Quick hits
Brady’s dealing with new shoulder injury, was limited in practice
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are trending in the right direction health wise as the team had perfect practice attendance on Wednesday. However, that doesn’t mean the team is at full health.
The Patriots first injury report of the week included Tom Brady, who was limited with a new shoulder injury. Brady likely suffered the injury in the Pats win over Cleveland this past weekend. The quarterback finished 20/36 for 259 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked three times.
With Brady limited in practice, we have a good idea why the Patriots decided to bring back third-stringer Cody Kessler on Monday. Kessler’s presence allows the Patriots to use rookie Jarrett Stidham with the starting offense while Kessler runs the scout team. When Brady’s limited, he’s not taking all the reps. That would leave Stidham responsible for both the starting offense and scout team quarterback duties – if he was the only backup.
Brady was also limited this year in Week 3 and Week 4 with a calf injury. Those weeks coincide when the Pats first bought Kessler aboard.
Also limited for the Patriots on Wednesday was Rex Burkhead (foot), Patrick Chung (heel/chest), Julian Edelman (chest/shoulder), Ryan Izzo (concussion), Matt LaCosse (knee), Shaq Mason (ankle) and Gunner Olszewski (ankle/hamstring). Edelman’s shoulder injury is also new.
— Mark Daniels, The Providence
Journal (Providence, R.I.)
Mayfield’s frustration boils in news conference blowup
BEREA, Ky. — Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield abruptly ended his weekly news conference Wednesday and stormed away from the podium because he didn’t like a reporter’s line of questioning about a failed two-minute drill at the end of the first half of Sunday’s 27-13 loss to the New England Patriots.
A few minutes after reporters left the locker room, Mayfield described his mood on Twitter.
“Everybody wants to hear the truth until they actually get it ... . I am who I am and always have been,” Mayfield wrote. “Don’t call it emotional when it’s convenient and then passion when it fits. I care about winning, so yeah I’m frustrated. If I was to act like it’s okay to lose, then y’all would say that I’ve gotten complacent. My sense of urgency is at an all time high. And if I offend anybody along the way ... that’s too bad.”
Former slugger Hamilton charged in child injury case
Former Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton threw a chair at his daughter and punched her in the back in late September, Keller (Texas) police have alleged.
Hamilton, 38, was charged with injury to a child and booked Wednesday at the Tarrant County Jail. His bond was set at $35,000.
Hamilton is accused of injuring his eldest daughter, who is 14. He has two other daughters, 11 and 8, with whom he shares custody with his ex-wife Katie. A fourth daughter, who is 18, is Katie Hamilton’s from a previous relationship and no longer spends time with Hamilton.
Hamilton splits his time between Keller, when he has custody of the daughters, and a ranch near College Station.
A recovering drug addict and alcoholic, Hamilton said in August that he remains sober despite multiple relapses during his playing career.
He was traded back to the Rangers by the Angels in April 2015 following an offseason relapse while he recovered from shoulder surgery. He attempted to play with the Rangers in 2016 and 2017 but needed multiple knee operations. — Emerson Clarridge and Jeff Wilson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Former Dodger Ron Fairly dies at 81
Ron Fairly, a former USC standout who played in the big leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers and closed his 21-year career with the California Angels in 1978, died Wednesday in Indian Wells because of cancer. He was 81.
Fairly turned down a basketball scholarship from John Wooden and UCLA to attend USC. He played only one season with the Trojans, but he hit .348 with a team-high nine homers and 67 RBIs as a sophomore center fielder to help USC win the 1958 national championship.
By the end of that summer, the outfielder/first baseman had advanced through two minor league levels and was promoted to the Dodgers. His career was interrupted only by a six-month stint of active duty in the Army in 1960.
Fairly was on Dodgers teams that won World Series titles in 1959 over the Chicago White Sox and 1963 over the New York Yankees.
He was traded to the Montreal Expos for Manny Mota and Maury Wills on June 11, 1969 He finished his career with brief stops in St. Louis, Oakland, Toronto and Angels.
Fairly transitioned to radio and television broadcasting after his playing career, joining KTLA in Los Angeles as a sports anchor in 1979 and calling games for the Angels (1980-86), San Francisco Giants (1987-92) and Seattle Mariners (19932006, 2007, 2010 and 2011). — Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times