Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin today announced the formation of the Birmingham Youth Sports League (BYSL) – a new initiative aimed at enriching the lives of young people through athletic training, mentorship, and academic support.

“This is a chance for Birmingham to support and enhance the youth sports experience across our city,” said Mayor Woodfin. “We’re not just building athletes, we’re building character, community, and opportunity.”

The league launches this summer with football and cheerleading, and will expand to include basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer in future phases. Official launch dates for additional sports will be announced at a later time.

The mission of BYSL is rooted in the CEETA standard: character, excellence, equity, teamwork, and accountability. In addition to athletic training, the league will focus on providing life skills, conflict resolution strategies, and academic mentorship to participating youth.

This pilot project represents a citywide commitment to investing in Birmingham’s next generation through positive engagement and structured activities. It also builds on recent efforts to revive city-run youth engagement programs like the Police Athletic Teams (P.A.T.) by the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board and Birmingham Police Department. The independent Birmingham Crime Commission highlighted the importance of such programs in its January 6, 2025, report recommending “reinvest in mentorship, education, and diversion programs to reduce juvenile crime and foster positive relationships. Re-implement the Police Athletic Teams (P.A.T.) and other proven youth engagement and mentorship partnerships.”

The league will be led by a governing team that includes an advisory team, commissioner, assistant commissioner, and operations directors for each sport, with coordination from the Mayor’s Office, Birmingham Park and Recreation, and the Department of Youth Services.

To: CHRIS THEOFIELD

From: Twins KATE and GRACE THEOFIELD, Smithtown West, lacrosse and soccer, Srs.

Dear Dad,

As our high school athletic careers come to an end, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for everything that you’ve done for us.

Your dedication has been unwavering. You have been our coach, mentor, motivator, cheerleader, advocate and greatest supporter. You taught us to work hard, learn from criticism, dig deep and persevere especially in times of adversity.

Your devotion and volunteerism during our days in youth sports instilled many life lessons for us to carry onto the next level. Whether it was soccer, basketball or lacrosse, you were everyone’s favorite coach. Intense but fair, loud but positive. You wanted everyone to be the best player that they could be! And let’s be honest, winning was a plus!

Our favorite moments on the field were when we looked up into the stands and saw you cheering us on as loud as you could. There is nothing more motivating than seeing how passionate you are and wanting us to do our best.

You sacrificed a lot to be there by our sides. Nerve-racking tryouts, endless traveling and your time away from home and work. You have taught all four of us that life is about hard work, consistent effort, supporting one another and being a good leader.

As we take the next step, although not together and far from our Smithtown home, we look forward to seeing you in the stands, loud as ever, cheering everyone on and sharing our love of lacrosse that you passed down to us!

All Our Love, from your favorite twins,

Kate and Grace

To: FRANK MEAK

From: GREYSON MEAK, Cold Spring Harbor, wrestling and football, Sr.

Dear Dad,

Happy Father’s Day! You are an incredible father and I would be nowhere near where I am today without you. You have always been my biggest supporter and my best friend and there is no way I can thank you enough for all you’ve done and all you’ve sacrificed for me.

You have been there for me, lifting me back up when I fall and supporting me in the worst of times. You have been there for me, being my biggest fan and the first to congratulate me during the best of times.

Through everything I do, I hope to make you proud, and I hope that one day I can be as great a father to my kids as you have been to me, and I hope I can help them achieve their goals and their dreams just as you have helped me achieve mine. Everything I’ve done and the man I am today is thanks to you.

I love you.

Greyson

To: JOE VARLACK

From: BRANDON VARLACK, Half Hollow Hills East, basketball, Sr.

Dear Dad,

Happy Father’s Day!

I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I appreciate everything you do for me. You’re not just a great dad, you are also genuinely one of the nicest people I know. I think many people agree with me. Your kindness and support don’t go unnoticed, even if I don’t always say it out loud.

Thank you for being there for me. Whether it’s driving me to tournaments hours away or rebounding for me in the backyard, you never complain. You are always making sure I’m working hard. You are always there for me and making sure I have what I need to be great. That means a lot to me.

You’ve shown me what it means to be loving, not just by what you say, but by everything you do for our whole family. You put others first, and you never ask for anything in return. You are always there to help me out with school, give advice, or just sit and talk about basketball. This shows the kind of heart you have.

So today, I just want you to know how much I want to take after you, not just as a dad, but as a man. You’ve taught me more than I can put into words.

Thanks for being you. I’m very proud to call you my dad.

Love, Brandon

To: GARY HENRY

From: ALANA HENRY, Amityville volleyball, basketball, flag football, Sr.

Dear Dad,

Father’s Day gives me a chance to say thank you to someone who’s been there for me in ways that really mattered, my dad, Gary Henry. He hasn’t been my coach, he didn’t run the drills and he wasn’t always on the sidelines. But when it came to showing up in the ways that count, he’s never let me down. Whenever my mom couldn’t be there, whether it was a ride to practice, a tournament across the state, or just making sure I had what I needed, he stepped up without hesitation. He’s covered most of the expenses for my gear, my travel, my training, things I know aren’t easy, but he never once made me feel like a burden. That doesn’t shut down my mom either, she does equally the amount of work as he does. I appreciate them both for how much they’ve helped me.

He came to games when he could, sometimes calling out of work just to drive me to my weekend tournaments. And even when he couldn’t be there physically, I knew he was in my corner. He’s always supported me quietly, but fully. Never loud or overbearing, just steady. Solid. Reliable. As an athlete, it’s easy to get caught up in the spotlight or the stats. But the real foundation of everything I’ve achieved is the support behind the scenes. My dad may not have drawn up plays or shouted from the bench, but he gave me the opportunity to chase my dreams and that means everything.

So on this Father’s Day, I just want to say thank you, Dad. Thank you for all the sacrifices, the quiet support, and the unconditional belief in me. I hope every time I compete, you know I carry your love and effort with me.

Love, Alana

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It was the best of debuts for Jacob Misiorowski … until it ended early. Plus: The Angels call up (another) prospect, the Rangers offense is maybe not dead and Ken tells us why Ryan Yarbrough’s a Yankee. I’m Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup!

Intros: Jacob Misiorowski’s mostly stellar debut

The news broke Tuesday: Milwaukee was calling up 23-year-old flame thrower Jacob Misiorowski to start against the Cardinals.

In 63 1/3 innings at Triple-A Nashville, Misiorowski — No. 87 on Keith Law’s top 100 prospects list and No. 5 on his Brewers list — had an ERA of 2.13, with 80 strikeouts and 31 walks. Here’s how the debut went:

First inning: 1-2-3

Second inning: 1-2-3 with a strikeout

Third inning: 1-2-3, sorta: a walk, a double play and a strikeout

Fourth inning: two walks, but still no hits

Fifth inning: 1-2-3, with two strikeouts

Three pitches into the sixth inning: a minor disaster. After Misiorowski threw ball three to Victor Scott II, this happened (watch the right ankle).

MUST SEE: Jacob Misiorowski’s first three pitches to start his Major League career:

100 MPH
102 MPH
101 MPH pic.twitter.com/gObMMacPDT

— MLB (@MLB) June 12, 2025

Misiorowski left the game — right calf and quad cramping, of all things — and while reliever Nick Mears kept the no-hitter intact for the rest of the sixth inning, Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras singled off Aaron Ashby to start the seventh inning.

(Not to get too sidetracked, but Contreras then attempted to steal and was thrown out by his brother William, who catches for the Brewers. I await Jayson Stark’s confirmation on how often this has happened in history.)

Anyway, what a debut for Misiorowski, huh?

Oh, by the way, the 37-33 Brewers won 6-0 to leapfrog the Cardinals for second place in the NL Central. All it took was for me to go and declare St. Louis this year’s Plot Twist, and now they’re mired in a five-game losing streak. Sorry ‘bout it, Cardinals fans.

More Brewers: Yesterday morning, the Brewers started their day on social media by wishing pitcher Aaron Civale happy birthday. Hours later, news broke that Civale — relegated to the bullpen for the first time in his career — had requested a trade.

Ken’s Notebook: Yarbrough thriving after leaving Blue Jays

From my latest column:

Right-hander Jacob Barnes and lefty Richard Lovelady are best described as journeymen. Most baseball fans would not even recognize their names. Yet, those are the two pitchers the Blue Jays chose over left-hander Ryan Yarbrough for their Opening Day roster, only to designate both for assignment less than a month later.

Yarbrough, after declining a revised offer from the Jays, opted out of his minor-league contract, became a free agent and signed with the New York Yankees. He started out in the Yankees’ bullpen, then joined their injury-depleted rotation in early May and produced a stunning 2.08 ERA in his first five starts before faltering last Saturday against the Boston Red Sox.

As the Jays await the return of righty Max Scherzer and ponder the regression of righty Bowden Francis, they can only wonder how Yarbrough, a pitcher who was firmly under their control, might have fit.

The Jays, winners of 12 of their last 14 games and holding the top wild-card position in the American League, are not exactly suffering. Lefty Eric Lauer, signed to a minor-league deal in December, is proving a reasonable facsimile of Yarbrough. If Scherzer makes a successful return from his right thumb injury by the end of June, the team’s decision on Yarbrough at the end of March might prove little more than a footnote.

Yarbrough is the kind of pitcher who is easy to overlook. His fastball is among the slowest in the majors, averaging just 87.5 mph. Yet Erik Neander, his former president of baseball operations with the Tampa Bay Rays, describes him as “absolutely fearless, incredibly savvy and somebody who gets the absolute most out of their abilities.”

“How do you know someone has special makeup?” Neander asked with a chuckle. “They’re getting guys out in the big leagues throwing 86 mph.”

The Blue Jays, after acquiring Yarbrough last July 30 from the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and cash, came to understand what makes the pitcher unique. They re-signed him on Feb. 21, and after he triggered his opt-out clause in late March, they had the ability to keep him by adding him to their major-league roster.

The Jays were willing to do that — with a catch. They asked Yarbrough to sign an advance-consent clause, allowing them to release him within the first 45 days of the regular season and terminate the rest of his $2 million guarantee. The Yankees, Yarbrough said, made him the same offer, but with a different incentive structure.

Yarbrough was willing to accept that deal from the Yankees, a team he admired from afar for its ability to get the most out of pitchers. He wasn’t willing to accept it from the Jays, for whom he had a 2.01 ERA in 31 1/3 innings after the trade, pitching in a variety of roles out of the bullpen.

More here.

Movements: Angels call up Christian Moore

There’s quite the youth movement happening in Anaheim. This year, no fewer than 14 players age 25 or younger have suited up for the Halos. Six are currently on the active roster, and here are the numbers of minor-league games they’ve played:

There are some “normal” ones there, but that chart doesn’t include Caden Dana (21 years old, 52 minor-league games), Ben Joyce (24, 47 minor-league games, currently on 60-day IL) or Ryan Johnson (22, five minor-league games) — all of whom have appeared in at least one game for the Angels this year.

There’s about to be another one. Twenty-two-year-old infielder Christian Moore, the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft, is being called up to join the team in Baltimore. Moore was Law’s No. 2 Angels prospect. After struggling in 34 Double-A games this year (.665 OPS), he was promoted to Triple A, where he hit .350/.424/.575 (.999 OPS) with four home runs in 20 games.

Interestingly, while Moore has only played in 79 minor-league games, the call-up is actually later than expected — he was set to debut last September before a knee injury.

The Angels aren’t the only organization to do this sometimes — Wyatt Langford made the Texas Rangers’ Opening Day roster in 2024 after just 44 minor-league games, for example — but they seem to have a more aggressive promotion philosophy than most.

Resurrections: Has the Rangers’ offense risen from the dead?  

The story of the 2025 Rangers has been simple: great pitching; the offense stinks.

We’ll need a bigger sample size than six games against the Nationals and a struggling Twins rotation, but any time a team scores 16 runs twice in one series, it’s worth raising an eyebrow and side-eyeing them a little bit.

Emblematic of both the struggle and the renaissance: second baseman Marcus Semien.

Opening Day through May 28 (223 plate appearances): .173/.260/.224 (.485 OPS), three home runs

May 29 through yesterday: (48 PAs) .429/.500/.786 (1.286), four home runs

Semien isn’t alone. Evan Carter has hit home runs in three out of four games. Josh Smith has been red-hot, and Jake Burger has looked like a different player since his short stay in the minor leagues. Six Rangers homered yesterday.

Is it a flash in the pan? Maybe, but their next 18 games should give them a chance to lock in. They face the White Sox, Royals, Pirates, Orioles, Mariners and Orioles again. Every one of those teams is (like the 33-36 Rangers) below .500, save for the Royals (34-34).

Handshakes and High Fives

This is kind of a big deal: While MLB has previously refused to acknowledge any changes to the baseballs, this year, the league admits there’s a difference in how the baseballs are behaving. MLB insists there have been no changes and it’s just as confused as the rest of us.

My favorite read of the day: Matt Gelb has a brilliant profile on the Phillies’ one-of-a-kind starter Zack Wheeler, who does things his own way.

Tyler Kepner’s “Sliders” column starts with MacKenzie Gore and ends with umpire impersonations.

These days, we get heartwarming videos when a prospect is called up. Steve Buckley talked to a few guys whose call-ups happened in the pre-MySpace days.

Mets starter Kodai Senga is headed to the IL with a strained hamstring.

Welcome our new intern Dhani Joseph, who asks: What happens when the pope wears your hat?

Last year’s Tigers surprised people. This year, it’s just who they are, says Britt Ghiroli.

With a month and a half til the trade deadline, who needs what, and how urgently? It’s the Trade Deadline Urgency Index 1.0.

Meanwhile, Jim Bowden gives us 20 deadline-related things he’s hearing.

And lastly, a correction. In yesterday’s Windup, I mentioned a story in the Boston Globe. It was, in fact, the Boston Herald. Apologies. (At least I got the link right?)

On the pods: The “Rates and Barrels” crew asks if the Rangers might consider offers on Jacob deGrom, and highlights some overlooked hitters from this year.

Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Keith Law’s 2025 Mock Draft 2.0, with Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette at No. 1.

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(Photo: Jeff Hanisch / Imagn Images)