The New Orleans Saints built a deeper, more balanced roster in the team's second offseason under head coach Kellen Moore. They made additions across the offense and defense that appear to have raised the team's ceiling ahead of training camp.
Keep in mind that these rankings weigh production, talent, depth, and upside. Positional value is not considered, as you can see from the highest-ranked position. This is strictly about the quality of each room.
Travis Etienne Jr. produced 1,399 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. Pairing him with Alvin Kamara and several capable backups makes this the roster's deepest room. Even a player of Kendre Miller's talent and upside is at risk of getting cut.
Kelvin Banks Jr., David Edwards, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, and Taliese Fuaga are a starting five that has no weak link other than injury and availability. This line, if it can stay fully healthy, has a top-10 ceiling. There shouldn't be any issues with time-to-throw for Tyler Shough.
Chris Olave is coming off of a season that saw him catch 100 passes for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns. Now, Jordyn Tyson arrives via pick No. 8 in the 2026 NFL Draft. Adding Bryce Lance, Devaughn Vele, Mason Tipton, Bub Means, Ja'Lynn Polk, and others to this group — and that's what makes it fall into the top three.

#talent #upside #season #orleans

Barry Jackson: As one league source said, when Riley told LeBatardShow that Heat needs playmaking, that was perceived as appeal to LeBron. Others in touch with Heat say their priority is actually shooting, which is part of reason Klay has been prioritized.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: As one league source said, when Riley told …

#lebatardshow

Alex Bowman's surprise retirement announcement caught much of the NASCAR world off guard Thursday, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver says the decision wasn't driven by the reason many fans ***** umed.
Speaking Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one day after announcing he will retire from full-time Cup Series competition following the 2027 season, Bowman explained that his future plans are centered less on what he's leaving behind and more on the life he wants to build once he's steps away from racing.
Despite battling concussions, a broken back and, more recently, a bout of vertigo earlier this season, Bowman said his health wasn't the deciding factor.
Instead, after nearly two decades chasing a racing career, he's ready for something different.
Bowman acknowledged the physical toll racing has taken but made it clear he still believes he can compete at NASCAR's highest level.

#bowman #racing

Socceroos World Cup star Cristian Volpato has allegedly tested positive for cocaine after police twice stopped him for speeding in Sydney on the same night.
The 22-year-old Australia midfielder was stopped in a BMW Coupe on the Anzac Bridge at 11:05pm local time on Thursday night after he was caught travelling between 86-94km/h in a 60km/h zone, police said.
He was subjected to a roadside breath test, which returned a negative result.
However, Volpato allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine when he was stopped two hours later for travelling at 109km/h in the same 60km/h zone.
New South Wales state police said Volpato was issued an infringement notice for excess speed, while his international driver's licence was suspended for six months - which means he cannot drive in New South Wales.

#positive #cocaine

We're only days away from the start of the New Orleans Saints' 2026 training camp, but some players are working their way back from injuries that derailed their 2025 seasons. Here's a look at each of the Saints players who returned after ending last season on injured reserve.
Means was dealt a bad hand with a bad ankle injury in the preseason, which put him out of action for the rest of the season. He's been active in workouts with Tyler Shough during the spring and offers a height-weight-speed combination not many other guys on the roster can boast at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds with 4.4 speed. But he's facing a ton of competition to make the squad in September.
Polk was acquired in a preseason trade with the New England Patriots, but he spent the 2025 season recovering from a shoulder injury suffered at Patriots training camp. He's worked hard to recover and build a rapport with his new quarterback Tyler Shough, and it's notable that he was one of several wideouts participating in the Drew Brees-led workouts in San Diego. Maybe a fresh start is just what he needed.
While he didn't technically play for the Saints last year, Emerson did miss the 2025 season recovering from Achilles surgery after going down early in Cleveland Browns training camp. And now he's healthy and taking reps whenever the Saints have been on the field. He could push Quincy Riley for snaps in the starting lineup across from Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Blackmon started at safety in Week 1 last year and stayed on the field for all 66 defensive snaps, plus three reps on special teams, but he noticed some discomfort after the game and was diagnosed with a torn labrum. He's dealt with labrum injuries before but this one required season-ending surgery. He's back in the starting lineup now that he's healthy.

#camp #last #Patriots #start

India finally ended their seven-match winless run under captain Shreyas Iyer, defeating Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the first T20I at Harare on Thursday. The match also witnessed teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi script history by becoming the youngest player to score a T20I half-century.

After winning the toss, Iyer opted to bowl first, and India's pace attack justified the decision with a clinical performance.
Returning to international cricket for the first time since October 2024 after recovering from a stress fracture, Mayank Yadav made an immediate impact. The express pacer dismissed Brian Bennett with the very first ball of the match before removing Dion Myers, consistently clocking speeds in excess of 145 kmph.

Zimbabwe were reduced to 26/3 inside the powerplay and slipped further to 32/4 after Shivam Dube dismissed captain Sikandar Raza.

A fighting partnership between Wessly Madhevere (39) and Ryan Burl (26), along with an unbeaten 27 off 20 from Tadiwanashe Marumani, helped the hosts recover to 125/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Debutant Ashok Sharma recovered well after an expensive first over, while Ravi Bishnoi bowled economically to finish with 1/24.
Chasing 126, India suffered an early setback when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for just 1. However, it proved to be Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's day.

The 15-year-old prodigy unleashed a breathtaking ****** ault, smashing 50 off just 19 ****** with four fours and four sixes. In the process, he became the youngest player ever to score a T20I half-century, putting India firmly in control of the chase before falling immediately after reaching his milestone.

Captain Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with an unbeaten 28 off 24 ****** , while Ishan Kishan chipped in with a quick 35 off 24. Tilak Varma struck the winning runs as India completed the chase comfortably with seven wickets in hand.

For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, dismissing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, while Richard Ngarava claimed the prized scalp of Sooryavanshi.

The victory marked Shreyas Iyer's first win as India's T20I captain, ending a frustrating seven-match winless streak that included the tours of Ireland and England, while Sooryavanshi's record-breaking knock stole the headlines in Harare.

#seven #shreyas

The Seahawks announced Monday that they had placed safety Nick Emmanwori on the active/physically unable to perform list. His injury was unknown until Wednesday.
Brady Henderson of ESPN reports that Emmanwori underwent right ankle surgery earlier this month and could miss some time in training camp. Emmanwori, though, is expected to be ready for Week 1.
Emmanwori had participated in the offseason work with teammates but continued to experience soreness, leading to the arthroscopic procedure.
The 2025 second-round pick had two injuries to his right ankle last season. He had a high-ankle sprain in the season opener that forced him to miss three games and then a low-ankle sprain before Super Bowl LX , which he played through.
Emmanwori tallied 81 total tackles with nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed and an interception in 14 regular-season games in 2025. He added 13 total tackles with four passes defensed and a fumble recovery in Seattle’s three postseason games.

#three #total

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 15: Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer speaks to the media during a press conference o introduce Alex Bregman (not pictured) at Wrigley Field on January 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
With the trade deadline looming at the beginning of next month, the Chicago Cubs made a significant move that seems designed to protect their outfield depth for the stretch run.
The Cubs entered the week firmly in the postseason picture and are expected to be active buyers before the deadline. While much of the attention has focused on potential impact additions for the pitching staff, the front office quietly addressed another area of concern by adding a former first-round outfielder who was recently cut loose by a fierce division rival.
ESPN Veteran Addresses Pat McAfee-Linked Layoffs After Phillies, Dodgers Game
That move became official this week when Chicago quietly signed former Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Greg Jones to a minor-league contract.

#Cubs #illinois #january #week

NBA Communications: Yaxel Lendeborg of the warriors has been named Most Valuable Player of the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Lendeborg averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 **** ists in six games as Golden State won the championship. The MVP was selected by a vote of all 30 NBA teams.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg named MVP of the Las Vegas Summer League

#summer #league #communications #valuable

Stu Holden hadn't been recognized by his voice before − he was used to his play on the soccer pitch doing the talking.
That was until 2018, after Holden parlayed his 11-year playing career for one in broadcasting. By that summer, the former midfielder from Texas was calling the World Cup Final in Russia alongside broadcast partner John Strong.
Later that year, he realized they'd become two of the soccer world's most-recognized voices during a trip to the grocery store. His 10-year-old daughter Kenna took off down an aisle, and Holden called after her. One customer's ears perked up; he'd heard that voice on TV.
"You're the guy that called the World Cup," the customer exclaimed.
Now, Holden and Strong are gearing up to call their third straight World Cup Final for FOX on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium. They took alternate roads to get there. While Holden never considered becoming a broadcaster as a kid, instead representing the U.S. at the 2010 World Cup, Strong hasn't known any other profession.

La Liga giants Real Madrid have on Tuesday secured another boost on the financial front, amid what has been a stellar summer for the capital club to date.
This comes amid confirmation of Álvaro Rodríguez’s move to the Premier League with Bournemouth being made official.
Attacker Álvaro for his part departed Real Madrid on a permanent basis last summer, to link up with another of La Liga’s clubs, in the form of Elche.
The 22-year-old, in turn, went on to enjoy something of a breakout season in Alicante, en route to a haul of seven goals and five ***** ists in Spain’s top-flight.
This production had long given rise to interest in Álvaro’s signature from abroad, with the aforementioned Bournemouth tipped as the frontrunners to strike a deal.

Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
With the recent options for No. 46 fairly limited, today, we take it back to the late 1980s/early 1990s and look at former USC defensive back and special teams standout Bruce Luizzi.
Position: Defensive back
Years played at USC: 1988-1992
Career highlights: A November 1992 Los Angeles Times story detailed Luizzi’s impact for the Trojans.

If we had told you in 2022 that one of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers would be a member of the 2026 All-Star Game contingent participating this weekend in Philadelphia, we're pretty sure you would have guessed "Jackson Chourio." Maybe "Sal Frelick."
Instead, the all-star in question is Tristan Peters, a player the Brewers sent away in one of the more dubious trades in recent memory.
The native Canadian has enjoyed a breakout 2026 season with the Chicago White Sox, five years after the Brewers selected him out of Southern Illinois in the 2021 draft.
Peters, 26, has a .301 batting average, .832 OPS, six homers, five steals and 36 RBIs in 91 games. Baseball Reference lists him as a 3.0 wins-above-replacement player, which would rank him third on the 2026 Brewers behind Jacob Misiorowski and Brice Turang.
But the Brewers dealt Peters in 2022 for a pitcher who … never actually pitched for the Brewers.

Last Week’s Results
Monday: Brewers 4, Cardinals 3
Tuesday, Game 1: Brewers 4, Cardinals 3
Tuesday, Game 2: Brewers 10, Cardinals 2
Wednesday: Cardinals 5, Brewers 1

World Cup bracket 2026: Live updated FIFA knockout stages and printable version for download originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The biggest FIFA World Cup in history delivered on intrigue during the group stage, and now only eight teams remain as the knockout rounds heat up.
MORE:How France beat Morocco in the opening quarterfinal
We at Sporting News have soccer fans covered with our 2026 World Cup bracket — or wallchart, as it's known in some parts of the world — in printable, PDF form, complete with the full field of 32 on Saturday. Download it, print it out, hang it on your wall.
This year's knockout matches began June 28 with the Round of 32 running until July 3. The expanded World Cup reached the Round of 16 on July 4-July 7 followed by the quarterfinal (July 9-11) and semifinal (July 14-15) matches. It all culminates with the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium.

Shams Charania: The Bucks and Trent's reps worked through negotiations since the NBA Finals ended in mid-June while also sorting through sign-and-trade possibilities from interested teams over the last week. The sides moved toward completing a new deal together Saturday.
x.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The Bucks and Trent's reps worked through negotiations …

LAS VEGAS -- The summer league offers an opportunity for players who slipped through the cracks to catch on with a team and earn a chance to make an NBA roster with a strong performance. There are plenty of players who get overlooked in the draft, but can find their way onto rosters and eventually make an impact.
For the Philadelphia 76ers, that player could be Isaac Johnson. The man they call "Big Fish" played four seasons in college starting with Oregon before transferring to Utah State for two years and then finishing with Hawaii. He averaged 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in his final collegiate season in 2025-26 and is now looking to make an impact with the Sixers and showcase himself for an NBA roster.
"I think for everybody here, it's an opportunity just to see where we line up," Johnson said at practice on Friday. "All of us have to be able to just play to the best of our ability right now, and so right now it's. I said in one of the huddles, 'Welcome to Vegas.' I said 'We can make a lot more money than at the tables right now.' So that's the point we're at. We're trying to just make a spot on whatever team and trying to just show what we can do."
That's certainly the right attitude to have, but there is a balance. Johnson is looking for a chance in this league, whether that's with the Sixers or elsewhere. So, while, yes, he has to play within the system and play the game the right way, he also needs to go out there and sort of force the issue in an effort to make himself stand out.
"So, everybody's got a role," Johnson stated. "Everybody's here for a specific reason. The one amazing thing about this team that we showed, they passed the ball. ***** ody was being greedy. Everybody played within their role. It was amazing, and that's the reason why we were able to hold them off (Thursday's win over the Detroit Pistons). We were able to score so much, and so I was just blessed with open shots because my teammates were able to facilitate, make amazing drives and kicks, and it just made everything work."

The Jude Bellingham Show.
A World Cup body of work that, even by the Real Madrid midfielder's lofty standards, has been as mesmerising as we've seen in an England shirt in recent major tournaments.
It seems ludicrous now to think that there was even a debate as to whether Bellingham would be in England's World Cup team at all.
Bellingham has emerged as one of the stars of England's run to the World Cup quarter-finals - he's arguably been one of the best players of the tournament.
Four goals plus an excellent ******* ist for Harry Kane's goal in the 2-0 win over Panama has had England's supporters serenading the 23-year-old here in the USA.

The temperature's up and that can only mean one thing: the mercato is underway! Your three favorite Fiorentina podcast idiots are here to follow along with the twists and turns with their usual enthusiasm. In typically tragic fashion, we recorded this about 2 hours before the Arthur Atta news broke, so don't expect any ***** ysis on the Udinese man in this one.
On the plus side, we do break down the other moves Fabio Paratici's made: Viery and Radu Drǎgușin in; Lucas Beltrán, Lorenzo Amatucci, and Eddy Kouadio out. We also ran through the fringes of the squad to see if any were worth keeping before ensconcing McMike in the big chair to listen to ***** o and Producer Mike suggest some signings. We wrapped up with a little bit of stock watch on the youth setup and then Remembered Some Guys.
Along the way, we learned about Producer Mike going through what should've been a mutually exclusive set of life changes, McMike getting so legalistic that even our own attorneys got nervous, and ***** o carrying the exact torch you predicted. Thank you as always to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sport Social Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for hosting us and to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Windchime Weather⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the music. And as always, we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making this. You could leave a rating and review if you want, but whatever.

Portugal have named Jorge Jesus as their new head coach, following the national team's disappointing performance at the World Cup.
The 71-year-old brings extensive experience, having managed prominent Portuguese clubs including Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, and most recently Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr.
He replaces Spaniard Roberto Martinez, whose tenure concluded after Portugal's 1-0 defeat by Spain in the World Cup's round-of-16.
The Portuguese national team announced the appointment on X on Friday, writing: "A new journey begins today. Welcome to the National Team, Mister Jorge Jesus."
Jesus left Al-Nassr last month after one year in charge of the Saudi Arabian club. With Ronaldo spearheading the team's attack, Al-Nassr won the Saudi Pro League **** le by two points ahead of Al-Hilal, their first **** le triumph since Ronaldo's arrival in December 2022.

The trade speculation surrounding Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin continues to evolve.
According to MLive's Ansar Khan, Larkin has expanded the list of teams he would waive his full no-trade clause to join. The latest addition is the Dallas Stars, who now join the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights as potential destinations.
Even with another team added to the list, Khan noted that a deal doesn't appear to be any closer.
Reports connecting Larkin to Dallas first surfaced in late June, and Khan's latest report adds more context to the situation.
The Stars are now reportedly among the four teams Larkin would approve in a trade. While that gives Steve Yzerman one additional trade partner to work with, it also highlights how limited Detroit's options remain.

Ryan Christie is "desperate" to play in more major finals with Scotland after getting his first taste of the World Cup.
Scotland ended a 28-year wait for a place on international football's biggest stage, but there was disappointment following a group stage exit.
"It was an amazing experience," Bournemouth midfielder Christie, who played in all three group matches, told BBC Scotland.
"Seeing all the Scotland fans over there was incredible. The atmosphere was electric."
Christie started the 1-0 defeat by Morocco in between appearances as a substitute in the 1-0 win over Haiti and a 3-0 defeat by Brazil that meant Scotland have still failed to reach the knock-out stage of a major finals.

The longest-running 70.3 triathlon in North America returns to Muncie this week.
The 47th annual Ironman 70.3 Muncie will be held this Saturday, July 11. The Ironman triathlon consists of swim, bike and run portions over a total distance of 70.3 miles — hence the name. First held in 1980 under the name "Muncie Endurathon," this will be the 16th Muncie triathlon under the Ironman 70.3 banner.
Last year's race saw over 700 participants and hundreds more spectators from 44 US states and 12 different countries. As Muncie prepares for thousands to descend upon it for the annual Ironman, here's five things you need to know:
The Ironman 70.3 triathlon consists of swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles and running 13.1 miles (a half-marathon) for a total of 70.3 miles. The Ironman 70.3 is also called a Half Ironman, as a full Ironman triathlon doubles each distance for 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and a full 26.2-mile marathon of running.
There are about 40 full-distance and over 100 half-distance Ironman events held globally throughout the year. Muncie's event is the longest-running 70.3 triathlon in North America.

Gary Harris is headed back to Michigan. On Tuesday night, the former Michigan State basketball star, who spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, was traded to the Detroit Pistons along with Taurean Prince for two second-round picks and former Michigan Wolverine Caris LeVert.
Harris' NBA journey started in 2014 when he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls (but traded to the Denver Nuggets) with the No. 19 pick. The former First-team All-Big Ten shooting guard has had a long and lucrative NBA career as a sniper, playing solid wing defense at least earlier in his career. He will now join a Pistons team that was one game away from the conference finals, although it's unclear if he will ever suit up for Detroit or if he will be moved elsewhere.
With the move, the Pistons add another capable shooter and move off of Caris LeVert's deal, which could open up room for them to make another acquisition this summer.
Contact/Follow us The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter IAmBrewster.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Former MSU star Gary Harris traded to the Detroit Pistons

Lionel Messi can’t stop breaking records at this 2026 World Cup, and his latest Argentina outing was another one for the books — but not the usual greatness.
The Argentine is now the World Cup’s top all-time scorer, has the most knockout starts, is the oldest to score a hat-trick… the list goes on.
But it’s an unwanted record he’s nabbed this time. For the second World Cup game on trot, Messi missed a penalty. Argentina had the chance to draw level midway through the first half after Nicolas Tagliafico went down in the box.
Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir read his mind and palmed away a rather tame effort from 12 yards.
That makes Messi the first player to ever miss two consecutive penalties (excluding shootouts) in World Cup history.

Jude Bellingham has been one of England’s standout performers at the World Cup, rediscovering the form that first made him a star at Real Madrid.
Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, that is exactly the version of the midfielder that Jose Mourinho wants to build around when he takes charge of the Spanish giants.
The Portuguese coach sees Bellingham as an attacking midfielder, operating behind the striker, where his ability to arrive late in the box and influence the game can have the greatest impact.
It was Carlo Ancelotti who initially deployed Bellingham in that advanced role after his arrival at Real Madrid, a decision that proved hugely successful during the 2023/24 season.
Playing close to goal, the England international became one of the team’s decisive players and played a major role in the club’s success.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream will face a potentially defining test as Portugal face highly-favoured Spain in the last-16.
Portugal got past an ever-difficult Croatia side in the round of 32 by the skin of their teeth, **** ing a 94th-minute winner courtesy of Goncalo Ramos before Snicko came to their rescue to deny Josko Gvardiol an equaliser even deeper into stoppage time.
Ronaldo, 41, ended his six-tournament wait for knockout-stage goal in Toronto - albeit from the spot - and will now hope to inspire a famous victory over their Iberian neighbours Spain.
The European champions got off to a somewhat slow start after being frustrated by Cape Verde in their group opener but look like they’re well and truly in their groove now, with a statement win over Austria stoking expectation that they can indeed go all the way.
Here’s everything you need to know.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway, and the Bay Area will get to see a piece of the action during the supersized tournament.
The U.S. will host 78 matches, six of which will take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. The venue will be known as the San Francisco Bay Area stadium for the duration of the tournament.
Following Paraguay's stunning 1-0 upset over Turkiye, the U.S. has officially clinched first place in Group D, securing a highly anticipated Round of 32 knockout match at Levi's Stadium.
The crucial single-elimination game is locked for Wednesday, July 1 at 5 p.m. against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We're bringing you live updates and everything you need to know.

Arthur Fery is the last British player left standing in the Wimbledon singles as he fought back from a set down to reach the third round, while compatriots Katie Swan, Jacob Fearnley and Jan Choinski all crashed out.
Only four home players reached the second round at the All England Club this week, with 15 Britons falling at the first hurdle - the highest number since 1988.
Fery became the first British man to win a first-round match when he rallied from a set down to beat Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur on Tuesday.
And the 23-year-old wildcard continued his winning streak in similar style against Finland's Otto Virtanen on Wednesday, battling back to seal a 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 6-3 victory on a packed-out court 18.
His compatriots were less fortunate.

Right-handed hitting wanted: Mariners' offense seeks aid against left-handed pitching originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Is time running out on the Seattle Mariners?
After reaching Game 7 of the ALCS last season, the Mariners, under the direction of president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, retain a "win now" approach, despite their right-handed hitting struggles.
If there's one player the organization needs to add to remain in the AL West pennant chase, Boston Red Sox first baseman Wilson Contreras likely will continue to be heavily scouted.
The first-place Mariners (44-43), who entered Thursday tied with the Texas Rangers, need to enhance their right-handed hitting threats. They ranked last with an 80wRC+ versus left-handed pitchers.