Sports
Called home: Giants’ Grant McCray deeply saddened by the death of Rickey Henderson
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Grant McCray led off the San Francisco Giants’ exhibition game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday at Camelback Ranch and he hobbled down the first base line after his foot absorbed a cut fastball. A trainer rushed out to check on him. He grimaced and he shook his leg and he jogged in place.
On the next pitch, he stole second base.
“Been waiting for that chance to run,” McCray said. “I’m always itching to go.”
McCray is one of the best minor-league base stealers in recent franchise history. In three years at full-season affiliates, he has been successful in 109 of 132 attempts. How impressive is his 82.6 percent success rate over that span? Consider that Rickey Henderson, who swiped a major league-record 1,406 bases, retired with a success rate of 80.6 percent.
McCray, who never lacks for confidence, might have brought up that fact with Henderson this spring. They might have had a laugh over it while engaging in some light trash talk. Late last year, Giants manager Bob Melvin mentioned to McCray that he would set up a spring training meeting with Henderson, whom he knew well from his time with the Oakland A’s. McCray was ecstatic. He patterned so much of his game after the Hall of Fame legend — not just the skills but the brash fearlessness, too. So many times throughout November and December, McCray daydreamed about how that conversation would go, what questions he would ask, what inspiration he hoped to take.
Then Henderson, who scored more runs than anyone in major-league history, died unexpectedly Dec. 20.
“Unfortunately, God calls everybody home at some point,” McCray said. “It was a really sad day for me. I don’t have a lot of idols, and he was a big part of defining my game. I felt that hunger and drive and ambition is something I strive for, and he really set the tone for me.”
Henderson played his last major-league game in 2003 when McCray was just 2 years old. Henderson shared the field with McCray’s father, Rodney, in just three major-league games. But some idols are such perfect paragons that they transcend time and proximity.
“He’s one in a million,” McCray said of Henderson. “Meeting someone like that, or meeting Barry Bonds, you can’t forget it. That’s old-school baseball right there. There aren’t many of them around anymore. Just getting that knowledge from him would’ve been incredible.”
Melvin experienced all kinds of emotions and memories after Henderson’s passing. One of them was to think back to that promised meeting with McCray and to lament that it would never happen.
“You know Rickey, he is so great about everything,” Melvin said. “Even though he’s with the A’s, he would’ve come over to help us. I just wanted him (McCray) to feel the importance of a guy like Rickey to come over and talk baseball. Unfortunately, it couldn’t happen. But I think Grant appreciated the effort to do something to make him a better player.”
Grant McCray went 5-for-5 on stolen-base attempts for the Giants in 2024. (Tim Warner / Getty Images)
If only the wistfulness ended there. McCray experienced more sadness and disappointment in June when Willie Mays died just two days before the Giants legend was set to be honored in a regular-season game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., where he played as a teenager for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. The Giants had made travel arrangements for every one of their minor-league players with any African American heritage to leave their affiliates and attend the game. Mays died one day before McCray was ticketed to fly to Alabama from Sacramento, where he’d just been promoted from Double A.
“I almost didn’t feel like going after that,” McCray said. “It was devastating.”
Even before Mays passed, it had been determined that the 93-year-old legend was too frail to make the trip from his home in Atherton, Calif., to attend the Rickwood game. But in the weeks leading up to the event, McCray assumed he’d finally get the chance to meet the Say Hey Kid. He couldn’t wait to introduce himself to Mays.
There have been thousands of Giants prospects over the years who never reached the big leagues but came away from their pro experience with a Mays autograph or a selfie or merely the chance to say that they shook his hand. That’s because Mays would visit Scottsdale every spring — along with Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda — to speak to the entire minor-league system while instilling them with pride for the uniform hanging in their locker.
McCray never had that chance. The 24-year-old outfielder was drafted in June 2019. Mays spent his last spring training in Scottsdale in 2020, when COVID-19 was turning into a pandemic. Before Mays had a chance to visit minor-league camp that spring, the world shut down. In the years that followed, the trip to Arizona became a bit too much for him.
McCray, who is biracial, said he often put out feelers with club officials about letting him spend a little time with Mays. He is beyond saddened that a meeting never happened.
“I just feel like we would’ve had a lot to talk about,” he said.
One of McCray’s dreams is to play in a major-league game while wearing a Giants throwback uniform that is a tribute to Mays — something he would love to see the Giants do on Mays’ birthday, May 6, every year.
Now McCray, who made his major-league debut last season, is looking to his contemporaries for counsel. He’s often engaging Willy Adames and Matt Chapman in conversation about how they handled themselves as young players while seeking to establish themselves in the big leagues.
Although McCray and Jung Hoo Lee are the only true center fielders on the 40-man roster, the Giants outfield appears set on Opening Day (Lee, Mike Yastrzemski and Heliot Ramos) and Jerar Encarnacion, who crushed a 111 mph home run Wednesday, is out of options and all but certain to make the team. The fifth outfielder is likely to be a right-handed hitter such as Luis Matos who can spell Yastrzemski against left-handed pitching.
McCray flashed power (five home runs, three doubles and two triples) and speed (5-for-5 on stolen-base attempts) in 37 games last season but has more work to do after posting a 43.1 percent strikeout rate in 130 big-league plate appearances. On that front, he’s still finding his footing in the batter’s box this spring (2-for-15, eight strikeouts).
But don’t tell McCray that there isn’t a place for him on the Giants’ roster from the jump.
“I want to break camp with the team,” said McCray, who was energized when he heard club president Buster Posey describe his desire for an opportunistic and dynamic offense that can score runs in multiple ways. “I’ve got power, I’ve got speed. I have contact, too, and I haven’t been great at it right now, but it’s still early. I can change the game in a lot of ways. We have a lot of guys with those abilities: Jung Hoo, Matos, Ramos, Fitzy (Tyler Fitzgerald), and if we piece them all together, I feel like, dude, we’re a scary lineup. Yeah, we’re young. But I feel like we get counted out when we’ve got more ability than a lot of other teams.”
McCray will never get the chance to soak up wisdom from Mays and Henderson. He can only guess what they would’ve told him: to trust his abilities and to play with confidence. As reinforcing as that message would’ve been, though, it’s not entirely clear that McCray needed to hear it. If a bruised foot won’t keep him from running, neither would a bruised ego.
“He’s a driven kid,” Melvin said. “He wants to be good at everything. And he’s one of the few guys in our organization who has all the tools to be a really good player. There’s a lot to like.”
More on Rickey Henderson’s life and career
• Always on the move, Rickey Henderson leaves legacy as one of baseball’s greatest showmen
• For all his wondrous MLB accomplishments, Rickey Henderson is best known as the ‘Man of Steal’
• Rickey Henderson declared his own greatness and gave permission to do the same
• Rickey Henderson finished his career in indy ball. There, a legend showed a different side
(Top photo of Grant McCray stealing second base: Joe Camporeale / Imagn Images)
Caitlin Clark hit in throat during WNBA loose-ball scramble, sparking backlash and game suspension
WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark was hit in the throat during a loose-ball scramble, sparking outrage and a one-game suspension for Alyssa Thomas. Fox News’ Garrett Tenney reports on the ‘absolutely unacceptable’ incident and the coach’s reaction. Political analyst Gianno Caldwell discusses Clark’s immense impact on WNBA viewership, including a $2.2 billion deal, and the role of gender and race in the controversy.
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Phoenix Mercury All-Star Alyssa Thomas is the latest villain to Caitlin Clark fans after punching Clark in the throat during a game on Wednesday night.
The referees missed the punch in real time, but fans and the league office did not.
A viral clip of the punch in slow motion spread across social media, pouring gasoline on the ongoing culture war surrounding Clark’s physical treatment by opposing players, which has been a controversial issue dating back to Clark’s rookie season in 2024.
And Less than 24 hours after the incident, the WNBA slapped Thomas with a one-game suspension for what was deemed a “reckless” and “non-basketball act.”
Who is the woman behind the punch?
If Thomas wasn’t in the WNBA, she says she would go pro in combat sports
In a 2019 interview with Nike PLAYlist, Thomas answered what sport she would have gone pro in if she didn’t go pro in basketball.
“Either boxing or MMA,” Thomas said.
If Thomas never went pro in any sport, she said she would have gotten into dentistry.
“Since I was a kid, I loved going to the dentist. I just was fascinated with teeth and still am. I’m passionate about that whole process of cleaning,” according to a profile on WNBA.com.
The first time Thomas stepped on a basketball court, she threw a ‘hissy fit’
Thomas was signed up to try basketball for the first time at the age of five by her mother, Tina, per the WNBA.
Thomas said she “Threw myself all down the stairs, down the hallway,” while her mom said “She just threw an absolute hissy fit.”
WNBA SUSPENDS ALYSSA THOMAS FOR ‘RECKLESSLY’ HITTING CAITLIN CLARK IN THROAT DURING SCRAMBLE
Her parents didn’t let her win a popular board game
Thomas’ parents never took it easy on her when they played “Candyland” as she was growing up.
“We weren’t the parents that were just going to let you win,” Tina said, per the WNBA.
“In life, you have to fight, and how are you going to fight if you don’t teach your kids to fight? So if she fell over, ‘get up, you’re alright,’ and if she didn’t get up, you knew something was wrong.”
It was a parenting tactic also used by the father of New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter, who famously never let Jeter win in board games or card games when he was growing up, to instill harsh competitiveness at an early age.
Thomas added that her mom was especially hard on her and helped develop her toughness.
“By no means was it easy, and it’s still not easy,” Thomas said.
Thomas plays more physically because shoulder issues hinder her shooting ability
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 24, 2026. The Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 111-109. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Thomas currently plays basketball with torn labrums in both of her shoulders.
The injuries are so severe that she completely lacks the structural integrity to lift her arms and shoot a traditional, fluid jump shot. Instead, she is forced to use a rigid, one-handed pushing motion from her chest just to get the ball to the rim.
Because she cannot rely on outside shooting, Thomas adapted by leaning entirely into her physical frame. She drives directly into the teeth of opposing defenses, absorbing heavy contact in the paint to score closer to the basket.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shown after falling in the lane while Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas watches the ball at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Indiana on June 24, 2026. (Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
That brutal, driving style requires her to initiate intense physical collisions on nearly every single possession.
Despite the mechanical limitations and constant pain, the tactical shift worked. She transformed herself into a six-time All-Star, three-time First-Team All-WNBA, an Olympic gold medalist and the undisputed triple-double queen of the WNBA.
Thomas has been the center of immense criticism this week
The throat punch on Clark ignited a fierce wave of backlash.
Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White led the charge, completely unloading on Thomas and the league’s officials during her postgame press conference.
“We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called,” White said, pointing directly at Thomas’s actions. “Absolutely unacceptable.”
White argued that Thomas regularly crosses the line from playing physical defense into inflicting dangerous, non-basketball contact.
“It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,” White continued to fume to reporters. “The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous.”
On Thursday, Fever President Kelly Krauskopf released a statement praising the decision to suspend Thomas.
“Player safety should be paramount in our league. We appreciate the WNBA’s review of last night’s incident and the action taken. Right now our focus is on Caitlin and our entire team as we prepare for Saturday,” Krauskopf wrote.
Former Minnesota Vikings captain and prominent conservative activist Jack Brewer said the punch would be considered a “hate crime” if the roles were reversed.
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“This would be considered a hate crime if it were the other way around,” Brewer told Fox News Digital.
Other critics have expressed their own outrage on social media.
Sports
Parents of ex-NFL player Doug Martin allege excessive force by Oakland police in wrongful death suit
The parents of Doug Martin filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that police officers used excessive force in trying to subdue the former NFL running back while he was “experiencing a mental health crisis” last October.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Northern District of California, also claims that paramedics contributed to Martin’s death by failing to “provide timely medical care.” The city of Oakland, several police officers and emergency medical service provider Falck USA/Northern California were named as defendants.
Martin died Oct. 18 in a hospital following his arrest by officers responding to reports of a break-in at a residence. He was 36. His death remains under investigation by Oakland police.
According to the Alameda County coroner’s office, Martin’s autopsy reports still are being finalized. Martin family attorney John Burris told the Athletic that an independent pathologist told the family that Martin potentially died from restraint asphyxia.
“Plaintiffs allege, on information and belief, that Decedent Martin died from restraint asphyxia caused by Oakland police officers and the FALCK NORCAL paramedics’ failure to provide timely medical care,” the lawsuit states.
The Oakland Police Department and Falck Norcal did not immediately respond to messages from The Times.
According to the complaint, Martin was “experiencing a mental health crisis” when his mother called for paramedics. He then fled and hid in a neighbor’s basement, where officers found him.
“After a brief struggle, defendant police officers physically restrained him,” the complaint states. “During the restraint, decedent Martin was placed face down while one or more officers pressed on his back. After a period of time, defendant Officers turned him onto his side.
“When they did so decedent Martin was unresponsive seemingly unconscious; However, the defendant officers initially believed he was sleeping or pretending to be sleep. When decedent Martin remained unresponsive, an officer requested medical assistance.
“Plaintiffs are informed and believe that decedent Martin did not receive immediate medical attention. Falck paramedics arrived over 15 minutes after the call for service and, and when they arrived, did not promptly provide medical care.”
A Stockton native, Martin was a first-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2012 draft. He played six seasons for the Buccaneers, making the Pro Bowl in 2012 and 2015, before spending his final season with the Oakland Raiders in 2018. In his career, Martin rushed for 5,356 yards and 30 touchdowns.
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With 48 teams competing and a grueling path through the knockout stage, reaching the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be an accomplishment in itself.
Only four nations will survive the tournament’s first 100 matches and earn a spot in the final four, putting themselves within two victories of lifting the most coveted trophy in sports.
Let’s take a look at the latest odds to reach the semifinals at FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 26.
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.
To Reach Semifinals
Argentina: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
France: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Spain: +120 (bet $10 to win $22 total)
England: +165 (bet $10 to win $26.50 total)
Portugal: +210 (bet $10 to win $31 total)
Brazil: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Netherlands: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
Germany: +330 (bet $10 to win $43 total)
USA: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Norway: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Colombia: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Belgium: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Morocco: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Switzerland: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Mexico: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Japan: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Croatia: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Ecuador: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Canada: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)
Austria: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)
Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:
The Top 10: Argentina, France, Spain, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands and Germany — all considered powerhouse countries — stand at the top of the board, with each nation listed at +330 or better to reach the semifinals. But right after that group? The USA and Norway. The Americans have never made it to the semifinals of the World Cup, and this is Norway’s first appearance in the tournament since 1998.
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