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Brett Baty reflects on first MLB stint: ‘I didn’t really know what I was running out to play in front of’

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

As comfortable as Brett Baty felt at the plate last August, nothing could have prepared him for running out of the visitor’s tunnel at Truist Park and seeing more than 40,000 fans in the stands as he made his MLB debut.The minor leagues and spring training might prepare players for the next level of baseball in many ways, but you can’t truly understand what it’s like to play in a big league game until you’re actually playing in one.Now that Baty has played in 20 of them, he’s much more used to the routines, the travel and especially the crowds.“In Atlanta last year, I didn’t really know what I was running out to play in front of,” Baty told the Daily News on Friday before the Mets began a four-game series against the Braves at Citi Field. “Now I’m kind of comfortable with it and I know what to expect.”This is what Baty predicted last week when the Mets brought him up from Syracuse to Los Angeles for two road series ag...

Red Sox notebook: Garrett Whitlock placed on 15-day IL with right elbow ulnar neuritis

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

The Red Sox pitching staff has suffered another blow.Garrett Whitlock has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow ulnar neuritis, the club announced Friday afternoon. Second-year righty Brayan Bello has been recalled from Worcester and will take Whitlock’s spot in the rotation, putting him in line to pitch Saturday against Cleveland.Ulnar neuritis is irritation and inflammation of the ulnar nerve, which runs along the inside portion of the elbow and can lead to pain, numbness, tingling and weakness of the involved hand. Whitlock said the sensation he’s been feeling is “hard to describe” but that despite his prior history with Tommy John surgery there is no concern he might need the procedure again.“We’re not concerned with it being anything like Tommy John so I’m not really worried about the ligament at this point,” Whitlock said.Whitlock said he began feeling discomfort prior to his last start on Saturday and that he f...

Quick Fix: Tortilla strips a colorful addition to taco salad

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

Linda Gassenheimer | Tribune News ServiceHere’s a new take on one of America’s very popular Tex-Mex dishes: the taco salad. It has the flavors of a handheld taco but with a new twist. Instead of using tortilla chips, I use tortilla strips. When I found multicolored ones ready-made at the market, I decided they would make a colorful, crunchy addition to a salad. A dressing made with salsa mixed with yogurt adds a little extra spice.I use shrimp in this salad, but you can use chicken, beef or even any leftover protein you might have on hand.Helpful Hints:— You can use broken tortilla chips instead of tortilla strips.— You can use any type of cheese.— If your chili powder or ground cumin is more than 6 months old, it’s best to buy new ones.— You can use any type of salsa.— Place frozen corn kernel in a strainer and run hot water over them to quickly defrost them.Countdown:— Assemble all ingredients.— Mix dressing together and set aside.— Make salad.Shopping List:To buy: 1 jar salsa, 1 ...

The Ravens need to draft a cornerback. Here’s who could be available when they pick.

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

After finally resolving their long contract stalemate with quarterback Lamar Jackson on Thursday, the Ravens entered the NFL draft with two clear needs: cornerback and wide receiver.With some top cornerback prospects still on the board — including Maryland’s Deonte Banks, Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. and Georgia’s Kelee Ringo — at pick No. 22, the Ravens took Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers, adding a playmaker to an offense that wants to improve its passing game.That leaves a glaring hole at cornerback entering Day 2 of the draft, which includes Rounds 2 and 3 and begins Friday at 7 p.m. With just four more picks — Nos. 86 (third round), 124 (fourth round), 157 (fifth round) and 199 (sixth round) — after trading their second-rounder to the Chicago Bears last season for linebacker Roquan Smith, the Ravens have only a few chances to address their biggest remaining need.With the help of Pro Football Network’s industry consensus b...

2023 NFL draft tracker: Bryan Bresee, former No. 1 overall recruit at Damascus, picked by Saints at No. 29

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

Here’s a look at where the top local prospects have been picked during the 2023 NFL draft.This story will be updated.Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (No. 29 overall to New Orleans Saints)Bryan Bresee has a lengthy list of career accomplishments already at the age of 21. As a standout football player at Damascus High School, he was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, an All-American and, by some scouting services, the No. 1 overall recruit in the country. At Clemson, he was a freshman All-American and, despite an ACL injury, an all-conference player.He added another accolade Thursday: first-round NFL draft pick. The 6-foot-5, 298-pound defensive tackle was picked No. 29 overall by the New Orleans Saints.Bresee terrorized opposing teams on the hardwood and the gridiron in high school, averaging a double-double on the basketball court and racking up 35 career sacks on the football field. That continued in college, where he won Atlantic Coast Conference Defe...

See how COVID deaths are plummeting this spring

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

March saw one of the lowest death tolls since the virus first overwhelmed hospitals and intensive care units in early 2020. Nearly 8,800 Americans died in March, the lowest monthly death total since last summer. But the virus continues to be a significant health threat for the elderly and others with compromised health.Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California Department of Public Health (By Harriet Blair Rowan/Bay Area News Group)Across the country, an average of nearly 300 people died from the virus every day in March. Who is dying still?“They tend to be over 75,” said Dr. Chin-Hong, a UCSF professor of medicine who specializes in infectious diseases. “And they tend to have gotten the first two shots in December of 2020 but didn’t get a booster,” he said, reminding those who are over 65 or eligible to get the most recently available booster.“Age is the most powerful risk factor,” said Chin-Hong. “It’s still the same group in the hospital that I’m seeing, even ...

Timeline: Unfolding of the Nathan Fletcher scandal

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Nathan Fletcher has been a prominent figure in the San Diego political sphere for nearly two decades, until last month when allegations of sexual assault were levied against him.Fletcher was first elected to office in 2008 to represent the 75th California State Assembly district. The then-Republican was re-elected in 2010, before mounting a failed bid for the San Diego mayorship in 2011. During that campaign, Fletcher announced that he was leaving the Republican Party to become an independent, citing shifting values in the party away from his core values.One day before then-Mayor Bob Filner’s resignation amid sexual harassment allegations, Fletcher, now a registered Democrat, launched a second unsuccessful mayoral campaign.In 2018, he ran for office again, this time for the District 4 seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. The district is composed of nearly 700,000 residents in areas such as Clairemont, La Mesa, Balboa Park, Hillcrest and Spring Valley....

Highest-rated restaurants for tacos in San Diego, according to Yelp

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Depending on who you ask, tacos are more than just a quick snack you can grab off a truck for lunch. They're an experience. One that allows the chef to layer flavor and textures—from the fresh crunch of the cilantro and onions to the smoked heat of roasted chiles cavorting with the savory delight of your protein of choice—all onto one delicious tortilla, freshly crisped over an open flame…sorry is anyone else hungry?Much like the food, the origin story has a fairly layered history. Both Mayan and Aztec civilizations were said to have eaten a food similar to what we know as a taco, but the modern iteration traces back to the 1800s in Mexico. Born of a need to ensure that miners had a means to easily consume hearty food while on the job, piles of meat would be rolled into corn tortillas and packed for the road. During hours upon hours of hard labor in horrible conditions, the ability to pull out a few taquitos (named for the gunpowder role the miners carried with them) was...

Jazz Fest – ‘one of the gems’ – cranks up in New Orleans

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — This year’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival began its two-weekend run on Friday, filling the air with the sounds of R&B, rock ‘n roll, Zydeco, pop, blues, country, rap, gospel — and of course jazz.Music fans poured into the Fair Grounds Race Course when gates opened at 11 a.m. They wandered among 14 stages or tents, many spreading blankets or tarps and setting up folding chairs, laying claim to spots where their favorite artists were to perform.And some were dancing, particularly in front of the festival’s Fais Do-Do Stage, where Zydeco rang out, played Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie.Retiree Joe Hulsey of Seattle said he and his wife have spent the last four months in New Orleans. A music festival veteran, Hulsey said Jazz Fest is his favorite.“There’s just no comparison,” he said. “It’s just one of the gems about New Orleans that I love. It’s a whole vibe. “You can’t beat the music, the food, the music,” he said, smiling.Fo...

Army sends investigators after fatal Alaska helicopter crash

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:44:59 GMT

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — Military investigators were making their way to Alaska’s interior on Friday, one day after a midair collision between two helicopters killed three soldiers and injured a fourth.The investigative team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, was expected to arrive at the scene of the crash near Healy, Alaska, by Saturday, said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska. Little new information about the crash was released Friday.The Army on Thursday said two of the soldiers died at the crash site, and a third died on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. A fourth soldier was injured and taken to a hospital. That soldier was in stable condition on Friday, Pennell said. The names of those who were killed were not immediately released.The Army said more details would be released when they became available. Each AH-64 Apache helicopter was carrying two people at the time of the crash, Pennell has said. The helicopters were from the 1st Atta...