My name is Abigail Baggett.
Yes I am a girl and I love sports. From watching them on TV to going to sporting events. I follow every season as well as off season news for each league. For example, for professional sports, did your favorite player get traded? To what franchise? Did any players leave school and enter the NBA Draft or did they return to school? I also follow the off season polls as sports writers make predictions for next college basketball season. Who is preseason number one? Who is the favorite to win it all?
I was turned on to sports at the age of ten thanks to my dad who took me to my first Duke Men’s Basketball game at not to big not to small stadium, Cameron Indoor Stadium at the age of ten in 1999! Wow, that was such a long time ago! Today I still sit in the same seat next to him and my dad’s best friend cheering on the Blue Devils through victory and defeat. My love for sports though goes way deeper then that, as I follow every season, both college and professional sports. Major League Baseball, College and NBA basketball, NFL football.
Favorite College Team
Duke Blue Devils
Favorite Duke Basketball Player of All Time
Shane Battier
Favorite Duke Men’s Basketball Player For 2023-2024 Season
My favorite Duke Men’s Basketball for 2023-2024 season was Jared McCain! Though, unfortunately Duke’s season ended with a 76-64 loss to NC State in Elite 8 on Sunday March 31, 2024 and then on Friday April 12, 2024 Jared McCain announced he is entering his name into 2024 NBA Draft.
Who will be my favorite player next season in 2024-2025 season?
Stay tuned to find out as with Duke’s 2023-2024 season is now over players have decisions to make do I return to Duke for my whatever year they’re in college or declare for the NBA Draft?
Favorite Duke Football Player
Duke’s 2023 season was complete with Duke winning the Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham Alabama 17-10 over Troy on Saturday December 23, 2023 ! Though, Duke’s season didn’t come without adversity as following Duke’s win over Pittsburgh on Saturday November 25, 2023 on Sunday November 26, 2023 it was announced that Mike Elko was to become the new Head Coach of Texas A&M replacing Jimbo Fisher. Following that then Duke quarterback Riley Leonard who was injured entered his name in to the transfer portal, transferred to Notre Dame. With that in mind, this question comes to mind who is going to be favorite Duke player when 2024 arrives? Stay tuned to find out!
Favorite Duke Football Players Of All Time
Kelby Brown
Jeremy Cash
Ben Humphreys
Daniel Jones
Noah Gray
Jake Bobo
Favorite NBA Teams
Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzles , Detroit Pistons
Favorite NBA Players
Chris Paul
Luke Kennard
Tyus Jones
Grayson Allen
Favorite NBA Players of All Time
Shane Battier
JJ Redick
Favorite MLB Team
New York Yankees!
Though,
I love the game of Major League Baseball in general because of my grandfather Archie who was deaf because before I was school age when I young my Dad would drop me off in the morning pick me up in the evening and every afternoon there was always a baseball game on! It didn’t matter which teams were playing he was watching while closed caption was rolling across the television screen.
Favorite New York Yankees Players
Gerrit Cole
Aaron Judge
Anthony Rizzo
Favorite MLB Players of All Time
The Captain Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, CC Sabathia
Why?
Derek Jeter because during his MLB Career he played the game the right way!
Andy Pettitte because he would support his teammates be known to the home plate umpire if he needed to.
CC Sabathia because like Andy Pettitte he would support his teammates and let his emotions be known to the home plate umpire if he needed to.
Mariano Rivera because would come out of bullpen to Metallica’s Enter Sandman and would shutdown the opposing team!
David Phelps who is related to one of my friend Katie Petnuch!
When my mom Annie Greer Baggett was at the time working for NC Therapeutic Riding Center - NCTRC as Executive Director that helps, serves children, adults physical disabilities it was summer of what year ? I don’t remember! She had an intern her name was Katie Petnuch who at the time was a student at Elon University and she so happened to also enjoyed riding horses and one day during Summer Camp I go up to loft where Katie’s office was to go get something, bring it back down stairs As we are doing that she strikes up a conversation with me starting with you’re a Derek Jeter fan, New York Yankees fan because at the time I was wearing my number 2 pink Derek Jeter name, number shirt. My response? Yes I am! From there Katie goes on to tell me that her brother in law is David Phelps who at the time pitched for the New York Yankees and I go on to say I know who he is ! He at the time for the New York Yankees wore # 41 ! He came out of the bullpen the other night relieving - I don’t remember!
On July 18, 2013 my mom comes home from work with a bag with something in it and she goes on to tell me that this for you Abigail from Katie!
I open the card, read it , eventually open the gift and I snap as I open it because it’s a signed, used , by David Phelps. In the card Katie goes on to say it’s no Jeter ( Derek ) Arod ( Alex ) Rodriguez but the closest I could get signed and used for off-season practice by David Phelps himself.
Since receiving that on January 8, 2013 Katie , I have built a lasting friendship, went to a New York Yankees game together along with her sister Maria! I’ve received a bracelet with New York Yankees logo on it from David, Maria. New York Yankees banner with a plate , baseball bat , signed by David Phelps that is hanging in my room that my Dad refers to as my fan cave because there is so much sports memorabilia from Duke Men's Basketball, to Yankees baseball to my Gerrit Cole Top Gun bobble head that I got last season at Yankee Stadium when I went to see New York, Kansas City Royals twice including old timers day July 30, 2022 and I got to see current New York Yankees Aaron Boone who wore the jersey number 19 when he was player for the New York Yankees, Though, as manager of New York Yankees now he wears jersey 17.
Though, nothing will be as important to me as the signed by David Phelps for off -season practice that Katie surprised me with, the banner with the plate that David Phelps gave me, the bracelet that David , Maria gave me !
On January 18, 2023 David Phelps announced his retirement from MLB!
With that in mind, I wrote an article on my website about David Phelps retiring, explaining why.
Checkout the article I wrote about David Phelps retiring!
www.hearthustlesports.com http://www.hearthustlesports.com/.../david-phelps-is...
covering his career from being drafted by New York out of Notre Dame traded to Miami Marlins, traded to Seattle Mariners to Toronto Blue Jays, to Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers , Philadelphia Phillies to returning to Toronto!
When 2023 MLB regular season arrives on March 30, 2023 , the inaugural pitch of regular season is thrown it’s going to be different because whenever I watch this upcoming season I won’t see David Phelps come out of bullpen for one of the 30 teams which I am going to miss!
Though, the one thing that I will I ALWAYS have that I will cherish is the signed by him that he used for off-season practice , the banner he signed and my friendship with Katie, the memories Katie, I , Maria made going to see the New York Yankees , the banner David Phelps gave me , the bracelet David, Maria gave me!
Favorite New York Yankees Starting Pitcher For 2024 Season
Clarke Schmidt because he has started out the 2024 season undefeated (2-0) with an earn run average of 3.55 and has yet to sustain his first loss of the season and has been a important piece to a New York starting rotation who currently is without ace reignining Cy Young award winner Gerrit Cole who has started the 2024 season on injured list with elbow injury that isn’t a tear to ulnar collateral ligiment.
Favorite New York Yankees Reliever For 2024 Season
At the end of April I am still trying to figure out who my favorite New York the team that wears the pinstripes reliever is.
Favorite NFL Team
New York Giants
Favorite NFL Players of All Time
Peyton Manning
Eli Manning
Favorite NFL Players
Daniel Jones , Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley, Noah Gray, Matthew Stafford
Favorite College Basketball Analyst
Jay Bilas
Favorite Major League Baseball Analysts
Ryan Ruocco
Alex Rodriguez
Meredith Marakovits
Favorite College Football And NFL Analysts
Matt Hasselbeck
Tim Hasselbeck
Favorite Collegiate Basketball Analyst Who Are Women
Holly Rowe
Rebecca Lobo
Favorite Collegiate Sports Writer
Stephen Wiseman who writes about Duke Athletics for the News & Observer!
I actually crossed paths , exchanged a couple words with him on February 7, 2022 while walking to my seat when the Duke Men’s Basketball team was hosting Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium as he was headed down the stairs headed to his seat on press row as he covers Duke Athletics for The News & Observer.
Favorite Major League Baseball Sports Writer
Bryan Hoch who covers the New York Yankees for mlb.com
Favorite MLB Reporter who is a Women
Meredith Marakovits who is New York Yankees Clubhouse Reporter!