This week in sports – Nov 1

Another week has gone by in the world of sports with another full round of stories unfolding. In this edition we will discuss the Dodgers winning the World Series and the White Sox officially hiring Tony LaRussa. In the NHL, the Arizona Coyotes renounced their 2020 fourth-round draft pick Mitchell Miller. The start date for NBA free agency has been unofficially moved to Nov. 20. We will also discuss the Chicago Bears’ midseason struggles.

MLB

Dodgers win World Series

The 2020 COVID-19 shortened baseball season came to a close Tuesday, Oct. 27. The Los Angeles Dodgers captured their first World Series title since 1988, the seventh title in team history. The Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games in Arlington, Texas. This was the Dodgers’ third trip to the World Series in the last four years. 

The Rays were on the board very early in Game 6 after a home run to right field by Randy Arozarena. This was his tenth home run of the postseason. This would be the only run the Rays would score in the game. After Rays’ ace Blake Snell gave up only the second hit of the game for the Dodgers, Rays manager Kevin Cash made the decision to pull Snell for a reliever. Snell went 5.1 innings, giving up two hits, and struck out nine batters. This decision proved costly as the Dodgers would score two runs in the same inning and a solo home run by Mookie Betts to win the game 3-1. Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was voted the MVP of the World Series.

White Sox hire Tony La Russa as manager

On Thursday Oct. 29, the Chicago White Sox hired hall-of-fame skipper, Tony La Russa and agreed on a multi-year contract. La Russa, 76, has not managed since 2011 where he won the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Tony La Russa will be replacing former White Sox manager Rick Renteria who was let go on Oct. 13, following the team’s disappointing finish the last few weeks of the season and their short-lived playoff run. 

La Russa started his managerial career with the White Sox back in 1979 and led them to a division title in 1983. He was later let go in 1986 after winning over 520 games with the Sox. He then managed the Oakland Athletics from 1986 to 1995 and had his longest managing tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1996 to 2011, winning two World Series titles in 2006 and 2011. LaRussa most recently worked in the front office of the Los Angeles Angels as a senior advisor. White Sox fans voiced their displeasure of the hire over social media claiming that this was White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s decision and not the decision of GM Rick Hahn.

NHL

Arizona Coyotes renounce rights to 2020 draft pick Mitchell Miller

The Arizona Coyotes decided to give up the rights to their fourth-round draft pick Mitchell Miller on Oct. 29. Miller, who was selected in the fourth round by the Coyotes in the 2020 draft, was charged with assault when it was revealed that Miller, along with another student, bullied a Black student with special needs. The incident occurred in 2016 when both the victim and Miller were 14 years old. The Arizona Coyotes drafted Mitchell knowing about the incident prior to their selection and thought that Mitchell would have learned from his actions. 

Xavier Gutierrez, CEO of the Coyotes, stated in a press release on the team website, “We have decided to renounce the rights to Mitchell Miller, effective immediately.” Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez said, via a team statement issued Thursday: “Prior to selecting Mitchell in the NHL Draft, we were aware that a bullying incident took place in 2016. We do not condone this type of behavior but embraced this as a teachable moment to work with Mitchell to make him accountable for his actions and provide him with an opportunity to be a leader on anti-bullying and anti-racism efforts.”

Mitchell was reported to have used racial slurs towards the victim, which was in violation of the Ohio Safe Schools Act in Mitchell’s hometown. While Miller will no longer be a member of the Coyotes organization, this makes him a free agent and allows him to try out for any other NHL team. 

NBA

Free agency start date potentially pushed back

The start of free agency, originally scheduled to take place on Oct. 19, has been rumored to be pushed back to Nov. 20-22. Because of ongoing negotiations between the players association and the NBA, it is uncertain whether free agency will officially start on Nov. 20, but likely possible with the NBA looking to return to action in December. Free agency will also take place right before the alleged start of training camp, which gives players a few weeks to get acclimated with their new teams before camps potentially start on Dec. 1.

NFL

Bears struggle midway through season

The Bears’ loss to the LA Rams in Week 7 has raised several concerns on how good the Bears really are. Seven games into the 2020 season, the offense has been defined as low-scoring and inconsistent. The offensive line has been virtually nonexistent, and the quarterback situation has gone from bad to worse with Nick Foles performance against the Rams. Additionally, the Bears are tied with the New York Jets for the second-most penalties in the league. 

The Bears only managed to put up 10 points against the Rams, scoring only one defensive touchdown, an extra point after attempt, and a 42-yard field goal by Cairo Santos. Fans have been posting their frustration with head coach Matt Nagy’s play calling, wanting him to hand the duties over to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. 

With the schedule only getting tougher, fans and the media are concerned whether this Bears team is as good as their record shows. They rank 27th in offense only averaging 19.7 points per game and have had to rely on their defense to protect leads. While the defense is currently top ten in the league holding the 10th spot, the Rams were able to run right through them in Week 7 rushing for 139 yards to the Bears’ 49 and gained almost five yards per carry. Akiem Hicks led the Bears with four penalties helping the Rams on their trips to the endzone. 

The offensive and defensive woes have put the Bears in second place in the NFC North. Their next opponents are legitimate tests against playoff teams in the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers.