Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: Mt. Soxmore, Who joins Teddy Ballgame, Yaz and Big Papi?

Good morning!The New York Post is doing a Mount Rushmore of the city’s greatest athletes. Billed as Mt. Postmore, the four best Yankees of all time are Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig, with regrets to Derek Jeter, Yogi Berra and Mariano Rivera.

On The Run with John Stifler: Eminem or Saint-Saëns? The playlist that powers your run

Three weeks before this year’s Boston Marathon, the Boston Globe’s “Weekend” section featured a piece titled “A playlist for your long run this weekend.” Three weeks prior to race day is when marathoners typically do a long training run, perhaps 18 or 20 miles. The idea of the Globe piece was that such a long run can be mentally as well as physically challenging. Are you really up for spending that much time putting one foot in front of the other? Would some music help you get going?

Bulletin board: Registration ongoing for Montague Mug Race on Aug. 16

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

The 44th Montague Mug Race is right around the corner, with signups ongoing for the race which is scheduled for Aug. 16.

Community classics return: A look at Franklin County’s summer sports staples

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

As we head into Fourth of July weekend, the summer season is in full swing.

Bulletin board: Registration underway for Greenfield youth soccer clinic, Greenfield United club team

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

The Greenfield boys and girls high school soccer teams are hosting a series of youth soccer clinics Aug. 4-8 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. 

Young baseball squads shine as Greenfield edges Frontier in nine-inning Sandy Koufax battle (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

GREENFIELD — It was a back-and-forth contest at Beacon Field between the Greenfield and Frontier PVYBL Sandy Koufax squads on Wednesday.

Bulletin Board: Orange’s Delaney Parker named 2025 MASCAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Delaney Parker closed out her Westfield State University athletic career with yet another award.

A Lasting Legacy: Turners Falls names pool after beloved coach Wes Snapp

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

TURNERS FALLS — The pool at Turners Falls High School officially has a new name, and it should come as no surprise who it is now named after.

Bulletin board: Unkles, Silk capture Greenfield Tennis Cup titles

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

The Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters Greenfield Tennis Cup was held on Saturday at both the Highland Courts and Beacon Courts, with Steve Stone and Thomas Unkles meeting up in the championship match.

Numbers Shift, Divisions Change: MIAA’s 2025-26 alignments are set

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

The MIAA’s 2025-26 tournament alignments were set in June, establishing which division each school and team will compete in during the upcoming state tournament season. 

Fit to Play with Jim Johnson: Second class athletes

In May 1965, I got on a bus going from Baton Rouge to Lexington, Kentucky. I wasn’t alone as I was working as the athletic trainer for the 28 members of the LSU track team. We were going to compete in the SEC championships. A few days before departure we were given the news that the school was not flying us to Kentucky, but that we had to take the bus about 700 miles — about 15 hours. One doesn’t need advanced training in exercise science to know that sitting on a bus that long prior to athletic competition is not ideal.

NHL Draft: Nestrasil taken by Blackhawks at No. 25, becomes 2nd-highest drafted player in UMass history

By RYAN AMES

The Chicago Blackhawks selected incoming UMass hockey freshman Vaclav Nestrasil with the 25th overall selection during the first round of Friday’s NHL Draft.

Bulletin Board: JRB Disposal takes down Liberty Tax Sharks in Greenfield co-ed softball contest

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Madison Atkocaitis knocked five hits including two doubles while driving in five in JRB Disposal’s 28-13 win over the Liberty Tax Sharks in a Greenfield Co-ed Adult Softball League contest Friday. 

James Lavallee pitches Northampton Post 28 past Greenfield Post 81, 3-1

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

GREENFIELD — Northampton Post 28 put three runs on the board in the top of the first inning against Greenfield Post 81 and Northampton’s James Lavallee did the rest. 

Turners Falls roots, Amherst future: Jack Putala set to lead Hurricanes football program

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — The Amherst Regional High School football team will be under new direction next season, as 24-year old Jack Putala steps in to take the reins of the Hurricane program. Putala served as Amherst’a defensive coordinator for the last three seasons and is replacing Vinnie Guiel, who coached the team from 2022-2024.

Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: A Life in the Crowd, Dick Quinn steps away after decades behind the scenes at Williams

Good morning!Dick Quinn will retire on Monday after 36 years of covering Williams College athletics. A good sports information director is hard to find, and Quinn was one of the best. Every week there’d be another email from him about a softball pitcher or high jumper, and to tell the truth sometimes it got downright annoying.

Phillips takes over at Mahar, aims to build girls hoops powerhouse

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Francis Phillips is excited to get going with the Mahar girls basketball team. 

Bulletin Board: CCG’s Andy Lesenski qualifies for 2025 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Another 2025 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links qualifier took place on Thursday at Gardner Municipal Golf Course, with the top 14 finishers and ties advancing to the Public Links Championship scheduled for July 29-30 at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston. 

Minutemen reload: 11 newcomers set to suit up as UMass completes 2025-26 roster

By RYAN AMES

UMass hockey head coach Greg Carvel has assembled his roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season following the announcement of its final two recruits, this past week.