You're locked in to Sports Desk, let's get after it.
In Chicago, Pete Crow-Armstrong is carrying the Cubs on his back and doing it in historic fashion. The outfielder's MVP-caliber season has officially punched Chicago's ticket to the NL Wild Card, with analysts calling it the best position-player year they've ever witnessed. October baseball is back on the North Side.
Meanwhile in Edmonton, the Babcock situation keeps generating noise. Zach Hyman extended an open invitation to Mark Messier after the Hall of Famer said he was horrified by the controversial coach's hiring. Hyman's message was straightforward — come see the positivity in that locker room for yourself. Whether Messier takes him up on it remains to be seen, but the Oilers clearly aren't shying away from the conversation.
And in a moment worth savoring before we lose her forever, Nneka Ogwumike played the final game of a fifteen-year WNBA career Thursday night in Los Angeles. The Sparks fell seventy-six to seventy-five to Golden State, but the result was secondary. One championship, one MVP, eleven All-Star appearances — Ogwumike leaves the game as one of its all-time greats, and the league is better for every season she gave it.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
