Daily Jolt: Tuesday, June 11: Suitor reached out about A-Rod
Tuesday, June 11
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Japanese suitor reached out to A-Rod
Given what they know now, perhaps the Yankees would have made a different decision. At the end of last year, after Alex Rodriguez had been pinch-hit for and benched in the playoffs, speculation raged that he would be traded, cut or somehow removed from the Yankees' roster. The only problem with any of those possibilities was that no team was willing to take his enormous contract. ... It turns out there was at least one, and if Rodriguez had been healthy and was willing to obtain an international work visa, he might be Japan's problem right now. Last November, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks reached out to the Yankees through an intermediary and expressed interest in obtaining Rodriguez, according to two baseball officials who were told of the informal inquiry. The Yankees never engaged the Hawks in discussions. (New York Times)Comment
Trick up Kansas City's sleeve?
If the Kansas City offense looks appreciably different than it did in 2012, that may be just as much Chris Ault's doing as Andy Reid's. [Ault], the brains behind the creation of the pistol alignment, coached quarterback Colin Kaepernick at Nevada, and San Francisco ran elements of that scheme last season. But although he does not possess Kaepernick's transcendent abilities, [Alex Smith] is a good athlete. He thrived in the same spread-option scheme at Utah under Urban Meyer that Tim Tebow did at Florida. Whether or not Smith runs some of the plays from his college days remains up in the air. The Chiefs have been covert about revealing Ault's exact role. ... [Reid] said that Ault will continue to live in Reno, Nevada during the season instead of in Kansas City. (National Football Post)Comment
Bird weighing return to Pacers
Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird won't be taking his talents to Golden State. [Bird], who has discussed the Kings GM vacancy with new owner Vivek Ranadive and was said to be at least mildly intrigued, told team officials that he is no longer interested in the position. Bird sat out the 2012-13 season and is weighing whether to return to the Indiana Pacers. ... The incoming owner is continuing to speak with a number of individuals about his club's most important front office position, and has interviewed Chris Wallace, Travis Schlenk, David Morway, Mike Dunleavy and Chris Mullin, among others. Former Kings star Chris Webber, who for years has expressed a desire to rejoin his former club in a personnel capacity, also met with Ranadive on at least one occasion. (Sacramento Bee)Comment
Must-See Photo
Fog caused a delay of more than one hour between the White Sox and Blue Jays at U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday night. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Must-See Video
CNN's "Living Golf" host Shane O'Donoghue joins Maggie Gray on SI Now to discuss why he's rooting for Phil Mickelson to win this weekend's U.S. Open.
Game To Watch
Heat at Spurs, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
SI Vault: More Nolan Ryan
This Day in Sports
- 1984 -- The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 to win the NBA Finals.
- 1990 -- At age 43, Nolan Ryan pitches the sixth no-hitter of his career.
- 2012 -- The Los Angeles Kings become the first No. 8 seed to win the Stanley Cup.
