this series or the Panthers’ first game in the next round.

No penalty was called when Ekblad hit Hagel in the chin with his right elbow and forearm with just under nine minutes left in the second period on Monday night. Hagel left the ice and did not return, and Ekblad scored the first of two goals in 11 seconds late in the third to give the defending Stanley Cup champions a comeback victory and a 3-1 series lead.

Coach Jon Cooper said Hagel would not play in Game 5. Hagel was suspended for Game 3 for his late hit that knocked Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov out of Game 2.

Ekblad missed the first two games of the playoffs and the final 18 of the regular season after being suspended for violating the league and NHLPA’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Florida got accustomed to playing without Ekblad.

“If it’s the first time it happens, there’s even questions from the coaching staff about what’s the right adjustment to make in your lineup and how will that play out — there’s a lot of unknown,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Because we’ve been through it so much when Aaron’s out, we know what the D-pairs are — let’s assume — if he’s out of the lineup.”

Another Florida defenseman, Niko Mikkola, was fined $5,000 for boarding Tampa Bay’s Zemgus Girgensons. Mikkola was given a five-minute major and ejected for the play early in the third period of Game 4.

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Tocchet quits; Canucks 8th team seeking a coach

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4 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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Tocchet quits; Canucks 8th team seeking a coach

  • Ryan S. ClarkApr 29, 2025, 05:05 PM ET

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      Ryan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.

Add Rick Tocchet to the list of available coaching options on the open market with the Vancouver Canucks announcing Tuesday that Tocchet left the team.

There had been a belief that Tocchet’s time with the Canucks could be coming to an end. Last week saw the discussion of Tocchet’s future with the franchise come under greater focus, with Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford saying they weren’t exercising their option on Tocchet’s contract before adding that they offered him a new, more lucrative deal to remain in Vancouver.

But now? Tocchet joins the list of sought-after coaching candidates and the Canucks become the eighth NHL team that will use this offseason to go through a coaching search.

“After a very long and thorough process, unfortunately Rick has decided to leave the Vancouver Canucks,” Rutherford said in a statement. “This is very disappointing news, but we respect Rick’s decision to move to a new chapter in his hockey career. We did everything in our power to keep him but at the end of the day, Rick felt he needed a change.”

In the same news conference in which Rutherford said the team offered Tocchet a new deal, he also said that Tocchet “may have his mind somewhere else” before adding that he felt Tocchet and his staff did “a good job coaching this team this year” as they did in their first full campaign.

Tocchet was a midseason hire during the 2022-23 season. His first full year in charge saw the Canucks win 50 games, finish with 109 points and win the Pacific Division. He led the Canucks to their first postseason appearance since the 2019-20 season and was a win away from advancing to the Western Conference finals.

Entering this season, the Canucks had most of their players from their playoff team. They started strong with a 15-8-5 record but encountered numerous on-ice and off-ice problems that would prove too large.

Among them was the friction between star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The tension between Miller and Pettersson reached a stage in which Canucks captain Quinn Hughes publicly acknowledged there was an issue with Miller and Pettersson denying such issues.

Miller would be traded to the New York Rangers before the trade deadline, and the Canucks struggled to find someone who could replace his production. They would finish six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Still, Tocchet had the support of Hughes, along with others within the organization who wanted him to stay.

As for what it all means going forward for both parties? Tocchet is among those who will join Mike Sullivan, who parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday after winning two Stanley Cups in 10 seasons, as one of the most attractive names for teams seeking a new bench boss.

Then there are the teams that need a coach. It’s a list that includes the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Seattle Kraken, plus the Penguins and now the Canucks.

“I’m choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks,” Tocchet said. “Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes an opportune time. While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities around hockey.”

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