Yahoo Sports AM: MLB's uniform fiasco, explained
In today's edition: MLB's uniform fiasco, the NFL's huge salary cap increase, the return of a cult hero, Baker's Dozen, and more.
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🚨Headlines
⚾️ Cubs keep Cody: Cody Bellinger's long free agency came to an end on Sunday, with the All-Star outfielder signing a three-year, $80 million deal to return to Chicago.
🏀 Kerr gets paid: The Warriors have signed head coach Steve Kerr to a two-year, $35 million extension, making him the highest-paid coach in NBA history.
⚽️ Seven-for-seven: LAFC beat Seattle, 2-1, on Saturday to improve to 7-0-0 in season openers. Opening weekend recap.
💔 Tragic deaths: Three members of the Wyoming swimming and diving team were killed in a car crash on the same rural highway where at least 12 other Wyoming students have died in recent years.
🏀 Triple-doubles: Nikola Jokić passed LeBron James for fourth on the all-time triple-doubles list (139), and Domantas Sabonis became the sixth player with 20 or more in a season.
⚾️ MLB's uniform fiasco, explained
MLB's new Nike-designed, Fanatics-made uniforms are the talk of spring training — for all the wrong reasons, Jeff writes.
From bad to worse: As soon as players arrived at camp, their response to the new jerseys was pretty much universal: "Everyone hates them," said Phillies star Trea Turner. "They look cheap," said one Cardinals player.
The most glaring problem was the lettering on the nameplate, which was smaller than in the past and, frankly, made the uniforms look like knockoffs.
Then came another, more glaring issue that is hard to even believe: The pants are see-through.
How did this happen? Nike has designed MLB's uniforms since 2020, and Fanatics has manufactured them since buying Majestic in 2017. But this is the first year for the Nike Vapor Premier jerseys.
"They're designed to be performance wear," said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. "They have been tested more extensively than any jersey in any sport."
Nike scanned more than 300 players' bodies before diving into the design process, and the jerseys were soft-launched at last year's All-Star Game to positive reviews.
But Nike's emphasis on "breathability" — which meant ditching the stitched-on lettering from years past to decrease bulkiness — is now drawing criticism for making the jerseys look cheap.
Where does Fanatics fit in? There's been speculation that manufacturing, not design, is to blame for this debacle. Fanatics is a popular punching bag, but the e-commerce giant delivered the exact product Nike designed, a league executive told Sportico.
So, about those pants… In addition to their see-through nature, they've also come under fire for the new way they're sized.
In the past, players could custom tailor their pants for a perfect fit. But this year, Nike used its body scans to create four "buckets" of waist-to-thigh ratios it felt would fit most players. Apparently not.
The Padres were forced to wear last year's pants for their spring training opener because "the samples they gave us didn't have the proper length for anybody," said starter Joe Musgrove.
The clock is ticking: Representatives from MLB, Nike and Fanatics have spoken with players at spring training, and MLB says adjustments are being made "based on player requests." But with Opening Day just a month away, they're running out of time.
🏈 NFL salary cap set higher than expected
The NFL salary cap for the 2024 season will be a record $255.4 million, the league announced Friday.
By the numbers: The salary cap will be $30.6 million more per team than last year, the largest one-year jump since the cap was introduced in 1994.
Most teams had been projecting a cap in the $240-250 million range when budgeting for next season, so this could have a significant impact on free agency.
Teams like the 49ers, who were projected to be over the salary cap, now find themselves with more roster flexibility.
What's behind the cap hike? It's partly due to an increase in media revenue. It's also a reset from the COVID era, as the NFL has now fully paid back the player benefits that were deferred during the pandemic.
Further reading: What does the salary cap increase really mean? Three executives weigh in
⛳️ The return of a cult hero
Anthony Kim was once the most exciting golfer not named Tiger Woods — then he vanished. Now, 12 years since his last event, he's making his return, Jeff writes.
LIV over PGA: The 38-year-old is reportedly joining LIV Golf, where he'll make his first start this weekend in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as one of their two wild card entries. The three-time PGA Tour winner will compete as an individual, rather than with one of LIV's four-man teams.
Looking back: The Los Angeles native was golf's brash, cult hero of the aughts, winning at every level with a swagger typically reserved for less buttoned-up sports.
"For more than a decade he's been golf's Yeti, golf's most famous recluse, golf's man of mystery, golf's greatest 'what-if.' As the years have ticked by, stories from his abridged career have been told and retold with increasing levels of admiration and exaggeration." — Dylan Dethier, Golf.com
Career highlights: After a stellar college career at Oklahoma, Kim turned pro in 2006 and finished second in his PGA Tour debut. The following year, he had four top-10 finishes as a rookie.
Kim's prime came from 2008-10, when he starred at the Ryder Cup, reached No. 6 in the world, and became the fifth golfer in 30 years to win three tournaments before age 25. The other four? Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott.
He also had three top-10 major finishes and made history at Augusta, when he recorded a Masters-record 11 birdies during the second round in 2009.
Burned bright, then vanished: By early 2012, Kim was struggling with health and consistency, routinely missing cuts. In his 10th event that year, he withdrew with an injury and never returned to the PGA Tour. He was 26 years old at the time.
One reason Kim never tried to battle back from his injuries was that he'd taken out a lucrative insurance policy, reportedly worth at least $10 million, which he would have to pay back if he ever played professionally again.
But $10 million is a drop in the bucket for LIV, which has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in player signing bonuses. Details of Kim's deal are not yet known, but it appears he no longer has to worry about that insurance payment.
▶️ Press play: Anthony Kim highlights
🇺🇸 Photos across America
Winston-Salem, N.C. — Duke star Kyle Filipowski was injured on Saturday after fans stormed the court following Wake Forest's upset victory. Could this be the end of court-storming? Don't bet on it.
Hampton, Georgia — Daniel Suárez won at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the third-closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history, beating Ryan Blaney by 0.003 seconds and Kyle Busch by 0.007 seconds.
West Palm Beach, Florida — Jen Pawol made history over the weekend, becoming the first woman to umpire an MLB spring training game since 2007.
Chicago — Blackhawks legend Patrick Kane got a standing ovation in his return to Chicago on Sunday — then scored the OT game-winner for Detroit.
🌎 Photos around the world
London — Virgil van Djik scored in extra-time to lift Liverpool past Chelsea, 1-0, in the League Cup Final. It's the club's 18th domestic cup trophy, tied with Manchester United for the most in English soccer.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico — Rookie Jake Knapp won the Mexico Open on Sunday in just his fifth PGA Tour start. You gotta see this kid's swing: it's a thing of beauty.
Dublin, Ireland — Ireland walloped Wales, 31-7, on Saturday to match England's record of 11 consecutive Six Nations victories.
Dubai, U.A.E. — Brazil beat Italy, 6-4, on Sunday to win the country's record sixth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
📆 Feb. 26, 1935: The Babe's last hurrah
89 years ago today, 40-year-old Babe Ruth was released by the Yankees and signed by the Boston Braves ahead of what would be his final season, Jeff writes.
An unceremonious end: Ruth retired* in early June after hitting .181 with six home runs in 28 games for the abysmal Braves, who finished 38-115, the second-worst record since 1900.
🏒 1989: Mario Lemieux became the third player in NHL history with 100 assists in a season, joining Bobby Orr (once) and Wayne Gretzky (11 times!).
🎳 2012: After clinching his record fifth U.S. Open title, bowling legend Pete Weber uttered the iconic exclamation, "Who do you think you are? I am!"
*He didn't have to wait long: Eight months after his last game, Ruth was elected to the Hall of Fame as a member of the inaugural class in Cooperstown.
📺 Watchlist: The Match
The ninth edition of "The Match" tees off tonight (6:30pm ET, TNT/Max) at The Park in West Palm Beach, Florida, Jeff writes.
Who's playing: No celebrities this time. Just two PGA pros (No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 8 Max Homa) and two LPGA pros (No. 21 Rose Zhang, No. 36 Lexi Thompson) competing as individuals in a 12-hole skins* match.
More to watch:
⚽️ CONCACAF W Gold Cup: USWNT vs. Mexico (10:15pm, Paramount+) … Final game of group stage.
🏀 NBA: Raptors at Pacers (7pm, NBA); Heat at Kings (10pm, NBA)
🏀 NCAAM: Miami at No. 10 UNC (7pm, ESPN); No. 11 Baylor at TCU (9pm, ESPN)
🏀 NCAAW: No. 11 Colorado at No. 12 UCLA (9pm, ESPN2)
⚾️ Spring training: Twins at Yankees (1pm, MLB)
⚽️ Premier League: West Ham vs. Brentford (3pm, USA)
*Skins, explained: Each hole is played for a prize (or "skin"), which in this case is money for charity. Ties are rolled over to the next hole, and whichever player has raised the most money at the end is declared the winner. Everyone plays from the same tees on the four par-3 holes, but Thompson and Zhang will play from closer tees on the other eight holes.
🏀 College hoops trivia
Purdue's Zach Edey is the heavy favorite to win his second straight Wooden Award (National Player of the Year).
Question: Who is the only player to win back-to-back Wooden Awards?
Hint: 1982-83.
Answer at the bottom.
🍿 Baker's Dozen: Top 13 plays of the weekend
Trivia answer: Virginia's Ralph Sampson
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