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 2025-2026 Season
We’re a month into the 2025-2026 College Basketball season and I have finally figured out who my favorite player is for Duke Men’s Basketball this season!
My favorite player is Nikolas Khamenia!
Nikolas Khamenia is a freshman guard from Los Angeles California! Nikolas Khamenia is my favorite player because when he is on the court he gives it everything he has from sometimes facilitating the offense to scoring though what like most about Nikolas Khamenia is that he plays with toughness dives on the court, hardwood for loose balls to give Duke a possession!
Favorite 2025 Season Duke Football Player
Jeremiah Hasley who is a Tight End!
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
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 2025 Season
Max Fried was my favorite starting pitcher in 2025 season because he finished with record of 19-5 with an earn run average of 2.86. Who will be my favorite New York starting pitcher in 2026 season? Have to wait until April to find out!Though one thing I know for sure is I can’t wait to see Gerrit Cole , Max Fried in the same starting rotation when Gerrit Cole returns from recovering , rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery at some point in 2026. What is Tommy John Surgery?
UCL tears used to end the careers of professional athletes. In 1974, Frank Jobe, MD, did the first surgery of this type on a well-known Major League Baseball pitcher, Thomas ("Tommy") Edward John Jr. After sitting out for a season, John became the first professional baseball pitcher with a UCL tear to return to the game.
Tommy John surgery is a procedure to repair your ulnar collateral ligament. It’s also known as UCL surgery or UCL reconstruction.
Your ulnar collateral ligament is a strong band of tissue on the inside of your elbow. Ulnar collateral ligament injuries happen when you overuse your elbow for a repetitive motion — especially throwing.
Favorite New York Yankees Reliever for 2026 Season
I didn’t really have a favorite reliever in 2025 season! Who will be my favorite in 2026 season!
Have to wait until April to find out!
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 was a sportswriter for News & Observer who is now Sports Editor for News & Observer!
Stephen Wiseman was a sportswriter for the News & Observer mainly covering, writing about Duke Athletics though he now has a new role as he is the Sports Editor for the News & Observer. At the time of being promoted to Sports Editor for News & Observer Stephen Wiseman had this to say!
I am thrilled for this new assignment,” Wiseman said. “This is a wonderful time to be leading the News & Observer sports department. It’s a challenging, changing time in the world of college athletics, which is our main focus, but the sports journalism world as a whole is changing every day. We have to be nimble. We have to be smart, and I hope to continue the kind of journalism I’ve practiced as a beat writer as an editor.”
Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article306015381.html#storylink=cpy
I crossed paths , exchanged a couple words with Stephen Wiseman 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.
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!