MidValleySports.Com

The TEN

(“The TEN” is not a top ten but ten items worth being included in “The TEN”)

1—“He’s too small. If your best player is small, you’re not winning… Steph Curry is the only dude.”—Becky Hammon on Jalen Brunson (12/21/2023)

2—All four World Cup matches on Tuesday ended in a tie.
Spain-Cape Verde: Tie
Belgium-Egypt: Tie
Saudi Arabia-Uruguay: Tie
Iran-New Zealand: Tie

3—“I don’t take it like that, I just go out and play regardless. No matter where I’m at or what I’m doing, I just go out there and try and play well.”—Dodgers outfielder, Kyle Tucker speaking about the pressure of his contract. Tucker is currently hitting .239 with a .337 OBP to go with 6 home runs and 39 RBIs.

4—“Trying to figure the hidden reasons for transfers such as this is like trying to unravel the exact state of affairs in the Middle East. All we can really know for sure is what lines up on opening night, and until then, it’s all rumor and innuendo. I’d like to see what would happen if they allowed kids to transfer from week to week during the season. Imagine how big the roster would be on teams that have made the finals and are heavily favored to win!”—MVS commenter, “Tricky Business”

5—Former Angel first baseman Wally Joyner turns 64 today. “Wally World” began in Anaheim in 1986 when Joyner, 22, joined the Halos.

6—Former Temple City Rams legend and USC Trojan, Desmond Reed turns 42 today.

7—Sports Illustrated Reports three Giants pitchers wore Bible verses on their Pride Night caps during Friday’s game.
MLB has since issued a warning to them. Chief Communications Officer Pat Courtney stated: “The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations.”

8—127 years ago today, Jim Thorpe wins pitching debut for Rocky Mount (East Carolina League) which will cause him to forfeit his Olympic medals from the 1912 Stockholm Games.
In 1983, Thorpe’s medals were restored posthumously (Thorpe died in 1953) to his family. The medals were replicas, because the originals were stolen from museums in Scandinavia and never recovered.

9—On this day in 1970, Chicago Bears fullback, Brian Piccolo, 26, dies of cancer. Piccolo, who led the nation in rushing and scoring as a senior at Wake Forest, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Bears in 1965.

10—”If God had wanted man to play soccer, he wouldn’t have given us arms.”—Mike Ditka