The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

IN a few short months we have become friends.

Through the Fourth Quarter Press I have shared some of my most personal and dearest sports moments in all of their grandeur and spectacle.

The column grew from my desire to have a platform to share my unsolicited basketball opinions in my own style and flair.

As today marks the official start of the lull of the NBA off-season, there is no more perfect time than now to announce that there are going to be some changes moving forward.

No, I’m not going anywhere. The point of this latest edition is to simple clarify the direction of and hopes for this column for the next phase.

The Fourth Quarter Press will expand beyond everyday basketball conversations and encompass all major sports - basketball, football, baseball, soccer, tennis, hockey, etc - as I provide commentary on these outlets from both an international and a local standpoint.

I hope you guys enjoy!

July, July, July. Growing up in my household, July was synonymous with dull sporting events and an increase in non-sporting television programming.

This month is the sole reason for my affection towards baseball. As a youngster, I did enjoy playing softball but never could convince myself to sit down and observe a full, nine-inning baseball game. The long drawn out balls and strikes concept just never held my full attention.

Nowadays, July signals a shift for me and baseball. I transition from a casual fan with subjective knowledge of the MLB’s top storylines to an avid, non-stop viewer.

The sporting gods seem to have engineered the start of the baseball season to run simultaneously with the high points of the NBA season. Even more ironic, as soon as the NBA playoffs, draft and summer league all die down, we find ourselves in the heart of the MLB season.

Here we are. The Bulls summer league roster, led by rookie standout Denzel Valentine, clinched the NBA title on Monday night.

Today, the MLB’s buy or sell rendition is underway with storylines appearing from all angles.

Here are my top three.

1 Mets pitching

The New York Mets are again this season flirting with success. Coming off a World Series berth last season, the Queens bunch is focused on returning to the big dance and coming away with the title on the strength of their star-studded pitching squad.

Despite losing staff ace Matt Harvey earlier this year to arm issues, the Mets still posses two of the leagues top five pitchers based on earned run averages (ERA): third ranked Jacob deGrom and fifth-ranked Noah Syndergaard.

Backed up by a quality bullpen headlined by Jeurys Familia and his 41-consecutive saves the Mets are poised to do something special.

2 Are the Yankees buyers or sellers?

Across Queensboro Bridge, down in the Bronx, the Yankees now find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Only 6.5 games out of first in the American League East and 1.5 out of that coveted second wildcard spot, the Yankees are not necessarily done for the year.

In fact, this past weekend’s series against their arch rivals, the Boston Red Sox, saw skipper Joe Girardi coin two consecutive games “the most important of the year”. The Yanks went 1-1.

There has been a lot of chatter on how best the Yankees can regain their footing after a rough start, with even some pundits and writers calling for major shakeups up and down the roster.

While I don’t speak any major changes to happen, the Yankees could look to move Carlos Beltran for some pitching help.

3 Will the Royals find away to steady their crowns?

The other team from last year’s World Series, the Kansas City Royals, are still rounding into form. Their bats have been non-existent for much of the year.

Currently sitting in third in the American League Central, eight games out of first place, the Royals have a lot of work to do.

The team’s sporadic play has left so many questions, forcing many to believe that there is just no way the team can ‘right’ its ship.

• Ricardo Wells writes Fourth Quarter Press every Thursday. Comments to rwells@tribunemedia.net