Category: Bay Area

Jackie Robinson was in headlines this weekend when New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson referred to Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson as “Jackie” during Saturday’s game, igniting a brouhaha between the two teams. Whether Donaldson was joking around, as he insisted, or used Robinson’s name in a “racist” manner, as Sox manager Tony La Russa claimed, it was certain to be a hot button debate throughout baseball. No matter where you stand on the issue, there’s no arguing Jackie Robinson’s name remains as relevant in baseball today as he was when he broke the major-league color barrier 75 years ago. If cooler heads prevail, this could be a teachable moment for Donaldson and anyone else trying to understand why using Robinson’s name was considered “disrespectful” by Anderson and “racist” by La Russa. Robinson endured slights both public and private throughout his career, as most fans surely know. The mere idea of a Black man entering the majors was such a sensitive topic in the late 1940s that Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey had an early meeting with broadcaster Red Barber to give him…

DALLAS — Andrew Wiggins is expected to play Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday night after injuring his ankle in the previous game. Wiggins, who was listed as questionable on the Warriors’ most recent injury report with ankle soreness, was a full participant in shootaround Sunday morning in Dallas and had no issues. He was seen with ice packs on both knees but not his ankle after the shooting session. Wiggins said his ankle is “feeling better,” and coach Steve Kerr gave the Warriors forward the green light for Sunday’s game “He’s good to go,” said Kerr, who indicated one day prior that the injury designation wouldn’t preclude Wiggins from keeping his spot in the starting lineup or maintaining his regular minutes. Wiggins said he tweaked his ankle in the first half of Game 2 on Friday night but didn’t actually feel the discomfort until he went to bed that night. He doesn’t anticipate the injury to interfere with his lateral mobility. “I feel good,” he said. Wiggins has the team’s toughest assignment of this series being the primary defender against Mavericks…

A day after top prospect Adley Rutschman made his Orioles debut, Executive Vice President and general manager Mike Elias offered a reminder that more are coming as the organization continues to trend upward in the next stage of its rebuild. “We’ve got blue skies ahead of us,” Elias said Sunday morning in the Orioles’ dugout at Camden Yards. “We’ve got a No. 1 farm system. We’ve got a young, talented major league team. We have payroll flexibility. We’re past the pandemic, and there’s gonna be more and more people coming into the ballpark. We’re gonna be renovating this place. There’s a lot to look forward to.” Perhaps chief among those is the arrival of more prospects around Rutschman. The Orioles could’ve possibly had back-to-back debut days at Oriole Park, but No. 2 prospect Grayson Rodriguez instead started for Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. He threw 87 pitches during his prior start — the same eighth-ranked prospect Kyle Bradish reached in his last Triple-A outing before being promoted — but Elias was clear the Orioles feel there remain steps to be taken for the game’s top pitching…

OAKLAND — A 63-year-old woman who apparently was already lying in an East Oakland roadway died Saturday night after she was struck by several vehicles that kept going, police said Sunday. The woman’s name has not yet been released. Police said she was an Oakland resident. Police said the death happened about 10:33 p.m. Saturday in the eastbound lanes of the 6200 block of Bancroft Avenue. Police said witnesses told officers that the woman had laid down in the roadway before she was hit by several vehicles, unknown makes and models, that failed to stop. The woman suffered major head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene. Why the woman laid down in the roadway is under investigation. Police are also trying to determine if drugs or alcohol were factors. Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $5,000 in reward money for information leading to the identities of any of the  drivers that fled.  Anyone with information is asked to call police traffic investigators at 510-777-8570.

Firefighters made progress overnight in battling a 135-acre vegetation fire that sent people fleeing from their homes a day earlier near Vacaville. Containment of the Quail Fire in northern Solano County rose overnight from 45% to 53%, and firefighters have managed to stop the fire’s forward progress, according to an update Sunday morning from Cal Fire. The blaze was first reported at 3:14 p.m. on Saturday, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders for all of Quail Canyon Road and Pleasants Valley Road from Quail Canyon north to Highway 128 and west to the county border. But those orders were downgraded to warnings about five hours later as fire crews made progress in battling the blaze. Fire crews plan to spend Sunday putting out hot spots and strengthening their containment lines, according to a Cal Fire Twitter account. Authorities have not announced a cause for the fire.

Saturday was about what Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo thinks he is, as well as what he could be. At the morning shootaround at TD Garden, the Adebayo conversation was about failing to break through in the voting for NBA All-Defense, relegated to the second team for the third consecutive season, yet to make the first team over his five years. Back at the same venue eight hours later, Adebayo turned his focus to the other end of the court, closing with 31 points in the 109-103 victory that gave the Heat a 2-1 lead over the Boston Celtics in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. “Same old play calls,” Adebayo said of finishing one point off his career playoff high, “just different mentality.” It was a mentality of necessity, with forward Jimmy Butler lost for Saturday night’s second half due to knee soreness. With point guard Kyle Lowry working off rust in his first game in two weeks as he deals with a hamstring strain, and with guard Tyler Herro remaining off his game on a 4-of-15 night, scoring was at a premium for the…

Homelessness plan drafted Cupertino’s Community Development Department is accepting public comment on the draft City Plan to End Homelessness through June 3. The plan is intended to address the needs of the unhoused residents of Cupertino as identified in the Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness, available at osg.sccgov.org. The plan will help direct the decisions that will be made about funding, program and needs. Comments on the draft plan can be submitted to housing@cupertino.org. The draft plan is set be reviewed by the Housing Commission and City Council in late spring. For more information and to subscribe to email updates about the draft plan and future Housing Commission and City Council dates, visit cupertino.org/cphomelessness. A video recording of a Feb. 10 community meeting on the draft plan is available for viewing on the City of Cupertino’s YouTube page, along with a Frequently Asked Questions document. The meeting provided an overview of homelessness in Cupertino and Santa Clara County, and highlighted the city’s efforts and needs in supporting the unhoused residents. Night Market helped wanted The Cupertino Chamber of Commerce is looking for…

In “Dear Evan Hansen,” high school students go to great lengths to fit in with their peers, inventing backstories and relationships to help navigate their treacherous teen years. Ciara Alyse Harris, who plays Alana Beck in the musical’s North American touring company, says she can relate to her character’s desire to carve out a spot in her high school’s hierarchy. “Her No. 1 thing is that she’s an overcompensator. She needs to show everyone that she’s the smartest person in the room. I can definitely relate to that,” says Harris, who is Black. “I went to an almost all-White school, and I felt like I had to prove my worth.” Harris and the rest of the “Evan Hansen” cast will hit the stage at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts June 8-19, when Broadway San Jose presents the show’s South Bay premiere. Harris has been with the tour since 2018, picking it up again last November after a pandemic hiatus, during which she and her castmates ran lines virtually. “Evan Hansen” is her first North American tour. During the show’s hiatus, Harris also…

DUBLIN — Five weeks ago, James Logan’s Jacob Watts had never competed in the triple jump. On Friday, he won the North Coast Section Meet of Champions title in the event with a huge personal record of 46 feet, 4 inches (wind-aided), which he produced on his first attempt at Dublin High School. But on Saturday, in the first Meet of Champions since 2019 because of the pandemic, he achieved meet history. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior won the boys discus by nearly two feet with a throw of 153-8. It is believed that Watts is the first boys individual in NCS Meet of Champion history to win a jumping event and a throwing event. “That’s nice. I’m thankful. I’m kind of new to this,” said Watts, who competed in discus, shot put and high jump prior to this season. Obviously, the triple jump title was the bigger surprise. “This is my fourth week doing it,” Watts said. “I thought it looked cool, so I tried it.” DUBLIN, CALIFORNIA – MAY 21: James Logan High’s Jacob Watts throws the discus during the North Coast Section Meet…

It is wonderful that The Saratoga Foothill Club’s 93rd annual Memorial Day Observance will be back in person this year after the pandemic rendered it a virtual event the past two years. This is a special time when our community gathers to honor those men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. The event begins with flag ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, May 30, in Blaney Plaza. Participants then walk up Oak Street to Madronia Cemetery. The program at the cemetery starts at 10 a.m., with community speakers and music provided by local school groups. Madronia Cemetery is the final resting place of thousands of veterans, some dating back to the Civil War. Thank you, Foothill Club for sponsoring this worthwhile event. saratogafoothillclub.org Word has it that residents of Oak Street will decorate their homes with red, white and blue bunting, flags and patriotic decorations to welcome the parade from Blaney Plaza to Madronia. Laurel Perusa and Patricia Himel encourage all Saratogans to show their patriotic spirit with flags outside their homes and businesses and ask, “Please fly our flag,…

So it looks like they finally found their red line. Meaning the Republican Party. Tuesday, the GOP seems to have finally identified the barrier no Republican may be allowed to cross. Many of us had wondered where it was — or even if it was. We were genuinely, if morbidly, curious about what it would take to get the party to rebuke one of its own. Now, thanks to the election and, specifically, to the defeat of Madison Cawthorn, the soon-to-be former representative from North Carolina, we have our answer. The red line is this: Don’t embarrass the GOP. It’s OK if you embrace a white-supremacist theory like Rep. Elise Stefanik. It’s no problem if you are an anti-Semite like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. It’s fine if you support insurrection like Sen. Josh Hawley. Just don’t embarrass the party. One might argue that any or all of the above ought to embarrass the party plenty. But that argument misreads the Zeitgeist. Consider Cawthorn’s catalog of impolitic behavior: He twice brought loaded guns to the airport; he was shown on one video thrusting his naked genitals…

SAN FRANCISCO – Jordan Poole stood behind a TV camera Friday night and proudly watched as Kevon Looney gave a postgame interview following a career-best performance in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals that earned the Warriors center some well-deserved praise. At the end of the interview, Poole enthusiastically congratulated his “big bro Loon.” “The little kid in me is so excited, so excited,” an elated Poole said after the heartwarming interaction. “I grew up watching Loon, played against him and to see him do this on the highest stage is just amazing to be part of. “I don’t think people understand how hard it is alone just to be here, and just seeing the professional that he is, the way that he plays, his grit every single day… I’m so happy for him.” Looney and Poole are four years apart but share a special bond being from Milwaukee, a humble city known for its brews, cheese and butter burgers. The blue-collar values of their hometown have heavily influenced the way Looney and Poole carry themselves both as people and basketball players. Poole has…

Q: With each day, my admiration for P.J. Tucker rises. Think of all the players who have missed time in the playoffs and then think about Tucker’s refusal. You can see why Pat Riley loves him. – Stephen. A: I’m not sure there have been many over the years with the Heat who have been more old school than P.J. Tucker when it comes to pushing through pain and discomfort. There have been times on game-day morning when I have witnessed P.J. barely ambulatory as he heads to the court for shootaround. Hours later, he is as feisty as ever. That again was the case Saturday, including when he exited Saturday night’s postgame podium, as well. Still, this postseason, and these injuries, might also open the eyes of Pat Riley and his staff when it comes to their steadfastness in their preference for veterans. The Heat have been walking quite the fine line when it comes to starting both a 37-year-old power forward, in Tucker, as well as a 36-year-old point guard, in Kyle Lowry. Then again, an argument could be made that the playoffs…

When you’ve watch enough baseball in Chicago, you soon realize what goes around comes around. The angst accompanying the early-season travails of the White Sox is not unfamiliar. Neither is fan anxiety over the trade status of a popular Cubs player. Here’s a look at how two Sox and Cubs seasons from the past relate to the present. Will the White Sox fire manager Tony La Russa? Been there. Done that. It’s not happening. If you’re old enough to remember what happened all those years ago in a ballpark that has since been demolished and replaced by a parking lot, you know this question has been discussed a time or two, even by Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who eventually pulled the trigger. The 2022 White Sox have followed the same basic trajectory of the 1983 White Sox, with one common denominator — the manager. Or two, if you count Reinsdorf. Despite an abundance of talent, the Sox started 8-10 in April 1983 and followed with a 12-15 record in May. La Russa’s team is 19-20 heading into Sunday’s doubleheader against the New York Yankees. Before…

TODAY’S WORD — NARRATIVE (NARRATIVE: NAR-ruh-tiv: A story; an account.) Average mark 48 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 72 or more words in NARRATIVE? TODAY’S WORD — NARRATIVE naive narrate native nave near neat ante anti area arena aria arrant arrive aver avert avian aviate rain rani rant rare rate rater rave raven ravin ravine rear reata rein rent reran retain retina riata rite rive riven river rivet tare tarn tavern taverna tear tern terra terrain tiara tier tine tinea tire train trainer trier trine inert inter invert irate vain vainer vane variant variate vein vent vine earn errant errata To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.…

DEAR ABBY: I started dating a guy two months ago. It’s going really well. I believe we are both on the same page on how invested we are in the relationship. My brother and sister-in-law are having an informal wedding reception next month here in my town, because they had a shotgun wedding originally. It’s supposed to be very casual. This guy met my sister-in-law, and right in front of him she mentioned I can bring a guest. I kind of laughed it off at the time. It’s not that I don’t want him there, I just wonder if it’s too early to invite him to an event where my whole family will be and if it would seem like I am rushing the relationship. Should I tell him he’s welcome to come, or is it too soon? — UNCERTAIN IN THE WEST Related Articles Advice | Dear Abby: My mom’s college rule is too strict for a good student like me Advice | Dear Abby: This is why I’ll never speak to my greedy sisters again Advice | Dear Abby: My husband must have…

Observations and other notes of interest from Saturday night’s 109-103 NBA playoff victory over the Boston Celtics: – Heat coach Erik Spoelstra rarely shows his hand before a game. – Any hand. Any game. – Saturday morning was different. – With Bam Adebayo averaging a meager eight points two games into this series, on an average of five shots, he knew more had to be done. – And that Adebayo had to be doing more. – “We want him more involved,” Spoelstra said before noon at TD Garden. “And I have to do a better job of that, of making sure that he’s involved, engaged, giving us some triggers.” – Spoelstra paused, as if to make clear he wasn’t talking about handing the keys to Adebayo., – “It might not necessarily be what everybody thinks it may be,” he said. “But he’s a very important part of our offense and how we function.” – So they treated him as such. – And Adebayo treated himself as such. – “I think we’ll be able to get him in places where he can be assertive in how…

CCS baseball Division I Saturday’s quarterfinals No. 3 Palo Alto 11, No. 6 Carlmont 10 No. 2 Valley Christian 5, No. 7 Aptos 2  No. 4 Bellarmine 11, No. 5 Sacred Heart Cathedral 2 No. 1 St. Francis 5, No. 8 Live Oak 4 Wednesday’s semifinals at Excite Ballpark, San Jose No. 3 Palo Alto (25-5) vs. No. 2 Valley Christian (24-6-1), 4 or 7 p.m. No. 4 Bellarmine (22-8-1) vs. No. 1 St. Francis (27-4), 4 or 7 p.m. Division II Saturday’s quarterfinals No. 3 Wilcox 10, No. 6 Palma 4 No. 7 Branham 4, No. 2 San Benito 1 No. 4 Serra 9, No. 5 Mountain View 4 No. 1 Archbishop Mitty 10, No. 8 Leigh 0 Thursday’s semifinals at Washington Park, Santa Clara No. 7 Branham (20-8) vs. No. 3 Wilcox (21-9), 4 or 7 p.m. No. 4 Serra (14-14) vs. No. 1 Archbishop Mitty (19-10), 4 or 7 p.m. Division III Saturday’s quarterfinals No. 3 Burlingame 12, No. 6 Homestead 0 No. 2 Santa Cruz 3, No. 7 Menlo-Atherton 2 No. 4 Monterey 3, No. 5 Santa Clara 2 No. 1…

Central Coast Section Division I St. Francis was four outs from being eliminated from the playoffs, and that would have been a surprise. Not the upset of the year, but certainly big enough to catch attention. The Lancers are the No. 1 team in the Bay Area News Group Top 20. They are the No. 1 seed in the Central Coast Section playoffs. They are the West Catholic Athletic League champs. But with two out in the home half of the sixth, St. Francis trailed No. 8 seed Live Oak by four runs. Before the third out of the inning was recorded, the Lancers led 5-4. That was the final score, as 6-foot-5 reliever Will Bonini pitched the seventh to nail down the save. St. Francis (27-5) will play Bellarmine on Wednesday in a D-1 semifinal at Excite Ballpark at 4 or 7 p.m. The fourth-seeded Bells (21-8-1) hammered Sacred Heart Cathedral 11-2 Saturday. Live Oak right-hander Landon Stump had a no-hitter in progress with two out in the sixth when he was removed by coach Matt Brotherton. The UCLA commit had thrown 109 pitches.…

It was a game that was going to leave the Miami Heat at a loss, regardless of the outcome, with Jimmy Butler’s night done at halftime due to knee inflammation. But that also is where the Heat drew the line, riding the aggression of center Bam Adebayo to a harrowing 109-103 victory Saturday night over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. “It got gnarly out there,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of a wild pendulum of a game. On the rare night when the Heat started whole, with point guard Kyle Lowry back from his hamstring strain and power forward back P.J. Tucker from a knee issue, the Heat soon had to find a way to finish in the absence of their scoring leader. So Adebayo became their scoring leader, closing with 31 points and 10 rebounds, after scoring a combined 16 in the series’ first two games, including a key late jumper. “He did his version of what Jimmy does in terms of do what’s necessary for the game,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo. With…

Open Division No. 1 seed St. Francis had no difficulty in the opening round of the Central Coast Section Open Division softball playoffs Saturday, routing No. 8 Cupertino 18-0. Sydney Stewart and Carly Cummings homered for St. Francis (26-2), the top-ranked team in the Bay Area News Group’s Top 20, bringing the team’s season total to 49 round-trippers in 28 games along with a .454 team batting average. Stewart’s home run was her 12th of the season. Cummings hit her second of the season. “It was her first-ever over the fence, which was kind of cool,” St. Francis coach Mike Oakland said. Shannon Keighran pitched the first three innings, Kate Munnerlyn came on for the final two. Cupertino (21-4) had a fine season. But as a member of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League’s El Camino Division, it was overmatched against the Lancers. St. Francis will play No. 4 seed Aragon in the semifinals Wednesday at Los Gatos High at 4 p.m. “We played them twice last year,” Oakland said. “In Megan Grant and Olivia DiNardo, they have two of the best hitters, not just…