Rabu, 31 Juli 2019
Galvis, Bichette lead Blue Jays over Royals for sweep - Sportsnet.ca
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bo Bichette’s first career homer helped lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals.
Bichette’s big moment came at the start of the eighth inning against Royals starter Jakob Junis, when his drive cleared the left-centre field wall in the 4-1 win on Wednesday. Freddy Galvis also hit a crucial solo shot to centre in the seventh that was his 16th homer of the season.
Bichette made his major league debut here Monday.
"After the first game was over, I was able to say, ‘Okay, my career has started,’ and then treat it like any other normal day," Bichette said. "He got me out on two sliders the first two at-bats and I made an adjustment and I hit it really hard."
Galvis’ homer, which gave the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead, surprised Junis.
"He kind of dove out over the plate to get it and scooped it up and got it in the air," Junis said. "I thought Bubba (Starling) might have a chance on the warning track or something but it just kept carrying out."
Cavan Biggio followed Bichette’s homer with a double, ending Junis’ outing. Reliever Kevin McCarthy surrendered a run-scoring double to Teoscar Hernandez.
Rookie Jacob Waguespack (2-1) went six innings for his second win in his fourth big-league start. He held the Royals to three hits and one run. Cam Gallagher barely cleared the left-field bullpen fence for his second homer, drilling a 2-2 pitch from Waguespack to open the third inning.
Junis (6-10) was cruising for much of the game, retiring the side on eight pitches each in the second, third and fourth innings. But the Jays got even 1-1 in the sixth as Biggio walked, stole second and scored on Justin Smoak’s single.
"The first pitch (of the game) was probably the worst pitch in the seven innings that Junis threw – to Bichette was a fastball kind of high and over the middle of the plate and he hit the double down the line. But after that he was really good," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
Waguespack got exceptional defensive help early. Deep outfield catches by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left and Randal Grichuk in centre prevented extra-base hits by Jorge Soler in the first inning and Hunter Dozier in the third. Smoak speared Ryan O’Hearn’s hot shot to start a double play in the fourth and Gurriel charged in for a shoetop grab of Nicky Lopez’s weak liner to end the inning.
"I didn’t throw as many strikes as I wanted to but luckily the balls that were hit were at guys," Waguespack said. "The defence did a heck of a job."
Right after his last catch, however, Gurriel left the game with a sore right knee.
"Gurriel was out there making plays and sacrificed his body for me a couple of times," Waguespack said.
Rookie right-hander Justin Shafer worked a perfect ninth for his first career save.
JAYS ROOKIES CAN LEAD
With the Blue Jays shedding veterans, they have the second youngest team in the majors and manager Charlie Montoyo is encouraging the kids, including Biggio and Bichette, to take leadership roles.
"What I’ve been telling Biggio and Bo when they got here: ‘This is your clubhouse, here we go. You guys were leaders in the minor leagues, it’s the same thing here. Just because you’re a rookie, don’t (avoid being) a leader in the big leagues. Go ahead and start now,"’ Montoyo said. "And they have been doing that."
SOLER STREAK ENDS
Soler’s binge of reaching base via a walk or hit ended at 26 straight games when he went 0-for-4 Wednesday. That long stretch was important to a guy known primarily for home runs.
"Right now I feel good and every at-bat I focus on hitting a good pitch," the Royals’ slugger said.
In that streak, which had been the longest active in the majors, he had 19 walks and 28 hits (seven homers) with an on-base percentage of .432.
Soler thought he had a hit on his vicious drive in the first inning before Gurriel snagged it. "I hit the ball hard but the outfielder made a great play. It was close," he said.
BORUCKI GOES ON IL
Toronto placed LHP Ryan Borucki (0-1, 10.80 ERA) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with inflammation of the left elbow. His roster spot was filled by LHP Buddy Boshers, called up from Triple-A Buffalo (0-2, five saves, 2.78 ERA). Boshers has big league experience with the Angels and Twins.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Toronto travels to Baltimore where RHP Trent Thornton (3-7, 5.45 ERA) will come off the injured list to start Thursday night. The Orioles will start RHP Asher Wojciechowski (2-3, 3.60 ERA).
Royals: After an open date Thursday, Kansas City will open a 10-game trip at Minnesota on Friday night. RHP Glenn Sparkman (3-7, 5.25 ERA) will be opposed by Twins LHP Martin Perez (8-4, 4.38 ERA).
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August 01, 2019 at 04:12AM
Trade Deadline winners and losers: one final twist in Stroman-Sanchez saga - Sportsnet.ca
You have to admire the gusto. The Houston Astros saw what was shaping up to be a quiet 2019 MLB Trade Deadline day and said, ‘Nah, hold my World Series ring.’
Then general manager Jeff Luhnow went out and put his organization in prime position to capture its second title in three years.
Wow… that escalated quickly! @astros
— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) July 31, 2019
The club added ace Zack Greinke on Wednesday in a deal that filtered out on Twitter just after the 4 p.m. ET deadline. That came right on the heels of the club acquiring Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez and reliever Joe Biagini.
That calculus makes the Astros clear winners of the deadline. Here’s a closer look at some other teams in the ‘W’ and ‘L’ columns.
Winner: Astros
Greinke is a legit ace enjoying his best season in years. Yet, he’s likely earmarked for a Game 3 start in an Astros playoff series behind Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. That’s a scary troika that could very well haul the Astros through the end of October.
There are added bonuses to the move. First, some evaluators believe none of the prospects Houston sent to Arizona for Greinke are impact players. Second, the 35-year-old Greinke is signed through 2021, meaning the team’s rotation is protected should Cole leave as a free agent at the end of this season.
We haven’t even discussed the Astros’ acquisition of Sanchez, who could also factor into next year’s staff. More on that soon.
Loser: Yankees
The Yankees lost out to the Astros in the Cole sweepstakes prior to the 2018 season. This has got to hurt just as much, if not more.
While the Bronx was on Greinke’s no-trade list, the AL East-leaders were under pressure to add a starting pitcher to their wobbly rotation. James Paxton, CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ each own ERAs above 4.70. On top of that, Luis Severino has yet to throw pitch this season.
Major yikes.
The Yankees reportedly coveted Trevor Bauer, Marcus Stroman and Robbie Ray, among others, but GM Brian Cashman ended up making no moves to bolster his 25-man roster. That won’t go over well with a New York fanbase that expected the club to augment its strong offence and bullpen.
Winner: Indians
On one hand, it’s easy to criticize the Indians for moving a pitcher of Bauer’s calibre while in the thick of a pennant race. But we all know about their franchise’s limitations, so threading the needle was likely the optimal scenario. And boy, did they precisely place a strand through the eye of that needle on Tuesday.
Cleveland turned one-plus years of the enigmatic right-hander into a package that infused its offence with immediate power (Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes), a back-end starter with potential to be more (Logan Allen), plus two prospects.
If ace Corey Kluber provides an impact in his return from the injured list, the complexion of this Indians club drastically changes as they attempt to chase down the division-leading Twins.
Loser: Marcus Stroman
Stroman badly wanted to be traded to the contending Astros, Red Sox or hometown Yankees, according to multiple reports — in addition to his father.
Instead, what he got was a trade to the dysfunctional Mets, who are five games out of a wild-card spot and, despite a strong rotation, and likely won’t provide the right-hander with the playoff spotlight he so desires.
He takes the ‘L’ for that and for the now infamous clubhouse commotion he sparked on his way out of Toronto.
Winner: Aaron Sanchez
The Stroman-Sanchez friendship/enemy/frenemy saga got one final twist on Wednesday, with the latter traded to a contender. Oh, to wonder what Stroman must be thinking now. His former Blue Jays counterpart is going to an analytically savvy organization with a wildly successful history of saving pitchers’ careers — or at least helping them reach the next level. See Verlander, Cole, Charlie Morton, Ryan Pressly, etc.
Sanchez, whose outings leading up to the deadline were promising, is a prime candidate for a revival, even though it’s unclear if he’ll be a starter or reliever in Houston. Also, he’s under team control through next season, so the right-hander has plenty of time to rebuild his value ahead of his future venture into free agency.
Loser: Blue Jays
The Blue Jays shipped Sanchez, Biagini and a prospect to Houston for outfielder Derek Fisher, who profiles more as a fallen prospect, flyer-type than a prized return. Optically, the trade appears rather one-sided and ignited a firestorm on Twitter, where the club’s fanbase voiced its feelings. Loudly. With lots of profanity, confusion, disappointment and sadness.
But that move wasn’t the only factor landing the team in the loss column here:
· Ken Giles’s right-elbow inflammation ultimately depressed his value as a potentially massive asset.
· The trade returns for relievers Daniel Hudson and David Phelps didn’t exactly move the needle.
· The team’s haul in the Stroman trade was largely panned across the industry.
Of note is that the Blue Jays placed a heavy focus on acquiring pitching in their pre-deadline moves. That’s a positive, because the organization’s position-player core is far ahead of its pitching foundation and the latter will need to catch up soon if this rebuild is to take major steps forward.
Winner: Braves
The division-leading Braves entered Wednesday with a bullpen that ranked fourth in the NL with a 4.10 ERA. GM Alex Anthopoulos bolstered that group by adding all-star Tigers closer Shane Greene (1.18 ERA, 22 saves) and veteran Giants reliever Mark Melancon (3.33 FIP, 8.5 K/9). The strategy could help Atlanta continue a trend that has seen playoff teams over the past few years rely on bullpen arms nearly as much as starters in October.
Loser: Red Sox and Dodgers
Both these teams needed an impact reliever, yet both stood pat. The Red Sox are defending World Series champs, so it’s a bit surprising that they wouldn’t make a significant move to address their most glaring deficiency. However, they’re 9.5 games behind the Yankees in the East and ultimately chose not to push chips in to vie for a wild-card spot.
The Dodgers own the best record in baseball and this might very well be the franchise’s best team in three decades. But still. This is a organization that has lost the past two World Series and was eliminated early from the playoffs in each of the prior four seasons.
L.A. was said to be in pursuit of Mets closer Edwin Diaz, but ultimately didn’t land him. Keep an eye on their late-inning relief this fall because closer Kenley Jansen is not the same pitcher he once was.
Stay tuned to see if this deadline comes back to haunt the Dodgers.
Honourable mentions
Winner: Giants (Kudos to Farhan Zaidi for keeping Madison Bumgarner as the club tries to mount one final hurrah under outgoing manager Bruce Bochy).
Loser: Twins (Come on! You’re leading the division by obliterating opposing pitchers. But the best you could do to improve your pitching staff is get Sam Dyson? Soft).
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August 01, 2019 at 06:24AM
O'Leary: Collaros heading back to where it all began - CFL.ca
It’s certainly not the path he would have envisioned, but Zach Collaros has found his way back to Toronto.
The struggling Argonauts made the deal on Wednesday to bring back their once upon a time backup, in the hopes that he can kickstart some success for them in the remaining two-thirds of the season.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders picked up a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft in the deal, while cementing another former Argo QB, Cody Fajardo, as their starter.
Collaros launched his CFL career in Toronto. He was a backup on the Argos’ Grey Cup-winning 2012 team and took over starting duties in 2013 when Ricky Ray was injured. That year, he started eight games and went 5-3 as a starter. In four of those games, he had game-winning fourth-quarter drives and two 300-yard passing games.
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He signed with Hamilton as a free agent in February 2014, setting himself up for the best stretch of his career. He threw for 3,261 yards and rushed for a career-best 328 yards in 13 games that year and took the Ticats to the Grey Cup game. He was on a MOP pace in 2015, before he blew his ACL. At the time of his injury, he was leading the league in passing yards, touchdown passes and passer rating.
In a sense, Collaros reunites with the team that gave him his CFL start at a time when they’re both reeling. Now 30, Collaros hasn’t been able to get his career back to where it was in 2015 when he hit the turf with that knee injury. When Hamilton fell to 0-8 in 2017, he lost the starting QB job to Jeremiah Masoli and the Ticats began to claw their way back to significance. Collaros was traded to Saskatchewan in 2018 and while the Riders went 12-6, the team was carried by a prolific defence; the offence lacked the punch that many had hoped Collaros would bring. Having re-signed with the Riders for 2019, he was injured on the team’s first drive of the season and placed on the six-game injured list.
The Argos found some success after Collaros left, with Ray guiding the team to another Grey Cup in 2017, but they’ve certainly fallen on hard times since. The Argos won just four games last year and are of course 0-6 as they head into their Thursday night game at BMO Field against the 5-1 Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Quarterback play has been an issue throughout this win-starved stretch. James Franklin only got two games into his stretch as the starter before he was placed on the six-game injured list. He’d made 36 of 54 passes for just one touchdown and three interceptions. Head coach Corey Chamblin made it clear in Wednesday’s walkthrough that McLeod Bethel-Thompson is on his last legs as a starter, having made 97 of 154 passes for 1,249 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions through six appearances.
If there isn’t a sense of desperation to this move, there’s at least urgency. The Argos need to get competitive in a hurry to have a hope of salvaging their season and conversely, Collaros may be running out of auditions for teams. He’s incurred a lot of damage over the last few years and hasn’t been able to put up the numbers that he did in the early stages of his career.
In trading Collaros, the Riders have given Fajardo something that’s very hard to come by in football at any level: Stability.
Toronto Argonauts quarterback Zach Collaros drops back in the pocket (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)
There are no more questions about whose team this is and no matter how professionally Collaros might have handled the situation, the awkwardness of having an established, veteran QB taking a backseat to his younger backup is also gone. A year ago at this point, the Riders’ passing percentage was a league-worst 61.4; this year it’s first, at 71.7 percent. Fajardo has the Riders’ passing rating up to 96.8 from 71.9. An offence that averaged 191 passing yards per game last year is now putting up 265. The Riders have searched for a quality starting quarterback since Darian Durant left town. In Fajardo, the future has finally arrived.
In a season that has had just about everything go wrong at the worst time possible for the Argos, this move was made with good timing. The Argos will head into a bye week after Thursday’s game against Winnipeg. That will give Collaros a bonus week to first, show that he’s healthy enough to play after taking a hit to the head from Simoni Lawrence in that season-opening game and second, to get to work on learning Jacques Chapdelaine’s offence.
This will be an uphill battle for Collaros and the Argos, but they’ve found each other again when they need each other the most.
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August 01, 2019 at 12:44AM
Rare black moon Wednesday offers exceptional skygazing chance - CNET
A perigree full moon, or supermoon, is seen Sunday, August 10, 2014, in Washington. A supermoon occurs when the moon's orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time it's full.
NASA/Bill IngallsAn unusual type of supermoon is set to take the stage this week. It's called a "black supermoon," and what makes it unlike other so-called supermoons is that it's basically invisible.
The term "black moon" is an old nickname given to the second new moon in a given calendar month. If you remember your moon phases, you know a new moon occurs when the sun's light falls on the far side of the moon we don't see. It's essentially the opposite of a full moon.
The western hemisphere is getting a second new moon Wednesday, July 31 just before the calendar flips to August.
Making the celestial happening all the more intriguing is that this black moon comes when the moon is near its closest point to our planet along its orbit of Earth (the orbit is not a perfect circle). This is called perigee syzygy or more commonly, a supermoon.
We normally talk about supermoons when they happen along with the full moon, which can make for a lunar spectacle that appears a little larger in the sky than normal. To actually see this black supermoon, however, would require special equipment and significant skywatching experience, but it does offer remarkably dark skies to see other things.
Watch this: Our future on the moon: What will the moon look like...
8:35
That's particularly convenient, as two meteor showers are currently still near their peaks this week.
So take advantage of those black skies and the black moon to see if you can catch a shooting star or 2 or 10, just watch out for fireballs raining meteorites.
Originally published July 30.
https://www.cnet.com/news/black-moon-wednesday-july-31-offers-exceptional-skygazing-chance/
2019-07-31 17:55:00Z
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2019 MLB Trade Deadline Tracker - Sportsnet.ca
It’s a busy day in Major League Baseball. As we count down the hours until the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, we’ll keep track of every deadline-day transaction around the league as teams prepare for the playoff run — or sell now and stock up for next year.
Keep it here for a running tally of all the day’s deals, plus keep up with all the rumours and reports over on Ben Nicholson-Smith’s MLB Trade Deadline live blog.
The Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds got things started early with a three-team blockbuster deal on the eve of trade deadline day that saw the pitcher Trevor Bauer sent to the Reds in exchange for right fielder Yasiel Puig, with the San Diego Padres also reportedly getting in on the action Tuesday night.
Let’s jump in.
11:44 a.m. ET: Rangers, White Sox get creative
To Texas: Nate Jones, international slot compensation, cash considerations
To Chicago: Joe Jarneski, Ray Castro
Jones, who was the longest-tenured member of the White Sox, has been dealing with a right forearm injury and was placed on Chicago’s 60-day DL. He’ll now ride out the rest of the season on the Rangers’ 60-day DL as he continues to rehab.
July 30, 10:10 p.m.: Indians, Reds, Padres bring the drama before the deadline
To Cleveland: Yasiel Puig, Scott Moss (from Reds); Franmil Reyes, Logan Allen, Victor Nova (from Padres)
To Cincinatti: Trevor Bauer (from Indians)
To San Diego: Taylor Trammell (from Reds)
Puig wasn’t only at the centre of Tuesday night’s mid-game trade — the outfielder, at the time unaware he was on his way out of town, was also at the centre of a big brawl that broke out during the game against Pittsburgh.
Things got HEATED in Cincinnati last night https://t.co/Hv7xwqdlGB
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 31, 2019
Read more about the transaction here
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July 31, 2019 at 10:39PM
Ticats' Banks, Ciraco to miss game against Riders - CFL.ca
HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will be without four big contributors when they take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday night.
Receiver Brandon Banks and offensive lineman Darius Ciraco were both left off the team’s depth chart ahead of the game. Defensive back Will Likely III and defensive end Adrian Tracy will also be out with injuries.
Banks currently leads the league in receiving yards with 554 on 42 catches. He sat out of practice Monday, and while he was elevated before a final decision was made, it looks as though he’ll need a week before being back to game shape.
Ciraco had started at right guard in all six of Hamilton’s games this season. The23-year-old is in his second CFL season.
Likely has played in two games this year, compiling four tackles.
Tracy has been an early catalyst for Hamilton on the defensive side of the ball. He’s notched three sacks and a pair of forced fumbles to go along with seven tackles in five games.
The Ticats and Riders are set to kick off at 9:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
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July 31, 2019 at 10:26PM
Black Moon is coming tonight: What that means - Fox News
We've seen all kinds of interesting phases of the Moon, from "Super blood Moons" to "full worm supermoons" to even the stunning Strawberry Moon.
But July 31 will mark a rare occurrence for Earth's natural satellite — a phenomenon known as a Black Moon. The sparse celestial event will be seen in North America, marking the first occurrence since 2016. The rest of the planet will see the black Moon on August 30.
Although there is no one single definition of a black Moon, according to Time and Date, it is most commonly used to represent the second new Moon of a month. This rarely happens outside of leap years, as lunar cycles largely take 29 days to complete. But every 32 months or so, there are two full Moons in a month, with the first being known as a blue Moon.
(Credit: EarthView, Arizona State University Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter)
MYSTERIES OF THE MOON: WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW AFTER APOLLO
Officially, the Black Moon will occur at 11:13 p.m. EDT, for the Western Hemisphere according to Space.com. For the Eastern Hemisphere, it will occur after midnight on Aug. 1, but it is not the second new Moon, so it does not count as a Black Moon.
New Moons are not able to be seen, as they travel "across the sky with the Sun during the day," according to EarthSky.org. "But the gravitational influence of the new moon and sun combine to physically affect our water planet, which people along the ocean coastlines may notice in the coming days."
Other meanings of a black Moon include a third new Moon in a season of four new Moons; no new Moon in February; and no full Moon in February.
Tomorrow's black Moon will also be a supermoon, which means the new Moon happens at the closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit.
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This story has been updated to include the exact time of the Black Moon in the fourth paragraph.
https://www.foxnews.com/science/black-moon-coming-tonight
2019-07-31 12:28:46Z
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NASA agrees to work with SpaceX on orbital refueling technology - Ars Technica
On Tuesday afternoon, NASA announced 19 new partnerships with 10 U.S. companies to help bring more cutting edge technologies closer to production use in spaceflight. There were a lot of useful engineering ideas here, such as precision landing systems and robotic plant farms, but perhaps the most intriguing one involved the rocket company SpaceX and two of NASA's field centers—the Glenn Research Center in Ohio and the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.
"SpaceX will work with Glenn and Marshall to advance technology needed to transfer propellant in orbit, an important step in the development of the company’s Starship space vehicle," the NASA news release states. This is a significant announcement for reasons both technical and political.
For its part, SpaceX welcomed the opportunity to help advance NASA's Artemis Program, which NASA hopes will send humans to the Moon by 2024 (and, later on, to Mars). “We believe SpaceX’s fleet of advanced rockets and spacecraft, including Falcon Heavy and Starship, are integral to accelerating NASA’s lunar and Mars plans," a company spokesperson told Ars.
Technical
One of SpaceX's principal engineers behind the Starship project, Paul Wooster, has identified orbital refueling as one most difficult technology challenges the company will have to overcome in order to realize its Mars ambitions.
Under some scenarios by which the company aims to send humans to Mars, a Super Heavy rocket would launch a Mars-bound Starship to low-Earth orbit. At that point, the spacecraft would need to top its fuel tanks back up in order to get its payload all the way to the red planet. It's estimated that five Starship launches' worth of fuel (as payload) would be required to refuel a single Mars-bound Starship in low-Earth orbit, and this would involve the transfer of hundreds of tons of methane and liquid oxygen.
Such refueling technology would also be useful for others besides NASA. "I’ve got a stack of studies that go from the floor to the ceiling that list the critical technologies needed for humans to become long-term explorers in deep space, and in-space refueling is always on the list," said Bobby Braun, a former chief technologist at NASA who is now Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. "It's the key for sustainability."
The new partnership recognizes SpaceX's maturity as a leading space transportation company, Braun said. And Glenn and Marshall are the right centers for SpaceX to partner with, even if there simultaneously exists a strong rivalry between SpaceX's low-cost rockets and Marshall's lead development of NASA's Space Launch System rocket.
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In-space refueling of Starship is a significant challenge for SpaceX.SpaceX
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How does one safely transfer cryo-propellants in space?SpaceX
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SpaceX has to develop the technology to produce propellant on the surface of Mars, and refuel rockets there.SpaceX
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And then launch them back to Earth, of course.SpaceX
NASA has previously done considerable work studying the handling, transfer of, and storage of rocket fuels such as liquid oxygen, hydrogen, and methane in space—they are difficult to work with, and susceptible to boil off in the space environment (hydrogen atoms can even migrate directly through metal fuel tanks). Under the new Space Act Agreement, NASA's Space Technology program will fund the time the agency's people spend working on these problems, and any agency test facilities used. In effect, teams from the company and agency will work together to solve the problem, each paying for its own part of the effort.
"The civil servants at Marshall and at Glenn are very talented in this area," Braun said. "The people at SpaceX clearly know their system, both the capabilities and the needs of the Starship architecture. The fact that they’re all going to get together in the same room, and work on the same problem, that’s tremendous."
Political
Braun served as chief technologist in 2010, back when the Obama administration created NASA's Space Technology program to foster just this kind of innovation in America's private space industry. It was a contentious time in space policy, as the White House was pushing for more funding for new space companies—and new space ideas such as fuel-storage depots—while Congress wanted to keep NASA in the rocket-building business.
Eventually, Congress got the upper hand, putting NASA on track to build the large SLS rocket at a development cost of more than $2 billion a year. The rocket program mostly benefited the Alabama space center, and was championed by Alabama state senator Richard Shelby. The potential of in-space fuel storage and transfer threatened the SLS rocket because it would allow NASA to do some exploration missions with smaller and cheaper rockets. As one source explained at the time, "Senator Shelby called NASA and said if he hears one more word about propellant depots he’s going to cancel the Space Technology program."
The line from other NASA officials was that as a technology, propellant depots were not ready for prime time. In 2011, former NASA administrator Mike Griffin and the current executive secretary of the National Space Council Scott Pace—both SLS advocates—wrote a withering criticism of the technology for Space News.
"Fuel depots as an element of a near-term space architecture are an example of magical thinking at its best, a wasteful distraction supported by the kinds of poorly vetted assumptions that can cause a concept to appear deceptively attractive," Griffin and Pace wrote. Ironically, their chosen heavy lift rocket for use in NASA's "near-term" architecture, the SLS rocket, remains badly behind schedule and over budget. It is unlikely to fly meaningful exploration missions for at least three or four more years and is holding up the Trump administration's Artemis plan.
Some engineers at NASA still wanted to solve the fuel storage and transfer issue in 2011, and put together a $400 million depot development plan. This would have included an in-space demonstration of the technology. They argued that both orbital refueling and large rockets were vital for a sustainable exploration plan. However, Congress never adequately funded the effort, and it fizzled into a series of lesser ground tests.
A consultant to NASA at the time, Charles Miller, was among those performing studies to show that the use of propellant depots could significantly lower exploration costs for NASA. On Tuesday, he praised the Trump administration and NASA chief Jim Bridenstine for putting the Space Technology program to good use.
"Administrator Bridenstine is clearly executing on President’s Trump’s guidance to increase commercial public-private-partnerships at NASA," Miller, now chief executive of UbiquitiLink, told Ars. "The game-changing technology that NASA has discovered is capitalism. This program proves NASA leadership has figured out the future is reusability mixed with commercial public-private-partnerships."
https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/07/nasa-agrees-to-work-with-spacex-on-orbital-refueling-technology/
2019-07-31 11:55:00Z
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This Bizarre Ancient Sea Monster Looked Like the Millennium Falcon - Live Science
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This Bizarre Ancient Sea Monster Looked Like the Millennium Falcon Live ScienceA long time ago, in a galaxy not at all far away, a carnivore with an uncanny resemblance to the Millennium Falcon from "Star Wars" scuttled through the seas.
https://www.livescience.com/66067-millennium-falcon-cambrian-predator.html
2019-07-31 11:21:00Z
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Roy Exum: Tonight! The Black Moon - The Chattanoogan
As a rule I am leery of any hocus-pocus that comes my way. When I was a teenager some of my crowd would go down to the Chickamauga National Battlefield to taunt a ghost known as “Green Eyes” and I would never go. I knew I’d be a lot better off not “stirring up any haints” and, while I’ll probably never know if that is true, I can say with certainty staying on my side of any ghosts has served me well. I won’t dare wake up a sleeping dog on purpose either. I knew a boy who got ‘good and bit’ one time when he was such a fool and I do have an aversion to dog bites.
By the time I got to be a senior in high school some long-legged girl told me “Green Eyes” was just a silly girl’s way of getting a boy off into the darkness to kiss. I didn’t bat an eye admitting I ain’t a good kisser when I’m scared and left it be. Yet I’ve always had a “weather eye” and I wouldn’t be right if I didn’t share that this is the night of The Black Moon.
* * *
FROM TIMEANDDATE.COM: “Some years have 13 Full Moons, which makes at least one of them a Blue Moon, as it doesn't quite fit in with the traditional Full Moon naming system. However, this is not the only definition of a Blue Moon … (PAY ATTENTION) … About every 19 years, there is no Full Moon in February. This is one of several definitions of the term Black Moon. The other definitions refer to a New Moon which does not fit in with the equinoxes or solstices, similar to a Blue Moon.”
* * *
You know you have heard from your elders, “Such-and-so will only happen once in a blue moon.” That’s because a Blue Moon comes around only once in every 29 months. But it is only once in every 19 years that the month of February will have no new moon.
AGAIN, FROM TIMEANDDATE.COM:
* -- There is no single accepted definition of a Black Moon. The term has been commonly used to refer to any of the following phenomena associated with the New Moon:
* -- Second New Moon in the same month: These Black Moons are the most common ones, and they occur about once every 29 months. Because of time zone differences, the month they happen in can vary, like the Black Moon in July 2019 (US) or August 2019 (UK).
* -- Third New Moon in a season of four New Moons: These Black Moons are a little rarer, and occur about once every 33 months. We divide a year into four seasons - spring, summer, fall (autumn), and winter. Usually, each season has three months and three New Moons. When a season has four New Moons, the third New Moon is called a Black Moon. This is the exact counterpart to the original definition of a Blue Moon, except that Blue Moons are Full Moons.
* -- No New Moon in February: About once every 19 years, there is no New Moon in February. This can only happen in February, as this is the only month which is shorter than a lunar month (lunation). When this occurs, both January and March have two New Moons, instead of just one, which is the norm. The next Black Moon by this definition will occur in 2033, while the last one was in 2014. Because of time zone differences, these Black Moons may not happen all over the world. For instance, there is a Black Moon in the most western parts of the US in February 2022, but not in Europe or Australia.
* -- No Full Moon in February: About once every 19 years, February does not have a Full Moon. Instead, there are two Full Moons in January and March, also known as a double Blue Moon. The next Black Moon by this definition will occur in 2037, while the last one was in 2018. Because of time zone differences, these Black Moons may not happen all over the world.
* * *
Now here’s where the goodie gets good. “Black Moons hold special significance to people who practice certain forms of Pagan religions and who believe certain actions become more potent when performed on the night of a Black Moon.”
Wanna’ make a baby? At exactly 11:11 p.m. tonight the sun, the moon, and planet Earth will be in perfect alignment. Again, the key word is “potent.”
* * *
"God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night; they shall serve as signs for the set times - the days and the years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.' And it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to dominate the day and the lesser light to dominate the night, and the stars." – Genesis 1:14-16
These two great lights are the sun, and the moon, respectively. The word for 'set times' here is moedim (appointed times) which is the very word that Yahweh chooses to use to describe His festivals. One more passage that speaks of these two lights is found in Psalms 104:19: "He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set."
* * *
WICCAN: THE SOLITARY BLACK MOON RITUAL
(From the website, sacredwicca.com, by Rowan Morgana, 2010)
On the night of the Dark Moon, as late as you can possibly stay awake, stand outside and breathe in the blackness of the night. It is Hecate’s night, the Crone Goddess has covered you in her blanket and given you the time to consider all those things in your life that you no longer need. You are safe within the womb of the Dark Goddess.
Consider that which you wish to banish from your life. Take your time, allow Hecate to guide your thoughts.
When you are ready, and you feel that you know exactly what must be banished turn widdershins to the East. Feel Hecate cleanse your mind of all unhealthy thoughts.
Turn widdershins to the North, feel Hecate cleanse your body of all unhealthy energies.
Turn widdershins to the West, feel Hecate cleanse your emotions of all that is causing you pain.
Turn widdershins to the South, feel Hecate cleanse your Spirit of all that is hindering your spiritual growth.
Breathe in the darkness of the night, breathe in the regenerative power of the Dark Goddess Hecate. Know that you are cleansed and purified, ready to begin mental, physical, emotional and spiritual growth with the coming of the New Moon.
It is done. So mote it be.
* * *
LILITH, THE QUEEN OF THE BLACK MOON?
Ancient Demon, Dark Deity, or Sensual Goddess? (From the website, Ancient-origins.org)
In some sources she's described as a demon, in others she is an icon who became one of the darkest deities of the pagans. Lilith is one of the oldest known female spirits of the world. Her roots come from the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, but she was also described in the Bible and the Talmud.
In Jewish tradition, she is the most notorious demon, but in some other sources she appears as the first woman created on Earth. According to a legend, God formed Lilith as the first woman. He did it in the same way as he created Adam. The only difference was that in place of pure dust, he also used filth and residue. Traditionally Lilith means ''the night'', and she is related to attributes connected with the spiritual aspects of sensuality and freedom, but also terror.
Lilith’s name comes from the Sumerian word ''lilitu'', which meant a wind spirit or a female demon. Lilith was mentioned in the Tablet XII of the Epic of Gilgamesh, a famous poem of ancient Mesopotamia dated back to not later than c. 2100 BC. The tablet was added to the original text much later, c. 600 BC, in its later Assyrian and Akkadian translations. She appears in a magical story, where she represents the branches of a tree.
She is described with other demons, but researchers still argue if she was a demon or a dark goddess. At the same time, she appeared in early Jewish sources, so it is difficult to find out who mentioned her first. However, it is obvious that from the beginning of her existence in the texts she was related to Sumerian witchcraft.
In some sources she's described as a demon, in others she is an icon who became one of the darkest deities of the pagans. Lilith is one of the oldest known female spirits of the world. Her roots come from the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, but she was also described in the Bible and the Talmud.
In Jewish tradition, she is the most notorious demon, but in some other sources she appears as the first woman created on Earth. According to a legend, God formed Lilith as the first woman. He did it in the same way as he created Adam. The only difference was that in place of pure dust, he also used filth and residue. Traditionally Lilith means ''the night'', and she is related to attributes connected with the spiritual aspects of sensuality and freedom, but also terror.
In the Babylonian Talmud, Lilith was described as a dark spirit with an uncontrollable and dangerous sexuality. She is said to have fertilized herself with male sperm to create demons. She is believed to be the mother of hundreds of demons.
Lilith appears in the Bible, in the Book of Isaiah 34:14, which describes the desolation of Eden. From the beginning, she is considered as a devilish spirit, unclean, and dangerous. The Genesis Rabbah describes her as the first wife of Adam. According to the book, God created her and Adam at the same time. Lilith was very strong, independent, and wanted to be equal with Adam. She did not accept being less important than him and refused to lie beneath Adam for copulation. The marriage did not work and they never found happiness.
As Robert Graves and Raphael Patai wrote in the book ‘The Hebrew Myths’:
''Adam complained to God: 'I have been deserted by my help meet' God at once sent the angels Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof to fetch Lilith back. They found her beside the Red Sea, a region abounding in lascivious demons, to whom she bore lilim at the rate of more than one hundred a day. 'Return to Adam without delay,' the angels said, `or we will drown you!'
Lilith asked: `How can I return to Adam and live like an honest housewife, after my stay beside the Red Sea?? 'It will be death to refuse!' they answered. `How can I die,' Lilith asked again, `when God has ordered me to take charge of all newborn children: boys up to the eighth day of life, that of circumcision; girls up to the twentieth day. None the less, if ever I see your three names or likenesses displayed in an amulet above a newborn child, I promise to spare it.' To this they agreed; but God punished Lilith by making one hundred of her demon children perish daily; and if she could not destroy a human infant, because of the angelic amulet, she would spitefully turn against her own.''
Due to the misunderstandings and disappointments related to Lilith, God decided to create a second wife for Adam– Eve.
- - -
Nowadays, Lilith has become a symbol of freedom for many feminist groups. Due to the rising level of education, women started to understand that they could be independent, so they began looking for symbols of feminine power. She also started to be worshiped by some followers of the pagan Wicca religion, which was created in the 1950s.
This appeal was enhanced by artists, who took her on as a muse. She started to be a popular motif in art and literature around the Renaissance period, when Michelangelo portrayed her as a half woman, half serpent being. He presented her around the Tree of Knowledge, and increased the importance of her legend. With time, Lilith became more attractive for the imaginations of male artists like Dante Gabriel Rosetti, who created her image as the most beautiful female being of the world. The author of ''The Chronicles of Narnia'', C.S. Lewis, was inspired by the legend about Lilith in the creation of the White Witch. She was beautiful, but dangerous and cruel.
* * *
Whatever! Just know that tonight, at 11:11 p.m., you might want to buy a lottery ticket.
https://www.chattanoogan.com/2019/7/31/393872/Roy-Exum-Tonight-The-Black-Moon.aspx
2019-07-31 03:39:19Z
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Report: Teams 'annoyed' by Stroman return - TSN
The Toronto Blue Jays may have set the pitching market with their trade of Marcus Stroman on Sunday and it appears other sellers are not happy about it.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, other teams looking to move pitchers are "very annoyed" at the Blue Jays return and are questioning why the team accepted the deal from the New York Mets four days before Wednesday's deadline.
Martino reports that that one rival called the Blue Jays return of Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson "dogs***."
TSN Blue Jays reporter Scott Mitchell wrote Sunday that the initial reaction around baseball was the return for Stroman was a "tad light," since neither pitcher acquired is considered a top 100 prospect. He added a source confirmed the Blue Jays front office liked both players more than the industry consensus.
Several pitchers are believed to still be on the trade block ahead of Wednesday's deadline, including potentially Madison Bumgarner, Noah Syndergaard, Trevor Bauer, Mike Minor and Robbie Ray.
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, may not be done yet with Mitchell reporting that Aaron Sanchez is drawing interest as a reliever ahead of the deadline.
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July 30, 2019 at 10:29PM
Vlad hits a Grand Slam, Jays win - Bluebird Banter
Sean Reid-Foley worked some sort of magic, going 5 scoreless innings even though he allowed 4 hits, 4 walks (and had a couple of errors behind him). He had 4 strikeouts, including 3 in the third inning after giving up a leadoff double. I don’t think we can hope for that sort of luck every start, but then only gave up one extra base hit. I hope he can cut down on the walks in the future.
Wilner Font had a bit of magic of his own, getting through 2 scoreless innings while giving up 3 hits. He was helped out by a very nice catch from Teoscar Hernandez in center field, saving what would have been a double and getting a nice double play turned from the shift, with Vlad making the play at second and throw to first, looking like a real second baseman.
The magic ran out when Joe Biagini came in for the eighth inning. He gave up a run on 2 doubles. It would have been worst but Randal Grichuk made a super diving catch in right that saved at least one run.
Daniel Hudson pitched the ninth. He gave up a run on 2 hits.
The Royals left 11 men on base.
Offensively, well we got a bit of luck there too.
The big hit of the game came in the ninth inning, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. came up with the bases loaded and drove the ball 402 feet, well over the wall in left. Of course, if it wasn’t for an error by Royals shortstop Humberto Arteaga (which gave us the first run in our 5 run ninth), the inning would have ended before Vlad come to bat.
Vlad’s homer ended any drama there might have been in the bottom of the inning.
Before the ninth we scored:
- Two in the first: New leadoff hitter Bo Bichette started the game with a single. He moved up on a ground out then scored on Lourdes Gurriel’s single. Grichuk single to give us runners on first and second, but then Lourdes was thrown out at the front of a double steal. He had a bit of a weird slide, or else he might have been safe. Vlad followed with a single, driving in Grichuk from second.
- Two in the fifth: Brandon Drury walked, Danny Jansen doubled and both scored on a broken bat bloop single from Freddy Galvis. As Lalalaprise mentioned in the GameThread, baseball is a funny game, before Galvis had his bloop single, Bo Bichette ripped a hard ground ball, but right at the Royals shortstop, for an out. Freddy makes poor contact, breaks his bat and gets 2 RBI.
We had 10 hits. Bichette (hitting .375 after 2 games), Galvis and Vlad had 2 each. Vlad set a career high with 5 runs driven in and has his average up to .261. The only Jays not to have a hit were Drury and Biggio and they both had walks.
We had a couple of errors. Vlad had a throwing error on a pretty tough play, throwing on the run and not missing the target by all that much, but Drury at first base reached into the runner on the catch and had the ball (and glove) knocked out of his hand. He likely should have been able reach away from the runner. Drury was very heads up after dropping the ball, he got to the ball quick and made a great throw to Bichette, covering third, to get the runner trying to go first to third.
And Cavan had a ball go through him at second base. That seems to be happening a fair bit.
We also had great catches by Teoscar and Grichuk.
Should I mention that the Jays are 2-0 in the post-Stroman era? See, the unnamed sources were right, he was a cancer (of course, I’m joking). It does seem like the young guys enjoy playing together.
Jays of the Day: Reid-Foley (.265, he wasn’t great but he got the outs when he needed them) and I’m giving one to Vlad (.068) for the Grand Slam. He didn’t get much WPA love because we were already up by 3 when he hit it in the ninth.
No Suckage Jays.
We had 837 comments in the GameThread. Chatty Cathy led us to victory. Great job.
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July 31, 2019 at 11:13AM
Jill Ellis resigns as coach of U.S. women's soccer team - CBC Sports
National team coach Jill Ellis is stepping down after leading the United States to back-to-back Women's World Cup titles.
Ellis has been coach of the team since 2014 and has led it to eight overall tournament titles, including victories at the World Cup in 2015 in Canada and earlier this month in France .
"The opportunity to coach this team and work with these amazing women has been the honour of a lifetime," Ellis said in a statement released by U.S. Soccer on Tuesday. "I want to thank and praise them for their commitment and passion to not only win championships but also raise the profile of this sport globally while being an inspiration to those who will follow them."
She will remain with the team for a World Cup victory tour, which kicks off Saturday with a match against Ireland at the Rose Bowl. Following the conclusion of the five-match tour in October, she will serve as a U.S. Soccer ambassador.
WATCH | U.S. women's team wins 2019 World Cup:
Ellis' contract was set to expire following this year's World Cup with a mutual option to extend it through the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. U.S. Soccer will begin the search for a new coach after a general manager for the women's national team is named.
"Jill was always extremely passionate about this team, analytical, tremendously focused and not afraid to make tough decisions while giving her players the freedom to play to their strengths," U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro said. "She helped raise the bar for women's soccer in the USA and the world, and given the history of this program, the level of success she achieved is even more remarkable."
Word of Ellis' decision was first reported by The Equalizer, a women's soccer website.
Ellis' assistant coach, Tony Gustavsson, is also stepping down after eight years with the team.
Most games coached of all-time
Over the summer in France, Ellis broke April Heinrich's U.S. women's team record for most games coached. Overall, she has led the team in 127 matches, with 102 wins.
Ellis was named head coach after serving as interim coach following the dismissal of Tom Sermanni. Ellis also served as interim coach after Pia Sundhage resigned in 2012.
Ellis was an assistant to both Sundhage and Sermanni. She was on the staff of the gold medal-winning teams at the Beijing and London Olympics. She also served as head coach at UCLA for 12 seasons.
"When I accepted the head coaching position this was the timeframe I envisioned," Ellis said in the statement. "The timing is right to move on and the program is positioned to remain at the pinnacle of women's soccer. Change is something I have always embraced in my life and for me and my family this is the right moment."
The World Cup title in 2015 was the team's first since winning in 1999. Overall, the team has won soccer's most prestigious tournament four times.
Mostly dominant run mixed with disappointment
The top-ranked U.S. team has been dominant overall during Ellis' tenure. In the 2015 World Cup, the team went undefeated en route to a 5-2 victory over Japan in the title match. The United States gave up just three goals over the course of the tournament.
The U.S. defeated the Netherlands 2-0 in Lyon earlier this month to claim its second straight championship, after challenging knockout victories over No. 4 France and No. 3 England. The Americans never trailed at the tournament and set records with 26 goals and a 12-game World Cup winning streak dating to 2015. Ellis became the first coach to lead a team to two Women's World Cup titles.
But there was also disappointment. The three-time defending champions were knocked out in the quarter-finals in the 2016 Brazil Olympics by Sweden, the team's earliest departure ever in the tournament.
The United States is set to play Portugal on Aug. 29 in Philadelphia and on Sept. 3 in St. Paul, Minnesota. The final two matches of the victory tour, set for early October, have not yet been announced.
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July 31, 2019 at 01:48AM
Selasa, 30 Juli 2019
Report: Teams 'annoyed' by Stroman return - TSN
The Toronto Blue Jays may have set the pitching market with their trade of Marcus Stroman on Sunday and it appears other sellers are not happy about it.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, other teams looking to move pitchers are "very annoyed" at the Blue Jays return and are questioning why the team accepted the deal from the New York Mets four days before Wednesday's deadline.
Martino reports that that one rival called the Blue Jays return of Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson "dogs***."
TSN Blue Jays reporter Scott Mitchell wrote Sunday that the initial reaction around baseball was the return for Stroman was a "tad light," since neither pitcher acquired is considered a top 100 prospect. He added a source confirmed the Blue Jays front office liked both players more than the industry consensus.
Several pitchers are believed to still be on the trade block ahead of Wednesday's deadline, including potentially Madison Bumgarner, Noah Syndergaard, Trevor Bauer, Mike Minor and Robbie Ray.
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, may not be done yet with Mitchell reporting that Aaron Sanchez is drawing interest as a reliever ahead of the deadline.
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July 30, 2019 at 10:29PM
David Phelps acquired by Cubs in deal with Blue Jays - BayToday
ST. LOUIS — The Cubs added bullpen depth by acquiring right-hander David Phelps from Toronto for minor league righty Thomas Hatch.
As part of the trade announced Tuesday, the Blue Jays agreed to send cash to Chicago to offset some of Phelps' contract, which includes a $2.5 million base salary for this year, a $1 million club option for 2020 and numerous performance bonuses.
Phelps will cost Chicago a maximum of $1.25 million this year. The Cubs are responsible for the $819,892 remaining of his 2019 salary and the first $430,108 of the performance bonuses Phelps earns.
"There was a time when he was kind of a reverse guy when he first began, would be really good against lefties, cut the ball in, elevated fastball," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He's become more of a conventional pitcher the last couple years, but he still has that ability to get out a lefty too, a very aggressive sort, a very, very physical, aggressive, let's go kind of guy."
The 32-year-old tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow on March 17, 2017, during his final pitch in a spring training outing against the Los Angeles Angels, had surgery March 26 and did not return to the major leagues until this June 17. He had a 3.63 ERA in 17 relief appearances with the Blue Jays, going 0 for 2 in save chances.
He is 30-33 with a 3.88 ERA over 245 games in seven seasons with the New York Yankees (2012-14), Miami (2015-17), Seattle (2017) and Toronto.
To open a 40-man roster spot for Phelps, the Cubs moved left-hander Xavier Cedeño to the 60-day injured list.
Phelps is the third player in three days traded by the rebuilding Blue Jays after right-hander Marcus Stroman was sent to the New York Mets and utilityman Eric Sogard to Tampa Bay.
Phelps could earn $2.5 million in bonuses this year based on games: $250,000 each for 25, 30 and 35, and $350,000 apiece for 40, 45, 50, 55 and 70. He also could earn $750,000 this year based on games finished: $125,000 each for 25 and 30, and $250,000 apiece for 35 and 40.
His option price would increase to $3 million if he pitches in 30-39 games this year. $5 million if 40-49, $7 million if 50 games. He has differing bonus chances for 2020 depending on his base salary that year.
Hatch, 24, was 4-10 with a 4.59 ERA this season at Double-A Tennessee. Selected by Chicago on the third round of the 2016 amateur draft with the 104th pick, Hatch signed for a $573,900 bonus. He is 17-27 with a 4.10 ERA in 73 starts over three minor league seasons.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
The Associated Press
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July 31, 2019 at 06:01AM
Women's World Cup Throwback: 5 Moments Which Defined the USWNT's Four-Year Journey to the Top - 90min
The U.S. Women's National Team are no slackers.
After winning the FIFA Women's World Cup back in 2015, there was only a year to prepare for the 2016 Olympics – in which the US fell to Sweden on penalty kicks. At that point, the United States made moves to make sure they wouldn't fail in their next big tournament. Fast forward to July 2019 and the moves paid off — the USWNT hoisted their fourth World Cup trophy.
The team has made headlines over the past four years. They've been knocked down, faced some stiff competition and have even gotten in political disagreements on a national level; even taking contract matters into their own hands, suing U.S. Soccer.
It's been a seismic four years and a long journey for this USWNT squad – with some huge landmarks along the way.
2018: Crystal Dunn Becomes a Left-Back
It was a head scratching move for every national team fan.
Crystal Dunn, who just barely missed the 2015 World Cup roster, was moved from her preferred attacking position to more of a defensive position. Or rather, a completely defensive position.
Despite having plenty of natural left-backs in the NWSL to choose from, head coach Jill Ellis plucked Dunn from the attack and put her into the left-back spot. She wasn't the only player Ellis did this to, also dropping Sofia Huerta into the back line only to disown her from the national team later because her club coach wouldn't play her in defence.
Dunn faced a similar situation, as Paul Riley of the North Carolina Courage kept her in midfield instead of moving her where Ellis wanted. Either way, Dunn made the World Cup roster and helped shut down players like Kadidiatou Diani of France and Ellen White of England – while adding a huge attacking threat overlapping with Megan Rapinoe.
2016-2018: Youth Finally Joins the USWNT
Hark the herald angels, Ellis finally listened and brought in younger players!
With the retirements of Shannon Box, Abby Wambach, Lori Chalupny, Lauren Holiday and Christie Pearce (Rampone) – and the forcing out of Meghan Klingenberg, Whitney Engen and Heather O'Reilly – it was time for the USWNT to look for younger players.
Players like Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis rose to the occasion at the World Cup, with the former awarded the Bronze Ball for the tournament's third best player, also scoring the game-clinching goal against the Netherlands in the final.
Meanwhile, Mewis contested with another young player (Lindsey Horan) for a starting spot in Ellis' 4-3-3 formation midfield and won more often than not.
Looking at all the youth talent on the bench too, the USWNT has a real shot of winning another title in 2023.
2017-18: Carli Lloyd Goes to the Bench
One of Ellis' faults is that she relies on the past too much.
For example, most national teams do not call players in based on their name. If they are not performing for their club team, they don't get a call up. That's how it works on the U.S. Men's National Team (in theory), and in national teams around the world. If it went that way on the USWNT, players like Ashlyn Harris, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd wouldn't have been called up.
In the event they did – but Lloyd's capacity and time on the pitch was limited. Despite scoring three goals against Japan in the final back in 2015, Lloyd spent most of the World Cup on the bench.
She started against Chile, but other than that she entered matches as a substitute. However, that's a positive for the team. Other players were simply outperforming Lloyd, and the fact that Ellis recognised that and acted accordingly gave the attack some much-needed zing.
2019: USWNT Sues U.S. Soccer
Equal play, equal pay.
That's what the U.S. Women's National Team players are fighting for, and have evidence to back it up. Just a few months away from the World Cup, 28 members of the WNT sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination. For a detailed description of the lawsuit, read ESPNW's piece.
In other countries, players who speak up against their federation are punished – it's happening right now with players in Argentina. The USWNT have been pioneers on the pitch and are now serving as leaders off the pitch, leading the way in the fight for equality.
2017: It's the Naeher Show
Hope Solo will long be revered as the most fearsome goalkeeper in the world – not just in U.S. Soccer – and was the first goalkeeper to ever reach 100 shutouts on the international stage.
However, she was essentially banished from the USWNT her off-field shenanigans – including calling Sweden 'cowards' after they knocked Solo's side out of the Olympics – became too much for U.S. Soccer to tolerate. After rotating for a while between Alyssa Naeher and Ashlyn Harris, Ellis finally decided on her new number one goalkeeper.
At 31 years old and not getting any younger, Naeher isn't the future of the team; but at times she put on a clinic at France during the World Cup. She made a big-time penalty save against Steph Houghton to protect a tight 2-1 lead in the semi-final, before keeping her first knockout clean sheet in the final, depriving the red-hot Vivianne Miedema and Lieke Martens of any opportunities.
Solo will always be the greatest goalkeeper in U.S. Women's National Team history. But, for now, Naeher is hearing less and less of her name.
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July 30, 2019 at 02:19AM