Blown call ruins USA's win over Dominican Republic
Team USA (and the umps) advance to the WBC final, SDSU's men's basketball team heads home to watch March Madness, SDFC blows several opportunities in Dallas, and a bunch more in today's Front Row Seat
I know the smart thing to do is probably to start today’s newsletter with the important local news that the San Diego State Aztecs men’s basketball team finished their rollercoaster season by missing the NCAA Tournament (and rejecting invitations to play in lesser tournaments).
I should probably talk about the opportunities missed, how a team with this many potential NBA players on it should be able to hang in the Mountain West Conference and with the elites of college basketball.
The truth is, this year’s Aztecs team bored me. Their lows were embarrassing and their highs were not that exciting. I spent most of the year hoping that they could turn it on once we got to March and, as it turns out, they couldn’t.
Anyway, we’ll get back to them. What I am actually fired up about this morning is what we didn’t get in the USA win over the Dominican Republic last night in the World Baseball Classic.
See this pitch?
The number 8, colored red because it was called a strike, was the final pitch of the night for Mason Miller and the final pitch of the game. Because this was not an MLB game, there was no opportunity to challenge the pitch via ABS. In a weird way, it ended up being a pretty good advertisement for why MLB is adding ABS this season.
But that’s not my point! Had the 8th pitch of the at-bat to the Dominican Republic’s #9 hitter been called correctly, Geraldo Perdomo would’ve had himself a walk down to first base. That’s why he didn’t swing. Mason Miller was just wild enough that it felt like a good idea to take pitches instead of trying to catch up to his fastball/slider combo.
BUT AGAIN, NOT MY POINT. The next better up would’ve been Fernando Tatis Jr. With his team down 1, and runners on the corner, the Padres superstar hitter would’ve faced off against the Padres superstar closer to determine the outcome of the long-awaited USA vs. Dominican Republic battle in the World Baseball Classic.
As both a fan of the San Diego Padres and a fan of moments/narratives in sports, it felt like it was going to be big and fun. It certainly would’ve led to a few minutes of conversation about how much talent the Padres have heading into the 2026 season for an audience of millions. But, instead, we get a blown call and Tatis gets robbed of his opportunity.
It stinks! I hate it! All hail our new ABS lords, may they be a part of the World Baseball Classic the next time it comes around.
Now, onto the links…
Baseball!
Padres closer Mason Miller finishes job for United States in WBC semifinal win over Dominican Republic - San Diego Union-Tribune
The man with USA across his chest who got the final three outs of the World Baseball Classic semifinal on Sunday will be wearing a Padres uniform again soon.
But Mason Miller and the United States have one more game here — in the WBC finals after beating the Dominican Republic 2-1 at loanDepot park.
“Got the job done,” Miller said. “That’s it. That’s all we’re here to do is do our job. It didn’t necessarily go perfectly, but it went pretty well. Pretty close to our plan.”
Dominican Republic frustrated by game-ending call in loss to USA - ESPN
Soto’s frustration, as well as his teammates’, was palpable after home-plate umpire Cory Blaser called a full-count slider from U.S. closer Mason Miller for a strike against D.R. shortstop Geraldo Perdomo despite the pitch being clearly below the zone. The call came one inning after Soto was caught looking on a slider that was also below the zone, though not to the extent of Perdomo, who had worked a brilliant seven-pitch at-bat before the eighth ended the Dominicans’ dreams of bringing home a WBC championship.
“I knew 100% it was a ball,” Perdomo told ESPN. “I knew it.”
Mentally Ill Former Navy SEAL Inspires Team USA To WBC Final - Defector
O’Neill visited the players in the locker room at some point before Friday’s 5-3 victory over Canada. A snippet of O’Neill’s pep talk, which featured him detailing the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden with all the panache of a coworker recapping his weekend, was posted online before Friday’s game. O’Neill, who claims to have shot and killed bin Laden, was an odd choice for locker-room motivator given what he’s been up to since leaving the armed forces more than a decade ago. O’Neill is part of a cohort of former special forces operators who spend all of their time writing books and making podcast appearances in which they accuse each other of lying about their service records. He is also the guy who tweeted “You’re not men. You’re boys. If there was no social media, you would be my concubines,” at a group of young male Kamala Harris voters in 2024. He has been banned from Delta Airlines and arrested for DUI, public intoxication, and misdemeanor assault. His tweets remain awful.
Final bids in Padres’ sale process expected in April; 4 groups in running: Sources - The Athletic
A second and final round of bids to purchase the San Diego Padres is expected to come in early to mid-April, with four groups of potential buyers still in the running, multiple people briefed on the process told The Athletic. Those bids are projected for the second week of the month, though some negotiation could continue afterward.
Five groups submitted first-round bids by Feb. 25 for a franchise that could fetch a price of around $3 billion. The record for an MLB club was set in 2020, when Steve Cohen purchased the New York Mets for $2.42 billion.
How does Petco Park factor into sale of San Diego Padres? - San Diego Union-Tribune
The idea of relocation, first introduced by the widow of deceased Padres chairman Peter Seidler, gained steam earlier this year with the reported interest of billionaire businessman Joe Lacob, who owns two Bay Area sports franchises.
The Union-Tribune has confirmed that the city’s debt will be retired earlier than previously reported, on Oct. 15, 2031. The date is what the contract refers to as the initial expiration date, meaning the team would be freed from the obligation to play in San Diego if it chooses not to exercise its option to extend the agreement.
The Padres have pooh-poohed the suggestion of relocation. Yet the topic has been discussed at the highest level of city government.
San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo and Mayor Todd Gloria recently traded memos on keeping the team in town.
Basketball!
SDSU’s season over after Aztecs miss out on NCAA Tournament, decline others - San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego State actually appeared on the CBS Selection Show, when the 68-team NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed, but toward the end, in a graphic showing the first four out. The Aztecs were third on the list, behind Oklahoma and Auburn.
Minutes later, coach Brian Dutcher issued a statement confirming what the Union-Tribune has reported for several weeks: That his 22-11 team would not accept an invitation to the NIT or any other postseason event.
“I’m disappointed for our players and our great fans that we weren’t selected to compete in this year’s NCAA Tournament,” Dutcher said. “There are only 68 spots available and unfortunately, we didn’t get one of them.
Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida top NCAA tournament seeds - ESPN
The team that went undefeated in the regular season and racked up more victories than anyone but Duke and Arizona -- and fewer losses than any team at all -- is anything but your run-of-the-mill basketball behemoth.
In fact, Miami (Ohio), despite that 31-1 record and maybe because of a little chip that’s been placed on its shoulder, is one of those plucky underdogs that makes the NCAA tournament what it is.
Welcome to March Madness with a twist.
While Duke (32-2) took the overall top seed on Selection Sunday, with Arizona (32-2), Michigan (31-3) and defending champion Florida (26-7) also on the top line, the RedHawks barely scratched their way into the bracket.
UConn, UCLA, Texas, South Carolina top women’s NCAA tournament seeds - ESPN
UConn edged UCLA as the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s NCAA tournament when the bracket was announced Sunday night.
Having the top spot in March Madness didn’t really matter to Huskies coach Geno Auriemma as he looks to lead the team to another undefeated season with the school’s 13th national championship.
UC San Diego women rally past Hawaii in Big West final to punch ticket to NCAA Tournament - San Diego Union-Tribune
The UC San Diego women are headed back to the NCAA Tournament.
For the second time in as many years that they’ve been eligible for the title, the Tritons rallied from a cold-shooting first half to defeat the University of Hawaii 60-48 Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the Big West Conference Tournament at Henderson, Nev., to clinch an automatic NCAA bid.
NBA to reportedly vote on allowing league to explore expansion opportunities in Las Vegas and Seattle - Yahoo Sports
The NBA will reportedly vote to explore expanding to Las Vegas and Seattle in upcoming seasons. The league will reportedly hold a vote at its Board of Governors meetings at the end of March, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
If that vote is approved, the league will be allowed to start looking for bids and buyers in both cities, per ESPN.
WNBA commish: CBA deal will get done, ‘going to be historic’ - ESPN
The two sides will get together again later Monday for a seventh consecutive day of talks. It has been a long week of discussions with the WNBA and union meeting face-to-face for more than 72 hours since the first in-person bargaining session Tuesday.
Soccer!
The Points Are Shared in Dallas - Chromatic FC
San Diego FC did not play their best match of the season. It is understandable when players are rotated in for regular starters. Manu Duah specifically did not have a great game and may want to forget this one as a couple of his passes directly lead to a goal for the other team. Mistakes happen and it’s all about how you learn from them. We learned a little bit more about the goalkeeper battle and why Duran Ferree is the preferred choice of Mikey Varas over Pablo Sisniega. Sisniega also directly cost the team a goal with an aggressive tackle.
USA unveils 2026 World Cup kits, featuring waving flag and metallic star imagery - The Athletic
The home kit evokes the American flag, with wavy red-and-white stripes running horizontally across the jersey.
The away kit — which multiple players have said is their favorite — is a dark “obsidian” color with metallic stars.
Both kits are the product of extensive discussions, including with USMNT players, who mostly disliked their 2022 World Cup kits and pushed U.S. Soccer and Nike for more involvement in the 2026 process.
Some players even resisted a photoshoot in the 2022 kits, which were a simple white jersey and a blue tie-dye design. “That,” midfielder Tyler Adams told The Athletic and two other outlets, “started the conversation: next time around, let’s have a say.”
Odds & Ends
The Players: Cameron Young shines late to claim championship over Matt Fitzpatrick
A week that began with yet another round of debate over whether The Players is a capital-m Major ended with a definitive statement: The Players is a major tournament.
When the tournament is this good — the game’s best battling the course, one another and their own fears and anxieties — who cares about its historical status? Just enjoy the ride. Cameron Young did, besting Matt Fitzpatrick in a winner-take-all 18th hole, and Young is now the 2026 Players champion.
Ludvig Åberg looked like he was ready to ascend to the next level in his career, but TPC Sawgrass decided otherwise on the final nine. Xander Schauffele mounted a too-little, too-late birdie charge. But the last hours of the tournament belonged to Young and Fitzpatrick, who both sidestepped the plummeting Åberg to duel on the 18th green with the tournament on the line.
The Chinese GP Proves Mercedes Domination Might Still Be Fun - Defector
It is difficult to be a conscientious viewer of Formula 1, a sport which occurs in discrete windows, not all that frequently, and on tracks with their own variable characteristics that can skew results any which way. To be specific, any possible conclusion to be made off the back of the Chinese Grand Prix that took place Sunday in the wee hours of Eastern Daylight Time is negotiating a sample size of two races, and should be treated as such. And with that disclaimer disclaimed: Mercedes is running away with the championship.
The Winners and Losers of the 2026 Oscars - The Ringer
After one of the more unpredictable Academy Awards in recent years, both ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners’ have reason to celebrate—while Timothée Chalamet is left waiting.
San Diego’s An’s Gelato prepares for landing at the Top Gun House in Oceanside - San Diego Union-Tribune
Over the past eight years, San Diego-based An’s Gelato company has made quite a name for itself, or make that “names.”
Each of its scoop shops have bespoke names, designs and gelato flavors inspired by the mostly older buildings that they occupy, like An’s Dry Cleaning in Normal Heights and An’s Athletic Field Services at Petco Park. And over the past two years, the An’s name has also become nationally famous, after being named the No. 1 ice cream shop in America in a USA Today poll in both 2024 and 2025.
Now, the company is preparing to open its next shop in its most unique and notable location ever: The historic Top Gun House in Oceanside. The 1888 Queen Ann cottage on the grounds of the Mission Pacific Beach Resort near Oceanside Pier got its nickname after being used as a shooting location in “Top Gun,” the 1986 Tom Cruise film about San Diego’s former TOPGUN Navy fighter pilots school.
The newest An’s company shop — set to open in late spring or early summer at 250 N. Pacific St. — will be named An’s Gate D5.