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Deadspin | Heliot Ramos powers Giants past host Nationals  Apr 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Francisco Giants infielder Luis Arraez (L) and Giants center fielder Drew Gilbert (R) walk back to the dugout after scoring runs on a two run single by Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (not pictured) against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images   Heliot Ramos hit a three-run home run, Drew Gilbert and Casey Schmitt added solo shots and the San Francisco Giants beat the host Washington Nationals 10-5 on Friday night.  Matt Chapman had three hits and drove in three runs for the Giants, who have won two straight.  Logan Webb (2-2) went six innings for the win, allowing four runs on seven hits.  After scoring three or fewer runs in five straight games, the Giants jumped in front with a six-run second inning.  James Wood and Daylen Lile homered and Jose Tena had three hits for the Nationals.  Washington’s Zack Littell (0-2) gave up eight runs on 11 hits over four innings.  Schmitt and Jung Hoo Lee opened the second inning with singles and Ramos followed with his first homer of the season, a three-run shot to center, to make it 3-0.  After Daniel Susac singled and was thrown out attempting to steal, Gilbert walked and Willy Adames singled. Littell retired Luis Arraez on a groundout as both runners advanced, and Chapman lined a single to left center to make it 5-0. Rafael Devers doubled over the head of Wood in right and the lead was 6-0.   The Nationals got one back in the third. Tena singled and went to third on a single by Keibert Ruiz. Wood struck out, but Brady House grounded into a fielder’s choice and Tena scored.  Gilbert homered leading off the fourth to make it 7-1. Adames doubled and went to third on a ground out. With the infield in, Chapman singled between short and third to increase the lead to 8-1.  Joey Wiemer singled leading off the bottom half and Lile homered to center to pull Washington within 8-3.  Lile walked with one out in the sixth and scored on a two-out single by Tena.  Schmitt homered in the seventh to make it 9-4, but Wood answered in the bottom half to make it 9-5.  Ramos walked with the bases loaded in the ninth to push the lead to 10-5.  Luis Arraez had two singles and has hit safely in each of his 12 career games at Nationals Park.   –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Heliot #Ramos #powers #Giants #host #Nationals

Deadspin | Heliot Ramos powers Giants past host Nationals
Deadspin | Heliot Ramos powers Giants past host Nationals  Apr 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Francisco Giants infielder Luis Arraez (L) and Giants center fielder Drew Gilbert (R) walk back to the dugout after scoring runs on a two run single by Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (not pictured) against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images   Heliot Ramos hit a three-run home run, Drew Gilbert and Casey Schmitt added solo shots and the San Francisco Giants beat the host Washington Nationals 10-5 on Friday night.  Matt Chapman had three hits and drove in three runs for the Giants, who have won two straight.  Logan Webb (2-2) went six innings for the win, allowing four runs on seven hits.  After scoring three or fewer runs in five straight games, the Giants jumped in front with a six-run second inning.  James Wood and Daylen Lile homered and Jose Tena had three hits for the Nationals.  Washington’s Zack Littell (0-2) gave up eight runs on 11 hits over four innings.  Schmitt and Jung Hoo Lee opened the second inning with singles and Ramos followed with his first homer of the season, a three-run shot to center, to make it 3-0.  After Daniel Susac singled and was thrown out attempting to steal, Gilbert walked and Willy Adames singled. Littell retired Luis Arraez on a groundout as both runners advanced, and Chapman lined a single to left center to make it 5-0. Rafael Devers doubled over the head of Wood in right and the lead was 6-0.   The Nationals got one back in the third. Tena singled and went to third on a single by Keibert Ruiz. Wood struck out, but Brady House grounded into a fielder’s choice and Tena scored.  Gilbert homered leading off the fourth to make it 7-1. Adames doubled and went to third on a ground out. With the infield in, Chapman singled between short and third to increase the lead to 8-1.  Joey Wiemer singled leading off the bottom half and Lile homered to center to pull Washington within 8-3.  Lile walked with one out in the sixth and scored on a two-out single by Tena.  Schmitt homered in the seventh to make it 9-4, but Wood answered in the bottom half to make it 9-5.  Ramos walked with the bases loaded in the ninth to push the lead to 10-5.  Luis Arraez had two singles and has hit safely in each of his 12 career games at Nationals Park.   –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Heliot #Ramos #powers #Giants #host #NationalsApr 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Francisco Giants infielder Luis Arraez (L) and Giants center fielder Drew Gilbert (R) walk back to the dugout after scoring runs on a two run single by Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (not pictured) against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Heliot Ramos hit a three-run home run, Drew Gilbert and Casey Schmitt added solo shots and the San Francisco Giants beat the host Washington Nationals 10-5 on Friday night.

Matt Chapman had three hits and drove in three runs for the Giants, who have won two straight.

Logan Webb (2-2) went six innings for the win, allowing four runs on seven hits.

After scoring three or fewer runs in five straight games, the Giants jumped in front with a six-run second inning.

James Wood and Daylen Lile homered and Jose Tena had three hits for the Nationals.

Washington’s Zack Littell (0-2) gave up eight runs on 11 hits over four innings.

Schmitt and Jung Hoo Lee opened the second inning with singles and Ramos followed with his first homer of the season, a three-run shot to center, to make it 3-0.


After Daniel Susac singled and was thrown out attempting to steal, Gilbert walked and Willy Adames singled. Littell retired Luis Arraez on a groundout as both runners advanced, and Chapman lined a single to left center to make it 5-0. Rafael Devers doubled over the head of Wood in right and the lead was 6-0.

The Nationals got one back in the third. Tena singled and went to third on a single by Keibert Ruiz. Wood struck out, but Brady House grounded into a fielder’s choice and Tena scored.

Gilbert homered leading off the fourth to make it 7-1. Adames doubled and went to third on a ground out. With the infield in, Chapman singled between short and third to increase the lead to 8-1.

Joey Wiemer singled leading off the bottom half and Lile homered to center to pull Washington within 8-3.

Lile walked with one out in the sixth and scored on a two-out single by Tena.

Schmitt homered in the seventh to make it 9-4, but Wood answered in the bottom half to make it 9-5.

Ramos walked with the bases loaded in the ninth to push the lead to 10-5.

Luis Arraez had two singles and has hit safely in each of his 12 career games at Nationals Park.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Heliot #Ramos #powers #Giants #host #Nationals

Apr 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Francisco Giants infielder Luis Arraez (L) and Giants center fielder Drew Gilbert (R) walk back to the dugout after scoring runs on a two run single by Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (not pictured) against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Heliot Ramos hit a three-run home run, Drew Gilbert and Casey Schmitt added solo shots and the San Francisco Giants beat the host Washington Nationals 10-5 on Friday night.

Matt Chapman had three hits and drove in three runs for the Giants, who have won two straight.

Logan Webb (2-2) went six innings for the win, allowing four runs on seven hits.

After scoring three or fewer runs in five straight games, the Giants jumped in front with a six-run second inning.

James Wood and Daylen Lile homered and Jose Tena had three hits for the Nationals.

Washington’s Zack Littell (0-2) gave up eight runs on 11 hits over four innings.

Schmitt and Jung Hoo Lee opened the second inning with singles and Ramos followed with his first homer of the season, a three-run shot to center, to make it 3-0.

After Daniel Susac singled and was thrown out attempting to steal, Gilbert walked and Willy Adames singled. Littell retired Luis Arraez on a groundout as both runners advanced, and Chapman lined a single to left center to make it 5-0. Rafael Devers doubled over the head of Wood in right and the lead was 6-0.

The Nationals got one back in the third. Tena singled and went to third on a single by Keibert Ruiz. Wood struck out, but Brady House grounded into a fielder’s choice and Tena scored.

Gilbert homered leading off the fourth to make it 7-1. Adames doubled and went to third on a ground out. With the infield in, Chapman singled between short and third to increase the lead to 8-1.

Joey Wiemer singled leading off the bottom half and Lile homered to center to pull Washington within 8-3.

Lile walked with one out in the sixth and scored on a two-out single by Tena.

Schmitt homered in the seventh to make it 9-4, but Wood answered in the bottom half to make it 9-5.

Ramos walked with the bases loaded in the ninth to push the lead to 10-5.

Luis Arraez had two singles and has hit safely in each of his 12 career games at Nationals Park.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Heliot #Ramos #powers #Giants #host #Nationals

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Displaced by Iran war: out of Lebanon, into Syrian crisis<div data-tracking-skip="true" data-tracking-name="rich-text"><p>It was the shelling that drove Syrian man Imad Omar Qashit from his home again. Fourteen years ago, he fled from <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/syria/t-17455138">Syria</a> to Lebanon. This time, it was the other way round.</p> <p>“When Israeli missiles <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/displaced-in-lebanon-lives-turned-upside-down/a-76662137">destroyed</a> entire homes in my neighborhood in southern Lebanon’s city of Tyre, we decided it was time to save our lives again,” the 52-year-old told DW.</p> <p>In early March, Lebanon was drawn into the <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/us-israel-war-with-iran/t-76168615">wider Middle East war</a> after local group <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/hezbollah/t-41508807">Hezbollah</a>, which is backed by Iran, fired rockets into Israel, ostensibly in retaliation for the Israeli killing of Iran’s leader.</p> <p>On Thursday, a 10-day <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/lebanon-gripped-by-uncertainty-over-iran-us-ceasefire/a-76738853">ceasefire</a> between Israel and Lebanon was brokered by the US but before that, more than 227,549 people had crossed the three official border points from <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/lebanon/t-19131661">Lebanon</a> into Syria, according to the latest numbers from the United Nation’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). The vast majority, 95%, were Syrians, while 5% were Lebanese nationals.</p> <p>Lebanon’s health authorities <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/israel-lebanon-attacks-litani-river-hezbollah-gaza-strip-un/a-76783514">say the death toll</a> from <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/israel/t-19067044">Israel’s</a> attacks on the Hezbollah militia is around 2,196. The ministry does not provide a breakdown by nationality and estimates of how many Syrians are among the killed and injured range widely, from 39 to 315. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, more than 1 million <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/syrians-in-lebanon-not-safe-to-stay-not-safe-to-go-home/a-69234052">Syrian refugees</a> are still registered in Lebanon, with hundreds of thousands more believed to be in the country without registration.</p><figure class="placeholder-image master_landscape big"><img data-format="MASTER_LANDSCAPE" data-id="76804973" data-url="https://static.dw.com/image/76804973_${formatId}.jpg" data-aspect-ratio="16/9" alt="Syrians wait at a border crossing as refugees" style="padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; max-height: 0;"/><figcaption class="img-caption">More than 270,000 Syrians returned from Lebanon since March even though observers warn the country is not ready to host them <small class="copyright">Image: Izz Aldien Alqasem/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO</small></figcaption></figure> <h2>Protracted crisis</h2> <p>Once Qashit and his family arrived back in their home town Maarat al-Numan near <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/aleppo/t-38269202">Aleppo</a>, they found their house completely destroyed as a result of Syria’s civil war, which only ended in December 2024 after a coalition of rebel groups ousted Syria’s longtime dictator, <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/bashar-assad/t-19070713">Bashar Assad.</a></p><span data-slot-id="Article_InContent-1" class="rich-text-ad"/> <p>“There are no houses for rent as the whole city is destroyed,” Qashit told DW. For the time being, they are staying with his sister. </p> <p>Another Syrian, Mohammad Jassem al-Brouk, fled Israeli strikes in Lebanon two weeks ago. “It was extremely crowded at the border crossing and it took an entire day to get through,” he told DW.</p> <p>When he eventually arrived at his family home in the city of Qusair near Homs, he only found <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/syria-refugees-return-to-square-one-at-best/a-69539203">remnants of the house</a>. With no other option, he unpacked his tent from the refugee camp in Lebanon, set it up, and is now living in it. Despite his lack of housing, he has no intention of returning to Lebanon. </p> <p>Earlier in April, a survey by the UN’s refugee agency, the UNHCR, found that around half of the Syrians they had interviewed also said that they intend to remain permanently in Syria despite <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/in-data-syria-after-the-war/a-71126617">economic challenges and limited state services.</a></p> <p>“Syrians are returning because Lebanon has become unlivable, rather than Syria being ready to receive them,” Nanar Hawach, senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group, confirms. “The government can manage the border but it has no answer for what happens after that,” he said. In his view, the hundreds of thousands of returnees should not be read as a sign that conditions inside Syria have improved.</p><figure class="placeholder-image master_landscape big"><img data-format="MASTER_LANDSCAPE" data-id="76804748" data-url="https://static.dw.com/image/76804748_${formatId}.jpg" data-aspect-ratio="16/9" alt="A boy jumps off the back of the rusted and charred remains of abandoned military vehicles" style="padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; max-height: 0;"/><figcaption class="img-caption">Areas that were contested during the Syrian civil war are often contaminated with unexploded devices that pose a danger to returning Syrians<small class="copyright">Image: Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu/picture alliance</small></figcaption></figure> <h2>Legacy of war</h2> <p>Syria continues to struggle with the legacy of more than a decade of conflict. Despite sanctions being lifted and Syria’s return to the <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/syria-and-saudi-arabia-sign-major-investment-package/a-75857509">international fold</a>, <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/syria-curfew-latakia-alawites/a-75345475">sectarian clashes</a> and <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/sdf-ypg-syria-ceasefire-integration-al-sharaa/a-75724282">political instability</a> still compound the country’s problems.</p> <p>The World Bank’s damage assessment <a rel="noopener follow" target="_blank" class="external-link" href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2025/10/21/syria-s-post-conflict-reconstruction-costs-estimated-at-216-billion" title="External link — estimates">estimates<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewbox="0 0 20 20"><path d="M11.5 3.5 11.5 4.233C14.342 4.233 15.167 4.245 15.167 4.258L8.984 10.467 10.033 11.516C14.826 6.725 16.228 5.333 16.242 5.333L16.267 9 17.733 9 17.733 2.767 11.5 2.767 11.5 3.5M2.267 11 2.267 17.233 16.733 17.233 16.733 12 15.267 12 15.25 15.75 9.5 15.75 3.75 15.75 3.75 6.25 9.5 6.233 9.5 4.767 2.267 4.767 2.267 11 "/></svg></a> total reconstruction costs at about $216 billion (€200 billion). Basic services, including education, health care and infrastructure, remain limited and the humanitarian situation for the around 26 million people is <a rel="noopener follow" target="_blank" class="external-link" href="https://www.sheltercluster.org/syria/documents/syr-shelter-sector-housing-damage-assessment" title="External link — dire."> dire.<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewbox="0 0 20 20"><path d="M11.5 3.5 11.5 4.233C14.342 4.233 15.167 4.245 15.167 4.258L8.984 10.467 10.033 11.516C14.826 6.725 16.228 5.333 16.242 5.333L16.267 9 17.733 9 17.733 2.767 11.5 2.767 11.5 3.5M2.267 11 2.267 17.233 16.733 17.233 16.733 12 15.267 12 15.25 15.75 9.5 15.75 3.75 15.75 3.75 6.25 9.5 6.233 9.5 4.767 2.267 4.767 2.267 11 "/></svg></a></p> <p>According to the UN, around 15.6 million Syrians require humanitarian assistance and 13.3 million Syrians are food-insecure. A severe drought in 2025 devastated 95% of rainfed crops, the UN 2025 food security assessment report notes.</p> <p>“Syria was already in a protracted humanitarian crisis before this new wave of returns,” Hiba Zayadin, senior researcher in the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch, told DW. “The infrastructure simply isn’t there to absorb large numbers of people, many of whom left with nothing and are returning to the same.”  </p><figure class="placeholder-image master_landscape big"><img data-format="MASTER_LANDSCAPE" data-id="76823480" data-url="https://static.dw.com/image/76823480_${formatId}.jpg" data-aspect-ratio="16/9" alt="A woman walks next to an ambulance" style="padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; max-height: 0;"/><figcaption class="img-caption">Before the US-brokered ceasefire, Israel demolished large parts of southern Lebanon and Tyre, prompting Syrian refugees to pack up and leave<small class="copyright">Image: Louisa Gouliamaki/REUTERS</small></figcaption></figure> <h2>Risk of unexploded devices</h2> <p>These are not the only issues. Syria is also one of the most contaminated countries in the world when it comes to explosive remnants. “Years of aerial bombardment, ground fighting and the use of cluster munitions across multiple governorates have left vast areas littered with unexploded ordnance, or UXO, landmines and improvised explosive devices,” Zayadin continued.</p> <p>“The danger is <a class="internal-link" href="https://www.dw.com/en/blast-from-suspected-old-bomb-in-syria-kills-16/a-71934830">very real</a>,” Iain Overton confirmed. He’s the executive director of the UK-based organization, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) which records evidence of armed violence against civilians worldwide.</p> <p>He also warned that UXO contamination remains particularly acute in areas that have seen sustained fighting and shifting frontlines, including parts of Raqqa, Deir el-Zour, Aleppo, Idlib and rural Homs and Hama. “These are precisely the areas to which many refugees are returning,” he told DW, adding that children and returnees unfamiliar with contaminated environments are especially vulnerable.<br/></p><blockquote class="tweet embed" data-id="2042900097965433114"/> <p>“Even in the absence of active hostilities, the legacy of explosive violence continues to kill and injure,” Overton said, adding that the trend is worsening. In 2024, AOAV recorded 238 UXO incidents causing 508 casualties. Of these, 479 were civilians. By 2025, this had risen sharply to 794 incidents and 1,537 casualties, including 1,424 civilians.</p> <p>For Qashit and his family, recently returned from Lebanon, these is just one more thing to worry about. “My children would not recognize unexploded mines when they are playing outside,” he said, concerned. </p> <div class="vjs-wrapper embed big"><h2 aria-label="Embedded video — Back to Yarmouk: A Syrian family rebuilds and seeks justice " class="headline"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 20 20"><g fill-rule="evenodd"><path d="M14.114 7.599H13.5l.002 4.706h.601l4.582 3.25-.005-11.11zM11.084 4.444l-9.007.002-1.336.797.002 9.514 1.334.793 9.007.006 1.509-.799-.004-9.516z"/></g></svg>Back to Yarmouk: A Syrian family rebuilds and seeks justice </h2><video id="video-75848678" controls="" playsinline="" preload="none" poster="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=" data-id="75848678" data-posterurl="https://static.dw.com/image/75834438_605.webp" data-duration="06:41"><source src="https://hlsvod.dw.com/i/dwtv_video/flv/gle/gle260209_Syria_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8" type="application/x-mpegURL"><source src="https://tvdownloaddw-a.akamaihd.net/dwtv_video/flv/gle/gle260209_Syria_AVC_1920x1080.mp4" type="video/mp4"><track src="https://www.dw.com/media/subtitles/75925020" srclang="en" label="ENGLISH" default=""><p class="vjs-no-js">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href="https://videojs.com/html5-video-support/" target="_blank">supports HTML5 video</a></p></track></source></source></video></div> <p><em>Edited by: C. Schaer</em></p> </div>#Displaced #Iran #war #Lebanon #Syrian #crisis

When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.

The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.

The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.

That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.

On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.

Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.

But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.

I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.

One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.

In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.

There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.

I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.

Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.

#Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making">Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame induction is 25 years in the making  When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.  #Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making

Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.

TOSS

Tiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.

PLAYING XIs

Nellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky Bhasker

Tiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T Natarajan

Published on Aug 09, 2026

#TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings">TNPL 2026 Live: All-round batting display propels Nellai Royal Kings to 206/8  Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.TOSSTiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.PLAYING XIsNellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky BhaskerTiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T NatarajanPublished on Aug 09, 2026  #TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings

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