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Good morning! We have a poll today.
While You Were Sleeping: At least one series is good
We had three playoff games last night, which led to three different realities. Quickly:
- A real series! In the late basketball game, Oklahoma City edged Denver, 112-105, to take a 3-2 series lead. This is one of our best second-round series across both the NBA and NHL. We’re definitely getting a Game 7.
- Still hope, technically: The Stars took a 3-1 lead over the Jets with a rock-solid 3-1 win. Mikael Granlund recorded a hat trick. The team with the NHL’s best record is one game from elimination.
- D-o-n-e: The Cleveland Cavaliers’ dream season ended with a whimper in a 114-105 loss to the Indiana Pacers, who head to their second straight conference finals. Yes, the Cavs had injuries, but this was unacceptable. NBA Daily asks if the Cavs should run this group back.
There are multiple clinch opportunities in both sports tonight. More on that later. Let’s pivot to the biggest story of the day:
Explainers: The reluctant redemption of Pete Rose
In a stunning move yesterday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced Pete Rose, the sport’s hit king, will be reinstated after spending more than 30 years on the permanently ineligible list. It’s a simple act with complex ramifications.
Three important layers to understand here:
- Manfred — savvily, I might add — did not directly reinstate Rose, per se, but altered a rule in which deceased players are removed from the permanently ineligible list. In short, Manfred argued that these players could not harm the game further. Rose died last September at 83. Rose and 16 other players, including “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, were reinstated with the move. See the full list here.
- The timing is curious. Manfred, like other MLB commissioners before him, had rejected Rose’s petitions for reinstatement while the erstwhile slugger was still alive. Manfred seemingly changed course after meeting with President Trump, who had loudly argued in social media posts that Rose should be reinstated. Ken Rosenthal wondered what sort of precedent the reinstatement, especially if politically motivated, would set.
- This does not mean Rose goes directly into the Hall of Fame. He, along with the other reinstated players, will be considered by the Historical Overview Committee, which would decide if any of them warrant a hearing. If so, the Eras Committee will vote on election to the Hall. Rose and others would need to earn 12 of 16 votes to win. If all this happens, the earliest possible election for Rose is winter 2027.
Again, this was already an incredibly layered tale before yesterday’s news. By on-field merits alone, Rose absolutely deserves induction into the Hall — his 4,256 hits are most in MLB history. Slam dunk there.
The cons: Rose bet on baseball, which earned his original banishment. He also allegedly had a sexual relationship with a girl under 16 in the 1970s. And there’s his five-month prison stint for tax evasion in 1990.
Nonetheless, there is positive sentiment around baseball about Rose earning a Hall of Fame plaque. Jayson Stark believes Rose will make the Hall, too, as Manfred’s declaration essentially means Rose served his time. A curious point in that story: Are PED-stained players like Barry Bonds next?
I want to know what you think, though, so we have a Pulse Poll ready: Does Pete Rose deserve to be in the Hall of Fame?
- No. I just can’t make it there.
- Yes. He’s the hit king.
Make your voice heard here. I’m fascinated to see the results.
News to Know
Tatum, Celtics at a crossroads
Rarely does a season feel more over before it’s officially done than the Celtics’ 2024-25 campaign. They have a game tonight, sure, but news that superstar Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the Game 4 loss to the Knicks alters the trajectory of the franchise. At best, he would miss the majority of next season, though the 27-year-old is expected to make a full recovery. Expect a different-looking roster next year.
Sasaki heads to IL
Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki, the gem of their offseason, is going to the injured list in a twist of a troubling and daresay mysterious saga. Sasaki has been dealing with decreased fastball velocity, down from triple digits into the mid-90s. The team is calling it shoulder impingement. Read more here.
More news
- Bill Belichick went on “SportsCenter,” where he emphatically said 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson “doesn’t have anything to do with UNC football.” See his full comments.
- Paul Allen’s family announced it is planning to sell the Portland Trail Blazers. More details here.
- Rich Hill will never stop. The 45-year-old signed a minor-league deal with the Royals yesterday and could be in the majors soon for his 21st season.
- LSU and Clemson will officially kick off ABC’s prime-time college football schedule this fall. I’m already nervous. See the full slate.
- The NFL is pausing its Accelerator program, which promoted diverse hiring practices for both coaches and front-office personnel.
- Hunter Dekkers, the former Iowa State QB banned for sports betting, signed with the Saints. Hm.
- Angel City defender Savy King underwent surgery for a heart abnormality after collapsing on the pitch Friday. More here.
- The USMNT scheduled World Cup tuneups against South Korea and Japan. It’s all starting. U.S. Soccer also released new kit designs yesterday — with a retro flare.
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What to Watch
📺 NBA: Knicks at Celtics
7 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
Tonight is a channel-flip night. New York can clinch its first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years.
📺 NHL: Panthers at Maple Leafs
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Can Toronto get off the mat? This series is tied 2-2, but Florida has all the momentum. Huge, huge game.
📺 NBA: Warriors at Timberwolves
9:30 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
Minnesota can clinch its second straight Western Conference finals trip. Golden State needs heroism to survive until Steph Curry’s return. Pressure.
📺 NHL: Oilers at Golden Knights
9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Edmonton can also clinch the series and some rest here. Las Vegas needs a miracle.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Very cool: Madeline Coleman wished F1 a happy 75th birthday by writing about the sport’s original tracks. Go for the story, stay for the photos.
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea is using sushi as a recruiting tool. Click.
I found Chandler Rome’s story on Forrest Whitley, the former top pitching prospect for the Astros on his last chance with the franchise, moving. Whitley opens up more than you see most athletes do.
It’s time to check in on MLB Power Rankings, by the way. The Twins are on the come-up.
Paul Dehner argues the Trey Hendrickson drama in Cincinnati is easily avoidable. I agree.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our updated NBA mock draft, post-lottery.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Pete Rose.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: Sam Greene / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)