THE 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS....Plus some BASEBALL

Baseball for men and softball for women just started their seasons, softball a week ago.  I don't really cover these sports in this blog, and there is little general interest from the general public compared to football and basketball.  

I do, though, regularly field fantasy Major League Baseball fantasy teams, and will again this year. 

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  However, the season begins in an unusual fashion this time, featuring the New York Yankees against the San Francisco Giants in a night game on March 25, the earliest start in league history.  Netflix will stream the game also to its international audience.  However, you can still watch it on your home station if you don't subscribe to Netflix.

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  Then, the traditional Opening Day follows on Thursday, March 26, with all teams in action.
• All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia, beginning of the postseason on September 29 and World series on October 23.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers are heavy favorites to win the World Series.  According to Google AI:

Top 2026 World Series Contenders (As of Feb 2026)

• Los Angeles Dodgers: +220 to +350
• New York Yankees: +700 to +1000
• Seattle Mariners: +1200 to +1300
• Philadelphia Phillies: +1000 to +1400
• Atlanta Braves: +1400 to +1600
• Toronto Blue Jays: 14-1 or +1800 

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  I tend to be on Spring travel during the first few weeks of the beginning, and this year is no exception, for we'll be gone from March 22 to May 10.
• This time, only in the USA and Canada.
• Las Vegas, Denver and Memphis, where we are being put up in Graceland, to the next day catch an American Cruise Line ship down to New Orleans.

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  Then a flight to New York City for a few days, to board a Viking cruise to Toronto.
• A couple of days there, then on a 10-day train trip to Vancouver, stopping for the day and night in places like Lake Louise.

The NCAA baseball season had a great beginning.  

• Hawaii beat visiting Gonzaga in the 10th inning, 3-2, with a walk-off bunt by Elijiah Ickes, who had come to the plate with three strikeouts, plus hitting into a double play.  Manoa Magic on opening night.

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  San Diego had a triple play in a 7-4 win at Charlotte.
• Cades Patterson of Louisiana Tech had two grand slams in a 17-5 victory over Houston Christian.
• Baylor's Tyce Armstrong mashed three grand slams, tying the NCAA record, in a 15-2 win over New Mexico State.
• Want runs?  La Salle scored 27 runs to beat University of Maryland Eastern Shore, who scored 10.

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  A year ago, Michigan upset #2 Virginia in their 2025 opener in Puerto Rico.  Yesterday, the Wolverines upset #12 Oregon State, 5-3.  They play away for the early season, for it's too cold in Ann Arbor.  Their first home game is on March 10.
• But that's nothing.  Gonzaga's first home game is March 24.  They start the season with 16 away games.

Hawaii, though, while showing promise, is not ranked.

• #1 is UCLA.  Hawaii plays them on April 21.
• My two alma mater teams, LSU is #2 and Stanford #20.
• LSU was #1 last year, beating Coastal Caroline in the College World Series finals.  Interested in seeing what happened?  Watch this video of the whole game.

Again, I won't give away who won what in the 2026 Winter Olympics today.  But if you want to know, click on this.

• Yesterday was not a good day for the USA.
• By the way, I featured Chloe Kim, but did not say much about Myles Garrett, her beau.
• He had a record breaking 23 sacks this year for the Cleveland Browns, and was selected for the second year in a row, Defensive Player of the Year.
• He graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016.
• Chloe Kim is supposedly worth from $4 million to $14 million.  He he ha a net worth of $60 million.
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  Medals standing from USA Today.

• 1. Norway: 20 Total (10 Gold, 3 Silver, 7 Bronze)
• 2. Italy: 18 Total (6 Gold, 3 Silver, 9 Bronze)
• 3. United States: 17 Total (5 Gold, 8 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• 4. Japan: 14 Total (3 Gold, 3 Silver, 8 Bronze)
• 5. France: 12 Total (4 Gold, 6 Silver, 2 Bronze)
• 6. Austria: 12 Total (3 Gold, 6 Silver, 3 Bronze)
• 7. Germany: 11 Total (4 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze)
• 8. Sweden: 9 Total (4 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 9. Switzerland: 9 Total (4 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze)
• 10. Netherlands: 8 Total (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 11. Canada: 8 Total (0 Gold, 3 Silver, 5 Bronze)
• 12. Australia: 4 Total (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 13. Czech Republic: 4 Total (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 14. South Korea: 4 Total (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze)
• 15. China: 4 Total (0 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze)
• 16. Slovenia: 2 Total (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 17. Poland: 2 Total (0 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Bronze)
• 18. New Zealand: 2 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
• 19. Bulgaria: 2 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze)
• 20. Finland: 2 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze)

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