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Analysis: The Magic’s focus for 2022-23 was ‘leveling up.’ Did they?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

The Orlando Magic’s mantra for the 2022-23 season was made clear by coach Jamahl Mosley at the end of last season.“The one thing we’ve talked about with these guys is the foundation is set,” Mosley said after the Magic’s 2022 season finale. “Now it goes into the little things, the tiniest of details that they have to understand of what we’re trying to do. Leveling up one more.”The results suggest the Magic did.Their 12-win improvement from last season (22-60 to 34-48) was the most in the Eastern Conference and the third-most in the league behind Sacramento (48-34 this season after going 30-52 in 2021-22, an 18-win improvement) and Oklahoma City (40-42 after going 24-58 last year, a 16-win improvement).The Magic went 29-29 in their final 58 games after starting the season 5-19 mainly because of injuries.But in what ways did the Magic level up and improve the most?An analysis of their 2022-23 season:DefenseMosley has said it from the beg...

Orioles minor league report: Baseball’s best farm system gets off to strong start

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

Grayson Rodriguez is still adjusting to his new office.“It still doesn’t feel normal to pull up the Camden Yards to come to work,” the Orioles’ top pitching prospect said. “Just kind of a relief, I guess, that finally I’m coming here to this ballpark to be a part of the team and not just to show up for something else.”Against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, Rodriguez will make his first start at Oriole Park after his promotion last week made him the latest member of baseball’s top-ranked farm system to reach the majors. The Triple-A team he left behind has done just fine; the Norfolk Tides are 7-1 and have a lineup loaded with top prospects and hitters who narrowly missed making the Orioles’ opening day roster.“That was a lot of talent,” Rodriguez said. “The days that I was down there, I saw a lot of just home runs and some runs being scored, so they’re definitely having fun down there.”That lineup...

Blue Jays home opener preview: What you need to know before first pitch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

The highly anticipated return of the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre is finally here, months after the organization committed to a significant renovation that is sure to intrigue the thousands of fans that make their way to the stadium on Tuesday.The Blue Jays unveiled yet another glimpse into the newly upgraded Rogers Centre last week, with a particular focus on the new “outfield district” at the ballpark containing five distinct neighbourhoods and many new social spaces.Other significant changes include higher walls in left and right field. The visitors’ bullpen in right field will be elevated, similar to the Blue Jays’ home bullpen, with deck areas in the stands above.On the field, the Blue Jays arrive back home on the heels of a successful, albeit uneven 6-4 start that has included some great hitting but, at times, inconsistent pitching.The offense has been led by Matt Chapman, one of the hottest hitters in baseball, to start the new season. Vladim...

AP Interview: Lobotka is the motor that makes Napoli tick

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

CASTEL VOLTURNO, Italy (AP) — Throughout his entire soccer career, from youth levels on up, Stanislav Lobotka had never seen what he now sees at Napoli nearly every match.Eight Napoli players — everyone but the goalkeeper and the two center backs — line up at the halfway line at kickoffs to start the game or the second half.“We want (to) play forward to get (inside) the opponent’s half maybe to score or to create corners or something to show that we want to win the game. And it doesn’t matter who we play against,” Lobotka said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.In Italy, where conservative tactics and “catenaccio” (lockdown defense) had been the tradition for decades, coach Luciano Spalletti’s idea of attacking so decisively from the first touch was revolutionary — even for a team that had Diego Maradona when it won it’s only two league titles more than three decades ago.The strategy works, though, and Napoli has been a high-scoring juggernaut for most of the seas...

S Korea to conduct 1st launch of commercial-grade satellite

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea plans to conduct its first launch of a commercial-grade satellite aboard a domestically built rocket next month as part of its space development program, officials said Tuesday.South Korea’s officials say its homegrown Nuri space launch vehicle has no military purposes. But some experts say the development of such rockets would eventually help the country acquire technologies needed to build bigger missiles and launch reconnaissance satellites amid animosities with rival North Korea.In June last year, South Korea launched its first satellite using the Nuri rocket. That launch involved what South Korean officials called a “performance verification” satellite mainly designed to examine the capacity of the rocket while next month’s event is meant to put a commercial-grade satellite into orbit for the first time.The Science Ministry said the rocket will blast off from the country’s space launch center on a southern island on May 24. A ministry...

As summer heat looms, Japan urged to curb impact, emissions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Temperatures are rising in Japan and summer is coming fast. Cherry blossoms are blooming sooner than ever before, chiffon-pink that’s traditionally heralded spring for the nation popping up just two weeks into March.In Osaka, temperatures soared to 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) on March 22, a record for that time of year. Tottori, in the southwest, hit 25.8 C (78 F) on the same day, the highest in 140 years, according to climatologist Maximiliano Herrera. Tottori’s temperatures usually hover around 12 C (54 F) in March.With thermometers already shooting upward and fossil fuel use that feeds climate change still creeping up around the world, Japan is set for another sweltering summer and is at growing risk of flooding and landslides. The nation is scrambling to protect communities from warming and has pledged to slash emissions, but in the short term the worsening weather remains a threat.“The risks from climate change are right before us,” said Yasuaki Hiji...

1 dead, hundreds flee wildfire in South Korean seaside city

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A wildfire fueled by strong winds on Tuesday burned parts of a seaside city on South Korea’s eastern coast, killing at least one person and forcing hundreds to flee before being slowed by rain.It took eight hours and nearly 3,000 firefighters to put out the blaze that started on a mountain in a central part of Gangneung at around 8:30 a.m. and destroyed around 70 homes and other buildings.More than 550 people evacuated to facilities that included an ice-skating arena and a middle school gym.A man presumed to be in his 70s was found dead inside a burnt-down home while another resident and two firefighters sustained second-degree burns, officials said.The Korea Forest Service said firefighters extinguished the blaze as of 4:30 p.m., helped by rain that began in the afternoon.Their efforts were initially slowed by powerful winds that made it difficult to fly water-dropping aircraft, but officials managed to deploy helicopters in the afternoon.The Korea Meteoro...

World shares mostly higher ahead of US inflation data

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

Stocks were mostly higher in Europe and Asia on Tuesday ahead of the release this week of U.S. consumer inflation data. Recent reports on the U.S. economy have reinforced expectations the Federal Reserve may tap the brakes again on business activity by raising interest rates. On Wednesday, the U.S. government will release its latest monthly update on prices across the economy at the consumer level. Economists expect it to show inflation slowed last month but remains well above the Fed’s target. The CAC 40 in Paris added 0.7% to 7,376.77 and the DAX in Germany gained 0.5% to 15,672.21. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.4% to 7,771.43.The future for the S&P 500 edged up 0.1% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up less than 0.1%. Monday was the first U.S. trading day after the release of data showing a stronger than expected jobs market in March, which might keep inflation higher, perhaps leading the Fed to hike interest rates again at its next meeting. In Japan, the ...

Thailand criticized for returning Myanmar resistance members

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Human rights groups and opposition politicians in Thailand are criticizing the government for forcibly repatriating three men who were reportedly members of an anti-government resistance movement in military-ruled Myanmar.The Bangkok-based People’s Empowerment Foundation said the action violated universal human rights principles and Thailand’s own policy because the men were likely to be in danger as a result of their activities fighting against Myanmar’s government.“Given the situation of generalized violence in Myanmar, all Myanmar nationals in Thailand should be given temporary protective status and, as per Thai law, no one should be forced to return to a situation where they may face grave human rights abuses,” Patrick Phongsathorn of the human rights organization Fortify Rights said Tuesday.A document issued by Thailand’s National Security Council that was leaked to local media and seen by The Associated Press said the repatriation followed official p...

Shaker walks it off against Utica Proctor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:32:00 GMT

LATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Shaker baseball team made a run to the Class AA title series last year. The Blue Bison have carried their momentum into 2023, entering Monday with a 2-0 record. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Shaker looked to make it 3-0 against Utica Proctor on Monday. The Blue Bison jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a John Montalto RBI base hit. The Raiders stormed back, taking a 3-2 lead into the 7th. Montalto once again came through in the clutch. Down to their final out, Montalto drove in Ben Belliss to tie the game, sending it to extra innings. In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Tye Mariano played the hero. Mariano drove in Belliss to walk it off, as the Blue Bison pulled out a 4-3 win.