Sports
Plaschke: Hey Dodgers, stop messing with Mookie Betts
C’mon Dodgers, you must realize what you’re doing to your best player, continually drenching his season in uncertainty, battering his body, ruining his rituals, denting his spirit.
C’mon. Dodgers, after what happened again Friday, your mandate is clear.
Stop moving Mookie!
Stop bouncing him recklessly around the diamond and the batting order like he’s a centerpiece in a game of beer pong.
Stop treating him like he’s an aging journeyman with marginal talent, zero power and no voice.
Stop taking his unbelievable good nature and inimitable team spirit for granted, or risk him following the lead of other misused talents in this era of athlete empowerment.
Hint: You don’t need this guy asking for a trade.
You laugh, the Dodgers scoff, there’s few who believe this sweet and selfless star would ever create the commotion that any sort of whispered or shouted get-me-out-of-here demand would cause. Plus, he makes $30 million a year on a deal that extends through 2032, which sort of limits his attractiveness.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts fields the ball against the Rangers during the 2024 season.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
But he’s only human, and there’s surely only so much pride he can swallow and perceived lack of respect he can stomach. The Dodgers have seemingly reached this breaking point. They have to stop scheming and rearranging and pushing.
They need to back off and let Mookie be Mookie.
“I’ve been saying the whole time, it doesn’t matter where I play, as long as I’m playing and helping the team win,” Betts said Friday afternoon while sitting in the dugout surrounded by reporters.
Believe that. But you better believe the Dodgers need to stop testing the endurance of those words.
The latest remodel occurred Friday when, three days after announcing that Betts would play shortstop upon next week’s return from the injured list, the Dodgers stated he would instead be moving back to right field.
This, after they started the season moving him from second base to shortstop.
This, after they spent last season moving him from right field to second base.
And this, after they announced this week he was moving out of his cherished leadoff spot and batting second so Shohei Ohtani could keep batting first.
Next up, a spot in the bullpen and a job cutting the grass?
Betts has accepted it all with grace. His contagious attitude makes him the MVP of this season even if he never plays another game. But still, in flipping him around again so soon after the previous reversal, the Dodgers didn’t look professional, didn’t sound appropriate, and it didn’t feel right.
Make no mistake, Betts belongs in right field. He won six Gold Gloves there, remember? The Dodgers are their best team with slick Miguel Rojas at shortstop, resurgent Gavin Lux at second and Betts in right.
This is why they never should have moved Betts from right field in the first place. By making the first unusual switch last season, they sent Betts on an odyssey that is both unseemingly and unfair for a player of his stature.
What do you think LeBron James would do if the Lakers asked him to change his game? He would immediately tweet his dissatisfaction and they would relent, that’s what.
How would Kawhi Leonard act if the Clippers openly pressured him over the past several years to play more games? He’d shut it down, that’s what, and they’d have to coax him back.
While other superstars in this town call the shots, Betts simply absorbs. While other superstars in this town defer to no one, Betts seemingly defers to everyone.
Did you hear what he said this week when asked about giving up his beloved leadoff spot to Ohtani because Ohtani hit well when Betts was injured? A switch made even though Betts became an eight-time All Star by batting leadoff?
“There’s nothing really you can say,” Betts said. “Whatever Shohei says goes, and after that we kind of fall in line.”
That’s as close to bitterness as Betts will veer, but it speaks volumes about a potentially divisive clubhouse issue. If a two-time World Series champion and former MVP feels like a newcomer with no playoff experience runs things, how do the guys with lesser resumes feel?
I asked Betts why he doesn’t complain more about not being given the same latitude most other teams offer their stars. Why doesn’t he act more like the accomplished player he is?
“There’s only one Mookie,” he said. “I don’t care. I want to win. Keep that first and foremost, and the rest just is what it is.”
The Dodgers are incredibly lucky he’s their Mookie. Andrew Friedman did his homework when trading for Betts before the 2020 season. Despite recent postseason struggles, Betts has become a leader by example…and example…and example.
“He is a superstar that is a rarity,” said Dodger general manager Brandon Gomes. “He’s – and I think we have a lot of them on our team – ‘Hey, I will take on any challenges that help the team.’ He’s somebody who puts the team first….at the end of the day, he’s just ‘I’m good with whatever. Let’s go win a World Series.’”
During his meeting with the media Friday, Betts gave every public indication that he was good.
He said it was mostly his idea in the past few days to move away from shortstop after he realized that Rojas, also returning from injury, was a better option there.
“I mostly went to them,” he said. “I said, ‘Listen, I believe I can do it, but I want to win, man.’ I want to win. I don’t know if me right there is the best solution.’”
He’s right, Rojas is a better shortstop, but Betts wasn’t a terrible shortstop, and nobody worked harder at their position this season, Betts taking hours of pregame grounders in the previous few months to master the position.
“I think it’s the challenge that I really truly loved,” he said. “I don’t know if it was necessarily the shortstop thing, per se. I just haven’t been challenged in a long time. So that task, that challenge to accept and be able to play shortstop in the big leagues, and help the Dodgers? I was going to take it on and I’m happy I did. I’m definitely proud of myself for doing that.”
Lots of pride. Lots of work. All for nothing. No matter what Betts says, that has to hurt. He, of course, never should have been moved to shortstop in the first place. The Dodgers should have acquired a shortstop in the offseason and they would never have had this issue.
The saga of Betts is rooted in the reality that the Dodgers have been brushing him around the diamond as a sort of human concealer to mask past front-office failures.
The outcome reached Friday is partially good. Betts is back in right field where he belongs. It’s the circuitous route they traveled to reach that spot that is so troublesome.
Injured Dodgers player Mookie Betts fields balls and keeps his throwing arm in shape as he recovers from injury.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
And, by the way, is Betts really going to be batting second the rest of the season? I asked him, only half joking, why didn’t he negotiate a return to right field for a return to the top of the order? That feels like something LeBron would do, no?
“No, uh uh,” he said. “We got Shohei there. He’s pretty good, too.”
The next several weeks will reveal whether batting in his new spot will suit Betts. It will also show whether Lux can continue to hold down second base and Betts can – fingers crossed – stay in right field.
At this point, there are seemingly no lineup or fielding guarantees of anything regarding Mookie Betts other than he will play out the season in the worst possible position, that being limbo.
Friday’s eventual win over the Pittsburgh Pirates began with newest Dodger Legend Dusty Baker throwing out the first pitch to Betts, who looked rather nifty crouching behind home plate with a catcher’s mitt and…
No.
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The Atlanta Falcons did not have to do much thinking about their future when their season ended Sunday.
The team did not even wait for Black Monday, as it fired head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday night.
The Falcons hired Morris ahead of the 2024 season, selecting him over candidates such as Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Macdonald and Ben Johnson.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on the sideline against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
But Morris’ results were not what the Falcons wanted, going 8-9 in back-to-back seasons.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. “The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”
Wildly enough, the team’s record is the same as the division champion Carolina Panthers’, so the Falcons were just one win away from making the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season. One of those losses was to the New York Jets, who would have had the first pick in 2026 instead of the second if that game’s result had been reversed.
Atlanta wound up winning their final four games, but it was not enough for them, or Morris and Fontenot.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on the sideline against the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
LOOKING BACK AT THE SPORTS GAMBLING CONTROVERSIES THROUGHOUT 2025, WITH NBA AND MLB INVESTIGATIONS LEADING WAY
Morris previously served as the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator, winning a Super Bowl with them. He held numerous roles with the Falcons before going to Los Angeles, including serving as their interim head coach in 2020.
Morris initially replaced Arthur Smith, who served as the team’s head coach for three seasons. Smith is now the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who would make the playoffs with a win Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.
Perhaps the Falcons are kicking themselves for choosing Morris over several others. Vrabel won the AFC East in his first season with the New England Patriots, Johnson won the NFC North in his first year with the Chicago Bears, and Harbaugh is back in the playoffs with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, center, stands with his team while wearing an Apalachee High School T-shirt after a recent school shooting there before an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
There should be several names available to the Falcons, who are desperate to make the most of Michael Penix Jr., who will enter his third NFL season in September.
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DENVER — The game was the understudies versus the underwhelmings.
The second-string Chargers against the … wait a second, the top-seeded Denver Broncos only generated 240 yards and failed to score an offensive touchdown?
Such is the AFC this season, filled with teams who flash one week and fizzle the next.
Sunday’s regular-season finale — which the Broncos won, 19-3 — was far more competitive than it should have been, especially considering the lopsided incentives.
Whereas the Chargers were playing for pride and only modestly consequential postseason seeding, Denver’s stakes were two miles high: a free pass to the second round, and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl.
How unsettling that the Chargers could even make the game interesting, having rested 14 starters, including Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert.
The Chargers now turn their attention to a first-round game at the 14-win New England Patriots, who have averaged 34.4 points in the five games since the beginning of December, on Sunday at 5 p.m. PST.
It’s another opportunity for Herbert to notch his first playoff victory. In his six seasons, the Chargers have had two one-and-done appearances — an epic collapse at Jacksonville in the 2022 season and a four-interception loss at Houston last season.
“With the way he’s played this season, this could be a breakthrough,” receiver Keenan Allen said. “Everything we want is still right in front of us.”
Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II catches a pass against Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke during the first half Sunday.
(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
That’s not exactly true. Allen reeled in two hefty items on his wish list. He needed nine more receiving yards for a $250,000 contract bonus, and six more receptions for a $750,000 payout. He finished with seven catches for 36 yards — jackpot!
“It’s nice to get that out of the way,” he said, smiling broadly.
Allen was one of the few seasoned Chargers veterans to set foot on the field. Watching from the sidelines were offensive starters Herbert, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and the entire starting offensive line.
So backup quarterback Trey Lance, making a rare start, had a collection of blockers that was even more hodgepodge than usual — and going up against the NFL’s sack leaders, no less. The Broncos came into the game with a club-record 64 sacks.
They got to Lance four times, and although that might be impressive, the Chargers collected four sacks of their own, two by backup defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia.
“That was dope,” star edge rusher Khalil Mack said of the performance by second-stringers.
Mack sat out, as did All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr., linebacker Daiyan Henley and safety Elijah Molden. All will be back for the Patriots game.
The Chargers have beaten the Patriots in their last two meetings, including a 6-0 win two years ago in Foxborough. This is the first time the teams have played with these head coaches, Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel.
“That’s the kind of game that defines your season,” Harbaugh said. “Our focus and attention is on that.”
Sunday’s game was a foregone conclusion before kickoff. Yes, the Chargers were 5-0 against AFC West opponents, but their primary aim was to stay fresh for the playoffs.
The Broncos, meanwhile, were so laser-focused on securing that No. 1 seed that coach Sean Payton instructed the videoboard operators to scrap the goofy games during breaks in the action. He wanted the crowd thinking about decibels, not distractions.
Denver running back RJ Harvey is tackled by Chargers defenders during the second half Sunday.
(C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)
From the start, Denver looked on track. On their first possession, the Broncos drove from their 13 to the Chargers’ six, setting up the first of four field goals by Wil Lutz.
Who would have suspected that, after those 81 yards, Denver’s offense would generate only 31 more the rest of the half?
Put simply, Denver is a weird team. The Broncos have trailed in 12 of their 14 wins, and this was the second time this season they won without scoring an offensive touchdown. Naturally, there were incentives Sunday to staying as vanilla as possible on offense as not to reveal more to future opponents, although this is a team that already has put 17 games on video.
This game was either an offensive stinker or a defensive masterpiece, depending on your perspective.
Both quarterbacks led their team in rushing. Lance completed 20 of 44 passes for 136 yards with an interception. Denver’s Bo Nix was 14 of 23 for 141 yards.
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Top Milwaukee Brewers prospect Frank Cairone was hospitalized after being involved in a serious car accident near his New Jersey home on Friday, the team announced.
“Frank is currently being cared for at a hospital in New Jersey with the support of his family,” read a statement from the team, via MLB.com. “The Brewers’ thoughts and prayers are with Frank and his family during his difficult time.”
Pitcher Frank Cairone (left) with Green Valley High School (NV) infielder Caden Kirby during the MLB Draft Combine high school baseball game at Chase Field. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
The left-handed pitcher turned 18 this past September. He was drafted out of Delsea Regional High School in Franklinville, N.J. at No. 68 overall in the 2025 Draft.
News of the Brewers’ young prospect’s accident came shortly after the team announced it was not in contact with several players in Venezuela after U.S. military strikes in the country and the capture of its President Nicolás Maduro.
MLB TEAM UNAWARE OF STATUS OF PLAYERS IN VENEZUELA AFTER US MILITARY STRIKES
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (11) is seen before the fifth inning of an MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Toronto Blue Jays on August 31, 2025, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold revealed the team is unaware of the status of the players in a statement Saturday.
“We don’t have much info at the moment but are trying to follow up,” Arnold said, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We know the airports have been shut down but not much beyond that.”
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Pitcher Frank Cairone during the MLB Draft Combine high school baseball game at Chase Field. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
The team’s players in Venezuela include star outfielder Jackson Chourio, infielder Andruw Monasterio and catcher Jeferson Quero, according to the outlet.
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