There will come a time, when sanity and civility are restored and science is once again respected, when we will look back on this period in shame.

Future generations will ask how we responded to blatant wrongdoing and acts of cruelty, whether we had the courage to stand up for what’s right or caved out of naked self-interest.

The leaders at Penn answered that question definitely on Tuesday. They might think their willingness to sacrifice swimmer Lia Thomas will protect them from President Donald Trump’s wrath, but they will soon learn that appeasement never works. Not with this administration or any other that has tried to impose its unlawful will.

Worse, by punishing a young woman who hasn’t been a student for three years and banning the transgender athletes the NCAA already doesn’t allow to compete, Penn put all women at risk by sanctioning the weaponization of Title IX.

“I remain dedicated to preserving and advancing the University’s vital and enduring mission,” Penn president J. Larry Jameson said in a statement. “We have now brought to a close an investigation that, if unresolved, could have had significant and lasting implications for the University of Pennsylvania.”

Translation: The Trump administration was going to go after us just like it did Columbia and Harvard, and we have neither the money nor the spine to fight that.

As if erasing Thomas’ school records isn’t enough, Jameson also said Penn would apologize to those who swam against her. No word on whether Penn is making participation trophies for them, too.

Penn’s actions and its promise it will adhere to ‘definitions of sex – with respect to women’s athletics – that have been set out through two specific Executive Orders,’ is akin to trying to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Doing so does not, will not, change basic facts.

Lia Thomas is still a person who swam competitively at Penn. Her best times were a 47.37 in the 100 free; a 1:41.93 in the 200 free; a 4:33.24 in the 500 free; a 9:35.96 in the 1,000 free; and a 15:59.71 in the 1,650 free.

There still has yet to be a study showing transgender women athletes — not cisgender men, transgender women — have a competitive advantage over cisgender women athletes. There still is not a pack of transgender women crowding cisgender women out of sport.

What was it NCAA president Charlie Baker told Congress last year? Oh right. That there are ‘less than 10’ transgender men and women out of the half-million-plus NCAA athletes.

This is about ignorance and fear and hate. And cowardice.

When Title IX was passed 53 years ago, it opened the doors to gymnasiums and playing fields for girls and women. It also took a sledgehammer to the misogynistic stereotypes of how a woman was supposed to look and act. Playing sports helped free us to be the people we knew ourselves to be, not what others expected us to be.

By kowtowing to the Trump administration, Penn puts that at risk. Today it’s transgender women. What happens if tomorrow it’s athletes with Black or brown skin? Or who have hair that’s too short or muscles that are too big? Or whose parents are immigrants? Will Penn say that’s a bridge too far? Or will it throw those women under the bus, too?

I think I know the answer.

Much is made out of public opinion polls showing the majority of Americans favor bans on transgender athletes. But go back and see what the country thought of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Or gay marriage in the early 2000s. Attitudes evolve, opinions change and discrimination that was once deemed acceptable is eventually seen for the small-mindedness that it is.

Lia Thomas did nothing wrong. There is nothing wrong with her. What’s wrong is the shameful way we are treating people who simply want to be their true selves, and someday we will all be asked to answer for that.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

There was actually laughter in the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse that morning at Dodger Stadium before facing the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cardinals didn’t have any tape of the 20-year-old kid who was going to make his major-league debut that afternoon, May 25, 2008. No one had any scouting reports. No one faced him in the minors. So, they began asking each other if anyone knew anything about the Dodgers’ prized prospect.

“Someone said they heard that he could be the next Rick Ankiel,’ Schumaker tells USA TODAY Sports. “No way. There is no way his stuff could be as good as Rick Ankiel’s before he became a position player. So we are laughing that someone thought he could have a curveball as good as Ankiel’s.’

Schumaker was leading off for the Cardinals and stepped to the plate with a game plan.

“I figured I was going to ambush him and welcome him to the big leagues,’ Schumaker says. “The first pitch was an elevated fastball. It was harder and faster than I thought, and I swung and missed. Then he threw a curveball. It was something different. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.

“And then, well, I struck out.’

Now, 17 years and one month later – 6,247 days to be exact – that strikeout is immortalized in baseball history.

It was Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw’s first career strikeout, making Schumaker his first victim.

Kershaw since has produced 2,996 more strikeouts in his future Hall of Fame career, and with three more strikeouts on Wednesday night against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium, he can become only the 20th pitcher in baseball history to strike out 3,000 in his career.

Kershaw, 37, the 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young winner, two-time World Series champion and MVP, will be only the fourth left-hander in baseball history to achieve 3,000 strikeouts, joining Hall of Famers Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson and CC Sabathia. Most important to Kershaw, he’ll be only the third to produce 3,000 strikeouts wearing just one uniform, accomplished only by Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson.

“Clayton Kershaw,’ Schumaker says, “is the most dominant pitcher I’ve ever played against in my career. I’ve never seen anybody like him.

“If anybody deserves a statue outside Dodger Stadium it’s Clayton Kershaw. How cool is it for him to have just one uniform, especially in LA, and then have a statue of him in front of that stadium?

“It’s unbelievable what he’s meant to that organization, and really, what he’s meant for baseball.’

Schumaker, a career .278 hitter who hit .300 or better three consecutive seasons and never struck out more than 69 times in a season, faced Kershaw six more times in his career, including twice more that afternoon.

He finished 0-for-7 off Kershaw. And struck out six times.

“The only time I even made contact off him,’ Schumaker says, “I grounded into a double play. How’s that?’

So, does Kershaw ever bring up to Schumaker that he was his first strikeout victim?

“Oh, only every time I see him,’ laughs Schumaker, now a senior advisor with the Texas Rangers. “He remembers. And how could I ever forget?

“You don’t know at the time, it being his first start, but he just has that special unique look, and with the combination of his stuff, it’s just so different. I knew he had a chance to be special, but I didn’t know it was going to be 3,000 strikeouts, three Cy Young awards and 16 years in the big leagues special.’

Schumaker, who was traded to the Dodgers before the 2013 season, fully grasped Kershaw’s greatness in their first game together on Opening Day against the San Francisco Giants.

Kershaw threw a four-hit, complete-game shutout.

“I remember just looking at each other on the bench,’ Schumaker says, “What the hell are we watching here? What is this?’ He’s this dominant on Opening Day? What’s the rest of the season going to look like?’

Kershaw went 16-9 with a 1.83 ERA that season, pitching a career-high 236 innings with an NL-best 232 strikeouts, winning his second Cy Young award.

“Just to see him work, and know what kind of person he is,’ Schumaker says, “that’s what makes this so special. He’s the ultimate teammate. He’s the ultimate competitor. And he’s the ultimate person.’

Kershaw, who won the Roberto Clemente Award for his charitable work in 2012, is revered throughout baseball for his generosity, autographing baseballs, jerseys, or whatever is needed for charities, schools and programs.

When Schumaker was trying to help a group of kids from being discouraged during the 2020 COVID summer that cancelled their travel ball season, Kershaw spent an hour on a Zoom call with Schumaker and 15 kids.

“It was one of the most special moments that these kids will always treasure,’ Schumaker says. “That’s why he’s so easy to root for. I can’t wait to watch him get his 3,000th.’

Kershaw will be the first pitcher to achieve 3,000 strikeouts since Max Scherzer in 2021. The next closest to 3,000 strikeout is 36-year-old Chris Sale with 2,528 strikeouts.

“I think it’s cool man,’ says San Francisco Giants 42-year-old starter Justin Verlander, the three-time Cy Young winner, who leads all active pitchers with 3,471 strikeouts and 262 victories. “I think the game should celebrate stuff like that and people lile him because it’s clearly going away. There are very few of us left. So any time you get a moment to celebrate something like that, you don’t know if you’ll ever see it again.

“I’m looking forward to seeing it, and I’ll surely reach out and congratulate him.’

Schumaker, who competed against Kershaw for eight seasons during his career, played with him during the 2013 season, and even managed against him for two seasons while with the Miami Marlins, isn’t about to miss Kershaw’s start either. He plans on plopping down on his couch Wednesday night at home with his 17-year-old son, Brody, who has Kershaw’s autographed jersey hanging in his room, watching history.

“It’s just crazy to see him keep doing this,’ Schumaker says. “You didn’t know if he would even come back after a couple of surgeries. He comes back, and even though he’s throwing 89-91 [mph] now instead of 97, he’s still beating guys inside with his fastball, and pitches with so much intent and conviction.’

Kershaw, who didn’t start pitching this season for the Dodgers until May 17 after undergoing knee and toe surgeries during the off-season, is 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA, striking out 29 batters in 38 ⅔ innings. Who knows how much longer he’ll pitch, or how long his body holds out – but the way he’s going, why stop now?

“It’s cool to have moments like these that shake you up a little bit,’ Verlander says. “Getting to that number kind of puts things in perspective. But the great ones don’t rest on their laurels. They keep working hard, put their nose to the grindstone, and want to keep being great.

“That’s Kershaw.’

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

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LOS ANGELES – Clayton Kershaw is close to joining an exclusive club as the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher gets ready for his scheduled start against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, July 2.

The 37-year-old left-hander enters the game needing just three strikeouts to become the 20th pitcher in baseball history to strike out 3,000 batters.

On May 25, 2008, he struck out his first batter as a 20-year-old rookie making his major-league debut with the Dodgers. The strikeouts began to pile up as his 18-year career has unfolded.

‘It’s the last box for Clayton to check in his tremendous career,’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. ‘To be able to potentially do it at home in front of our fans, I think we’re all looking forward to that.’

Kershaw led the National League in strikeouts three times – 2011, 2013 and 2015 – and recorded a career-high 301 in 2015.

Kershaw has tormented batters with his slider and curveball and throws a four-seam fastball that registered as fast as 96 mph. Of course, he has done far more than amass strikeouts.

Before the game Wednesday, he had a record of 216-94 and a career ERA of 2.51. He is considered a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame and will become eligible five years after he retires.

How to watch Dodgers vs. White Sox: Time, TV channel, stream

Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
TV channel: MLB Network
Live stream:Fubo, MLB.TV

Watch on Fubo

Is Clayton Kershaw the greatest Dodgers pitcher ever?

Before the game, Roberts was asked if Kershaw is the greatest pitcher in Dodgers history. In other words: is Kershaw better than Dodgers pitching legends Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale?

“That’s a tough one,’ Roberts said, indicating he had not compared the three pitchers’ accomplishments. But then he referenced Kershaw’s 18-year career.

“It’s hard to not say Clayton is the greatest Dodger (pitcher) of all time, as far as you’re talking about body of work. … Yeah, he’s a unicorn.’

Clayton Kershaw’s first strikeout victim remembers debut

The Cardinals didn’t have any tape of the 20-year-old kid who was going to make his major-league debut on May 25, 2008. No one had any scouting reports. No one faced him in the minors. So, they began asking each other if anyone knew anything about the Dodgers’ prized prospect.

Skip Schumaker was leading off for the Cardinals and stepped to the plate with a game plan.

“I figured I was going to ambush him and welcome him to the big leagues,’ Schumaker told USA TODAY Sports. “The first pitch was an elevated fastball. It was harder and faster than I thought, and I swung and missed. Then he threw a curveball. It was something different. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.

“And then, well, I struck out.’

Schumaker finished his career 0-for-7 against Kershaw with six strikeouts – and grounded into a double play.

“Clayton Kershaw,’ Schumaker says, “is the most dominant pitcher I’ve ever played against in my career. I’ve never seen anybody like him.”

– Bob Nightengale

How many strikeouts does Clayton Kershaw have?

Kershaw enters his start on July 2 with 2,997 career strikeouts – in 2,781 ⅓ innings.

White Sox lineup vs. Kershaw

Chase Meidroth (R) SS
Austin Slater (R) LF
Miguel Vargas (R) 1B
Andrew Benintendi (L) DH
Edgar Quero (S) C
Lenyn Sosa (R) 2B
Mike Tauchman (L) RF
Michael A. Taylor (R) CF
Vinny Capra (R) 3B

Dodgers lineup tonight

Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
Mookie Betts (R) SS
Will Smith (R) C
Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
Andy Pages (R) RF
Max Muncy (L) 3B
Michael Conforto (L) LF
Tommy Edman (S) CF
Hyeseong Kim (L) 2B

Following the rousing success of the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, international hockey will return to the forefront in Milan in 2026.

With an agreement officially signed on Wednesday, July 2, the NHL, NHLPA, IOC and IIHF will allow NHL players to participate in the Olympics for the first time since 2014. The agreement also leaves a path for players to play in the 2030 Games in the French Alps.

NHL fans witnessed an amuse-bouche of what to expect during the thrilling 4 Nations Face-Off between the USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden, in which Canada won gold with a 3-2 win at the TD Garden in Boston courtesy of a game-winning overtime goal from Connor McDavid. The game reached a pitched intensity early, with three fights in the first nine seconds and goalies Jordan Binnington (Canada) and eventual NHL MVP Connor Hellebuyck (USA) putting on masterclasses in a tightly-contested game.

The agreement is new only in signature, as NHL players were already being tapped for the 2026 Olympics. However, it’s a huge breakthrough after the league missed the past two Winter Games.

‘Olympic participation will showcase the skill and talent of NHL players on an international stage,’ NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, per The Athletic. “We are proud to collaborate with the IIHF, NHLPA and IOC to bring the best hockey players in the world to the Olympics and make this happen in a way that benefits the game globally.’

Why didn’t NHL players compete in 2018, 2022 Olympics?

Logistics have kept NHL players out of the past two Olympic Games.

2014 was a brutal year for NHL players in the Olympics, with several players suffering injuries in Sochi. John Tavares tore his meniscus, ending his season, Henrik Zetterberg reaggravated a persistent back injury, which resulted in him getting surgery and ending his season, and several other players got injuries that hampered their returns from the NHL’s Olympic break.

While not a direct result of those injuries, the NHL did not return in 2018 because of disputes between the league and the IOC. Questions arose around who would cover insurance for the players. According to Time, the IOC previously paid for travel, insurance and lodging for players but would not have continued to do so in 2018. While the IIHF offered to front $20 million for costs, the looming risk of injury was ultimately too much to bear, according to the league.

Will the NHL have a midseason Olympic break?

Because the Winter Games fall in the middle of the NHL season, there will be a break for the 2026 Games.

The result will be a slightly truncated schedule for the league upon its return.

Will Russian hockey players compete in 2026 Olympic Games?

With the Russia/Belarus doping bans being extended, Russia will not participate in the 2026 Olympics.

That likely closes the door on NHL all-time goal scorer Alex Ovechkin’s − he will be 40 years old in September − chance at a gold medal. Russia was eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2006, 2010, and 2014.

The ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’ won gold in Pyeongchang in 2018, without Ovechkin due to NHL players not competing. While Russia was technically banned in 2018, it was allowed to compete and had the Olympic banner rather than the Russian flag.

Will NHL athletes compete in 2030?

The question now, of course, is what comes next?

The NHL and NHLPA signed a CBA extension on June 27 that will go into effect for the 2026-27 season and run until the 2029-30 season, and is expected to cover the French Alps iteration of the Winter Games. That extension allows players to participate in the Olympics.

Of course, with the 2034 Winter Olympics taking place in Salt Lake City, players will undoubtedly want to continue to play internationally in perpetuity.

What does the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest have in common with the Indianapolis 500?

A lot if you’re Joey Chestnut, the 16-time Nathan’s champion set to return to the contest Friday after a one-year ban over a contractual dispute.

“If you’re an IndyCar racer, you want to be (in the) Indy 500,’’ Chestnut told USA TODAY Sports this week. “There might be other eating contests all throughout the year and there might be other races throughout the year. But if you’re any car driver, you should be at the 500. That’s the way I felt about Fourth of July. If you’re a competitive eater, you should be at the Fourth of July hot dog contest.’’

Yet last year, Nathan’s refused to let the fastest car in competitive eating onto the track. So Chestnut ended up competing at Fort Bliss, the Army base in El Paso, Texas, without the ESPN crew that televises the Nathan’s spectacle from Coney Island, New York.

Chestnut, who holds the all-time Nathan’s record for hot dogs consumed — 76 hot dogs and buns during the 10-minute contest in 2021 — is aiming for more than the checkered flag. This week it was clear Chestnut was, well, revved up for the competition.

“I’m going to let loose,’’ he said. 

What needed to be repaired?

For almost a year, Chestnut said, his absence from the Nathan’s contest was inescapable. Especially while competing at other events.

“I could almost read people’s facial expressions when they’re going to tell me how they used to watch me on the Fourth of July,’’ he said. “And eventually it was going to come to, ‘Oh, I’m sorry you didn’t compete last year.’

‘I told people I was going to try really hard to get back, but I couldn’t guarantee it.’’

In early June, Chestnut told USA TODAY Sports he was exploring other possibilities for the Fourth of July. That included competing under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis with his own field of eaters.

But on June 16, Chestnut announced he had signed a three-year deal with Nathan’s and the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) Inc., which runs the Nathan’s competition.

Chestnut said the terms of the deal call for him to endorse only Nathan’s hot dogs. That required him to stop endorsing hot dogs for Impossible Foods, although Chestnut said he still endorses other Impossible Foods products.

Though he attributes his return to Nathan’s in part to the fans, he also said it hinged on his relationship with Nathan’s.

“I wasn’t sure if we could repair it,’’ he said, “and it took a long time.’’

WASHINGTON — There may never be another season in Major League Baseball like 2019, when there were more balls flying out of ballparks – and more swings and misses – than any time in the game’s history.

And Gleyber Torres was one of the cool kids.

In his first full season in the big leagues, Torres ripped 38 home runs in 138 games, a power output accompanied by 129 strikeouts. Never mind that Torres struck out 21.4% of the time: He was a two-time All-Star at 22, an MVP vote recipient, about to become shortstop of the New York Yankees and headed, by all appearances, toward superstardom.

Yet even then, he knew something had to change.

“I hit a lot of home runs,” Torres, now a Detroit Tiger, tells USA TODAY Sports, “but I struck out a lot. From my first year in the big leagues, I had a lot of conversations with the hitting coaches there. They always tell me, ‘Strike two, put the ball in play.’ I worked on my (two-strike approach) every year.

“Last year, in the second half, I had a really good approach, saw the ball very well. I really believe in my eyes to control the strike zone. I know how important it is some days to walk and put myself on base for the guy behind me.

“So far, I really, really believe in my plan and go to home plate and do what I can do.”

He’s not the only one.

While strikeouts remain a scourge to the old school eye, it may be safe to declare that the era of bottomless whiffs is over. Major league teams are striking out 8.26 times per game, the lowest rate since 2017 and a 6% decrease from 2019.

That season featured the highest K rate of all time (8.61 per team game) accompanied by the most home runs – 6,776 – in major league history.

The offensive environment was an outlier for many reasons – including a juiced baseball – but it also marks the symbolic apex of the game’s “three true outcomes” era, when a home run, walk or strikeout ruled the sport, with three punchouts deemed the cost of doing business for one jog around the bases.

Six years later, are we in the middle of a course correction?

“It’s in the process of swinging back,” says Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell. “I think we’ve given pitchers a ton of credit for improving. It was a conversation four or five years ago that (pitchers’) velocity has improved. I think hitters now have calibrated themselves to that.

“And training them better. That’s improved contact. And probably stopped giving at-bats to people who can’t make contact. So, decision-makers had to adjust a little bit, too.”

There’s endless examples of both player and franchise realizing that selling out for power isn’t necessarily in their best interests.

Gleyber Torres stats on the rise: ‘I want to put the ball in play’

Torres is a prime case: In 2018 and 2019, his first two seasons, he hit 24 and 38 home runs, with strikeout rates of 25.2 and 21.4%. By 2024, he was 27, about to hit the free agent market and struggling at the halfway point, with a .215/.294/.333 slash line and a 24% strikeout rate.

Yet he managed to make myriad mid-season adjustments, all of which trimmed his K rate down to 17.2% and the results followed: A .298/.365/.421 second half and a stellar postseason, resulting in a one-year, $15 million deal with the Tigers.

Come spring training, he continued tweaking his approach and embraced a greater dedication to game-planning, heeding the counsel of Tigers hitting coaches Michael Brdar, Lance Zawadski, and Keith Beauregard and, as Torres put it, “go to the plate with my plan and try to put a little more focus on whatever I do before the game.”

The approach has paid off: Torres has just 40 strikeouts in 311 plate appearances, a 12.9% strikeout rate well below the league average of 21.9%, and nearly half his whiff rate in his rookie season.

And his offensive profile has never looked healthier: Torres is on track for 17 homers, two more than he hit his final season in New York, but he’s headed toward career highs in OBP – his .386 mark is 39 points better than his previous best – and adjusted OPS (134).

While Torres was a vaunted prospect and instant All-Star, curbing whiffs can be a matter of survival for others.

“I hate striking out. Don’t like striking out. I want to put the ball in play,” says Baltimore Orioles slugger Ryan O’Hearn, who went from waiver claim to potential All-Star. “I want to make things happen. I want to make the other team make plays. I know what it’s like to play against teams that don’t strike out a whole lot, and it puts stress on the infielders.

“Can’t get any hits unless you put the ball in play, right?”

Nor can you get off the bench. O’Hearn, 31, only once played more than 100 games in five seasons with Kansas City, striking out 99 times in 105 games in 2019.

In December 2022, the Royals designated him for assignment, with a .293 career OBP and annual strikeout rates that ranged from 24.1% to 28%.

The Orioles gave him new life, unlocking several mechanical cleanups that, he said, “helped me make contact more consistently. Less swing and miss in the zone.

“Once I realized I could put in play a lot more consistently, it definitely became a conscious thing and I didn’t want to strike out a lot.”

The results have been startling: O’Hearn hacked his K rate exactly in half from 28% in 2021 to 2023’s 14%. This year, he’s struck out just 46 times in 71 games and should win the All-Star Game fan balloting at designated hitter. It’s well-deserved: O’Hearn is batting .295 with an .854 OPS (144 adjusted) and 11 homers.

His newfound aversion to Ks is a big reason why.

“Mentally, it’s definitely changed a lot for me the past few years,” he says. “I know it’s a big league defense and there’s really good defenders out there. But if you strike out, it’s a lot easier to kill an inning, for a pitcher stroll through a game when a team strikes out a lot. Low stress on the defenders.

“I don’t want that. Even if it’s 0-2, weak contact, I don’t care. You might get a hit. You might get lucky.”

The perfect offense

Power pays, and that will always be the case in the big leagues.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees are 1-2 in both home runs and OPS, befitting the coastal behemoths who handsomely compensate Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, respectively.

Yet the Yankees are fourth in strikeouts and the Dodgers rank 17th, a moderate vulnerability that can be greater exposed in a postseason environment.

How, then, does a club generate an ideal concoction of power, patience and putting the ball in play?

Ask the Arizona Diamondbacks.

They are lurking just behind the Dodgers and Yankees with a .776 team OPS, and trail only the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in runs scored. And they’re fifth in home runs.

But strikeouts? Just three teams whiff less often than Arizona, which has a 20.1% K rate; the Yankees rank 23rd at 23.1%. And the Diamondbacks hardly give up pop to get the ball in play: They rank eighth in hard-hit rate, with 42.3% of their balls at least 95 mph off the bat.

It’s no accident.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo says he and hitting coach Joe Mather are in alignment on their core offensive values: Putting the ball in play hard up the middle. Mather, Lovullo says, even keeps a running tab on how many balls reach their personal baseline of effectiveness: At least 90 mph on a line, with a launch angle between 5 and 25 degrees, equals success.

“I’m tired of people just going out there and striking out,” says Lovullo.  “It turned into a home run or strikeout league. I feel like if we get ahead of that and have an approach like the (David) Fletcher kid when he was in Anaheim, we’ll be good.

“Fletcher got no love in this game, and I’m like, every team needs three or four of those guys. If we can have three or four of those guys with some slug, we’re going to put up some runs.”

Fletcher’s career K rate was 9.5%, though he never managed to produce a league-average OPS over a full season. These D-backs don’t have that problem.

All-Star shortstop Geraldo Perdomo’s strikeout rate has been vanishing a little more every year, now down to 11.7%. He pairs that with a .357 OBP and 115 adjusted OPS, along with such a strong situational feel that Lovullo says he can tell Perdomo, “I need at least a five-pitch at-bat here,” and he will execute.

“I’ve always had really good eyes and make contact with no power,” says Perdomo. “As I get older, I think it’s a reason I’m hitting the ball harder. I feel proud. I don’t want to strike out, and the most important thing I can do is putting the ball in play, and now that I’m getting some power, I feel like I can just drive the ball with more intensity.

“I’m not looking for a certain pitch, but if there’s a good pitch that’s close to me, I just try to drive the ball.’’

While Arizona’s pitching has dragged the club back toward the .500 mark, almost every contender has a contact fiend that tenderizes the opposing pitcher while also doing damage.

For the Cubs, it is Nico Hoerner, who has just 22 strikeouts this season – a beyond elite 6.7% K percentage – while managing a .721 OPS despite just three home runs. He plays his role perfectly in the Cubs offense, haunting pitchers and defenses while enabling the lineup’s aircraft carriers – Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch – to take their wallops.

“He’s got the perfect approach with runners in scoring position: There’s gonna be contact,” Counsell says of Hoerner, who’s already amassed 3.3 WAR this season. “It’s really hard to strike him out. It’s his elite skill.

“The ability to make contact is not an exciting trait as a hitter, but it’s a valuable trait. It leads to runs getting scored.”

And while the Tampa Bay Rays have shaved just 2% off their team K rate year-over-year, the addition of rookies Jake Mangum (13.4%) and speed merchant Chandler Simpson (9.6%) have given them a dynamic offensive attack.

It’s a decidedly postmodern look, one that might’ve seemed out of place in a pre-pandemic baseball world. And heck, it’s not like the home run has vanished across the majors – the rate of 1.11 per team game is still 11th all-time.

Perhaps what we’re seeing is a generation of players realizing it’s OK not to get too big at the plate, especially in an era where pitchers throw harder and nastier stuff with each subsequent season.

And that the occasional shelving of the A swing can promote good habits and A+ outcomes for the team.

“It’s understanding who you are as a hitter and fortunately for us, I feel like we have a bunch of guys who understand their strengths when they walk up to the plate,” says Rays manager Kevin Cash. “And right now, they’re doing a good job putting that to use.

“Today’s pitchers and today’s hitters are very special, very talented. And what they do to counter each other year-to-year, game-to-game, at-bat to at-bat – you’re seeing a really good product on the field.”

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NHL free agency officially opened at noon ET Tuesday, but general managers had been busy whittling down the list beforehand.

Gone was top target Mitch Marner, who headed to the Vegas Golden Knights after a sign-and-trade deal Monday. Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito reached deals with Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand, three days after signing playoff MVP Sam Bennett, giving his team a chance at another title.

In a bit of a surprise, Brock Boeser stayed with the Vancouver Canucks as the clock hit noon ET on Tuesday.

But there were other impactful players out there. Mikael Granlund signed with the Anaheim Ducks and Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the New York Rangers, who traded defenseman K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Day 2 featured Pius Suter finding a new team but Nikolaj Ehlers still not making his decision.

Follow along as USA TODAY tracks signings and trades after July 1:

Jets sign Gustav Nyquist

Nyquist landed a one-year, $3.25 million contract. He had 28 points in 79 games between the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators last season but had a 75-point season in 2023-24. The Jets are losing Ehlers in free agency.

Islanders sign Maxim Shabanov, Emil Heineman

The Islanders signed Kontinental Hockey League forward Shabanov, 24, to a one-year entry-level deal. He averaged more than a point a game last season with Chelyabinsk and had 25 goals the season before. The Islanders also signed Heineman, acquired in the Noah Dobson trade, to a two-year contract.

Blues sign Pius Suter

The forward will average $4.125 million over two years. Suter set career highs with 25 goals and 46 points in 2024-25 with the Canucks while tying his career best of 21 assists.

Penguins sign Anthony Mantha and others

The Penguins have signed forwards Anthony Mantha ($2.5 million) and Rafael Harvey-Pinard ($775,000) to one-year contracts. Mantha was limited to 13 games in 2024-25 because of ACL surgery.

Connor Bedard, Blackhawks talking extension

Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 draft, and the Blackhawks are talking about an extension. He’s eligible for one because he’s entering the final year of his contract.

“I probably don’t want to get too far into it, but we are talking,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said, according to NHL.com. “So, I think that’s an indicator of an openness to discuss. He made his thoughts very clear at the end of the season and subsequently in other interviews, that he’s committed to Chicago and wants to be here long-term and we obviously want him here long-term, so there’s mutual agreement there.”

Bedard won rookie of the year in 2023-24 and has 45 goals and 123 points through 150 games over two seasons.

July 1 signings

Oilers sign Andrew Mangiapane

He’ll average $3.6 million in the two-year deal. The Oilers needed scoring depth after trading Viktor Arvidsson. Arvidsson did score 35 goals in 2021-22, though mostly he’s in the 14 to 18 range, including 14 this past season with the Capitals. The Oilers got to see Mangiapane a lot when he played for the Flames from 2017-24.

Hurricanes sign K’Andre Miller after trade with Rangers

The Hurricanes signed defenseman K’Andre Miller to an eight-year deal with a $7.5 million cap hit after acquiring him in a trade with the Rangers. Carolina gives up defenseman Scott Morrow, a conditional first-round pick and Carolina’s 2026 second-rounder in the trade. The Rangers dealt Miller, 25, to free up the space to sign top free agent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.

Miller gives the Hurricanes a young defenseman for their roster with Dmitry Orlov and Brent Burns hitting free agency. ‘Right now, I do not anticipate either of them being back with us,’ general manager Eric Tulsky said. ‘Obviously that could change with one phone call.’

The Hurricanes also signed free agent defenseman Mike Reilly to a one-year, $1.1 million deal. He played for the Islanders last season.

Rangers re-sign Will Cuylle

New York locked up its top restricted free-agent priority to a two-year, $7.8 million deal on July 1, as first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. It will carry an average annual value of $3.9 million. Cuylle’s coming off a sophomore NHL season in which he scored 20 goals while breaking the franchise’s single-season record with 301 hits. – Vince Z. Mercogliano, lohud.com

Sharks sign John Klingberg

The veteran defenseman gets a one-year, $4 million deal. He had played for the Oilers last season, suiting up for 19 playoff games and four in the final. The Sharks also signed forwards Philip Kurashev (one year, $1.2 million) and Adam Gaudette (two years, $2 million average) and traded for goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.

Devils sign Evgenii Dadonov

He’ll get a one-year, $1 million deal that could grow with bonuses. He’s coming off a 20-goal season in Dallas, but his ice time shrank in the playoffs.

Stars sign Radek Faksa

His three-year deal will average $2 million. Faksa played his entire career in Dallas, except for 2024-25, when the depth forward played for the Blues. He won 57% of his faceoffs this past season and he kills penalties. The Stars also are bringing back forward Colin Blackwell on a two-year deal with a $775,000 cap hit.

Mammoth sign Vitek Vanecek

The goalie signs a one-year, $1.5 million contract. He split time between San Jose and Florida last season, getting to lift the Stanley Cup. Utah backup goalie Connor Ingram is out indefinitely after entering the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program.

Ducks sign Mikael Granlund

He gets a three-year deal, with a reported $7 million cap hit. Granlund played on an all-Finland in Dallas after arriving in a trade, but the Stars didn’t have the cap room to keep him. The Ducks continue to be aggressive in trying to get back to the playoffs after earlier trading for Chris Kreider.

Wild sign Nico Sturm

He’ll average $2 million in the two-year deal. Sturm is strong on faceoffs and kills penalties. He spilt time the past between the Sharks and Panthers, winning a Stanley Cup with Florida. He started his career in Minnesota.

Islanders sign Jonathan Drouin

He gets a two-year contract with a reported $4 million average. He averaged 0.76 points per game in two seasons in Colorado but missed nearly half of the 2024-25 season.

Devils sign Connor Brown

He’ll average $3 million in the four-year deal. Brown has reached the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons with the Oilers. He can move up and down the lineup and teams appreciate that versatility.

Mammoth sign Brandon Tanev

He’ll average $2.5 million in the three-year contract. The forward is fast, kills penalties and has the league’s best team head shots.

Red Wings sign James van Riemsdyk

The forward gets a one-year, $1 million contract. His 16 goals this past season were his most since 2021-22.

Kings sign two defensemen, goaltender

Defenseman Cody Ceci (four years, $4.5 million average) and Brian Dumoulin (three years, $4 million average) will fill the roster spots of Vladislav Gavrikov (signed by Rangers) and Jordan Spence (traded to Senators). Goalie Anton Forsberg gets two years at a $2.25 million cap hit. Kings goalie David Rittich signed a free agent deal with the Islanders.

Kings sign Corey Perry, Joel Armia

Perry, 40, had 10 playoff goals during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. He has been to the final five times in the last six seasons, losing all five (he won in 2007). But for a Kings team that has lost four years to the Oilers. they’ll gladly accept a player who regularly gets past the first round and more. Armia is a penalty killing forward with 17 career short-handed goals.

Perry gets a one-year, $2 million contract and can earn other $2 million in bonuses. Armia averages $2.5 million his two-year deal.

Mammoth sign Nate Schmidt

The defenseman will average $3.5 million in the three-year deal. Schmidt had been bought out in Winnipeg last summer and joined coach Paul Maurice in Florida, where he played a key role in the Stanley Cup run. The Mammoth were in need of a defenseman after trading Michael Kesselring to the Sabres. The Mammoth also signed defenseman Scott Perunovich and forward Kailer Yamamoto to one-year, two-way deals.

Blackhawks acquire Sam Lafferty from Sabres

The forward is returning after previously playing in Chicago for parts of two seasons. He struggled in Buffalo with seven points in 60 games. The Sabres get a 2026 sixth-round pick in return.

Kraken sign Ryan Lindgren

The defenseman will average $4.5 million over four years. He kills penalties and is known for putting his body on the line, but that takes its toll. The team later signed goalie Matt Murray to a one-year, $1 million contract.

Flyers sign Christian Dvorak

He’ll get $5.4 million in the one-year deal. He kills penalties and wins faceoffs. The Flyers ranked 20th in penalty killing and were just below 50% in faceoff winning percentage.

Sharks give William Eklund contract extension

The three-year deal, starting in 2026-27, will average $5.6 million. He finished second on the Sharks this past season with 58 points. His brother, Victor, was just drafted by the Islanders.

Bruins sign Tanner Jeannot, per reports

He’ll average $3.4 million in the five-year contract, per reports. Jeannot is a rugged forward with 211 hits in each of the past two seasons. He scored 24 goals in his second season but hasn’t had more than seven goals since.

Rangers sign Vladislav Gavrikov, per report

He’ll average $7 million over seven year, according to multiple reports. He was the top defensive defenseman in the free agent pool and can slot in next to Adam Fox. The Rangers needed shoring up defensively and Gavrikov (140 blocked shots) will fill that role. He also had 30 points, second best in his career. Does this mean K’Andre Miller gets moved out?

Flyers sign goalie Dan Vladar

He’ll average $3.35 million in the two-year deal. Goaltender was an issue with the Flyers last season, and Vladar will make sure that Samuel Ersson has a steady backup.

Capitals extend Martin Fehervary

He’ll average $6 million in the seven-year extension that kicks in during the 2026-27 season. He had career highs with 20 assists and 25 points this past season.

Avalanche re-sign Parker Kelly

He’ll get four years at a reported $1.7 million average.

Canucks re-sign Brock Boeser

He’s staying with a seven-year deal worth $7.25 million a year. That’s key for the Canucks after he scored 40 goals two seasons ago. His agent, Ben Hankinson, posted that the deal was reached ‘in the final minutes, really, did you expect him to sign anywhere else?’

Free agency officially open

It’s noon and teams can officially pursue players on other teams.

Bruins-Oilers trade

The Bruins acquire forward Viktor Arvidsson from the Oilers for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick, Arvidsson had signed a two-year deal with Edmonton last season and did not work out. He was in and out of the lineup in the playoffs. But he did score 26 goals two seasons ago and could fill a middle-six role in Boston. Edmonton saves $4 million in cap space.

Canadiens-Blues trade

The Canadiens acquire forward Zack Bolduc for defenseman Logan Mailloux. Bolduc adds secondary scoring after scoring 19 goals and 36 points in his first full season. Mailloux, who was taken in the first round of the 2021 draft despite asking not to be drafted, has played eight NHL games. The Canadiens recently acquired Noah Dobson, who fills the role of offensive defenseman.

Jake Allen staying with Devils

He’ll average $1.8 million over five years and will remain in a tandem with Jacob Markstrom. That will disappoint teams that may have been looking for a goalie. He was the top netminder out there.

Islanders re-sign Tony DeAngelo

The defenseman gets a one-year deal worth a reported $1.75 million. His offensive role will grow with the Islanders trading Noah Dobson to the Canadiens.

Hurricanes’ Logan Stankoven gets extension

He’ll average $6 million in the eight-year deal. Stankoven, 22, was the key return when the Hurricanes traded Mikko Rantanen to the Stars. He scored five game-winning goals last season. The contract kicks in during the 2026-27 season.

Panthers sign Daniil Tarasov

The goalie, recently acquired from the Blue Jackets, will get one year at $1.05 million, according to reports.

Canucks sign Thatcher Demko, Conor Garland to extensions

Demko will average $8.5 million in his three-year contract and Garland will average $6 million in his six-year contract. Both deals will take effect in 2026-27. Demko has dealt with injuries but was a Vezina Trophy runner-up in 2023-24. Garland is a two-time 50-point scorer.

Panthers re-sign Tomas Nosek

He’ll get one year at $775,000. Nosek joined the lineup with the Panthers down 2-0 to the Maple Leafs in the second round. The new-look fourth line helped lead the Panthers’ comeback and the team rallied around Nosek after his overtime delay of game penalty proved costly in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers have all 12 forwards from their clinching game under contract.

Maple Leafs announce Matthew Knies deal

He’ll get six years at a reported $7.75 million per year. Knies, a restricted agent, played on the top line with Auston Matthews and just-departed Mitch Marner. He had a career-best 29 goals, 29 assists and 58 points.

Golden Knights make Mitch Marner deal official

The Golden Knights officially announced the Mitch Marner deal on July 1. He was acquired from the Maple Leafs for center Nicolas Roy and will get an eight-year, $96 million contract. The $12 million average makes him Vegas’ top-paid player ahead of Jack Eichel ($10 million). Marner will wear No. 93, his junior hockey number with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights.

Best remaining NHL free agents

What time does NHL free agency open?

NHL free agency signing period officially begins at noon ET Tuesday.

Sauce Gardner is ready to soar into a new tax bracket with the New York Jets.

The All-Pro cornerback appeared on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Wednesday, where he addressed his contract situation and called the talks ‘productive’ thus far.

‘We have our goals, in terms of numbers and stuff like that, and the Jets are aware of that,’ Gardner said. ‘And I’m aware of the rest of my peers, like [Jaycee Horn], [Derek Stingley Jr.], even [Patrick Surtain II] got paid, obviously before me, but those are all guys that are well-deserving of the money that they got. It’s definitely something that my team and the Jets are talking about.’

It’s a market that has gained momentum in recent years, with Stingley catapulting to the top with a three-year, $90 million deal from the Houston Texans. Gardner is considered to be someone who could, and probably will, surpass his fellow 2022 NFL Draft classmate as the highest-paid cornerback in terms of average annual value (AAV).

The Jets opened contract talks with Gardner and Garrett Wilson earlier this offseason.

Both players reported to offseason activities, electing to participate rather than force the issue for a new deal. As Gardner indicated, it was important for him to be at minicamp.

‘Man, I just wanted to show my teammates, show my coaches how much I’m bought into this now,’ Gardner told reporters on June 12. ‘I want to win. I want to change the organization. I want to be a part of changing the organization.’

Gardner has continued to be unfazed by the negotiations, maintaining his focus on the activities on the field.

‘My main focus has been being the best football player I can be, but my team and the Jets have been talking and, you know, I feel pretty good about how the talks have been going,’ Gardner added at the time.

And the star cornerback also seems happy with the work that has taken place on the field as well. When asked by McAfee about the coaching staff and, specifically, new head coach Aaron Glenn, Gardner had good things to say.

‘I’m impressed,’ Gardner said of Glenn and the new coaching staff. ‘Obviously I love defensive-minded head coaches, but the thing that sets him apart is he knows so much about offense as well, so much about special teams. And him, just as a person, he wanna get the best out of you.’

Given Glenn’s experience playing cornerback for the Jets, the new coach is in a unique position to guide Gardner to new heights.

The contract figures to be a foregone conclusion, barring any unexpected bumps in the road – meaning it’s a matter of when, not if. Gardner’s rookie deal still has two years remaining on it after the team picked up his fifth-year option, according to Spotrac. He carries a cap hit of $10.6 million for 2025 and $20.1 million for 2026.

Gardner has been patient and taken the road less traveled in this negotiation.

It appears that it will pay off in a big way sooner rather than later.

Rashod Bateman is set to remain with the Baltimore Ravens long-term after inking a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension with the team during the 2025 NFL offseason.

However, Bateman acknowledged his return to Baltimore wasn’t always a sure thing. In fact, there was a time the 25-year-old wide receiver believed he might be traded to the Dallas Cowboys.

‘I went through a lot of things with the Cowboys and all of that with my contract,’ Bateman told The Athletic. ‘There was a time when I didn’t know what was going to happen.’

Bateman’s uncertainty stemmed from an understanding the Ravens had other key players they wanted to re-sign. Knowing that, he delivered a clear message to Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta.

‘That’s the first thing I told him: I don’t want to go anywhere else. ‘I know you’ve got a lot of stuff to work through and we’ll figure it out when we figure it out,” Bateman said of his conversation with DeCosta. ‘It took time, but it takes time with a lot of people’s contracts. He had a lot of contracts to get done, and maybe more to get done in the future.’

DeCosta worked through some of those priorities, notably signing star running back Derrick Henry to a two-year extension worth up to $30 million. Once that was completed, the Ravens shifted their focus to Bateman, who signed his three-year extension less than a month after Henry’s new deal was finalized.

Bateman praised DeCosta for prioritizing him even during an offseason where Baltimore is exploring another long-term contract with two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.

‘To be a priority for him in that way is important,’ Bateman said of DeCosta. ‘He shows he values me.’

Still, Bateman is aware things could have played out differently, given he was on Dallas’ radar during an offseason in which the Cowboys traded for George Pickens.

‘(The Cowboys talks) were a thing, for sure. It was a possibility. I don’t want to deny that,’ Bateman said. ‘But you know, DeCosta, he’s always making magic work, and he made it work. And I’m thankful for that.’