Karl-Anthony Towns averaged over 40 fantasy points per game against the Celtics in the 2024-25 regular season I hope you’ve had a profitable season and a good start to the playoffs so far as we enter the second round If you’re going to do NBA DFS you have to keep in mind lineup announcements and stay tuned for late swapping That is going to be the easiest way to stay ahead of the field and in the money It isn’t as clear of a strategy within the playoffs but still Let’s break down the top plays for this slate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG – OKC) It’s usually a good sign when a player is almost $1K cheaper on one site over another Shai opens the series against Denver at the lowest price he’s been all playoffs Denver ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency and 13th in pace of play A 225 total is promising based on how playoff totals have been so far and OKC gets Denver off a quick turnaround at home This is a game I imagine OKC to absolutely dominate SGA’s usage has been near 35% all season and in playoff games so far He’s a bit cheaper due to the lack of options here but still is a great option and projected over 50 fantasy points with near 30% ownership which I will be buying in on Karl-Anthony Towns (C – NYK) My center of choice tonight has got to be Karl-Anthony Towns This is a step-up in class for sure compared to Detroit but KAT’s price has dropped too far to not invest in him here as New York opens the series in Boston He didn’t have the best series against Detroit but he averaged over 40 fantasy points a game against the Celtics this season and has done better on the road this season His usage rate is due for a major boost closer to his 27% seasonal averages He will be on the court for about 37 minutes Jalen Williams (SF/PF – OKC) I expect Oklahoma City to get the brunt of ownership tonight and Williams has been the model of consistency within the playoffs this year He’s played 37 minutes a night in full games His usage has also stayed steady above 25% in the playoffs as he had all season and playing a Denver team team that has been susceptible to opposing small forwards Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS) Tatum has been the king of consistency and he showed out in the most recent two playoff games with 60-plus fantasy point outings Boston also has a bit of rest advantage but New York is a surprisingly friendlier DFS option than you’d think Their defense is good but doesn’t compare to Orlando’s over the second half of the season and now Boston isn’t playing the only other NBA team that’s as slow as them Tatum’s usage only grew in the playoff games s even a 35% usage over 39 minutes would be solid for your cash lineups Chet Holmgren (PF/C – OKC) This is another cheaper option I’ll be going to within my cash lineups I’d project him around 36 points tonight and he’s going to get he fair share of ownership His price is cheap and he should see the court around 32 minutes The Nuggets have been solid against opposing centers but with Hartenstein down low playing 26 minutes it should open up plenty of opportunity for Holmgren to cook Denver’s defense ranked in the bottom seven of the league after the All-Star break and they will have their hands tied against the OKC offense Nikola Jokić (C – DEN) His ownership is changing as we speak but right now Jokić is lining up to be a solid GPP option at under 20% owned He’s the priciest option of course and going against the best defense in the league but he’s still Nikola Jokić No one on this planet has the ceiling he does game in and out high reward type player and that’s of course what you’re going for when putting him in your lineup Finding cheaper punt options you may be able to afford with Jokić in your lineup might be a bit more difficult but if you can manage it Derrick White (PG – BOS) Derrick White around 19% owned is quite low for a slate like tonight’s The Celtics starters have played significant minutes in the post season with White just shy of 40 in two of the final playoff game He’s obviously not the prime usage guy on the Celtics but he has shined in games already going over 34 fantasy points in four of the five games White has stepped up in a way that would be delightful for fantasy tonight as a 40 point effort would be ideal in this spot Michael Porter Jr. (SF – DEN) Alex Caruso (PG/SG/SF – OKC) odds are Alex Caruso will be a solid value option across the DFS landscape He’s expected to play around 24 minutes and can easily play more He’s tallied 31-plus points in two of the final three playoff games and he’s capable of 30 fantasy points tonight against Denver getting over 7x ROI value is ideal but even without reaching that value he still makes for a great spend down option Celtics-Knicks and Thunder-Nuggets open series tonight RotoWire highlights the top performers after the 1st full week of the 2025 NBA Playoffs Kenny & others reveal their picks for the conference semifinals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs The first round is finished and these 10 things stand out most from the teams Kenny Atkinson experienced a setback on his coaching journey it fueled the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year Follow the NBA Playoffs with our Nightly Pulse blog featuring all the latest news scores and highlights from around the league Atkinson guides Cavaliers to a 64-18 record and the No 1 seed in the Eastern Conference during 1st year at the helm RotoWire highlights the top performers after the 2nd full week of the 2025 NBA Playoffs "He figured out a pattern of success," says Zach Hahn who was coached at Butler by Celtics GM Brad Stevens The NBA's all-time wins leader addressed his recovery from a stroke as he becomes team president and Mitch Johnson takes over as coach With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Stephen at the Almonte General Hospital on April 30 Emily (Kyle) and his dearly loved grandsons Henry and Max He is predeceased by his mother Mary and his sister Judi (survived by Ed) and survived by his step-father Al (Marc-Andre) and his siblings Mike (Emerald) Also survived by mother-in-law Marina Johnston brother-in-law Paul (Anne) and predeceased by brother-in-law Herb (Angella) Stephen had a quiet strength and a resilient spirit that carried him through countless health challenges - always without complaint His stubborn determination and tenacity helped him bounce back time and again He loved the simple things in life: bobber fishing at the cottage He was a natural teacher who took pride in sharing his skills with the next generation especially during his years teaching shop class at Hillcrest High School his kids were his students too - spending hours together building boomerangs model rockets - whatever new project had captured their imaginations at the time Stephen had a hands-on approach to life and a MacGyver touch He had a gift for fixing things and when he put his mind to it there was no problem he couldn't find a (sometimes unconventional) solution to He loved to share his talents and creativity with everyone around him Whether he was building luge runs for the local kids shovelling paths to make the neighbourhood more accessible he was happiest when he was making things happen We’ll carry his stubbornness and can-do attitude with us in every project we take on always hearing his voice reminding us there’s nothing that can’t be fixed Our family would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr compassion and love he showed to Stephen throughout his time as his doctor - especially in his final days His kindness meant the world to Stephen and was a great source of comfort to our whole family please consider making a donation to the Almonte General Hospital Fairview Manor Foundation in Stephen’s memory A private interment will be held at a later date Almonte Hospital-Fairview Manor FoundationTel: 1-613-256-2514Email: Foundation@agh-fvm.comWeb: https://almontehospitalfoundation.com/gifts-at-work/secure-donation-form/ a graduate of URI’s One-Year MBA program in Strategic Innovation has built an impressive career in finance and entrepreneurship From working with global brands to founding Grocially a platform connecting influencers with brands Ryan’s journey highlights the transformative impact of a URI MBA and the opportunities it creates for ambitious professionals Ryan Almonte grew up in Rhode Island and pursued his undergraduate degree in Accounting at the University of Rhode Island Recognizing the value of an advanced business education he immediately enrolled in URI’s One-Year MBA program with a focus on Strategic Innovation His time in the program strengthened his leadership skills and ability to navigate complex business environments fast-paced nature of the One-Year MBA program prepared him to tackle real-world challenges and seize new business opportunities Ryan began his career at CBIZ before transitioning to KPMG he was placed on premier client accounts in the Northeast Ryan’s roles evolved from audit to deal advisory where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions His ability to think strategically and adapt to high-pressure environments was honed during his MBA studies making him a valuable asset in the corporate world Ryan’s career then took him from Providence to Boston and eventually to Miami he joined Benihana’s financial reporting team contributing to the structuring of various high-value business deals his career flourished as he became involved with top nightlife and hospitality brands These experiences fueled his drive to leave the corporate world and establish his own business The entrepreneurial mindset and problem-solving skills cultivated during his MBA program played a pivotal role in this transition Grocially was founded to help live events secure sponsorships by connecting brands with influencers It has since evolved into a full-service event and influencer marketing platform reshaping how businesses find credible sponsors and collaborate with top content creators and has collaborated with TwitchCon in Las Vegas bringing top creators from the gaming industry Ryan’s strong connections with Live Nation executives have also been instrumental in expanding Grocially’s reach The idea for Grocially stemmed from Ryan’s realization that influencer marketing lacked transparency While working on a campaign with a prominent content creator he encountered skepticism due to the industry’s common pitfalls—lack of honesty and exploitative deals He recognized the need for a platform that fosters genuine mutually beneficial relationships between influencers and brands Ryan also observed how even small influencers could drive consumer engagement He drew inspiration from his older brother who frequently posted about a brewery’s new beer influencing his circle despite having a modest following The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for better brand visibility strategies Ryan credits two major lessons from his MBA experience: Ryan was part of URI’s first One-Year MBA cohort where he built lasting connections with classmates The program’s dynamic workload encouraged students to collaborate and openly communicate with faculty fostering a supportive and solution-oriented environment This experience reinforced the importance of teamwork and adaptability He also valued the program’s emphasis on communication styles and psychological assessments which taught him how to work effectively with diverse perspectives with its balance of technical skills and leadership training prepared Ryan for the real-world challenges he would later face in his career Ryan highlights the support he has received from URI’s alumni network noting that the guidance and willingness of its members to offer advice have been invaluable in his career progression He emphasizes that URI’s alumni community genuinely wants to see graduates succeed and is always willing to help The strong sense of community fostered within the MBA program continues to be a valuable resource in his professional journey Ryan has no regrets about his MBA experience He believes in taking life as it comes and making proactive decisions in the present His experiences at URI laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial mindset shaping him into the business leader he is today The One-Year MBA program not only gave him the technical knowledge to succeed but also the confidence and connections to pursue his passion Copyright © 2025 University of Rhode Island | University of Rhode Island URI is an equal opportunity employer committed to the principles of affirmative action MLB Trade Rumors By | March 4 The Cubs are re-signing reliever Yency Almonte to a minor league deal, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago outrighted him off their 40-man roster at the end of last season Almonte, 30, landed with the Cubs as a secondary piece of last winter’s Michael Busch trade He stepped into Craig Counsell’s middle relief group and made 17 appearances Almonte surrendered seven runs (six earned) across 15 2/3 innings He fanned 20 opponents and issued eight walks That all came before the second week of May The righty sustained a shoulder strain and underwent season-ending surgery in July Rogers suggests that Almonte is healthy now There’s little downside for the Cubs in giving him another look as a non-roster player Almonte has 223 major league innings under his belt He owns a 4.44 earned run average with a decent 22.5% strikeout percentage and a 9.9% walk rate His fastball has sat in the 95-96 MPH range at its best It was down a tick in the early going last year Chicago Cubs Transactions Any relation to the late great Danny Almonte So basically Jed has put together a club with no proven reliable option at third base and a whole bunch of flotsam and jetsam in the bullpen But a greater problem is how mediocre and thin the rotation is And another problem is that Tucker is not the lineup-transforming presence that Cubs propogandists are saying he is and that will be obvious just a few weeks in with the bizarre and punishing early-season schedule they face I hope I turn out to be as stupid about this as you think I am But I’ve spent a lot of time at Minute Maid Park and I saw him play there–and let me tell you that place inflates hitters’ averages Have you been to every other ballpark in the league to witness how they inflate stats as well I ask only because Tucker’s career home/road splits are nearly identical (slightly better on the road Tucker is ranked as a top 7-8 player in all of MLB let the man play 30-45 games with the Cubs before u start hollering that the sky is falling Which is why i pick them 3rd behind tithe reds and brewers They haven’t done nearly enough except to add fringe players except for a tucker in which offset somewhat with loss of bellinger The Cubs aren’t just signing depth—they’re manipulating MLB’s roster rules to extend their control over as many relievers as possible without exposing assets to waivers This is a calculated hedge against bullpen attrition that ensures they don’t run out of arms midseason I’m going to start calling the Cubs the manipulators Ben Brown has awesome bullpen stuff maybe one of the best in the league if he was told thats his future with Hodge as 7/8 innings guyz.this might be the team strongest part of the staff The problem isn’t that the rotation or bullpen isn’t deep With Hoyer it’s always quantity and trying to catch lightning in a bottle Ricketts has always let them spend up to to the Tax With 241 million to spend you can have 3 or even 4 35 million dollar players Not to mention he has about 10 SS’s in the system if he wants to move Hoerner to 2nd Signs a SS to a long term contract clogging up 27 million a year until 2030 Every time he’s had a good young player about ready to hit MLB he signs an expensive FA to put in front of him Goes out and signs a guy for 30 million bucks for 2 years to put in front of them and who is always injured Instead of getting the best he chases a guy who is old and fading away instead of again Then he signs a bunch of guys who are no better than the guys they already have and have no options pigeon holing them into a corner It’s a question of spending it like an idiot It’s really under $200 million for 15 players (and I’m including Tucker here) to spend when benefits minimum and arbitration salaries are figured in you’d have about $95 million left to spend on 12 players if you spent $35 million on the top three Jed’s done pretty well so far with most of the big contracts left on the payroll– Happ Swanson — with Taillon and Suzuki on the fence As for minimum salary players who would have to make the team out of spring training that I’d be happy to see on the Opening Day roster NL Central will be the black and blue division Log in Register MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball Register The driver of the truck that crashed into heavy brush off the Massachusetts Turnpike early Monday has died was at the wheel of the tractor-trailer that went off the eastbound side of the highway near the Westborough-Grafton line about 1 a.m. The first state troopers on the scene did not immediately locate Almonte He was located nearby a short time later and rushed to a hospital The driver of a second vehicle was also brought to a hospital That person's condition was not shared by authorities with the removal of the crashed rig delayed until after the morning commute This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use Hugo D Almonte claims 'emotional abuse' led him to out Khalid (L-R) Hugo D Almonte in the 'Que Pasó' music video; Khalid performing live on The Today Show Rapper and OF creator Hugo D Almonte has shared a lengthy statement in response to the claims that he outed R&B star Khalid Hugo D Almonte, a bisexual rapper and OnlyFans creator, has seemingly responded to the accusations that he outed singer Khalid in a since-deleted X/Twitter post last week In a lengthy statement shared via Instagram stories Almonte said he was "truly sorry" for revealing the sexual orientation of the singer on social media But he paired his apology with what he claims is "the full story" of what happened — such as allegations of "emotional abuse Almonte claimed that he and Khalid met at a party "a few years ago" and then "started a relationship." According to Almonte "things took a dark turn" when Khalid allegedly started "spreading rumors" that Almonte had broken into his home and stole from him Almonte says these acts never happened but that the accusations had an impact and threats took a toll on my mental health I didn't recognize myself anymore," Almonte wrote "I reached a point where my mental health collapsed and I made a mistake I deeply regret." I'm learning from this experience and working to ensure I never handle conflict in this way again," he added Almonte was widely criticized for the social media posts outing Khalid, who came out as gay in his own post following the controversy. The 26-year-old shared a rainbow flag emoji alongside exclamation points on X "I got outted [sic] and the world still continues to turn," Khalid added in another post "Let's get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality Out has reached out to Khalid for a response but has not heard back at the time of this reporting You can read Hugo D Almonte's full statement — shared across four Instagram stories — below Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out. He's also a staff contributor to The Advocate, PRIDE, and other equalpride publications You can follow Bernardo Sim on Instagram. Otherwise, you can find him on Bluesky, Threads, X/Twitter, and TikTok « Back Hugo D. Almonte, a Dominican rapper-singer and Khalid's ex-lover, explained why he had outed the R&B singer without mentioning his name. The outing scandal occurred last week when Almonte exposed Khalid’s sexual orientation in a slew of since-deleted X posts. The “Location” singer responded to the claims by confirming that he is queer, but on Friday (November 29), Almonte–who faced backlash after the posts–shifted his ground on X and his Instagram Stories. “I've been reflecting deeply on everything that's happened, and it's time I speak up. I've seen the comments, the backlash, and the disappointment,” he began, in a series of deleted posts. “I understand why people are upset, and I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a mistake–a serious one. I outed someone, and that was wrong. No matter the circumstances, it wasn't my place to reveal something so personal. For that, I am truly sorry.” Almonte denied the accusations of breaking into Khalid’s residence, although the Texas-raised singer allegedly insisted that he did and "threatened" Almonte with contacting the police. "Imagine being accused of something so serious, something you know you didn't do, and then being threatened on top of it," Almonte wrote. After allegedly getting Khalid to corroborate his story and finding out who broke into Khalid’s home, he added that the “lies didn’t stop.” "For years, I stayed silent, carrying the weight of these accusations. I tried to move on, but the constant lies, manipulation, and threats took a toll on my mental health. I was exhausted, emotionally drained, and at times, I didn't recognize myself anymore," Almonte continued. "I reached a point where my mental health collapsed, and I made a mistake I deeply regret." Almonte recalled that his initial posts about Khalid were made when he had reached his “breaking point.” “The stress, the accusations, the lies—it all built up until I went into a psychosis," he said. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I was reacting from a place of deep pain and frustration.” “Moving forward, I'm focusing on healing—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I'm learning from this experience and working to ensure I never handle conflict in this way again,” he added. “I know that some people won’t forgive me, and I accept that. But I hope, in time, you can see that I’m not just the person who made that mistake. I’m someone who’s learning, growing and trying to be better every day.” Many on X weren’t quick to accept Almonte’s apology, while Khalid has since turned his attention from being outed to his upcoming collaboration with Normani, titled “Personal.” Ann and Alejandra dive deep into the EEOC’s 2024 See more +Welcome to the award-winning FCPA Compliance Report Tom welcomes Alejandra Almonte and Ann Sultan and uses the EEOC’s release in 2024 of its Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace as an introduction to considering compliance and the workplace under the new Trump Administration Ann and Alejandra dive deep into the EEOC’s 2024 enforcement guidance on harassment and explore the implications of recent Executive Orders from the Trump administration The conversation extends to the necessity of risk assessments in the current climate focusing on how companies can maintain safe and compliant workplaces amidst shifting policies Ann and Alejandra share valuable perspectives on conflicts of interest the intersection of workplace safety and emotional well-being and strategies for fostering a positive organizational culture even in uncertain times Do not miss this expert advice on navigating the complexities of workplace conduct and compliance in the evolving legal landscape • EEOC’s 2024 Enforcement Guidance on Harassment • Impact of Policy Changes on Workplace Conduct • Risk Assessments and Workplace Misconduct See more » Compliance Tip of the Day: Middle Managers as Compliance Change Agents Adventures in Compliance: The Novels – A Study in Scarlet, Dr. Watson FCPA Compliance Report: Ethical Decision - Making in Times of Change Daily Compliance News: May 5, 2025, The Washing Edition Because that's what heroes Do: Deep Space 9 – Episode 31: Extreme Measures – Great Sci Fi and Moral Dilemmas 10 For 10: Top Compliance Stories For the Week Ending, May 3, 2025 Compliance Tip of the Day: Standing at the Turning Point Compliance into the Weeds: Settlement of OCC Charges for Wells Fargo Internal Auditors 2 Gurus Talk Compliance: Episode 51 – The Compliance Week at 20 Edition Daily Compliance News: May 2, 2025, The Law Firm Dumped Edition Compliance Tip of the Day – Role of Chatbots in Compliance Great Women in Compliance: Exploring the Future of Compliance - Key Takeaways from Compliance Week 2025 Innovation in Compliance: Training Synergy: Insights from Compliance and HR Integration with Lori Stahl Daily Compliance News: May 1, 2025, The 100 Days of Corruption Edition Compliance Tip of the Day – AI and Behavioral Analytics Daily Compliance News: April 30, 2025, The 4 AM Wake-Up Call Edition Regulatory Ramblings: Episode 68 - Why Geopolitical Risk Matters to Compliance and Legal Staff with Mark Nuttal and Chad Olsen Upping Your Game: Episode 1 – Meeting Hui Chen’s Challenge SBR – Author’s Podcast: Understanding Complexity with Dr. Jean Boulton, Part 1: Ethics, Compliance, and Organizational Dynamics Compliance Tip of the Day: AI and Compliance Education Refine your interests » Back to Top Explore 2025 Readers' Choice Awards Copyright © var today = new Date(); var yyyy = today.getFullYear();document.write(yyyy + " "); JD Supra There is no better time to run a personal record than at the section meet and no better feeling than qualifying for the Wisconsin State Meet that’s exactly what she did this past weekend “There was about 400 left and I know I could hear one of the parents yell at me ,”Oh So I was aiming for a 19:45 and [Coach] Sims kind of told me like the splits I needed to hit but also that I needed to be in the race and competitive I really had to stick in there.”> The Wisconsin cross country state meet is this Saturday in Wisconsin Rapids at Ridges Golf Course Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public file should contact Vicki Kaping at vkaping@wdio.com or (218) 727-6864 USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Yency Almonte (25) follows through on a pitch against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Citi Field.Photo: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports the reliever was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 He immediately became an afterthought in the trade as Busch became the focal point Almonte was just getting his feet under him before a season-ending shoulder injury became one of many disappointments to the team's bullpen he faces an uphill battle to make a bullpen in which he once had a guaranteed spot It will be interesting to see if Almonte can leave a positive impression among Cubs brass before the season starts It never hurts to bring as many pitchers into the organization as possible and one pitcher's misfortune is another's gain Almonte will look to take advantage and finally show the Cubs exactly what he can bring to the table The bullpen is also a very volatile group for any team Last year's hidden gem, Tyson Miller, is having a rough spring training while Julian Merryweather appears to be on the rise.  the Cubs should have no qualms about giving him as much opportunity as possible in the bullpen By Contributing Cubs writer for On Tap Sports Net and Justin Thomas headline the 72-player field at Philadelphia Cricket Club's Wissahickon Course in Flourtown but fans classifying him as a tight end is not the proper way to forecast his role in Ben Johnson's offense RHP Gavin Hollowell will take Imanaga's place on the active roster Don't miss these special Sundays during the White Sox's 125th season celebration Astros as they open a four-game set in Kansas City with rookie Shane Smith taking the mound in Game 1 heating up as they head into a tough series in Kansas City CHICAGO -- Cubs reliever Yency Almonte will undergo right shoulder surgery for a labrum tear and miss the rest of the 2024 season "I've been able to pitch through it and finally it just went," Almonte said Saturday. The injury came as Almonte was beginning to find his groove with his new team. He hadn't been scored upon in 11 of 12 appearances after early struggles in March and April. Almonte was hoping the time off would heal his injury but a second opinion led him to the decision to have surgery. The seven-year veteran is also hopeful his timeline for a return will come in less than 12 months. "This is the first big injury of my career," he said. "It's a little upsetting but it's part of what you have to go through." Sign up Sign in Listen — Most lengthy winning streaks have a definite through line; say consistent clutch hitting or a stifling bullpen Throw it all out the window in spring training The Padres got the best of both worlds Tuesday ambushing the Brewers for seven runs in the third inning while working a one-hit shutout Journeyman outfielder Abraham Almonte smacked a grand slam off the batter’s eye to put the Padres’ eighth straight win out of reach Almonte has played part of seven seasons in the majors including 63 of his career 369 games with the Padres Wil Myers homered for the third time in four games Trent Grisham had a two-hit day out of the leadoff spot and is now batting .412 (7-for-17) in six games After a Logan Morrison single led off the second inning Garrett Richards and six others retired the next 23 batters in order Richards struck out a pair in his Cactus League debut before Drew Pomeranz followed with a perfect inning and two whiffs Jimmy Yacabonis struck out four in two scoreless innings Seeing the Crafty Lefty back in brown just feels right Randy Jones made an appearance at camp and watched Zach Davies Andres Muñoz and Emilio Pagán in the bullpen Muñoz sought out advice from the Cy Young Award winner and talked shop after his session Jayce Tingler confirmed in his morning remarks to the press that top pitching prospects Luis Patiño and MacKenzie Gore will get into games Wednesday and Thursday “It starts with throwing the ball over the plate and that’s where we’ll find out how their stuff plays,” Tingler said So hopefully they’re aggressive and attacking the zone and those big league hitters will tell them where their stuff’s at.” “Evaluators who have seen him this spring believe that not only is [Trent] Grisham an every-day center fielder he could be a well-above-average one.” — ESPN’s Jeff Passan on the Padres outfielder ON DECK WEDNESDAY: Luis Patiño and Kirby Yates make their first Cactus League appearances as Adrian Morejon leads the charge against the Royals Help Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Almonte’s Italian Joe’s Kitchen was named among the top 100 restaurants for brunch and lunch in Canada by OpenTable Online restaurant reservation platform OpenTable has revealed a list of the top brunch and lunch spots in the country The list was released ahead of Mother’s Day OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants for Brunch and Lunch in Canada for 2025 list is based on more than 950,000 reviews by verified OpenTable diners Joe’s Italian Kitchen, located at 7 Mill St. describes itself as offering a rustic atmosphere and serving dishes that blend Old World traditions with New World creativity Reservations can be made on OpenTable If you’re up for a drive into the city a pair of Ottawa restaurants also made OpenTable’s top 100 list our annual Mother’s Day list now includes the top brunch and lunch spots as 1 p.m dining on the day saw the biggest year-over-year growth in 2024 That 22 per cent increase is based on the number of diners seated through OpenTable reservations for that time slot on Mother’s Day 2024 compared to 2023 “Mother’s Day is one of the biggest dining occasions of the year we aim to help diners discover and secure the perfect spot to celebrate Mom in style.” The entire top 100 list is available on the OpenTable website. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. JUPITER, Fla—Ariel Almonte crushed his 20th home run of the season while Peyton Stovall tripled and reached base three times in his professional debut as the Daytona Tortugas led wire-to-wire in a 7-1 victory over the Jupiter Hammerheads on Wednesday night. Daytona (26-21, 57-56) took advantage of five Jupiter (23-25, 59-55) errors as the Tortugas have now outscored the Hammerheads 19-2 over the first two games of the series. In the first, Daytona took an early lead. Yerlin Confidan led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, then to third on an error. Sammy Stafura then drew a walk and stole second, but the throw to second deflected off the bag, allowing Confidan to score to put Daytona in front 1-0. Tortugas starter Graham Osman ran into trouble in the first two innings, but induced a lot of swings and misses to work around those runners. A one-out triple by Jesus Hernandez in the first was squandered as Osman struck out the next two. Two leadoff walks in the second were also stranded as the lefty struck out the next three. In the third, the Tortugas extended the lead with a two-out rally. With a runner at third, Ricardo Cabrera legged out a two-out infield single to score a run. Stovall then came up and roped a triple to right-center, collecting his first professional hit and RBI on the same play. He then scored his first run as Malvin Valdez singled to left-center to put Daytona in front 4-0. An inning later, the lead grew further. With Stafura on first and two outs, Almonte crushed a high drive that easily cleared the right field fence just inside the foul pole for his 20th home run of the season, giving him the third 20-homer season in Tortugas history and giving the Tortugas a 6-0 lead. Osman threw 4.0 scoreless innings, working around two hits and three walks, striking out six batters before giving way to Ben Brutti to begin the fifth. The right-hander allowed a leadoff hit in the fifth, but then retired the next three batters with a pair of strikeouts. Brutti followed with a 1-2-3 sixth as well. In the seventh, Cabrera blasted a double to left-center, then moved to third on a passed ball. With one out, a wild pitch allowed Cabrera to cross the plate, putting Daytona in front 7-0. Brutti followed by working around a one-out single in the seventh, striking out two more batters. He then worked a 1-2-3 inning, which included two fine plays by Stovall at second base. Brutti (1-3) spun 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing two hits with four strikeouts and no walks, leaving him firmly in line for his first professional win. Right-hander Luke Hayden entered in the ninth for his pro debut and began the inning with a strikeout. After a bloop single to center, an error put two on with one out. Hayden picked up a second punchout, but J.T. Mabry blooped a single to right to score an unearned run. Hayden ended the game one batter later, securing a 7-1 victory. The Tortugas play game three of the six-game series against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Thursday night. First pitch at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium will be at 6:30 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, beginning at 6:15 p.m. the Chicago Cubs are reuniting with right-handed reliever Yency Almonte on a minor-league deal in a move that further bolsters an already deep mix of bullpen arms Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers Almonte, 30, pitched in 17 games for the Cubs last year, working to a 3.45 ERA, 3.36 FIP and 1.09 WHIP to go along with 20 strikeouts and eight walks, while holding hitters to a .158 batting average (.199 xBA) in just 15 2/3 innings He was part of the Michael Busch trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason that sent prospects Zyhir Hope and Jackson Ferris to LA The Cubs are bringing back pitcher Yency Almonte on a minor league deal He appeared in 17 games for them last year Last season was cut very short for him when he had season-ending shoulder surgery After a rough fourth appearance against the Rockies in awful weather in which he gave up three runs in a third of an inning struck out 19 hitters and held hitters to a .089 average over his final 13 2/3 innings before the injury His efforts had earned him regular appearances in the seventh and eighth innings as the bullpen was churning through guys early in the season Almonte leaned mostly on a sinker and sweeper last year, also mixing in some cutters, four-seamers and an occasional changeup. He generated a 58.8 percent whiff rate on his sweeper (.053 batting average against) and could pump his fastball and sinker around 93-94 MPH With Hope and Ferris drawing rave reviews with their new organization out west, a bounceback year from Almonte would at least help lessen the sting, along with another strong showing from Busch. The Cubs' first baseman put together an underappreciated rookie season on both sides of the ball and has been off to a scorching start this spring going 11-for-22 (.500) in Cactus League action The 30-year-old has had an up-and-down career as he's bounced back and forth between good years and more forgettable ones 8.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 pitcher across 223 career innings He has some solid stuff and an organization cannot have enough depth he'll be a great piece to have when the Cubs need to turn to Iowa for an extra arm it's like the Busch trade is back to being complete again with all parties now part of the organization they were sent to last offseason © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Almonte, 30, pitched in 17 games for the Cubs last year, working to a 3.45 ERA, 3.36 FIP and 1.09 WHIP to go along with 20 strikeouts and eight walks, while holding hitters to a .158 batting average (.199 xBA) in just 15 2/3 innings Last season was cut very short for him when he had season-ending shoulder surgery Almonte leaned mostly on a sinker and sweeper last year, also mixing in some cutters, four-seamers and an occasional changeup. He generated a 58.8 percent whiff rate on his sweeper (.053 batting average against) and could pump his fastball and sinker around 93-94 MPH Chicago reunited with the right-hander, whose 2024 season was cut short by injury. Almonte reportedly outed Khalid on Friday in a series of since-deleted posts, after which the "OTW" singer confirmed that he's gay Khalid followed the posts with a video in which he said that he was abused by Almonte Khalid also insisting that he'd never used "pink cocaine," and that Almonte was not his former escort, as he'd alleged. "All of this is definitely frustrating," Khalid said toward the end of the video below. “I’m not gonna run around like I’m unbothered. I never said I was unbothered by anything. This is very bothering. ... I had to say something." In a new X post on Thursday, Almonte said that he was "truly sorry" for stirring up the situation while sharing what he says is the "full story" of what happened between him and Khalid. Almonte said that after meeting at a party a few years ago, the two began a relationship, and Khalid broke things off with his former partner. Things "took a dark turn," Almonte said, after Khalid allegedly spread rumors that Almonte had broken into his home. Almonte, who denied the accusations, also said that Khalid was "still telling people [he] had broken into his house" and "threatened" him with calling legal authorities. "Imagine being accused of something so serious, something you know you didn't do, and then being threatened on top of it," he said. "I tried to move on, but the constant lies, manipulation, and threats took a toll on my mental health. I was exhausted, emotionally drained, and at times, I didn't recognize myself anymore," Almonte wrote. "I reached a point where my mental health collapsed, and I made a mistake I deeply regret." Almonte continued by expressing that on the day he posted about Khalid, he "wasn't in a rational state of mind." "I had reached my breaking point. The stress, the accusations, the lies—it all built up until I went into a psychosis," he said. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I was reacting from a place of deep pain and frustration. "Moving forward, I'm focusing on healing—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I'm learning from this experience and working to ensure I never handle conflict in this way again," he added. Almonte received swift backlash for the posts, while Khalid saw a grand show of solidarity from new and old queer fans. 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New York Co-hosted by Gastor Almonte (Comedy Central) and Jess Salomon (The Tonight Show) the Sandwich comedy show features New York's most talented and who are invited to “sandwich” new material in the middle of their sets head to Brooklyn’s Union Hall to see live sets from special guests including Kofi Thomas Julia Shiplett and Noam Shuster-Eliassi Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! tiktokfacebooktwitteryoutubeAbout us Contact us Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission On November 23, Khalid said on social media that he was coming out as gay after being outed. The singer later shared a video responding to “triggering” allegations from an ex who posted about their relationship “Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality Almonte defended himself in an email statement to Vulture “[It’s] really funny how it works because my intentions was never to out someone who’s clearly been out already in the community in Los Angeles,” he wrote in part “my intentions was to share my story and share how he tried to use his power to silence me because I simply ended our relationship he was afraid of what I might say.” Almonte added that people have started to “belittle” his character and send him death threats “all I’ve learned from this is never allow anyone to silence me it’s crazy that these people said I was chasing clout when I was holding onto this for five years Almonte also tweeted and deleted a similar but longer Notes-app statement that doubled down and declared I would do it again and again and again the same way.” 2024: Khalid denied multiple claims from his ex in a four-minute video shared to social media on November 25 three days after the “Location” singer said he had been outed and was coming out as gay Noting that the allegations were coming from someone he dated four or five years ago Khalid said that claims of abuse are especially “triggering” because it was “the other way around.” He also denied ever using “pink cocaine,” paying people to date or have sex with him or publicly accusing anyone of breaking into his house While Khalid didn’t mention anyone by name his response aligns with claims in now-deleted tweets from Hugo D Almonte who said in a statement to Vulture that his intentions were to share how his ex tried to “use his power to silence” him after their breakup I don’t know what’s going on with him,” Khalid said But I haven’t even had a conversation or seen this dude in four years.” The singer concluded his video by stating that he wants this “frustrating” situation to be over adding that he doesn’t need a “publicity stunt” and that any upcoming music releases were planned before all of this happened Shared this on Instagram so I’m gonna share this here too. Thank you pic.twitter.com/i8mJIZsfAn Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York This content is made possible by our sponsors. Learn more about our OBJ360 content studio here thoughtful analysis and valuable insights for business leaders in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario EVENT ALERT: Mayor's Breakfast with Ontario Finance Minister on Wednesday There are no statistics available for this player Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Log in to comment on videos and join in on the fun Watch the live stream of Fox News and full episodes Reduce eye strain and focus on the content that matters DAYTONA BEACH — Ariel Almonte was always one of the tall kids When he started playing baseball at 8 years old the right-handed Almonte naturally batted right-handed “I couldn't hit right-handed,” Almonte said via interpreter and Daytona Tortugas manager Julio Morillo Almonte and his southpaw swing lead the Florida State League with 15 home runs the second-most of their international free agent group and his power potential served as a big reason why BASEBALL: Alex Blandino starred as a Tortugas infielder in 2015. Now, he's back as a knuckleball pitcher He swatted 11 home runs with a .281 batting average across 90 games in the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League in 2021 and 2022 In 2023, both moved up to Single-A Daytona — Morillo as manager and Almonte as his right fielder During his first season at a full season affiliate He finished with five dingers and a .203 average “I think last year I forgot about using my hands when I hit,” Almonte said I've been focusing on using my hands more and putting a good swing on the baseball The main thing is not forgetting what initiates my swing is the hands.” it's getting back to my roots and simplifying everything I just want to be very simple at the plate.” The change benefitted him immediately during his second go-round with the Tortugas Almonte needed only 62 plate appearances to match his home run total from last year That was more than three FSL teams at that point “I really don't pay attention to that,” Almonte said of his place on the leaderboard But my mentality right now is to go out there and just keep working hard because that's already done he hammered his 20th career bomb for the Tortugas becoming the fourth player in franchise history to eclipse the mark There’s been only one hole in Almonte’s game: the strikeouts He ranks fifth in the FSL with 98 strikeouts in 71 games “I think you can clean up a little bit on that,” Morillo said It's just trying to minimize the strikeouts “The quality of contact this year is better Morillo gets some entertainment out of Almonte’s power every day The manager said Almonte is one of his favorite Tortugas to watch take batting practice along with outfielder Yerlin Confidan and catcher Alfredo Duno it was always fun to see those guys trying to leave the yard,” Morillo said Almonte unleashed violent swing after violent swing he fouled the ball off the netting above him and smiled he lifted a lazy popup down the left-field line to Daytona’s batting cage beyond the outfield fence Fabián Basabe has held office for less than two years but he’s squeezed in at least triple that time span’s worth of headlines At first glance, Almonte’s is a long shot bid. She has a fraction of Basabe’s funding, nowhere near his panache for attention-grabbing and lacks support from the Florida GOP machine, many of whose members are lining up behind the incumbent But Basabe’s lack of legislative accomplishments and legal troubles have made him more vulnerable than he may otherwise have been 20 Primary will be the first of two potentially tough hurdles he must surmount before securing a second term Last year, he successfully sponsored a bill to grant labor pools more ways to provide workers with water while giving the pools additional leniency for compliance violations Basabe maintains that while his legislative record isn’t outwardly robust he still delivered for his district by securing state funding appropriations and working behind the scenes on bills affecting the community While he voted to expand “Don’t Say Gay” so its strictures encompass all public school grade levels he said he worked with the measure’s sponsors to tweak its language so it prohibits classroom “instruction” on LGBTQ-inclusive topics promised millions for school hardening grants and other education and gun safety initiatives He also cited carve-outs in a sweeping measure easing the demolition and replacement of old Basabe began campaigning this cycle with a $250,000 self-loan But he stepped up efforts in recent months to draw outside dollars he spent $57,000 on a variety of outreach efforts legal and communications consulting fees and general campaign upkeep costs Almonte, a lawyer and financial consultant who briefly ran for Congress two years ago all her spending on campaign outreach has been on digital ads According to her campaign website and interviews she gave local media Almonte grew up in Florida and worked in New York City until the birth of her twin sons Difficulties in childbirth due to medical malpractice resulted in both boys suffering injuries that caused physical and learning disabilities and to better care and provide educational opportunities to them the family relocated to Miami-Dade two decades ago Almonte, 61, said she’s since worked “off and on part time over the years, including pro bono work.” The Florida Bar admitted her in 2021 I want to do something meaningful to serve others,” she said in a statement Miami-Dade records show Almonte has owned a three-bedroom home in Golden Beach since 2014, contradicting one report describing her as a “transplant” who lives in Boca Raton and owns a “multi-million dollar mansion.” Many of Almonte and Basabe’s campaign priorities overlap want to improve K-12 education offerings and initiatives to better protect residents They also agree HD 106 should build more flood-resilient infrastructure Almonte believes Florida can address its insurance crisis by increasing competition in the marketplace. Basabe vows to help homeowners by supporting initiatives such as the property-hardening My Safe Florida Home program “We have many challenges that have been neglected for far too long,” he said in a statement He’s consistently maintained that unseemly press about him has either been inaccurate The two young men have since sued Basabe over the matter Court records show the case is still active Some expected the negative attention would inspire Basabe’s Republican colleagues to distance themselves from him as the election season ramped up His May campaign launch included a large roster of GOP notables including House Speaker-designate Daniel Perez Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. and director Brett Ratner, both subjects of the #MeToo movement “As part of the majority party,” Basabe said “I would have a seat at the table and be much better positioned than my opponent to pass new laws and bring in needed revenue to improve our district.” The opponent Basabe referred to isn’t Almonte but former Orlando Democratic Rep who made history in 2012 as one of Florida’s first openly gay lawmakers Saunders, the Political Director of LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida is the lone Democrat running now in HD 106 Saunders took Scott to court this month to remove her from the ballot but he agreed she should change her name to something less similar Scott and Saunders’ legal team ultimately agreed on “Mo Saunders Scott.” During the one-day court proceeding, Scott revealed she’d had phone conversations with both Almonte and Basabe, the latter of whom she also interacted with on social media to offer dirt on Saunders It is not illegal for a person to run for public office in a district where they do not live but they must move there by the time they take office to pay someone to run for public office or to receive payment to run Scott and Basabe have both denied having any such arrangement HD 106 covers several coastal northeast Miami-Dade municipalities Jesse Scheckner has covered South Florida with a focus on Miami-Dade County since 2012. His work has been recognized by the Hearst Foundation, Society of Professional Journalists, Florida Society of News Editors, Florida MMA Awards and Miami New Times. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @JesseScheckner This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL © Copyright by Extensive-Enterprises 2025. All rights reserved. STAFF LOGIN By | July 5 7:18 pm: Almonte has chosen to undergo shoulder surgery, reports Robert Murray of FanSided The Cubs reliever is expected miss the rest of the 2024 season and is “thinking about what to do here” in possibly pursuing surgery Almonte has been shut down from throwing while he recovers and decides on his next step The exact nature of the surgery isn’t yet known but it would almost certainly seem that Almonte would miss the rest of the 2024 season and could potentially be facing an absence of up to a year based on timelines of more serious shoulder-related procedures undergone by other pitchers in the past who was posting some solid numbers before going on the IL Acquired from the Dodgers alongside Michael Busch last January Almonte had a 3.45 ERA over 15 2/3 innings and 17 appearances for the Cubs His 11.9% walk rate was on the high side and Almonte was benefiting from a .222 BABIP but a 29.9% strikeout rate and just one homer allowed in those 15 2/3 frames After relying heavily on a sweeper in 2022-23 Almonte was using his sinker and sweeper in more or less equal measure this season which also helped set up his 94mph fastball Almonte’s 2024 success could’ve also perhaps been inevitable because it is an even year The right-hander has yo-yo’d between good and bad years throughout his seven MLB seasons with the trend of quality numbers in the even years and struggles in the odd years Almonte’s Dodgers tenure included an 1.02 ERA in 35 1/3 innings in 2022 followed up by a 5.06 ERA over 48 innings with Los Angeles in 2023 before a knee sprain ended his season in mid-August the injury bug now seems to have thrown a wrench into Almonte’s usual career pattern He was already moved off the Cubs’ 40-man roster when he was shifted to the 60-day IL last week The Cubs have another year of arbitration control over Almonte for the 2025 season and while a non-tender is certainly possible depending on his health status Chicago might still issue him a contract since Almonte would receive only a minimal raise on his $1.9MM salary for 2024 Chicago Cubs “He has already been moved off the Dodgers’ 40-man roster when he was shifted to the 60-day IL last week.” Looks like this writer of the article had to many firecrackers over July 4th It’s been a disastrous season for the Chicago Cubs As for Almonte he was always a throw in anyway with upside Now that he’s looking at surgery and a long rehab-Not so much I’m looking at PCA and wondering if he needs to just go to a fourth outfielder role for the remainder of the season His defense is a huge asset but you cannot have a third of your line up hitting below .200 and 2 more with an OPS under .700 I think PCA should go to AAA and rework his swing so he’s more direct to the ball Luke Little has quietly been outstanding lately No but saving another 20 plus million is when you have perfectly fine options coming that are ready not to mention what Happ might bring back at least a decent reliever Ask yourself what might actually be possible just once if the Cubs had 50 million dollars under the Tax just ONCE at the deadline since they don’t want to go over Hoyer treats treats money under the Tax like it’s contaminated and can’t spend it fast enough Maybe he should take a lesson from his contemporaries Poles and Davidson what you can actually accomplish going into a season with a ton of cash Hmmmmmmm…….And all the Cubs young arms will be fine when they learn to throw strikes Tom Ricketts has said before that the Cubs are willing to go over the luxury tax if the Cubs were 50 million under the luxury tax certain people who be waa waa waaing all over the board about Tom Ricketts being “cheap” “A decent reliever” why do you refuse to admit Happ is good Happ should get traded because most Cub fans don’t deserve to watch him play He’s been one of the best outfielders in the league for a little over a month now and yet fans think he’s easily replaceable As for Ricketts going over the Tax I’m from Missouri As for Happ yeah he’s fine but they still aren’t winning are they so he’s not really a difference maker now is he He’s not the bat that going to carry a team for a week Hoyer should be striving for a little better than that ya think That happens when Available Money + opportunity = Difference Making Player They haven’t won a series since early May And from the looks of it they can’t beat the Angels either So you’re saying the kids can be worse than the collection of swamp rats that currently reside on the Cubs bench I think the odds of that are about a million to one So you’re saying we should promote kids to have them sit on the bench What they need is MLB At Bats and experience and let the chips fall where they will They’re either better than the people in front of them or they’re not And the facts are a lot of them should be in Iowa figuring that out not Tenn It’s Hoyers for not eliminating the crap in their way too bad you’re stating opinions and attempting to state you know more than people who actually get paid to make these decisions The other fact is that you are watching minor league players playing against minor league players and coming to a conclusion that this player is better than that player Jake fox and Bryan lahair would have had Hall of Fame careers but the fact is They were not major league caliber players and scouts knew it So just because a “good” prospect is hitting minor league pitching it doesn’t mean he is better than what we currently have or is “ready” for major league pitching Here’s the sentence that deserves a “what?” Almonte’s 2024 success could’ve also perhaps been inevitable because it is an even year.” Jed Hoyer deserves pretty much all the blame for the Cubs failures this season He knows the playoffs are a crapshoot with almost half the league making it in anyway so he built a slightly above average team on paper Now he’s surprised the team is terrible after some injuries and underperformances It’s almost like if you’re a big market team let’s keep building bullpens from other teams castoffs and signing short term deals to build this team But you’re absolutely right about Hoyer He built this team around pitching and defense Then re-signed Hendricks at 16 million instead of getting a Closer If they had a decent Closer all year they would have probably 10 more wins Betting all or nothing on Alzolay was really stupid He got away with it for a couple of years when they started the rebuild The underperformance of some of the guys in the lineup is not really Hoyer’s fault But his bullpen “philosophy” has been a disaster for several years now That alone has cost them this season so far The incredible amount of blown saves should be enough to make even clueless Ricketts want to make a change How is the underperformance of the guys in the lineup NOT Hoyers fault He basically brought back all the guys from last years underachievers AND gave a few of them RAISES only to get more of the same Last year he had Bellinger on a 1 year 17 million dollar deal and now he has a 3 year 90 million dollar deal where HE has all the power Now that Bellinger has all the power a good GM would say look we’re probably not going to be able to swing a deadline deal with that contract So if you opt in we’re going to move you in the off season and you won’t have a choice of where you go Although a smart GM would have made it a mutual option in the first place A smart GM would have declined Hendricks option and signed him for less How much do you think anybody was really going to pay Hendricks as a FA I don’t blame him for the C mess as nobody could have predicted what a disaster that would become.The odds of both guys sucking that bad would have been pretty high I think I’m sick of everybody DEFENDING this guy who like I said has built a nice farm system and the blocked the crap out of it And Ricketts saying he’ll go over the Tax is so far just talk Much like the bill of goods Reinsdorf sold Bulls fans about them paying the Tax He keeps saying under the right circumstances…Apparently those circumstances are when He** freezes over Hoyer is a joke and maybe worse than Epstein But adding crap for BP pieces and over paying for a manager is NEVER the smart move Happ and Hendricks making 36mill tween then 2 of them is a joke Over paying for a Manager and giving him a crap bullpen and bench isn’t very smart though The Cubs bullpen heading into the season had question marks The reality is most all MLB bullpens have questions No one knows where the next Mason Miller will pop up He’s a relief pitcher who literally fell from the sky In 2023 Alzolay had 22 saves and an ERA of 2.68 Hoyer was hoping he would continue to develop into the closer role who could have filled a role and all this adds to a train wreck of a bullpen injured bullpen with an under performimg offense and you have a bad season Blew like 6 saves that should’ve been wins and then injured That’s basically an entire bullpen from 6th inning to close a game Most teams can’t supplement that type of loss which then took Neris from a strong middle or 7th inning piece to closer Happ until the past week as well (pretty typical for Happ throughout his career tho) Suzuki injured again early in season after starting hot You can predict a lot going into a season but even with a top farm system you don’t have 1:1 replacements at the ready for that type of loss You mean the guy who got us our only title in 108 years Same folks who were screaming to sell last season two weeks before deadline then ready to put Rossy’s head on a stake by the end of it It looks more like The Incredible Hulk… They should’ve made it with his batting stance but in the interview that aired after the statue was unveiled Sandberg indicated that he had input into the design of the statue and preferred being represented on defense Tom Ricketts is like Richard Pryor in the Toy The cubs are Richard Pryor and his father Joe bought the Cubs Tom doesn’t give 2 squirts of p¡ss about the team He’s like Vince McMahon “its all about the money” he could care less how the team does If you ever watched a game you would know that starting pitching isn’t really a problem either now or in the future On Friday, Khalid’s ex-boyfriend, Hugo D. Almonte apologized in a since-deleted post after revealing his past relationship with the singer.  Blavity reported that Almonte shared a photo of the pair and made accusations that a “gay R&B singer” once “tried to set me up and lie that I broke into his house.” Initially, fans were confused by the news of his sexuality and asked the Sincere singer for clarification.  “Wait hope Mr Khalid isn’t GEHHH!” one tweeted.  “I am! And that’s okay,” Khalid responded.  Khalid also shared a video addressing Almonte’s accusations saying they dated four to five years ago and that he hadn’t publicly accused anyone of breaking into his house Khalid’s fans reacted to Almonte’s accusations of a turbulent relationship with many believing the OnlyFans model outed Khalid for clout to gain listeners for his music “Hugo D Almonte you will start losing your hair in 3 weeks AND NOBODY STREAMING THAT MUSIC!” one wrote with a meme GIF Hugo D Almonte you will start losing your hair in 3 weeks. AND NOBODY STREAMING THAT MUSIC! pic.twitter.com/8PSPHRbAkj hugo d almonte’s music isn’t that bad in response to a video of a rapper with a caption “kendrick could never do this.” You know what? hugo d almonte’s music isn’t that bad. https://t.co/xyLwMyUEg9 “Khalid dropping two singles a week after the Hugo scandal is giving paid stunt ” someone else tweeted with a meme video Khalid dropping two singles a week after the Hugo scandal is giving paid stunt. pic.twitter.com/RfPr5nytJ0 Get relevant content delivered to you once a week Ready to dive in Select your preferences and get ready for an experience tailored just for you *by clicking Subscribe you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Fla—Ariel Almonte crushed his 20th home run of the season while Peyton Stovall tripled and reached base three times in his professional debut as the Daytona Tortugas led wire-to-wire in a 7-1 victory over the Jupiter Hammerheads on Wednesday night 57-56) took advantage of five Jupiter (23-25 59-55) errors as the Tortugas have now outscored the Hammerheads 19-2 over the first two games of the series Sammy Stafura then drew a walk and stole second but the throw to second deflected off the bag allowing Confidan to score to put Daytona in front 1-0 Tortugas starter Graham Osman ran into trouble in the first two innings but induced a lot of swings and misses to work around those runners A one-out triple by Jesus Hernandez in the first was squandered as Osman struck out the next two Two leadoff walks in the second were also stranded as the lefty struck out the next three the Tortugas extended the lead with a two-out rally Ricardo Cabrera legged out a two-out infield single to score a run Stovall then came up and roped a triple to right-center collecting his first professional hit and RBI on the same play He then scored his first run as Malvin Valdez singled to left-center to put Daytona in front 4-0 Almonte crushed a high drive that easily cleared the right field fence just inside the foul pole for his 20th home run of the season giving him the third 20-homer season in Tortugas history and giving the Tortugas a 6-0 lead striking out six batters before giving way to Ben Brutti to begin the fifth The right-hander allowed a leadoff hit in the fifth but then retired the next three batters with a pair of strikeouts Brutti followed with a 1-2-3 sixth as well a wild pitch allowed Cabrera to cross the plate Brutti followed by working around a one-out single in the seventh which included two fine plays by Stovall at second base allowing two hits with four strikeouts and no walks leaving him firmly in line for his first professional win Right-hander Luke Hayden entered in the ninth for his pro debut and began the inning with a strikeout Mabry blooped a single to right to score an unearned run The Tortugas play game three of the six-game series against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Thursday night First pitch at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium will be at 6:30 p.m with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network with the Voice of the Tortugas Danny Almonte appeared to have all the makings of a future baseball star throwing harder than anyone his age and dominating players like no one his age it's because he was older than everyone else Almonte was a sensation for the Bronx in the 2001 Little League World Series as the New York team powered its way to a third-place finish Almonte threw a no-hitter in the Mid-Atlantic Regional finals against Pennsylvania followed by a perfect game against Florida in the round-robin stage One coach whose team faced Almonte in the regional tournament "No 12-year-old physically can throw 75 mph," Laterza said, per the New York Daily News "We had [former big leaguer] Jason Marquis in our Little League when he was 12 years old So what Almonte was doing was physically impossible The city fell in love with the whole thing MORE: 15 sports stars who played in the Little League World Series before they became famous Though his parents insisted Almonte was 12 years old two years older than the maximum age allowed to compete in the Little League World Series The scandal rocked the Little League world the president of the Hispanic Youth Little League was also banned as it was believed he was aware of Almonte's real age Almonte was cleared of any wrongdoing as it was concluded he was unaware of the falsified age Here's everything you need to know about the LLWS's biggest scandal Though documents stated Almonte was 12 years old an investigation by officials in the Dominican Republic found out that he was actually 14 making him two years too old to participate in the tournament During the 2001 Little League World Series Almonte was putting on a display of domination the likes of which the tournament had never seen before He struck out 16 in a round-robin perfect game against Apopka (Florida) allowed just one hit and struck out 16 more in the quarterfinals against Oceanside (California) and whiffed 14 against Curacao in the third-place game Almonte was untouchable against all batters he faced during his team's run to the LLWS third-place game but it was his perfect game that was the biggest highlight of the run starting the game with 15 straight strikeouts and ultimately finishing with 16 total strikeouts setting down all but two batters via the punchout The only non-strikeouts came on bunt attempts from Ryan Markell and Andrew Cobb though both were thrown out to start the sixth inning It was the first LLWS perfect game in 44 years There had been plenty of questions throughout the series about Almonte's age from opposing parents and coaches parents and supporters of South Shore hired a private investigator to dig into whether the Bronx team was hiding the ages of its players The detective's investigation came up short But Sports Illustrated did not The magazine found birth ledgers in the Dominican Republic that found Almonte's birthday had originally been registered as April 7 The birth certificate that Rolando Paulino had said April 7 which would have meant Almonte was only 12 Paulino has maintained that he only trusted what was given to him and that he did not know Almonte's true age though sources with knowledge of the situation have said Paulino was aware Almonte was too old Dominican officials investigated the falsified documents and concluded the alleged witnesses on Almonte's fake birth certificate denied signing the document The result of the investigations was that all the wins for the Bronx team were forfeited Almonte's father was banned from Little League Almonte called out the actions of both his coach and his father they knew what they were getting into," Almonte said But it happened to me and God knows what he does to me." MORE: Where is Mo'ne Davis now? LLWS legend working to become a broadcaster Almonte continued to play baseball after the Little League World Series scandal He initially made plans to play baseball for a junior college in New Mexico but instead wound up signing with Southern Illinois in the Frontier League pitching to a 5.28 ERA across 30.2 innings of work with 17 strikeouts and 19 walks he enrolled at Western Oklahoma State College to play baseball for the Pioneers he pitched to a 5.17 ERA across 38.1 innings of work with 46 strikeouts and 16 walks hitting .519 in 158 at-bats with 14 home runs and 19 stolen bases 73 strikeouts and 26 walks in 55.2 innings He still produced exceptional batting numbers hitting .472 with 18 home runs and stealing 12 bases Almonte made the transition to become a coach Almonte began his coaching career as an unpaid assistant coach for James Monroe High He has since become an assistant baseball coach at Cardinal Hayes High in New York City Edward Sutelan joined The Sporting News in 2021 after covering high school sports for PennLive Edward graduated from The Ohio State University in 2019 where he gained experience covering the baseball Edward also spent time working for The Columbus Dispatch and Cape Cod Times unveiled four posts in his Instagram stories beginning with the following: “I've been reflecting deeply on everything that's happened and I take full responsibility for my actions it wasn't my place to reveal something so personal Alamonte wrote: “But I need you to hear the full story because what led to that moment was years of emotional abuse and relentless lies that took a toll on my mental health in ways I never imagined.” Khalid’s name is not mentioned in the post but Hugo details their relationship timeline.“Eventually I never relied on them for financial support When they invited me to move in and we went house hunting together I didn't want to give up my independence because I knew how situations like this could turn I didn't want to be controlled or manipulated.” Read more: Khalid Breaks Silence After Being Publicly Outed By Former Boyfriend View this post on Instagram A post shared by HOLLYWOOD UNLOCKED (@hollywoodunlocked) Hugo outed Khalid via Instagram with a caption that described the singer as “ugly.” Despite the backlash Hugo wants to focus on healing from the relationship you can see that I'm not just the person who made that mistake ​​Thank you to those who've supported me and those who've held me accountable The unfolding drama has reignited broader conversations about boundaries and the consequences of social media callouts especially in the context of personal and deeply private revelations Hugo and Khalid now find themselves at the center of a cultural debate on accountability and the limits of public disclosure The album was inspired by the singer’s life experiences over the last five years Read more: Khalid Gets Massive Support From Fans After Being Outed By His Ex[Via] Thanks for visiting