June 2025

There were 1,837 posts published in June 2025 (this is page 4 of 184).

The day Terry Collins stood up for Dave Parker

Naturally, Terry Collins remembers playing with Dave Parker.

How could anyone not?

Parker was electricity incarnate, a 21-year-old budding superstar patrolling center field for the 1972 Salem Pirates of the Carolina League and honing the five tools that would eventually propel him into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

But Parker, who died on Saturday at age 74, carried through life an even stronger memory of Collins, a scrappy infielder on that club who would go on to become the longest-tenured manager in the history of the New York Mets.

Parker’s 2021 memoir Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood (written with Dave Jordan), contains this anecdote about an experience that year with Collins, 23 at the time, and another teammate, Ron “Satch” Mitchell:

“After a day game, me and Satch were walking through Salem with Terry Collins, that feisty, skinny kid from up north. He generally didn’t look for trouble, but he wasn’t afraid of it, either. We just wanted a quick meal without going all the way back to Roanoke. As we made our way through town, these young men — they were both actually pretty tall – sitting outside a general store yelled over, ‘You two don’t belong here.’

I wasn’t in the mood for a fight, and neither was Satch. But that didn’t stop Terry.

“What the hell does that mean? Ol’ Collins got right in their faces.

“I’m from Michigan! People don’t talk to other people like that!”

“I ain’t talkin’ to you. We’re talking to Leroy over there.”

Back then “Leroy” was the name racists used when they were tired of the N-word.

“You’re talkin’ to me now, and if I ever –”

At this point, Satch quietly dragged Terry away from the guys. Collins sure had some balls on him. What a good dude.”

Reached by telephone on Monday from his home in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Collins said that he had not read the passage in Parker’s book. But he remembered the incident well.

“I was appalled by what I heard,” Collins said. “I had heard stories about how [Black players] were treated in the Carolina League, but to see it in person — I was shocked. Plus, Dave was my friend. He was my teammate.”

Collins remembers that Parker told him that he was crazy, and that the men probably had guns in their store. But Collins was the guy who won the Pirates “Red Ass of the Year” Award in ‘72. That honor came with a trophy of a donkey’s rear end. He was not going to allow a few menacing racists to speak to his friend that way.

More than half a century later, Collins remains in awe of Parker’s talent.

“He could fly,” Collins said. “And I saw him hit a line drive off a pitcher’s shoulder, and that guy never pitched again. From then on guys would flinch when they threw the ball to him.”

The following year, Parker jumped from A-ball to Triple-A to the big leagues. He and Collins remained in touch.

In 1997, when the Anaheim Angels named Collins manager, Collins received a call from his friend Tony La Russa. La Russa was managing the St. Louis Cardinals and had earlier won a World Series in Oakland with Parker on his roster.

“Do yourself a favor and hire Dave Parker [as a coach],” La Russa said, unaware that the two had once played together. “He’s the best clubhouse guy I’ve ever had. I would hire him myself if I had room.”

Collins loved the idea, and made Parker his first base and outfield coach. The following year, La Russa brought Parker to St. Louis as his hitting instructor.

Parker and Collins remained in loose contact for a few years, then mostly lost track of one another — with the exception of a time when Collins’ Mets were playing in Cincinnati, where Parker lived. Parker made a point to come to the ballpark to say hello to his old buddy.

“He was a fun-loving guy with a great sense of humor,” Collins said. “He was a great dude, just a good guy. And he had tools up the ass.”

I Made a Copycat Juice Press Chia Pudding in My Vitamix Blender

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Whether or not you’ve ever been to a Juice Press store doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you know they offer a special chia seed pudding, and it’s out of this world. Even I, a self-professed lover of air-fried Popeye’s chicken sandwiches and bacon wrapped banana bites, cannot get enough of this surprisingly addictive vegan pudding.

In the past, I’ve tried duplicating the pudding at home, but came up short every time. Recently, however, I’ve had more success thanks the Vitamix Explorian E310, which helped me make a perfect copy of this cult favorite vanilla-scented pudding. 

Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender


$379.95
at Amazon

The right blender matters

Chia seeds are rather unusual—they’re teeny tiny, but packed with nutrients. When stirred into liquid they have incredible absorption capabilities, lending the resulting mixture a gelatinous consistency. Juice Press chia seed pudding is vegan, which might have you asking how to get a stable, pudding-like consistency without some key animal ingredients and lots of whisking on the stove. Instead of eggs the structure relies on a cashews, with the chia seeds serving as a natural thickening agent.

The key to this pudding succeeding, then, is making a creamy, non-gritty cashew sauce with a high-powered blender. And this is where having the right equipment matters.  

The Vitamix Explorian is the cheapest of their blender offerings but doesn’t skimp on power.
Credit: Diane Mattia

My past blenders and even some food processors have had trouble breaking down the cashews into a fine texture. Now, soaking the cashews helps here, and this recipe will taste good no matter what blender you have, but making a true copycat with pudding-like consistency—smooth enough that you’d be surprised to learn it is made with nuts—requires a powerful motor, and sharp, durable blades. The Vitamix Explorian E310 makes it all look easy—not to mention that it’s the cheapest model on offer from this top tier brand. (Read my full review of the Explorian E310.)

Making chia seed pudding in a Vitamix

With three easy steps and just a few ingredients, you can have this creamy, slightly sweet, vegan vanilla pudding at home. It’s perfect as-is but you can spice things up and add a pinch of cinnamon or cocoa powder to the mixture.

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup raw cashews

  • ½ cup water

  • ½ cup almond milk

  • 6 pitted dates

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ¼ cup chia seeds

1. Soak the cashews


Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

If you’re a big raw foods person then you can cold-soak your cashews overnight, but I’m fine with doing things the speedy way: Put the cashews in a bowl and cover them with just-boiled water. Let them soak for about 20 to 30 minutes. 

2. Blend the cashew sauce


Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Drain the cashews and pour the nuts into the blender container. Add all of the other ingredients except the chia seeds. The Explorian model doesn’t have any fancy presets, but frankly, you don’t need them! (Here are my tips on how to operate the Explorian to reach its full potential.)

I like to start by pulsing the mixture to chop it up a bit. Use the pulse switch on the left side four or five times. Then start the Vitamix Explorian on the lowest speed setting, with the dial set to speed 1. Run the machine for about 10 seconds and then ramp up all the way to speed 10. The resulting mixture should be smooth and somewhat thick, kind of like a milkshake.

3. Stir in the chia seeds and let it set


Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Next, I pour the chia seeds into a container and stir the cashew sauce into the seeds. Make sure the seeds are thoroughly mixed in and not clumped up. I like to use a glass or plastic container so I can see what’s going on under the surface. Let the pudding rest for 30 minutes so the seeds can begin absorbing liquid. They might settle a little during this time, so stir everything again to remix it. Cover the pudding and let it chill in the fridge for at least three hours to set. 

The Explorian is great for making cozy hot soups in the winter and good old-fashioned summer smoothies, but this chia pudding is hands-down my favorite year-round recipe to whip up. 

There Reportedly Aren’t Expected To be Issues Regarding Will Cuylle’s Potential Contract Extension With Rangers

With the Free Agent Frenzy less than 24 hours away, Will Cuylle and the Rangers still have not agreed to a contract extension. 

This means that Will Cuylle could become a restricted free agent on Tuesday with the risk of another team giving him an offer sheet. 

There’s now concern the Rangers could possibly lose Cuylle, but reportedly there isn’t much to be afraid of. 

According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, there aren’t expected to be any issues regarding Will Cuylle’s potential contract extension with the Rangers. 

The Athletic’s Peter Baugh reported that the Rangers have already been in talks with Cuylle about a potential contract extension.

It’s unclear how far negotiations have gone between the two sides and if they are close to finalizing a new deal. 

What’s the hold-up? It’s certainly strange that Cuylle remains unsigned at this point in time and there’s no real explanation for it. 

There’s Pressure On The Rangers To Finalize A Contract Extension With Will Cuylle Before The Unthinkable Happens There’s one upcoming restricted free agent on the New York Rangers that’s flying under the radar, but still needs to be signed. 

However, it would be hard to imagine the Rangers letting a 23-year-old leave who’s only beginning to blossom into a promising forward with an exponential amount of potential.

How to Sign Up for Prime Day ‘Invite-Only’ Deals

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Not all Prime Day deals are open to just anybody. Since 2023, some of the best deals in Amazon’s annual sale are invite-only—you have to sign up for them in advance of the sale going live, and hope you get chosen to receive the discount.

These deals have become a common fixture for Amazon’s major sales, including last fall’s Prime Big Deal Days. With Prime Day 2025 kicking off on July 8, you can expect to see more invite-only deals popping up around the site. Here’s how to find and sign up for them, so you have a fighting chance at taking advantage of some great offers.

Who is eligible for Prime Day invite-only deals

Only a select number of products will be invite-only deals. You’ll be able to spot them via an “invite-only” banner visible on the product page. As Amazon explains, you must be a Prime Member to sign up for the invite-only deals. What you’re doing is essentially requesting an invitation to purchase the deal, which will come by email.

Here are the steps to sign up:

  1. Find an “Invite-Only Prime Deal” that you want to purchase. You can find these deals listed on the Deals page once Prime Day begins.

  2. Navigate to the product detail page.

  3. Select “Request Invite.” If you are not a Prime member, sign up for Prime to be able to request an invite.

  4. You will receive an email notification confirming that you requested an invite. The confirmation will be sent to the email that is on your Amazon account. If you don’t have an email on your account, add one by navigating to Your Account > Login > Security.

How to know if you were approve for an invite-only deal

Keep in mind that just because you requested an invitation doesn’t mean you’ll receive one. If you are selected, you’ll receive both a push notification in the Amazon app and email notifying you during the sale. If you’re not selected, Amazon will also let you know you didn’t get one. You can only buy one of the products that you were invited for, but you can request as many different product invitations as you want. The invitation will last as long as Prime Day lasts (four days this year), or as long as there is stick remaining.

Invite-only deals are usually some of Prime Day’s most impressive offerings. Last year, for example, Amazon sold a 43-inch 4K Smart Fire TV for just $99, and you’ll likely see similar deals this year.

Here are more tips to shop smartly for Prime Day, using Alexa to remind you about deals to signing up for deal alerts so you receive notifications related to your Amazon searches and recently viewed items.

MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers back on top, Astros dominate in June

Featured in this week’s Power Rankings, Tarik Skubal shows out, the Astros are back among the game’s elite teams, Sonny Gray throws a super-charged Maddux, the Guardians’ bats are having a historically-bad June, James Wood gets the Barry Bonds treatment, and the Marlins are unstoppable.

(Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook)

Let’s get started!

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Jurickson Profar returns, Jacob Lopez is on a heater
Eric Samulski breaks down some of the top waiver wire adds for the upcoming week of fantasy baseball

Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, June 30.

1) Dodgers ⬆️

Last week: 2

It’s been a little while, but the Dodgers have reclaimed the top spot in our rankings. Max Muncy has been one of the best hitters in the majors since he began wearing glasses on April 30 to address an astigmatism, batting .296/.422/.593 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI over 51 games. Somebody get this man a Warby Parker endorsement deal.

2) Tigers ⬇️

Last week: 1

It was pretty cool to see the Tigers featured on Sunday Night Baseball this week. Tarik Skubal was obviously amped up for the occasion, as he struck out eight batters (including seven in a row) through the first three innings against the Twins. He ended up fanning 13 batters while allowing just one hit over seven scoreless frames. He’s on another level right now.

3) Astros ⬆️

Last week: 7

The Astros were No. 11 in the June 2 edition of MLB Power Rankings, but they’ve climbed into the top-three with an MLB-best 19 wins this month. Rookie outfielder Cam Smith has found his comfort zone of late with four homers and 15 RBI with a .342/.398/.566 batting line over his past 20 games. The club has to hope that Jeremy Peña’s fracture rib won’t keep him out for long.

4) Cubs

Last week: 4

Great sign for the Cubs last Thursday, as Shota Imanaga blanked the Cardinals with five-innings of one-hit ball in his return from a hamstring injury. The southpaw now holds a 2.83 ERA across his first 38 starts in the majors.

5) Phillies ⬇️

Last week: 3

The Phillies’ rotation has featured some excellent pitchers in recent years, but what Ranger Suárez is doing right now outshines them all. With another gem against the Braves on Sunday, he’s now posted a 1.19 ERA over his last 10 starts. That’s the lowest by a Phillies starter over a 10-game stretch since Cliff Lee put up a 0.93 ERA over 10 starts to finish the 2011 regular season.

6) Yankees ⬇️

Last week: 5

The Yankees’ lineup continues to be boom or bust at times, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been locked in since returning from the injured list on June 3. Including a four-RBI game in Sunday’s win over the Athletics, Chisholm is hitting .318/.379/.600 with six homers, 18 RBI, four steals, and 14 runs scored in that timespan.

7) Rays ⬆️

Last week: 9

Maybe it’s the Ken Griffey Jr. nostalgia in me, still something special about seeing a player hit a home run to the warehouse at Camden Yards. This one from Jonathan Aranda in Saturday’s rout against the Orioles traveled 467 feet, the third-longest home run by a Rays player in the Statcast era. Just another accomplishment on his resume this season as All-Star selections approach.

8) Brewers ⬆️

Last week: 11

Joey Ortiz has struggled miserably out of the gate this season, but he’s turned the corner in a huge way recently with three homers, 11 RBI, and a .326/.354/.522 batting line over his last 11 games. He had just two home runs over his previous 70 games this season.

9) Cardinals ⬆️

Last week: 13

Sonny Gray needed just 89 pitches to complete a one-hit shutout — with 11 strikeouts and no walks — against the Guardians on Friday night. While a “Maddux” is all well and good, but even cooler for Gray was that it was his first shutout in nearly 10 years.

10) Mets ⬇️

Last week: 6

The Mets have lost 13 out of their last 16 games and were outscored 30-4 while being swept by the Pirates this past weekend. Tenth might be too high given their pitching struggles/injuries and ice cold offense.

11) Padres ⬆️

Last week: 10

All the talent on the Padres and would you believe that Gavin Sheets leads the team in RBI? It’s true. Sheets was in the middle of everything in Saturday’s win over the Reds; he went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer, two doubles, and this excellent catch in left field.

A great victory for Padres general manager A.J. Preller.

12) Giants ⬇️

Last week: 8

Bad times. After being swept by the Marlins, the Giants went on to lose two out of three to the White Sox over the weekend. The Giants are now 4-8 since the Rafael Devers trade.

13) Blue Jays

Last week: 12 ⬇️

The Blue Jays sit three games behind the Yankees for first-place in the AL East going into a four-game series at Rogers Centre to begin the week. It doesn’t get bigger than this in late June/early July.

14) Reds ⬆️

Last week: 17

In the same game where Nick Martinez came within three outs of a no-hitter, Spencer Steer put up a three-homer game Friday against the Padres. Bothered by a lingering shoulder issue during spring training, Steer endured a rough start to the season, but he’s hitting .442 (19-for-43) over his last 11 games.

15) Mariners

Last week: 14

Cal Raleigh’s first half has already been a great story, but it has a chance to get even better at the Home Run Derby next month. Cal’s dad, Todd, is expected to throw to him and the hope is that his younger brother, Todd Jr., will serve as the catcher for the festivities. Sure, Ronald Acuña Jr. will be the hometown hero in this one, but how can you root against this?

16) Rangers ⬆️

Last week: 20

The Rangers continue to hover around the .500 mark, which has basically been their life dating back to late April. At least there’s room for positivity within the starting rotation. Jacob deGrom is coming off a no-hit bid, Nathan Eovaldi is back from the injured list, and Kumar Rocker has enjoyed the best three-start stretch of his young career.

17) Diamondbacks ⬆️

Last week: 19

The Diamondbacks blew a four-run lead on Sunday while getting swept by the Marlins. The bullpen has been a sore spot, as they rank 28th in the majors with a 5.22 ERA.

18) Angels ⬆️

Last week: 23

Jo Adell has finally arrived? The 26-year-old is tied with Juan Soto for the MLB lead with 11 home runs this month. He’s cut down on his strikeouts and is showing an uptick in barrels and average exit velocity, so there’s plenty to like here. In fantasy baseball, this is what we call a post-post-post hype breakout.

19) Braves ⬇️

Last week: 16

For the Braves, it has routinely been one step forward and two steps back. Are they running out of time? In theory, there’s a boost for the offense on the way, as Jurickson Profar is set to make his return on Tuesday from his 80-game PED suspension.

20) Red Sox ⬇️

Last week: 15

Saturday’s 15-run explosion is more of the exception since the Rafael Devers trade. The Red Sox are hitting .215 with a .656 OPS since the trade. Oddly enough, the Giants have the same batting average and OPS during that time.

21) Guardians ⬇️

Last week: 18

The Guardians have hit just .206 in the month of June. According to the Associated Press, that’s the third-worst batting average in franchise history for a month with at least 13 games played.

22) Twins

Last week: 22

The Twins’ bullpen somehow has a 6.80 ERA this month. Nobody will be happier to see that calendar flip to July on Tuesday.

23) Royals ⬇️

Last week: 21

The Royals snapped an 11-game home losing streak (and a six-game losing streak overall) in Saturday’s victory over the Dodgers. The Royals have lost 17 games this month, their worst month since August of 2023.

24) Marlins ⬆️

Last week: 27

The hottest team in baseball is…the Marlins? Thanks to a five-run eighth inning against the Diamondbacks on Sunday, the Marlins have won seven straight games. Rookie slugger Agustín Ramírez continues to be a force and Edward Cabrera is delivering on the promise he’s shown in the past.

25) Pirates ⬆️

Last week: 28

How dominant was the Pirates’ three-game sweep over the Mets over the weekend? We’re talking something that hasn’t happened for the Pirates in 90 years kind of dominance.

R.I.P. Dave Parker

26) Orioles ⬇️

Last week: 24

It’s always eyebrow-raising to see a team score 22 runs, as the Orioles did on Friday night. But it’s even more interesting that the Rays held a 6-0 lead in the second inning. How many O’s fans do you think turned off that game early?

27) Nationals ⬇️

Last week: 25

This year has spiraled out of control for the Nationals, but there’s already immense respect being shown to 22-year-old slugger James Wood. The Angels gave him four intentional walks on Sunday.

28) Athletics ⬇️

Last week: 26

Has Luis Severino been traded yet? What about now? Severino hasn’t been shy about his thoughts about playing in Sacramento. And while he got crushed at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, he has seen much better results at home than at Sutter Health Park. It’s a tricky spot given the three-year, $67 million deal (largest guaranteed free agent deal in franchise history) he signed with the A’s this past offseason, but it sounds like an untenable situation.

29) White Sox

Last week: 29

Signed in May, Adrian Houser has turned into a nifty little trade chip for the White Sox. The 32-year-old has reeled off a 1.90 ERA over his first seven starts with the club, including seven scoreless frames against the Giants on Saturday.

In other news, check out White Sox rookie Chase Meidroth going all Matrix to avoid this tag at second base on Sunday.

30) Rockies

Last week: 30

Marveling at Tyler Freeman’s month of June. He’s hitting .373 with a .478 on-base percentage and has struck out just four times in 92 plate appearances. One of those strikeouts came on Sunday and he was ejected (along with Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer) for his disapproval.

Mets owner Steve Cohen responds to team’s disastrous June: ‘I didn’t see this coming’

After a fantastic start to the season, the New York Mets are scuffling. The team opened the season 45-24 through its first 69 games, but now finds itself stuck in a 3-13 stretch.

The team’s recent stretch reached an extreme low point Sunday, as the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates completed a sweep over the Mets with a 12-1 drubbing. That loss also came after a players-only meeting aimed at getting the team back on track.

On Monday, it was owner Steve Cohen’s job to calm everyone down. Cohen issued a response to the team’s recent poor play on X, saying he was caught off guard, but believes things will turn around soon.

Cohen’s full response read:

“Tough stretch, no sugarcoating it. I didn’t see this coming. I’m as frustrated as everybody else. We will get through this period. Our injured pitching will come back over the next few weeks. It is unlikely the team’s hitting with RISP will continue at this weak pace. Keep the faith!”

It’s a surprising statement for any MLB owner to make publicly, but it’s fairly normal when it comes to Cohen. Among MLB owners, he’s easily the most open and available. He’s engaged with fans a handful of times on social media, and appears earnest in his responses. His openness and willingness to act like a fan has made him an endearing figure in the baseball world. 

It also helps that Cohen knows the game — or at least has someone giving him good information. After an excellent start to the season, it would be foolish to think the Mets are suddenly one of the worst teams in the majors. Despite the June swoon, the team still has a +39 run differential, the second best in the National League East. While the Philadelphia Phillies have taken over first place in the division, the Mets sit just 1.5 games out. It’s been a tough stretch, but the sky isn’t falling in New York.

As Cohen points out, the Mets are unlikely to continue at this pace. The team should get a boost once Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga are ready to return. Both pitchers are battling injuries, though are still a few weeks away. 

In addition to that, the Mets are hitting just .217 with runners in scoring position on the season. That figure is the second-worst in the majors. Only the Chicago White Sox have been worse. In Chicago’s case, the team’s struggles are understandable. The White Sox are coming off literally the worst-ever season in baseball. While the team has performed better this season, it isn’t good. 

The Mets, on the other hand, entered the year as World Series contenders. They should be performing much better with runners in scoring position on the season, so it seems likely the team will experience positive regression moving forward. There’s no logical reason a team with Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor is hitting worse than the Colorado Rockies or Pirates with runners in scoring position. 

That doesn’t mean Cohen and the Mets are infallible. Pitching injuries have forced the team to dig deep into its depth. Getting Senga and Manaea back should help, but it shouldn’t prevent the Mets from looking into a rotation upgrade at the deadline. 

The same thing can be said on offense. While the Mets’ 110 wRC+ ranks seventh in MLB, the team has big offensive holes at third base and second base. Finding a suitable upgrade at either position at the deadline would go a long way toward making the Mets a more dangerous playoff contender.

Given the franchise, it’s very easy to slip back into the “same old Mets” mantra. But that’s been an outdated slogan since Cohen took over. No, the Mets haven’t won a World Series in the Cohen era, but they’ve entered every season with high expectations. 

Those shouldn’t fade with the team mired in a poor 16-game stretch. And if, for some reason, the Mets continue to struggle into July, Cohen won’t just sit by idly and let them fail.