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Former Orioles pitcher Wally Bunker was a teen sensation and a World Series hero, but the success was fleeting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

Sixty years ago, Wally Bunker burst onto the baseball scene, an 18-year-old phenom who pitched for his high school team one day and for the Orioles the next. Or so it seemed. In June 1963 — two days after high school graduation — Bunker signed with Baltimore. Three months later, on Sept. 29, the kid from San Bruno, California, strode to the mound at Memorial Stadium to face the Detroit Tigers.Bunker lost the game, 7-3. But he roared back in 1964 to go 19-5, with a winning percentage (.792) that tied him with Los Angeles Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax for best in the major leagues. That season, Bunker pitched two one-hitters and finished runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year honors behind Minnesota Twins outfielder (and Hall of Famer) Tony Oliva. Bunker also drew votes in balloting for the league’s Most Valuable Player, an award won in a landslide by the Orioles’ Brooks Robinson.“He’s too young to pitch,” Harry Brecheen, Baltimore...

The wonder years: An Orioles season to remember, especially for young fans who could be hooked for life

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

Bradley Glubo had trouble sleeping the night before the first day of the rest of his baseball life.But once he did, the 8-year-old Ellicott City boy said, “I started dreaming about the game. I dreamed about Adley and Gunnar hitting home runs.”Rutschman, Henderson and their teammates embedded themselves into the waking and sleeping hours of many an Orioles fan this season and into the American League Division Series, which goes into Game 3 tonight with the Orioles down 2-0 and facing elimination.But, research suggests, if a team finds its way into your heart around the age of 8, it could remain there for life.“It’s a crucial time,” said Bob Heere, a professor of sports management at the University of North Texas.He and others who have researched sports fandom say this age sits at a sweet spot for developing a deep alliance with a team, usually through a parent, most often a father, siblings or friends.Sports teams are a vehicle for socialization and...

Joe Saunders, the Orioles’ 2012 wild-card hero, knows what it takes to deliver in must-win playoff game vs. Rangers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

Joe Saunders isn’t aware he’s a cult hero for a portion of the Orioles’ fan base.The former major leaguer pitched for 10 seasons, but just 48 of his nearly 1,400 career innings came as an Oriole. But that doesn’t matter to Baltimore fans, who fondly remember Saunders’ stunning start against the Texas Rangers in the 2012 wild-card game — the Orioles’ first playoff victory of the 21st century.Last week, when the Orioles learned the Rangers would be their opponent in the American League Division Series, Baltimore fans flooded to social media to reminisce on Saunders’ stellar — and surprising — start in that game 11 years ago in Arlington. They posted photos, videos and memes of Saunders’ contribution that, in some ways, defined the scrappy team that brought playoff baseball back to Baltimore.“Oh, that’s awesome,” said Saunders, unaware of the fanfare. “I’ll be honest with you...

IMF outlook worsens for a ‘limping’ world economy. Mideast war poses new uncertainty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

WASHINGTON — The world economy has lost momentum from the impact of higher interest rates, the invasion of Ukraine and widening geopolitical rifts, and it now faces new uncertainty from the war between Israel and Hamas militants, International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday.The IMF said it expects global economic growth to slow to 2.9% in 2024 from an expected 3% this year. The forecast for next year is down a notch from the 3% it predicted back in July.The deceleration comes at a time when the world has yet to fully mend from a devastating but short-lived COVID-19 recession in 2020 and now could see fallout from the Middle East conflict — particularly to oil prices.A series of previous shocks, including the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, has slashed worldwide economic output by about $3.7 trillion over the past three years compared with pre-COVID trends.“The global economy is limping along, not sprinting,” IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said at a news conf...

Sweden’s police chief says escalation in gang violence is ‘extremely serious’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s national police chief said Tuesday that an escalation in gang violence this year — with almost daily shootings and bombings that have claimed dozens of lives, including teenagers and innocent bystanders — is “extremely serious.”Sweden has grappled with gang violence for years but the latest surge has been exceptional, Anders Thornberg said at a news conference, calling it “the most violence we have ever had in the country.” He added that police have “prevented about 80 imminent murders or explosions” since the start of the year.Twelve people died and five others were injured in attacks last month that Thornberg described as “terrorist-like violence.” The attacks are linked to criminal gangs that often recruit teenagers from socially disadvantaged immigrant neighborhoods to carry out hits.Some 42 people have died in 290 shootings in Sweden this year, according to official police statistics. Authorities say the surge in violence is related to a fe...

Live updates | Day 4 of the latest Israel-Palestinian war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

On Day 4 of the latest Israel-Palestinian war, many countries are grappling with missing and killed nationals in the latest Israel-Palestinian war that has already claimed at least 1,600 lives, and is only expected to escalate. Here’s the latest:RAFAH CROSSING TO BE EVACUATED UNDER BOMB THREATS, HAMAS SAYSThe Rafah Crossing administration on the Egyptian side informed the Rafah Crossing crews on the Palestinian side to evacuate the crossing immediately due to threats to bomb the crossing, spokesperson for the Hamas Ministry of Interior and National Security Iyad Al-Bazm said Tuesday.RUSSIA SAYS IT WILL TALK TO ISRAEL AND PALESTINIANS IN HOPES OF REACHING A SETTLEMENTKremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Moscow has been talking to both Israel and the Palestinians to help search for a settlement.Asked about a claim by the Palestinian ambassador to Moscow that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will visit Moscow soon, Peskov said that the visit had been planned befor...

UEFA picks UK-Ireland to host soccer’s 2028 European Championship. Italy-Turkey to stage Euro 2032

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — The future of soccer’s European Championship for the next decade was decided Tuesday — the United Kingdom and Ireland will host in 2028 and an unusual Italy-Turkey co-hosting plan was picked for 2032.There were no losers when the executive committee of European soccer governing body UEFA finally approved the double hosting award that was inevitable after former bid rivals Italy and Turkey united under one flag of convenience in July.That deal took Turkey out of the Euro 2028 contest where the team of five neighboring UEFA member federations — England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Ireland — was long favored to win. Turkey finally will get to host a European Championship after several failed previous bids, including by one vote against France for the Euro 2016 edition.Turkey also was likely to lose in any contested vote for 2032 even amid doubts Italy could finish a massive construction project to build and upgrade the stadiums needed for a 24-team, 5...

Russian teams won’t play in Under-17 Euros qualifying after UEFA fails to make new policy work

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Russia will not be allowed to play in Under-17 European Championship qualifying games this month, European soccer governing body UEFA said Tuesday.UEFA had explored inserting Russia into its men’s and women’s youth competitions after two weeks ago surprisingly easing its policy that all the country’s national and club teams be excluded from international competitions because of the invasion of Ukraine.The policy provoked a split in UEFA’s executive committee and at least 12 of the 55 European member federations said their teams would continue to refuse to play games against Russia. After assessing how Russian youth teams could be reintegrated, UEFA said after another executive committee meeting on Tuesday that “the agenda point was withdrawn as no technical solution to allow Russian teams to play could be found.”___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerThe Associated Press

Wall Street Journal reporter loses appeal in Russia and will stay in jail until the end of November

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — A Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained in Russia on espionage charges lost his appeal against his arrest Tuesday, meaning he will stay in jail until at least the end of November.Evan Gershkovich, wearing a blue shirt, T-shirt and jeans, appeared in a glass defendant’s cage at Moscow City Court as he once again appealed his release. He stared at the cameras in court with a blank expression.It was the second time in less than a month that the journalist had appeared before a judge after the Moscow court declined to hear his appeal in September owing to unspecified procedural violations.The latest decision means Gershkovich, 31, will remain jailed at least until Nov. 30, unless an appeal is heard in the meantime and he is released — an unlikely outcome.The journalist was detained in March while on a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg, about 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) east of Moscow, and a judge ruled in August that he must stay in jail until the end ...

Israel pounds Gaza, threatening punishing retaliation for weekend attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:35:30 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel pounded downtown Gaza City with relentless bombardments Tuesday and further expanded a massive mobilization of reservists as it vowed a retaliation that would “reverberate ... for generations” against the Hamas militant group for its surprise weekend attack.The war — which began after Hamas militants stormed into Israel on Saturday, bringing gunbattles to its streets for the first time in decades — has already claimed at least 1,600 lives.It is only expected to escalate from here, with questions over whether Israel will launch a ground invasion and Hamas threatening to kill captured Israelis if strikes targeted civilians without warning. Israel said that Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza are also holding more than 150 soldiers and civilians hostage.Israeli firefighters extinguish fire at a site struck by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)Israel’s military ...