Sunday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a summer day…….

Sunday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a summer day…….

13) Angels threw a combined no-hitter Friday night, in their first home game since Tyler Skaggs’ tragic death. Taylor Cole and Felix Pena combined on the no-hitter; Cole was the opener- he threw the first two innings. Pena threw 81 pitches in closing out the 13-0 win.

Skaggs’ mother threw out the first pitch on a very sad, emotional night in Anaheim.

12) In his first two seasons in the NBA, Ben Simmons played 34 mpg in 160 games; he is one of the best passers I’ve ever seen, but this stat is staggering.

In those 160 games, Simmons is 0-17 behind the arc, and shoots only 58.3% on the foul line. For a guard with his overall skills to be such a suspect shooter is really unusual.

He could become one of the all-time greats if he would make jumpers and foul shots.

11) Orioles-Rays played a doubleheader Saturday; Baltimore started Aaron Brooks in the first game— they just got him from the A’s, where he started six games this season. Baltimore is a bad baseball team; they need all the help they can get.

Brooks retires the first eight batters he faced, throwing 32 pitches, but then they take him out, the night after they lost 16-4— WHY?!?!?!?! Brooks is 29, he’s not a big prospect, so they’re not trying to preserve his arm or anything. It makes zero sense.

Of course the next pitcher gives up a home run to the first batter he faces.

10) Orioles traded their best pitcher Andrew Cashner to Boston, for minor league IF Noelberth Romero and minor league OF Elio Prado. Both minor leaguers are 17 years old.

9) Washington QB Case Keenum is on his 4th team in four years this season; he started 39 games (21-18) the last three years, but he changes addresses every year. Will the Redskins play Keenum ahead of Colt McCoy, until rookie Dwayne Haskins is ready to play?

Keenum was the Rams’ QB ahead of Jared Goff in 2016, so he knows that drill; he started the first nine games (4-5) but the first round draft pick will eventually start, just the way it is.

8) Lebron James will still wear #23 for the Lakers this coming season, due to production issues and the massive financial hit Nike would have absorbed from the No. 23 James inventory that’s already been produced.

Anthony Davis will wear #3 for the Lakers this season.

7) College basketball transfer portal
— Shakur Juiston bolts from UNLV to Oregon.

6) Former UNLV start Anthony Bennett was the first player taken in the 2013 NBA Draft, but his career fizzled out fairly quickly; he’s played for three NBA teams and five G-League teams in the last six years. Now Bennett has agreed to a non-guaranteed deal with the Houston Rockets- we wish him well.

5) Grayson Allen got tossed out of a summer league game Thursday, after he got a flagrant foul, with Memphis down 24 in 4th quarter. Funny how the TV announcers didn’t cover for him this time, like they did when he was in college.

4) Likewise, it was suggested one TV during the week that Zion Williamson might want to get in better shape before the Pelicans begin their training camp. How does a kid with so much money on the line come to summer league in less than tip-top shape?

3) First-round matchups for December’s Diamond Head Classic:
Houston/Portland
Georgia Tech/Boise State
Washington/UTEP
Ball State/Hawaii

Next time you hear someone whining that college athletes should get paid, ask them how many free trips to Hawai’i they’ve gotten in their lives, complete with free, first class hotels.

2) Angels/Rays both scored seven runs in first inning Friday, first time two teams did that on the same night since April 20, 2013, when the Angels/Indians did it.

Then Saturday, Cubs and A’s did it, too.

1) ESPN shows the World Series of Poker on a 30-minute delay; was watching it late into the night Friday night/Saturday morning, with the field down to 12 players (nine make the final table). Not always the best TV, because the hands aren’t edited; there is a lot of waiting as players decide whether or not to call bets. Lot of money rides on the outcome.

There was a controversy late at night (I mean, 4am in the east) where one player asked how much it was to call a bet and the dealer said the wrong amount, by like $5M. When it was pointed out there was a long delay, but according to the rules, it is the player’s responsibility to know the correct amount, no matter what the dealer says.