Sports
Black former players to play in Negro Leagues All-Star Game tribute on Memorial Day weekend
The names trigger memories recent and long-ago. From David Price to Russell Martin, from Tony Gwynn Jr. to Jerry Hairston Jr. to Dee Strange-Gordon, former Dodgers sprinkle the rosters.
And the 14 Hall of Famers serving as coaches include a who’s who of legends that tormented the Dodgers as exalted opponents: Ozzie Smith, Ken Griffey Jr., Fergie Jenkins, Dave Winfield, Fred McGriff … the list goes on.
They’ll gather in Cooperstown, N.Y., for the East-West Classic: a tribute to the Negro Leagues All-Star Game on Saturday at historic Doubleday Field. Team captains CC Sabathia and Chris Young held a draft of recently retired Black players to fill rosters for the game, which anchors a Memorial Day weekend of festivities at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum surrounding the opening of an exhibit titled “The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing these guys’ faces when we walk into the Hall of Fame,” Sabathia said. “We are all super close, and it’s going to be fun to get us all together.”
The exhibit will cover the Negro Leagues era, the complexities of integration, Jackie Robinson, the struggles Black players experienced and calls for change in today’s game. Stories from Black baseball also are being added to other exhibits throughout the museum.
Only 6% of players on opening day MLB rosters this year are Black, a number that has slowly eroded for decades. A study by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida found that Black players represented 6.2% of MLB players in 2023 and 7.2% in 2022. When the study began in 1991, 18% of MLB players were Black.
Baseball has launched programs to boost participation in recent years, and one result has been an uptick in the number of Black players drafted in the top 100 — an average of 12 per year since 2021. Ten of the first 50 draft picks in 2023 were Black and 30% of the first-round picks in 2022 were Black — a significant increase over the previous decade, when 17.4% of first-round picks were Black.
Four of the first five selections in the 2022 draft were Black, and all four were alumni of at least one of the following MLB diversity initiatives:
— The DREAM Series operated by MLB and USA Baseball has since 2017 brought together predominantly Black high school pitching and catching prospects nationwide during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. The program includes seminars, mentorship, scout evaluations and video coverage in addition to on-field instruction. Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High product Hunter Greene participated in the DREAM Series.
— The MLB ID Tour scours the country for baseball talent among underexposed and diverse groups of athletes, and this year has held events at the Compton Youth Academy as well as in Atlanta, Dallas and Chicago.
— The Breakthrough Series provides a platform for players who have entered the MLB diversity pipeline to perform for scouts and collegiate coaches. The Series, which began in 2008, has produced 22 first-round draft picks and 36 players have advanced to the major leagues.
— The Hank Aaron Invitational will be held in July at Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla., where approximately 250 teenage players from across the U.S. will by trained by former MLB players and coaches that in the past have included Griffey, Winfield, Eric Davis, Marquis Grissom, Reggie Smith and Delino DeShields.
Only 6% of Division I baseball players are Black, a number that has grown slightly but remains alarmingly low. Developing future major leaguers is a clear objective of MLB’s diversity initiatives, but getting Black players into college is also important.
“We see more kids playing at the Division I college baseball ranks, and we see more kids being drafted into the minor leagues,” said Del Matthews, MLB vice president of baseball development. “And so we’re just flooding that through [our] various programs.”
The Memorial Day weekend festivities honoring the history of Black baseball will begin with an unveiling of a bronze statue of Aaron on the first floor of the Hall of Fame Museum. Then the East-West Classic — the name is a nod to the Negro League All-Star game held annually from 1933 to 1962 — will bring living, breathing Black players together.
“It’s going to be one of those weekends that’s going to stick with us for a long time,” said Young, the East team captain who played for the Angels in 2018, the last of his 13-year career. “If you have a son or daughter who plays baseball, take them to the Hall. If you are a baseball player, go check it out. It’s life-changing.”
East-West Classic rosters
East: Captain Chris Young, Josh Barfield, Doug Glanville, Tony Gwynn Jr., Jerry Hairston Jr., Scott Hairston, LaTroy Hawkins, Ryan Howard, Edwin Jackson, Jeremy Jeffress, Adam Jones, Russell Martin, Melvin Mora, David Price and Mo’Ne Davis.
West: Captain CC Sabathia, José Contreras, Ian Desmond, Prince Fielder, Dexter Fowler, Curtis Granderson, Darrell Miller, Tyson Ross, Tony Sipp, Dee Strange-Gordon, B.J. Upton and Justin Upton.
Hall of Fame coaches: Harold Baines, Rollie Fingers, Ken Griffey Jr., Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Fred McGriff, Eddie Murray, Jim Rice, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith, Joe Torre, Dave Winfield, Pat Gillick and Ryne Sandberg.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Winning two knockout stage games? That means you’re really in the running to win the World Cup.
Let’s check out the updated odds for which countries will make it to the quarterfinals at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 1.
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To Reach Quarterfinals
France: -1250 (bet $10 to win $10.80 total)
Argentina: -425 (bet $10 to win $12.35 total)
Morocco: -260 (bet $10 to win $13.85 total)
Brazil: -240 (bet $10 to win $14.17 total)
England: -175 (bet $10 to win $15.71 total)
Spain: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)
Colombia: -105 (bet $10 to win $19.52 total)
USA: +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)
Mexico: +140 (bet $10 to win $24 total)
Norway: +160 (bet $10 to win $26 total)
Portugal: +175 (bet $10 to win $27.50 total)
Canada: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)
Belgium: +185 (bet $10 to win $28.50 total)
Switzerland: +195 (bet $10 to win $29.50 total)
Senegal: +370 (bet $10 to win $47 total)
Algeria: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Egypt: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Ghana: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
The USA is currently one of the favorites to reach the World Cup quarterfinals (Getty Images).
Here’s what to know about this oddsboard.
Recent History: The quarterfinals are kinda a given for France, at least in recent years. The French have made it to at least the quarterfinals in five of the last seven World Cups, and they have made the final in four of the last seven years, winning the tournament twice. Les Bleus are now heavy favorites at -1250 to beat Paraguay and get back to the quarterfinals.
The Host Nations: Before this summer, Canada had never won a World Cup match in two tournament appearances. But that has all changed. Canada is through to the Round of 16 after beating South Africa in the Round of 32. As for Mexico, it has recorded four straight scoreless wins to start the tournament for the first time in its nation’s history. El Tri will look to get back to the quarterfinals for the first time in 40 years after dominating Ecuador in the Round of 32. After its win over Ecuador, Mexico jumped from +290 to +140 to make the quarters. The U.S. looks to replicate the other two host nations’ knockout stage performances against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda celebrates after the Dodgers beat the Montreal Expos to win the NL pennant in 1981.
(Associated Press)
Years as manager: 1976-1996
Record: 1,599-1,439, .526 win pct
After serving as the team’s third base coach for four seasons, Lasorda took over as manager late in the 1976 season when Alston announced his retirement. He led the Dodgers to the National League pennant in his first two full seasons, losing both times to the Yankees in the World Series. He won his first World Series in 1981, knocking off the Yankees, and rallied his team to a surprise title in 1988 in which the Dodgers beat the heavily favored Athletics. Lasorda was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, his first year of eligibility.
A fiery and vibrant presence who spent 71 years with the Dodgers, Lasorda managed nine players who won the NL rookie of the year award. The Dodgers also opened the Japanese player pipeline on his watch. Hideo Nomo, the first Japanese big leaguer to permanently relocate to the U.S., joined the Dodgers in 1995. Three decades later, the team features Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on its star-studded roster.
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Back in January, the odds that King James would retire before the beginning of the 2026-27 season were slightly longer than the odds that he would give it another go.
But as of now, it looks like LeBron will, in fact, give it another go but with a team other than the Lakers.
Here are the latest odds for where James could land next season at DraftKings Sportsbook as of June 30.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
LeBron James Next Team Odds
Golden State Warriors: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70 total)
Los Angeles Lakers: +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)
Cleveland Cavaliers: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Miami Heat: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
New York Knicks: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Detroit Pistons: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Dallas Mavericks: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
San Antonio Spurs: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Milwaukee Bucks: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Brooklyn Nets: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Washington Wizards: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
NBA free agency begins on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET. However, hours before its official start, LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, made a jaw-dropping announcement.
According to ESPN reporting, Paul notified the Lakers that the franchise could move on without LeBron because he plans to play elsewhere for the 2026-27 season.
James played for the organization for eight years — the longest he’s played for any other team. While in L.A., King James broke the all-time scoring record, won an NBA title and earned his fourth NBA Finals MVP.
The imprint he’s left on the league in his more than 20 years has been immeasurable.
Where will LeBron land next season now that his time in Los Angeles is over?
In addition to his tenure in Los Angeles, he’s played for the Cavaliers and the Heat, winning titles with all three franchises. He won Rookie of the Year, has four regular-season MVPs and is a 22-time All-Star.
James has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 boards and 7.4 assists over the course of his career.
During the 2025-26 season, he helped lead the Lakers to a 53-29 record in the regular season. The team secured the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and defeated Houston 4-2 in the first round.
Eventually, Los Angeles got bounced by Oklahoma City in the conference semifinals, 4-0, which marked LeBron’s last dance in Hollywood.
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