Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission The first boy Mara Brock Akil ever fell in love with was named Stan Bradley Stan had just been a boy on the periphery: His mother owned the beauty salon that her mother frequented He had a car and was a year older than her she and her best friend went to the skating rink at her favorite coffee shop “on the block,” a.k.a an oversize cream-colored cardigan that would make Nancy Meyers jealous She points to a man unhurriedly exiting a car despite being the cause of a small traffic jam his triple-check to ensure the dry-cleaner bags aren’t caught in the door “Human behavior is one of the most useful things to watch and try to translate,” she says starring Michelle Weaver and based on how Akil’s Black Hollywood power-couple relationship Viewers looked forward to their weekly check-in with Akil’s characters who are as flawed and resilient as real people neither Shonda levels of chaotic nor reality-TV caricatures It’s why people are still upset that Joan and Toni — the main characters of Girlfriends — were never able to fully patch things up or why people warn each other not to be such a Melanie if someone is compromising their dreams for a partner Akil likes to say that the best character-driven writing — her own and others’ — is set “on the spine,” where a viewer isn’t simply watching a character’s life (They also often exist in the same universe: Girlfriends’s Maya lives in the same neighborhood as Moesha and would babysit her younger brother and The Game’s Melanie and Girlfriends’s Joan are cousins.) “My projects don’t have car crashes and murders and things like that,” she says Akil is more interested in the pain that doesn’t show Akil signed an overall with Netflix; Forever is her debut with the streamer her success or failure doesn’t affect only her career — but also that if the stakes are high “I am aware that they wanted one of her projects before and lost out on it,” she says Forever is one of the books that made Blume one of our most celebrated young adult authors — as well as one of the most blacklisted Instead of being a cautionary tale about the dangers of premarital death — Forever is simply a tale of premarital featuring a young woman with a sexual appetite (“This book was first published in 1975,” reads the Forever page on Blume’s official website “My daughter Randy asked for a story about two nice kids who have sex without either of them having to die.”) Accordingly 7 on the American Library Association’s list of most frequently banned books One school district complaint called it “basically a sexual how-to-do book for junior-high students”; another said it “does not promote abstinence and monogamous relationships.” Akil’s version is a sumptuous reimagining set in 2018 Los Angeles It has all the trappings of a classic romance — the shy rich boy Justin Edwards (played by newcomer Michael Cooper Jr. Simple miscommunications have ruinous outcomes; physical bonds are easier to maintain than emotional ones all updated with modern teen problems: a sex tape texted to the wrong people Akil’s Forever isn’t just a straight remake — it’s a racialized one translated and amended to support Black life dotted with plot points and emotional journeys that are undeniably her touches and Katherine and Michael (Blume’s characters) are dealing with the same party-pack of teenage emotions — uncertainty headassness — their experiences aren’t the same who first read Forever when she was 12 (“I probably shouldn’t have Part of it came from the strength of Blume’s writing: “Even though she did not have a lot of Blackness — or any Blackness — in her books she wrote with such humanity that I could project myself into the story and see myself and understand.” The other was a standard Akil move: plucking moments from her life When it came time for Akil to name the four leads of Girlfriends The title character of Being Mary Jane came about after Akil found herself listening to Alanis Morrisette’s “Mary Jane” on repeat while writing when we see Keisha’s mother (Xosha Roquemore) stressed at the kitchen table Joan — the same name she gave to the main character of Girlfriends So the mid-century modern décor in Forever The Edwards’ family vacation to Martha’s Vineyard and the joke that one of the mothers has a “catastrophic parenting style” a classic situation for a teenager: going to a New Year’s Eve party which opens up both Blume’s and Akil’s stories Blume’s characters come and go so easily they may as well be teleporting Akil’s are stopped at their front door: Justin’s parents demand more information before he can leave the house rescued from And Just Like That …) for being too controlled she retorts: “We got cops out here shooting Black boys like it’s open season but as to the translation of the book — that’s really me,” she said that we see reflected back: How do I protect my sons How do I tell him that some people will always see him as a threat Though the show isn’t about Akil’s oldest son (As well as his beats — Yasin created the music that Justin works on throughout the series.) After the George Floyd protests of 2020 Akil noticed an increase of young Black people talking about the microaggressions in their private which shocked and interested her in equal measure “a time in which Black families were screaming in the vacuum of their own terror,” she says “I wanted to introduce the families at a time when the parents were heightened in their fear factor of parenting.” Justin reminds her of the alternative: “There are kids at my school who don’t even come home on the weekends.” Dawn doesn’t buy it the difference between himself and those other kids “You put me in an all-white school!” he sputters and after a conversation laying out ground rules with his father When she talks about the people who raised her and her grandmother — all inspirations for the strong Black leads Akil is known for constructing Those three women were.” (Akil and her father are estranged.) After the divorce moved Akil and her two siblings from the Baldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles to Kansas City where Joan worked her way up from being a secretary to a computer programmer for a pharmaceutical company sometimes she waited tables for extra cash to go toward her kids’ schooling where she switched from a journalism concentration to a screenwriting one She describes it like falling in love: screenwriting gave her “the same feeling if not more” as she had felt with Stan Bradley she wrote scripts while working as a production assistant for The Sinbad Show eventually spending four years in the writers’ room for Moesha “the Howard University of Black television.” she sold Girlfriends and became the youngest African American female showrunner in Hollywood Getting it off the ground wasn’t easy: Though UPN had bought the show Akil couldn’t find a studio to actually make it stepped in as co-executive producer.) She joked that she knows how to make a dollar out of 15 cents but the budgets for me were very limited,” she says she learned a not-so-fun fact about herself: She was the only African American showrunner to have a series on TV every year between 2000 and 2015 surfing the last wave of broadcast sitcoms if everything that happened is on her mind Akil only talked to Blume once before writing when Akil argued that the story was an exploration of how we treat each other when we’re still figuring out how to be ourselves — how we communicate That’s the space Blume was trying to create for her daughter in writing the book “We weren’t using these terms” — finding agency but that’s what Judy put in the book,” Akil says a young white woman navigating romantic and sexual intimacy for the first time Akil refocused her gaze: “I posit that Black boys are the most vulnerable when it’s time because before I can really talk to him about love and healthy protection so you parent from that.” And perhaps as a corrective the show implores parents to give their kids some room to move: “One of the reasons I’m so excited to have Black leads in it is that we need to make space for their rite of passage,” she says she went to her mother and told her she was ready to have sex (“There was only so much grinding you could do.”) But she remembers him fondly and would love nothing more than to get dinner to catch up after all these years Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York 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 Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo crushes a solo home run to right field to make the score 1-0 in the top of the 2nd inning for Triple-A Toledo Hao-Yu Lee's second homer of the year Hao-Yu Lee's go-ahead three-run homer Leo Burnett Saudi Arabia has appointed Tarek Akil as Business Lead tasking him with heading up the agency’s Riyadh operations and driving growth through integrated client partnerships Akil brings more than 20 years of experience across Egypt having led campaigns for major regional and global brands including Vodafone The role also marks his return to Publicis Groupe Middle East He previously worked at Saatchi & Saatchi where he led the regional Cadbury chocolate portfolio “Tarek brings the kind of strategic clarity and client-first thinking that’s critical in today’s market,” said Adel Baraja “His experience and leadership will play a big role as we continue building stronger more connected brand solutions in Saudi Arabia.” Akil will focus on harnessing the Power of One model to unlock more integrated solutions for clients in line with growing demand for cohesive brand strategies under Saudi Vision 2030 Akil said: “Thrilled to announce that I’ve joined the incredible team at Leo Burnett in Riyadh I’ve long admired the talents and achievements coming out of the formidable Publicis Groupe across the region and now I’m honoured to be part of that winning team Looking forward to contributing to the continued success and growth with the leadership and support of Adel Baraja.” A third installment of Ear Candy is due this year. refers to Soho’s loft as “Assata’s Space.” Her mother’s entrepreneurial work led to frequent relocations during her childhood We asked Assata some questions about her career A: The IFE series was born out of a period of resilience and I wanted to create a strong woman character doing non-stereotypical things — wearing a beautiful dress Her dresses are more than clothes—they are a part of her personality and self-expression IFE acknowledges the strength behind the dress She embraces both her feminine and masculine sides constantly balancing her divine feminine and warrior energy I also wanted her to be strong with a partner who is stronger — The Protect-Her His silent strength is her protection from rainy days He is always painted holding an umbrella over IFE—not to shelter her from the world but to shield her when she needs a moment of rest Even though she is clearly capable on her own she also understands the balance in relationships Strength doesn’t mean she has to be alone; it means she can stand tall with someone who respects and matches her energy IFE is more than a painting—she is a story She continues to guide the connections in her story Each painting captures a piece of her story The message LOVE ME can be found in all of the paintings and is done by my youngest daughter Demi. The Mystic Queen of Ember is one of my favorites It is a very deep painting that connects three paintings in the series: Irony After being sacrificed (Sacrificial Queen) by the very thing she carried to a situation (Irony) IFE returns—or is resurrected — as The Mystic Queen of Ember Mysterious and guarded—hence the beaded curtain But IFE’s story is not a victim story — that is why the curtains are not permanently closed They are able to open up and reveal her when she chooses roaring flame to a steady ember that burns internally I realized her journey wasn’t meant to be captured in just one image or one moment I decided to create a book that would connect all of her stories—the paintings and the evolving legacy she continues to guide Common feedback that I receive about IFE is that people can feel her energy I know the reason is because the energy is real I know the women expressed through IFE—not only women in my family but strong women and men I’ve had the chance to bond with throughout my travels I have played softball with small-in-stature but powerful Yucatán women and saw their strength firsthand My mom and great-aunt both cut their own grass with pride which inspired the painting Rose’s Inspiration I know beautiful women bodybuilders (Weight of the Worlds) and I know women who work on and inspect cars (Herchanic) Her energy is real because their energy is real Q: Your work Petty Cache has been described as a collection where you store thoughts that aren’t often expressed aloud What inspired you to create this candid writing style and how does it reflect your artistic philosophy as both a poet and visual artist A: I’ve been a visual artist and storyteller my whole life After attending a predominantly white school throughout elementary school I had a wise and commanding brown-skinned teacher Most of the poems were positive and uplifting but there was one piece titled Ain’t That a Bitch?—and it hit me like nothing else It was the first time I saw poetry laced with passion I went to predominantly white schools in some years and predominantly brown-skinned schools in others—specifically in fifth I didn’t see myself fully reflected in art class — until my eleventh-grade year when I moved in with my grandmother to a different state and transferred to a new school I had cut off all my hair before ninth grade a classmate asked to use me as the subject for a painting he was submitting to a contest He created a portrait of me alongside two African women from a magazine it was the first time I truly saw myself represented in art I had always walked to the beat of my own drum I never needed to fit in—I’ve always claimed my own space I thought my debut would be a poetry collection or a fiction novel inspired by my real life I also didn’t see myself as soft-spoken or buttoned-up like the poets I’d read growing up So I stopped calling myself a poet and began calling myself what I truly am: A storyteller… that sometimes rhymes it wasn’t poetry or fiction that came first—it was erotica Ear Candy was born out of surprise more than strategy I’ve always enjoyed reading sensual stories I worried I’d boxed myself into one genre too soon that people would only see the erotic and not everything else I had to say my archive of unfiltered thoughts scribbled across napkins and notebooks over the years sometimes sharp—never curated for perfection I created Petty Cache as a way to reclaim my voice Petty Cache is proof that my voice doesn’t need to fit a form to be heard Q: How has your experience living in Mexico and your travels around the world shaped your artistic perspective Do you find Mérida a good place to be a productive A: I love to explore and immerse myself in different cultures—travel is everything to me always gifting me something new—whether a new experience I’ve always seen travel as a form of time travel It doesn’t just expand your perspective; it expands your reality which exposed me to new environments from a young age I always had a sketchbook with me—it was my journal and my stability becoming both an international and domestic flight attendant completely transformed my outlook — not just as a person Immersing myself in different cultures opened my view of not only art I started noticing the way colors are used differently in different regions My painting Red Light Bride was directly inspired by a trip to Amsterdam where I visited the Museum of Prostitution in the Red Light District I had the chance to sit in the window and experience what it felt like to be watched and judged — and that vulnerability made its way into IFE I believe I’m standing in a portal for art through events like Noche Blanca and Mérida Fest allows artists to shine and cultivates an environment where creativity can thrive Q: In one of your articles for MID CityBeat you reference Tupac Shakur’s poem “A Rose That Grew From Concrete” when discussing relationships How has poetry from other artists influenced your own creative work and what role does poetry play in how you understand the world A: Poetry has always been a part of my life I love poetry because it’s the song to life and the melody of thought Poetry has a beautiful way of saying ugly things The poem A Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur is one of my favorites I resonate with how he used the Rose to express the story of resilience you’ll find a rose growing out of the rocks as IFE drills on — a visual echo of that feeling I love the creativity behind the expression of words I remember my mom listening to Gil Scott-Heron and though I didn’t understand what he was talking about and Ayi Kwei Armah are just a few who inspire my work It taught me that poetry didn’t have to be soft or delicate — it could be raw Poetry has always been a place where I could put the things that didn’t fit anywhere else It continues to weave itself into my writing Instagram: @loveandpuravida; web: www.houseofassataunbound.com Lee Steele is the founding director of Mérida-based Roof Cat Media S de RL de CV and has published Yucatán Magazine and other titles since 2012 He was Hearst Connecticut’s Sunday Magazine creative director and worked in New York City for various magazine publishers received the National Health Journalism Award highlighting the importance of improving the health system and strengthening HIV care in Yucatán and throughout the country. Yucatán has had one of Mexico’s highest HIV rates The true number is generally believed to… As it gets hotter and more humid here in Mexico we get more requests for solutions that help keep things cooler Bullfighting at Plaza de Toros Mérida has come to an abrupt halt Just days before what would have been the fifth event of the series Toros Yucatan announced in a statement that they were ending the season due to causas de fuerza mayor but in the latest edition of Mérida’s citywide cultural extravaganza best symbolized by the specter of a giant mechanical man ambling down the Paseo Montejo It was one of Noche Blanca’s more powerful symbols,… the Zapotec began construction of a new settlement we today call by its Nahuatl name Of all the reasons American and Canadian citizens move to Mexico elder care may not be top of the list. But as our parents live longer — often as we enter retirement — expats in Mexico may choose this path Especially if a parent is widowed and living alone And especially if the thought of a nursing… Advertise With Us and notes from around the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Saturday John Brebbia made a strong rehab appearance in the first inning He collected fly outs from Roman Anthony and Nick Sogard before striking out Marcelo Mayer with a nasty back door slider Akil Baddoo then led off the bottom half with a laser beam at 111.5 mph to right field to make it 1-0 Hens and the lefty ran into two-out trouble as he allowed a single and then a two-run shot to Trayce Thompson Jordan Balazovic handled the third with no trouble and in the fourth the Hens broke the game open a little bit Baddoo started them off by hitting one of the longest home runs of the season The towering drive carried well over the batter’s eye in straightaway center field landing an estimated 461 feet from home plate and Stephen Scott launched a two-run shot to make it 4-2 Hens Akil Baddoo with an absolutely monstrous solo homer that went 461 feet to dead center. Cleared the batter’s eye by a LOT. pic.twitter.com/hbeL0r8xCm At that point the game went through a nearly two hour long rain delay Hens manager Gabe Alvarez turned to new southpaw starter Nick Margevicius The Tigers signed the former prospect to a minor league deal last week He tossed five scoreless frames with five strikeouts Have a Mud Hens debut, Nick Margevicius! HLD5.0 IP4 H0 R0 BB5 K pic.twitter.com/Q3rb39rmw0 Jahmai Jones hit a solo shot in the fifth and then added another in the sixth Baddoo doubled to complete a huge day in the eighth inning and Carlos Mendoza singled him in for their final run Matt Seelinger closed the game out in the ninth Coming Up Next: The Hens lead the series 3-2 heading into a 1:05 p.m the SeaWolves and Rumble Ponies were rained out in Erie They’ll play a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon Left-hander Joe Miller threw a great game on Saturday totally shutting down the Rattlers offense Trevin Michael and Preston Howey were just as good in two innings of relief work apiece as the trio combined to hold them to just four hits and a walk Miller struck out nine in five innings of work The lefties in the Rattlers lineup struggled Michael and Howey too over in style as each punched out three hitters with Michael allowing one hit and Howey none Joe Miller sets a new career high with his 9th strikeout. Excellent outing today: 5IP 3H 0R BB 9K pic.twitter.com/8b2W8q5axm The Whitecaps offense didn’t have a particularly good day either A two-out double from Izaac Pacheco in the second inning with two outs and a two-out single from Seth Stephenson in the third were their only baserunners in the early innings Archer Brookman reached on an error to lead off the top of the inning but Jack Penney singled to finally get a runner in scoring position and John Peck struck out to squander their best chance Brookman and Stephenson led off the inning with singles Penney grounded into a force of Stephenson at second but Briceño got the run home from third with a sacrifice fly Howey then carved up the Rattlers for two innings to earn the save Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps lead 3-2 in the series heading into Sunday’s 2:10 p.m Another low scoring game went the Flying Tigers way as they secured a series win on Saturday Josh Randall got the start and he was excellent. The Detroit Tigers third round pick last summer went five innings Randall struck out five and didn’t walk a hitter He scattered six hits sitting close to 95 mph with his sinker and mixing in cutters and sliders as the main secondary offerings The Flying Tigers opened the scoring in the bottom of the third Bad timing for the Cardinals as Bryce Rainer stepped to the plate and hammered a bouncer up the middle at 106.5 mph to score two runs Bryce Rainer plates two runs with a sharp bouncer up the middle. @ZachSurdenik on the call. pic.twitter.com/7OQP2uM335 Randall allowed a couple of singles in the fourth as the Cardinals scored one but he shut the rally down with a strikeout and tossed a good fifth to end his outing carried the one-run lead through the final four innings Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers look to sweep the three-game home series on Sunday at noon LAKELAND, Fla. -- Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand and will miss the start of the regular season Hinch said Friday that Baddoo had more tests done after some continued wrist soreness since the start of spring training Those tests revealed the hamate hook fracture in his right hand that was surgically repaired Thursday Baddoo, 26, who has been with the Tigers since 2021, is at spring training as a non-roster player. He was designated for assignment in December after Detroit signed veteran right-hander Alex Cobb to a $15 million Baddoo cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo Cobb is expected to miss the start of the season after an injection to treat hip inflammation that developed as the right-hander was throwing at the start of camp Baddoo hit .137 with two homers and five RBIs in 31 games last season The left-hander has a .226 career average with 28 homers and 103 RBI in 340 games After the Tigers acquired him from Minnesota in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in December 2020 18 stolen bases and a .330 on-base percentage in 124 games as a rookie in 2021 Join us in wishing a very happy birthday to Hall of Famer Alan Trammell! pic.twitter.com/csdCfZYkbq likely out for springHinch to attend funeral for Dauer; Yanks' easing of hair rule surprises GleyberFebruary 21st LAKELAND, Fla. -- Outfielder Akil Baddoo underwent surgery Thursday to repair a hook fracture of the hamate bone in his right hand who’s in camp as a non-roster invitee after re-signing with the organization on a Minor League contract had been experiencing wrist soreness since arriving in camp Baddoo underwent tests after the discomfort continued into the start of full-squad workouts this week The Tigers didn’t give a projected timetable for Baddoo’s recovery but a hamate fracture with surgery typically takes 4-8 weeks for a return to game action Fellow Tiger Ryan Kreidler suffered a similar injury with Triple-A Toledo in 2022 and missed just more than a month and he can absorb some of [the missed time] in the spring and not miss too much of the season,” Hinch said Hinch to miss Spring Training openerWhile the Tigers open Grapefruit League play on Saturday against the Phillies at Joker Marchant Stadium Hinch will be away from the team to attend the funeral of former Orioles player and longtime coach Rich Dauer Dauer was a member of Hinch’s coaching staff with Houston in 2017 Dauer fell during the World Series parade and suffered a head injury leading to an acute subdural hematoma that required emergency surgery Dauer recovered and threw a ceremonial first pitch to Hinch at an Astros game the following April who shared memories of their time together Friday morning Among them was the story Dauer told Hinch -- whose pinch-hitting aggressiveness began in Houston -- about legendary Orioles manager Earl Weaver once pinch-hitting for Dauer in the first inning of a game bench coach George Lombard will manage the Tigers on Saturday reprising a role he often takes on for split-squad games in Spring Training Hair today, hair to stayThe Yankees’ announcement Friday morning that they will relax their rules on facial hair to allow “well-groomed” beards caught Tigers infielder and former Yankee Gleyber Torres by surprise Torres reported to camp with a beard that he could not have grown as a Yankee for the previous seven seasons “It’s kind of surprising to me,” an initially skeptical Torres said because I know many guys there want to get some beards.” Traffic alertWith Lakeland Hills Boulevard under construction and down from four lanes to two outside of Joker Marchant Stadium the Tigers are advising fans heading to the park Saturday to use alternate entrances off Bella Vista Street (south of the park) and Granada Street (north of the park) There’s also a Tigertown Express shuttle to and from the park with pickup locations at designated spots around town Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball Join us in wishing a very happy birthday to Hall of Famer Alan Trammell! pic.twitter.com/csdCfZYkbq Faisal Al ZaabiMay 02 LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo wasn't projected to make the 2025 Opening Day roster after being removed from the 40-man roster in the offseason He projected as an everyday outfielder at the Triple-A level His road back to the big leagues just got even tougher as he will miss the start of the 2025 season Baddoo underwent surgery on Thursday after suffering a hamate hook fracture in his right hand during the first week of spring training The 26-year-old has a long ways to go if he wants to tap into his potential at the highest level beginning with making a return to full health "and he can absorb some of this in the spring and not miss too much of the season." THURSDAY'S OBSERVATIONS: Jackson Jobe dominates hitters with command, 98 mph fastball, new curveball Baddoo — a Rule 5 draft pick in 2020 — has logged 1,125 plate appearances over four MLB seasons He owns a career .226 batting average with 28 home runs and a .680 OPS across 340 games hitting .259 with 13 homers and a .766 OPS over 124 games Baddoo was designated for assignment Dec. 10 to create room for veteran right-hander Alex Cobb (who is already sidelined with a right hip injury) on the 40-man roster 17 to Triple-A Toledo when he wasn't claimed off waivers by any of the other 29 teams He is the fifth outfield-only left-handed hitter on the depth chart, trailing Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows and Wenceel Pérez Baddoo showed up on the biweekly injury report "He came in with what he described as wrist soreness and it was eating at him a little bit," Hinch said "We were just going to take it easy on him JEFF SEIDEL: These kids learned a lot about Tigers, and so did I, from their questions He will miss the remainder of spring training Shortstop Javier Báez (right hip labral repair) will participate in his next base-running drill Saturday or Sunday after completing a modified base-running drill Wednesday The 32-year-old has been a full participant in all other activities in spring training NEW LEATHER: Tigers ace Tarik Skubal 'just signed a deal' with Nike. Here's what that means He won't play in the first game of spring training Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies but he could be ready for spring training games by the end of February Báez just needs to pass all of his running tests who underwent Tommy John surgery in late April 2024 resumed his return-to-play throwing program Friday and is scheduled to throw his next bullpen session in about five to nine days He had been in a scheduled recovery from throwing phase for the past week while Vanasco is playing catch six times per week Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold user-friendly experience designed with our community in mind More content and resources are on the way as we continue to enhance the site so thank you for your understanding as we work to make it even better X The Philadelphia Police Department needs the public’s assistance in locating a missing person Jabari Akil at 2:00 pm on the 63xx block of Paschall Ave brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a red and gray hooded sweatshirt underneath black Nike sneakers with a white swoosh mark and is known to get on a Greyhound bus Anyone with any information on Jabari’s whereabouts is asked to please contact Southwest Detectives at 215-686-3183 215.686.TIPS (8477) Police Headquarters400 N Broad StreetPhiladelphia we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site to improve your browsing experience please read our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy a Cannes-selected poetic drama by Mo Harawe centred on a family in a Somali village navigating life between hardship and hope Cinema Akil will host special screenings of The Village Next to Paradise on May 4 and May 9 Presented by Fujifilm in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and supported by Soul Communications the event highlights a landmark in Somali cinema Directed and written by Mo Harawe in his feature debut The Village Next to Paradise transports viewers to the serene backdrop of a Somali village where a family recently brought back together must navigate the fragile balance between personal aspirations and societal pressures The film offers an intimate portrayal of life in the village capturing the everyday struggles and dreams of its residents Ahmed Mahmoud Suleiman and Anab Ahmed Ibrahim while Noor Abdulkadir served as production designer Egyptian cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef made his feature debut on the film earning the Best Cinematography award at the Diagonale Austrian Film Festival The film also won Best Feature Film at the same festival The Village Next to Paradise holds the distinction of being the first Somali film to screen at the Cannes Film Festival who gained acclaim for his work on the project will return to Cannes this May with his latest film International sales are handled by Totem Films with Jour2Fête managing French distribution and MAD Distribution covering the MENA region Please enter your username or email address to reset your password News / Sports Inside of a new-look CITY lineup, Akil Watts felt at home. That’s because he was back at midfield. Subscribe to the CITY Scene newsletter to get a fan’s guide to the pro soccer scene in St. Louis. Watts’ positional flexibility has helped him log more than 1,900 minutes in CITY Red, though most of that time has been spent at right back. Midfield, however, is his preferred spot. But with a new coach and a fresh start—not to mention injuries and illnesses sapping some of St. Louis’ depth—Watts entered the season holding down the center midfield position The 25-year-old’s solid play in the season debut was one of the highlights of the first match. “I’ve just been working my butt off as a center mid,” Watts said ahead of the season. “That’s my favorite position to play, so I’m enjoying it.” Preseason is one thing, but Watts’ ability to force his way into the lineup on opening night shows how much faith new head coach Olof Mellberg has in his ability to help control play in the middle of the field. Watts helped make the opener feel more comfortable for CITY against a club that scored seven goals across both of last year’s meetings. He contributed 0.42 expected assists, 0.11 expected goals, one key pass, one big chance generated, two interceptions, and three total tackles. “It felt very positive,” Watts said. “I feel like we created chances, you know? I felt like we could have won the game. And defensively, we’re very solid. We didn’t give up many chances. So it was a very solid game.” As Chris Durkin returns to full fitness, there will be a battle for minutes at the position, but Watts’s tactical understanding in front of the three center backs could prove important as the club looks to establish its intentions under Mellberg through the early stages of the season. Mellberg was happy with the way the formation flowed, particularly with the growing chemistry between Watts and Tomas Totland, each of whom found ways to push high down the right wing. “I think it mostly has to do with the personnel,” Mellberg said about his lineup’s fluidity. “We have those really good runs from [Totland] on the right-hand side. He at times does really well, and we also have Akil there who can also join in in the attacks. We’re maybe a little bit more buildup-oriented on the left side with Edu [Löwen] and with Jannes [Horn], but mostly it depends on who is playing.” Even if the lineup looks different on Saturday in San Diego, Watts seems dialed in on how Mellberg wants his central defensive midfielders to play alongside the more ball-oriented Löwen. That said, there may come a time where Watts is needed back on the right side. Watts’ positioning could depend on where Mellberg feels his club can best exploit holes in the opposition. Regardless of where he lines up, Watts is eager to contribute all over the field. “I’m always up for playing wherever the team needs me,” Watts said. “There’s so much quality in the squad. I just feel like myself in the midfield.” Start your mornings with a fresh take on the day’s top local news from Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull. No spam, you can unsubscribe anytime you want. St. Louis Magazine is the smart, sophisticated guide to your city. Our award-winning content brings readers revealing profiles, discerning dining and cultural guides, in-depth features, informed commentary, and authoritative best-of lists. Start your mornings with a fresh take on the day’s top local news, with the St. Louis Daily, from Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull. Copyright 2025 SLM Media Group. All rights reserved. The LA Kings announced the following roster transactions: , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Netflix has dropped the first full trailer for Forever, Mara Brock Akil‘s series adaptation of the Judy Blume classic It’s been 50 years since Blume’s critically acclaimed young adult novel Forever hit bookstores but Brock Akil’s adaptation of the 1975 book offers a fresh new lens to the beloved story In a lulling new trailer for Forever, eager fans glimpse the wild, chaotic, and often exhilarating trope of that first deep connection that many call puppy love. We meet characters Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) and Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) two childhood friends who reconnect in high school and embark on a whirlwind romance with its fair share of highs and lows “Judy Blume’s groundbreaking 1975 novel is being reimagined for a new generation by Mara Brock Akil It’s an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts series regulars include Wood Harris and Karen Pittman as Justin’s parents with Marvin Winans III as his younger brother The first episode is directed by Regina King who also serves as an executive producer on the show Judy Blume was skeptical about Brock Akil’s interest in developing Forever for the screen fearing that the story wouldn’t “translate for the new millennium.” “I found out that Judy wasn’t sure that it could translate in this modern era given how exposed young people are to sexuality and the topic of love,” Brock Akil said to Netflix’s Tudum “I’m thrilled that Mara has chosen to tell this story through her own lens,” added Blume the love story at the core of Forever is still resonating with audiences.” Born in Los Angeles but raised in Kansas City Brock Akil returned to pursue a passion for writing after receiving a degree from Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism in 1992 The city has served as the background for many of the stories she’s told over the years Los Angeles is just as much a character in Brock Akil’s life as the people she’s created through personalities like Joan “What better metaphor for this love story than what LA represents but for a lot of people,” said Brock Akil to Tudum “You’re looking for a place to follow your dreams Check out new photos and the trailer below: 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 TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings are back on the road for a quick trip to San Jose as they visit the Sharks for the second matchup between the two teams in a six-day span HEAD-TO-HEAD: The Kings and Sharks faced off on Thursday with Los Angeles skating to a 3-2 victory on home ice Forward Warren Foegele led the Kings with two goals in the win Foegele has 12 points (5-7-12) from 16 games played against San Jose Forward Alex Laferriere assisted on both of Foegele’s goals giving him four points (1-3-4) from five career games versus the Sharks KINGS VITALS: The Kings are currently on a stretch of five consecutive games in the state of California with four on home ice surrounding today’s game on the road Look for the Kings to turn back to goaltender David Rittich in tonight’s game against the Sharks as the Czech netminder was not on the ice for today’s optional morning skate Rittich earned the victory in the home opener on Thursday as he turned aside 24 of the 26 shots he faced versus the Sharks Rittich has a 6-2-3 lifetime record against San Jose with a .902 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average Here’s how the Kings lined up during yesterday’s practice – One lineup change is expected tonight – forward Akil Thomas will make his season debut Forward Trevor Lewis was on late after morning skate anticipating that Thomas will check in for him as he checks back in tonight after sitting for the first nine games this season Akil Thomas will make his season debut tonight in San Jose Looks like David Rittich in net for the @LAKings as well — Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) October 29, 2024 The Kings made a few changes on the blueline in that game including the introduction of Caleb Jones in place of Kyle Burroughs Jones logged 14:17 in his third game of the season as he played what was generally clean game alongside Jordan Spence earning some post-game plaudits from Head Coach Jim Hiller SAN JOSE VITALS: The Sharks conclude a back-to-back here this evening coming off their first victory of the season here’s how the Sharks lined up last time out versus Utah – #TheFutureIsTeal lines in their first game in Utah: Eklund-Granlund-ToffoliGushchin-Wennberg-ZetterlundGoodrow-Kunin-GrundstromG — Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 29, 2024 Look for goaltender Vitek Vanacek to get the start today for San Jose Vanacek has faced the Kings just twice in his NHL career posting a 1-1-0 record with a .870 save percenatge and a 3.00 goals-against average Forward Mikael Granlund scored both San Jose goals when these teams met on Thursday Granlund leads the Sharks with 13 points (5-8-13) so far this season and sits just one point outside the Top 10 in the NHL in scoring this season Former King Tyler Toffoli is tied with Granlund for the team lead with five goals including the game-tying goal in Utah yesterday evening Former King Carl Grundstrom is also expected to play tonight against his former club he hasn’t played yet and we’ve got to make sure we get him in so he’ll go tonight,” Jim Hiller said this morning Hiller said he spoke with Thomas yesterday and Thomas feels he’s ready to go despite not playing for the first nine games of the season for a player who came into the season with expectations of being an everyday player When you looked at how this team looked over the summer The emergence of Andre Lee during training camp saw Thomas as the odd-man out early in the season with Lee playing each of the first nine games appearing to be in place of veteran Trevor Lewis Thomas has patiently waited for his chance even though it was difficult for him at times Thomas said he tried to make sure he was getting something out of each day talking about his workouts and his skates putting him in an even better position physically than he was at the start of training camp “First time being healthy [scratched for that long] so it’s been tough,” Thomas said of being a healthy scratch as opposed to being our injured “I’ve just been using it to get a lot of good workouts in and good skates in and I feel better physically than I did at the start of camp When he played his first game of the season back in Montreal defenseman Andreas Englund spoke about the workouts run by Kings Assistant Coach Derik Johnston as keeping him ready for when his number was eventually called It’s impossible to truly replicate the feeling of playing games every other day but part of the job is being ready to go and ready to jump in when given the opportunity obviously it sucks being scratched but we have fun out there and we’re working on really good stuff we all get something out of it every day,” Thomas said we’re getting better and we’re ready to go whenever it’s our turn.” Thomas knows this is an opportunity for himself to show he should remain in the lineup for tomorrow’s game against Vegas and beyond trying to make an impact on the game while also playing within himself keeping things simple in a fourth-line role and hopefully playing his game “I have an opportunity to play tonight and work as hard as I can and just hopefully prove yourself a little bit more.” The Kings enter at 5-2-2 and began last season with a mark of 6-2-2 The points in October are as important as they are in April “It’s hard to compare the seasons but you always want to start good to get points wherever,” defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov said every single point [is important] and we’ve got to be better by the end get as many points as we can and try to build on it.” the Kings began with a record of 16-4-4 through 24 games with that mark ultimately derailed by that long losing stretch in January Think about where the team would have been without that start as the team continues to sort out systems and style of play and hopefully continue to grow upwards from there despite controlling the bulk of the second half of the game San Jose secured its first victory of the season the Sharks scored four goals in less than six minutes of game time and you’d expect that team to come out hard tonight on home ice even if there’s not a ton left in the tank Puts a lot of onus on a strong start for the Kings like to focus on us more than anybody else it was an emotional win for them,” Hiller said this morning so I’m not surprised that that they’re in games and that they’re winning I’m sure they feel better about things We’ve just got to make sure we’re ready for it.” – After he did not play in the final period-plus on Saturday forward Kevin Fiala is expected to return to his regular place in the lineup tonight against San Jose we’ll move forward and that was it,” Hiller said Hiller said after the win over San Jose on Thursday that repeat offenders on minor penalties could see their icetime reduced Fiala had two penalties in that game and two more against Utah on Saturday Fiala was back with Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore during yesterday’s practice and Fiala is a forward the Kings will look to rely on to create offense He’s arguably the team’s most dynamic creator with the puck on his stick and the Kings will look to see that from him this evening at the Shark Tank 7 PM puck drop with a national broadcast on ESPN Repeated violations of the blog rules will result in site bans commensurate with the nature and number of offenses Please flag any comments that violate the site rules for moderation For immediate problems regarding problematic posts LA Kings President Luc Robitaille announced today that the Kings and Rob Blake have "mutually agreed" to part ways MLB Trade Rumors By Darragh McDonald | February 21 The Tigers announced that outfielder Akil Baddoo underwent surgery to address a hamate hook fracture in his right hand yesterday The club didn’t provide a return-to-play timeline but such procedures usually require a shutdown period of four to eight weeks came into camp as a non-roster depth outfielder The Tigers passed him through waivers unclaimed in December so he no longer had a spot on the 40-man roster The fact that he lost his roster spot and no other club claimed him is a testament to his recent struggles He had a tremendous 2021 season but wasn’t able to keep his performance going in the subsequent three seasons the Tigers plucked Baddoo from the Twins in the 2020 Rule 5 draft hitting 13 home runs and slashing .259/.330/.436 for a 108 wRC+ He also stole 18 bases and played all three outfield positions it seemed like the Tigers had snagged a nice long-term piece for their outfield Baddoo has hit just .203/.292/.328 for a 76 wRC+ over the past three seasons He has been surpassed on the depth chart by other outfielders and been bumped down into a depth role He spent most of 2024 on optional assignment getting into 82 Triple-A games and hitting .238/.340/.418 at that level for a 98 wRC+ he was bumped off the 40-man roster a couple of months ago though he projects as a frequent designated hitter but Baddoo will be subtracted from that group for a while He will likely be shut down until late March/early April he will effectively have to restart spring training to get into game shape meaning he may not be a realistic option for the Tigers until May Detroit Tigers Akil Baddoo 2 months ago 2 months ago It’s possible the Tigers may bid adieu to Baddoo as a result 2 months ago 2 months ago I hope they give Baddoo a bunch of steroids to heal… he needs to beef up 2 months ago He reminds me of a Roy White type of player .270 hitter with 10 homer power a little speed 2 months ago The survival rate of this surgery is essentially 100% I guess he doesn’t need me to send him thoughts and prayers 2 months ago Then have the audacity to say that’s the reason he survived You wouldn’t hear a peep out of em if he didn’t though 2 months ago York – Everyone can always use thoughts and prayers Many years ago I was at a Jays game and the woman next to me was with the Billy Graham Ministry She asked me if there was anything I wanted her to pray for 2 months ago thoughts and prayers are too stupid for words you may as well do nothing and save your breath the fact so many people think it is doing something speaks volumes about how credulous people are 2 months ago My best guess is that he is a bit of a hot shot and coaches aren’t able to get through to him Examples include him high fiving the first base coach when he thought he had a homer and constantly pausing game action so he could retrieve the helmet that flew off his head while running the bases Nearly every time he got a hit or advanced He’s clearly the type that needs the spotlight 2 months ago 2 months ago I remember Craig Monroe (former Tigers analyst) thought Baddoo went to work on his weaknesses and thought he didn’t do enough work on his strengths And since then has been trying to find them again 2 months ago I just don’t understand how he hit MLB pitching then went to the minors and did even worse 2 months ago Promising rookie year and nothing after that 2 months ago Baddoo must be a good club house guy because he sure can’t hit or field So surprised he has been a Tiger so long 2 months ago 2 months ago Jung was never going to be given full time ABs at 3B Vierling and Ibanez will fill in against LHs This is a Hinch team and he likes to platoon when ever possible Every other spot will be based on match ups 2 months ago Could be Meadows will also be an everydayer Tigers must still like him even if they lopped him off the 40 man 2 months ago 2 months ago 2 months ago Early on I enjoyed watching Akil play but soon realized if you play him Baddoo will do bad 2 months ago 2 months ago 2 months ago 2 months ago 2 months ago You blazed a trail lampooning the equally-compelling forename that we lamely ignored 2 months ago Fred Wilma Barney and Betty use their feets 2 months ago I think he already played himself out of their plans Register MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball Register The Philadelphia Police Department seeks the public’s assistance in locating a missing person was last seen leaving his residence on the 6300 block of Paschall Avenue on September 19 He was last seen wearing a navy-blue sweater He was also carrying a black bag at the time of his disappearance Akil’s whereabouts is urged to contact Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or dial 911 By Anthony Franco | December 17 when he hit .259/.330/.436 with 13 homers across 461 plate appearances in his debut season The lefty-swinging outfielder hasn’t maintained that form over the last three seasons Baddoo struggled to a .212/.302/.331 slash in 178 games between 2022-23 The Tigers kept him on optional assignment for most of the ’24 season hitting .137/.220/.301 while striking out in 27 of his 82 plate appearances (32.9% rate) Baddoo fanned at an elevated 26.5% clip across 377 trips to the plate with Toledo this year He walked at a strong 12.7% rate to post a respectable .340 on-base mark but it was a roughly league average offensive showing in the International League It was moderately surprising that the Tigers tendered him an arbitration contract with a $1.6MM projected salary Detroit Tigers Transactions Akil Baddoo 5 months ago was hoping someone would take a chance on him so he could get a look at making an opening day roster He doesn’t really have a place in Detroit unfortunately 5 months ago I hope he can put it together but I think that ship has sailed He looked like a Randy Arozarena type player when he first came up 5 months ago Despite having the worst offense in baseball 5 months ago And why would another team take a chance at him for an OD spot Sure he was a feel good story for a minute 3 years ago but he has been absolutely awful his last 600 ABs about a .350 slugging percentage and an elevated K rate I think even a die hard Tigers fan would be relieved to not see him on the roster anymore 5 months ago His hot streaks just show the potential he has I believe through late May of last season (2023) he was flirting with an .800 OPS before getting injured and falling into a slump With him being a solid fielder and base runner I can’t help but think a new environment with more consistent ABs might just turn him into a more valuable player which is why I thought maybe a bottom of the barrel team would give him a shot 5 months ago I highly doubt he was 800 anything with that finish line He was given 1000 ABs in Detroit and he’s a garbage hitter Even bottom of the barrels aren’t giving this dude consistent ABs 5 months ago I looked it up for fun and .800 was a bit of an overstatement but he did get up to .772 5 months ago 5 months ago go look at his numbers and tell me if you’re still excited about the “ball jumping when he makes contact” You sound like those old scouts in Moneyball Next you’ll tell me about his ugly girlfriend 5 months ago Badoo can’t hit or field and the reason no one wanted him I didn’t want to see him still in our organization The Tigers will call him up and send him down over and over again 5 months ago He’ll need to be added to the 40 in order to bring him up I doubt that happens barring a serious injury in the OF 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago Not one team in the league wants him for a reason 5 months ago I think he just needs to get his head together realize he IS great – no matter what anyone says – then just go forth and be great 5 months ago 5 months ago LOL @ people getting bent out of shape about Baddoo being sent to the Hens… in December He’s not taking up a roster spot like he was before and if some A or AA guy steps up during ST and is ready to jump to AAA creating an overcrowded outfield in Toledo I don’t think they’d have a problem releasing Baddoo at that point 5 months ago Don’t see him ever putting it all together 5 months ago they can avoid paying him the majority of his $1.5MM salary By Nick Deeds | December 10 was a second-round pick by the Twins back in 2016 The outfielder’s major league career wouldn’t begin until 2021 after he was selected by the Tigers in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft That first taste of big league action went remarkably well for the youngster as he slashed an impressive .259/.330/.436 with a 108 wRC+ in 124 games for Detroit while splitting time between left field and center Baddoo’s 26.5% strikeout rate was somewhat elevated but he made up for it by walking at a healthy 9.8% clip and clubbing 13 homers and 20 doubles while swiping 18 bases during his rookie season but he’s now lost his 40-man roster spot with the club nonetheless any club in the league will now have the opportunity to claim Baddoo off waivers if the Tigers don’t work out a trade for him within the next few days The 26-year-old’s combination of youth and past big league success could make him an intriguing option for outfield-needy clubs although his recent struggles and arbitration-level price tag could turn some potential suitors away Detroit Tigers Transactions Akil Baddoo Alex Cobb 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago I only wish I could give more than one thumbs up 5 months ago That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me on this board thanks man lol 5 months ago 5 months ago He’s lucky he survived the entirety of 2024 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago I hope Baddo lands somewhere that will give him a chance to play full time He’s teased us in Detroit over the years but hasn’t quite figured it out 5 months ago If I’m not mistaken his first landing spot will be in AAA with Detroit 5 months ago 5 months ago The White Sox are stockpiling outfielders cut by other teams 5 months ago 5 months ago You are correct in that he has never been DFA’d before so he has to accept assignment to AAA by the Tigers if he clears waivers 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago with the appropriate amount of bounce back upside to trade for low level prospects mid season 5 months ago Hot Orioles pick up…and then pass through waivers later…to be picked up by another team…and passed through waivers…to be… 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago If you pull him up to replace someone on the IL chances are he will collide into your center fielder and put him on the IL 5 months ago 5 months ago There will be others that get similar treatment when the Tigers sign their next free agent 5 months ago Angels will take a shot I’m guessing 5 months ago Akil was a lottery ticket that didn’t pay off 5 months ago 5 months ago There’s no team in Oakland so that’s a good spot for him 5 months ago Got an image of him with a bag reporting to the Coliseum trying to figure out why the gates are locked and all the signage is down 5 months ago So Mccinstry gets another chance but not Baddoo Baddoo has actually had a good year unlike Mccinstry Wonder if it was something else besides their play that made the decision.hmm 5 months ago 5 months ago I think he meant that Baddoo has one good year (2021) in his career 5 months ago I guess you don’t watch the Tigers play 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago there was a time when I thought he could be the next Randy Arozarena Two poor years in a row though and he wrote himself out of the Tigers plans 5 months ago He showed such promise in ’21….I’m guessing ML pitchers made an adjustment to him and he couldn’t adjust back? 5 months ago 5 months ago The Rays might be able to fix whatever’s wrong with him 5 months ago They’ve got so attached to analytics that they don’t care if a guy hits .150 as long as he can catch a ball and hit at a launch angle higher than 60 degrees Baddoo will fit in just fine and they won’t even try to fix him 5 months ago but the Tigers stocked up on LH everything 5 months ago Needs a minor league contract with a better system of coaches not managers It’s not entirely his fault and not entirely theirs 5 months ago 5 months ago 5 months ago there was a short time where Baddoo was hitting everything — he was in the zone — but the zone moved on him and he went back to cold as ice 5 months ago There is no more Baddoo for fans in the Motor City to enjoy 5 months ago After a promising rookie year Baddoo fell of so badly Erykah Badu looked like a better hitter… 5 months ago It’s beyond disappointing how little the Tigers have done to improve the team so far this offseason It’s like they’re giving us fans the middle finger as thanks for support this past season and expecting us to come out in droves next year 5 months ago Hell never be designated from the list of all time baseball names tho… 5 months ago 5 months ago and we all hope a team signs you to a major league deal 5 months ago Baddo was a very exciting player when he 1st landed there as a Rule 5 pick He just got “lost in the shuffle over there” Wonder if Badoo had had more minor league development what kind of player he would be now? 5 months ago he seemed to always wreak havoc v the Sox so why not 5 months ago Not sure why you guys haven’t corrected that yet 5 months ago So far the Tigers have lost a lot of players in both portions of the R5 draft…I guess that indicates the system is pretty healthy I can’t remember the Tigers losing more than 1-2 before the major league and minor league portions of the draft Evans and Akil Kumarasamy on chatbot dialogues and how to write from a subjectivity you can’t understand.Jenny Odell Evans is the author of Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet (Penguin Random House the singer of the Grammy-nominated pop group YACHT and co-editor of the speculative fiction anthology Terraform (MCD Books I was once on a writing fellowship in the New Hampshire woods all of us fellows would sit together on the porch of the main house a few deer would venture out from the tree line to graze in the steaming grass we rarely ventured into the woods ourselves where slime molds splayed across the leaf litter and electric orange newts blinked from behind every moss-covered stone ordered world of human thought and those wordless woods I devoured both of Akil’s books when I came home to Los Angeles an interlinked short story collection that loosely follows two brothers named after demigods from the Mahabharata which takes place in a near-future only barely more dystopian than our present where self-driving cars make fatal calculations about their passengers and the indulgences of daily life are meted out through a system of carbon credits is a machine learning researcher at a Google-like technology corporation which her coworker nicknames “Bogey,” as in Bogeyman Aya’s job is to fine-tune the model through dialogue something like teaching a recalcitrant child to speak she spends her nights absorbed in a very different kind of dialogue translating an orphaned Tamil manuscript into English Written collectively by a group of female medical students during the Sri Lankan Civil War the manuscript is an account of their “radical compassion” in the face of atrocity and pain Akil traces spaces of meaningful connection: between people and machines She has since expanded this search for common ground Akil will extend her attention to the more-than-human world inviting background players like trees and fungi to become protagonists Akil worked in a little cottage once inhabited by the late Studs Terkel she knew to lean in and listen closely when they spoke The protagonist of Meet Us By The Roaring Sea is a machine learning researcher training an AI through Socratic dialogue in thinking about science fiction narratives I wanted the science in the book to feel close to our present-day reality I wanted to take what we already have—"narrow" AI—and push it another step Having her in dialogue with a language AI model because I was interested in different forms of language decoding and coding in ideas of consciousness—thinking about how AI is trained with our collective data and how that collective data builds a larger consciousness This book came out right before ChatGPT was released I remember being on an AI panel where the moderator consulted ChatGPT to generate questions about our books It was more adaptable to general questions but when it came to specifics Almost like it was predicting a book that I could have written you cite Melanie Mitchell’s book Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans How much did you know about AI before writing the book I tried to read a lot of female writers who were writing about AI "AI is going to take over and destroy everything and it's going to rule over us." That perspective was heavily enforced in the male tech writing there's a bigger emphasis on how AI is used by people in power and those conversations seeped into the book—a surprise collaboration with my mom It was exciting to get into the space of what was happening in our current world and how you might train an AI to be "better." What does that mean Your main character is trying to do just that—train an AI to be better she's in dialogue with presences that aren't present ghostly presences that hover over the book She's translating a manuscript about a group of female medical students that lived in the ’90s and it's a collective kind of content there's the disembodied presence of Bogey there's a level of decoding happening trying to take this manuscript from Tamil and bring it to English trying to parse out how best to train the AI model she doesn't know so much about the project working on specific projects in a corporation and they don't even know what their work is going to be used for All these particles that are our afterlives that have been spread around: she's using them to train this algorithm she's also taking this dead matter from the collective female consciousness of the manuscript and trying to bring it back to life It's a weird resurrection of people and places I was really thinking about the translation in your book as an interface between time periods—as an almost technological layer bridging people across space and time Talking to an AI involves a kind of translation the language we use becomes “input.” It’s reduced to a string of data So instead of translating directly between two texts it’s almost as though the text is being stripped down to a picture book in between You mentioned the black box of AI and the strangeness of it—how is it making these decisions where Akil is currently a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study] who was talking about how they're trying to build more transparency into the AI’s thinking process say you asked an AI: give me a cheap holiday destination for this much money it might be thinking that you're a man or you're from a certain income class and see where the AI is swinging as you ask questions “Do you think you can trust something if you don't understand it?” Seeing as you're now working on a new novel where you extend your scope from AI to nonhuman minds I'd like to revisit that question: do you think you need to understand another being's subjectivity in order to write about it with the word "intelligence," but it's been very polarizing There are so many different definitions of what consciousness is I've been looking through fiction and thinking about how people have been writing about plants and animals and it's really difficult not to personify nonhumans So it’s quite difficult: you want to recognize consciousness through anthropomorphizing but doing so puts the human at the center of it When it comes to defining consciousness, you can't please everyone, which is how philosophers and cognitive scientists end up with these really convoluted formulations, like the idea that consciousness is "what it is like to be" an organism Of course fiction writers think a lot about “what it’s like to be” something—or someone—else I think part of the reason I've moved towards trying to think about the more-than-human world is because in Meet Us By The Roaring Sea I was already thinking a lot about consciousness But I was leaving the other parts of the world unexplored But you can never truly know what's going on in anyone else's head Writing a nonhuman character isn't that different from writing a human character in the sense that you don't have access to either consciousness You never know what's happening in someone else's head—but they are still human How do we describe different kinds of tendencies We call things vegetal if they're not moving We don't use that word in a positive connotation I'm trying to test how I'm seeing things and see how I could describe things in different ways Is a temporal shift part of this reorientation for you The reason we call people on the brink of death "vegetative" is because we associate visible movement with life because a tree can live centuries longer than us but it does require us to slow down and reimagine: the movement does not conform to our scale of time So much of how we qualify life is in terms of motion and it's very difficult for us to change that But trees actually release certain toxins if they're in danger trees are known to release chemical signals to call wasps when caterpillars are chomping on their leaves and these wasps lay eggs into the caterpillars I'm interested in changing these narratives that plants are passive creatures When I watch a time-lapse video of a vine snaking around something And there's a rich literature of plant horror I’m thinking maybe fear is what happens when agency is opaque Because when we tell scary stories about “man-eating-plants,” we’re ascribing agency to plants—but it’s hostile in nature and he briefly talked about monsters and what scares us The monster form often has to have bilateral symmetry It has to remind us of something in ourselves This is a fun party game for another time: trying to imagine a genuinely new monster the way Godzilla came out of the trauma of the atom bomb What new traumas are we unleashing on the world I'm trying to have more conversations with these different spaces of consciousness But even with all my efforts to put the human in the background Part of the intention was trying to have what's usually in the background come and eat up everything I'm not too sure if that's how it's going to go she wrote a short story called "The Fruit of my Woman," and it's about a woman who becomes a plant There's also a book by Kōbō Abe called Kangaroo Notebook We're definitely in a zeitgeist—there's so much interest in plants I don't know if it's a last grasp at a world we're losing There's the new genre of fungi horror I've been really interested in the field of minimal cognition which takes an evolutionary perspective on nonhuman minds arises when organisms have an evolutionary need to learn from experience Some living things don't—if you're an ocean sponge you don't need to remember anything—but most living things do So the world is full of cognitive agents: human and plant cells They all have memory and decision-making capacities to different degrees; cognitive complexity and maybe “consciousness,” is an accumulation of those capacities But you have to start from the bottom to understand it Is there a connection to the spiritual for you because the plant and fungi consciousness reading group that I go to here [at Harvard] is in the Divinity School What I'm writing now feels very rooted in ideas of spirituality If we reduce everything—if the cell or the sperm has a level of cognition but taboo—and it becomes more taboo the closer we get to convergence but in cognitive science there's the search for "the neural correlates of consciousness." Once we give a physical Artificial Intelligence seems like such a side quest in comparison is it interesting to think about machines anymore It just complicates it—how we're going to think about this and how all these different things are going to interact AI is happening at the same time as the climate crisis It feels like the world as we know it is going through some sort of flux and you can't really talk about one without the other There's this narrative emerging that in order to understand machines Google CEO Eric Schmidt said we should deprioritize energy conservation in favor of building stronger AI in the hopes that AI will solve our climate problems "We'll build all this AI to save the planet but we have to kill everything in order to build it.” It’s been a strange start to the season for the Kings It feels like we’re continually waiting until Friday every week to just have a normal practice day The last two weeks have pretty much been the same and the next two weeks will be similar in some ways as well The Kings have traveled on Monday to play away on Tuesday this and last week with an off-day on Wednesday and the home opener on Thursday Friday was the first practice day at home that didn’t come before a flight And it isn ‘t really going to change a heck of a lot with away games in Calgary and Colorado and the Kings practicing here at home on Friday here’s your typed out advertisement – come down the El Segundo on a Friday There’s a bit of a breather coming up once we hit the middle of the month and get past a pair of two-game trips It’s not any more hectic than past seasons the Kings hit the ice with the following alignment – Lines were the same as we saw against Vegas on Wednesday the most complete performance the Kings have delivered so far this season I wouldn’t anticipate them changing things up though Jim Hiller has said that it’s not a set in stone thing for him to keep lineups the same off a win Hiller highlighted the play of Alex Turcotte last game fitting the Kopitar/Kempe pairing like a glove Perhaps the beauty of it is how well Turcotte played his own game He admitted that perhaps earlier in his career Hiller felt similarly and highlighted how well he fit onto that line against the Golden Knights “I thought that Turcs complemented Kopi and Juice as well as anybody has this year for that one particular game,” he said “We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves he was at the net for some of the plays that were made on point shots he made some plays under the goal line to keep pucks alive he did exactly what he needed to do to compliment those two for that night.” the Kings have shown a willingness to move pairings around and swap out the Kings have five defensemen who should feature every night – Anderson The Kings like Edmundson/Clarke as a pairing while Anderson and Gavrikov have led the group early in the season Andreas Englund and Caleb Jones have all occupied that sixth spot at various times and all three offer a different look the smooth passer who gets pucks up ice and skates well so it makes more sense in games the Kings want to break up Anderson and Gavrikov Here is Hiller’s assessment from earlier today – “We want to get everybody in and everybody part of it we feel like we’ve got eight defensemen who can play in the NHL and now all of a sudden you’re sitting out for two or three weeks so I need to be in there playing games,’ and we don’t want to leave anybody out for too long who goes to the net hard and leads the league in goals from the blue paint area what type of defenseman are you going to put in for that game these are just all just variables that are being considered there’s numbers that you look at and different things but it’s a discussion that has to happen.” I’d also like to highlight Akil Thomas who I would expect to retain his place in the lineup tomorrow afternoon Even as his role changed at the last minute Thomas delivered a really strong performance against the Sharks scoring in his season debut as he skated on a line with Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore Hiller has referenced a few times now that Thomas didn’t have his best showing during camp It cost him a spot in the Opening Night lineup something we all expected him to be a part of and the Kings opted for the same 12 forwards in each of their first nine games really helped to build his conditioning and his skating and both player and coach felt that his pace improved as a result “I thought he was skating quite a bit better than in preseason he’s spent a lot of time skating over the past month as you have to when you’re not playing every night You actually end up probably in better shape and I thought he got his skating legs which are a part of the life of a player not playing taking ownership of them and improving his skating as a result Thomas certainly looked like a player who had taken those skates to heart With Kevin Fiala returning to his usual spot skating with Trevor Lewis and Tanner Jeannot delivered their best showing of the season overall and Thomas proved to be a good fit in the spot he was played in It’s almost like when he came up last year He didn’t look like that at the beginning of this year for whatever reason There’s obviously been a lot of chatter on why it took until Tuesday to get Thomas into the lineup but what matters now is seeing him stay in there is no question that he is one of the best 12 forwards on the Kings I was surprised it took this long to get him in because he is definitely a regular on this team he’s had two games to show that and he’s passed the test twice With the versatility to play around the lineup a bit and tools that differentiate him from others He’s past training camp and hopefully it’s time to see the extended run of games we all expected coming in Tomorrow’s game preview will take a look at what I believe is the million-dollar word – consistency The Vegas game was excellent and now it’s time to show that it can be the norm MayorsManor.com - LA Kings News October 15, 2024 By MayorsManor Staff it’s been a long and winding road for Akil Thomas to get from the 2018 Draft to what will likely be his return to the NHL this week his seven-game audition last season only fueled the fire that’s been burning inside him for years In that brief cup of coffee with the big club last April the 24-year-old found the back of the net three times furthering his belief that he belongs up with the Kings Thomas plied his trade in the AHL for few years after a remarkable junior career — including a 102-point campaign with OHL Niagra the year after LA selected him in the second round he also scored the golden goal for Canada at the 2020 World Junior Championship what did he learn about himself this summer in preparation for what could be the biggest season of his pro career to date “I feel like the last few years I’ve been kind of focusing on my nutrition,” he began “I’ve been showing more of an interest in it; just figuring out the specifics of kind of what I want to achieve with myself That’s one thing I was more detailed about personally than maybe any other summer.” Another thing he’s still trying to figure out is how to get more ice time That’s not something uncommon for younger players he may have an edge in that he can comfortably play center or wing “The plan coming into camp was to try me at center things can change,” he said with a bit of a half-smile “I wouldn’t be surprised if I happened to play wing for half the year I’m just here to be a Swiss Army Knife willing to play wherever Jim [Hiller] needs me Whatever they need — I can be versatile that way.” Part of his confidence comes from simply being healthy After missing the better part of two seaosns with various shoulder injuries Thomas was a consistent force for the Reign last year scoring 22 goals in 64 games and being somebody Ontario coach Marco Sturm counted on nightly In these fierce competitions, honors like custom medals which incorporate game elements and competitive spirit into medal design can affirm and encourage players. Whether you want to host an ice hockey game or other competitions, Custom Medals Canada provided by custommedals.ca can meet your needs Sturm Working to Make Akil Thomas an NHL Player Additional confidence came from the brief call-up last season “That was huge,” Thomas stated “This was really the first time where I came into camp with that extra boost of confidence I look back at like my first couple of camps and think back I remember coming in and being so nervous to do every drill Maybe I wasn’t doing things like I normally would because I was just so anxious I’m feeling good out there and making more plays and I think that will help me moving forward.” Likely also helping to fill his confidence jar was scoring a goal during a preseason game in Anaheim “It definitely helped,” he said Thomas was moved up to the second line that night playing with Phil Danault and Tanner Jeannot And it was something that came together at the last minute when the team opted to not have Trevor Moore travel to Orange County Even though he wasn’t aware of the change until arriving at Honda Center just before game time Thomas took it all in stride — similar to how he approaches most things in life “I just want to get better every game and feel better every game,” he said offering a little bit of a hockey cliche to the conversation “I’m just looking to build some momentum in the early part of the season and just get better as each day passes.” His goal that night came at the perfect time as Hiller had a conversation with him the day prior and told him ‘It’s time to get going.’ Hiller may be in the position to call his number once again this week Thomas has been a healthy scratch for three straight games — and any NHL game is a privilege to play in — yet Wednesday night in Toronto would be that much sweeter Just don’t make the mistake of thinking Thomas was a Leafs fan growing up: Akil Thomas: Moving From Kings Fan to Kings Prospect we have to touch on one more topic to close things out What’s the deal with the number swap this season but it also seemed to come out of left field “Pretty random,” he said with a slight chuckle there just weren’t really many options in front of a myriad of friends and family Hiller and all involved may just get to see how it goes Follow @mayorNHL // Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-522840723937225840-1'); }); MayorsManor.com has been named Best Sports Blog in Los Angeles and national Hockey Blog of the Year A network of MM writers and contributors provide comprehensive LA Kings coverage from prospects in the pipeline through the NHL October 16, 2024 at 8:39 am Lets hope that if Akil “Killer” plays tonight that he gets more than five minutes of ice time I still think back on that incredible overtime goal he scored in March for the Reign during their march to the Playoffs With the days winding down on his 40+ year career in broadcasting Hall of Famer Nick Nickson stopped by Kings Of The Podcast to share various stories from throughout his time in Los Angeles — including ones that involve Anze Kopitar Tweets by mayorNHL The number of occupied lockers in the Detroit Tigers' clubhouse at the TigerTown complex continues to shrink with just 12 days until Opening Day It was the fourth round of roster cuts in spring training The Tigers need to cut 13 more players before Opening Day on March 27 at the Los Angeles Dodgers though Nido will start the season in Triple-A Toledo INJURY UPDATE: Parker Meadows fallout: Tigers have lots of CF options, including some surprises None of the roster cuts were surprising, but Navigato had the best spring training among the position players eliminated from Opening Day roster considerations a 26-year-old right-handed hitter who awaits his MLB debut three walks and four strikeouts in 16 games this spring six innings at third base and four innings at shortstop "He hit about how we expected because he's always kind of hit," manager A.J but defensive versatility is something that we're still trying to work into his skill set." Although Navigato is a below-average defender but if the Tigers need a right-handed hitting utility player he could find his way to the MLB level in 2025 Navigato is slated to join Triple-A Toledo 55 walks and 126 strikeouts across 128 games for the Mud Hens "The best chance for him to impact this roster is going to be four or five positions," Hinch said He certain can handle left-handed pitching and defend himself against right-handed pitching." The other notable roster cut is Baddoo, who has been sidelined since the beginning of spring training with a hand injury that required surgery to repair a broken bone The 26-year-old has already made significant progress in his rehabilitation program including playing catch and completing defensive drills The next step for Baddoo is beginning a hitting progression in the coming days JEFF SEIDEL: This Tigers infield prospect represents everything great about sports Baddoo remains on track to miss the start of the 2025 season Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel contributed to this report It’s the first time they’ve come into camp off of any kind of extended action in the NHL It’s also the first time they’ve come into camp not just trying to make the NHL roster It’s fair to say it’s the most confident that either player has been coming into camp “You get more comfortable with experience,” Turcotte said becoming friends with them and get to know them personally I definitely feel a lot more comfortable.” it was less about the comfort and more about the confidence to go out there and play his game that he can hang at this level late last season he’s taking that proof and that confidence into training camp with expectations greater than they’ve ever been they’re a kid in the minors for a couple years “So obviously I was very happy to get that opportunity but actually to kind of feel like I belonged.” Turcotte and Thomas have been grouped together here this fall And it’s not just because they have played on the same line for a large portion of training camp Both players were highly touted as draft picks with Turcotte taken fifth overall in 2019 and Thomas a second-round selection the year before with a game-winning goal in the World Juniors coming shortly after Both players began in the AHL but struggled with injury problems as Turcotte overcame numerous issues while Thomas overcame a pair of shoulder injuries both established themselves as impact players in the AHL as the Ontario Reign won a pair of playoff series and advanced into Round 3 for the first time since 2016 The combination of an AHL playoff run and a more extended look in the NHL for the first time made Thomas and Turcotte as confident as they’ve been as professional players The Kings are counting on both players to fill roles with the big club It’ll likely be on the fourth line to start but the hope is that the pair can be the internal competition the team needs up front pushing those above them for minutes and responsibility is something that both Thomas and Turcotte have appreciated I think he makes me a better player and I think we have good chemistry I’m thankful to still have him with me Hopefully we can maybe play together and have some success doing it and I thought we played really well together in Ontario super easy to play with and we’re obviously really tight off the ice so to be with him at this level is awesome gonna play our game and and I think a lot of success REAL DEAL AKIL MAKES IT 3-0 pic.twitter.com/Y1g11ssb6L — LA Kings (@LAKings) October 1, 2024 Jim Hiller watched the pair play last season in the NHL He watched them in Ontario as well during the playoffs including a game in person at Toyota Arena It was players like Turcotte and Thomas who had the eye of Hiller and his staff They knew at that time the Kings wanted to those were two guys up front that had a good outlook coming into the following season and everyone was looking for a strong playoff performance to drive the point home that they were ready for bigger things They had good seasons in the American League and both got a chance to come up and play with us when we really needed them in a playoff race and they both contributed a real positive way and then they went on to go back down with the Reign and sometimes you worry about a player going down played hard and helped that Reign team really have a great finish to the end of the season.” all eyes are set forward for both younger players As we’ve seen throughout the first 12 days of training camp both players have their sights set on the NHL roster The Kings certainly seem to envision both being everyday players this season “Obviously my goal is to still make a team but I think this year I want to be like an everyday guy I want to play every game and that’s my goal,” Turcotte said so that’s kind of what my mindset is going into this season I don’t think I really had that in years past and you’ve kind of got to go through the process and experience it I think my goal this year is to be an everyday player and be effective every day.” He’s dealt with early-season injuries in two of his three most recent professional seasons and it really took him until this past season to find consistency in the AHL It really took until last season to establish consistency at the AHL level It’s clear in speaking with him how much last season did for his confidence Thomas believes he belongs in the mix and that’s exactly what the Kings need from him “I don’t think it’s a different mentality I believe in myself to make play and I just feel more kind of established,” Thomas said “I played the seven games last year and getting into the team environment is good for me to kind of come out here and feel like not only that I belong but like I can contribute and kind of help the team win.” left in camp here to finalize the answers to the ultimate question of where Turcotte and Thomas slot in they’ll bring with them the chemistry they developed playing together last season in the AHL it’s likely because one of them has earned the chance to play higher in the lineup Armed with confidence and a summer of full health for both players the time is now for both players to cement themselves as NHL regulars 2-2 pic.twitter.com/5oAjgoUDHz — LA Kings (@LAKings) September 24, 2024 The Toledo Mud Hens and the Iowa Cubs faced off Wednesday night after a nail-bitter Tuesday night The Cubs were able to get on the board early but the Hens did not back down as they slowly chipped away at the Iowa lead Strong pitching in the end would keep the Mud Hens on top and secure the win As the Mud Hens looked to avenge their extra innings loss from the night prior they would put their trust in the hands of Troy Watson Since joining Toledo following the MLB trade deadline Watson has been converted into a pseudo-starter for the Hens as they find themselves short handed on starting pitchers including a line-drive double off the bat of Kevin Alcantara but was able to persevere thanks to some help from his teammates he gave up a double to James Triantos to put two Cubs in scoring position A Darius Hill groundout would be enough to bring in Mervis and give Iowa the 1-0 lead before an RBI single by Matt Shaw made it 2-0 Watson was able to limit the damage from there escaping the inning with a strikeout on Moises Ballesteros The Hens would waste no time in coming up with their response Eddys Leonard led off in the bottom of the second with a base hit He would make it to third thanks to a Justice Bigbie single Toledo was unable to capitalize from there though putting the game back into the hands of the defense Watson was able to finish the third inning The Mud Hens were back on offense and looked to take the momentum of the game earning his fifth hit in two games on a double down the left-field line A Bigbie groundout moved him to third once again but this time Andrew Navigato was able to bring him in with an RBI double The hit would be Navigato’s one-hundredth on the season holding the Cubs scoreless until being replaced with Ricky Vanasco in the sixth keeping things tied 2-2 in his two innings of action Akil Baddoo would be the one to break up the tie He hit a lead off homer 457 ft into right-center field to make it 3-2 in favor of the Hens It would be his eighth home run with Toledo and his furthest hit all season Miguel Diaz would be tasked with holding onto the Hens’ newly-found lead finishing the inning with an electrifying strikeout on Mervis Iowa would be given one more chance as Diaz returned to the mound in the ninth He would give up a base hit to Mastrobuoni The Mud Hens and the Cubs will face off yet again Thursday night at 6:35 p.m Both teams will look to take a lead in the now tied series This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox DETROIT -- Akil Baddoo has some of the best range of any Tigers outfielder his speed allowing him to cover ground in the huge outfield of Comerica Park But this past weekend showcased just how far he can go to get into the Tigers' outfield Baddoo has been making the commute from Detroit to Toledo for much of this season enough to know the worst potholes on Interstate-75 by memory He had just gotten back to Detroit from a Mud Hens walk-off win over Jacksonville Friday night when his phone rang around 1 a.m “We want to get you on this first flight tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.,” Baddoo remembers being told With Pérez headed to the injured list and Matt Vierling still battling lower back spasms PT game against the Giants … and Detroit would be facing All-Star Logan Webb I better make sure to sleep on this five-hour flight I’ve got.’” Thus began a trek that left Baddoo with a story he can tell for the rest of his career and beyond the close proximity of the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate allows for a quick call and a short drive the only convenience was that Baddoo didn’t have to go far to get to Detroit Metro Airport where he could get a direct flight to San Francisco he didn’t have to go back to Toledo to pack his baseball gear; the Mud Hens' clubhouse crew could handle that and drive it up to him But he still had to pack his own things to be ready to grab an early morning car to the airport Baddoo’s ability to sleep on planes became a blessing He told the passenger sitting next to him that he wouldn’t be awake for long Once Baddoo’s flight landed around 10:30 a.m. he had another car waiting to take him to Oracle Park He walked into the Tigers' clubhouse around 11:45 a.m He didn’t have to look far: He was leading off and playing left field “We were going over the scouting report [on Webb] as I’m hitting in the cages.” that Baddoo would have the first hit of Saturday’s game His fourth-inning comebacker deflected off Webb’s glove and rolled towards third base as Baddoo bolted down the line at 29.1 feet per second his second-fastest speed on a base hit this season and sixth-fastest speed overall Not bad legs for somebody who had just been on a plane for four-plus hours “I was kind of going on adrenaline,” Baddoo said then got a good night’s sleep before starting Sunday’s series finale in right field His stay in San Francisco lasted just over 24 hours before heading back to Detroit but it demonstrated the lengths to which he’ll go to be in the big leagues This marks his fourth stint in Detroit this year knowing everything happens for a reason,” Baddoo said The LA Kings have signed forward Akil Thomas to a two-year contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of $775,000 through the 2025-26 season split the 2023-24 campaign between the Kings and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Ontario Reign Thomas made his NHL debut on April 1 in Winnipeg and registered three goals and four points (3-1=4) in seven games for the Kings last season including his first career NHL goal in his second career game on April 4 in San Jose Thomas notched his third goal in his fifth career game on April 11 against Calgary to become the fifth different skater in franchise history to score at least three goals within the first five games of his career and the first to do so since Brian Boyle (3-1=4 in 5GP) from Feb 185-pound forward accumulated 46 points (22-24=46) in 64 games with the Reign this season and was one of three Reign skaters to hit the 20-goal mark this season He earned AHL Player of the Week honors for the period ending March 24 two assists and a plus-6 rating while recording all three game-winning goals during the Reign’s perfect 3-0-0 week Thomas’ nine game-winning goals finished second among all AHL skaters behind teammate Samuel Fagemo and contributed a pair of goals and three assists (2-3=5) in eight Calder Cup Playoff contests Originally selected by the Kings in the second round (51st overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft Thomas has skated in 157 career games across four seasons with the Reign accumulating 46 goals and 47 assists for 93 points (46-47=93) Thomas has tallied seven goals and 10 points (7-3=10) Ontario native played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) recording 315 points (105-210=315) in 241 career games with the Peterborough Petes and Niagara IceDogs where he served as captain during the 2019-20 season Thomas has represented Canada at three IIHF events including one IIHF World Junior Championship (2020 - gold) where he scored the game-winner against Russia and two IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championships (2017 and 2018) Carpenter delivers again for TigersAugust 15th DETROIT -- Part of the challenge of being a designated hitter is knowing how to put a bad at-bat behind you when there aren’t defensive innings to focus on. Never mind that Kerry Carpenter homered twice in his return from the injured list a night earlier Bryan Woo’s fastball and changeup left him tipping his cap but you're just never out of the fight,” Carpenter said Carpenter has three home runs in two games since returning from a stress fracture in his lower back that cost him nearly three months He has six home runs and 11 RBIs in seven career games against Seattle “We have a lot of momentum right now,” Carpenter said “We have a lot of young guys that are finding their footing We have a bunch of guys that just have great at-bats and hit the ball hard There's a lot of things to be excited about.” the Tigers and Carpenter seemed poised to fall victim to the old Earl Weaver saying: Momentum is only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher Woo tossed 6 2/3 quality innings against the Tigers in a no-decision last week in Seattle but he held them to four singles over seven innings in the rematch Half of his six strikeouts came at the expense of Carpenter who was rehabbing with Triple-A Toledo last week Carpenter’s strength is combining power with pitch recognition but he had trouble recognizing Woo’s fastball While Woo’s 19.7 percent whiff rate this year ranks in the bottom 10 percent of Major League pitchers according to Statcast his fastball draws a solid 23.4 percent rate He threw four in a row in the first inning to Carpenter who took one for a strike and whiffed on two others Three 0-2 counts resulting in three swinging strikeouts He fanned on the changeup to strand two runners in the third inning then chased a 96 mph high heater in the sixth I couldn't really pick up anything out of his hand,” Carpenter said It can be particularly rough on a designated hitter who sits between at-bats It’s a reason some skilled hitters dread the DH slot trying to balance sitting around against cage work while keeping the mind focused “but it's something that you just have to be conscious of It's something you have to do if you want to be the best 'I don't want to strike out four times.' I have to think this is my first at-bat of the day and get on him.” Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Carpenter was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts against García for his career, including a May 26 pinch-hit strikeout against the then-Blue Jay in Carpenter’s final at-bat before going on the injured list. “I felt confident,” Carpenter said. “I've faced Yimi García before. I know what his stuff is like.” García had him set up for a similar fate Wednesday, having induced him to miss a fastball and chase a curveball in the dirt for a 2-2 count. García went back to the fastball, but left a 96 mph heater over the plate. "He missed one pitch,” Carpenter said, “and I took advantage.” The Tigers had an 8.7 percent win probability before Matt Vierling’s double extended the inning for Carpenter’s at-bat. When Carpenter’s drive hit the Pepsi canopy over the right-field tunnel, the Tigers’ chances rose to 52.5 percent. “Bad pitch,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Wrong spot to their hottest hitter. … He jumped on it, and it flipped the game.” Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo's arduous journey back to the big leagues just became all the more challenging who wasn't projected to make the Tigers' Major League roster out of camp to begin with will now miss the start of the 2025 season after fracturing his right hand and undergoing surgery Thursday during the first week of spring training A Rule-5 Draft pick in 2020, Baddoo owns a career .226 batting average with 28 home runs across 340 games over four seasons with the Tigers. His best season came as a rookie in 2021 when he hit .259 with 13 homers and a .766 OPS over 124 games The Tigers designated Baddoo for assignment in December to make room on the 40-man roster for Alex Cobb He was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo when he wasn't claimed off waivers by any of the other 29 teams and was attending spring training as a non-roster invitee According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN the Tigers are one of the 13 teams who will implement an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system during their spring training games this year each team will be given two challenges per game and will retain successful challenges.• Only the batter catcher or pitcher can initiate a challenge which must happen immediately after the umpire's call The player must quickly tap his hat or helmet to indicate a challenge.• The results of the challenge will be displayed on the scoreboard and television broadcast to communicate whether a call was overturned or not MLB is testing out the system at the big league level for the first time after years of experimenting in the minor leagues all Triple-A teams will implement the challenge system during the 2025 regular season to give MLB more data before a decision is made about introducing ABS at the Major League level in 2026 Per a report from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal signed an endorsement deal with Nike in mid-January The exact details of the deal remain unknown but Skubal now joins a select group of Major League pitchers who wear a Nike Shado Elite J glove Tigers pitchers Jackson Jobe and Matt Manning also have glove deals with Nike as do other MLB pitchers including Corbin Burnes (Arizona Diamondbacks) (Houston Astros) and Spencer Strider (Atlanta Braves) Skubal told Petzold he wasn't actively seeking endorsement when he signed on with Nike; rather approached him with the offer and negotiated the deal for him Nike sent Skubal a stock Shado Elite J glove to test during the offseason and spring training after he signed the endorsement he got a customized glove for the regular season but it's not the right size yet," Skubal said (via Petzold) "So I'll probably throw with this (Rawlings glove) until I get my new ones in More Tigers content from Motor City Bengals © 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 ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"6g","src":"6h","url":"6i"},{"type":"6f","value":"6j"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"6m","url":"6n"},{"type":"6l","value":"6o"},"All Rights Reserved 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 Tarik Skubal’s Nike deal","relatedPosts",[],[],[],4,0,"",{"next":"bi"},["4c"],"semantic",{"articles":"bd","articlesQueryURLs":"be","bySearchQuery":"44","excludeProperties":"4w","excludedIDs":"bf","isFullPost":"b6","limit":"bg","offset":"bh","onlyQueryURLs":"b6","organization":"bi","pagination":"bj","properties":"bk","sourceType":"bl"},{"type":"bc","value":"bm"},{"postsList":"bn"},"Emma Lingan is an MLB Staff Writer for FanSided primarily covering the Detroit Tigers (and other MLB topics) She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic) she is also entering her seventh season as a credentialed NHL media member and currently covers the NHL’s Nashville Predators for The Hockey News consuming large amounts of coffee and taking long walks with her dog A Rule-5 Draft pick in 2020, Baddoo owns a career .226 batting average with 28 home runs across 340 games over four seasons with the Tigers. 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personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial AMHERST — It looks like Frank Martin is going to have quite the roster overhaul as two more UMass men’s basketball players entered the transfer portal on Tuesday Akil Watson and Marqui Worthy both decided to depart from Amherst making it six total players from last year’s team now in the portal Amadou Doumbia and Shahid Muhammad in the portal complimenting the sophomore’s toughness and resilience decided to stay at UMass after rarely seeing playing time as a freshman He developed a nice role with the Minutemen this winter He came up huge in UMass’ massive upset win over Dayton scoring a career-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting 1.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game on 18.2 minutes the sophomore forward appeared in 23 games and averaged only 10 minutes in those contests He never really carved out a spot in the rotation as he sat behind frontcourt players like Daniel Hankins-Sanford averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game His best outing came in the triple overtime thriller at Fordham where he was forced into the lineup due to several UMass players fouling out Watson scored nine points on a season-high 29 minutes the Minutemen haven’t lost anyone from their regular starting lineup and haven’t lost a player averaging more than Worthy’s 5.8 points per game Martin has work to do to bring in players to fill his roster but the guys he has lost so far certainly aren’t irreplaceable And based on last season’s 12-20 record and 11th-place finish in the Atlantic 10 it may not be the worst thing to bring in fresh faces as the Minutemen head to the MAC next winter you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users Channelsreels-530212Reelsarrow-expand-530213Akil Baddoo's walk-off doubleMariners @ TigersAugust 14 2024 | 00:00:29add-reel-530214Reelsshare-square-2-530215ShareAkil Baddoo drives a double into center walking it off for the Tigers in the bottom of the 10th inning You can now search for over 3 million videos by player Use the search box to start your search with a player or a team and then use the filter panel to refine your results You can also start by selecting filters from the panel Videos can be embedded and shared directly from MLB.com Bienvenido a la nueva búsqueda de videos de MLB Ahora 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Type\"},\"es\":{\"title\":\"¡Ponchado!\",\"body\":\"Aparentemente no hay resultados para tu búsqueda tenga en cuenta que los filtros de Play sólo están disponibles después de la temporada 2015 Los videos de 2015 y anteriores se pueden buscar por jugador There were no clips found for this selection Please refresh the page or try again later No se encontraron clips para esta selección Actualiza la página o vuelve a intentarlo más tarde a modern-day reimagining of Judy Blume’s groundbreaking 1975 novel directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mara Brock Akil is an epic love story centered on two Black teens navigating romance and the transformative experience of being each other’s firsts Forever captures the raw emotions and complexities of young love in a vibrant and ever-changing city Netflix has released first-look images of the film showcasing a visually rich and deeply intimate story that honors Blume’s original novel while bringing a fresh perspective for today’s audiences Judy Blume’s Forever is being reimagined for a new generation by Mara Brock Akil For Brock Akil Forever is not just an adaptation but a deeply personal project inspired by the honesty of Blume’s storytelling “I’ve always credited Judy Blume as part of the seasoning of my voice as a writer,” she shared “She was one of the first writers I read that dared to be honest about the human condition in young people and you can see traces of her writing style within my own.” Brock Akil also spoke with Tudum about the significance of setting the story in Los Angeles saying: “What better metaphor for this love story than what LA represents and chasing dreams is no different than chasing love—it comes with the highs RELATED: Netflix Now Streaming All 8 Seasons of ‘Girlfriends’ Mara Brock Akil has been a powerhouse in television and film for decades She is best known for creating one of my all time favorite hit series Girlfriends which became a cultural cult classic and starred Tracee Ellis Ross which ran for multiple seasons across different networks The CW’s groundbreaking Black-led superhero series Brock Akil continues her tradition of telling nuanced Black stories that are timeless and cement her as an icon in filmmaking Akil will write and produce scripted content and other creative projects for Netflix Netflix has signed a content development deal with Mara Brock Akil, who is best known for creating the comedy “Girlfriends.” More And the color is red! Red and Silver dominated the 97th Oscars® red carpet. Nominees and presenters shine bright in perfectly tailored structured suits and gowns. Here are a few of our favorites from yesterday night! LADIES 01. Halle Berry 02. Storm Reid 03. Ariana Grande 04. Zoe Saldaña 05. Coco Jones 06. Whoopi Goldberg […] More Netflix is back with a first look at the third and final season of their hit series Squid Game! If you haven’t binged Season 2 or you’ve been living under a rock and never watched Season 1, now is the time to get caught up! The global sensation that took the world by storm is […] More Netflix has released a first look at upcoming series Zero Day starring and Executive Produced by Robert De Niro. The show also stars Angela Bassett and is slated for release in February of 2025. Synopsis – Zero Day ZERO DAY is a limited series starring Robert De Niro as respected former U.S. President George Mullen, […] More Get ready for mall magic, mayhem, and mystery. Gabrielle Union and Alexandra Shipp have joined the cast of Forbidden Fruits, an upcoming genre-bending cult thriller that blends sorcery with sisterhood — all set inside a shopping mall. With an ensemble stacked with Gen Z icons and Hollywood veterans, this film promises a unique twist on […] More La La Anthony is stepping into a new spotlight as the star and executive producer of Hulu’s upcoming satirical comedy pilot, Group Chat. The show, officially greenlit by Hulu, also brings together powerhouse collaborators Kenya Barris and Kim Kardashian, who are on board as executive producers. About the Series Loosely inspired by Anthony’s bestselling book […] More Ice Cube is finally bringing the beloved Friday franchise back to life. As reported by Variety, the rapper, actor, and filmmaker has officially closed a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema to develop a new Friday movie. The announcement marks a major turning point after years of legal and creative disputes between […] More Trevor Jackson, a rising star known for standout roles in Grown-ish and Superfly, is joining the cast of Grey’s Anatomy just in time for the Season 21 finale. While details surrounding his character are still under wraps, industry buzz confirms that Jackson’s role will be pivotal to the season’s closing arc — and could open […] More 1. The Color Purple The 1985 Steven Spielberg Oscar-nominated classic film, The Color Purple is remade with the addition of the magical musical numbers from the hit Broadway musical production. The film stars Fantasia Barrino as Celie, Halle Bailey as Young Celie, Danielle Brooks as Sofia, Coleman Domingo as Mister and Taraji P. Henson as […] More “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity” – Viola Davis “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity” – Viola Davis More Yasuke is the only person of non-Asian origin to become a Samurai Yasuke is the only person of non-Asian origin to become a Samurai More “Well-versed in martial arts, weaponry, and diplomacy, these women are a force to be feared and admired.” More Filmmaker Booker T. Mattison returns with his latest project, An Unusual Suspect, a legal thriller slated for release on Tubi on March 28, 2025. Known for his compelling storytelling, Mattison’s new film promises to captivate audiences with its suspense-filled narrative about justice and intrigue. While the film garnered buzz from a screening in New York […] More © 2025 Blackfilm | Site by LOUDD. You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/ Alex Cobb’s signing pushed the 26-year-old outfielder off the roster If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement While there wasn’t any major news out from the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings there were plenty of small items to report as Scott Harris Hinch all made the rounds with the baseball media assembled in Dallas The only move that actually affects the roster was the official signing of right-handed starting pitcher Alex Cobb and Giants will earn $15 million with an additional million in incentives if he reaches 140 and 150 innings thrown in 2025 You’ll note that he was paid the same as Jack Flaherty was in 2024 despite the fact that Cobb was unable to return from his 2023 hip surgery due to shoulder inflammation and barely threw at all for the Guardians after getting flipped there at the deadline Clearly the cost of starting pitching is up I don’t think anyone in the game thinks Cobb has a chance of being as good as Flaherty was last year Greenberg made it sound as though they’re done looking for pitching but the Tigers may also wait out the market this year and grab another arm for depth late in the offseason It certainly doesn’t sound like they’re pursuing Walker Buehler and currently pursuing any of the other pitchers still available in free agency The casualty of the Cobb signing is veteran outfielder Akil Baddoo His rookie campaign in 2021 was a lot of fun but Baddoo has never been able to take a step forward with his hitting in the years since He hasn’t done much to improve his swing and his batspeed to the point where he can handle major league fastballs and so that tantalizing speed and power combo rarely is in evidence and maybe this will spark him to make some changes with another club Maybe the Tigers get him back on a minor league deal but it really feels like it’s time for a change of scenery and presumably a few clubs will have interest As a corresponding move for the signing of RHP Alex Cobb we have designated OF Akil Baddoo for assignment.Our 40-man roster is now at 40 Scott Harris has made it pretty clear this week that the Tigers are sticking with first baseman Spencer Torkelson while continuing to insist that Torkelson has to improve and earn his spot on the Opening Day roster That doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to be the starting first baseman but it sure doesn’t sound like the Tigers are planning on going after another first baseman this offseason and moving on either Harris did say that the “performance has to get better Harris also told MLB Network on Monday that While they’re walking a tightrope here and clearly know it there’s nothing to suggest they’re willing to do anything about it either “We are not giving up on corner outfield and second base, respectively, for those two players,” president of baseball operations Scott Harris said of Malloy and Keith on Monday at the Winter Meetings “and we’re also not giving up on Spencer Torkelson.” The first baseman was barely above replacement level yet again in 2024 and while his defense looked somewhat improved after a long stint at Triple-A in June and July his hot couple of weeks at the plate in August quickly saw him fade right back to mediocre production for a first baseman and he was a non-factor in the postseason There probably isn’t enough trade interest to bother trying to flip Torkelson at this point He does have an option remaining along with four more years of team control It’s just been a while since there appeared to be upside beyond an average first baseman here and it’s hard for a young team with few big hitters to squander the first base position on someone who doesn’t at least produce at the plate so we’re left to hope that he’s a late bloomer One bit of new news that emerged from the Winter Meetings is that infielder Jace Jung underwent surgery on his right wrist after the season ended Described as “minimally invasive surgery” by Evan Petzold of the Free Press it was to resolve inflammation issues that bothered Jung late in the season Jung did post a 102 wRC+ in 94 plate appearances in his debut Almost all of that production came from his extremely high 16 percent walk rate but that’s not a bad foundation considering that Jung hit 14 homers in 91 Triple-A games this season He’s always had extremely good marks for plate discipline though his batspeed and contact ability aren’t particularly impressive It wouldn’t be a surprise if he could sustain average production for a full season in 2025 and if he can settle in and handle the consistent velo better the Tigers could have a low average high OBP hitter who lifts 20-25 homers out to right field each year Jung looked pretty overmatched at third base particularly in terms of throwing those distances while on the move but getting more comfortable with his footwork could improve matters somewhat Harris did mention that Jung would probably be asked to work all around the infield at first and at second base to help him find playing time to crack the major league roster While he’s a popular guy to trade because he’s a bit redundant on the current roster he might be worth holding onto just to see if he can take a step up at the big league level If he can establish himself at the plate more effectively next season his value will certainly improve and maybe he finds a path to more playing time either with the Tigers or elsewhere in a trade Manager A.J. Hinch spoke about his shortstop’s future at the Winter Meetings as well. The Tigers have not even considered cutting bait and just paying off the contract, per a Harris interview with 97.1 The Ticket back in August and it sounds as though nothing has changed Hinch and Harris both spoke about Báez’s ongoing back issues over the past two years and the hope that his hip labrum surgery will help get him back to full health Hinch then provided this update He’s in between Puerto Rico and Tampa with his rehab Our people have been down to Puerto Rico and seen him and that’s why we’re all anxious to see how he comes out of it physically with the hip and hopefully alleviates the back issues that he’s talked a lot about.” The way Harris spoke about going after Sasaki made it sound as though the Tigers were actually in pursuit of a free agent or a trade with minimal action from the Tigers going on any mention of Sasaki understandably sounded like news Sasaki is only going to cost international bonus pool money and he’s likely to be a top ten pitcher in the league from the jump Being interested in him and making your best pitch is mandatory The Tigers will to make their pitch to the 23-year-old NPB ace and have one of the top tier IFA bonus pools to work with this probably has little to do with bonus pool money then he seems likely to just pick whatever team he likes best If he’s instead expecting a large extension after a year in the league then he and his representatives already know which teams make the best landing place did say on Tuesday that a mid-market team that is a good fit for him may be the way to go but one has to assume that’s just Wolfe being careful not to suggest anything about a team’s ability to pay Sasaki down the road as a factor I fear this dream leads only to a painful end The Tigers are still expected to sign the fourth ranked international prospect in the 2025 signing period in outfielder Cris Rodriguez Early reports say he’ll earn more than $3 million of the Tigers’ $7,555,500 in pool money Roki Saski's agent Joel Wolfe:"I think that there's an argument to be made that a smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing." pic.twitter.com/KgVz8245gk One team that did make a bold and complicated set of trades on Tuesday was the Cleveland Guardians. They sent elite defender, but light-hitting second baseman Andrés Giménez along with RHP Nick Sandlin, to the Toronto Blue Jays the Guardians got infielder Spencer Horowitz and outfield prospect Nick Mitchell The move cleared the final five years of Giménez’s seven-year $106.5 million extension off the Guardians books Giménez has never approached that offensive production again and his value lies almost entirely in his ability to play some of the best second base in the game BREAKING: The Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a trade to acquire three-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians The Guardians then turned around and dealt Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a package of young pitchers and you can expect that the Guardians have plans for all three already Hard to be on the Pirates out-evaluating the Guardians where pitchers are concerned Ortiz has pitched parts of three seasons in a starting role though his 2024 work was far and away his best work Kenney is a 20-year-old lefty with a mediocre fastball but a really good slider and developing command Hartle is a year older and packs a quality slider-changeup combination though he too is weak in the fastball department according to FanGraphs The Guardians freed up a lot of payroll and got a decent package of pitchers for a weak hitting second baseman who hasn’t lived up to expectations other than being a defensive wizard The Washington Nationals won the first overall pick in the 2025 amateur draft on Tuesday The Los Angeles Angels ended up in the two spot moving all the up to the third pick despite winning 85 games while an 83 win season for the Cardinals resulted in landing the fifth overall pick in the lottery The Rockies and the Miami Marlins had the best odds of landing the top pick The Tigers weren’t involved in the lottery of course The Rule 5 draft is set for Wednesday starting at 2:00 p.m There was one more late night trade on Tuesday as the Miami Marlins sent third baseman Jake Burger to Texas for three prospects who aren’t on the Rangers’ top ten list Burger has hit 63 homers over the past two seasons and has four more years of team control attached but Burger is a free swinger and a subpar defender at third base too he’s got back to back years with 29 and 34 home runs The Rangers gave up their 14th ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline a light-hitting 19-year-old with really good defensive chops and speed on the bases but isn’t projected to develop much power and is likely a future utilityman while not ranked via Pipeline really should be LHP Brayan Mendoza is a pretty interesting southpaw pitching prospect and Max Acosta a decent young hitter who doesn’t have a lot of pop either but gets on base well and plays a decent shortstop and a better second base but the Tigers could match this trade without trading anyone higher than 20th on their list And let’s say delicately that the Marlins front office are not the shrewdest bunch in the game long at-bats and walks drawn no doubt turns the Tigers’ front office off Burger is the type of guy whose consistent power production adds up and helps a team win games over the course of a season but is unlikely to show up against the top competition So he probably was at best a marginal upgrade over some kind of Matt Vierling/Jace Jung combo Their everyday third baseman dealt with a wrist fracture after getting hit by a pitch four days into the season but issues lingered all year long and he had a second surgery to try and finally get it right back in October Perhaps there’s concern about his ability to be ready for Opening Day although the procedure didn’t sound likely to keep him out that long The Los Angeles Kings are set for an afternoon matchup against the Anaheim Ducks and prior to the game made a roster move. The team would bring back Andre Lee from the Ontario Reigns to replace forward Akil Thomas, who was placed on injured reserve Thomas last played on Monday against the San Jose Sharks and he must now sit out at least seven days the Kings can make the move retroactive so in theory he could return as early as Wednesday against the Dallas Stars It does remain to be seen though how serious the injury is and when he actually will be able to return Akil Thomas looked like he might be a permanent fixture on the fourth line but has been used sparingly for most of the season He has appeared in only 10 games and averaged 11:07 of ice time with one goal and one assist the Los Angeles Kings brought back Andre Lee from the Ontario Reign He began the season with the LA Kings and in total has played in 15 of the team's 23 games this season a seventh-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2019 NHL Draft two assists along with nine blocked shots and 32 hits While Lee was called up, it is uncertain if he will play against the Ducks. The Kings, at least for this game, will likely go with the same lineup they had against the Winnipeg Jets It worked really well and if that is the case then Samuel Helenius will be on the fourth line with Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere while Trevor Lewis will play with Alex Turcotte and Phillip Danault on the third line Andre Lee probably will get on the ice sometime soon and it could be as early as tomorrow's game against the Ottawa Senators However, Andre Lee probably will get on the ice sometime soon and it could be as early as tomorrow's game against the Ottawa Senators. Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb The LA Kings have signed forward Akil Thomas to a two-year contract extension (AAV: $775,000) The first year of the contract is a two-way deal Thomas made his NHL debut in April in Winnipeg the first of seven games he played with the big club this past season He made an almost immediate impact with the Kings scoring his first career NHL goal in San Jose in his second game as an alternate captain in Ontario and a big part of the team’s run to the third round in the Calder Cup Playoffs Why Thomas belongs in that category is what he showed towards the end of last season in the NHL as well as his AHL body of work over the entire 2023-24 campaign He showed he could be a skill player at the AHL level and he had four points from seven NHL games Why he has distinguished himself from others is the sandpaper element on top of the skill The Kings don’t need a first-line performance from Akil Thomas Be great if it came but they need younger and cost-efficient players to contribute lower in the lineup With that is the need to do more than score Thomas spoke about his lightbulb moment this season He credited Ontario Reign Head Coach Marco Sturm with helping him to re-focus in on other aspects of his game that are important areas he perhaps lost sight of throughout numerous injuries that cost him a ton of development time throughout the first three seasons of his professional career Thomas began to value those things in the AHL this season and it showed in his play Not only was he scoring but he was making plays too He played the game the right way and that was seen It was why he was in a position to be recalled for key games in a playoff push that make him an appealing by contender for the 2024-25 iteration of the LA Kings The Kings are keen to infuse youth into the lineup a lineup that was the youngest in the postseason Thomas signing this extension gives him a good chance at that the numbers involved are important and it’s what was talked about in Thomas’ season in review a few weeks back The Kings need players at or around the league-minimum to contribute in the NHL which makes him that much more appealing for an NHL job It also likely gives him more of a financial guarantee especially considering the second season being a one-way deal with regards to an increased likelihood of NHL participation He still needs to do that and he won’t be handed an NHL roster spot This deal boosts his guaranteed financial compensation over the two years while benefitting the Kings from a salary cap standpoint Similar contract to what we saw Tobias Bjornfot sign last year and I’d imagine similar to what we could see Alex Turcotte sign for as an RFA this summer From the team’s official release – Detroit – Akil Baddoo will be sticking around after all The Tigers designated the 26-year-old outfielder for assignment on Dec 10 to clear a roster spot for pitcher Alex Cobb but Baddoo cleared waivers Tuesday and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo has spent parts of the last four seasons with the Tigers He is expected to be invited to big league camp in February He is also the fifth player the Tigers have brought back on minor-league deals after designating them for assignment The others: pitchers Ricky Vanasco and Wilmer Flores and infielders Eddys Leonard and Bligh Madris Subscribers: Alex Cobb checks every box for Tigers: 'He raises our ceiling and he raises our floor' Over the weekend the Tigers signed 29-year-old catcher Brian Serven to a minor league deal a solid defensive catcher with a .187/.247/.293 slash-line in 299 big-league plate appearances He will be in big-league camp but he is expected to be the veteran catcher at Triple-A Toledo Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com This undated photo provided by Hezbollah Military Media on Saturday with another unidentified Hezbollah commander Akil was a member of Hezbollah’s highest military body The forces also fought in Syria gaining experience in urban warfare and counterinsurgency Israel has been attempting to push the fighters back from the border Israel said the Friday strike on Beirut’s southern Dahiya district killed Akil and 10 other Hezbollah operatives who rose through the ranks of the group’s military command over decades he joined Hezbollah in its early days in the 1980s a Brussels-based military and counterterrorism analyst with knowledge of the group “He started at the beginning of Hezbollah’s creation and he moved to different responsibilities and to be the leader of the Radwan Forces is also very privileged,” Magnier said State Department announced a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to his “identification The State Department described him as a “key leader” in Hezbollah It said that Akil was part of the group that carried out the 1983 bombing of the U.S Embassy in Beirut and that he had directed the taking of American and German hostages in Lebanon and held them there during the 1980s Treasury Department designated him a “terrorist” in 2015 followed by another designation by the State Department as a “global terrorist.” estimated at between 7,000 to 10,000 strong with fighters trained in special operations and urban warfare have had little involvement in the current conflict between Hezbollah and Israel The fighting has been dominated so far by exchanges of missiles and strikes along border areas Hezbollah rocket and missile launches have marked the group’s efforts to support Hamas They are right by saying they killed the one who was planning to conduct an operation similar to Oct In case of an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon or a Hezbollah cross-border operation Akil would have been the one leading the Radwan Forces But he didn’t head the entire military operation against Israel a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center think tank who researches Hezbollah said Akil is an “old school” military commander who was close to the Iranians He received three year years of officer training in Iran and took part in all the wars in Lebanon a Hezbollah researcher with the Washington Institute the Hezbollah commander who was supervising the group’s role in the war in Syria a three-tier command structure of Hezbollah military forces was created Ghaddar said there were reports that Akil was among those who were lightly injured in the mass explosion of pagers There was no official confirmation of those reports At least 37 people were killed and about 3,000 injured in two waves of simultaneous explosions of communications devices across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday The pager attacks dealt a major blow to Hezbollah’s communication structure which may explain why the group’s top forces were meeting Friday in the southern suburb of Beirut face to face Ghaddar said the attack on Akil disrupted the group’s command structure on the heels of the attacks that undermined its communication system and reveals how much intelligence Israel has about the militant group She said the group will likely take time to respond and recover They recovered from 2006 and many things,” she said referring to a bruising the monthlong war between Hezbollah and Israel Magnier and Hage Ali said the Friday strike signals a new phase of the war with Israel “What is significant is the location and the beginning of a new (phase of the) war,” involving an aerial campaign and the targeted assassination of military leaders Israel seemed set on exerting pressure on Hezbollah’s leadership particularly in the southern suburb of Beirut where the group has many of its offices and supporters seeking to target commanders and drive civilians out of the area Israel is saying: “If our people (in the north) can’t return your people (in the suburb) will be displaced.” is proud to announce the appointment of Imad Akil as its new General Manager With almost 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry and a proven record of operational excellence Akil is set to lead the team at this iconic property on Sheikh Zayed Road further enhancing its reputation for outstanding service and guest experiences Akil embarked on his professional journey at IHG Doha and was a key member of the opening team of the esteemed Waldorf Astoria Qasr Al Sharq in Saudi Arabia starting in the front office department at a very young age he joined Rotana Hotels as part of the pre-opening team at Amwaj Rotana Jumeirah Beach he has played a pivotal role in the successful pre-opening of multiple Rotana properties demonstrating exceptional leadership and expertise in hotel operations before taking on the role of General Manager at Centro Barsha he served as the General Manager at Centro Mada Amman Rotana where he continued to deliver remarkable results and uphold Rotana's commitment to excellence Akil has been instrumental in supporting Rotana's corporate initiatives contributing to numerous field visits and strategic projects His dedication to innovation and team development has positioned him as a valued leader within the organization