MUNCIE, Ind. – Round 1 goes to Ball State.
Tyler Schweitzer got the better of Central Michigan's Andrew Taylor in a classic pitcher's duel on Friday as the Cardinals downed the Chippewas, 7-1, in the opener of a big four-game Mid-American Conference series at the Cardinals' First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
The loss ended CMU's record MAC win streak at 21 games and its overall win streak at 18. CMU is 28-11 and leads the league at 21-2; second-placed Ball State (26-14) is 20-4, 1 ½ games back. The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday (noon) and then close the series on Sunday (1 p.m.).
Taylor (6-3) struck out 13 and allowed three hits, the big blow a two-out three-run homer by Zach Cole in the seventh inning that broke a scoreless tie. It marked Taylor's fourth-consecutive game in which he has registered a double-digit strikeout total.
Schweitzer (7-2), a junior left-hander, struck out six, walked five and limited the Chippewas to one hit – a second-inning Justin Simpson single – through seven innings.
"Good pitcher's duel obviously," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said. "I thought (Taylor) dominated the game – one of the most-dominant performances I've seen, but he had one chopper for a base hit, an intentional walk, and a fly ball to left field.
"He threw seven good innings. I think that's as long as he's gone all year. He had everything working. Like I said, he controlled the game, but they hit one fly ball, the wind pushed it out a little bit, and you tip the cap (to Ball State). They did what they had to do. He threw the heck out of it."
The Cardinals added four insurance runs in the eighth off relievers Ben Vitas and Jake Jones.
CMU drew eight walks and stranded 10 baserunners. The Chippewas got their lone run in the eighth when they walked the bases loaded and Drew Lechnir hit a one-out sacrifice fly.
Reliever Sam Klein ended the threat with a strikeout.
"You give Ball State credit," Bischel said. "They took the swings when they needed to. It was a good ball game. We just didn't hit enough balls hard. There's a reason that their guy has a 2 ERA and is going to be a pro next year. We've got some guys on, just didn't cash them in.
"You look at the last month, we set the league record for consecutive wins and you're probably going to lose at some point. That's a part of baseball; usually you don't go undefeated. Now we've just got to respond. Just got to play better tomorrow."
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Baseball Falls In Opener Of Showdown Series At Ball State - Central Michigan University Chippewas
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Saturday, April 30, 2022
Friday, April 29, 2022
ROUNDUP: Stevenson falls prey to St. Clair’s softball small ball - The Macomb Daily
Some call it small ball. Others refer to it as old-school. Still more just call it smart, fundamental softball.
Whatever you choose to call it, using tried-and-true methods of moving runners on the base paths using bunts, passed balls and simply putting the ball in play can be an efficient way to win a game.
Such was the case for St. Clair’s softball team in a game against Stevenson.
St. Clair won 2-1 by manufacturing both runs the old way: In the second inning, Clair Borg singled to left field leading off, pinch-runner Tabby Furlin moved to second when Madi Cole dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt, then to third on a passed ball and scored on Erin Seros’ grounder to second.
Stevenson responded in the bottom of the second with a home run by R. Grab.
The score remained tied until the seventh, when St. Clair put together another scoring sequence. Cole was safe on an error to start the inning, Erin Seros came through with a sacrifice bunt and Julie Schweihofer followed with a clutch, two-out liner to left-center field to plate the winning run.
Winning pitcher Avery Paul did the rest, allowing just four hits while striking out 10 and allowing no free passes.
St. Clair, 7-5 overall, moves to 3-1 in league play.
MORE SOFTBALL
FRASER 8, L’ANSE CREUSE 6: Jordan Fabirkiewicz had three hits. Kaycee Stang had two hits. Kailey Viviano had two hits including a home run. Allisyn Melcher belted a two-run homer and Skylar Claeys-Meeks had a two-RBI double.
Olivia DeBets earned the win on the mound, striking out seven.
L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH 7, MARYSVILLE 5: Leading the charge for Marysville were Megan Liniarski, who struck out 11 and allowed four runs in a complete-game performance; Kaitlyn Cain with two hits, including a homer run and two RBI; Kate Westmiller (three hits, one run); Brandi Bassett (three hits, one RBI, one run); Anna Oles (one RBI) and Kalista Negin (two hits.)
Marysville moves to 2-2 MAC White, 4-3 overall.
PARKWAY CHRISTIAN 15, NOVI CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 0: Carlee Morgan pitched her second straight shutout. She tallied seven strikeouts among the 11 batters she faced.
Offensively for Parkway Christian, Caroline Schlaf had three hits and Maddy Bunk two hits. Tiara Russell and Jillian Hulley had two RBI. Kennedy Crouse hit a double..
GROSSE POINTE NORTH 6, FORD 0: Katelyn Barr threw a complete-game, three-hit, 14-strikeout shutout for North.
With the game tied 0-0 in the bottom of the 4th, North banged out four hits and stole two bases to take a 5-0 lead. Jenna Winowicki and Natalie Babcock had key RBI singles.
The next inning was led off by a Mariaina Smith double/ Smith scored on a solid shot to center by Elizabeth Rheaume.
Ford loaded the bases in the top of the seventh, but Barr notched her 13th and 14th strikeouts of the game to stop the Falcon threat.
BASEBALL
UTICA, ANCHOR BAY SPLIT A PAIR: After dropping a tough 3-2 decision in the opener, Utica rebounded to post a 7-5 extra-inning (8) affair in the second game.
As a result, Utica stands at 2-4 in the MAC White, 6-8 overall.
Leaders for Utica in Game One included: Darren Welch (five innings pitched, seven strikeouts, two earned runs); Tim Geottes (Two hits, one RBI); Mason Brodi (three hits, one run) and Logan Davis (one hit, one RBI). In the nightcap, Nick Bosilkovski threw five strong innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out four. Other contributions included: Davis (winning pitcher, two innings, one earned run allowed); Ayden Salmo (four hits, one run, 1 RBI); Nick Bosilkovski (two hits, one run, one RBI); Darren Welch and Carson Konczalski (one hit, one RBI each); Davis and Gavin Zbytowski (two hits, one RBI)
CENTER LINE 15, SOUTH LAKE 0: Senior Kal El Yang was almost unhittable, throwing four innings of no-hit ball and striking out 11-of-12 batters.
Offensively, Center Line was paced by senior Dylan Roosa (three hits, three runs, three RBI, two stolen bases)l Bret Jones (two hits, two runs, three RBI); Kal El Yang added (two hits, two runs, three RBI).
GROSSE POINTE SOUTH 6, STEVENSON 1: Alex Tigges, Cliff Grabowski (two doubles), and Jonathan Drake each had two hits to lead the way for the Blue Devils.
Six players drove in runs: Drake, Grabowski, Wells Graham, Ben Domzalski, River Kraus, and Connor Stafford.
Robbie Leonard went the distance on the mound, scattering six hits while striking out eight.
South has won six of its last seven, and is 10-7 overall, 4-1 in MAC-Red action. Stevenson is 5-6, 1-4.
EISENHOWER, FORD SPLIT A PAIR: Eisenhower extended its MAC red unbeaten streak to four, only to then have Ford turnaround and snap that hot streak in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
Ike won the first game 7-1, but lost the second game 6-3.
In the opener, Anthony Fodale was spot on, throwing a complete game and striking out six for Utica.
Jake Verellen blasted a two-run home run over the 367 sign in left center. Brandon Rice had two hits and three RBI, while Aaron Thorpe and Pietro Ciaramitaro each added big hits.
In Game 2, the Eagles took their first loss in MAC Red defeat in MAC Red play after a huge seventh inning for Ford.
The Eagles fell behind for the fifth straight MAC Red game only to come back once again and take a 3-2 lead.
Ford, however, staged a one-out rally in the final inning and tagged on four runs to win.
Anthony Fodale, Aiden Ives, Brandon Rice, Aaron Thorpe, Lukas Zahuranic, and Danny Szalkowski all had hits for the Eagles.
Ike is currently tied for first place in the MAC Red with Grosse Pointe South with a record of 4-1. The Eagles are 5-4 overll.
GIRLS TENNIS
WARREN WOODS-TOWER 8, WARREN FITZGERALD 0: SINGLES – Stephanie Crachiolo, def. Sumia Saleh, 6-0, 6-0; Zoe Bluer def. Samiha Rahman, 6-0, 6-0; Aurora Hartson won by default, 2-0, 2-0; Katherine Bonkowski won by default, 2-0, 2-0. DOUBLES – Ella Good-April Williams def. Ifrat Jahan-Nowrin Rahman, 6-0, 6-0. Natalie Gatto-Gelestine Scribner won by default, 2-0, 2-0; Janah Sabah-Jessica Gatto won by default, 2-0, 2-0; Kim Kulick-Anastasia Kostic won by default, 2-0, 2-0.
UTICA FORD 8, FRASER 0: SINGLES – Gracie Singh def. Lucy Clark, 6-2, 6-1; Natalia Dycha def. Emily Centner, 6-1, 6-3; Edie Pilarski def. Sophia Brown, 6-0, 6-1; Genevieve Costakes def. Katie Nielson, 2-0, 2-0. DOUBLES – Raegan Spear-Maria Iveza def. Gianna Payton-Olivia Holley, 6-0, 6-2; Dema AbuZraineh-Sophiia Shchur def. Marissa Gutow-Riya Engle, 6-2, 6-2; Taylor Smith-Nandini Patel def. Jessica Reinhart-Frankie Palazzolo, 6-1, 6-4; Selena Younis-Maryam Yono def. Isabella Calabrese-Alyssa Noworlnik, 6-1, 6-1.
ALMONT 5 CROSWELL-LEXINGTON 3: SINGLES – Brooklyn Butler, CL, def. Andrea Frederick, 4-6, 6-1 , 6-3; Kaylee Brown, A, def. Elizabeth Pardy, 6-4, 6-2; Jenna Hausmann, A, def. Alleyna Martinez, 6-1, 6-0; Abigail Cooper, CL, def. Makenna Karbel, 7-5 , 6-4. DOUBLES: Kobi Stribling-Kylee Stribling, CL, def. Bella Moussiaux-Shelby Grewe, 6-0, 6-0; Autumn Bletch-Hyley Goldstein A, def. Chloe Shaffer-Adela Lenczowska, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1; Avis Schapman-Natalie Frederick, A, def. Caelei McClain-Rowley Kerry, 6-1, 7-6 (1); Samantha Keller-Lauren Culver, A, def. Savannah Lamb-Ava Wilson, 6-0, 6-0.
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ROUNDUP: Stevenson falls prey to St. Clair’s softball small ball - The Macomb Daily
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Play ball…Cabrini baseball team spends afternoon with St. Katherine School students - timesherald
RADNOR — It was a day for fresh air, exercise and fun when the Cabrini University baseball team dropped by St. Katherine School’s upper campus at Archbishop John Carroll High to spend some time with the SKS Cardinals.
The Cavaliers worked out with the students, and ran through a few baseball drills. The team posted on its Facebook page, “Thank you to @stkatherineschool for an unforgettable afternoon!”
St. Katherine School is one of 4 schools of special education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The main campus offers a program for students with multiple impairments, as well as a life skills program, which includes functional academics. The high school program, located in Radnor at Archbishop John Carroll High School, offers a life skills program including functional academics and vocational training. All teachers are highly qualified and continue to attend workshops and conferences that broaden and enrich their teaching techniques. Each classroom has a teacher assistant on a daily basis. We have part time speech, occupational and physical therapists.
For more information, visit https://www.stkatherineschool.org/
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DeRozan, Ball hope to "run it back" with core next season - NBA.com
So how about an encore?
That appeared to be the desire of Bulls players Thursday in close-of-season exit meetings with management. It's not their prerogative as employees in the funhouse mirror world of the NBA where the manpower generally earn more than the Man.
But with the promise of the beginning of this season and the experience of continuity and cohesion, the hope was they'd at least get another bite at the apple. Because the cherry on top of any season really is the championship that bears fruit without sugarcoating and the meat and potatoes of league success certainly is food for thought.
Anyone hungry?
For success?
"They want to have continuity, that's for sure," Nikola Vucevic told media after his Thursday session with management. "They want to see how this thing looks and what it can do. As far as moves they can make, I don't really know that. That's their job. But I know they want to continue to build a team that can win and can compete to the highest level.
"Almost all the great teams, they're built over time," Vucevic explained. "Nothing happens overnight. You need to have that continuity. You need to give a team the chance to go through ups and downs, playoffs, tough moments, good moments, getting to build that chemistry. That was the message of what we talked about in exit meetings. I think the core guys we have here are really good players, I think they work well together, and now it's just about taking that next step forward. I do think we have the talent to match up with all the teams in the East. Obviously this year, it didn't go the way we wanted, but as a group you have to go through the ups and downs of the year, the successes, the failures. All that gives you an opportunity to grow and get better. For us I think that could really happen."
Which the players would require more redecorating than renovation, coherence being their ace in the hole.
"I've got the upmost trust and faith in the front office to do the job," said DeMar DeRozan. "Just like we're competitors, they are as well for the right reasons. Let them put the cards together and we''ll go out and play with the deck we have."
Not that anyone can plan for it, but health is a priority with this Bulls team after a season with so many absences that extended into the five-game playoff loss to the Milwaukee Bucks that ended Wednesday with a third consecutive overwhelming loss. The most compelling absence was that of point guard Lonzo Ball, and there wasn't great news about that.
"I'm kind of at a standstill right now," Ball admitted about lingering issues following his knee surgery in January that was supposed to keep him out a maximum of two months. "I'm supposed to be going and meeting with another specialist next week to kind of figure some things out. I was going at it pretty hard trying to get back as fast as possible. Still have pain. So gotta get that figured out this summer for sure; whatever I gotta do to get my knee right.
"I'm not sure (about another surgery). Hopefully not," Ball admitted. "I wouldn't want to have another one. But if that's what it takes, then I pretty much have no choice at this point. It's been unfortunate for me my first couple years in the league. But hopefully I can turn it around next year. It's the same tear (as after his rookie season). This is the second time I tore it. So like I said, obviously, something needs to be addressed this summer. I'm going to work with the doctors and the strength coaches and do what I gotta do to get healthy. I would love to run it back (as a team). I was unhealthy this year. (Alex) Caruso went down. Pat (Williams) was pretty much out all the way until the playoffs. Everyone knows Zach (LaVine) was playing hurt pretty much this whole year. If everybody can get healthy and come back, I don't see why we couldn't run it back."
So here's a look at the roster the Bulls players, at least, hope management will give them another chance to prove they were the team of the first half and not the second.
Zach LaVine:
He didn't meet with management Thursday because of Covid restrictions, but he still could address media later this week. He's the biggest question mark on the team as the only unrestricted free agent of importance (Troy Brown Jr., Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr. and Tristan Thompson are the other free agents and not expected to return). LaVine is eligible for a big five-year contract as a two-time All-Star, Olympic gold medal winner and the veteran of this team who steered through several seasons of rebuilding. Despite accepting a secondary role to DeRozan this season and fighting off knee pain that likely will require some sort of procedure this summer, LaVine still averaged 24.4 points per game and led the team in three-point shooting among eligible players. And while his much speculated combination with DeRozan seemed to go smoothly, the sense was the team lost something the way LaVine was left to defer.
"Sometimes he was trying to facilitate to others too much instead of just being himself and playing off his instinct, playing to his aggressiveness," said Vucevic. "I know it came from a good place for him, trying to be unselfish in the game. But we always told him throughout the year, ‘You have to be you, you have to go attack, be aggressive, and then you'll make the right read at the right moment.' So that was the only thing I would tell him because he's so talented offensively he just has to be who he is and we have to play off of him.''
Once Ball was injured the Bulls became a slower, half court team dedicated to the offense of DeRozan. That it worked so spectacularly so often erased the stagnation of others at times, especially LaVine. DeRozan will move the ball against pressure like Milwaukee showed, but usually after looking for his shot. Without Ball to push the ball out of the backcourt, the Bulls became more of a walk-it-up offense. And then if DeRozan got attention, there often was a late pass without a chance to swing the ball a few times. LaVine worked his way into that mix effectively, but it led at times to end-of-clock isolation.
DeRozan flourished thanks to the defense that couldn't afford to leave LaVine and his dynamic play, and the two genuinely seemed to enjoy playing together. LaVine is better in transition, so it hurt him not being to play with Ball. Management has prominently expressed interest in working out a new contract, but LaVine still as an unrestricted free agent can choose his destination. The Bulls, however, can offer the most money.
DeMar DeRozan:
He unexpectedly has become the face of the franchise even with the excellence and accomplishments of LaVine. Though he dearly missed a full-Zach when knee issues and Covid limited LaVine in the playoffs and the defense could force the ball from DeRozan. His mid range shooting game has been a joy to watch along with his natural feel for the game. Though he tends to stop the ball at times on offense dribbling into his shooting spot and isn't a top defender. That none among DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic is considered a primary defender made the absences of Ball and Alex Caruso more significant.
Teammates, meanwhile, have been inspired by his habits and preparation.
"He doesn't let a lot affect him mentally, whether it's missing shots or making shots," noticed Patrick Williams. "I think you saw that Game 1 and 2 (in Milwaukee). Just coming out and having a bad shooting night and then the next night going for 40 or whatever he had. I think mentally nothing can faze him. I'm not sure what it is that got him to that point. But I think that is something I can pick up from him. And then just the work that he puts in. I think that also goes into not being able to be fazed mentally. I think that goes into the confidence we have in him and the confidence he has in himself. He's in here every night, every afternoon. I don't think a lot of people know that. If it's not a game day, he's in here. Whether it's cold tub, whether it's getting shots up, he's in here every night. So I kind of started to do that as well later on in the season, him and Zach and Javonte (Green) are always in here in the afternoons. so I would come in here too. When you see great players, you see what they do, you kind of start to pick up on it as well."
Going on 33 this summer, DeRozan remarkably had the highest scoring season of his career and was a legitimate league MVP candidate into the All-Star break. And with two years left on his Bulls contract he says he is hardly slowing down. He led the team in minutes played (fourth in the league) and games started and was second in most games played by one to leader Ayo Dosunmu, a decade younger.
"One of my goals is always to try to play the majority of the season," said DeRozan. "I did that and it felt good. It's a big privilege for me to make it through a season. I hate that we had to deal with injuries, but for the oldest guy on the team to make it through was good. If LeBron (James) still is doing what he's doing (at 37) I got hope. I'm going to be 33; I got some years.
"I don't look at it like I'm getting older, I'm getting slower," said DeRozan. "At the end of the day, I look at it like I'm getting smarter, I'm getting more of a will to keep being better. I don't look at age too much. Maybe when I'm 38 or something. Just taking care of myself physically, mentally is a big part to this whole thing. I've been blessed to mostly stay healthy throughout my career. As long as I can go out and play, I'm going to figure out a way to get better."
Nikola Vucevic:
The big man whom the Bulls invested in last year to begin their rebuilding dropped off somewhat offensively, especially shooting, though still averaged a double-double and by player efficiency stats was the Bulls best playoff performer. The two-time All-Star also has been one of the most productive centers in franchise history despite being tasked with a delicate assimilation since his trade from Orlando.
"This year took me some time, longer than I thought it would," Vucevic admitted. "I was trying to find myself, find my spots and things like that. As the season went on it was better and better. So overall good season, learning experience for me, new situation, new role, and I'm just going to look to build on it. Outside the start that was not up to my standard, that actually made me a better player and I was able to figure other ways to be effective and play overall a good season and hopefully be better next year.
"Just new teammates, new style of play," explained Vucevic. "I had players around me that were obviously really great players, so just finding my way playing with my new teammates, a new style. When I was in Orlando everything was built around me and the way we played was based around me, so just that adjustment. We had much more firepower on this team than I previously had, so sometimes you don't get the same amount of shots you're used to. It was just an adjustment. Sometimes it happens quickly, sometimes it takes a little while.
"I never really got to the point where I was consistently shooting the ball the way I can," Vucevic insisted. "Maybe I was over thinking a little bit when I didn't start shooting the way I wanted to. I felt like at times I was trying to space too much (shooting threes) and not thinking of other things I can do. I know I can shoot the ball really well, I know how effective I can be from there.''
Without the offense running through him like it was in Orlando, perhaps no one suffered more—other than the overall offense—than Vucevic without a point guard. Actually, rookie Dosunmu was best finding him with a nice inside passing game. But Dosunmu didn't have point guard instincts beyond that and often was too cautious with the ball. The pattern became, understandably, giving it to DeRozan or LaVine to operate. The result was too few pick-and-roll opportunities to the basket for Vucevic and the failure to take advantage of the mismatches. The guards tended to hold the ball themselves on ball screens when seeing the big switch onto them. It often left Vucevic in this nether world middle ground of finding space like being the only one on the offense running the triangle. He remarkably failed to shoot a free throw the last four playoff games. Milwaukee did pack in the lane and he did post often, but movement would stop, leaving him to back in without enough options. Having Ball return and a more experienced veteran facilitator would greatly benefit his play.
Patrick Williams:
The perplexing 20-year-old big man appears to be the hope and anticipation of the veterans in being able to make that so called next step for the team. Williams missed most of the season after wrist surgery in October, and led the team in scoring in the Game 5 loss close out game after 20 points and 10 rebounds in Game 4. Which came after one point and zero field goals in Game 3. His impressive size and easy grace projects to brilliance, but then collides with seeming indifference or hesitance. He's filled in as starting power forward for next season, but when he had 23 points in Game 5 he had one rebound, and just on a second shot.
"I think the last two games were big for me in terms of seeing that I could do it, in terms of, defensively, offensively, feeling myself more present in the game, whether it was scoring or not," said Williams. "Rebounding, I think I could have done a better job of that. All over the court just kind of making my presence known in the game. The last two games I kind of felt more confident. I knew the spots. I knew how they were playing DeMar. Even though Zach was out the last game, I knew how they were playing Zach, I knew how they were playing Vooch. So it's kind of like, when I catch it, I kind of know what I'm going to. DeMar, Zach and Vooch are at the top of every team's scouting report. So when I catch the ball, I think it's more of me being aggressive, me knowing my spots, knowing when I catch the ball this is what I can get to, this is a move that I can make. Being aggressive whenever I catch it."
It's what everyone perhaps unfairly has been yelling at Williams since he was drafted as an 18-year-old sixth man in college. But so far he's only been able to play like that and display that attitude when veterans were out.
"Us as veterans, the main guys on the team going into next year, we have to find a way to implement Pat into our game and use him the right way so that he can be who he is and excel because he can be a huge part of what we want to do," said Vucevic.
The muscled up 6-7 Williams seems more comfortable being deferential. He's taken some baby steps with a fake and step in, but mostly has preferred to take only a wide open shot or pass when there's any defensive contest. The Bulls have been urging him otherwise. So no one knows if that's who he is. Or if that's just who he has been to start. In any case, DeRozan says he has made it his offseason project to awake the project.
"Starting preparation of being a better a team than we were this year," said DeRozan. "I'm planning on having a lot of guys to come out L.A., work with me, put them through a lot of the hell I put myself through in the offseason, especially Pat. I'm looking forward to having him get up at 4 o'clock in the morning, kind of breaking them down and whoever else wants to on the team. I plan on spending a lot of time with these guys getting ready for next year."
DeRozan said he modeled his offseason program on one he learned from Kobe Bryant.
"Pat is my main big one," DeRozan said.
Lonzo Ball:
Look, if he were that good as the Bulls talk about with his absences he'd be the MVP of the league. He is more important to the Bulls, perhaps, than other teams because the Bulls hoped to offset the obvious offseason lack of size with speed and defensive disruption with he and Caruso. The Bulls were 27-13 and just a few days since falling out of first in the Eastern Conference when Ball went out for the season January 24. He was leading the team in three-point shooting at 42 percent.
"I felt like their (Milwaukee) defense was kind of pack the paint in and load up on guys. I feel like my shooting could've for sure helped," Ball said.
Ball came to the Bulls with a reputation as an improved shooter, but a point guard who didn't like to drive to the basket much. He averaged more than seven threes for the Bulls, but fewer than one free throw attempt per game. His style was more open court to look ahead and produce transition, which also wasn't ideal for Vucevic, who had to become more of a trail three-point shooter. Then that changed when Ball went out.
If the Bulls, as the players said they preferred, keep the main core in tact, one of the needs would seem to be an experienced reserve point guard who can penetrate and facilitate, like a Ricky Rubio type. The Bulls also would seem to most need, also off the bench, an athletic big man so Vucevic could occasionally move to power forward. A Mitchell Robinson or JaVale McGee type, and a solid spot up shooter like half the players on the Miami Heat roster.
Though the most important equation for the Bulls and Ball is his knee and its connections to the correct pieces.
Alex Caruso:
Reckless is good. It got 6-4, 180-pound Alex Caruso into the NBA, where he wasn't supposed to be. It helped make him a crucial part of a championship team and a big reason LeBron James is now a playoff spectator. It's also why he only got in half the Bulls games this season and averaged about 10 missed games the previous seasons. Also why he's so valuable to the Bulls with his defense and hustle that can be the difference in games in which he might score six points.
But it also exposes him to injury with his body size. He missed the last playoff game with a concussion and had back problems. His broken wrist was hardly his fault, but he was trying a highlight/motivational dunk on the run. He plays without fear and it rouses emotions.
So he says he'll do what he can this this summer for strength and endurance, make sure those hamstrings and such are tight and resilient. Still, he has to be who he is.
"I wish I could have played more games, wish we could have played longer into the post season, but we're in a better spot than when we started the year; hopefully I can say that again next year," Caruso said. "I don't know if we got to see our full potential, big pieces (injured) that hurt the symmetry, chemistry, ability to build habits. I think we are a really good team with good pieces that has a chance to be really special. I want to make sure I can be out there for my team to build the habits we need to and being a better complement to some of our star guys on offense."
For him now, Caruso said it's "playing golf, basketball, watching my dog, work out, see some buddies, hang out with family, back in Texas a lot, here in Chicago. I'm a pretty simple guy."
Not so much on the basketball court; but also how often can he be?
Coby White:
It's seemed like a tough season for the third-year guard, but he had his best three-point shooting year despite constantly changing roles from starter to reserve, point guard to shooting guard. He's something of a tweener as a player, not quite a spot up shooter and not quite the penetrating finisher. His confusion is the Bulls ask him to do both at times. He came off shoulder surgery when he couldn't work out all summer and began the season late, but he's always seemed like one of the most positive and upbeat people on the team. He's eligible for an extension but unlikely to be offered with his position still uncertain and the emergence of rookie Dosunmu and the need for a classic catch-and-shoot.
He's capable of offensive bursts like a 20-point average over six games in February with 55 percent three-point shooting averaging eight attempts per game. But then he can be bullied on defense as he was at times against the Bucks. He knows his limitations, but remains confident and positive.
"(Management said to) work on my ball handling, continue to make strides in the weight room; it will help me defensively," White said Thursday after his exit session. "Up and down (season), role after role. But it was a fun, exciting season comparing it to the first two years in the aspect that we were winning. It was fun for me being out there with those guys and being able to win and make the playoffs was an amazing accomplishment for myself and for the team. I know who I can be and I know who I am now.
"I feel like I can do a lot of different things on the court," White insists. "Billy (Donovan) said it multiple times, that I'm not just a shooter. I can get downhill and create, play in pick-and-roll. Like I said, I've got a long ways to go and I've got a lot of different things I can work on this offseason, so I'm just excited and look forward to that. Probably, if we're being realistic, that's my biggest knock, being able to guard. We're being real. I'm not 6-7 with a 7-2 wingspan. I don't strike you with the measurables. So I've got to go the extra mile, especially on that end of the court to guard because I'm not those type of guys that can make up for mistakes. I have no room for error on the defensive end, so for me it's just being super locked in every possession and super locked in on the details. There were times when I looked really good, but there were also times where I struggled. You've got to acknowledge those moments, too."
Ayo Dosunmu:
The local rookie has become perhaps the team's most popular player not named DeRozan—and not just because it's so much fun to say Ayo—but because of the way he's filled in. It may have hurt his development, but with the injury losses of Caruso and Ball, White not as adept at point guard and LaVine with his knee issues, Dosunmu became the emergency starter. It probably was too soon for the fifth most starts on the team. He would have benefited from some G-league experience like the Warriors' emergent Jordan Poole to improve his shot and develop more offensive force into the paint.
Dosunmu was excellent defensively at times with his long arms and aggressive play on that end, but some early season opponent defensive pressure tempered his thrust on offense and the Bulls transitioned into much less transition. That evolution helped lead to DeRozan's offensive dominance and record setting, but by late season and playoff time Dosunmu's effect became more limited. As he also noted, opponents started noticing. They went under screens to cut off his driving lanes, ran him off shots and he began to give up the ball too quickly. Williams finally began to occasionally step through the contest and shoot instead of passing. Dosunmu never quite got there.
But he's such a willing learner and made big strides since an is-this-guy-even-a-second-rounder Summer League, that going into the last year of his rookie contract he suddenly becomes a priority. He said he'd love to give Summer League another twirl.
"(Management said) I had a good season and they are proud of how I took the opportunities that came and just tried to get better each and every game and they are excited for this summer work for me to continue to get better," said Dosunmu. "Of course, at the end of the day everyone wants to be the last team standing. But personally, myself, I would say I had a pretty, pretty good season. Definitely more work to be done, more to accomplish, more room for improvement."
Dosunmu was one of the better shooters among all NBA rookies, though mostly from a standing position.
"I want to get stronger," Dosunmu said. "I think I have a good body in terms of how I am built. So I just want to get stronger, get my legs stronger, and that's the main goal because I think the stronger I get the better I will be able to do more moves on the court. And, of course, continue to work on my shot and get that better. Pretty much work on everything in my game, closeouts defensively, everything to make myself a more well rounded player."
Javonte Green and others:
Green ended up starting 45 games, mostly at power forward with Williams' injury and more than everyone but LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic. His hustle was contagious with Ball and Caruso and he threw down the highlight dunks. He has a year left on his contract along with Tony Bradley, the latter who rarely played and then lost whatever time he had when Tristan Thompson was signed. Green seems a valuable reserve who should defend guards, though the Bulls size issues had him against much taller players. It would be tough keeping Bradley since he's used so infrequently. Simonovic certainly needs another season in the G-league as he doesn't appear physically ready to play in the NBA. Two-way players Tyler Cook and Malcolm Hill didn't see much playing time after early season emergency injury duty.
Editor's note: Sam's "Ask Sam" mailbag will continue on Monday, May 2.
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Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball 'at a standstill' in recovery from torn meniscus in left knee - ESPN
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Jamal CollierESPN
CHICAGO -- Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball said Thursday he remains "at a standstill" in his recovery from a torn meniscus in his left knee. He will meet with a knee specialist next week to determine the next step in his recovery.
Ball had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in January and the team released an initial recovery timeline of six to eight weeks. But his knee never responded properly to the team's attempts to ramp up his basketball activity in the middle of March before he was shut down in early April.
"We kind of let it calm down for the last two weeks, I was going at it pretty hard trying to get back as fast as possible," Ball said at his exit interview at the team's practice facility on Thursday. "But like I said, at a standstill. I still have pain. Gotta get that figured out this summer for sure."
Ball, who played his last game on Jan. 14, was not sure whether he would require another surgery during the offseason.
"Hopefully not," he said. "I wouldn't want to have another one. But if that's what it takes, then I pretty much have no choice at this point."
Ball had a procedure to repair a meniscus tear in the same knee in July 2018, but returned for the start of training camp while he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He also has a bone bruise in his knee but wasn't sure if that or the meniscus tear was causing the discomfort to linger.
"It's the same tear, this is the second time I tore it," Ball said. "Obviously something needs to be addressed this summer. A lot more leg workout as opposed to probably upper body. I'm going to work with the doctors and the strength coaches and do what I've got to do to get healthy."
Ball was limited to 35 games in his first season with Chicago, a career low for games played in his five-year career. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 42.3% from 3.
"It's very frustrating," Ball said of the way his season ended. "This year, we had a lot of promise I felt like. And we had a lot of goals that I don't think were met, mainly due to a lot of health issues. You can't change the past. I think everything happens for a reason. For me, it's now about moving forward and getting ready for next year."
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Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball 'at a standstill' in recovery from torn meniscus in left knee - ESPN
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Explore your origins at MassQ Ball 2022 - BayStateBanner
Participants in a previous MassQing workshop held at the Arnold Arboretum, supported by the “Transformative Public Art” program of the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DANIEL CALLAHAN
In an exciting collaboration of artistic forces, Castle of our Skins, The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and visual artist Daniel Callahan of Create & Record are presenting the MassQ Ball 2022: Origin. This large-scale cultural event, taking place July 9, will celebrate the cross-cultural artistic expressions and roots of Boston’s communities of color.
The MassQ Ball comes to fruition at an already exciting time, as Castle of our Skins celebrates its 10th anniversary and The Arnold Arboretum celebrates its 150th. Though the ball itself is held in July, there are a number of precursor events in April, May, and June leading up to that evening.
Dr. Liseli A. Fitzpatrick will lecture on African folklore, and Marlanda Dekine, poet and Shirley Graham Du Bois Creative in Residence at Castle of our Skins, will lead a workshop on using writing and meditation to connect with ancestry. Callahan himself will lead a workshop on MassQing, the art of expressing ones interior self on the canvas of the face.
“Very much central to our work is the idea of celebration, being proud of where we come from, being proud of who we are, and being proud of the collective energy and excellence that we, as people of color have,” says violist Ashleigh Gordon, executive and artistic director of Castle of our Skins.
The events will explore cultural origins, myths and creative processes in a safe and explorative space. They are meant to inspire attendees to think about how they might shape their own creation story. The participating organizations are raising funds to make the full extent of the MassQ celebration possible, and donations can be made on the MassQ Ball website.
“For 150 years, the Arnold Arboretum landscape has provided a free and open environment to connect the diverse people of Boston to the wonders and restorative power of nature,” said Arboretum Director William Friedman. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Castle of our Skins and remarkable artists like Daniel Callahan.”
Setting the MassQ Ball in the Arboretum brings community members close to nature and to physical roots while they explore their cultural roots. That connection with the natural world has been crucial to ancestral ways of life and is an integral part of the origin stories the ball and its surrounding events will reflect on. Hosting the event in the Arboretum, one of the natural hearts of Boston, also claims space here in the city for communities of color.
The series of events will be about coming together and exploring the art of community connection. Rather than observing artworks hung on a wall or placed behind velvet ropes, the MassQ art experience is meant to be about connecting with the natural world and each other. “The MassQ Ball,” Gordon says, “is a showcase of all sorts of artistic disciplines from different communities of color that collaboratively work together to create something new.”
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Detroit Lions deliver winning game ball dedicated to town following Oxford High School shooting - ESPN
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Eric WoodyardESPN
OXFORD, Mich. -- A special delivery arrived at Oxford High School on Thursday morning, as former longtime Detroit Lions vice president of communications Bill Keenist met Oxford athletic director Tony DeMare inside his office to hand over a brown box as a gift from the team.
Inside was the official game ball from the Lions' emotional first win of the 2021 season, which Detroit coach Dan Campbell promised would go "to the whole Oxford community."
"Anytime people follow through on their commitment, it shows authenticity. It shows that they're genuine," DeMare said after receiving the ball. "It just heightens your respect for those individuals."
The Lions dedicated their first win of the 2021 season, over the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 5, to the Oxford, Michigan, community after a shooting at Oxford High School on Nov. 30 left four teenagers dead and several others with injuries. The Lions paid for the game ball to be painted in a commemorative fashion with the final score, date and location before shipping it to Keenist, who is a longtime resident of Oxford.
"11/30 has a different meaning in Oxford now. It's not time to go to bed or get ready for lunch. Those numbers will never be forgotten for the honor of everybody involved," Keenist said. "The football will remain forever as another symbol of that."
The game ball will start off on display at the high school, where students can celebrate it first. The ball will then be shared with several organizations in the community, such as first responders, fire stations, police stations, Oakland County sheriffs, banks and restaurants.
DeMare plans to put the ball in a display case before passing it off to others who can keep it for up to a week.
"Just thinking about it, it's a football in a case, but it symbolizes the unity of people in Oxford," DeMare said.
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught the winning touchdown in walk-off fashion from quarterback Jared Goff during that upset over the Vikings. He described the win as his most memorable game, not just because that was his first career touchdown, but because the team rallied following the shooting. Members of the Lions honored the victims with T-shirts, hats and a helmet decal. They also held a moment of silence before the kickoff.
"I hope it represents to them just to never quit and that fight because I feel like with that shooting that went down, I feel like a lot of students could maybe become hopeless or lose motivation," St. Brown told ESPN. "For us, that game would literally describe what they're going through. We were [0-10-1] and figured out a way to win. A lot of people thought we were going to go winless all season, so we figured out a way to win at the end, and for me, it was a message to them to never quit.
"It's always hope, even in the worse times," he added. "There's always something to look forward to. You've just got to keep pushing, keep working, so I think it was just perfect how everything played out with Coach Campbell giving them that ball. Hopefully it gives them motivation moving forward."
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How to improve your hand path and hit the ball straighter - Golf.com
If you want to hit the ball straighter, the first step is improving your hand path.
Hitting the golf ball straight is hard — and that might be underselling it. There are (seemingly) a million things that need to sync up to hit the ball straight, and it rarely, if ever, happens.
One key ingredient for hitting the ball straight is hand path, and its something that many recreational golfers struggle with.
When pros hit the ball, they drop their hands into the “slot” and approach the ball from the inside. This hand path produces the desired in-to-out clubpath that allows for solid and consistent contact. However, recreational players have trouble replicating this move.
Where it goes wrong for recreational players is just after transition. Instead of pulling their hands down and dropping the club into the slot, they spin their shoulders too fast and throw their hands outside. From there, all they can do is cut across the ball and hit pulls, lazy fades and slices.
To help fix this problem, check out the video from GOLFTEC below.
A good drill to improve this fault is to stick an alignment stick in the ground a few inches outside the ball, and about six inches behind it. Make sure the stick is parallel to your shaft and then work on dropping your hands down when you start the downswing.
Start out slow and work your way up to a full swing. Once you can miss that shaft on the downswing with your full speed swing, you will be in proper position to hit the ball from the inside.
All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.
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Rosenthal: With the ball again a topic of conversation, a pre-tacked version can’t come soon enough - The Athletic
The ball. Every year it’s something with the freaking ball.
The current season is only three weeks old, and already the ball is the subject of two debates — whether it’s too dead and whether its surface is too inconsistent, creating frustration for pitchers with their grips, particularly in cold weather.
Nearly four years ago, Major League Baseball bought 25 percent of Rawlings, the company that manufactures the ball. You’d think by now, even with the interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the issues would be settled. You’d think the league would be using a ball with a ready-made sticky surface similar to the pre-tacked versions used in Japan and Korea. But no, we’re not there yet.
At this point, it might behoove the league to create a department focusing exclusively on the ball, overseen by a Lord of the Seams. Clearly, the league needs to better communicate with players — stop me if you’ve heard that one before — and offer full transparency on all ball-related issues.
I mean, I can’t imagine the Officer of the Commissioner enjoys seeing quotes like the ones that came out of the Mets’ clubhouse on Tuesday night.
“MLB has a very big problem with the baseballs,” Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt told reporters. “They’re bad. Everyone knows it. Every pitcher in the league knows it. They’re bad. They don’t care. MLB doesn’t give a damn about it. They don’t care. We’ve told them our problems with them. They don’t care.”
Added Mets catcher James McCann: “My take is it’s 2022. There’s enough technology out there to figure out the baseball. We want to talk about juiced balls, dead balls, slick balls, sticky balls. It’s 2022. We should have an answer.”
Bravo! Except for one thing. Not all pitchers agree the ball is a problem. Some believe the introduction this season of an official rosin bag is helping alleviate the grip concerns caused by the crackdown on illegal sticky substances that the league initiated last June. The 8-ounce Honduran Pine rosin bags manufactured by Pelican are subject to strict chain-of-custody protocols and are the responsibility of a specific clubhouse staff member at each major-league park.
“I like it. There is a noticeable tacky difference,” Phillies right-hander Kyle Gibson told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. “I’m obviously the outlier, it sounds like. A couple of guys, I don’t think they like it. They feel like they have to have more moisture of something with it. But I’m amazed every time. I’ve had (pitching coach) Caleb (Cotham) sit there, like, ‘Hey, do the umpire hand check right now. Are they going to let me get away with this?’ You know?”
Two other veteran pitchers from teams in northern climates, speaking on condition of anonymity, also had no issue with the uniform rosin bag, with one calling it, “a fair compromise.” The Mets, however, are especially sensitive at the moment. Their hitters have been hit a major-league-high 19 times in just 20 games.
Phillies’ Kyle Gibson (Bill Streicher / USA Today Sports)
But is the problem the ball, the pitching of the Mets’ opponents or simply a small-sample size aberration? No other club has been hit more than 13 times. The league average is eight. And through Tuesday’s play, the hit-by-pitch rate over a comparable number of plate appearances was the lowest it has been since 2018, according to MLB.
| Season | HBP% |
|---|---|
The league, during collective bargaining with the players’ union, made multiple proposals regarding an automatic ejection for hitting a batter in the head or neck with a fastball, irrespective of intent, sources said. The union rejected the idea, which is similar to one used by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). It is doubtful the players would ever agree to strict liability for pitches that might hit batters by accident, without intent.
As part of those conversations, the league also proposed a discussion of additional discipline for cumulative batters hit. More recently, league officials informally floated to some players the idea of a hit-by-pitch point system for pitchers, in addition to an automatic ejection for hitting a batter above the shoulder, sources said. The way the system would work, each hit-by-pitch would count for a certain amount of points against the pitcher depending upon pitch type and location. A slider off a hitter’s foot might be one point, a fastball in the ribs might be three. Once the pitcher passed a set threshold, he would be suspended.
The idea seems impractical on multiple levels, the type of response that often prompts players to complain that the league office is out of touch. Players recognize hit batsmen are part of the game. Hitters rarely complain about getting hit below the waist. Imagine how ridiculous the league would look if Max Scherzer was ejected in the seventh inning of a critical game in September because he hit a batter on the toe and reached his points threshold.
Not to worry; the point system does not seem to have traction. And really, it misses the point. The problem, as the HBP rates suggest, is not hit batsmen. The problem, in the view of some pitchers, is the ball. As Bassitt said, “(The balls) are all different. The first inning they’re decent, the third inning, they’re bad, the fourth inning, they’re OK, the fifth inning they’re bad. And we have different climates. Everything is different. There’s no common ground with the balls. There’s nothing the same outing to outing.”
Some pitchers say the inconsistency extends to umpires and the different standards they apply to pitchers who try to produce moisture on their hands so they can grip the ball in cold weather — by licking their fingers, for example. Which brings us back to the sticky stuff, and the gray area that exists between the league’s crackdown on illegal substances and the pitchers’ desire to control the ball in their hand.
Almost everyone involved in the sport believes a crackdown of some type was warranted. But as Mets manager Buck Showalter told reporters Wednesday, “The question is whether we as an industry have gone too far the other way.” If the league’s principal concern is the higher spin rates certain substances produce, one pitcher asks, why not establish baselines for all pitchers, allow them to use their concoctions of choice, then nail anyone whose spin jumps at an abnormally high rate?
Egads, that would be another conversation that misses the point. The pre-tacked ball would be the obvious, all-encompassing solution, providing pitchers with a consistent, uniform grip and eliminating the need for sticky substances once and for all. At least that would be the idea.
The league experimented with such a ball in select Triple-A games during the final days of the 2021 minor-league season and is using it in the Double-A Texas League this season. Major leaguers did not react well to a version of an enhanced grip ball the league tested in spring training camps in 2019. But to this point, one source said, the Texas League ball has been well-received.
MLB can’t adopt some form of it soon enough. We’re all sick of talking about the ball, aren’t we?
(Top photo of Chris Bassitt: Mary DeCicco / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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The Disco Ball Is Making a Playful Comeback - Architectural Digest
When Louis Bernard Woeste and William A. Stephens filed a patent for a so-called myriad reflector in 1916, the dawn of disco was still decades away. But their glittering mirror ball—destined for ballrooms, nightclubs, dance pavilions, and skating rinks—was made with revelry in mind. Shiny orbs hovered over bandstands hosting jazz musicians in the 1920s, twinkled above dancers in Casablanca (1942), and dazzled a club scene in Some Like It Hot (1959).
By the 1970s, when that super-glam, sparkly club culture—disco!—at last arrived, the mirror ball fit right in, a silvery staple of underground New York dance spots like The Loft, The Gallery, and, later, legendary nightclub Studio 54, where revelers grooved beneath its disorienting shimmer. (Studio 54’s was made by Omega National Products in Louisville, Kentucky, famous today for crafting disco balls for BeyoncĂ© and Madonna.)
“Very simply, you can blur the boundaries of a space,” explains Jochen Eisenbrand, curator of “Night Fever,” a show about club interiors at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany. “Ceiling, wall, and floor become one—it’s total immersion.”
Disco balls stuck around in bars and clubs—just a few years ago, AD100 firm ASH NYC hung
a 60-inch dazzler in the Candy Bar at their Detroit hotel The Siren. But today, as interiors experience a ’70s revival, the disco ball has entered a new domain: the home.
“It instantly adds drama and play,” explains AD100 designer Kelly Wearstler, who recently collaborated with Dutch artists Rotganzen on a collection of surrealistic, disco-ball-esque objets. Meanwhile, writer Brooke Metcalfe hung a trio over the kitchen island in her English manse, and AD100 designer Jane Hallworth, for a recent project, indulged her client’s love of the groovy staple by hanging an XL version in the office. “Disco balls represent the best of times,” Hallworth muses. “They are making a resurgence because they are joyfully childlike.”
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A former NASA engineer could solve rugby's oldest problem - CNN
(CNN)Rugby can be a complex game, but there is one rule clearly understood by all: you cannot pass the ball forward. Though the concept might sound simple, it can be difficult to officiate.
When it comes to marginal calls, referees can get assistance from a Television Match Official, a secondary referee who reviews video footage, but their decisions are only as accurate as the best camera angle shown to them. Now UK firm Sportable has pioneered what it calls "Match Tracker" technology, inserting a microchip into a rugby ball to provide insights on the ball's movement.
Built with an array of tiny sensors that track acceleration, rotation, temperature, pressure and position, as well as flight-tracking radar and radio chips, the ball can communicate with pitchside sensors up to 20 times per second. The data it collects on the ball's movement is then sent to a software interface that can be accessed by match officials.
The technology has had to undergo rigorous testing.
"You have to really get into the math of what a forward pass is," explains Sportable co-founder Pete Husemeyer. A South African with a PhD in nuclear engineering, he cut his teeth at NASA's Center for Space Nuclear Research measuring the thrust of rocket launchers.
Husemeyer figured his physics knowledge was better served in his passion for sport, and helped launch Sportable in 2015, developing tracking devices fitted onto players' shirts to provide information about their movement.
The ball-based technology can be used without player-tracking, and Husemeyer believes it may prove the most foolproof way to identify a forward pass. "The algorithm is quite simple in theory but complex to get right in practice," he says.
"If you get into the maths of what a forward pass is, it's actually about relative velocities. If the ball moves towards the opposition try line faster than you do as the passer, that's a forward pass. The ball's trackers and sensors combine to compare velocities, while the player is holding the ball and after the pass is made, and from this we can make a judgment."
"Gamified for the players"
The Match Tracker system is currently on trial in Premiership Rugby, English rugby union's top tier, and in Australia's National Rugby League.
The technology's potential could go far beyond its ability to help referees spot forward passes. In England's Premiership, it has been used by TV broadcasters to provide in-match data to viewers, and teams including North London-based Saracens, are making use of Sportable's Skill Tracker app for training, getting real-time data on kicking distance, power, spin rate and hang time (the time the ball stays afloat). "We've gamified it for the players," says Husemeyer. "They find it fun, they get competitive about their accuracy."
Photos: How wearable tech is helping athletes reach the next level
Athletes are increasingly using wearable tech to push the boundaries of human ability. FORM Smart Swim Goggles feature an augmented heads-up display and trackers that monitor a swimmer's performance in the pool. As well as displaying data through the goggles, it also sends data to the user's smartphone.
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Photos: How wearable tech is helping athletes reach the next level
TESLASUIT (not related to the car company) is a full-body haptic sensor monitoring suit and offers self-coaching methods during training. For example, the tech can send an electrical pulse to alert the user of poor technique in their baseball swing.
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Photos: How wearable tech is helping athletes reach the next level
Champion marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge uses Abbott Libre Sense technology, which monitors glucose in athletes through a sensor worn on the arm and sends the data to a phone app.
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Photos: How wearable tech is helping athletes reach the next level
STATSports Apex Athlete series is a vest system that uses GPS to track and analyze performance. Designed with team field sports in mind, the tech is approved by FIFA and used in the English Premier League.
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Photos: How wearable tech is helping athletes reach the next level
The Catapult system tracks players with a smart vest, monitoring pod and accompanying app. The vests are used by many teams in the English Premier League, and every NFL team in the US.
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Photos: How wearable tech is helping athletes reach the next level
The Nextiles KineticPro Sleeve is designed for professional baseball pitchers to improve their pitching technique. Data is tracked by the Nextiles' smart thread in the sleeve and streamed in real-time via Bluetooth technology to a smartphone.
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Photos: How wearable tech is helping athletes reach the next level
WHOOP Body is a collection of smart garments from outerwear to intimates which all connect to a tracking and monitoring device.
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Photos: How wearable tech is helping athletes reach the next level
Sensoria smart socks track your speed, calories, altitude and distance as well as running technique. The socks use smart textiles and have a built-in pocket for a device that can measure foot landing technique and identify injury-prone running styles.
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Photos: How wearable tech is helping athletes reach the next level
Wayband is a device that uses super-precise GPS to direct the wearer with small vibrations, allowing those with visual impairments, like French paratriathlete Charles-Edouard Catherinee (pictured left), to run independently.
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Creating a technology able to withstand being kicked and thrown was a challenge, explains CEO and co-founder Dugald MacDonald. The company teamed up with Progressive Sports technology, based at Loughborough University, to test its resilience by repeatedly kicking the ball with a robotic boot moving at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
Sportable is not the only company developing "smart ball" technology. Cricket's Caribbean Premier League has used a ball fitted with data-transmitting sensors, created by Australia's Sportcor and Kookaburra. The Siq basketball and Graff golf ball are also designed to gather performance metrics.
It's a sign of how sport is increasingly embracing innovation in data gathering. Northern Ireland's STATSports has developed performance analytics wearables used by most teams in English Premier League (EPL) football and by top rugby and American football teams. Australia's Catapult has a smart vest system that lets coaches monitor the performance and health of their players, which is also used in the EPL and NFL.
The NFL could be Sportable's next target. "American football fans are very predisposed to stats and information like ours," MacDonald says.
Sportable's kick analysis software.
But with sport's increasing reliance on technology for key refereeing decisions, is there such a thing as too much objectivity? With fewer borderline calls to argue over, is there a risk of fans' authentic experiences being diluted?
"People play the most crucial role in the whole system, and sport is inherently subjective and emotional," says MacDonald. "We're just there to support those great moment with objectivity where it's needed."
"ball" - Google News
April 27, 2022 at 11:01PM
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A former NASA engineer could solve rugby's oldest problem - CNN
"ball" - Google News
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