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Israel’s first attempt at professional baseball did not fare well at all. In 2007, 6 teams played a 45 game season over the course of 8 weeks, to earn the title of Israel Baseball League champion. However, they were not accepted but instead were eventually invited to play in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. In the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, Israel defeated South Africa in their first game 7–3, Spain 4–3 in their second game, but lost 9–7 in 10 innings in the qualifying match. After winning the 4th qualifying round in 2016, Team Israel was able to participate in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Israel swept all three games of the qualifiers and was the last team to qualify for the World Baseball Classic. Their opponents in Pool A were South Korea, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. Israel’s roster included 20 MLB-affiliated minor leaguers, making up 86% of the team.

This past Summer and Fall, Team Israel reunited but this time with Israelis making up the entire team. In order to qualify for the Olympics, all members of the teams need to be passport-carrying citizens of their country. The Israelis managed to win tournament games against Russia, Netherlands, Italy, and even Germany at home. The Israelis defeated South Africa 11–1 in September to win the WBSC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) Europe/Africa Qualifier and earned a berth to the Olympics being held in Japan. In the following weeks, Mexico and South Korea both qualified to earn their spots in the pool of 6 at this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. Below is a series of interviews with members of the 2020 Israeli Olympic Baseball team.

The questions I asked were:

1. Why did you decide to make aliyah (move to Israel) and obtain Israeli citizenship?

2. What were some of the reasons you decided to play for Team Israel?

3. What is the best experience you’ve had as a part of Team Israel that you’ll never forget?

4. What are you most looking forward to during the Olympics?

Zachary Penprase:

1. I’ve always had a distinct connection to Israel because my great grandfather’s name is Reuben Israel. My family is from Rhodes, and seeing that 1600 Jews were taken from that island and only 200 returned, I felt I have always been tied to Israel, forever. I really made Aliyah so I could play for a chance to make it to the Olympics, but would never have been willing to without this feeling of connection I’ve always felt.

2. I decided to play for Team Israel because I knew I still could play after being retired for 5 years. I also had a feeling about how good we could possibly be. I’ve never really been a top prospect or somebody who has been selected to teams so I figured why not? Also, my wife said, “why aren’t you trying to pursue the Olympic thing?” That was definitely a sign after ignoring the opportunity for a few weeks.

3. Definitely my best experience was winning the very first tournament in Bulgaria and meeting guys who I’ve never even seen before, and creating instant chemistry with them. In the 5th inning of the 2nd game of that tournament, I was crying with gratitude and I felt extremely proud of my decision to play for Team Israel.

4. Winning a medal and upsetting the world, since we’ve already upset all of Europe.

Jake Rosenberg:

1. Wanted the adventure of living in Israel and trying something new out, also had to make aliyah to join the team.

2. I wanted to be able to rep my religion on the biggest stage possible and continue to have a baseball career.

3. Playing in our first qualifier in Bulgaria. No one really knew one another and had no idea about the journey we were gonna take. [We] surprised everyone and found ourselves in the Olympics.

4. I’m most looking forward to representing Israel and keeping Israel baseball on the map with a gold medal.

Jonathan DeMarte:

1. I decided to make aliyah to represent Team Israel and it was really important to be able to represent Israel and the Jewish people on a global stage.

2. Never really thought about playing for anywhere else, watched WBC 2017 in college, and as a Jewish player watching the team was something he felt a connection to. When asked if he would play for Team Israel, my first answer was yes, I’ll play for Team Israel.

3. My favorite part of being on Team Israel was qualifying for the Olympics and being able to be a part of the largest delegation in Israel Olympic History. Another highlight is being the first Israeli sports team to play in Germany since 1972, then beating Germany in Germany. It was an awesome experience.

4. I am most looking forward to representing Jewish and Israeli people all over the world through the biggest international stage there is. I’m also looking forward to meeting athletes from all over the world.

Blake Gailen

1. I made Aliyah in order to become eligible to play in the Olympics.

2. I reached out to play in the WBC in 2016–2017 because of my heritage and the exposure it would provide. The longer I played with Team Israel the more I identified with the culture.

3. The best experience was playing in Japan against Japan (WBC). 45,000 fans in the Tokyo Dome. Even though we lost, it was the most electric atmosphere in which I’ve ever played.

4. I’m looking most forward to living in the Olympic Village and letting all the other Olympians and learning their stories as well as competing for an Olympic medal.

On June 17, the Premier League returned to finish out the remainder of its season, without fans. This is similar to other soccer leagues, including the Bundesliga, La Liga, and South Korea’s K League. Social distancing and health and safety have been and will continue to be enforced. Liverpool has been named the winner of the season, though the rest of the season will finish as normal. Korea’s and Taiwan’s baseball leagues have restarted play many weeks ago, with their own health and safety protocol in place.

On July 5, Formula One will restart in Austria, with a second race in Austria on July 12. Round 3 will fall on July 19 and will be in Hungary, with Rounds 4 & 5 in Great Britain, on August 2 and 9. Spain (August 16), Belgium (August 30), and Italy (September 6) round out the last three (7–9) Rounds of races in Europe.

On July 8, Major League Soccer (commonly referred to as MLS) will be kicking off the “MLS is Back Tournament”, to be played until August 11th, with all games being played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. On July 8, the Group Stage presented by Heineken begins On July 25–28 Knockout Stage presented by Audi (Round of 16) begins. The Quarterfinals will take place from July 30-August 1, with the Semifinals taking place from August 5–6 and August 11 being the Final. Teams are split up into six groups (A-F) and grouped by conference. More information about the bracket can be found here. The league will also be implementing health, safety, and medical protocols developed by MLS’s medical department. The protocols are published by MLS and can be found here.

On July 10, National Hockey League training camps will open, in Phase III of the League’s return to Play Plan. There is no set length of time for Phase III and for training camp. Formal resumption of play is to follow in Phase IV. Play will resume with play-in games for 24 teams, the top 12 in each Conference on the basis of points percentage at the pause. In that format, the highest remaining seed in each conference will take on the lowest remaining seed. This means that the top four seeds (determined by points percentage) in the East would be the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers. The top four teams in the West would be the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars. Those eight teams will face off in a Round Robin in order to determine seeding for the First Round. (CBSSports.com)

July 23–34: Major League Baseball will start its modified 60-game season on July 23rd with rumors of Yankees vs Nationals in primetime, pitting newly acquired Yankees ace Gerrit Cole against the defending World Series Champion Nationals following weeks of negotiations between the Players’ Union and the League. Each team will have a roster of up to 30 players, with a minimum of 25. Two weeks later, those rosters will be trimmed to 28, then to 26 two weeks after that. Once teams are limited to a 26-man roster, they will be permitted to add a 27th player for doubleheaders. There will be no limitation on the number of pitchers allowed on an active roster this season. Today at 4 p.m. ET marks the first major roster deadline for all 30 teams, which must submit their 60-man Player Pool — that is, the group of players who will be able to play for them this season. According to the league’s Operating Manual, all players on a 40-man roster “that the Club anticipates participating” during the season will be part of the Player Pool, while the rest will be made up of non-40-man roster players under contract. Any 40-man-roster players who are not included in a Player Pool (for example, maybe a prospect who isn’t deemed ready for the Majors) will still be paid during the season.

No team will be allowed to exceed the limit of 60 players in its Player Pool at any time during Spring Training 2.0 or the regular season. While 30 players will make up the initial Opening Day roster for each team, the other 30 will remain at an Alternate Training Site, which is likely to be a ballpark of one of the club’s nearby Minor League affiliates. For instance, the Pirates announced that their alternate site will be at their Double-A affiliate in Altoona, Pa.

Non-40-man-roster players may be removed by trade, release, placement on the COVID-19 related injured list, or placement on the suspended list (by the club), military, voluntarily retired, restricted, disqualified or ineligible lists. Any injured non-40-man-roster players will continue to count against the team’s Player Pool unless they are removed through one of the aforementioned transactions. Although not every player in an organization can be dealt in 2020. The Trade Deadline this season has been moved from July 31 to Aug. 31, but unlike years past, teams will be limited in which players they can deal. Only the 60 players in a team’s Player Pool will be able to be traded, limiting the number of Minor League players who will be moved this summer.

Each team will be permitted a three-player Taxi Squad for every road trip, giving them immediate options to replace an injured or COVID-19 infected player. The players will come from the 60-man Player Pool, but the goal of bringing them on the trip is to avoid putting a player on a commercial flight if an injury occurs. The Taxi Squad must feature at least one catcher, while the other two players can be either pitchers or position players. One executive said he expects most teams to carry a pitcher, a utility player and a catcher, though some could opt to bring two pitchers and a catcher. These three players will be permitted to work out with the team on the road, while the catcher will also be allowed to serve as a bullpen catcher. At the end of the road trip, Taxi Squad players will return to the team’s Alternate Training Site, though the catcher will be permitted to stay with the team as a bullpen catcher for home games. Taxi Squad players will not be paid MLB salary or accrue service time, but they will receive the Major League allowance of $108.50 per day along with their Minor League salary.

Is the “Nashville plan” going to become a reality? There has been discussion of a plan that would involve sending 40–60 unsigned free agents — mostly players who played at Triple-A or in the Majors last season — to Nashville, Tenn., where they would make up a pair of teams that could serve as a pool of emergency call ups for the 30 MLB teams. The Nashville Sounds — the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate — would host the group. Games in Nashville could be played between the free-agent teams every Thursday through Sunday beginning around the same time as MLB’s Opening Day. More information on the Major League Baseball season can be found here.

On July 24, the Womens’ National Basketball Association is projected to start a 22-game regular season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The regular season will be followed by a traditional WNBA Postseason. Numerous stars have decided to back out of the season, including Rebecca Allen, Liberty (story), Natasha Cloud, Mystics (story); and Tiffany Hayes, Dream (story). As the WNBA noted in their return to play statement writes, “The WNBA 2020 season will include a devoted platform led by the players that will aim to support and strengthen both the league and teams’ reach and impact on social justice matters. As recently announced, this began with the WNBA making donations from sales of its “Bigger Than Ball” women’s empowerment merchandise to the Equal Justice Initiative.”

On July 25, the Premier Lacrosse League begins its Championship Series tournament at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah. The tournament will be played without fans and players and support staff will be quarantined. According to their press release, “all seven PLL clubs will be accommodated for room and board, training and competition at the facilities’ numerous playing fields.” The PLL has also announced that [their] “COVID-19 Medical Committee has worked constantly with public health organizations over the last three months to develop protocols and procedures to ensure safety for all traveling parties. The Committee, consisting of multiple physicians and infectious disease experts, requires that PLL Championship Series participants self-quarantine for two weeks prior to travel and be tested both before and immediately upon arrival onsite. Subsequently, all parties will be subject to regular testing and symptom monitoring throughout the duration of their stay at Real Salt Lake Training Academy.” The league’s seven teams will compete in a fourteen-game group play format to determine seeding for the following week’s single-elimination tournament. More information about the PLL Championship Series can be found here.

The National Basketball Association projected to restart on July 30 at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, with The Finals ending no later than October 13. The venues for all games will be inside the Arena, Field House and Visa Athletic Center. A total of 22 teams will return to play. In the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards will compete for playoff spots. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, and Phoenix Suns will play to finish off the 2019–20 NBA season and playoffs. Seeding games are the eight remaining games each returning team will play before the playoffs begin. The games were selected from a team’s remaining regular-season matchups. The first round begins August 17. The conference semifinals begin August 31. The conference finals begin September 15. The NBA Finals begin September 30. According to the league, if the team with the eighth-best record in its conference is more than four games ahead of the team with the ninth-best record in the same conference, no play-in tournament will be necessary. The final playoff berth will simply go to the team with the eighth best record (regular-season games + seeding games). But if the team with the eighth-best record in its conference is four games or fewer ahead of the team with the ninth-best record in the same conference, then we’ll have a battle for the final spot between those two teams. The tournament will basically be a best-of-two series — where the №9 seed will have to win two head-to-head matchups to take over the №8 spot. More information about the NBA’s comeback can be found here.

Nothing has yet been decided about the National Football League or any other NCAA Fall Season sports.

From the day the Islanders game against the Flames ended on March 12th, the entire pro sports world came to a screeching halt, as did the entire world. People had their travel plans upended, schools became solely remote and much more. The reason for this- the Coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a virus of the coronavirus. On a warm June day, the National Hockey League announced their plans to return to play in order to resume their season, which was paused back on March 12 in an effort to curb the Coronavirus pandemic. The league announced that there would be four phases to return, the first being a maximum of six players on the ice during practice (plus a limited number of team staff members). Phase 3 was the official start of training camp to prepare players to play hockey again. Phase 4 was the resumption of the 2019–20 season and the start of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Hub Cities: Edmonton for the Western Conference and for the Isles and the rest of the Eastern Conference.

The play-in teams were staying at the Hotel X in Toronto, along with the other top-five teams in the Eastern Conference. The Fairmont Royal York will host the rest of the Eastern Conference teams, the Islanders included. Hotel X is a six-minute drive to Scotiabank Arena, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ home, while the Royal York is a two-minute drive there. However, shuttles and underground routes out of view from the public have been established for the players’ safety in both hub cities. In Edmonton, the JW Marriott will host the top-six seeds in the Western Conference while the Sutton Place will host the bottom-six ones.

In an effort to build camaraderie and just have fun, the Islanders started a ping-pong tournament of their own, dubbed “Boys of the Isle” on August 2nd. Their bracket, as pictured below, pitted the likes of J.G. Pageau against Anders Lee, Ilya Sorokin, Ross Johnston, and Semyon Varlamov against each other in Group 1. Group 2 featured Mat Barzal, Devon Towes, Noah Dobson, Michael Dal Colle, and Matt Martin. Meanwhile, Group 3 highlighted Brock Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier, Leo Komarov, Cal Clutterbuck, and Andrew Ladd. The final group consisted of Josh “Bails” Bailey, Adam Pelech, Casey Cizikas, Otto Koivula, and Jordan Eberle. The tournament, which ran from August 2nd until August 8th, featured some pretty impressive guys both on the ice and off it. With some help from Eyes on Isles, we were able to decipher the rules set in place by the Isles. Each player in each group had to play every guy in a best of 3 to 11. The top two seeds from each group advanced to the tournament. In tournament play, it was bumped up to a best of three playing to 21. Although Barzy did work on his ping-pong game back in April, it seems that his luck may have run out, as JGP came out victorious.

After completing their Game 7 win over the Flyers, the Islanders flew to Edmonton to begin their Eastern Conference Final matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Game 1 result was not one they had hoped for, getting trounced 8 to 2. Jordan Eberle and Nick Leddy scored the Isles’ goals. In preparation for the rest of the series, is there something that the Isles should do as a team to get themselves in the right mindset? Maybe it’s another ping-pong tournament or playing a game of World Cup or Football at Commonwealth Stadium?

Even before the bubbles were even a thought, the Islanders had one of the closest teams, camaraderie wise, and I firmly believe that this closeness will spearhead the Isles’ Stanley Cup Final efforts.

*This story was published in September 2020*

Israel’s first attempt at professional baseball did not fare well at all. In 2007, 6 teams played a 45 game season over the course of 8 weeks, to earn the title of Israel Baseball League champion. However, they were not accepted but instead were eventually invited to play in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. In the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, Israel defeated South Africa in their first game 7–3, Spain 4–3 in their second game, but lost 9–7 in 10 innings in the qualifying match. After winning the 4th qualifying round in 2016, Team Israel was able to participate in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Israel swept all three games of the qualifiers and was the last team to qualify for the World Baseball Classic. Their opponents in Pool A were South Korea, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. Israel’s roster included 20 MLB-affiliated minor leaguers, making up 86% of the team.

This past Summer and Fall, Team Israel reunited but this time with Israelis making up the entire team. In order to qualify for the Olympics, all members of the teams need to be passport-carrying citizens of their country. The Israelis managed to win tournament games against Russia, Netherlands, Italy, and even Germany at home. The Israelis defeated South Africa 11–1 in September to win the WBSC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) Europe/Africa Qualifier and earned a berth to the Olympics being held in Japan. In the following weeks, Mexico and South Korea both qualified to earn their spots in the pool of 6 at this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. Below is a series of interviews with members of the 2020 Israeli Olympic Baseball team.

The questions I asked were:

1. Why did you decide to make aliyah (move to Israel) and obtain Israeli citizenship?

2. What were some of the reasons you decided to play for Team Israel?

3. What is the best experience you’ve had as a part of Team Israel that you’ll never forget?

4. What are you most looking forward to during the Olympics?

Zachary Penprase:

1. I’ve always had a distinct connection to Israel because my great grandfather’s name is Reuben Israel. My family is from Rhodes, and seeing that 1600 Jews were taken from that island and only 200 returned, I felt I have always been tied to Israel, forever. I really made Aliyah so I could play for a chance to make it to the Olympics, but would never have been willing to without this feeling of connection I’ve always felt.

2. I decided to play for Team Israel because I knew I still could play after being retired for 5 years. I also had a feeling about how good we could possibly be. I’ve never really been a top prospect or somebody who has been selected to teams so I figured why not? Also, my wife said, “why aren’t you trying to pursue the Olympic thing?” That was definitely a sign after ignoring the opportunity for a few weeks.

3. Definitely my best experience was winning the very first tournament in Bulgaria and meeting guys who I’ve never even seen before, and creating instant chemistry with them. In the 5th inning of the 2nd game of that tournament, I was crying with gratitude and I felt extremely proud of my decision to play for Team Israel.

4. Winning a medal and upsetting the world, since we’ve already upset all of Europe.

Jake Rosenberg:

1. Wanted the adventure of living in Israel and trying something new out, also had to make aliyah to join the team.

2. I wanted to be able to rep my religion on the biggest stage possible and continue to have a baseball career.

3. Playing in our first qualifier in Bulgaria. No one really knew one another and had no idea about the journey we were gonna take. [We] surprised everyone and found ourselves in the Olympics.

4. I’m most looking forward to representing Israel and keeping Israel baseball on the map with a gold medal.

Jonathan DeMarte:

1. I decided to make aliyah to represent Team Israel and it was really important to be able to represent Israel and the Jewish people on a global stage.

2. Never really thought about playing for anywhere else, watched WBC 2017 in college, and as a Jewish player watching the team was something he felt a connection to. When asked if he would play for Team Israel, my first answer was yes, I’ll play for Team Israel.

3. My favorite part of being on Team Israel was qualifying for the Olympics and being able to be a part of the largest delegation in Israel Olympic History. Another highlight is being the first Israeli sports team to play in Germany since 1972, then beating Germany in Germany. It was an awesome experience.

4. I am most looking forward to representing Jewish and Israeli people all over the world through the biggest international stage there is. I’m also looking forward to meeting athletes from all over the world.

Blake Gailen

1. I made Aliyah in order to become eligible to play in the Olympics.

2. I reached out to play in the WBC in 2016–2017 because of my heritage and the exposure it would provide. The longer I played with Team Israel the more I identified with the culture.

3. The best experience was playing in Japan against Japan (WBC). 45,000 fans in the Tokyo Dome. Even though we lost, it was the most electric atmosphere in which I’ve ever played.

4. I’m looking most forward to living in the Olympic Village and letting all the other Olympians and learning their stories as well as competing for an Olympic medal.

The fascinating thing about life is that everyone has shared experiences that nearly everyone can relate to, and then there are others who have had certain other experiences that many simply dream about. I have grown up on Long Island as a fan of the Yankees, Jets, Islanders, and, recently, the Knicks. The closest I have ever been to stepping on a professional sports field was the May 2017 Yankees game I attended with my cousin, aunt, and father. Our family sat in the front row, and although the Yankees ultimately ended up losing the game by a final score of 4-1, I still had a phenomenal experience receiving two baseballs that had been used during the game. I was blown away by the massive size of the players that stepped on deck in the batter’s circle about 20 feet in front of me, and the amount of power these players were able to use to their advantage in order to hit a baseball 400 feet from home plate. However, while many fans, young and old alike, are blown away every time they step through the front gates of the stadium, for Burke, it was just another day at work with his father.

Burke grew up in a household where attending sports events was quite normal. For the Burkes, not doing so was more out of the ordinary. Burke spent a lot of time at sporting events as a result of his father’s occupation as a sportswriter for The Record and The Ledger, covering both the Yankees and Mets. Burke attended countless games, spoke with hundreds of professional athletes before he graduated high school, and was able to have the entire 1994 Yankees sign his cast after an injury. To boot, Burke recalls attending an All Star Game with his father, announcing the game into a tape recorder. All of these experiences were nothing out of the ordinary for Burke, yet these all are things the rest of us could only dream about.

The majority of Burke’s childhood was spent in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Burke attended high school in nearby Paramus Catholic High School, where he played hockey. After graduating, Burke attended Ithaca College, and played on the club hockey team there. Burke was fortunate enough to attend a smaller college, which provided him with many opportunities to announce collegiate sporting events. Burke even recorded a tape for his prospective employers while attending a Cornell Women’s Hockey game.

Being selected as the youngest broadcaster to announce an ECHL All Star Game was exciting for Burke. He felt comfortable from day one and did not believe that his age would be a factor when it came to his job. From 2008-2013, Burke broadcasted games for the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League. While he was the lead broadcaster for the Rivermen, Burke was able to add to his resumé and fill in for the Rivermen’s National Hockey League affiliate, the St. Louis Blues, as their broadcaster for select games. While Burke wishes that an unfortunate event was not the reason for his call-up, he credits this as a time in which he was able to gain a lot of play-by-play experience, and create a reputation for himself in the NHL sphere. Following his tenure with the Rivermen, Burke made the move with the Rivermen to Utica and became the play-by-play man for the Comets, as well as the head of the public relations department, succeeding in both roles. Since 2013, Burke has called outdoor high school hockey for Fox Sports North in Minnesota, and has called both college hockey and college football, too. To boot, Burke has begun calling both Premier Lacrosse League games and nationally televised NHL games for NBC Sports Network.

In August of 2016, Burke was named the New York Islanders’ lead broadcaster, adding to the very short list of Islanders play-by-play people, and has held the role ever since. The list also includes Jiggs McDonald and Howie Rose. During his tenure as the Islanders broadcaster, Burke has been on air during many fantastic, and memorable games. However, Burke does not have one one particular game that sticks out most to him since they all feel like another day at the office. Burke’s phrases may not be as memorable as his colleague Butch Goring’s, which include “shopping in the toy department”, or Mike “Doc” Emerick, who notably had more than 100 words just to describe a pass. However, during the NHL’s playoffs recently held amid the pandemic, Burke’s quote “Game one to the Island'', initially used to describe the Islanders’ win over the Florida Panthers in the “Play-In Round”, resonated with many Islanders’ fans, creating a great sense of unity for all of them. While Burke does not know what the future holds, he certainly enjoys spending time with his two children, his daughter Quinn, his son Liam, and his soon arriving third child with his wife Mary.

The 2010s were perhaps the most glorious decade in sports history, if you rooted for any of the sports teams based in Boston, that is. Joon Lee happens to be one of those lucky fans, growing up in Brookline, Massachusetts during the glory days of Boston sports. In the 2000s and 2010s, teams from the Boston area- the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and Boston Red Sox- won their league championships a combined 12 times in the span of twenty years. In both 2004 and 2018, the Red Sox and Patriots both won. The Patriots won in 2001, 2003 and 2004, 2014 and 2016, and 2018. Having not won the World Series for 86 years, the Red Sox won four times in the 2010s (2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018). The Celtics won in 2008 and the Bruins won in 2011.

Joon Lee is currently the staff writer for ESPN, but he got his start at the Boston Herald, a newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts, where he had his first internship. I had the pleasure of meeting with Lee over Zoom to discuss his sports journalism journey back in December. One of his friends’ fathers happened to work there and, after a high school baseball game, Lee went over to his friend’s dad and asked if he could intern at the Boston Herald. Once he joined the team over the summer, he became engrossed in the world of Boston sports. Around the same time, Lee was writing for blogs across the web, covering sports and making his own impact in the community of sports journalism. Lee was fortunate enough to have the internship after his sophomore, junior and senior years in High School. During his first summer, he would take calls both from writers but also from Boston sports fans who had called in, assuming that they had called one of the sports radio stations in the Boston area. From this experience, Lee was able to grow as a writer and be able to experience what it felt like to be in a newsroom on a daily basis. Being able to open the Herald to the sports page and find his name in the byline might have been the highlight of his first summer there, even if the paper is no longer the same as it was then. After spending his first summer at the Herald’s offices, Lee shifted to shadowing writers at the ballpark on game days during summer number two. In his role, he went to the Red Sox games and transcribed quotes for writers after the games. The most exciting part of the job, however, was walking into the clubhouse for the first time and seeing David Ortiz. It was then where Lee first realized that he was able to actually make a career out in sports journalism, and be able to succeed in it.

After his freshman year of college at Boston University, Lee interned for WEEI, a Boston sports radio station. Guided by some of his top mentors, Lee spent time not only working on press conference writeups, but also on feature stories, spending time with Xander Boegarts and Mookie Betts while they were in the Red Sox minor league system, with the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Red Sox’ Triple-A team based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. At the time, however, Mookie wasn’t receiving much attention, and now is a multi-time All Star, 2018 American League MVP, and muti-time World Series Champion. The experience Lee had at WEEI allowed him to realize how much people are able to grow over the years, going from a no-name to someone that is constantly in the spotlight. Shortly after his internship ended at WEEI, Lee transferred to Cornell University, where he took a class on communication and media, studying how media in the United States works and how it influences people and their views. At Cornell, Lee was fortunate enough to cover multiple sports seasons, as the sports editor for the Daily Sun. Lee was able to spend many seasons with the football team, baseball team, and hockey teams.

This past year, Lee, along with Clinton Yates and Gary Striewski, hosted the ESPN program “Baseball Tonight Live”, with the intention of having as much fun as possible and bring fun to the sport of baseball. Guests included Tim Anderson and Lucas Giolito, two stars of the Chicago White Sox and truly embody the new generation of baseball. Giolito, Lee added, has a Twitch channel, and Anderson, an incredibly colorful individual, both on and off the field. Lee has also been able to be a guest commentator for the Korean Baseball Organization on ESPN, when their games were aired this past spring, to speak to a national audience about his Korean heritage, which he described as “so surreal”. He had the opportunity to speak about his favorite Korean foods and BTS, something that he found to be unimaginable. Amidst all of the awful things that have happened this past year, this was an unforgettable experience.

This upcoming Major League Baseball season may be the most normal one we had in North American sports since March 12th, 2020, when the sports world went on pause as a precaution against the then-unknown novel coronavirus. While many things have stayed the same, there have also been many changes. Major League Baseball had 60 games from July 23rd to September 27th and added three teams to each league’s playoff competition. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in Game six of the World Series.

Minor Leagues: This offseason may have been the most tumultuous one for

the Minors since the 1963 reorganization of the Minor Leagues, which was the organization of teams into Triple-A (AAA), Double-A (AA), High-A (A+), and Low-A (A). Triple-A is the highest rung on the Minor League ladder, one step away from the Major Leagues. The 2021 reorganization allowed teams to move their minor league affiliates closer to their Major League home stadium, gave Major League Baseball full autonomy over professional baseball in the United States, cut nearly 1,000 jobs, contracted twenty teams, and allowed each Major League team to funnel their prospects through four different leveled teams.

American League East:

The New York Yankees probably have the highest expectations out of any other team in the American League except for the Tampa Bay Rays, who lost the World Series in 6 games last season. The Yankees lost to the Rays in the ALDS last year in San Diego. The Yankees lost Adam Ottavino in a trade with the Red Sox and gained Corey Kluber, Jay Bruce, Jameson Tallion, and Derek Dietrich. Their Win-Loss Prediction is 98-64; They will win their division and beat the Dodgers in the World Series.

The Tampa Bay Rays added Rich Hill and Charlie Morton, but I don’t think that these moves will help with the loss of Cy Young Award-Winning pitcher Blake Snell. The Rays have the roster to make it to the playoffs again this year, but I think that they will make it this year as the first Wild Card and will lose in the ALDS. Their Win-Loss Projection is 90-72; They will finish in second place in their Division and will advance to ALCS as the first Wild Card. The most underrated team in the American League, in my opinion, is the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays added George Springer, who will be their first member from the 2017 Houston

Astros team, who were punished by Major League Baseball for cheating their way to a World Series championship. The Blue Jays have a strong young core in Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Cavan Biggio, and Bo Bichette, all of whom have the possibility to propel them to a third-place finish in an extremely competitive division. Their Win- Loss Projection is 86-76; They will narrowly make the Wild Card game and will lose to the Rays.

The Boston Red Sox will be miles away from where they once were post-World Series championship season in 2018. Red Sox manager Alex Cora, is now back after a year-long suspension for his active role in the Astros’ cheating scandal. Players-wise, the Red Sox lost key members of their 2018 championship team when Andrew Bennentendi was traded to the Kansas City Royals and when Jackie Bradley Jr. became a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Their Win-Loss Projection is 80-82; They will miss the playoffs.

This season may be even worse than the last for the Baltimore Orioles, who finished 25-35, one game better than the Red Sox. Trey Manicini missed the entirety of last season whilst recovering from colon cancer surgery, and is back and ready to play ball again. The O’s also added Matt Harvey and Felix Hernandez to a very young squad, with the likes of Ryan Mountcastle and Dean Kremer, who both made their Major League debuts last season. Their Win-Loss Projection is 76- 86; They will miss the playoffs.

American League Central:

The clear frontrunner in this division is the Chicago White Sox. Their young core, consisting of Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, and Tim Anderson, will lead the South Siders to their first division title since 2008. The Sox made the postseason as a Wild Card team. Their Win-Loss Projection is 89-73; They will win AL Central, and will lose in ALDS to the Yankees.

The Twins are probably the fifth-best team in the American League. Nelson Cruz is back, Shortstop Andrelton Simmons was acquired, and Alex Colomé has joined the Twins as a much-needed bullpen support. They may be down to the wire in the last few days this year with the Jays for the second wild-card spot, but I think Toronto will end up pulling through. Their Win-Loss Projection is 87-75; They will miss the playoffs by one game.

The third-best team in this division is the Royals, a team below-mediocrity for many years. The team lost one of their perennial franchise players when Alex Gordon retired last season. However, they are one step closer to being a relevant team once again, with the additions of Andrew Benintendi and Brad Bach. Their Win-Loss Projection is 84-78; They will miss the playoffs. If there was an award for the most damaged team in an offseason, it would go to Cleveland. The face of their franchise, Francisco Lindor, was traded away in a package deal with solid starter Carlos Carrasco to the Mets, in exchange for infielders Andrés Giménez and Amed Rosario, along with prospects Josh

Wolf and Isaiah Greene. Their Win-Loss Projection is 82-80; They will miss the playoffs.

At last, we have arrived at the basement of the AL Central, the Detroit Tigers. A team riddled with injuries with a shallow farm system that will not bring them success in the near future. They need more time before they can contend at all. It will be interesting to see what A.J. Hinch can bring to the club, after being out of baseball for a year due to his participation in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Their Win-Loss Projection is 77-85; They will miss the playoffs.

American League West:

This season may well be the one that will bring the Los Angeles Angels back to the Postseason. The Angels have Mike Trout, who is considered to be the best player of our generation, Shohei Ohtani, who is the first player since Babe Ruth to pitch and hit in the same season, and Anthony Rendon, who they acquired in December 2019 as a free agent. The Angels have Dylan Bundy, but may need a midseason trade to add another arm for the playoff race.

Their Win-Loss Projection is 88-74; They will Win their Division, but will lose in ALDS to the White Sox.

By no means are the Oakland Athletics a championship-caliber team, but they are miles ahead of the Rangers and the Mariners. The A’s also acquired Pitcher Adam Kolerek, while signing P Sergio Ramo, DH Mitch Moreland, and P Trevor Rosenthal. Their Win-Loss Projection is 84-78; They will miss the playoffs.

In my mind, the third-place AL West team is the Astros. Losing a main part of any team is difficult, but for the Astros, losing George Springer is a big blow. While the Astros will not make the playoffs this season, it will be very interesting to see what they do next season. Their Win-Loss Projection is 80-82; They will miss the playoffs.

The Texas Rangers have Joey Gallo, and have added David Dahl, who was most recently with the Colorado Rockies. They lost Lance Lynn and Corey Kluber, but added Nate Lowe, a first baseman who was most recently on the Rays’ AL Championship team. Elvis Andrus is headed to Oakland, while Dane Dunning is joining the club from the White Sox. The Rangers will be a fourthplace team for a little while until they can pull it together. Their Win-Loss Projection is 79-83. They will miss the playoffs.

The Mariners have a legitimate chance of taking back the title of the worst team in the American League this year. Their limited number of offseason moves will prevent them from making it above fifth place in the division this year. I am not confident that their few moves will help the M’s a significant amount. Their Win- Loss Projection is 77-85. They will miss the playoffs.

National League East:

The current Mets have the best chance of making the playoffs this year than any other year since their World Series appearance in 2015, due to the additions of Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco, James McCann, Kevin Pillar, and Trevor May. I think that the Mets will win the division this year-- and I will stick to this statement. Their Win- Loss Projection is 89-73. They will lose in the NLDS to the Cardinals.

The Braves are once again a perennial contender, but I think that they will fall short. Their Win-Loss Projection is 86-76. They will make the Wild Card but will lose to the San Diego Padres.

The Philadelphia Phillies have a probability to win this division, but the Mets and Braves are just going to be too good. Their Win-Loss Projection is 80-82.

The Nationals, two years removed from their World Series championship, look nearly identical to their team last year, but with a few noticeable differences. This is not the end of the road for the Nats, but they will need to add one or two players by the trade deadline in late July. Their Win-Loss Projection is 83-79; They will miss the playoffs.

The Miami Marlins flexed some muscle, winning a playoff season in Chicago against the Cubs last year, as well as making momentous hiring, with Kim Ng joining the Fish as their new GM. Ng is the first woman to hold a General Manager role in the Major Leagues. Their Win-Loss Projection is 79-83; They will miss the playoffs.

National League Central:

This division always ends up being the most competitive since there has never been a single team that stands out from all the rest. This year, the Cardinals have changed that. The Cardinals added superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado, and if nothing else happened the last offseason, I think Cardinals fans would be more than satisfied. Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina are back for another season, which gets everyone excited. I think that the Cards have a good chance of winning the division this year. Their Win-Loss Projection is 91-71. They will lose to the Dodgers in the NLCS.

The Cubs, Brewers, and Reds all have a fighting chance, but the Pirates will be interesting to watch this year. They had the worst record in baseball at 19-41, and they lost Joe Musgrove, Jameson Tallion, and Josh Bell this offseason. The Brewers will finish at 89-73, the Reds at 85-77, and the Cubs at 83-79. The Pirates, in my mind, will finish at 75-87, which would put them in the basement of the Major Leagues. They will too miss the playoffs.

National League West:

The Dodgers have emerged as a dominant force in the National League for years to come and will make it to the World Series this year. I think that this year will be the one where the Yankees will finally make it back to (and win the) World Series and will have to face a nearly identical Dodgers team (plus NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer). Their Win-Loss Projection is 97-65. They will make it to the World Series and will lose to the Yankees. The Padres added Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Blake Snell to their rotation and their already stacked team, but we will have to see how far they can really go versus the Dodgers this season. Their Win-Loss Projection is 90-72. They will make the Wild Card game and beat the Braves. However, they will lose to Dodgers in NLDS.

The Giants and the Rockies showed off the potential they had last season, but for the Rockies, Arenado went to the Cardinals, and David Dahl went to the Rangers. The Giants’ starting rotation was thinned following the departure of Jeff Samardzija, Drew Smyly, Trevor Cahill, and Tyler Anderson. The team added Anthony DeSchalfani and Alex Wood, but I don’t think that’s enough to get them above the Padres this season. Other hitters, such as Pablo Sandoval and Justin Smoak, weren’t productive last season, but Donavan Solano made a name for himself. The Rockies’ Win-Loss Projection is 85-77. They will miss the playoffs. The Giants’ Win-Loss Projection is 83-79. They will miss the playoffs. The Diamondbacks have added both Anthony Swarzak and Joakim Soria, yet they have lost Kevin Cron to Japan. Last year, the D-backs were hoping to compete, but it doesn’t look like they can this year either. Their Win-Loss Projection is 77-89. They will miss the playoffs. This baseball season will certainly be different this year and baseball fans across the world are gleaming with hope for a return to a pseudo-normalcy.