Patrick Beverley continued to play the foil for the Clippers in their first-round series against the Warriors on Wednesday.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr, given a day to reflect, likened Beverley's flopping to facing one of the great heavyweight champions of all time, saying that Beverley's head pops back as though he's being punched by Mike Tyson.

Kerr, asked about a sequence in which Draymond Green was assessed a technical foul in Wednesday's 129-121 loss, said Beverley duped the referee into a poor call.

"I didn't think it was a good call," Kerr said. "You know Beverley's going to flop, and Draymond turned. It looked like Tyson punched him in the face."

With 10:53 to play in the third quarter and the Warriors trailing by 11, Green was called for an offensive foul on Beverley. Green then argued with referee Marc Davis and was assessed a technical foul. Kerr said he thought Green had been clapping and trying to get the Oracle Arena crowd more into the game when he was called for the technical.

"Beverley's good at that," Kerr said. "His head literally snaps back. I worry he's going to get whiplash on some of these flops. But he's good at it. And the refs, they're oftentimes partial to the little guy who's down there.

"I didn't like that particular call," he said of the offensive foul. "I know Draymond didn't, hence the technical. There's no question Draymond was trying to get the crowd going."

A day after the loss, which cut the Warriors' series lead to 3-2, Kerr also praised Beverley, who grabbed a playoff-career-high 14 rebounds.

"We missed a lot of boxouts with him," Kerr said Thursday. "But you've got to know what you're up against when you play against Beverley. He's a competitor. That's how he's made his money in this league. That's how he's been able to stick around -- because he competes, and he makes you uncomfortable. He scraps. He goes after loose balls. I love that guy. He's a helluva competitor. He's a helluva player. I think every coach would like to have a guy like him on the team. You have to understand when you're playing against him that you have to match that edge. That's what we didn't do last night. I thought his first-quarter effort and our lack of a response set the tone for the whole game."

After Game 4, Green took umbrage when asked why he was more "edgy" than usual.

"Was I edgy? I was edgy?" Green said. "I got a tech. Think I give a damn about getting a tech? You consider that edgy? You should've watched some of my past games if you want to see edgy."

On Thursday, Green wasn't answering to media and didn't seem worried about whether Kerr could in his session with reporters. With music blaring during shootaround as Green practiced his outside shot, Kerr had trouble hearing questions from reporters and twice asked a Warriors public relations official if the volume could be lowered.

His request was denied both times.

When jokingly asked who was in charge, Kerr replied, "Not me, obviously."

But Kerr said he won't hesitate to take charge when the Warriors look to close out the Clippers in Game 6 on Friday in Los Angeles. Andre Iguodala could replace Andrew Bogut as a starter in a return to the "death lineup" for the Warriors, Kerr said.

"There's no question I have to consider all of our options in terms of rotations," Kerr said, "and who's playing with whom and for how long. All that stuff. That's our job."

More than anything, Kerr said effort is the Warriors' biggest issue.

"[On Wednesday] night, they played harder than we did," he said. "Schemes go out the window when a team plays harder than you. Schemes don't matter unless you compete. I always say it every year -- the first adjustment that you have to make is to play harder. Then you can get into switching rotations, matchups. I thought in L.A., we played really hard. I think our last two home games, we let our guard down. The one thing that you should know from watching the Clippers all year is that this is a competitive, fun team that enjoys playing together, and they're not going to go away. So we've got to put them away by competing, and that's what we have to do."

Kerr also focused on his team's issues on defense.

"Offense is not the problem," he said. "They're doing a good job defensively. They're making certain guys shoot, and they're trying to take away certain areas of the floor, but this is the playoffs. This is exactly how it always works. Every team has got a lot of time to prepare, so you come up with little schemes, new lineup shifts. So we've seen this for five years.

"Teams have been watching us in the playoffs for five years, so they've been plotting and scheming, and they've had a lot of homework and a lot of research that they were able to do over the years. We expect all of this. Everything that the Clippers are doing defensively, we've seen before. They're doing a really good job, but again, we're scoring plenty of points. We can do some things better offensively, but it comes down to defensive focus and energy and intensity. We take care of that part, a lot of things will resolve themselves."

Kerr admitted that his team "wasted" an opportunity to wrap up the series earlier and earn a few more days of rest, but he said he still likes the Warriors' positioning.

"You go into every playoff series, at least I do, and you want to be up 3-2," he said. "If you have home court like we do, you want to be up 3-2 in every series so that you've got one shot on the road and one shot at home if the shot on the road doesn't work. So, yeah, we would've liked to have won last night. That was the blueprint: Win in five and get some rest. That's out of the window. We wasted the opportunity. But we're still in a really good position, and we have to take advantage of it."

ESPN's Baxter Holmes contributed to this report.

The Boston Celtics announced Thursday night that John Havlicek, one of the greatest players in the history of one of the sport's most decorated franchises, died at 79.

Havlicek played all of his 16 NBA seasons with the Celtics, winning eight championships, including one in each of the first four seasons of his career. Only two players -- Celtics teammates Bill Russell (11) and Sam Jones (10) -- have won more championships in NBA history.

Havlicek had been suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Russell took to Twitter late Thursday to salute Havlicek, calling him "not just a teammate and a great guy, but he was family."

It is getting difficult each time I hear about another contemporary that passes! What is harder is when we lose guys like John Havlicek, he was not just a teammate & a great guy, but he was family. That is how our @celtics teams were. #RIP Hondo @NBA #RIPJohnHavlicek @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/VP9MGPjrmZ

— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) April 26, 2019

Former teammate Paul Silas expressed his fondness for Havlicek, with whom he played from 1972 to 1976.

"I loved the man. I won two championships with him," Silas told ESPN. "When I first got to Boston, we talked all the time. All I wanted him to do was shoot. And when he didn't, I'd go right at him. He really was one of the greatest shooters I ever saw. When we needed a big basket, he was always the guy we wanted to take the shot.''

The Celtics called Havlicek "the face of many of the franchise's signature moments."

"His defining traits as a player were his relentless hustle and wholehearted commitment to team over self," a team statement read. "He was extraordinarily thoughtful and generous, both on a personal level and for those in need, as illustrated by his commitment to raising money for The Genesis Foundation for Children for over three decades through his fishing tournament.

"John was kind and considerate, humble and gracious. He was a champion in every sense, and as we join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss, we are thankful for all the joy and inspiration he brought to us."

The Celtics took Havlicek with the seventh pick in the 1962 NBA draft out of Ohio State, where he had won an NCAA title in 1960. He was named the 1974 NBA Finals MVP, was a 13-time NBA All-Star (one of nine players in NBA history to be an All-Star in 13 straight seasons) and made a combined 11 All-NBA teams and eight All-Defensive teams.

Havlicek was one of 10 players in NBA history to make at least eight All-NBA teams and eight All-Defensive teams. The other nine are Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton and Chris Paul.

"The thing with John, he competed against you at the highest level and he wanted to win badly," Hall of Famer Jerry West told ESPN. "But he was always a really nice person. I don't think that I ever heard anyone say a bad word about John. He was pleasant off the court, and pleasant on it. But he really, really competed against you."

Havlicek remains Boston's franchise leader in games played, points and field goals made, is second in assists and is fifth in rebounds. He ranks fourth -- behind Dirk Nowitzki, Bryant and Duncan -- in points scored by a player who spent his entire career with one NBA franchise.

"Everybody says nice things about you when you die. I wish they said them to John when he was alive. John was always overlooked. They never talked enough about him," former teammate Dave Cowens said. "I used to ask people, 'Why don't you talk about John Havlicek?' It was always Magic [Johnson] and Jerry West and Dr. J, but John belonged in those conversations."

Cedric Maxwell, who played his rookie season with the Celtics in Havlicek's final year in the NBA, remembered him as a great teammate.

"We had lost a couple of games, and [coach] Tommy Heinsohn was trying to shake things up, so he inserted me in the starting lineup in place of John," Maxwell told ESPN. "I scored something like 21 points against Buffalo in Boston, and we won the game. The first person that came to congratulate me after the game was John. There was no animosity. It was 'Rook, nice game, way to play.'"

Havlicek was known for his endless energy on the court. He led the NBA in minutes played in both the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons.

"The dude ran all day. Never stopped," Maxwell said. "He wouldn't take long strides -- they were little, choppy steps -- but he was gone. When people used to say, 'You cannot hit a moving target,' that made me think of John."

Havlicek also made one of the most iconic plays in NBA history.

After Russell committed a turnover with five seconds left in Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference finals, the Philadelphia 76ers had a chance to inbound the ball and win the game. But Havlicek anticipated Hal Greer's pass to Chet Walker and stole it, then got it to Jones to run out the clock and preserve the victory. The Celtics went on to beat the Los Angeles Lakers to win that season's NBA championship.

The play became immortalized by Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most's legendary call: "Havlicek stole the ball!" It remains one of the most well-known calls of a play in the history of the sport.

"Greer putting the ball in play," Most said. "He gets it out deep, and Havlicek steals it! Over to Sam Jones! Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over!"

ESPN's Jackie MacMullan and Adrian Wojnarowski contributed to this report.

SAN ANTONIO -- About two hours before Thursday night's Game 6, a relaxed Gregg Popovich sat down for his pregame session with the media and was amiable with reporters despite the fact his San Antonio Spurs were facing elimination.

"He always has a calm to him," DeMar DeRozan said of Popovich, who has at times been short with reporters in pregame gatherings. "It wears off on us. ... We understood what we had to come in here and do tonight. Wasn't much [that] needed to be said."

From the morning shootaround to the moments leading up to Game 6, the Spurs players not only could feel Popovich's collected temperament, they channeled it. With DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge playing their best all-around games together, the Spurs kept their season alive with a 120-103 rout of the Denver Nuggets to force Game 7.

Not since Dikembe Mutombo famously celebrated the Nuggets' first-round upset of the top-seeded Seattle Supersonics in 1994 by laying on the court and holding the basketball in his hands with a smile the size of the Rocky Mountains has Denver won a winner-take-all game.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone told his team that closing out the Spurs on their home court would make Game 6 the hardest game they've ever had to play. Now, the second-seeded Nuggets will have to win one more home game to advance to face Portland with many of the young Nuggets experiencing their first-ever Game 7 on Saturday.

Nikola Jokic, who had 43 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists Thursday night, acknowledged he didn't know what the do-or-die game would be like.

"It is probably going to be even tougher than this one," he said. "We are playing at home. That may be a little good thing for us.

"We need to go there and give our best. Just go out there and work and punch people, play physical, setting screen, whatever we need to do just to get a win."

Aldridge took the fight to the Nuggets early when he scored 13 of his 26 points in the first quarter. He also finished with 10 rebounds and five assists.

DeRozan scored 23 of his 25 points in the last 25:08 of the game, including a putback at the halftime buzzer that came off his own missed free throw. DeRozan added seven assists and seven rebounds to keep the Spurs alive.

Malone called the DeRozan putback "a microcosm of this game."

"DeRozan misses, no one boxes him out, he grabs it and lays it in," Malone said. "The attention to detail was not there tonight."

One game after missing 26 of 46 shots inside the paint, many of them layups, the Spurs made 57.1 percent of their shots. While Jokic scored the most points in a playoff game in Nuggets history, topping Carmelo Anthony's 42 in 2010, the Spurs locked in on the Nuggets' 3-point shooters, holding Denver to 6-of-24 shooting from behind the arc.

Jamal Murray, who has been so key to the Nuggets' success in their playoff wins, scored 16 points, but only five came in the second half. He also appeared to take a blow to his thigh on a screen set by Spurs center Jakob Poeltl that sent Murray to the floor before he would remain in the game following a timeout in the third quarter.

The Spurs, though, delivered their finishing blow in this game during a 22-4 run that spanned from near the end of the third quarter to midway through the fourth when they blew open a three-point game into a 110-89 lead.

Malone went mostly to his subs to rest his starters at the end of the third and early in the fourth when San Antonio made its move.

"I mean, we went into this game like it was our Game 7 tonight," said Nuggets point guard Monte Morris, who was part of a Denver bench that was held to 13 points after being solid for most of this series.

After the game, Popovich was back to his normal terse self in his postgame media session. Game 7 was on, and Pop was back to being Pop.

"Well, I mean, the plan is the plan," Popovich said when asked what worked for the Spurs in Game 6. "Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't, but I'm probably not gonna discuss the plan with you. With all due respect. I'm not sure why I should do that. It's not like it's a secret or nobody's seen things before, but things worked out for us tonight."

Earlier in the series, Malone said Popovich is "the Bobby Fischer" of NBA playoff chess games when it comes to making adjustments. Popovich deadpanned at the end of his pregame session before Game 6 that he had something up his sleeve.

Now the Spurs coach will try to win another Game 7 as he heads into Denver with a 3-3 career record in Game 7s.

"Game 7 -- how much do you have to say?" Malone said. "For us, we're lucky we're playing in front of our home crowd. ... The hope is that we will respond in Game 7."

The New York Yankees acquired Cameron Maybin from the Cleveland Indians on Thursday in a trade that adds depth to their injury-ravaged outfield.

Cleveland received cash considerations in the trade.

The Yankees officially announced the deal hours after Clint Frazier became the team's latest outfielder to be placed on the injured list.

Frazier, who has a left ankle sprain, joins outfielders Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks on the 10-day IL.

Maybin was in uniform and made his way into the Yankees' clubhouse just before first pitch for Thursday night's game against the Angels but did not play.

The Yankees lost 11-5.

"He has the ability to play all outfield positions and obviously right now we're a little left-handed out there,'' manager Aaron Boone said. "We have two lefties coming up in (a series at) San Francisco. He's a good athlete with versatility to so he provides us with good flexibility.''

Maybin signed a minor league deal with the Indians last month after being released by the San Francisco Giants. He was arrested during spring training and charged with two DUI offenses -- driving while impaired and driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 or more.

Maybin, 32, split last season between the Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners, batting .249 with four home runs.

Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein said the team will go "day-to-day" and wait to make a determination on suspended shortstop Addison Russell until after he plays his seven rehab games in the minors.

The Cubs could keep Russell in the minors by optioning him to Triple-A after his 40-game suspension for violating the league's joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy is over.

"We're taking this day-to-day," Epstein said Thursday before the Cubs played the Los Angeles Dodgers. "This is one situation where it is not appropriate to get ahead of the story. Addison has a lot of work to do going forward. There is no finish line here."

Epstein was asked if keeping Russell in the minors after those seven games is an option.

"Of course it is," Epstein said. "I told him seven days does not necessarily get someone ready for the season."

The Cubs will move Russell around the diamond, as his primary position is being filled by Javier Baez, who's off to a hot start at the plate and in the field this season.

Instead of moving Baez back to second base, Russell will get a lot of reps at the position in the minors. He made his major league debut playing second base in 2015, but the Cubs chose not to play Russell there during spring training this year.

"We were trying to get him on his feet, settled in," manager Joe Maddon said. "The fact that he was going through a lot emotionally, we didn't want to add another layer to that whole situation for him."

Russell has been undergoing league-mandated counseling after abuse allegations from his ex-wife came to light late last season. Epstein didn't want to go into details on how the Cubs are monitoring Russell's growth, but Epstein has been involved.

"If you ask the people in Addison's life, you would see there have been some positives that have come out of this thus far," Epstein said, "and his behavior to this point has lived up to the standards we're requiring of him."

Russell was working out in Arizona and playing in extended spring training games before he joined Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday.

He said Thursday that he is focused on "trying to become a better person."

"It's been a lot of hard work, a lot of self-reflecting and a lot of self-growth,'' Russell said of his time away from the game. "They have a high standard for me, and as we are right now, I think I've hit all those standards. I'm just working on myself.''

Russell was scheduled to start at shortstop and hit third for the Iowa Cubs on Thursday. He received a largely warm reception in his debut Wednesday -- in which he singled and scored two runs against Nashville -- but it is unclear how he will be received in Chicago.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I really have been putting up some great work on trying to become a better person,'' Russell said. "... I'm just excited to get a second chance.''

Of a possible move back to second base, Russell said, "Everyone knows that I'm willing to play another role."

The Cubs could also trade Russell before his suspension is over. The Toronto Blue Jays dealt Roberto Osuna to the Houston Astros with just days left on his suspension last season.

"He's going to be down there for seven days, and then we'll make a determination for what's best for the organization," Epstein said. "Nothing is promised."

Epstein also indicated that closer Brandon Morrow is still undergoing tests after he was recently shut down in his return from elbow surgery.

"We're still in the diagnostic state at this point," Epstein said. "He's undergoing some tests. We think that he's going to resume pitching at some point."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

New York Mets reliever Jacob Rhame was given a two-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for intentionally throwing at the head of Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday, Major League Baseball announced Thursday.

Rhame sailed two pitches over Hoskins' head with two outs in the ninth inning of New York's 9-0 win, one day after two Mets were hit by pitches. The Philadelphia cleanup man said later that the Mets catcher insisted they were trying to go inside.

Rhame's suspension was due to his pitch that sailed over Hoskins' head, sources told ESPN's Buster Olney. That pitch resulted in both teams being warned. There was no discipline for his second pitch that drew Hoskins' ire.

Hoskins got his revenge Wednesday, hitting a two-run homer down the left-field line off Rhame, then taunting him with a slow jog around the bases. It took Hoskins 34.23 seconds to run the bases, the slowest home run trot in the majors this season. The Phillies won 6-0.

It is not known whether Rhame will appeal. If he does not, the suspension is scheduled to begin Friday, when the Mets host the Milwaukee Brewers.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

CHICAGO -- In three years and nearly four weeks in Chicago, Cubs Gold Glove outfielder Jason Heyward has experienced just about all the ups and downs a baseball player can endure. From the high of giving a historic Game 7 World Series speech to the low of struggling mightily on offense, Heyward has felt it all.

So far in 2019, he has never looked better at the plate. His home run and walk percentages this season are the highest of his career, and his strikeout percentage is his lowest. He is slashing .333/.450/.587 and producing in a way that some at the top of the Cubs order are not.

In a lengthy chat with ESPN.com, Heyward opened up about, well, everything.

How do you stay even-keeled through the highs and lows?

It's something that's happened over time. It's not easy to do. At a young age, I was able to realize who I am to my teammates and the kind of effect I can have on the people around me. That helps.

At 14 years old, I went to having a pretty good grasp on the game to going to play against guys that are 18, 19 and then getting drafted. You go from batting third in the lineup to batting eighth or ninth and then sitting out some games. So it's different than what you're used to. So I've been through it all before. It prepares you.

In 2009, I was Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. At the start of that season, I went to big league camp, hit over .300 and played in, like, every game. People said it was impressive for an 18-, 19-year-old, but I started out slow at high-A. So it's not happening as you think it should happen.

If we win, I don't care. I know I can help my team win regardless of the night I'm having. Even if I'm bad on offense, bad on defense, I can come in here and help someone else out. It's about winning.

The public sees a stoic face. What does a frustrated Jason Heyward look like?

Anything you can name. There's hitting stuff. There's breaking stuff. There are times you take stuff home, but I feel like the past two and a half years, I found new ways to deal with it. Also, different surroundings matter. In Atlanta for five years, I figured out how to deal with stuff. In St. Louis, I remember a game where I made two errors in a Lance Lynn start. Then in his next game, I made another error because I was trying so hard for him, but we ended up winning the game. I hit a home run to tie the game, and then we won in extras, but afterward, I went right up to him and said, "Hey, brother, I'm sorry." He said, "Relax. We won the game. You're doing a lot better than we've ever had out there." So it was me not knowing how my new surroundings are going to react to me -- that's a big thing.

I just care about my teammates. So you ask how does it manifest with me? The one thing is I don't like to let my teammates down.

What was it like with that contract [eight years, $184 million] when you had your struggles, compared to the successes? Do the struggles always feel worse than the successes feel good?

The contract is separate. People are going to focus on that, as they should, because if there's one thing people can relate to, it's money. But it's hard for them to relate to anything else we do or professional sports in general. Baseball is a highly paid sport, but it's difficult.

"I just care about my teammates. ... The one thing is I don't like to let my teammates down." Jason Heyward

I chose to be here. I wanted to be here, but there are certain things that you don't realize how they are until you get here. So it's another adjustment. It's another lineup. It's another manager. It's another front office and game plan for the organization. Those are things you have to adjust to. I don't care what anyone says. It's just different.

Struggling felt like I was letting people down. I was letting the city down, which is the case. You can't say it's not the case, but contributing in some way is just being me. Go out, play the game and do what I can do on a nightly basis. Bottom line: It's great to just contribute. The fan base we have, no matter how things are going, they're looking for something positive. They're looking for the positive stuff, and they're ready to cheer. In other places, when things are going bad, they're going bad. At Wrigley, we were 2-7 going into that opener, and our fans were right there like it's a playoff game.

Could every hitter learn what you've learned from struggling: that there are other ways to contribute?

It helps you stay sane, knowing that everyone goes through it. It's part of the game, but there are other ways to help a team win, and it's going to come up big. I feel like sometimes I have to remind Rizz [Anthony Rizzo] that. He'll make a great defensive play or a great baserunning play, and I remind him about it.

Because he'll still beat himself up at the plate?

100 percent. Because that makes him him. What he puts into the game, it's amazing. I feel like it's part of the reason this team has been so successful. So many guys helping the team besides on offense at the plate.

You talked recently about physical adjustments at the plate, but what about mentally? Have you organized your strike zone at a high level so far this season?

Honestly, that's me. The stuff I'm doing now is not new to me. I've done it before, as far as the feel and approach right now. The biggest thing is just getting ready to hit so I'm not searching for the baseball. You have to be ready to hit, give yourself time and be in attack position to be able to track. Then I can say I'm not swinging at this pitch or that pitch because you can see it that much earlier. Just trying to keep a similar feel for as long as possible.

What has it been like having three hitting coaches in three years? It has to be difficult on some level, right?

In all fairness to all sides on that, this is a hard team to coach for because there are so many great players. The hardest part of three coaches in three years is for the young guys. They're still figuring themselves out, the game is still figuring them out, so a new voice isn't easy to do. But we have so many stand-up guys here, it's great seeing them trying to develop relationships.

Chili [Davis] had a different vibe or perspective because he was a player. He had a player mindset, and that's a tough approach to bring to young guys because they haven't been one yet.

Can you put into words the work you've put in to be successful at this game, especially in Chicago?

That's just me. That's how I got here in the first place. I'm always looking for ways to simplify and be better. This past offseason, I was in Chicago more, working out at Wrigley more often. Then I went to Atlanta because I can take care of my body there, get certain treatments or whatnot, acupuncture and things.

As far as the workload goes, I've had to dial back some. There were offseasons when I worked out almost every day. Now I have to do it differently. Baseball has consumed my life. By choice, it has consumed my life. ... There's been a lot of sleep lost over baseball. I feel like I've given a lot of my life to baseball. Chicago helps me separate it even more, living here and enjoying life.

You don't talk a lot about your Game 7 speech, but what do you think that's going to be like years from now, knowing you'll forever be linked to the moment the Cubs won the World Series?

There is definitely pride in it. It comes from knowing how special that group is. I don't shy away from that, but at the same time, there is still work to be done until I'm done playing. I'll look back at that stuff when it's all over. It was a special time in my life for a lot of reasons. There's more to it than people know, but I'll always be proud of it.

Tell me about some relationships. What's it like with Theo Epstein? He signed you.

Theo is underrated all the way around. We talked more this past offseason because he was curious, he was hungry to have those conversations. And I wanted to talk. That was three years for me being here. I wanted to share, not necessarily how to do things better but just what I'm seeing. I think it's helpful for them and for me.

What about Joe Maddon?

He and I could sit here and talk baseball all day. I told him, he's a baseball genius. I was talking to him on the phone before spring training, and he told me I could come to him with any questions, and I told him I don't need to because you already know. You have it mapped out in your head. I think the same way. I'm just here to rally the troops and tell them to be ready based on what Joe wants. I've seen Chipper do that, Yadier Molina, David Ross. They have to be that voice.

It is not an easy job to have in this city, to manage this team. Winning a World Series for the first time in 108 years, going to the postseason four times, all these things, and he doesn't have a contract. That's the nature of our business. I have a lot of respect for him.

This is new for me. In Atlanta, you're not talking to the GM. You're not sitting down talking to the president of the team. It was kind of surreal at first. ... They stay positive for us. It's refreshing.

Who's your guy on the team you turn to for whatever these days?

Honestly, I can go to anyone at this point. Now, as far as who I think the game with on the field and relax and enjoy off the field, I would say Javy [Baez]. Zo [Ben Zobrist] as well, for sure, because we have the same mindset. When it comes to on the field, in the game, you think of 60 feet, 6 inches, and the outfield is this or that, but we're thinking of more stuff as the game is going on. It's fun playing with people like that. Rizzo, too. We're always trying to get ahead and thinking outside the box while we're trying to have fun and compete. There's more to it than what people see, and we enjoy that stuff.

MLB is investigating racist messages sent to your teammate Carl Edwards Jr. You've been around the game a long time. I imagine this doesn't surprise you?

That's happened my whole life. Everywhere I've played, that's happened. It's not a surprise. It's a way of life. As I get older, I appreciate my dad even more for preparing me for sports and this lifestyle. He told me, "As you go to the next level, I'm not going to always be with you. Things are going to happen. I don't want to hear if someone calls you the N-word or swears at you, talking about your mom or any of that stuff. Just understand it's going to happen the higher you go." It's way easier said than done, especially at 15 years old.

It's funny because this year I've had a nice individual start to the season, but there's still negative stuff. I know you can't make everyone happy. The racial stuff is always going to be there. I just ignore it.

If there is anything positive about it, today it's opening people's eyes to what's been going on forever.

Are you in a better place today than a year or two ago?

I am because I always try to be better. That's how I live. I want to take advantage of the moments because they aren't going to last forever. Hopefully these last five years I'll make the most of it on and off the field. I love the city of Chicago. My family and I are enjoying the city more and more. On top of that, it goes without saying: Be a great baseball player and win.

A guide to Sunday’s 26.2-mile action in the UK capital, including key contenders, race day schedule, course map and TV info

The elite fields for Sunday’s Virgin Money London Marathon are stacked. While it feels like we say that every year, the 39th edition of the iconic race in the UK capital really does take things up another notch.

While Eliud Kipchoge versus Mo Farah is billed as the big head-to-head in the men’s race, the line-up includes a total of seven sub-2:05 runners, plus former winner Daniel Wanjiru and world half-marathon record-holder Abraham Kiptum.

The women’s field is even stronger with six athletes who have run below 2:20 and that’s despite the late withdrawal of three-time Olympic gold medallist Tirunesh Dibaba, who has announced that she is expecting her second child.

In defending champion Vivian Cheruiyot, New York winner Mary Keitany, Chicago champion Brigid Kosgei and Berlin winner Gladys Cherono, the race has four reigning World Marathon Majors champions and they are all sub-2:19 runners.

Six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir returns to take on the elite wheelchair race for the 20th consecutive time, aiming for his ninth victory, while Australia’s Commonwealth champion Madison de Rozario is also back to defend her women’s title.

Switzerland’s Rio Paralympic marathon champion Marcel Hug and the in-form Daniel Romanchuk are among Weir’s rivals, with the 20-year-old American having added victory in Boston earlier this month to his wins in Chicago and New York last year. Switzerland’s Manuela Schär has won in Berlin, Chicago, New York, Tokyo and Boston and heads to the race in London looking to make it six wins in a row in the World Marathon Majors.

London is again hosting the World Para Athletics Marathon Championships and five medal events – including the two wheelchair races – are on the programme. Britain’s Derek Rae will be seeking further success in the T46 event after his World Cup victory last year, while para triathlete Charlotte Ellis makes her debut for British Athletics in the T12 class after running a PB of 3:25:55 in Manchester in 2018.

Alongside Farah, Weir, Rae and Ellis, other British athletes aiming to make an impact are Callum Hawkins, as he returns to marathon action for the first time since his dramatic collapse at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, and Charlotte Purdue, who like Hawkins has sights on the Doha World Championships and Tokyo Olympics.

For our full in-depth elite race previews, check out the April 25 edition of AW magazine, which also includes athlete profiles, a course guide, facts and stats, an interview with race director Hugh Brasher and a look ahead to the mini marathon and masters contenders.

Race day schedule

08:40 – Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon
09:05 – Elite wheelchair races
09:10 – World Para Athletics Marathon Championships ambulant athlete races
09:25 – Elite women’s race
10:10 – Elite men’s race, British Athletics & England Athletics Marathon Championships and start of the mass race

Key contenders and ones to watch

(For our full lists, see the April 25 edition of AW magazine)

MEN

1 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)
PB: 2:01:39
After his wins in 2015, 2016 and 2018, another victory in London would see the marathon great become the most successful elite male runner in the history of the event and continue his unbeaten record there. The 34-year-old hasn’t raced since his world record in Berlin and going by that performance, his 2:03:05 from 2016 might not remain the London course record for much longer.

8 Mo Farah (GBR)
PB: 2:05:11
The European record-holder warmed up for his third London Marathon by retaining his title at The Vitality Big Half in March, clocking 61:15 to beat his training partner Bashir Abdi and Daniel Wanjiru. The Briton has improved his marathon PB by more than three minutes since his debut 2:08:21 in the UK capital in 2014, with his performance in Chicago last year securing him a maiden major marathon victory.

3 Mosinet Geremew (ETH)
PB: 2:04:00
The Ethiopian won last year’s Dubai Marathon in 2:04:00, beating his compatriot Leul Gebresilassie by two seconds, and went on to finish runner-up to Mo Farah in Chicago in October. The 2017 Berlin Marathon saw him finish third behind winner Eliud Kipchoge and his most recent result is a Lisbon half-marathon win in 59:36.

7 Shura Kitata (ETH)
PB: 2:04:49
He might only be 22 but the Ethiopian’s marathon CV already includes Frankfurt and Rome wins from 2017, plus a runner-up finish in New York in November after his second place between Eliud Kipchoge and Mo Farah in London. A half-marathon PB of 59:17 in Philadelphia in September was followed by a win in Houston in January.

13 Dewi Griffiths (GBR)
PB: 2:09:49
Ran a 2:09:49 marathon debut in Frankfurt in 2017 to move to second on the Welsh all-time rankings behind Steve Jones but has struggled with injury since. Returning to top form, he was just 11 seconds off his half-marathon PB with 62:44 in Houston in January and ran 63:17 to finish fourth at The Big Half as he continued his preparations for a marathon comeback.

15 Callum Hawkins (GBR)
PB: 2:10:17
The Scot returns to the marathon for the first time since his collapse at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, when he looked set to win before his fall with just 2km left. His CV so far is impressive, clocking 2:10:52 when debuting in London in 2016 which improved to 2:10:17 for fourth at the London 2017 World Championships the following year. The Olympic ninth-placer was due to run the Fukuoka Marathon in December but withdrew due to a hamstring niggle and ran 28:55 in Valencia in January for an official 10km PB, though the 26-year-old has clocked faster 10km splits as part of a half-marathon.

WOMEN

Women’s profiles by Paul Halford

101 Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN)
PB: 2:18:31
The defending champion lies seventh on the all-time list with her time from 12 months ago when she passed Mary Keitany in the closing stages. Since making her marathon debut here two years ago with fourth, the reigning Olympic 5000m champion won in Frankfurt later that year and finished second in New York last autumn behind Keitany to show great consistency. She arrives here off the back of a half-marathon PB of 66:34 in Lisbon last month.

102 Mary Keitany (KEN)
PB: 2:17:01
When she took her third title here in 2017, she broke Paula Radcliffe’s record for a women-only marathon with 2:17:01. She struggled to fifth here last year after audaciously going below world-record pace for the first half, but she bounced back to claim her fourth New York Marathon title last autumn. The latter win secured her third World Marathon Majors series victory.

103 Gladys Cherono (KEN)
PB: 2:18:11
When winning her third Berlin Marathon title last September, she went to sixth on the world all-time list. Although making little impact globally until her thirties, the 35-year-old is making up for lost time since winning the world half-marathon title in 2014. Last year’s quickest female marathoner was fourth here last year, although her most recent race resulted in just a sixth place in the Houston Half in January.

105 Brigid Kosgei (KEN)
PB: 2:18:35
The 2018 Chicago Marathon champion comes into the race in great form, with a win in the Houston Half in January in 65:50 followed by one in Bahrain in 65:28. Last year’s London runner-up climbed into the all-time top 10 with her time in Chicago. With five wins and three seconds from her first nine marathons, she will be tough to beat.

120 Charlotte Purdue (GBR)
PB: 2:29:23
The former junior prodigy at track and cross country has found her niche at this distance. She made her marathon debut three years ago here with 2:32:48 and improved to her current PB the following year. She set a PB of 69:46 in the Marugame Half Marathon in February and shortly afterwards won The Big Half in London.

121 Lily Partridge (GBR)
PB: 2:29:24
Last year’s UK No.1 achieved her PB when finishing eighth and top Brit in London last year. She was fifth in The Big Half, one of two 72-minute half-marathons for her this spring, although she should be in better shape if recent hip and glute problems subside.

Course map

(Click to enlarge)

TV guide

BBC live coverage for fans in the UK:
08:30-10:00 – BBC Two
08:30-14:30 – Uninterrupted coverage, Connected TV & online
08:55-12:25 – Elite races, BBC Red Button, Connected TV and online
09:00-13:00 – Uninterrupted coverage, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
10:00-14:30 – BBC One

Check out our website and social media channels for updates, while our next magazine will feature in-depth coverage.

Official app

The official 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon App is available to download for iPhone and android.

Use it to access race day information as well as track runners and elite race split times, leaderboard positions and results.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Chad Bryant Racing has announced that Ty Majeski will drive the team’s No. 22 Ford in Friday’s ARCA Menards Series event at Talladega Superspeedway.

Talladega is an 11th-hour addition for Majeski and the CBR team after the veteran ARCA Menards Series organization announced last month that Majeski, a Midwest short track standout, would compete in five events this season.

In addition to Talladega, Majeski will now compete in six races total. Following Friday’s race, Majeski will return at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May then race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (June), Michigan Int’l Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway and the season-finale at Kansas Speedway in October.

“I found out Monday that I would be making my ARCA debut at Talladega and I’m excited about that,” said Majeski. “Chad Bryant Racing has proven to have exceptional restrictor plate cars and I look forward to the opportunity to showcase that.

“I also embrace the opportunity to work with my teammate Joe Graf Jr. and hope that we can draft together and put ourselves in a position to battle it out for the win. That would be the best-case scenario this week.”

A native of Seymour, Wis., Majeski has long been considered one of the stoutest stock car talents of the past decade with four ARCA Midwest Tour super late model championships and triumphs in prestigious events like the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, Florida Governor’s Cup, Oktoberfest 200 and the Rattler 250.

From the short track scene, Majeski ran a limited ARCA schedule from 2016 – 2017 before being elevated to a 12-race NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign in 2018. In nine ARCA starts, Majeski earned two top-five and seven top-10 finishes, including a career-best second place finish at Kansas Speedway in 2017 driving for Cunningham Motorsports, the predecessor of Chad Bryant Racing.

Veteran ARCA and former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief Paul Andrews will lead Majeski’s efforts.

“I’m very happy to have Ty driving for us at Talladega,” said team principal Chad Bryant. “With him driving at Talladega it provides a chance to jumpstart our relationship and get the mojo back moving between Ty and Paul (Andrews.)

“Ty came to Cunningham Motorsports in 2016 and got off to a fast start and did some amazing things in a short amount of time.

“Ty may be driving under a new team name, but a lot of the fundamentals from his time at Cunningham Motorsports are still in place today. I expect him and Paul (Andrews) to pick up where they left off and be an asset to our two-car program throughout the 2019 season.”

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The 35th running of One Lap of America will feature the Travis vs. Bilko show, courtesy of Yokohama Tire and Subaru of America.

Yokohama is sponsoring the two drivers in the contest, which runs May 4-11, and Subaru Motorsports USA will provide a pair of WRX STI Type RA vehicles for a head-to-head showdown.

Nitro Circus ringleader Travis Pastrana and fellow Nitro Circus member Blake “Bilko” Williams, both Team Yokohama members and the winners of last year’s Stock Touring division in a Subaru WRX STI, are back again with a twist. This time, instead of being teammates, Pastrana and Williams are taking each other on in the eight-day, 3,379-mile race.

“Travis and Bilko are both super competitors so I’m sure they’ll put on a show in this classic race,” said Fardad Niknam, Yokohama’s senior director of consumer product planning and product marketing. “They’ll be on the new ADVAN A052 tires for One Lap 2019, so it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top.”

“The WRX STI Type RA was designed to be track-ready without sacrificing comfort for the street,” said William Stokes, motorsports manager for Subaru of America. “With One Lap demanding both serious track performance and long-distance highway driving, Travis and Bilko will definitely be putting their cars to the test.”

“Last year’s One Lap event was a blast,” Pastrana said. “Bilko and I got a chance to experience the event and push the Subaru WRX STI and Yokohama tires to the limits. We decided at the end of last year’s event that we had to do it again…but on different teams. This year is going to be even better.”

Pastrana is ready. His co-driver this time is author and former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell.

“I’m going with the ‘Lone Survivor,’” he said. “He’s mentally tough and has experience behind the wheel.”

Williams is going with his friend, Nitro Circus athlete and X Games gold medalist, Josh “Sheeny” Sheehan.

“Last year was such an awesome time,” said Williams. “I had a blast battling with the competition and also the on-going rivalry with Travis. I can’t thank Yokohama, Nitro Circus and Subaru Motorsports USA enough for the support, and the crew from One Lap for putting on such a rad event!”

One Lap of America started in the early 1970s when auto journalist Brock Yates created the now infamous Cannonball Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash – a flat out, no-holds-barred race from New York City to Redondo Beach, California. In 1992, Yates configured the Cannonball One Lap of America into the format it uses today: nearly 24 hours a day of driving with competitions taking place as time trials on race tracks throughout the country.