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July 28 -- August 3, 2025
Issue No. 600
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Chariots at Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA
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Far be it from me to disagree with the Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, and writer, Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106 bc-43 bc, who
stated: “It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character,
and judgment.”
However, in today's Indy Car race, all disfavored characteristics were on full display as Alex Palou (pictured above) took the checkered flag to achieve a form of greatness, his third win in his last four races at Laguna Seca, the best since Bobby Rahal accomplished that in 1984-87 and his eighth win of the season. Second was Christian Lundgaard and third was Colton Herta, son of Bryan Herta, who is remembered for his own great career, which included his role in one of racing's most famous moments, The Pass, which was detailed in Sports Today, Issue #34.
Click here for that full story, which includes a link to the video of that incredible final lap! (Scroll down to Memorable Sports Moment.)
https://archive.constantcontact.com/fs134/1102520666012/archive/1118579950184.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1s-iWRLIqAmU8BXb3qQraSkd1XLXjvFjDvZk1MCDJNL5_ww8G64ffVixM_aem_WsxT34KVH3yDI57tsn3sPg
Robert A. Moselle, Esq.
https://www.cce-mcle.com/
Marketing Director, Sports Today
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Complimentary Words
Ultimate Sports Guide.net now shines with an enlightened design that captivates die-hard fans and ignites young readers—whether they're picking up their first ball or eyeing a pro career—to weave sports into every day of their lives. It's a game-winning grand slam!
Carl Macki
Fairfax, CA
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Contents
Games
Bay FC 2, Urawa Red Diamonds 2
Oakland Roots SC 0, Orange County FC 1
Oakland Ballers 14, Colorado Springs Sky Sox 2
Oakland Spiders 23, Colorado Summit 14
San Francisco Giants 1, New York Mets 2
San Jose Earthquakes 1, Real Salt Lake 2
Features & Commentary
Big-Leaguer Brye's Senior Baseball Life, by Dave Newhouse
But On The Other Hand... by Howard Pearlstein
Kevin Eastman & Matt Groening, from the Autograph Collection of Rich Yee
Newsletter, Image, Likeness, by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Quick Turnaround Needed, by Bruce Macgowan
Organizations
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A's
Bay Area Falcons
Bay Area Panthers
Bay FC
Cal Bears
Cal State University East Bay
Golden State Valkyries
Golden State Warriors
Oakland Ballers
Oakland Roots SC
Oakland Soul SC
Oakland Spiders
Saint Mary's College Gaels
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco Giants
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San Francisco Nighthawks
San Francisco Unicorns
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose State Spartans
Santa Clara Broncos
SF City
Sonoma Raceway
St. Francis Yacht Club
Stanford Cardinal
UC Davis Aggies
University of Pacific Tigers
USF Dons
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna
Seca
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Quick Turnaround Needed
by Bruce Macgowan
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Are the Giants still a contender or are they a pretender?
At the moment, you'd have to say the latter, given that their "June Swoon" has carried into late July. A few brief stretches of winning baseball gave optimistic fans hope, but losing 23 over a span of 32 games has brought back an atmosphere of gloom around the ballpark.
The big problem with the Giants has been their hitting, or lack thereof. When a team's collective batting average hovers around a pathetic .230, rough times are certain to follow.
There have been some exceptions lately; after a most disappointing first three months of the season, coveted free agent prize Willy Adames has finally come around. And slugging Rafael Devers, finally feeling chipper after his cranky back and groin had been inhibiting him, broke free with a couple of explosive shows of power recently in Atlanta. But the Giants are still leaving way too many runners stranded.
In a recent series vs the Mets, they scored just two runs in the first two games of the three-game series, causing their fans to gnash their collective teeth in frustration.
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San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski reacts after being called out on strikes on a check swing appeal during the ninth inning against the New York Mets on Saturday, July 26.
Photo and caption by Darren Yamashita.
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Of greater concern, however, is the pitching, which until the last few weeks had been the Giants' strength. The bullpen has remained stalwart with Tyler Rogers and Randy Rodriguez having career years, while Camilo Doval is looking more like his old self after reclaiming his closer's job.
But the starting pitching? There is consternation after a recent elbow problem landed young vet Landen Roupp on the 15-day DL. The demotion of highly touted Hayden Birdsong back to the minors, and the season-long frustrations of future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, who has yet to find that elusive Fountain of Youth, have added more frustration.
The Giants recently promoted promising Carson Seymour from Triple A Sacramento, but one wonders how ready this youngster is going to be facing big league hitters for the first time.
Team president Buster Posey has done a great job restoring swagger and confidence to a team that has been lost in the wilderness for three years. Posey has given manager Bob Melvin plenty of help, especially with the stunning deal which brought in Devers several weeks ago.
And it seems almost certain that Devers will provide the big bat that will help lift guys such as Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee to higher levels.
But now facing uncertainty in the starting rotation, even with All Stars Logan Webb and Robbie Ray providing a formidable 1-2 punch at the top, Posey is desperately scouring the scene looking for some veteran help to fill two gaping holes in the rotation. Unfortunately, with the trade deadline fast approaching, so are at least half of the rest of the teams in baseball.
Unless the Giants' fortunes make a dramatic turn for the better, San Francisco will be going nowhere but home at the end of the 2025 season.
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Long-time Bay Area sportscaster Bruce Macgowan has been recording his 45 years of broadcast experience for a forthcoming book to be published shortly. For earlier articles by Magowan published in
Sports Today, click HERE.
| | Steve Brye of Oakland had an eight-year big-league career with Minnesota, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh | | | | |
Big-Leaguer
Brye's Senior
Baseball Life
by Dave Newhouse
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Steve Brye came home last week to Oakland, where a nine-year major-league career was groomed that has led, significantly, to a second baseball life at age 76.
That’s right, 76, and Brye still is whacking line-drive hits in an atmosphere that the general public knows nothing about, but which benefits senior citizens who simply can’t retire from baseball.
Senior League Baseball, it’s called, and it’s a Field of Dreamers lifestyle that has a national footprint. Brye, an Oakland native, hit his first home run as a 12-year-old at Montclair Park in the Oakland foothills. He’s still hitting them at 76.
“I’ve hit home runs in four different countries,” he said, proudly, “North and South America, Canada and Cuba. They still play me deep."
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Brye is still is a .400 hitter for such teams as the Glenview Ridge Dragons of Santa Rosa, winning a 2012 tournament
in Tempe, Arizona
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He lives in Clayton with wife Susie, but they’re often away from home because of baseball. Brye played in 110 games last year, from California to Florida, with Arizona and Nevada worked in between.
“Oh, I’ve hit .400 and .500,” he said of past SLB seasons, though he was hitting .409, fifth on his team, before this interview. “I don’t run as well anymore. I get someone to run for me when I get to first.”
That’s because of age and injuries, naturally. Brye has strained an Achilles, had knee surgery because of a torn meniscus, adding hip sciatica and a busted finger.
“But I’ve had no replacements yet,” he said, optimistically. “I don’t do what I used to do, but I still can hit line drives.”
An outfielder with Minnesota, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh, he’s a first baseman now “because my arm is gone.”
What keeps him going is a special love of baseball seen through senior citizen eyes. "The thing I love about the game now is the relationships,” he pointed out. “It’s all about camaraderie.”
This includes running into other major leaguers turned seniors, including former A’s pitcher Brian Kingman and two former Giants, outfielder Mike Felder and pitcher Jim Barr.
“Barr kept throwing fast balls, spotting them here and there,” said Brye. “And I faced (‘Spaceman') Bill Lee last year. He still flips it up there.”
The seniors play at minor-league parks, high school and junior college fields, and some colleges such as Sonoma State. One of Brye’s teammates is baseball writer/author John Shea, formerly of the San Francisco Chronicle who now writes for The Standard.
“He plays in the infield and is a pretty darn good hitter,” Brye said of Shea.
| | Steve Brye can still whack out base hits in perfect form... | | |
It’s been some extended journey for Brye, drafted 17th overall in 1967 by Minnesota. He was in the bigs from 1970 to 1978, hitting .258 with 30 homers and 193 runs batted in. His best year was 1974, batting .283 for the Twins, his only season as a regular.
Minnesota had two young outfielders on the rise in Lyman Bostock and Danny Ford, and “I kinda got pushed out,” Brye said. “The Twins thought I’d be a power hitter, but I was a line-drive hitter, a gap hitter. I had lost confidence in the minors.”
His total pro experience was 13 seasons, done at 31. He went to work for several Bay Area businesses, mostly in accounting. Then at 53, he heard from St. Elizabeth’s High School classmate Leo Dorado about SLB, and “Why didn’t I give it a try.”
Twenty-three years later, Brye’s still at it, though he remembers as a 10-year-old riding his bike from the family home near Oakland High all the way up the hill to Montclair Park, suiting up for Henry’s Barber Shop, for whom he hit that first home run.
So how much longer will Brye travel the baseball circuit — strictly out of pocket — to play the game he loves?
“I’m not going to put a time limit on it,” he replied. “I remember walking out of a major-league locker room for the last time, so I don’t want think about it.”
Line drives at 80? Don’t count him out.
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Dave Newhouse's journalism career spans more than half a century, including 45 years at the Oakland Tribune before his retirement in November 2011. Newhouse is the author of 19 books. His most recent book, Goodbye, Oakland, is available in bookstores and from Triumph Books. Dave grew up in Menlo Park, graduated from San Jose State, and has radio and television experience, in addition to his work as an award-winning sportswriter and columnist. For earlier articles by Dave published in Sports Today, click HERE.
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Bay FC 2
Urawa Red Diamonds 2
PayPal Park, San Jose, CA
Sunday, July 27, 2025
| | Bay FC forward Penelope Hocking (#55) scores the first goal of the match in the sixth minute. Bay FC tied the Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies, 2–2, in a friendly match at PayPal Park on Sunday, July 27, in San Jose. Photo and caption by Alex Ho. | |
Bay FC celebrates Hocking’s goal in the sixth minute.
Photo and caption by Alex Ho.
| | Bay FC forward Karlie Lema (#5) and Urawa Red Diamonds defender Hana Takahashi (#7) battle for the ball in the first half. Photo and caption by Alex Ho. | | (L-R) Panelist Scott Ostler, author Dave Newhouse and Andy Dolich, and panelist Ignacio De La Fuentes. Photo by Ann Cooke | | |
The Alumni House on Cal’s campus served as the venue last Thursday evening for a lively discussion on the updated and
re-released book, Goodbye, Oakland: Winning, Wanderlust, and a Sports Town's Fight for Survival.
Authors Dave Newhouse and Andy Dolich, along with panelists Scott Ostler and Ignacio De La Fuente and a large and enthusiastic audience, examined the road which led to Oakland’s loss of the Golden State Warriors, Oakland Raiders, and most recently, the Oakland Athletics.
The city of Oakland, formerly known as the ‘City of Champions,’ has suffered the greed of team owners seeking to improve their bottom line at the expense of loyal fans. In 2019 the Warriors moved to San Francisco, in 2020 the Raiders relocated to Las Vegas, and in 2024 the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas via a tortured three(?) year stop in a minor league stadium in Sacramento. (The new Athletics stadium being constructed in Las Vegas is years from being completed.)
There is hope the new 50% owners of the Oakland Coliseum, the African American Sports & Entertainment Group, will attract quality entertainment befitting the great diversity of the East Bay and San Francisco Bay Area.
The program was narrated by Dr. Marsha Roberts, president of the Cal Alumni Association. https://alumni.berkeley.edu/
-- Ann Cooke
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(L-R) Aria, son Jace and Jeff Vadney all purchased books and were wearing the colors of the three departed teams. All born, raised and still living in Oakland. Photo by Ann Cooke
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Our Mission:
Weavery's mission is to provide data and ai strategy advice, training, and innovative solutions to high impact humanitarian organizations. Weavery leverages artificial intelligence to enhance operations and amplify impact to serve a world in need.
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San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb on June 1, 2024.
Photo by Darren Yamashita
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Webb resolute, if frustrated, during ongoing rough stretch
by Maria Guardado
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants have relied on Logan Webb to be a pillar of consistency atop their starting rotation, but the two-time All-Star has hit a rare rough patch this month.
Webb was tagged for six runs over four innings in Friday night’s
8-1 series-opening loss to the Mets at Oracle Park, matching his shortest start of the season and intensifying the Giants’ recent rotation woes.
The 28-year-old right-hander gave up eight hits -- including a solo shot to Francisco Lindor and a two-run single to Brandon Nimmo -- in his third consecutive subpar outing for the Giants (54-50), who have lost seven of their last nine games to slip one game behind the Padres for the third National League Wild Card spot.
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Nick Kurtz becomes the first rookie in MLB history with four home runs in a game, recording 19 total bases and eight RBIs
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Kurtz's bat bound for Cooperstown after historic four-homer night
Martín Gallegos
HOUSTON -- On the same weekend that legends Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are getting inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Nick Kurtz is getting his own display in Cooperstown.
The bat used by Kurtz Friday night at Daikin Park to produce one of the greatest performances in baseball history – a perfect 6-for-6 game with four home runs – is heading to the Hall of Fame for a spot in baseball immortality.
“I never would have imagined something like this so early in my career,” Kurtz said before Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Astros. “To be a part of this weekend and do something like that is really cool.”
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"Join us for Great Food, Great Beer and a Great Time."
We are located one block from the Moscone Convention Center, only a short walk from many of downtown San Francisco's familiar hotels, attractions, and diverse businesses. Open Monday through Thursday 4pm. Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12pm. Come by and raise a glass with us. Sláinte!
www.thechieftain.com
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Seven-Run First Spurs Ballers
to 14-2 Win
Oakland Evens Series at 2-2
By Nevada Cullen
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Darryl Buggs II blasted a three-run moonshot to left field in the first inning of Friday's contest against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. When it landed, it ballooned the Ballers' lead to 7-0.
After the fever dream of a first inning, the Ballers went on to win 14-2. Zach St. Pierre earned his fifth win of the year for Oakland, striking out a season-high eight hitters over six innings of one-run ball.
Tyler Lozano returned from injury with a bang. Oakland's catcher tied his career high with 4 RBI, including a no-doubt home run in the fourth inning, in his first action in two weeks.
Nick Leehey opened the seven-run first with an RBI triple, the first three-bagger of his career. Two batters later, Daniel Harris IV doubled the lead with a run-scoring knock into right field.
In his first at bat back from injury, Lozano stung a single through the left side to increase the Oakland advantage to 4-0. Finally, Buggs, the ninth batter of the inning, clubbed his second dinger of the series to put the Ballers in seventh heaven.
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San Jose Earthquakes 1
Real Salt Lake 2
America First Field, Sandy, UT
Saturday, July 26, 2025
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Earthquakes 1, Real Salt Lake 2
San Jose edged late after initially pulling ahead in second half from Josef Martínez header; Quakes return home Aug. 9 to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC
SANDY, Utah — The San Jose Earthquakes fell to Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday night at America First Field in front of 19,238 fans.
The hosts almost scored first in the third minute when Zavier Gozo broke free and was one on one with Daniel, but the Quakes’ goalkeeper came off his line and got enough of the ball to cause it to bounce off the crossbar and off the goal line. In minute 27, Diego Luna charged down the left side with Daniel once again the last line of defense, but the Brazilian shotstopper cut off the angle and forced the RSL playmaker into an inaccurate shot toward the near post. Meanwhile, the vaunted San Jose attack managed only one shot on goal from Josef Martínez and the initial 45 minutes were scoreless.
After intermission, San Jose achieved the breakthrough in the 51st minute. Former RSL star Cristian “Chicho” Arango caused a turnover and the ball ended up with Cristian Espinoza. Espinoza gave it back to Arango, who floated a perfect ball in from the right wing for Martínez to head home to give the Quakes a 1-0 lead. Six minutes later, the Claret and Cobalt would answer, as an unmarked Diogo Goncalves’ low cross from the left wing resulted in an own goal by Quakes defender Jamar Ricketts to tie it 1-1.
However, controversy ensued in the 79th minute when the fourth official ruled that Espinoza took too long to come off after being replaced by Ousseni Bouda and passing the captain’s armband to Arango. As a result, the Quakes were forced to play with a man down. During this temporary span in the 81st minute, RSL second-half substitute Braian Ojeda took a long-range shot from behind the edge of the box, which deflected off Daniel into the net for a 2-1 lead and the game-winner.
The Black and Blue will now travel home to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, Aug. 9. Kickoff from PayPal Park will take place at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (English/Spanish), as well as via local radio on KSFO 810 AM (English) and KZSF 1370 AM La Kaliente (Spanish).
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Oakland Roots SC 0
Orange County SC 1
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Saturday, July 26, 2025
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Oakland Fall 0-1 at Home in Final Cup Match of 2025
Oakland Roots created the game’s first chance inside six minutes, as Morey Doner and Faysal Bettache forced a quick double save from Tetsuya Kandono.
Oakland registered a third shot on target inside 20 minutes, a tame effort from Faysal Bettache, before Orange County responded a minute later with a tame shot of their own for their first effort on target.
Orange County opened the scoring somewhat against the run of play, as Bryce Jamison found the net off the inside of the post in the 30th minute to give OC a 1-0 lead.
The score remained 1-0 in favor of the visitors as the two sides headed into halftime.
Coach Benny Feilhaber made two halftime changes, one of which led to substitute EJ Johnson forcing a goal-line save from Orange County early in the second half.
Oakland ramped up the pressure, controlling play in the Orange County half through the 80th minute.
The home team made one final late substitution, bringing on forward Luis Saldaña in a last push to chase the game.
Despite recording six shots on goal, Oakland was unable to find an equalizer, as the match ended 1-0 in favor of Orange County.
Oakland will return home to the Coliseum for their next action as they prepare to host Colorado Springs on August 9th following a bye weekend to open August.
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But On The Other Hand...
by Howard Pearlstein
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Last week I put forth a hunch, called it a Hypothoguess, seeing how well women’s expansion teams come together as a team in their first year -- BAY FC last year and the Valkyries right now. I thought it might have something to do with women athletes always getting less money, less media coverage, and less respect as athletes. And that maybe it leads to a grudge being more team-oriented, about being dissed as US instead of ME. Maybe, maybe not.
Either way, they play more coherently as a team in their first years than anyone used to seeing men’s teams in those situations might expect.
I still think it’s a thing, at least a possible thing.
I got to see the Oakland Roots (male pro-soccer team winning 2-0, against Loudoun United. I’m amending my conclusion but not my reasoning: disrespect of a group = thinking US rather than
ME. Not just women, but men’s soccer too.
Because in America, soccer as a game has always been disrespected. That despite the fact that there are very few men who could even claim they could do half of that much uninterrupted running for 90 minutes.
AND, because in America, there’s always one group or another that’s new or traditionally disliked and/or disrespected. Even if people’s ancestors had trouble a century or so ago and not
since. But the dissing-factor doesn’t have to be about race or gender or religion or origin.
It could be about anything, even the sort of car you drove. In Texas in the 70s traffic helicopters radio’d locations of VW buses like mine to stop and search (for pot). Interestingly, the cops who
did it were always polite, even friendly.
Same bias against people who play bagpipes. Full disclosure -- long time ago Jane and I lost some social acquaintances for taking bagpipe lessons from Jack Cunningham. He was retired military
with whom I spent time handling hawks and eagles at the San Francisco Zoo. He piped at the Edinburgh Castle in San Francisco as The Wee Piper of Dundee, and also had a small role in a
locally-made movie, So I Married an Axe Murderer. Memorable scene in which he passed out while piping, his recognizable bag not tartan but leopard-skin design.
What I’m saying is that pinch-nosed finger-pointing at a group almost always stimulates a unifying resolve. Turns an ordinary group of people into a demographically hostile population.
Something politicians should bear in mind.
Meanwhile, Friday, here in Valkyrie land, their two top forwards were out. Kayla Thornton (highest number of points, rebounds and steals per game) was injured a week or so ago and is out
for the season. Monique Billings (most blocks) was out for the game.
Nonetheless, everyone stepped up and the Valkyries took down the Denver Wings. It was close all the way but the Valkyries won by ten. Stephanie Talbot, Tiffany Hayes, and Veronica Burton
picked up the slack while Temi Fagbenle added eleven points plus a bunch of offensive rebounds, giving the teams two or three extra shots each possession.
Their four-game road trip started last night. (Too late to report the score here.) They’ll return Wednesday vs. the Las Vegas Aces for a run of five home games.
Of course, any team’s W-L record also depends on how many minutes they’ve seen each other play, getting an instinctive feel for what she will do in a situation, having seen it happen. Some
of the Valkyries are near that point, and doubters aside, I think they might get to the playoffs this year.
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Someone once told me that my peripatetic life-path reads like the dust jacket of an experimental novel. He didn't realize that it is that novel, still being written.
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Kevin Eastman & Matt Groening
-- from the Autograph Collection
of Rich Yee
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I took a little break from sports photography and sports autographs to attend the San Diego Comic Con this week. There are dozens of celebrities in attendance that you can meet and
get autographs or photos with for a price.
I got very lucky on Saturday when I heard Kevin Eastman, creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was doing a signing. I purchased a TMNT comic book from a dealer and stood in line to get it signed. Kevin was very friendly and talkative. He signed my comic book and also drew a sketch of one of the turtles, all for free.
Right after that I got in line to meet Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons. I had won a meet-and-greet lottery that allowed me to get in the waiting line. Matt was very nice and signed a promotional poster for me and also drew a sketch of
Bart Simpson. This was also free.
Rich Yee, Sports Today photographer
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Newsletter, Image, Likeness Vol. 142: NIL Collective Death Sentence Put On Hold As CSC Faces Legal Reality
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by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Founder of Heitnerlegal -- Sports, Entertainment, Trademarks, Copyrights, Business, Litigation, Arbitration
The Weekly Longer NIL Thought
Not too long ago, the College Sports Commission (CSC) had ambitious plans to eliminate NIL collectives from our world. It caused quite the stir and led to this newsletter focusing on the potential ramifications in this longer thought section over the past two weeks. Well, make it a third week, because here we go again with backtracking once college sports leaders begin to realize that they should operate in reality as opposed to La La Land.
Recall that the CSC had concluded that it had the power to decide that it would not be a "valid business purpose" for an NIL collective to engage in for-profit promotions of goods or services using paid-for college athlete NIL. And without a valid business purpose, NIL collectives could not transact business. This would have led to litigation, which the CSC would likely have lost.
But on July 22, Ross Dellenger reported that the CSC was "adjusting its approach." He added that the CSC was expected to, going forward, treat NIL collectives as the CSC would treat other businesses when analyzing whether there is a valid business purpose surrounding the contemplated athlete transaction. This should not be hard for smart NIL collective operators to do. Then, it will be up to the CSC to decide whether each deal falls within Deloitte's "compensation range" standard. If many deals are rejected on such grounds, then it will likely be the next area where we start to see the possibility for legal challenge.
My friend and basketball agent Daniel Poneman was not afraid to speak publicly before the CSC decided to modify its hard-line approach against NIL collectives. "Who does it hurt if [a] collective can spend money? Nobody!" said Poneman. "Who does it help? It helps coaches, who get better teams. Players, who get more money. Agents, who get more money. Players are waiting longer to enter the draft, they're staying in school, the product is better." He added, "these new rules are bullshit. They benefit the NCAA and the administrators, the same stuffy white people who were trying to suppress these players in the first place, and now they're trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube."
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NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson Honored on Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame
SONOMA, Calif. (July 13, 2025) – Sonoma Raceway proud announces the induction of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson into its Wall of Fame today, recognizing his remarkable contributions to the sport and his achievements at the historic 1.99-mile road course.
Johnson, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, recorded one victory (2010) and nine top-10 finishes in 18 career starts at Sonoma Raceway. His 2010 victory in wine country was the one and only road course victory of his illustrious career.
“We are honored to celebrate Jimmie Johnson’s incredible legacy by inducting him into the Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame,” said Brian Flynn, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Sonoma Raceway. “Jimmie’s accomplishments, both at our track and across his storied career, embody the spirit of excellence that defines this sport. As a California native, his impact resonates deeply with our fans and community.”
The El Cajon native was honored with a permanent placement on the Wall of Fame at Sonoma Raceway.
“What an honor,” said Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club Team Co-owner. “I have this forever up in Sonoma Raceway history. Thank you so much for this amazing surprise.”
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REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2025 ROLEX
BIG BOAT SERIES
Event to Host 2025 ORC Pacific Coast Championship &
2026 ORC North American Championship
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Registration fees for the 61st Rolex Big Boat Series hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club from September 10–14, 2025, will increase by $275 after July 31, 2025. The can’t-miss regatta on the West Coast sailing calendar, Rolex Big Boat Series draws skippers and sailors from across the country eager to compete on the legendary waters of San Francisco Bay.
Registration for the 2025 RBBS is open now and dozens of boats have already committed. The following are invited to compete in this year’s Rolex Big Boat Series:
- One-design boats of the J/88, J/105, Cape 31 and Express 37 classes. Other classes with a minimum of six boats can be considered with application to the Organizing Authority.
- ORC Monohulls with a LOA ≥ 30 feet. Boats with an APH of 500 or lower are required to have an ORC International certificate. Boats with an APH higher than 500 may compete using either an ORC International Certificate or ORC Club Certificate.
- Classic boats built prior to 1955 with a LOA ≥ 48 feet and a current ORRez rating certificate.
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If you enjoy our free publication,
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Cal Contingent Heads To World Aquatics Championships
20 Bears Set To Compete In Singapore
Twenty members of the California swimming & diving teams will compete on the world stage at the 22nd edition of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore from Saturday, July 26 to Sunday, Aug. 3.
Twelve men and nine women will take the pool at the World Aquatics Championships Arena for the nine-day event featuring two-time 2025 Toyota national champion Jack Alexy, who claimed gold in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle earlier this summer. Dare Rose (50-meter butterfly) and Claire Weinstein (200-meter freestyle) also captured gold at the 2025 Toyota National Championships.
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Photo: Al Sermeno/KLC Fotos
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Lacrosse Earns IWLCA Academic Honors
Stanford named IWLCA Academic Honor Squad while 12 student-athletes named to academic honor roll
STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford lacrosse received its final postseason honor of the 2025 season having been named a Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Academic Honor Squad while also posting 12 athletes to the organization's honor roll, the IWLCA announced Wednesday.
The Cardinal, which has earned a nod as an Academic Honor Squad every year since 2009, joins the list among 383 schools across Division I, II, III, and NAIA as an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad for the 2024-25 academic year. To qualify for this prestigious honor, the women’s lacrosse team must have posted a 3.2 or higher team GPA for the academic year.
Individually, Stanford placed 12 student-athletes on the academic honor roll as well. In total, The IWLCA honored 1,176 student-athletes from 124 different institutions on the 2024-25 Division I Academic Honor Roll. To be eligible for this honor, student-athletes must be a junior, senior, or graduate student and have earned a cumulative academic GPA of 3.50 or greater.
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Photo: Matthew Huang/ISI Photos
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Five Spartans Named ITA Scholar-Athletes; Team Earns All-Academic Honors
GILBERT, Ariz. - San José State women's tennis standouts Soledad Fayos Capilla, Duru Durgun, Olaya Bances Iglesias, Cheuk Ying Shek, and Carla Urchoeguia have been recognized as Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athletes for the 2024-25 season, the organization announced this week.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that Bances Iglesias has received the honor, while Ying Shek is a repeat recipient for the second time in her career.
To qualify as an ITA Scholar-Athlete, a student-athlete must maintain a GPA of at least 3.5 for the academic year and be eligible to compete.
In addition to individual accolades, the Spartans were once again named an ITA All-Academic Team—an award they’ve consistently earned under head coach Chad Skorupka since he took the helm in 2015. The award recognizes teams with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
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| | Saint Mary's College Gaels | |
MTEN | Gaels Earn ITA Academic Honors for First Time Since 2021
TEMPE, Ariz. - For the first time since 2021, the Saint Mary's men's tennis program was named an ITA All-Academic team and earned six ITA Scholar-Athlete selections for their success in the classroom this past season. The Gaels earned a cumulative GPA of 3.3 to qualify for the team award while all six student-athletes earned GPA's of at least 3.5 to be named to the ITA Scholar-Athlete list.
Pierre Lieutaud, Liam Carpenter, Paulo Hugo Etchecoin, Thibaud Maxant, Ellison Greco and Aidan Watt were the six student-athletes to represent Saint Mary's, going down as their first career ITA Scholar-Athlete selections. On the court Saint Mary's capped off the 2024-25 season with a dramatic postseason run, making it to the finals of the UTR Sports NIT Championship. They earned match wins over Morgan State and Ryder University before falling narrowly to top seed Chattanooga 4-2. The Gaels also made the WCC Tournament for the first time since 2023 after securing conference wins over Portland and Gonzaga to earn the sixth seed in the tournament field.
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Baseball Earns ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco baseball program earned the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award for the fifth time in the last six years, announced by the association on Wednesday morning.
Following the 2024-25 academic year, the ABCA recognized 440 college programs and nearly 300 high school programs with the Team Academic Excellence Award, presented by Sports Attack, for their outstanding academic achievement.
Coaches nominated their teams for the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award following the conclusion of their spring semesters before the nomination deadline of July 18. To be honored, teams had to meet the following criteria:
- Must be a high school or college team
- The head coach must be a current ABCA member
- The team must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale for the 2024-25 academic year
The American Baseball Coaches Association has a long tradition of recognizing the achievements of baseball coaches and student-athletes. The ABCA/Rawlings All-America Teams are the nation's oldest, founded in 1949. The ABCA's awards program also includes the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Awards, the ABCA/ATEC Regional & National Coaches of the Year, and several other significant awards, such as the ABCA Hall of Fame and the Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award.
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Photo: Christina Leung
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Jones to Compete for New Zealand at FIBA 3x3 Event in Jakarta
Maia Jones will compete for the New Zealand 3x3 national team at the FIBA 3x3 Jakarta 2025
event starting Thursday.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Incoming Santa Clara University women's basketball transfer guard Maia Jones will compete for the New Zealand national women's 3x3 team at the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series event in Jakarta, Indonesia, starting Thursday.
Jones and her New Zealand team are seeded fourth in the 16-team event. They'll play their pool games on Thursday beginning at 1:20 a.m. PDT against Singapore and another team out of the qualifying draw. Should they advance to Friday's championship day, competition will begin at 2:10 a.m. PDT. The full event schedule can be found here.
"We're incredibly excited for Maia to have the opportunity to compete with her national team this month," said Santa Clara head coach Loree Payne. "It's a tremendous honor, and any time you can represent at the international level, it's a special experience."
Jones has played for New Zealand on a national level for years. She was a member of the U17 New Zealand national team at the 2022 World Championships in Hungary, serving as the captain and averaging just under 10 points per game. She was also a member of the U16 New Zealand Junior National team and competed at the 2022 Asia Cup in Jordan. She was one of three players from New Zealand selected to attend the NBA Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp in Canberra, Australia, in the summer of 2022, and was awarded the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award.
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| | University of Pacific Tigers | |
School Record 142 Student-Athletes Earn WCC Commissioner’s
Honor Roll
STOCKTON, Calif. – Reaffirming the academic success among the department of athletics at University of the Pacific, a school record 142 student-athletes were named to the West Coast Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll.
It topped the previous record of 140 set in 2022-23. Last year, the Tigers landed 128 student-athletes on the honor roll.
There were three criteria to earn the distinguishment:
- Individuals must have earned a varsity letter in a sport which the conference determined a champion in the recently completed academic year.
- The cumulative grade-point average of at least a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. Only grades earned at WCC institutions may be used in calculating the grade-point average for this award.
- The individuals must have successfully completed an average of at least 12 graded credit hours per term.
Additionally, the conference recognized those on the honor roll in three categories: Gold (3.75-4.00 GPA), Silver (3.50-3.74 GPA) and Bronze (3.00-3.49 GPA). Pacific garnered 50 in Gold, 36 in Silver and 56 in Bronze.
WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll only included sports that are sponsored by the league. Thus, student-athletes from Pacific that competed in men's & women's swimming & diving, track & field, and women's water polo were omitted.
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Five Aggies Named FCS Football Central Preseason All-Americans
DAVIS, Calif. – Rex Connors and Hunter Ridley took home first team honors to lead the way for UC Davis football's five members on the FCS Football Central Preseason All-American list, with Winston Williams, Jacob Psyk and Porter Connors earned the honors.
Williams and Psyk were named to the second team while Porter Connors earned the third team nod. The Aggies were tied for the third-most members on the team tying fellow Big Sky Conference member Montana State, North Dakota State and South Dakota.
Rex Connors adds to a quickly filling trophy case with this being his second Preseason All-American honor this season having earned the nod from STATS Perform. The Aggie defensive back was also named the Big Sky Preseason Defensive Player of the Year (the first Aggie to earn that honor) and earned Preseason Big Sky All-Conference honors.
His 2024 All-American season was record-breaking finishing with a program record 74 solo tackles, finishing with a total tally of 115 on the season.
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| | Cal State University East Bay Pioneers | |
Pioneer Alumni Spotlight:
Joey Herrera
Joey Herrera stood on the 18th green at Valencia Country Club, his final putt dropping into the cup. It was the kind of moment every golfer dreams about: he had qualified for the 2025 U.S. Open. The years of early mornings, long van rides, missed cuts, and hard-won finishes had all led to this. And the best part? His dad was right beside him, looping the bag as his caddie.
"To qualify for the U.S. Open is a really special feeling," Herrera said. "It made all the hours of work worth it. What made it even more special was that I qualified at Valencia Country Club a course I've played many times and where I've gotten to know the staff and members well."
For Herrera, a proud alumnus of Cal State East Bay, this wasn't just about advancing through golf's toughest qualification path, what's known in the sport as The Longest Day in Golf, which is covered nationally at various courses on Golf Channel. This was a personal milestone rooted in his development at a place that believed in him long before the galleries and cameras showed up.
Coming from Fillmore, California, Herrera didn't take the traditional pipeline to the PGA Tour. He began at Ventura College before transferring to Cal State East Bay, where he would leave a mark that still echoes through the Pioneer golf program. Over his two seasons in Hayward, Herrera collected first-team All-CCAA honors in each of the two seasons. At the 2019 CCAA Championships, Herrera finished fifth on the leaderboard.
But what sticks with him most from that time wasn't just the scorecards or trophies. It was the experience from the coaching he received and the bond with his teammates.
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San Francisco 49ers
Las Vegas Raiders
2025/26 Schedules
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Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, July 28, through
Sunday, August 3, 2025
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Monday, July 28
San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:45 p.m.
Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners, 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday, July 29
San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:45 p.m.
Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners, 7:05 p.m.
Golden State Valkyries @ Atlanta Dream, 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 30
San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 12:45 p.m.
Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday, July 31
Golden State Valkyries @ Washington Mystics, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, August 1
San Francisco Giants @ New York Mets, 4:10 p.m.
Athletics vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 7:05 p.m.
Golden State Valkyries @ Chicago Sky, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 2
San Francisco Giants @ New York Mets, 1:10 p.m.
Athletics vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 7:05 p.m.
Bay FC vs. Houston Dash, 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 3
San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets, 10:40 a.m.
Athletics vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 1:05 p.m.
Golden State Valkyries @ Las Vegas Aces, 3 p.m.
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| | LOL, Loss of Logo: What’s Your Next Move? was written for sports professionals by Andy Dolich and Jack Hirschman and offers valuable takeaways for everyone chasing the fancy logo and corner office. | | The Emerald Mile: The epic and award-winning story of the fastest ride in history through the heart of the Grand Canyon, by Kevin Fedarko. A thrilling true tale during the legendary flood of 1983. | | More than a cookbook, this culinary delight was written to preserve a great chef's traditional family recipes and stories of her childhood for her far-flung grandchildren. Author Leonie Samuel-Hool recounts stories of a vanished society and legends of the gods and goddesses that protect and sometimes make mischief in Indonesian homes, fields and foods. The recipes are explicitly presented. | | The absolute greatest Yankees were the 1949-1953 pinstripers, winners of an unprecedented five consecutive World Series. "The Yankee Way," Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa writes in the book's foreword, is "full of Yankee winning keys, star-studded competition, and insights about one of baseball's historically fascinating periods." By Charlie Silvera with Dave Newhouse (Author). | | To Order: $10 hardcover, $7 paperback, plus $4.95 shipping. Send check/M.O. to Christopher Weills, P.O. Box 4515, Berkeley, CA 94704 | | | |
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