Meet the worst L.A. free agent signing ever
From Bill Plaschke: I can still see the freshly poured margarita sweating on the bar in front of me on that warm July evening.
I can still see it, because Kawhi Leonard made me run from it.
The news had just leaked that the Clippers made the biggest free-agent signing in franchise history, so I left the beautiful, salty Cadillac untouched and raced home from the neighborhood watering hole to write the following words.
“Oh me, oh my, they did it. On a transformative Friday night beyond even Clipper Darrell’s wildest dreams, the Clippers acquired arguably the best player in the NBA … Kawhi Leonard? Are you kidding me?”
Seven years later, I’m asking the same question, only it sounds vastly different.
Kawhi Leonard? Are you kidding me?
Seven years later, Leonard has abused an organization, alienated a fan base and basically collected nearly $300 million of Steve Ballmer’s money and burned it.
Seven years later, he has been injured, apathetic, entitled, disconnected and generally nothing but a pain in the backside for a reenergized franchise that deserved so much better.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.’s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
MLS needs to capitalize on success of the World Cup
From Mirjam Swanson: Remember when we were sure the World Cup would suffer from all the issues that had everyone seeing red before the first ball was kicked?
And remember when we were certain soccer could never catch on in this country?
Despite controversies over visas and ticket prices and transportation, and in spite of consternation over expansion and new rules, the game has, as usual, proved too good to fail.
And we, the American people, have become unusually engrossed in it.
We’ve been tuning in on TV in record numbers and, even at exorbitant prices, helping to sell out our 70,000-some-capacity stadiums. Before group play was even finished, this tournament — staged also in Mexico and Canada — already outdrew the 1994 World Cup, which was hosted by the United States and set an attendance record of nearly 3.6 million.
We’ve been loving the healthy cultural exchange, and we’re being reminded that cultural barriers of traditional sports fandom can be breached.
So now, to keep our interest from drying out like a pitch on a hot summer day, the goal should be to keep the market saturated with soccer. That will take Major League Soccer tearing down all the walls.
It’s already turned the page on its calendar, adopting a summer-to-spring season format that will better blend with the global game.
Now MLS needs to make its games easier to watch, and to do its part to make the sport easier to play.
Expanded World Cup brings drama as Canada ousts South Africa on stoppage-time goal
Sunday’s World Cup results
Round of 32
Canada 1, South Africa 0
Today’s World Cup TV schedule
All times Pacific
10 a.m., Brazil vs. Japan, Fox, Telemundo
1:30 p.m., Germany vs. Paraguay, Fox, Telemundo
6 p.m., Netherlands vs. Morocco, Fox, Telemundo
World Cup round of 32 schedule, results
Sunday
Canada 1, South Africa 0
All times Pacific
Monday
Brazil vs. Japan, 10 a.m., Fox, Telemundo
Germany vs. Paraguay, 1:30 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Netherlands vs. Morocco, 6 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Tuesday
Ivory Coast vs. Norway, 10 a.m., Fox, Telemundo
France vs. Sweden, 2 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Mexico vs. Ecuador, 6 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Wednesday
England vs. Congo DR, 9 a.m., Fox, Telemundo
Belgium vs. Senegal, 1 p.m., FS1, Telemundo
U.S. vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 5 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Thursday
Spain vs. Austria, noon, Fox, Telemundo
Portugal vs. Croatia, 4 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Switzerland vs. Algeria, 8 p.m., FS1, Telemundo
Friday
Australia vs. Egypt, 11 a.m., Fox, Telemundo
Argentina vs. Cape Verde, 3 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Colombia vs. Ghana, 6:30 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Round of 16 schedule
Saturday
Canada vs. Netherlands or Morocco, 10 a.m., Fox
Dodgers win series with Padres
From Maddie Lee: The Dodgers claimed a series win against the San Diego Padres with a 4-2 victory Sunday, widening the gap between division rivals to 10 games.
The Dodgers (54-30), who have the best record in the majors, have won five of the first six games of a three-city trip that ends in Sacramento.
A bounce-back start from right-hander Emmet Sheehan made the Dodgers’ win Sunday possible. He held the Padres to one run, on Manny Machado’s fourth-inning homer, through five innings.
“Maybe being a little more comfortable in my mechanics,” Sheehan said after limiting the Padres to two hits. “But also just the focus in between starts of trying to get a little more execution instead of delivery thoughts. I had seven days, so I got to throw two bullpens this week, which is nice.”
‘He cares about people.’ How Dodgers’ Dave Roberts got to the cusp of 1,000 career wins
Wife, kids of Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas in Caracas when earthquakes hit Venezuela
Angels lose to the Athletics
Josh Lowe‘s first career grand slam was all the offense the Angels needed Sunday in a 4-1 victory over the Athletics at Anaheim Stadium.
Lowe was 10 for 33 with 27 RBIs with the bases loaded during his six-year career, but had managed only two extra-base hits in those situations prior to going deep off starter Aaron Civale in the second inning.
The center fielder fouled off a pair of 1-2 pitches before sending a high cutter 403 feet to the right-field corner for his first homer since May 20.
This day in sports history
1906 — Alex Smith shoots a record 295 to beat brother Willie in the U.S. Open. Alex shoots a 295 at Onwentsia Club Ill.
1933 — Primo Carnera knocks out Jack Sharkey in the sixth round at the Long Island City Bowl to win the world heavyweight title.
1947 — Betty Jameson wins the U.S. Women’s Open by six strokes over amateurs Sally Sessions and Rolly Riley.
1952 — Louise Suggs beats Betty Jameson and Marlene Bauer by seven strokes to win the U.S. Women’s Open.
1956 — Charles Dumas becomes the first high jumper to clear 7 feet, jumping 7 feet, 5-8 inches in the U.S. Olympic trials at Los Angeles.
1957 — Jackie Pung loses the U.S. Women’s Open when she turns in an incorrect scorecard. Betsy Rawls is declared the winner.
1958 — Brazil, led by Pele, beats Sweden 5-2 in Stockholm to become the first team to win the World Cup outside its continent. The 17-year-old, coming off a hat-trick in Brazil’s 5-2 semifinal victory over France, scores twice in the final. Pele’s first and memorable goal comes in the 55th minute to put Brazil ahead 3-1. Pele controls the ball in the penalty area with his thigh, flips it over the head of the defender and smashes it past a helpless Kalle Svensson. Pele seals the win with a headed goal in stoppage time.
1969 — Donna Caponi beats Peggy Wilson by one stroke to win the U.S. Women’s Open.
1986 — Argentina withstands West Germany’s comeback to win the World Cup, 3-2 in Mexico City’s Aztec stadium. Argentina takes a 2-0 lead on Jorge Valdano’s goal 10 minutes into the second half. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Rudi Voller score goals seven minutes apart to tie the game in the 81st minute. Four minutes later Jorge Burruchaga scores the game-winner after getting a superb pass from Diego Maradona.
1991 — Britain’s Nick Brown scores a big upset at Wimbledon, beating 10th-seeded Goran Ivanisevic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in the second round. Brown, at 591 the lowest-ranked player in the men’s championship, posts the biggest upset, based on comparative rankings, since the ATP began compiling world rankings in 1973.
1994 — Martina Navratilova sets a Wimbledon record by playing her 266th match. Navratilova passes Billie Jean King’s record of 265 when she and Manon Bollegraf beat Ingelisa Driehuis and Maja Muric 6-4, 6-2 in a doubles quarterfinal.
1994 — NBA Draft: Purdue small forward Glenn Robinson first pick by Milwaukee Bucks.
1995 — George Foreman loses IBF boxing title for refusing to re-fight Axel Schulz.
2001 — Russian swimmer Roman Sludnov becomes the first person to swim the 100-meter breaststroke in under a minute, breaking a world record for the second time in two days at the national championships in Moscow. Sludnov finishes in 00:59.97.
2007 — After 16 years in Europe, the NFL shuts down its developmental league.
2008 — Two weeks away from her 20th birthday, Inbee Park becomes the youngest winner of the U.S. Women’s Open by closing with a 2-under 71. Her four-shot victory over Helen Alfredsson, who shot 75, is the largest in the Women’s Open since Karrie Webb won by eight shots at Pine Needles in 2001.
2008 — UEFA European Championship Final, Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria: Fernando Torres scores as Spain beats Germany, 1-0.
2009 — Indoor tennis at Wimbledon. The new retractable roof over Centre Court is closed after rain halts play during a fourth-round match with Amelie Mauresmo leading top-ranked Dinara Safina, 6-4, 1-4.
2012 — The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency files formal charges against Lance Armstrong, accusing the seven-time Tour de France winner of using performance-enhancing drugs throughout the best years of his career.
2014 — Bernard Langer beats Jeff Sluman with a birdie on the 2nd playoff hole to win the Senior Players Championship at Fox Chapel GC.
Compiled by the Associated Press
This day in baseball history
1916 — The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds played a nine-inning game with just one baseball.
1923 — Brooklyn’s Jacques Fournier went 6-for-6 with a home run, two doubles and three singles as the Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 14-5.
1937 — Chicago Cubs first baseman Rip Collins played an entire game without a putout or an assist.
1941 — In a doubleheader against the Washington Senators, New York’s Joe DiMaggio tied and then broke the American League record of hitting safely in 41 consecutive games. DiMaggio doubled in four at-bats in the opener and singled in five at-bats in the nightcap to break the record set by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1922.
1968 — Detroit’s Jim Northrup hit his third grand slam in a week as the Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2.
1990 — Dave Stewart of the Oakland A’s pitched the first of two no-hitters on this day, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 at the SkyDome. Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers duplicated Stewart’s feat by throwing a 6-0 no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the first time in major league history that two no-hitters were pitched in both leagues on the same day.
2003 — Eric Byrnes hit for the cycle and matched a franchise record with five hits as Oakland beat San Francisco 5-2.
2004 — Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks became the fourth pitcher to record 4,000 strikeouts when he struck out San Diego’s Jeff Cirillo in the eighth inning of the Padres’ 3-2 win.
2007 — Barry Bonds hit his 750th career home run in San Francisco’s 4-3, 10-inning loss to Arizona.
2007 — Aubrey Huff hit for the cycle in Baltimore’s 9-7 loss to the Angels.
2010 — Whit Merrifield’s RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning gave South Carolina its first baseball national championship with a 2-1 victory over UCLA in the College World Series. The Gamecocks won the last championship played at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium, the CWS’ home since 1950.
2012 — Aaron Hill hit for the cycle for the second time in 12 days, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ second baseman cycled on June 18 against Seattle. Brooklyn’s Babe Herman was the only other major leaguer to hit for two cycles in one season since 1900. He accomplished the feat in 1931.
2014 — Felix Hernandez gave up one hit over eight innings while striking out nine for Seattle, and Robinson Cano backed him with a two-run homer in a 3-0 win over Cleveland. Hernandez allowed just Lonnie Chisenhall’s single in the fifth inning and walked three. Fernando Rodney earned his 23rd save with a perfect ninth inning.
2019 — The first ever major league game to be played in Europe resulted in the Yankees defeating the Red Sox 17-13 in front of 60,000 spectators at London Olympic Stadium.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.