Grab Bag time! A Giants baseball legend passes, Historic Negro League game, 49ers sign their #1 draft pick, classic comedy video.

Howdy! It's going to be a bit emotional recapping of SF Giants games this week due to some events that has occurred. Giants: The Los Angeles Angels came to town for the weekend, and in Fridays bullpen game, the Angels pounced for eight runs in the first half of the game. SF did have a late comeback, but wasn't enough as the Angels won, 8-6. Some good news is that SS Nick Ahmed has returned to the big club after being on the injured lit for over a month, and he got two hits!

Saturday was Pride Day at the park, and several same-sex couple got married, there was a drag queen brunch amongst the festivities. Unfortunately, the Giants lost 4-3 to the Angels.

Sunday's getaway game, the Giants bats woke up as this game turned out to be another bullpen game, as starter Kyle Harrison went on the injured list after hurting himself in the workout room! Final score was 13-6, Giants, but as the icebox that closer Camillo Duvol trashed will tell you, score should have been 13-2, but Duvol gave up 4 runs before being pulled. Off to Chicago to play the Cubs in Chicago, and the Giants were able to edge the Cubs, 7-6 on Monday. Tuesday's game the Giants lost, 5-2, while on Wednesday, San Francisco came up short in their comeback as the Cubs took the series, winning 6-5.

Great book by Linda J Smith about Willie Mays life!

During this time while the Giants were at Wrigley Field in Chicago, It was announced that the iconic baseball legend Willie Mays had passed away peacefully at home at the age of 93.

So many records Mays set, do not have the space here to cover them all. A true ambassador to the game, on and off the field, and beloved by fans , non-fans, and players alike. I haven't

seen a negative word or story about the "Say Hey" kid, and as I type this, a memorial is growing in front of Oracle Park, where fans are greeted with a beautiful statue of Willie Mays. May Willie Rest in Power in the Field of Dreams of the baseball beyond.

Willie Mays mural at Rickwood Field, Birmingham, Alabama.

Willie Mays had sent a note earlier in the week that he would not be able to attend the special Negro League game to be played where May's got his career in baseball start in Rickwood in Birmingham, Alabama, the oldest ballpark in baseball. There will be special uniforms, the first ever all black umpiring crew, many ceremonies and accolades showered upon Willie Mays on this day, along with a celebration and educational teaching on the history of the Negro League. Then after, the Giants will play the St Louis Cardinals. The Giants ended up losing to the Cards, 6-5.

NBA: Other passings of note hit the NBA hard, as both legendary player and all around cool person Bill Walton passed (the NBA players still in the playoff s at the time of Walton's passing were wearing his name on their jerseys). Also leaving this mortal coil was another legend, both as a player, but most notably as a general manager, Jerry West. West was the architect that helped build the Los Angeles Lakers into their dynasty years, developing the likes of Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. West also played a part building the Golden State Warriors own dynasty, with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and trading for the likes of Kevin Durant to help the Dubs secure four NBA championships.

Congrats to the Boston Celtics for winning the 2024 NBA Championship by defeating the Denver Nuggets four games to one.

Golf: The US Open was a wild one at Pinehurst, North Carolina. record tying rounds, constantly changing leaderboards, amazingly difficult putts and drives, and a down to the wire between Bryson Dechambeau, who was interacting with fans between holes, and Northern Ireland's Rory Mcilroy, who while one of the top players in the game, has not won a major, like the US Open in ten years! The tourney game down to the last two holes, with Rory just missing a putt for a bogey, and Bryson, with one hole up on Rory, leading now by one, found himself in a sand bunker on the 18th hole, and just about everyone was thinking Bryson was going to bogey and we were going to a playoff. Bryson though, made one of the truly amazing golf shots, lifting the ball high, where it came down, bounced on the tee, and rolled to within five feet of the hole, where Bryson tapped it in for par, and beating Rory by that one shot! Yep, golf isn't really exxciting, but what I witnessed on the last three holes was definitely nail-biting! Rory still looking for a Major title, and Bryson celebrates winning the US Open for the 2nd time. Tennis: In a warm-up tourney leading up to Wimbledon , Carlos Alcaraz lost to hot newcomer Jake Draper in his 2nd match at Queens, this was a match played on grass, so keep that in mind.

49ers: San Francisco have signed their #1 draft pick, Ricky Pearsall, from Florida to a 4 year 32 million dollar contract. All draft picks have been signed!

With all the heavy stuff, decided to end this column on a positive note with one of the funniest clips from a classic TV show. The story itself is funny, the reactions of the cast breaking character is funny, and Vicki Lawrence's Mama reaction near the end is the cherry on top! Enjoy!