With Rounds 1 and 2 complete, the 2019 MLB draft continues with Rounds 3 to 10 on Tuesday and Rounds 11 to 40 on Wednesday.
Adley Rutschman went first overall to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, with the Kansas City Royals taking Bobby Witt Jr. second and Chicago White Sox choosing Andrew Vaughn at No. 3.
See below for analysis of all the picks in the first round.
Who is Rutschman? The clear No. 1 prospect in this draft class and a sure bet to stay at catcher, Rutschman hit .408 for Oregon State this year. According to ESPN's Keith Law, the switch-hitting backstop has one of the safest floors of the draft, because he will stay behind the plate and the ceiling of a perennial All-Star thanks to his power potential.
Why the Orioles took him here: It's no secret that the Orioles have holes to fill just about everywhere on the diamond, and plugging the one behind the plate with a potential franchise cornerstone who has drawn comparisons to Buster Posey and Joe Mauer is a pretty good place to start. How good is Rutschman? Well, Cincinnati showed the ultimate sign of respect by electing to walk him with the bases loaded during an NCAA regional matchup last week. -- Dan Mullen
2. Kansas City Royals: Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Colleyville (Texas) Heritage HS
Who is Witt? Arguably the most famous name in this year's class, Witt's father was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1985 draft, making the Witts the first father-son combination to both be selected as top-five picks. The Texas prep star is a true shortstop with potentially plus defense, a huge arm, good instincts and a history of hitting.
Why the Royals took him here: According to Keith Law, the Royals zeroed in on Witt months ago, and they have not wavered on making him their guy at No. 2. The upside Kansas City is betting on is a middle-of-the-diamond star, but there is some reason for concern about Witt's age (he will turn 19 in June) for a high schooler, since he has been older than most of the competition he has faced so far. -- Mullen
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Royals' No. 2 pick Witt Jr. makes history
The Royals select Bobby Witt Jr. at No. 2 in the MLB Draft, making Witt Jr. and his dad Witt Sr. (No. 3 in 1985) the highest drafting duo in history.
Who is Vaughn? The 2018 Golden Spikes winner, Vaughn has absolutely raked since he set foot on campus in Berkeley. He followed up his .402 batting average in 2018 by hitting .381 this year, and he smacked 50 home runs in his three seasons at Cal.
Why the White Sox took him here: Keith Law called Vaughn the best pure bat in this draft, and it would have been hard to imagine Chicago passing on adding that kind of hitter with the No. 3 overall pick. As a major conference college star, Vaughn should move quickly through the minors and bring his smooth right-handed swing to the South Side sooner than later. The history of shorter first basemen as high draft picks isn't great, but Vaughn has a chance to change that here. -- Mullen
Who is Bleday? A corner outfield prospect who has shown his power in the toughest conference in college baseball, Bleday is a future right fielder with an unusual swing that could present some risk but enough pop in his bat to make it more than worth it here.
Why the Marlins took him here: A polished college bat is a great fit for a franchise in desperate need of offense at the big league level. Miami has gravitated toward athletic players during Derek Jeter's short tenure, but betting on a bat-first prospect shows a willingness to break from the mold for the right player. -- Mullen
5. Detroit Tigers: Riley Greene, OF, Hagerty HS (Oviedo, Florida)
Who is Greene? Greene lags behind Witt as an all-around prospect, but he might be the best pure bat of any prep hitter in this class. According to Keith Law, Greene's future is in left field.
Why the Tigers took him here: Greene's defense is a work in progress, but Detroit is betting on a high schooler who could hit for both power and average thanks to his hand speed. -- Mullen
6. San Diego Padres: C.J. Abrams, SS, Blessed Trinity HS (Roswell, Georgia)
Who is Abrams? One of the fastest runners in this year's draft, Abrams is a high school shortstop with the athleticism to stay there or end up in center field, where his speed could be put to even better use. Keith Law sees Abrams as a prospect with the potential to hit for average, but not much power.
Why the Padres took him here: With the draft playing out according to form so far, Abrams seemed like the clear choice for San Diego here. One advantage for the Padres is that having a system already stocked with young players in or near the majors allows them to take a chance on a toolsy high school star who might take a little extra time to develop. -- Mullen
Who is Lodolo? The first pitcher off the board in a class that Keith Law has noted as the weakest in his time covering the draft, Lodolo is a hard-throwing lefty with a slightly lower arm slot than many starters, leading some to wonder if his future will be in the bullpen.
Why the Reds took him here: Lodolo might profile more as a mid-rotation starter than a true ace -- if he stays a starting pitcher -- but in this draft, he is the best left-handed pitching prospect available, and his slider could become a devastating out pitch as he makes his way through Cincinnati's system. He'll get the full slot of $5.43 million, sources told Jeff Passan. -- Mullen
Who is Jung? College bats are the clear strength of this draft, and Jung is another player who has been extremely productive during his time as a collegiate player. While his power numbers don't blow you away, he hit .392 in 2018, and he has followed it up with a .335 average for a Texas Tech team that will host a super regional next weekend.
Why the Rangers took him here: Texas is clearly betting that the hit tool will carry Jung as a prospect. There are some questions about hit power potential, and he will need to work to stay at third base defensively -- but there will be a spot for him if he continues to throw out hits like he has as a Red Raider. -- Mullen
Who is Langeliers? The second-best catching prospect in this draft, Langeliers is another prospect who, like Rutschman, should move quickly and stay behind the plate. The Baylor backstop suffered a broken hamate bone early this season, but he kept his stock up by performing well after returning to the field.
Why the Braves took him here: As the compensation pick for not signing Carter Stewart last year, Atlanta is getting a player who would be the top catching prospect in most drafts. Is Langeliers going to challenge Rutschman as a hitter? No. But a strong defensive catcher with some offensive ability still carries plenty of value. -- Mullen
Who is Bishop? The younger brother of Mariners outfielder Braden Bishop didn't hit much his first two years at Arizona State, before exploding out of the gate this season. He has power and speed and plays center field for ASU, but he might end up as a left fielder in the pros.
Have you seen that San Francisco outfield? The Giants had the worst outfield production in the majors in 2018, and they are near the bottom once again in 2019. Bishop had the best tools left on the board, and while he has a lot of swing-and-miss in his game (23 percent strikeout rate), if it all comes together, he has much ceiling as any outfielder in this draft. -- David Schoenfield
Who is Manoah? Listed at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, Manoah is as big a pitching prospect as the top of the draft has seen in recent memory. A reliever his first two seasons in Morgantown, Manoah's stock skyrocketed after he moved into the rotation, and he excelled this year.
Why the Blue Jays took him here: Have we mentioned this isn't a great class for pitching prospects? That said, Manoah provides Toronto with the crop's best bet to become a solid piece of a big league rotation. Keith Law points to a four-pitch mix highlighted by two swing-and-miss pitches (changeup and slider) that should get Manoah to the majors. -- Mullen
12. New York Mets: Brett Baty, 3B, Lake Travis HS (Austin, Texas)
Who is Baty? As a power-hitting prep prospect, he will need his bat to carry him to the majors, as his defense at third base is very much a work in progress. He also is one of the oldest high school players in this draft at 19½ -- a pretty big red flag.
Why the Mets took him here: Baty has some of the best power in this draft, but he isn't just a power hitter. If it all comes together, New York just took one of the best all-around hitters in this draft. But there are a few more "ifs" than some of the other prospects drafted around him here. -- Mullen
Who is Cavaco? A late-blooming third baseman/shortstop, Cavaco was the biggest pop-up high school player of the spring, moving from a little-known prospect to a first-round talent based on his power potential, athleticism and the ability to play third with the possibility that he can stick at shortstop.
Why the Twins took him here: With the big league team thriving in first place and top-rated prospects like Alex Kirilloff and Royce Lewis on the way, the Twins have a good foundation to remain successful in the short term and the long term. Cavaco is a roll of the dice, of sorts, as the Twins project his breakout performance as a sign that he is just beginning his upward trajectory. -- Schoenfield
Who is Stott? A shortstop who is likely to actually stay at shortstop, despite his size, the UNLV product is listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds and is most often compared to Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford.
Why the Phillies took him here: Stott will have to prove that his numbers aren't just the product of his hitter-friendly environment in Las Vegas and the Mountain West Conference, but Philadelphia is getting a potential contributor on both sides of the ball at shortstop with enough size that a move to third base also is a possibility. -- Mullen
Who is Wilson? Wilson is a college shortstop who profiles more as a second baseman in pro ball. Last summer for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, Wilson played second, while the man who went off the board one pick before him -- Bryson Stott -- was the shortstop.
Why the Angels took him here: Wilson has demonstrated power that should play at second base during his time at NC State, belting a combined 31 home runs over the past two seasons. -- Mullen
Who is Carroll? The No. 4 player on Keith Law's big board, the 5-foot-10 Carroll is an undersized outfielder with speed, athleticism and plus range in center field, and Law believes he has the strength and swing to get to above-average power as he matures. As Law wrote, if he were 6-foot-3, Carroll might have been a candidate to go first overall.
Why the Diamondbacks took him here: With seven of the first 75 picks, the Diamondbacks have the biggest draft pool of the 30 teams, and they might have received a gift here with their first selection. Given the success of all the undersized players across the majors right now, Carroll's size isn't the big negative it might have been viewed as a generation ago. -- Schoenfield
Who is Rutledge? If you thought Alek Manoah was big, wait until you see the 6-foot-8, 260-pound Rutledge on the mound. Rutledge landed at San Jacinto after transferring from Arkansas and dominated with a fastball that regularly touched 98 mph this spring.
Why the Nationals took him here: With Rutledge's high 90s fastball, a cutter and an improving breaking ball, it's not hard to understand why Washington would jump on a chance to draft a pitcher with that upside. But it remains to see what he'll do against elite competition after taking the junior college route to the draft. -- Mullen
Who is Priester? A 6-foot-3 right-hander from a northern state, Priester is a strike thrower with a repeatable delivery and a swing-and-miss curveball.
Why the Pirates took him here: Just before the draft started, Keith Law said he was hearing Pittsburgh was likely to go with a high school arm here. Given that Will Wilson and Shea Langeliers (two players Law had going to the Pirates in mock drafts) already were off the board, it seems the Bucs' decision was made easier by those selecting before them. -- Mullen
Who is Thompson? The Kentucky product is a southpaw who has proved he can compete against high-level competition in the SEC this season. He struck out 130 batters in 90 innings and posted a 2.40 ERA for the Wildcats, thanks to a strong fastball/curveball combo.
Why the Cardinals took him here: According to Keith Law, Thompson could have been a top-10 pick if not for a 2018 elbow issue and some late elbow pronation in his delivery. The Cardinals have a history of success drafting starting pitchers from major conferences, and Thompson could be next in line. -- Mullen
Who is Kirby? A 6-foot-3 right-hander who is not from a power conference, Kirby gets his fastball up to 95 mph, and his curveball and changeup both rate as above-average. Kirby walked just six batters in 88⅓ innings, but his fastball was fairly hittable for his level of competition (73 hits), so it's hard to know if he can develop from a control guy (throws strikes) to a command guy (hits location).
Why the Mariners took him here: Well, for the third time in four years, general manager Jerry Dipoto took a smaller-college guy in the first round, following outfielder Kyle Lewis (Mercer) in 2016 and pitcher Logan Gilbert (Stetson) last season. Like Gilbert, Kirby is viewed as a high-floor guy more so than having a high ceiling, and given the state of the Mariners' pitching staff, betting on a higher degree of certainty is understandable. -- Schoenfield
21. Atlanta Braves: Braden Shewmake, SS/3B, Texas A&M
Who is Shewmake? A contact hitter in the power-strikeout era, Shewmake hit over .300 in all three of his years at Texas A&M and struck out just 27 times in 241 at-bats this season. At 6-foot-4, he is a tall shortstop who could end up at second or third or moving around the diamond.
Why the Braves took him here: Have we mentioned that college hitters are the strength of this draft?Shewmake proved himself in the tough SEC, and he is a safe bet to produce with his hit tool. There isn't a lot of power here, but Atlanta added a second high-floor player after landing Shea Langeliers at No. 9. -- Mullen
Who is Jones? A draft-eligible sophomore, the switch-hitter is an 80 runner, and then some, making him the fastest player in the draft. That makes him one of the most exciting players in the draft. And while he has a strong arm, Keith Law thinks he will move to center field and has concerns about Jones' hit tool (he did hit .343 for UNC Wilmington, playing in a minor conference), thus ranking him just No. 62 on his board.
Why the Rays took him here: Speed never slumps! The Rays have one of the top two farm systems, allowing them to gamble here on a player with game-changing speed. The one thing Tampa Bay's farm system does lack is an obvious center-field replacement for Kevin Kiermaier -- who has been injury-prone in recent seasons -- so if Jones moves to center, he has the speed to give the Rays another great glove in the outfield. -- Schoenfield
Who is Toglia? The UCLA first baseman/corner outfielder is a plus defender at first with a chance to develop as a hitter. He is the No. 51 player on Keith Law's Big Board, so this pick was something of a surprise.
Why the Rockies took him here: Law mentioned going into the draft that Colorado was one of the toughest teams to get a read on, so it's likely the Rockies saw something in Toglia that others didn't. While the glove is the calling card for Toglia, he has posted a 1.001 OPS and belted 14 home runs for the No. 1 team in college baseball so far this season -- and first base has consistently been a position of need in Colorado since the days of Todd Helton. -- Mullen
Who is Espino? A prospect Keith Law calls a smaller 6-foot right-hander with effort, Espino has first-round stuff despite his stature. He is a Panamanian-born pitcher who managed to overcome the stigma smaller starting pitchers face in the first round of the draft.
Why the Indians took him: Cleveland is one team that isn't afraid to keep a smaller pitcher in the rotation (think Trevor Bauer), and the Indians are getting a pitcher with as much pure stuff as anyone who has been picked. Espino has flashed 99 mph on his fastball and shown a hard slider to go with it, meaning the payoff for Cleveland could be high if this pick works out. -- Mullen
Who is Hoese? The Royals took Hoese in the 35th round last year as a draft-eligible sophomore, but he returned to Tulane and improved from .291 hitting with five home runs to .392 and 23 home runs, while registering more walks than strikeouts. He will turn 22 in July, making him the oldest hitter in Keith Law's top 100, and Hoese eventually could end up at first base.
Why the Dodgers took him here: Did you see those offensive numbers? Back in 2015, the Dodgers struck gold with the 24th pick when Walker Buehler fell because of some arm issues. Hoese fell in part because of his age, and you wonder if the Dodgers will once again take advantage with a stealth late-first-round pick. -- Schoenfield
26. Arizona Diamondbacks: Blake Walston, LHP, New Hanover (North Carolina) HS
Who is Walston? Keith Law points to Walston as one of the few pop-up arms of the spring in this draft, but the projectable North Carolina prep prospect is considered a tough sign as an NC State commit. He also was a record-setting quarterback in high school.
Why the Diamondbacks took him here: The Diamondbacks have seven Day 1 picks, so this somewhat surprising selection could have some strategy around it. Arizona took a high school outfielder earlier in the night when it grabbed Corbin Carroll, and it added an athletic pitcher with upside -- if Walston does in fact sign with Arizona here. -- Mullen
Who is Jensen? The No. 32 player on Keith Law's draft board, Jensen has a big-time fastball that sits at 97 to 99 mph but lacks a strong second pitch.
Why the Cubs took him here: Drafting and developing pitchers hasn't exactly been a strength for the Cubs during the Theo Epstein era. In Jensen, Chicago is betting on the heat of an undersized right-hander who has started in college but could end up in a major league bullpen. -- Mullen
Who is Small? A redshirt junior who missed the 2017 season with Tommy John surgery, Small doesn't have big-time velocity at 86 to 92 mph, but he dominated the SEC with a 1.88 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 96 innings. Batters hit just .160 against him as his fastball showed deception and the movement you need from a finesse-type lefty.
Why the Brewers took him here: Teams don't really use the draft for need, since you don't know what your needs will be in the future. But the Brewers certainly need rotation help -- not just at the major league level, but also in the minors, as the farm system has produced Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta over the past two seasons. Small had big numbers in the best conference in college baseball.
Who is Davidson? Davidson is a shortstop with some pop -- but also some swing-and-miss -- in his bat. He posted double-digit home runs and steals in all three of his seasons at Clemson, and he has a good chance to stick in the middle of the diamond as a pro.
Why the Athletics took him here: The A's are betting Davidson can develop into the player his tools suggest, despite his struggles in the wood-bat Cape Cod League -- where he hit just .194 last season -- and his high strikeout totals during his time at Clemson. -- Mullen
30. New York Yankees: Anthony Volpe, SS, Delbarton HS (Morristown, New Jersey)
Who is Volpe? A high school teammate of the more heralded Jack Leiter (a potential first-rounder himself, but likely headed to Vanderbilt), Volpe ranks just 90th on Keith Law's board. His hit tool projects as his most likely tool to be above-average, and Law likes his feel and instincts but believes Volpe will move to second or third in the pros.
Why the Yankees took him here: Maybe they'll take Leiter -- son of Al -- later on and try to buy him out of that Vanderbilt commitment, using Volpe as a recruiting tool. Or maybe the Yankees just really like that hit tool. -- Schoenfield
31. Los Angeles Dodgers: Michael Busch, 1B, North Carolina
Who is Busch? Keith Law had Busch at No. 16 on his draft board, but he fell to the Dodgers 15 picks later. He has played first base during his time at North Carolina, but he was announced as a second baseman when L.A. took him.
Why the Dodgers took him here: Busch has power -- 16 home runs this spring -- and has walked 20 more times than he has struck out this season. Six picks after grabbing Kody Hoese from Tulane, the Dodgers added another strong bat late in the first round for an organization that has nailed its offensive picks in recent drafts -- Mullen
Who is Lee? Surprise! When Andrew Vaughn became the first player from Cal selected in Monday's first round, everyone saw it coming. When Lee's name came off the board 29 picks later, none of us saw it coming. Lee is the first player ranked outside of Keith Law's top 100 to be selected.
Why the Astros took him here: Lee's slash line is certainly attention-grabbing, as he went off to the tune of .338/.419/.626 for the Golden Bears this season; and as a general rule, if the Astros see something in a player, there's probably something there. -- Mullen
Compensation Picks
No. 33: Arizona Diamondbacks:* Brennan Malone, RHP, IMG Academy
No. 34: Arizona Diamondbacks:** Drey Jameson, RHP, Ball State
*For losing Patrick Corbin
**For losing A.J. Pollock
Competitive Balance Round A
No. 35 Miami Marlins: Kameron Misner, OF, Missouri
No. 36 Tampa Bay Rays:* J.J. Goss, RHP, Cypress Ranch HS (Houston)
No. 37 Pittsburgh Pirates: Sammy Siani, OF, Penn Charter School (Philadelphia)
No. 38 New York Yankees:** T.J. Sikkema, LHP, Missouri
No. 39 Minnesota Twins: Matt Wallner, OF, Southern Miss
No. 40 Tampa Bay Rays:*** Seth Johnson, RHP, Campbell
No. 41 Texas Rangers:**** Davis Wendzel, 3B, Baylor
* For not signing Gunnar Hoglund
** From Reds via trade
*** From A's via trade
**** From Brewers via trade
Jordan Henderson collapsed to his knees, exhausted and happy, before he sunk to the turf completely.
"No one deserves this moment more than you," Adam Lallana ran over to tell his close friend as he lifted him to his feet, while tears fell from Jürgen Klopp's face as he embraced the 28-year-old, later saying: "Jordan Henderson is the captain of the 2019 Champions League winners. That is satisfying."
Dejan Lovren put his arm around the England international's shoulder, walking him over to the Liverpool supporters behind the goal that Divock Origi scored in to secure their sixth European Cup after a 2-0 victory over Tottenham, screaming "this is your f---ing captain, this is the f---ing man." Virgil van Dijk walked behind them, raising his hands high and pointing his fingers down at Henderson to underscore the Croatian's words.
The devotion of Liverpool's players and staff to make sure Henderson was centre-stage was endearing to watch, but not surprising.
The sound of the final whistle at the Wanda Metropolitano confirmed him as a European Cup-winning captain but on a wider scale, it felt like a full stop to the exhausting battle to prove he belongs at an elite level, let alone at Liverpool and on the biggest stage in club football. From overcoming Osgood-Schlatter disease, a growing pains condition requiring regular treatment, to being "smaller and skinnier" than the other young hopefuls at Sunderland's Academy, a place where he'd have to excel at everything just to get noticed, Henderson has been in fighter mode for two decades.
At 21, he was tagged an expensive flop after switching from Sunderland to Liverpool in 2011. A year later, he rejected being used a as a makeweight in a transfer approach for Clint Dempsey, then at Fulham, to stay and force his way into Brendan Rodgers' plans. Former Premier League player Joey Barton accused him of "trying to impersonate legends" in 2015, while Alex Ferguson was critical of his gait in his autobiography.
A large portion of Liverpool's fanbase have arguably been most unkind to the midfielder, too. Inside the club, however, Henderson is lionised, which was so emotively illustrated after Saturday's Champions League final victory in Madrid.
Simply put, he is the Reds' leader on every level.
"As a person, Hendo is one of the most fantastic [people] you can ever meet," said Van Dijk, the world's most expensive defender and anchor of Liverpool's back four, to ESPN. "He has been putting the team before himself for years. What I like is that he uses everything he has experienced -- the lows, the criticism, the trouble with injuries -- to help others through similar situations.
"What he does gets overlooked because people think you wear the armband to look good in it and shout a lot and that's the job done. There is so much responsibility on the pitch and off the pitch: you have to think about everyone else before you get to yourself and Hendo is very skilled at that.
"If any young player wants to follow an example, it should be him. He is a fantastic leader, who everyone respects so much at Liverpool and I'm very happy that he is my captain."
Teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will definitely inherit the armband in the future, provided an equally strong appraisal.
"We wouldn't be where we are now without him," he told ESPN. "I'm speaking for everyone when I say massive thanks to Hendo for leading us here. The team is always his first thought: none of us do that more for Liverpool than Hendo. He shows on a daily basis that he deserves to be skipper: how he carries himself in training and around the place, the respect he has for everyone, whether it's Mo Salah or the cleaning staff.
"[Henderson] doesn't see anyone as bigger or more important than anyone else and that's a lesson to learn not just in football but life too. He is so valuable to the club and anyone at Melwood could speak for hours about just that."
Appreciation of Henderson isn't just restricted to the people at Melwood, Liverpool's training complex, either. Amid Henderson's emotional release at full-time, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, in a typically classy move, headed right for the Liverpool captain. He put both his hands on Henderson's face, looked him in the eye and told him to enjoy the moment, that he'd earned this joy.
Rodgers once labelled the midfield as "a moral compass of the group" while at the Liverpool helm and England manager Gareth Southgate believes that description extends to the national team as well.
"To have a player like Jordan really sets the standard for what we do," he told ESPN ahead of the UEFA Nations League finals (June 5-9, live on ESPN2, ESPN). "How he prepares for training, how he prepares for matches and the way he lives his life in general -- he doesn't just do his role perfectly, he has a positive impact on others to do the same.
"You can't have too many of those players as a manager."
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How Alisson transformed Liverpool from contenders to champions
Shaka Hislop explains how Alisson's presence in goal and saves in key moments have been an invaluable asset for Liverpool this season.
Southgate spotlighted Henderson's technical abilities too, which are often overlooked. "He has an incredible range of passing, he is intelligent in the way he presses the ball, which is a huge part of the way Liverpool play and he is an excellent crosser of the ball," said the Three Lions manager.
"Henderson is a responsible player: he is tactically aware when another player goes out of position, he covers across. It's more than just his personal attributes and work rate, his technical qualities are important. He was very much in the frame to be England captain heading into the World Cup, but as soon as the decision was made, he was the first to congratulate Harry Kane.
"He was immense with his leadership throughout the tournament despite not wearing the armband. He has such humility and really great qualities as a person, which makes him such a big part of what we do."
On Saturday, with the defining moment of his career to come, Henderson was still trying to ensure others were in focus. As Liverpool walked onto the podium to celebrate their first trophy under Klopp and the first with him as captain, he asked the manager and James Milner to do the honours of holding "Big Ears" aloft with him. Both immediately declined as they wanted Henderson to be at the forefront alone.
While having his face reflected on the most prestigious prize in the club game was the pinnacle of the midfielder's professional career, it was a more personal scene that will resonate. After proudly lifting the Champions League trophy over his head, Henderson walked over to his father, Brian, with the pair crying into each other's arms as they tightly hugged for a minute.
Before Christmas in 2013, the former policeman was diagnosed with throat cancer, initially keeping the news from his son so it wouldn't affect his football. As surgery approached to remove lymph nodes from both sides of his neck and a tumour from his tongue, Brian broke his silence to Henderson with the instruction "try to get man of the match in every game" after telling him not to visit during the intensive radiotherapy treatment.
"He got it in four of the next five he played," the cancer survivor said in 2014. "People didn't realise the pressure he was under. I was so proud of him."
After their embrace on Saturday night, Brian shared the story of taking Henderson to the 2003 Champions League final at Old Trafford between AC Milan and Juventus. Aged 12, he vowed to his dad that he would compete in the competition's climax one day. Henderson has never been one to just do the bare minimum, though, so he went one better and won it instead.
Middlesex 138 and 9 for 0 trail Sussex 481 for 9 dec (Van Zyl 173, Brown 107, Salt 50, Beer 50) by 334 runs
Stiaan van Zyl's marathon hundred set Sussex on course for a maximum-points win over Middlesex on day two at Lord's.
The South African left-hander batted for just over seven and a half hours for his 173 and with wicketkeeper Ben Brown weighing in with 107, Sussex, who bowled out the hosts for 138 on the opening day, piled up 481 for 9.
Middlesex, for whom James Harris returned figures of 4 for 98, survived four overs before stumps reaching 9 for 0, but they face the prospect of having to bat out almost all of the remaining two days to salvage a draw.
Sussex were only 31 ahead at start of play, but van Zyl and Brown showed great application to bat throughout an absorbing morning session against tight bowling from the hosts.
Van Zyl moved to his half-century before surviving a decent lbw shout from Toby Roland-Jones in what was a probing opening spell from the former England seamer.
Brown at this stage was completely becalmed and he got the benefit of the doubt on another lbw appeal when he had made just 18, Ethan Bamber the unlucky bowler. Just 83 runs came in that first session, but even so it meant Sussex were already more than 100 in front.
The new ball was available almost immediately on the resumption, but instead of bringing much-needed wickets for the hosts it was the signal for a furious assault from Brown, who unfurled a series of glorious shots.
It set up a race between the two batsmen as to who could get to three figures first. In the event van Zyl just prevailed, reaching the landmark from 233 balls with 12 fours.
Not long afterwards it was Brown's turn, 16 boundaries getting him to the century almost 100 balls quicker than his team-mate. His second fifty came up in 41 balls in a passage of play which saw 81 runs in the 55 minutes after lunch.
It was 2:35pm by the time Middlesex got their first success of the day, Brown slogging across a straight one from Roland-Jones and losing his off bail.
Two more wickets fell before tea, David Weise pulling a short one from James Harris to Roland-Jones in the deep, before Chris Jordan played on to give Bamber his first scalp of the innings.
Van Zyl remained and any hopes of running through the tail were hindered by staunch support from Will Beer, who ensured maximum batting points were secured before tea. The pair batted deep into the final session taking the eighth wicket stand to 89 before van Zyl's epic vigil ended when he was trapped in front by Harris.
There was still time for Beer to make 50 and so equal his career-best, before Harris struck for a fourth time to scatter Ollie Robinson's stumps, provoking Jason Gillespie's men to declare 343 to the good.
McCoy is getting a one-year deal worth up to $10.25 million that includes a $4 million signing bonus, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Carolina joined the battle to sign McCoy late, bringing him in for a visit last Thursday and Friday after McCoy visited Baltimore and Cleveland.
McCoy left Baltimore thinking he very well might sign there, sources told Schefter, but Carolina wowed him on his visit and quarterback Cam Newton helped recruit McCoy.
McCoy has been a long-time fan of Newton's, saying in 2015 the first pick of the 2011 draft deserved to win the MVP well before the voting was final.
To cap it off, McCoy gets to stay in the NFC South and play against the Bucs, who released him and gave his No. 93 to Ndamukong Suh. Tampa Bay and McCoy "mutually parted ways" on May 20.
He joins Pro Bowlers Kawann Short and Dontari Poe on a Panthers front line that is transitioning from a base 4-3 scheme to a 3-4.
The 31-year-old's ability to play tackle or end gives coach Ron Rivera, who took over the defensive play calling late last season, the position flexibility he is seeking in trying to keep opposing offenses off balance and improve the pass rush.
Carolina finished 27th in the league last season with 35 sacks, the lowest total since Rivera arrived in 2011.
McCoy has 39.5 sacks when lined up as a defensive tackle since 2010, according to ESPN Stats and Information research. Only Geno Atkins and Aaron Donald have more from the inside rush.
McCoy has 54.5 sacks overall in nine seasons and 45.5 since 2013. Even with a drop-off the past two seasons -- six sacks each year -- McCoy can't help but improve Carolina's rush. No Carolina interior lineman had more than Short's three sacks last season.
McCoy has been a nemesis to the Panthers since arriving in the NFL as the third overall pick of the 2010 draft. His 42 tackles in 15 games against his NFC South rival is his most against any team. So are his 34 solo tackles.
His 4.5 sacks against the Panthers are tied for his second most against any team. He has five against Atlanta Falcons and 4.5 against Philadelphia Eagles.
Carolina Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner called McCoy a "real life savage'' on social media when it was announced the Bucs were releasing their star.
The Panthers had to wait until Saturday, June 1, when they picked up an additional $7.5 million under the salary cap for the release of offensive tackle Matt Kalil, to compete financially for McCoy. They also cleared another $2 million in cap space by getting wide receiver Torrey Smith to take a pay cut.
The team still has approximately $8 million in cap space to sign its top two draft picks, edge rusher Brian Burns and offensive tackle Greg Little, and keep enough in reserve to sign additional help.
Johanna Konta is aiming to become the first British woman since 1983 to reach the French Open semi-finals - and her Fed Cup coach Anne Keothavong says she has yet to hit her peak.
Konta, 28, meets seventh seed Sloane Stephens, last year's runner-up, in Tuesday's quarter-final at 13:00 BST.
The Briton had never won a main-draw match at Roland Garros until this year.
"A lot of things are coming together but she can go up a few more levels if pushed," Keothavong told BBC Sport.
"Jo has played some fantastic tennis and the best thing is she can play even better - she is still very much playing within herself."
Konta, seeded 26th, only claimed her maiden first-round victory on the Paris clay against German qualifier Antonia Lottner last week.
The former world number four fought off sickness to battle past American Lauren Davis in the second round, then eased past young Slovakian Viktoria Kuzmova and Croatian 23rd seed Donna Vekic to reach the last eight.
Now she is bidding to compete in her third Grand Slam semi-final after reaching the same stage at the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017.
'Fed Cup success has helped Konta'
Former British number one Durie - the last woman to reach the Roland Garros last four - says she would be "very happy" for Konta if she emulated her feat.
"Johanna has worked out a way to use her game on the clay to really good effect," Durie, 58, told BBC Sport.
"She's worked very hard to get back to this kind of standard."
After little previous clay-court pedigree, Konta has enjoyed surprise success on the surface having also reached two WTA Tour finals at the Morocco Open and Rome Masters going into Roland Garros.
That came after she helped Britain win promotion to the Fed Cup World Group II stage - which Durie believes has boosted Konta's mental toughness.
Konta has won 13 of her 15 three-set matches this year, including a victory over American Stephens on clay in Rome.
"I think the whole team atmosphere at the Fed Cup worked very well and she won some really tough three-set matches," former world number five Durie added.
"I think that has helped her so much mentally and for her to take so many three-set matches this year."
'Open draw gives Konta great chance'
Stephens is one of only three top-10 seeded players left in the women's draw, along with Romania's defending champion Simona Halep and Australian eighth seed Ashleigh Barty.
Konta and Barty are among five players in the Roland Garros quarter-finals for the first time, along with 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova, Croatian 31st seed Petra Martic and Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova
Keothavong believes Konta can take advantage of an open draw and go on to win the tournament.
"Any one of these players still left in the draw has a good shot at it," she told BBC Radio 5 live.
"She is playing with confidence and it has been building over the last few weeks.
"She has performed very well and this has been her best season by a country mile on clay.
"With each match she is looking more and more comfortable."
Along with the victory in the Rome second round, Konta also beat 2017 US Open champion Stephens in straight sets on the hard court at the Brisbane International in January.
Stephens says those two defeats will have no bearing on the encounter in Paris, insisting she will go in with "a clean slate".
"When I played her in Brisbane it was the first match of the year, so that's totally out of my mind," said Stephens, who lost to Halep in last year's final.
"And then the one in Rome, bad circumstances. Out of the mind."
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – USAC’s winningest AMSOIL National Sprint Car driver, Dave Darland, has teamed up with New Jersey car owner Tim Hogue to compete during the upcoming five-race Eastern Storm tour June 11-16.
Darland’s lone Eastern Storm win came in 2013 at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway, the same year he posted his best points finish in the series, taking the runner-up spot just one marker behind Bryan Clauson. He’s also earned points finishes of fourth in 2015, third in 2014 and third in 2012 to go along with last year’s seventh-place result after fifth-place runs at Port Royal and New York’s Weedsport Speedway.
The Hogue No. 39 has been a familiar staple on the Eastern Storm tour over the last four seasons, with California’s Richard Vander Weerd in the seat for the 2015 campaign, while Darland’s USAC Triple Crown contemporary, Jerry Coons Jr., took the wheel in 2016 through 2018.
Hogue’s sprinter has competed on the USAC Rapid Tire East Coast Sprint Car trail this season with driver Mike Thompson at the controls.
Darland, of Lincoln, Ind., owns four USAC National titles, including the 1997 Silver Crown, 1999 Sprint Car and the 2001-02 Midget championships, and leads all drivers in USAC Sprint Car starts with 741, and in terms of career USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car feature victories with 62.
This year he’s earned a pair of top-10 finishes in five sprint car starts, all while competing for three different teams – Chase Briscoe Racing, Epperson Racing and Michael Dutcher Motorsports.
MONTREAL – Moorespeed is expanding its IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama program to include two cars.
Rob Ferriol, currently third in the Gold Cup driver point standings, joins Moorespeed for the remainder of the season in IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge competition beginning at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend in Montreal. He’ll be a teammate to full-season Moorespeed driver Riley Dickinson.
Dickinson sits third in the Platinum Cup driver point standings following doubleheaders at Barber Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to open the season. Ferriol comes to Moorespeed after opening the season running with TPC Racing.
The addition fulfills a stated goal from last fall, adding an experienced hand to pair with the 16-year-old Dickinson as he strives for a Platinum class championship for cars built between 2017 and 2019.
“The work began on Montreal almost immediately following post-race debriefing and reflection of Mid-Ohio,” Moorespeed President David Moore said. “We had a very successful test a week ago at Watkins Glen, where we continued to make strong progress developing Riley’s raw talent. Rob is the perfect fit for Moorespeed and for Riley, as Rob can help mentor a great young man in Riley and they will be able to help each other with data. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
This weekend’s doubleheader at Montreal is part of the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. The event is unique on the schedule. Not only is it included on the Formula One calendar, but also is a dual event for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge including the Canadian field. The trip north of the border is the first to the track for Moorespeed.
“It’s going to be an unbelievable experience that I am very anxious to be a part of this coming week,” Dickinson said. “However, I’m there to execute the job at hand regardless of the atmosphere of the race. At the end of the day I’m going to treat it like any other race. The field is going to have a few different names in the running order with the Canadian series running in conjunction with ours which I think is going to provide even better racing throughout the weekend.”
Ferriol will drive the No. 5 Moorespeed/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the Gold class, which is for 911 GT3 Cup cars built between 2014 and 2016. The change in teams is amicable for Ferriol, who worked closely with TPC Racing and Moorespeed in a collaboration to make the move for 2019.
“I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mike and Harris Levitas and the entire TPC Racing team,” Ferriol said. “As I make a charge for the Gold championship this year, and TPC’s paddock continues to grow, they knew it would take a laser-focused, whole-team approach to really maximize my chances at finding that elusive top step at the end of the year. David has proven that his program at Moorespeed is designed to produce champions, so Mike, David, and I collectively put our heads together and came up with a plan.”
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland -- U.S. men's goalkeeper Zack Steffen has admitted that he "has a lot of feelings" heading into this summer, but that his current focus remains on helping the U.S. retain the Gold Cup.
The presumptive No. 1 keeper has plenty on his mind. In addition to his duties with the U.S., there will be a new club to become acquainted with as Steffen's transfer to Manchester City becomes official on July 9. That has also meant saying goodbye to previous club the Columbus Crew.
"There's a lot of nerves, a lot of excitement, a little bit of sadness leaving the chapter in Columbus," he said following Monday's training session on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy. "But I'm really focused on the Gold Cup and doing well here, and raising the trophy here, and then I'll focus on what lies next."
Steffen is aware of the role he is attempting to fill given the long line of goalkeepers that have starred in England as well with the U.S., a group that includes Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel and Tim Howard. But it is a role he is intent on embracing.
"It's a big expectation, and a lot of pressure, but I like that," he said about starting for the U.S. "It will make me better. It will make the players around me better. It's an honor, obviously to be [mentioned] with those names. But I still have a long way to go, I'm young, and it's really just started."
Steffen added that he had spent some time talking to Howard about the role following the Crew's game in Colorado a few weeks ago.
"He's there for anything I need, and that means a lot to me," said Steffen about Howard.
Steffen made it clear that he owes a great deal to the Crew. His move there followed a disappointing stint with German club Freiburg, one that saw him limited to 14 appearances with their reserve team. But in Columbus, Steffen was the undisputed No. 1 and won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2018.
"I went there with the mentality of trying to find my passion again for soccer and happiness," he said. "I found a lot more than that just in Columbus. It was a time I'll never forget."
Steffen received an emotional sendoff following Saturday's 2-2 draw with New York City FC. Prior to the game he received a framed replica jersey. Afterward, there was a video montage, and he walked around the field at MAPFRE Stadium, posed for selfies as well as signing countless autographs.
"Leaving [Sunday] there was definitely some emotional moments," he said. "But that's good, that means Columbus was a special time for me."
Sri Lanka quick bowler Lasith Malinga was scathing in his criticism of his team-mates' attitude, saying that they have moved from one defeat to another in recent times without learning any lessons.
Speaking to the Sri Lankan press before their game against Afghanistan in Cardiff on Tuesday, Malinga said, "In the last one-and-a-half years or two years, we have been saying, 'we have lost one game, move on, do well in the next game'. You can't play cricket like that. We need to learn lessons from those defeats. There's no point in forgetting those defeats.
"I have played four World Cups and I still feel the pressure for tomorrow's match. The other players must also feel it. You can't play cricket anywhere without feeling the pressure. If a player doesn't feel that pressure, that excitement, the nervousness, then there's no chance of getting 100% from that player. They must think to themselves that if they don't deliver, they have not done justice to the team."
"We can't improve our skills at the moment. We need to become mentally tough"
In the last three years, Sri Lanka have won just 26% of their ODIs; they have lost to Scotland in a List A match, and Afghanistan beat them in their most recent contest in the Asia Cup.
In their opening match of the World Cup, Sri Lanka, who have won just four of their 21 completed ODIs in the past 12 months and lost warm-up matches to South Africa and Australia before the tournament, went down by ten wickets to New Zealand after folding for 136.
"All the players must realise their own mistakes first. We can't repeat the same mistakes over and over," Malinga said. "As a senior player and as a member of the squad, I hope everyone will have that fear of not doing their duty and feel the shame of losing. Everyone must realise that it's a must that they perform because if not our cricket will not go forward.
"At least from tomorrow, I hope everyone will have that fear because they have been selected as the best 15 to represent the country, not to be passengers. It's essential that they identify different game situations and support each other in the middle.
"I feel players need to get confidence, but we can't improve our skills at the moment. We need to become mentally tough."
Dimuth Karunaratne, leading Sri Lanka in the World Cup despite not being an ODI regular since March 2015, was the only batsman to show some grit against New Zealand, carrying his bat for 52 runs as wickets fell in a heap around him.
"I feel our top-seven batsmen have to take responsibility," Malinga said. "We need to be patient. Patience is very important.
"We know these conditions; we can have someone get 60-70 runs and some balls can still move around. Each bowler has their own method of setting up a batsman and taking wickets. So each bowler has their own ways of bowling those wicket-taking deliveries. I can't decide that for the others."
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