data-mm-id=”_az5cei6kf”>Nelson Cruz hit 22 Major League home runs before entering his age-28 season in 2009. He has 382 since then. Two came yesterday as part of a four-hit, seven RBI outburst in Chicago against the White Sox. Cruz, now 40 and a crucial bat for the pennant-chasing Minnesota Twins, continues to age like a fine wine. Or perhaps he's Benjamin Buttoning, allowing writers to dip back into the overworked Curious Case headline files should they see fit. Something's going on and we need to get to the bottom of it. The slugging outfielder-turned-designated hitter made one All-Star Game before he turned 32. Since then, he's earned a spot in five. Over the past five seasons, he's finished in the Top-10 of MVP voting in four and in 15th in another campaign. During this torrid stretch he has homered at least 37 times every season. Last year, in his first go-round with the Twins, Cruz posted arguably the most spectacular numbers of his career, slashing .311/.392/.639 while blasting 41 dingers and driving in 108 runs in 120 games. Now, it's an extremely small sample size, but it's worth mentioning that he currently leads all of baseball in homers, RBI, and hits through three games — which amounts to five percent of the season. Cruz producing at a blistering pace over a 60-game stretch is very possible. It's not unreasonable to think he could contend for MVP honors. If that happens, he'll be one of the oldest player to ever win it, tied with Barry Bonds (who won it at 40 in 2004). Even more eye-brow raising for Cruz is that he's the second-oldest position player currently in baseball. Even if those lofty goals fall by the wayside, Cruz has put together a remarkable and unexpected inverted career. The truth can be stranger than fiction and it feels like he just gets better as they days pass. Wish we could all say the same.
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Falcom and NIS America have announced that Ys 10: Nordics, the latest title in the developer’s legendary action RPG series, will launch on October 25th for the West. It will be available on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC on release. Check out the trailer below, which showcases some gOnline Bettingameplay and the English voices.
Available in September 2023 for Japan, the story takes place between Ys 2 and Ys: Memories of Celceta to focus on a younger Adol Christin. He and his best friend Dogi arrive at a new location, Obelia Gulf, and encounter seafaring warriors known as Normans. Karja Balta is one such individual and finds herself bound to Adol as the story progresses.
This l…
Just as EA Sports has a monopoly on football, American and otherwise, so does 2K command the biggest basketball dynasty in gaming with NBA 2K. It’s led to some questionable decisions over the years, especially regarding monetization, but the core of NBA 2K has continuously evolved, even if it’s in iterative bursts. NBA 2K25 is the latest, and though not quite the greatest, it begrudgingly reinforces why the franchise keeps drawing players back, year in, year out.
Hopping into the game immediately thrusts you into the role of MP, fighting alongside your team of choice to win the NBA Finals. Of course, it’s revealed to be a visualization, a meditation exercise for what he wants to achieve. From there, you se…
Anomalies are a staple of the Zone in STALKER 2, with a variety of these treacherous hazards scattered across the map. While there are four major elemental categorizations of Anomaly, there are several sub-variants with distinct behaviors. These environmental hazards must be navigated carefully, in order for Stalkers to get their hands on the true prize within: Artifacts. The powers of these Artifacts usually correspond to the element of the Anomaly from which they are taken, thus allowing you to further bolster your defenses in future encounters as you seek to farm Artifacts to sell for valuable coupons.
This STALKER 2 guide is a list of all Anomalies, Arch Anomalies, Anomalous Areas, their behaviors, and how best to contend with them.
On-loan Everton winger Royston Drenthe has hit out at Real Madrid for the way the club has treated their Dutch stars in the past few years.
Several Netherlands internationals such as Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart have been pushed out of Madrid since 2009, and Drenthe feels the club showed a complete lack of respect toward their players.
I don t really care much about Real Madrid any more. I ve left the club now. Jorge Valdano, who was sporting director at the time, has also left. People come and go at Madrid, Drenthe told NUsport.
They are like baguettes in a hot oven. Get them in, eat them, and move on to the next. Sneijder, (Klaas-Jan) Huntelaar, Robben, van der Vaart. They ve left there one after another. It s a mess.
Snei…
On-loan Everton winger Royston Drenthe has hit out at Real Madrid for the way the club has treated their Dutch stars in the past few years.
Several Netherlands internationals such as Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart have been pushed out of Madrid since 2009, and Drenthe feels the club showed a complete lack of respect toward their players.
I don t really care much about Real Madrid any more. I ve left the club now. Jorge Valdano, who was sporting director at the time, has also left. People come and go at Madrid, Drenthe told NUsport.
They are like baguettes in a hot oven. Get them in, eat them, and move on to the next. Sneijder, (Klaas-Jan) Huntelaar, Robben, van der Vaart. They ve left there one after another. It s a mess.
Snei…
Porto forward James Rodriguez has revealed that an offer from Manchester United would be difficult to refuse.
The Colombian winger has seen his stock rise a great deal over the last couple of years and he is now regarded as one of the most promising players in world football.
Rodriguez was recently linked with a move to Old Trafford and he admits an invitation from the Red Devils would be hard to refuse.
“I am only focused on Porto at the moment but I could not reject to play for Manchester United. It would please me,” Rodriguez told Colombian newspaper Nuevo Estadio.
The 20-year-old winger started his professional career at Colombian side Envigado before moving to Banfield in 2008.
After just two years at Banfield, Porto bought 70% of the pl…
Manchester United are the front runners to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, according to the Metro.
The Germany international, who moved to Signal Iduna Park in the summer of 2011, has also been linked with moves to both Arsenal and Manchester City though it is United who are leading the race to secure his services.
Since moving to Dortmund, the 24 year old has racked up one hundred and thirteen appearances for the club, scoring thirteen goals while he was part of their double winning squad and 2012 and that that reached the Champions League final a year later.
He has nine caps for his country and two goals, though he was not part of the German’s squad for their victorious World Cup campaign last summer due to injury.
Gundogan beg…
Liam Rosenior is convinced he has a first-team future at Hull City despite a frustrating start to the Premier League season.
The defender has only started once in 11 matches for Steve Bruce s side, with Ahmed Elmohamady preferred at right wing-back in Hull 3-5-2 formation.
Rosenior has largely been a regular at the club since his arrival in 2010 and is determined to prove his worth.
I don t want to be viewed as a squad player, he told The Hull Daily Mail. I feel as though I ve got a lot more value than that.
I played more than 30 games last season and not many squad players play that many times.
I want to play regular football here. It s rare in football you find a club where you re this happy.
I feel as though the fans respect me, …
France head coach Didier Deschamps has filed a complaint for defamation against Manchester United great Eric Cantona.
Cantona gave an interview to the Guardian newspaper in the UK in May 2016 where he questioned Deschamps handling of Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa during his tenure in charge of Les Bleus.
Benzema was barred from France s Euro 2016 plans when he was implicated in an attempted extortion targeting his one-time international team-mate Matthieu Valbuena.
France s Court of Cassation, the country s highest appeals court, annulled the validity of the investigation into Benzema s alleged involvement in the blackmail plot in July and he has been available for international selection since Euro 2016.
Deschamps has opted against recalling the Real …
With Cristiano Ronaldo securing his fifth Ballon d Or ahead of Lionel Messi on Thursday, the long-time rivals continued their dominance of the award.
Only once in the last 10 years when Messi finished ahead of Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta have the world s leading duet failed to finish in the top two spots in the voting.
Eventually, though, their dominance will have to come to an end. It may not be for a good few years yet, but there will come a time when someone not named Messi or Ronaldo will be posing with the prestigious trophy.
So who could step up to fill the sizeable void? Here are five leading candidates (listed in alphabetical order) to claim the honour at some stage in the future.
And yes, we re aware this high-class shortlist doesn…
Brazil boss Tite has included uncapped pair Claudinho and Raphinha in a 25-man squad for a trio of World Cup qualifiers in September.
The Selecao are quickly back in action after the disappointment of missing out on Copa America glory on home soil, with games against Chile, Argentina who defeated Brazil in the final and Peru coming up next month.
Claudinho receives his opportunity after helping his country secure Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, including starting in the 2-1 final win over Spain.
The midfielder has made a move to Europe to continue his club career, his signing announced by Zenit not long after the Olympics tournament had concluded.
Raphinha, meanwhile, gets an opportunity after impressing in his debut season with Leeds United. The winger signe…