Open Bottle Thursday: Southern Rhône Flavor, Incredible Value

Hello Peter,

Open Bottle Thursday

June 18, 2026

Xavier Vignon

2021

Ventoux

(Rhône Valley, France)

Bold Enough for BBQ, Fresh Enough for the Patio.

Our Thoughts…this is the kind of Rhône red that consistently overdelivers for the price. Xavier Vignon’s Ventoux Rouge is packed with juicy blackberry, black cherry, and plum flavors layered with hints of licorice, wild herbs, cracked pepper, and the classic garrigue notes of southern France. The blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre creates a wine that is rich and flavorful yet surprisingly fresh and easy to drink, with smooth tannins and a lingering spicy finish. Perfect for anything off the grill, hearty weeknight meals, or simply enjoying on the patio with friends.

90 points, James Suckling

“Dark cherries, blackberries, dried lavender and some wet stones on the nose following through to a medium body with fine tannins. Round and velvety with a caressing texture and fruity finish.”

About the winery…one of the Rhône Valley’s most respected winemakers, Xavier Vignon built his reputation as a consulting enologist, working with hundreds of top estates throughout the Southern Rhône before launching his own label. Drawing on decades of experience and access to exceptional vineyard sources, Xavier crafts wines that capture the character of the region while consistently delivering outstanding value. His wines are known for their rich fruit, balance, and authenticity, showcasing the diverse terroirs of the Rhône with a modern yet respectful approach to winemaking. Today, Xavier Vignon wines are enjoyed worldwide and have earned acclaim from critics and wine lovers alike for their quality and affordability.

Quantities are limited, so order now for this special…

no need to wait until Thursday!

Tasting time on Thursday: 3 – 7:30 PM

Special Sale Pricing

Our Regular Price: $19.99

Buy 1-5 bottles: $17.50/bottleORDER 1-5 BOTTLES

Buy 6+ bottles: $15/bottleORDER 6+ BOTTLES

Thank you for shopping local!

Kate, Donna P., Heidi, Valerie, Beth, Melanie, Mari, Patty, Donna B., Matt, Bill, Steve, Rande and Mike

The Wine Cabinet

1416 North Point Village Center

Reston, VA 20194

(703) 668-9463 (WINE)

Shop Hours

Mon – Wed: 11 AM – 7 PM

Thu – Sat: 11 AM – 8 PM

Sun: 11 AM – 6 PM

View email in browser
The Wine Cabinet · 1416 Northpoint Village Ctr · Reston, VA 20194-1190 · USA
update your preferences or unsubscribe

SI:AM | Messi Stuns Again With Hat Trick vs. Algeria

DAN GARTLAND 

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I just know Cristiano Ronaldo hated seeing Lionel Messi add another chapter to his World Cup legend.  

In today’s SI:AM:

🇦🇷 Messi puts on a show

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England’s new Golden Generation

🇵🇹 Portugal looks to win for Ronaldo

Messi’s incredible World Cup encore

Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images

Lionel Messi’s still got it. 

The 38-year-old GOAT added another line to his already unrivaled résumé last night with a hat trick in Argentina’s World Cup openeragainst Algeria in Kansas City. He sniped one into the upper corner in the 17th minute, cleaned up a rebound in the 60th minute and drove home a low shot from the top of the box in the 76th minute.

“Messi doing Messi things,” Algeria midfielder Ibrahim Maza said of the legend’s performance. “I think I don’t need to explain. You just have to watch the game, you know it when you see it, Messi things.”

It was a hell of an encore for Messi after he led Argentina to victory at the last World Cup in 2022. He had his doubters ahead of that tournament in Qatar. His first season with Paris Saint-Germain in ’21–22 had been underwhelming, as he scored just 11 goals in 34 matches. But he reminded people at that World Cup that he was still among the best players alive, scoring seven goals in seven games, including one in extra time in the final. Messi was similarly dismissed when he moved to MLS, which had long been considered a retirement league for European greats, but once again he showed he’s still capable of greatness on the international stage. CONTINUE DAN’S COLUMN ON SI

OpenWeb

Recommended by 

The best of Sports Illustrated

Giving Small Ball a New Meaning

By Tom VerducciREAD MORE

The Best Trade Fits for Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman

By Karl RasmussenREAD MORE

Can Golden Generation 2.0 Lead England to World Cup Glory?

By Andrew HeadspeathREAD MORE

Albert Breer’s Notes: Two Key Questions As Brendan Sorsby Plans to Enter the NFL

By Albert BreerREAD MORE

WNBA Power Rankings: The Liberty Are Hitting Their Stride

By Clare BrennanREAD MORE

Purchase SI Commemorative Issue

After ending a 53-year title drought, the Knicks are on top of the NBA world. To celebrate, Sports Illustrated is producing a commemorative championship issue that you can purchase now and will be on newsstands in New York.PURCHASE THE COMMEMORATIVE NOW

Get the print edition of Sports Illustrateddelivered to your door.

Click to subscribe!

Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images

👀 The top five …

… non-Messi goals from Tuesday’s World Cup games: 

5. A well-executed corner kick for Austria. 

4. Erling Haaland’s sliding effort for his first goal. (Here’s another angle that better shows how tough it was to get a boot on it.)

3. Leo Østigård’s soaring header to give Norway a cushion over Iraq. 

2. Romano Schmid’s shot into the top cornerto give Austria the lead over Jordan. 

1. Ali Olwan’s shot that glanced perfectly off the inside of the post for Jordan’s equalizer against Austria. (A Jordan own goal put Austria back ahead in the second half, and Austria put it away with a penalty late in stoppage time.) 

The best of SI Video

 

Is Jalen Brunson now the greatest Knick of all time? What does Victor Wembanyama need to learn from the Spurs’ Finals loss, and should the Celtics be in on the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes? Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols tackle those questions in the latest episode of the Open Floor podcast. 

Join the Verducci’s View Newsletter

Tom Verducci delivers a mix of expert commentary, inside angles and thoughtful perspectives on baseball’s biggest storylines.CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE

OpenWeb

Recommended by 


We may receive compensation for some links to products and services included in this email.

Sports Publishing Solutions Inc.
625 Broadway, 10th floor
New York, NY. 10012
You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the SI:AM newsletter.

You can unsubscribe here  .

Privacy Policy – Terms & Conditions

© 2026 Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC.
All betting and gambling content included in the SI:AM newsletter is intended for individuals 21+ (18+ in DC, KY, NH, RI, and WY). Betting and gambling content, including picks and predictions, are based on individual commentators’ opinions and we do not guarantee any success or profits. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLERor texting 800GAM.

Click this link to view the newsletter in your browser.

Cast of cult classic bought a baseball team

The Lineup: Pregame Edition

Wednesday, June 17

View Online

Efren Ramirez, Jon Heder and Jon Gries wear jerseys of the Richmond Flying Mummies while posing with the mascot

Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. 

Odes to cult classic movies are nothing new in the world of Minor League or independent baseball promotions. But for one collegiate summer league team, the connection goes a little bit deeper than that. MLB.com’s Matt Monagan recently traveled to Indiana to take in the scene and filed this report:

The cast from “Napoleon Dynamite” bought a baseball team. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. Jon Gries (Uncle Rico), Jon Heder (Napoleon) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro) joined an ownership group for a new Northwoods League team in the small town of Richmond, Ind. It’s a team with, of course, a fittingly weird name to go along with one of the weirdest movies of all time: The Flying Mummies. (Richmond was home to the Wright Brothers before they went on to aviation glory in Ohio and also features two Egyptian mummies on permanent, public display. It’s known as the Mummy Capital of the Midwest, but that’s a whole other story.)

But yes, the three stars from the cult classic 2004 film now are in charge of a baseball team. I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but I was there for Napoleon Dynamite Night last week. The three actors showed up, there were fans dressed and dancing as Napoleon, Uncle Rico’s van was parked on the concourse, the real Rex Kwon Do might’ve been in attendance — I don’t know, it all seems like some tater tot-infused fever dream to me now.

A fan nails the Napoleon Dynamite look.

Gries fell in love with the community and Midwestern charm of the Northwoods League — a wood-bat collegiate summer circuit that stretches from eastern Michigan to North Dakota, with a stop in Ontario — last year and when the opportunity came up to own a team, he jumped at it. He convinced his co-stars to join him, or, as Heder puts it:

“[Gries] wore us down,” Heder smiled. “He was just like, ‘Baseball, baseball, baseball.’ I was like, ‘Dude, you’re known for football, let’s lean into the football thing.'”

It’s a funny, odd, but also, heartwarming partnership. You can see it in the fans’ proud faces at the tiny, 90-year-old McBride Stadium, you can feel a noticeable buzz at the local arcade and history museum.

“It’s very exciting, for a town this small,” co-owner Matt Bomberg said. “We’re in between Indianapolis and Dayton, you know, it’s kind of lost a little bit. It’s a big deal.”

The three may also be trying to bring one of the mummies back from the dead to be the new mascot. Find out more about that and the new ownership here. 

ASHBY FIRST TO 10

Aaron Ashby

He’s become The Vulture, and no, we’re not talking about the “Spider-Man” villain. We’re talking about Aaron Ashby, the Brewers’ lights-out reliever who leads the Major Leagues in wins and became the first to double-digits on Tuesday.

Ashby (10-0, 2.86 ERA) entered the seventh inning Tuesday protecting a 1-0 Brewers lead over the Guardians, and uncharacteristically, he allowed the tying run to score. But as Ashby has done for them many times this season, the Brewers’ bats had the lefty’s back. Garrett Mitchell retook the lead with a massive solo home run, and Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill shut the door to secure a tight win.

And Ashby, who has been largely dominant en route to his 10 wins, heard it from the clubhouse afterward — especially since starter Robert Gasser would’ve taken the W had Ashby finished a clean seventh. All in good fun, of course.

“That’s a vulture win for Ashby,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “He’s got nine good ones, but that was a vulture.”

Ashby became just the second pitcher in MLB history to be the first to 10 wins while having all of them come in relief, according to OptaSTATS. The other was the late Roy Facein 1959.

Read more about Ashby’s season here.

— Max Ralph

RETURNING WITH A BANG

Drake Baldwin and Cal Raleigh

As most teams around the Major Leagues struggle to find any kind of offensive production behind the plate these days — 20 clubs entered play today with their backstops combining for an OPS of .694 or lower, and five have batting averages below .200 — the Mariners and Braves welcomed back two of the game’s best-hitting catchers on Tuesday.

Cal Raleigh, who spent 33 days on the shelf with a right oblique strain in his first trip to the IL of his career, connected on a two-run single in the seventh inning to put the Mariners ahead of the O’s in a 3-1 win. Raleigh, of course, had one of the greatest offensive seasons in history last year, clubbing 60 home runs and leading the AL with 125 RBIs before finishing second to Aaron Judge in the MVP race

After a slow start to his season that was at least somewhat attributable to him playing hurt, Raleigh has come back looking refreshed, both physically and mentally.

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Drake Baldwin returned to the lineup for the first time in nearly a month and picked up right where he left off at the plate, going deep for a 473-foot leadoff homer — the longest long ball hit in the big leagues this year. It was the 14th of the season for the Atlanta backstop, who didn’t get another at-bat before the game was suspended by rain.

Baldwin, despite having been out since straining his right oblique on May 18, leads all NL catchers in the latest All-Star Ballot update, and it’s quite possible that he will be behind the plate at the start of the All-Star Game in Philadelphia on July 14.

— Ed Eagle

GAMES OF THE NIGHT

White Sox at Yankees (7:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TVMLB Network)

Any momentum the White Sox carried into the Bronx after series wins over the Braves and Dodgers was quickly reversed by last night’s Yankees romp. Still, the AL Central leaders remain one of baseball’s best stories and the only club in their division with a positive run differential. Tonight, the Yanks start former White Sox lefty Carlos Rodón, who has won all three of his starts vs. the club that drafted him third overall in 2014.

Pirates at Athletics (9:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TVMLB Network)

The A’s are clinging to the final AL Wild Card spot despite owning the Majors’ 28th-best team ERA in large part because of Nick Kurtz’s 1.000 OPS (1.204 since May 13). But another big key has been Zack Gelof’s resurgence. The infielder posted 2.7 fWARacross just 69 games as a rookie in 2023 but regressed last year as his K% jumped to 45.5%. Having cut that rate to a career-low 25% this year, Gelof enters tonight with a 20-game hit streak, the Majors’ longest active run.

Orioles at Mariners (9:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)

The injury carousel continues to spin for the AL West-leading Mariners, who welcomed back Raleigh and J.P. Crawford last night but simultaneously lost Randy Arozarena, their leader in average (.291), doubles (18), steals (19) and smiles (a lot). Tonight’s Orioles starter, Kyle Bradish, has struggled to find a rhythm in his first full season post-Tommy John surgery; he posted a 1.11 ERA with just over 5 H/9 from May 13-31 but allowed five runs in each of his last two outings. 

HERE COME THE NATS

The Nationals celebrate after defeating the Royals on Tuesday night

It might be time to cue up “Baby Shark,”because the vibes haven’t been this good at Nationals Park since 2019.

The Nationals won it all that year, then immediately sunk into the abyss. From 2020-25, they tallied more losses than all but one team (the Rockies) and were never more than one game over .500 at any point.

It’s been a different story lately. Washington is baseball’s hottest team and grabbed sole possession of the third National League Wild Card spot with its fourth straight win on Tuesday, running its record to 39-35.

The Nationals’ lineup has been a surprise juggernaut all season long. Led by James Wood and CJ Abrams, no team has scored more runs in 2026. For much of this season, though, Washington’s pitching staff has made opposing offenses look just as potent.

But the Nationals have plugged some of their leaks over the past few weeks. Washington owns a 3.83 ERA since May 23, more than a run better than the NL-worst 4.96 ERA it had previously. That improvement has helped fuel a 14-8 stretch, during which the Nats have outscored their opponents by 36 runs (121-85).

— Thomas Harrigan

OUR GIFT TO YOU

MLB.TV Father's Day Sale

Father’s Day is just around the corner, and for a limited time only, MLB.TV is now only $59.99! Stream every out-of-market game live or on demand.

Subscribe to MLB.TV Seasonal for $59.99

New subscribers who purchase MLB.TV can get a free one-month trial of ESPN Unlimited. Subscribers will receive an email to redeem their trial. Rest of season pricing offer valid through 6/21/26. After initial purchase, ESPN subscription is not required to maintain MLB.TV subscription. Blackouts & terms apply.

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
TikTok
Snapchat

© 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Please review our Privacy Policy.

You (pahovis@aol.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com.

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe  or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

Job 30:13 – Job’s Humiliation: Outcasts Overthrow His Defenses in Job 30

Having trouble reading this email? View it in your browser

Share this on Facebook
Pinterest
View as PDF

Job 30:13

(13) They break up my path,
They promote my calamity; 
They have no helper. 
New King James Version   Change email Bible version

The passage in which this verse appears is a long response from Job, answering the final argument proffered by Job’s three “friends,” Bildad’s short, six-verse diatribe in Job 25. In the intervening chapters Job has told off Bildad (what a miserable counselor he was), averred that he has remained righteous, and become sentimental about his happy, prosperous past. Here in chapter 30, he is letting everyone know just how deeply his present circumstance was humiliating him.

The chapter begins with Job describing his tormentors, the youths who taunt him as he sits in the dust, scraping his painful boils with a potsherd. He paints a picture of a group of outcasts, young men of no reputation and no lineage—as he says in verse 1, “whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock,” meaning that he thought less of them than even dogs, which were considered to be the basest of creatures in that part of the world. These lowlifes are gaunt and feeble from living off the land, and they dwell in caves or whatever shelter they can find. The townspeople drive them off when they wander too close.

Yet, in his miserable state, Job has become even lower than they—to the point that the off-scourings of the earth belittle him! They do not consider him to have fallen to their level, not by a long shot! No, they stand aloof, as if they are his betters, and spit in his face (verse 10)!

In Job 30:13, the verse in question, Job is illustrating the method of their assault upon him by using the metaphor of attacking a stronghold. In the previous verse, he says that “they raise against me their ways of destruction.” By this, he means that they are building their engines of war and throwing up their own earthworks to enable them to destroy his defenses, thus they are plotting and planning his ruin.

Verse 13 continues the comparison to a siege. “They break up my path” suggests that they have blocked or demolished every escape route he might have taken to avoid destruction. He has nowhere to run.

He next says, “They promote my calamity.” The NASB renders this, “They profit from my destruction.” The NET Bible translates this as, “They succeed in destroying me.” Keil and Delitzsch say it is more like, “They minister to my overthrow.” The idea seems to be that these social and economic outcasts, who have no skills and never do anything well, are actually succeeding in bringing him down.

Thus the next phrase becomes more explicable: “They have no helper.” They may be otherwise helpless, but in this matter, they do not need anyone to aid them. They are doing quite well on their own, thank you very much! Another idea may be in this phrase also: that it generally means that they are worthless persons, and no one from general society would stoop to help them—but in this case, the helpless need no help!

And so, Job goes on to say, he is ruined. He has no defenses against them, so he must succumb to their assault. His honor is gone, as is his prosperity. He has nothing and is nothing. How miserable Job must have been!

— Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Topics:

Bildad

Job’s ‘Friends’

Commentary copyright © 1992-2026  Church of the Great God
New King James Version copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Facebook

 ‌

Instagram

 ‌

YouTube

 ‌

Spotify

 ‌


Subscription Information

This daily newsletter was sent to you at pahovis@aol.com because you subscribed at www.bibletools.org on Jan 30, 2011.

Email Preferences  |  Unsubscribe

Church of the Great God
P.O. Box 471846
Charlotte, NC 28247
803-802-7075

About The Berean | Archives | Random Berean | Subscriptions

Ohtani homers in 1-0 win, pitches today

Wednesday, June 17

View In Browser 

TOP NEWS

Cristopher Sánchez, Dominic Canzone, Kyle Harrison, Yordan Alvarez, Junior Caminero and Xavier Edwards

These were all blockbusters deals … we just didn’t know it at the time

Sometimes it’s the smaller trades that end up having the biggest impact. We’re putting the spotlight on six under-the-radar moves that are currently shaping the 2026 season. 

Dodgers

Shohei’s solo shot proves to be the difference in pitchers’ duel

Arizona Diamondbacks

Two-way standout, a projected top pick in KBO Draft, signs with D-backs

Braves

Baldwin blasts way back into Braves lineup with longest HR in MLB this season

Phillies

Schwarber launches HR No. 25 while making first start at 1B since ’21

Mariners

Raleigh hits game-winner, Crawford makes 3B debut in returns from IL

Yankees

With bats providing cushion, Cole keeps building toward prime form

Giants

The Giants may be selling, but can they move their biggest contracts?

Blue Jays

Springer’s milestone homer the cherry on top of Blue Jays’ HR barrage

Brewers

Pratt digs those winning ‘vibes’ and starts first double play in MLB debut

Cardinals

Bottom of the lineup sparks Cardinals’ offense in win over Padres

Reds

Stewart snaps slump with 3-run HR, RBI single as Reds ambush Senga 

MORE TOP NEWS

ADD MLB AS YOUR PREFERRED SOURCE ON GOOGLE

PERSONALIZE STORIES

TOP PERFORMANCES

Star Watch - eBaseball Pro Spirit
Alec Bohm

Longest Home Run

Alec Bohm

447 ft

2nd Inning

Watch

Riley Greene

Hardest Base Hit 

Riley Greene

112 mph

1st Inning

Watch

Louis Varland

Fastest Strikeout

Louis Varland

99.8 mph

9th Inning

Watch

Pirates

Decisive Play

Pirates

37.1% WPA

9th Inning

Watch

Star Watch - eBaseball Pro Spirit
Nasim Nuñez

Nasim Nuñez

7th National with two triples in a single game

Kyle Schwarber

Kyle Schwarber

4th Phillie to reach 25 HRs within club’s first 73 games

TJ Rumfield

TJ Rumfield

2nd Rockie with 10 HRs before All-Star break of debut season (T. Story)

Zack Gelof

Zack Gelof

Extends hitting streak to 20 games, longest active streak in MLB

Bryan Reynolds

Bryan Reynolds

2nd career game with 4 hits, 2 homers (7/5/24)

PLAY A SPORCLE BASEBALL QUIZ!

Play Quiz

MORE FREE GAMES AT MLB PLAY  

MUST-SEE PLAY

An animated gif of A.J. Ewing making a diving catch

Better to lose your cap than the ball, right A.J. Ewing?

MORE TOP PLAYS

STAFF PICKS

Efran Ramirez, Jon Heder and Jon Gries wear jerseys of the Richmond Flying Mummies while posing with the mascot

The cast from ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ bought a baseball team!

Jon Heder, Efran Ramirez and Jon Gries, stars of the 2004 cult classic, are part of the ownership group of a team in the Northwoods League. MLB.com’s Matt Monagan joined them for a night at the ballpark. 

Thank you, Mrs. Ingoldsby! (And teachers everywhere!)

The Cardinals honored the heroes of the classroom for Teachers Appreciation Night, with Katelyn Ingoldsby, JJ Wetherholt’s fifth-grade teacher, throwing out the first pitch to her former student. 

Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt and his fifth-grade teacher, Katelyn Ingoldsby, after her first pitch

His dad was with him on this night

Joshua Báez, No. 65 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list and third-ranked Cardinals prospect, crushed four home runs on the anniversary of his father’s passing. “I think that he guided me today to be able to do that,” he said.

Cardinals prospect Joshua Báez

The first batter AUSL’s No. 2 pick faced as a pro? Only her former coach

Texas Volts pitcher NiJaree Canady’s first foe as a pro softball pitcher was Kayla Kowalik, an assistant coach at her alma mater, Texas Tech.

Side-by-side images of NiJaree Canady and Kayla Kowalik

Jackson Chourio loves Chaos

The National League’s co-Player of the Week appeared on the Best Interview in Baseball, presented by Corona, to discuss winning the award — and his labradoodle.

Jackson Chourio on camera with his interpreter

All-day action on MLB Network

Tune in to watch Mets vs. Reds at 12:30 p.m. ET (or Marlins vs. Phillies), followed by the Rays vs. Dodgers. Later, it’s White Sox vs. Yankees at 7 p.m. (or Red Sox vs. Blue Jays at 6:30) and Pirates vs. A’s (or Orioles vs. Mariners). 

MLB Network’s logo alongside all 30 team logos beneath a heading that reads Live Games

MORE STORIES

SCOREBOARD

MIA 2
PHI 8

KC 4
WSH 6

TOR 6
BOS 1

CWS 2
NYY 12

NYM 3
CIN 5

GAME SUSPENDED

CLE 1
MIL 2

SD 2
STL 3

COL 5
CHC 2

MIN 12
TEX 2

DET 2
HOU 4

LAA 7
AZ 0

PIT 6
ATH 5

BAL 1
SEA 3

TB 0
LAD 1

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
TikTok
Snapchat

© 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Please review our Privacy Policy.

You (pahovis@aol.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com.

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe  or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

Draft class in session: The best from 2025 — so far

The latest news, interviews, highlights and more from Minor League Baseball

Tuesday, June 16

View In Browser   

★★★★ TOP NEWS

Who’s making the grade?

The Draft class of ’25 is still taking its first steps, but some players are already separating themselves from the pack. From No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits (Nationals) to under-the-radar steals, here is every organization’s best-performing Draft pick from last year.

MORE TOP NEWS

★★★★ TOP PERFORMANCES

Héctor Rodríguez, OF, Louisville (CIN): Seeing Red at the plate

Slugs 3 HRs in one game, hits for cycle during 14-RBI week

Owen Ayers, C, Knoxville (CHC): Roaring offensively

Collects 6 hits, 6 RBIs in doubleheader; posts 1.705 OPS in 7 games

Tyson Hardin, RHP, Nashville (MIL): Brewing up something special

Spins a pair of strong outings, striking out 16 across 11 frames 

★★★★ ‘Grass Routes’ reaches Rochester 

Minor League Baseball is about far more than what happens on the field. On the latest episode of “Grass Routes,” Jonathan Mayo explores the culture, history and personalities that make Rochester, N.Y., a destination every bit as memorable as the baseball played there.

★★★★ MUST-SEE PLAY: Home alone

Most walk-off wins end with a hit. Reds prospect Kien Vu had other ideas, turning a daring dash home into one of the season’s most unforgettable finishes. The 2025 Draft pick literally stole a victory for High-A Dayton in the most ironic of walk-offs.

MORE TOP PLAYS

★★★★ STAFF PICKS

Celebrating a Kernels staple

For more than 40 years, Ron “Roady” Plein was the heart of baseball in Cedar Rapids. Following the clubhouse manager’s passing earlier this year, the club and its fans are celebrating the life of a man who was so devoted to the Kernels, he lived at the ballpark. 

Dodging a June swoon

Josue De Paula is on a heater at the plate. The Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect homered and reached base five times in one game for Double-A Tulsa.

Simply offensive

High-A Cedar Rapids and Lansing put up some truly “crooked numbers.” The clubs combined for 38 runs and 48 hits — 17 for extra bases. 

20-20-20 vision

Lazaro Montes joined some exclusive company over the weekend. The Mariners’ No. 4 prospect reached 20 homers for the third straight year.

MORE STORIES

★★★★ ONLY IN MiLB: Keep an eye on Eyanson

A year after leading LSU to a national title, Anthony Eyanson is turning heads as a pro. On the latest episode of The Show Before the Show, Boston’s No. 2 prospect talks winning it all, his breakout campaign and how it’s already put him on the big league radar.

MORE STORIES

Visit MiLB.com for more news, features, video highlights and photos from around the Minors, and follow MiLB on Twitter @MiLB, on Instagram @milb and like on Facebook.

© 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All Minor League Baseball trademarks, service marks and copyrights used herein are the property of the applicable MiLB entity. All rights reserved. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.


Please review MiLB’s Privacy Policy.

You (peterhovis@icloud.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages from MiLB Farm Report.

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MiLB Farm Report, please unsubscribe  or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MiLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

Did a monkey catch Mantle’s first home run?

The Lineup: Pregame Edition

Tuesday, June 16

View Online

What does Mickey Mantle have to do with a space-traveling monkey?

Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s edition is brought to you by David Adler and Brian Murphy

Today, we head to Kansas, where Mickey Mantle hit his first professional home run, which has since acquired a near-mythical status.

As a Yankee, Mickey Mantle’s home run distances were the stuff of legend. But even before he ever put on the pinstripes, Mantle was crushing legendary homers. 

In fact, the story of his very first professional home run, in Independence, Kan., in 1949, might top them all. 

Mantle had just signed with the Yankees at 17 years old and had been sent to play for their Class D Minor League team, the Independence Yankees. They played at Shulthis Stadium, the ballpark where the very first night game in organized baseball historytook place in 1930.

It was there that, on June 30, 1949, The Mick crushed a tape-measure shot over dead center field for his first homer as a pro. 

The center-field fence at Shulthis Stadium was about 460 feet away. Mantle’s blast cleared it easily. But how far did it go? Well, according to legend, as Mantle’s home run sailed over the wall, the fans yelled: “That ball is headed to Monkey Island!”

Wait … Monkey Island? What’s Monkey Island? 

It’s a monkey exhibit at the Independence Zoo — an exhibit that’s still there! — and it’s located more than 100 feet beyond the spot in center field where Mantle hit his homer. Oh, and fun fact: 10 years later, a rhesus monkey named Miss Able from Monkey Island became the first primate to survive space travel.

So yes, Mickey Mantle may have hit a 600-foot home run into a zoo of screeching monkeys, one of which eventually traveled into space. That’s how baseball legends are born.  

Read the whole story here >>

— David Adler

MV-PCA IS BACK

The Wrigley Field scoreboard commemorates Pete Crow-Armstrong's cycle Monday night

Pete Crow-Armstrong continued his hot hitting Monday night by recording MLB’s first cycle of the season and the 13th cycle in Cubs franchise history. He did it backwards, too!  

No, he didn’t run the bases clockwise; he went homer, triple, double, single, in that order. No Cub had achieved a “reverse” cycle before.

Now, if you’re just awakening from a 12-month coma, you probably aren’t too surprised by this news. Sure, the cycle is extremely cool, but Crow-Armstrong was one of the Majors’ very best players for the bulk of last season. He was the National League leader in FanGraphs WAR (5.4) entering August.

Then his numbers at the plate sank over the final two months of the year, and his offensive struggles continued into 2026. From Aug. 1, 2025, through May 29, 2026 — a span of 109 games and 440 plate appearances — PCA recorded a .207/.279/.332 slash line. His defense in center field remained golden, but with a 71 wRC+, he was one of the worst qualified hitters in the game. 

However, over the past couple of weeks, he’s become a five-tool dynamo once again. Besides being the most valuable fielder in the sport, Crow-Armstrong has put up offensive numbers that are out of this world over his past 15 games:

A .453 average (29-for-64), seven home runs, four stolen bases and an MLB-best 1.400 OPS. 

Suddenly, Crow-Armstrong is up to No. 2 in FanGraphs WAR among position players this season (3.9), just a tick behind Bobby Witt Jr (4.0).

He may not ultimately beat out two-way Shohei for MVP honors; Ohtani already has 5.0 fWAR when you combine his work as a hitter and a pitcher. But when he’s right, the uber-talented PCA is an absolute joy to watch. And right now, he is doing everything right.

— Brian Murphy

DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN?

It's Drew Rasmussen!

There is a starting pitcher who currently ranks 11th in the Majors with a 2.71 ERA. And there is a starting pitcher who ranks second in the Majors — trailing only Ohtani among pitchers with at least 500 innings — with a 2.78 ERA since the start of 2021.

They are the same pitcher. And that right-hander, the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen, will face Ohtani and the Dodgers in Los Angeles tonight (10:10 ET, MLB.TV). Hopefully you know his name already, but if you don’t, tonight’s matchup gives you a great reason to see why the 30-year-old Rasmussen has been one of the top hurlers in baseball.

Last season, Rasmussen was an All-Star, finished ninth in the AL Cy Young voting and posted a 2.76 ERA across 150 innings. Now in his sixth season with Tampa Bay after being dealt by the Brewers in a trade headlined by Willy Adames, Rasmussen has ended every season with the Rays with a sub-3.00 ERA. 

His success story is a rare one; Rasmussen has undergone three major, season-ending elbow surgeries, the most recent of which occurred in 2023. Not only has he bounced back, but he also seems more dominant than ever. In his previous two starts, he allowed a total of three hits and one walk over 14 scoreless innings with 22 strikeouts. He leads the AL in WHIP (0.88) and sits sixth in the big leagues in strikeout-minus-walk rate (22.7%). 

What has been the key? Here’s a hint: Fastball, fastball, fastball. But check out this story from Brent Maguire for the full scoop on how Rasmussen has ascended to the elite level of starting pitchers.

— Brian Murphy

GAMES OF THE NIGHT

Before Rasmussen takes the mound in L.A., here are a couple of other games worth watching tonight. 

White Sox at Yankees (7:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)

The White Sox won both of their games last week against the Braves, the team with MLB’s best record. Then they took two of three games over the weekend against the Dodgers, the defending two-time World Series champs. The club’s extremely tough road takes it to the Bronx next to open a three-game series against the Yankees, who own the best record in the American League. 

The White Sox, in a virtual tie for first place in the AL Central, will have breakout ace Davis Martin on the mound against Gerrit Cole, who is making his fifth start of the year. Even without the injured Aaron Judge, the Yankees have continued their winning ways of late, thanks in part to contributions from players such as outfielder Cody Bellinger, who is looking like the best free-agent signing of the offseason.

Tigers at Astros (8:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
We’ll have dual homecomings in this one. Right-hander Hunter Brown will return to the Astros’ rotation for his first start since March 31. The 2025 AL Cy Young finalist has been sidelined for more than two months by a right shoulder strain. Also making his return to Houston? Framber Valdez. The left-hander, who inked a three-year deal with the Tigers in February, spent his first eight seasons with the Astros, represented them as a two-time All-Star and won the clinching game of the 2022 World Series. 

“I’m very grateful and thankful for them to give me the chance to become the player I am,” Valdez said prior to Monday’s game.

— Brian Murphy

A MAN OF MANY HATS (BUT MOSTLY BRAVES)

Carlos Carrasco(s)

Atlanta re-signed veteran pitcher Carlos “Cookie” Carrasco to a Minor League deal on Sunday. Actually, the Braves re-re-re-re-signed him.

Yes, this is the fourth time that the Braves have signed Carrasco to a Minor League deal in 2026. His transaction log is stuck in a loop. Here’s what it looked like before this latest reunion:

Recent transactions involving Carlos Carrasco (credit: Baseball Reference)

Find yourself someone who loves you as much as the Braves love Carrasco.

The right-hander from Venezuela is now in his 17th big league season. He was a legit ace for the Guardians about a decade ago, he’s a Clemente Award winner, and he freaking beat cancer. So, although we joke about his on-again, off-again relationship with the Braves, the fact that he is still a viable Major Leaguer at age 39 is quite the accomplishment.

— Brian Murphy

VOTE NOW FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME

2026 KONAMI eBaseball MLB All-Star Ballot

Phase 1 of All-Star voting is open until Thursday, June 25, at noon ET.

Vote now to help send your favorite players to this year’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Fans can vote up to five times per day. 

Fill out your 2026 All-Star Ballot here >>

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
TikTok
Snapchat

© 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Please review our Privacy Policy.

You (pahovis@aol.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com.

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe  or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

Luke 23:43 – Debunking the Myth: Luke 23:43 and the Promise of Immediate Paradise

Having trouble reading this email? View it in your browser

Share this on Facebook
Pinterest
View as PDF

Luke 23:43

(43) And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. 
King James Version   Change email Bible version

In Luke 23:43Jesus Christ tells one of the criminals being crucified next to Him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” This statement forms the foundation of belief for the majority of professing Christians that they will go to heaven as soon as they die. The common interpretation is that Jesus promises the malefactor he would be with Him in “Paradise”—assumed to be heaven—later that day, after both had died. From this scenario, they extract the theory that all of the faithful are likewise caught up to heaven immediately upon death. This verse has become the modern pillar of the ancient pagan belief that our soul lives on after the death of the body and finds its way to heaven to be with God.

The only problem is that Luke 23:43 does not support this at all!

Jesus gave only one sign that He was the One He said He was: that He would be in the grave for three days and three nights:

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:38-40, emphasis ours throughout)

If Jesus was not in the grave for three days and three nights, He is not our Savior! But since we know He was telling the truth, He must have been in the grave for exactly three days and three nights—thus, He could not have been in Paradise that day. Following this through, if He was not in Paradise on the day He died, neither was the criminal hanging next to Him.

The apostle Paul corroborates that Jesus did in fact fulfill His prophecy. In I Corinthians 15:3-4, he tells Christians: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” Notice that Paul says Jesus was buried, not that the body was buried and His consciousness went to Paradise. It reads that He—Jesus, Himself, entirely—was buried. He was dead for three days. He died for our sins, was in the grave for 72 hours, then came back to life after being resurrected by the Father.

John gives further proof of where Jesus was: “Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there [in the tomb, the grave] they laid Jesus . . .” (John 19:41-42). Similarly, Peter told those present on Pentecost, “[David], foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.” (Acts 2:31) This states that Jesus’ body and soul were in “Hades” (the grave) before His resurrection, not in Paradise.

Jesus Himself tells us He was not simultaneously in the grave and in Paradise. When Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb, she encountered the resurrected Savior (John 20:14). After He identified Himself (verse 16), He told her plainly where He had not been: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”‘” (John 20:17). Clearly, He had not been in Paradise with the Father during the time He was in the grave, thus the criminal was not either!

— David C. Grabbe

To learn more, see:
What Happened to the Thief on the Cross? (Part One)

Topics:

Adulterous Generation Seeks after Sign

After Three Days

Christ’s Burial

Christ’s Death and Burial

Christ’s Death, Resurrection, and Ascension

Doctrine of ‘Immortality’ of the Soul

Jesus Christ’s Ascension

Jesus Christ’s Burial

Jonah, Sign of

Paradise

Thief on Cross Did Not Go Immediately to Paradise

What Happened to the Thief on the Cross?

Commentary copyright © 1992-2026  Church of the Great God

Facebook

 ‌

Instagram

 ‌

YouTube

 ‌

Spotify

 ‌


Subscription Information

This daily newsletter was sent to you at peterhovis@me.com because you subscribed at www.theberean.org on Apr 14, 2017.

Email Preferences  |  Unsubscribe

Church of the Great God
P.O. Box 471846
Charlotte, NC 28247
803-802-7075

About The Berean | Archives | Random Berean | Subscriptions

Stories That Inspire

Stories That Inspire

Every day offers a new chance to grow—so explore stories filled with real-life inspiration, practical wisdom, and ideas that fuel your next step forward. Discover uplifting content curated to support your personal growth, and join thousands of readers who visit our site daily for motivation, insight, and a positive boost.

“Rest is not the opposite of progress — it is one of the most essential parts of it. Honor the seasons that ask you to slow down.”

There is a pervasive belief that slowing down means falling behind — that rest is something to be earned after enough effort, not woven into the process itself. But rest is not a pause in your journey. It is part of the journey. The seasons that ask you to slow down, recover, and replenish are just as important as the seasons of action and output. You are not falling behind by resting. You are preparing for what comes next.MORE INSPIRATION 

You’re always one blessing away from a brighter day… and a bigger life. May these stories, affirmations, prayers, and insights lift your spirits and inspire you to lift others.

Go forth and be blessed!GET BLESSINGS 🕊️

Please, Unsubscribe Here to stop receiving these emails

Updates + Patreon Zoom!

June 16th, 2026

Updates + 

Zoom for Patreon

Hi, everyone!

We had an amazing time last week traveling to Cincinnati and Norfolk! The shows we did in each city were truly beautiful. Getting to meet and connect with so many people really makes my heart happy. Thank you to everyone who came out to support! Plus, special shoutout to Terez Dean who always take such great photos of our shows!

Here’s what’s coming:

NEXT TWO WEEKS

UK Run

  • 6/21 — Bush Hall, London
  • 6/22 — Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

Then heading stateside:

  • 6/25 — The Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton, FL
  • 6/26–6/27 — Middle C, Charlotte, NC

GRAB TICKETS

SUMMER INTO FALL

  • 7/11 — Chicago, IL (TBA)
  • 7/15 — The Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA
  • 7/16 — Branford Jazz on the Green, Branford, CT
  • 7/17 — The Iridium, NYC
  • 7/18 — The Jamesport Winery, Jamesport, NY
  • 8/8 — The Iriqouis Amphitheater, Louisville, KY
  • 8/11–8/12 — Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA
  • 8/14 — Toledo Zoo, Toledo, OH
  • 8/22 — Blue Note Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
  • 9/19 — Self Coast Summer Fest, Pensacola, FL
  • 9/26 — City of Light SoulFest, Las Vegas, NV
  • 10/3 — Richmond, VA
  • 10/4 — The Hub City Jazz Fest, New Brunswick, NJ

And here’s something new! 

PATREON + FIRST LIVE ZOOM

I’m doing our first live Zoom with Patreon members on Saturday, 6/27. It’s a chance to actually connect, ask questions, and be part of this in a different way!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN PATREON

As I grow as an artist, it is really exciting to be able to have different ways and be more engaged with our fans. And whether it’s at a meet and greet or on my Patreon, having you all here as fans and friends means so much. Thank you!

Catch you on the road or on the web!

With love, Lindsey

P.S. We are restocking some favorites that have sold out and will be posting a new merch drop next month. Patreon members get first dibs! 

peace, love + music

And of course, shows are constantly being added, so check back frequently!all show tickets

View email in browser
Lindsey Webster · Box 11 · Woodstock, NY 12498 · USA
update your preferences or unsubscribe