Browsing: role

Dwayne “The Rock†Johnson is proving once again that he doesnâ€t take shortcuts — especially when it comes to transforming for a role.

In a new Instagram post, the wrestling icon-turned-actor shared a behind-the-scenes time-lapse video of his intense transformation into MMA legend Mark Kerr for the film The Smashing Machine. The clip shows Johnson sitting through a grueling four-hour process each morning, applying extensive prosthetics and makeup to become Kerr. He explained the daily ritual in the caption:

“Transformation into The Smashing Machine. 4 hours in the make up chair, every morning. 22 prosthetics (eyes, face, forehead, scars, cauliflower ears, wig).â€

But for The Rock, the transformation wasnâ€t just skin deep. He made it clear this physical change helped him mentally step into Kerrâ€s complicated life.

“By the time I got to set, I felt I was already in Mark Kerrâ€s skin. How he walked, talked, and how he violently, yet tenderly navigated life and dealt with his demons.â€

He also took a moment to express his gratitude for the real-life man behind the story:

“Iâ€m forever grateful to Mark for living a life, so we could all feel it.â€

Johnson didnâ€t do it alone. He credited his team of special effects experts, including Kazuhiro Tsuji, Brooklyn Allen, Glen Griffin, Spring Kun, and Nikki Solow — all responsible for the jaw-dropping transformation thatâ€s already earning Oscar buzz.

The Smashing Machine tells the story of Mark Kerrâ€s rise in the MMA world, along with his personal battles with addiction and relationships. Though the film faced a rocky opening at the box office, critics have praised Johnsonâ€s performance as one of the most powerful of his career.

Would you sit through 4 hours of prosthetics to pull off a role like this? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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WWE had a huge role to play during TNA Bound for Glory’s controversial finish.

On October 12th, TNA Wrestling held one of its biggest shows ever in Bound for Glory 2025. While The Hardy Boyz retained their dual titles and Mike Santana won the World Championship, the X-Division Championship match between Leon Slater and Je’Von Evans ended in a no-contest after The Dark State interfered.

Initially, the match finished in a time-limit draw, following which TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella announced that the match would instead continue until a finish occurred. However, soon, NXT’s Dark State interfered and caused a no-contest finish. The controversial finish was called out by both fans and critics, and the creative decision to not provide a clear winner in one of the most hyped matches of the night was heavily criticized.

Soon enough, sources close to Sports Illustrated (The Takedown on SI) noted that WWE had a significant say in the match’s creative and booking direction. WWE and TNA are currently working together on booking decisions and the use of talent as part of their working partnership.

Sports Illustrated was further notified that even before the positive reaction for the Bound for Glory match arrived, Evans and Slater were already planned to have another singles match soon. Currently, Halloween Havoc is being discussed as the potential next stage for them to collide.

Former WWE Star Believes TNA Can Overtake AEW To Become The Official Number Two

Last month, in an interview with Lucha Libre Online, Santino Marella openedup about TNA’s recent growth and how the promotion could soon overtake AEW.

Yeah, itâ€s incredible. People from TNA in the past are happy for us, and the current locker room is ecstatic about the growth. When I came here, it was not like this. Sometimes we were in Nashville or even in Toronto with 350 to 500 people, but we believed in ourselves.

Now we have the audience size that feels right, and we deliver every time. Every time weâ€ve had a sold-out crowd, weâ€ve never had a bad show. Weâ€ve never wasted an opportunity, and Lowell, Massachusetts, Bound for Glory is going to be another one. Weâ€re going to capitalize on that audience. Weâ€re going to send the message out to the wrestling world: weâ€re here, weâ€re knocking on the door, and you better look out. Once we get that TV deal, weâ€re number two.

I know Tony Khan has lots of money, I get it. But the fans speak. The fans dictate whoâ€s number one, number two, or number three. not your bank account. Of course, WWE is number one. Theyâ€re so far ahead weâ€ll never catch them in my lifetime.

But number two is attainable. Number two is really something we can do, and if we accomplish that, itâ€s humongous.â€

In other news: Controversial former champion wants Ridge Holland to join TNA after WWE exit.

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has opened up about his involvement in determining John Cena’s final WWE opponent.

Speaking on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, The Rock made it clear that the 17-time world champion should have the final say in choosing his retirement match opponent. However, he further talked about his own involvement, revealing he holds only a small amount of sway in the decision-making process.

The Rock said that he has a “tiny bit of influence” in the booking of the match.

I have a tiny bit of influence in the booking of it, but it really is just whoever John wants, really thats what it comes down to. Whoever he wants, itâ€s not me, Nick Khan, or Triple H. It’s whoever John wants. That guyâ€s earned it, and you know what, the best part about John is, he comes as advertised, so who you think he is, thatâ€s who he is, and heâ€s a good dude, and I love that guy.”

He appreciated Cena’s kind nature and added that Cena was a “good dude”.

He’s a good dude, man. And kind. He’s really cool. And that stuff matters to me these days, any day. But like if somebody’s kind and cool.” (1:06:24 – 1:06:33)

The Rock’s comments come as Cena prepares for his final WWE match on December 13, 2025, at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C. As a board member of WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, The Rock does maintain some influence within the organization, but he believes Cena has earned the right to choose his own farewell opponent after more than two decades in the ring.​

MORE: 13 Tributes You Missed From John Cena Vs. AJ Styles At WWE Crown Jewel

Who is John Cena’s Final Opponent?

Cena announced his retirement from in-ring competition at Money in the Bank in July 2024, revealing that 2025 would mark the end of his legendary WWE career. His farewell tour has included high-profile matches against wrestlers like Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles, with his recent Crown Jewel victory over Styles being one of his final scheduled bouts.

While WWE has not officially announced Cena’s final opponent, multiple reports suggest that the Ring General Gunther has been internally selected for the historic match. According to Wrestling Observer‘s Dave Meltzer, several sources within WWE have confirmed that Gunther is the chosen opponent, with plans potentially including an on-screen tournament to determine the challenger.

The Ring General would represent a fitting final opponent for Cena, as Gunther has established himself as one of WWE’s premier villains. He previously held the Intercontinental Championship for a record-breaking 666 days and has already retired wrestling legend Goldberg earlier this year.

The matchup would allow Cena to pass the torch to a younger generation while providing Gunther with a career-defining victory.​

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MILWAUKEE — Andrew Vaughn and Jacob Misiorowski were both in the minor leagues with separate organizations at the start of June, one on the way up and the other on the way down.

Four months later, they played key roles in helping the Milwaukee Brewers reach the National League Championship Series.

Vaughn hit a tiebreaking homer in the fourth inning that put Milwaukee ahead for good Saturday night in its 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the decisive Game 5 of their NL Division Series. Misiorowski earned his second win of the series by allowing just one run over four innings in relief.

“Itâ€s insane,†Misiorowski said during the Brewers†clubhouse celebration. “Itâ€s everything Iâ€ve worked for, and itâ€s a lot of fun.â€

Their arrivals in Milwaukee were indirectly connected.

When Misiorowski was promoted from the minor leagues in June, he took Aaron Civaleâ€s spot in Milwaukeeâ€s rotation. Civale reacted to the bullpen assignment by saying he wouldnâ€t mind getting traded to a team that would allow him to continue starting.

The Brewers then sent Civale to the Chicago White Sox in a deal that brought them Vaughn. Civale ended up finishing the season with the Cubs, and he pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings in this series.

At the time of the trade, there was little reason to believe Vaughn would become a major factor for Milwaukee this season. He had batted .189 with a .218 on-base percentage and .314 slugging percentage in 48 games with the White Sox, who eventually sent him to the minor leagues. The Brewers initially kept him in the minors after acquiring him.

But he got called back up to the majors July 7 after Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins went on the injured list with a sprained left thumb. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy greeted Vaughn by letting him know he would probably get sent right back to the minors if he continued chasing pitches outside the strike zone.

Vaughn homered off Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his first at-bat with the Brewers and improved his chase rate in making a remarkable transformation. He batted .308 with a .375 on-base percentage and .493 slugging percentage in 64 games with Milwaukee.

“This guyâ€s a gamer,†Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “Heâ€s been through a lot, and heâ€s failed, just like all of us. Weâ€ve all failed in this sport. If you havenâ€t, you havenâ€t been doing it long enough. So weâ€ve all failed. For that guy to come in here and be himself and put the team on his back at times this year is really awesome.â€

Vaughn offered simple reasons for his dramatic improvement.

“Change of scenery, being around some different coaches, different stuff and just playing free,†he said.

Vaughn put the Brewers ahead Saturday by connecting on a 3-2 pitch from Colin Rea and hitting a 383-foot drive over the left-field wall with two outs in the fourth. That cleared the way for Misiorowski to earn the Game 5 win.

Misiorowski had his own ups and downs this season.

The flamethrowing right-hander burst onto the scene and made such an impact that he earned an All-Star Game selection after making just five starts, a stretch that included winning head-to-head pitching matchups with Cy Young Award favorite Paul Skenes and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.

Then the rookie went on the injured lift with a left tibia bruise. He returned in mid-August but allowed 22 runs over 32 2/3 innings the rest of the season, a slump that led to concern about how much the Brewers could trust the excitable right-hander in a postseason setting.

“We werenâ€t easy on him,†Murphy said. “I didnâ€t spend a lot of time trying to pump him up. I wanted to find out what he had, because I knew with that kind of stuff, he could really help us.â€

He helped them tremendously.

Misiorowski threw three shutout innings in a Game 2 victory while reaching a peak velocity of 104.3 mph and hitting at least 100 mph on 31 of his 57 pitches. Misiorowski entered in the second inning of Game 5 and immediately gave up a tying homer to Seiya Suzuki, but the 23-year-old silenced the Cubs from there.

He struck out three while allowing three hits and just the one run. He averaged 100.3 mph on his 17 fastballs, with 10 of them reaching at least 100 mph.

And for the first time in his brief major league career, Misiorowski didnâ€t walk a single batter.

Misiorowskiâ€s stellar NLDS performance virtually assures he will play a vital role when the Brewers face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series beginning Monday.

“You see how much Miz cares,†Arnold said. “Thatâ€s what itâ€s about. In a game like tonight, you can see heâ€s bleeding blue and gold.â€

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Duke is getting help from former Blue Devils player and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

The school announced Tuesday that the six-time NBA All-Star would serve in a volunteer advisory role for the program as “chief basketball officer.” Tatum is currently recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered in May during the NBA playoffs.

In its release, the school said Tatum’s tasks will include in-person visits with the team to discuss development, professionalism and team culture, as well as mentoring athletes in areas such as career management, building a personal brand or managing time demands as a college athlete.

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Tatum will also check in with periodic virtual team meetings or discuss roster construction with coach Jon Scheyer at a program that regularly produces high-level NBA talent, including 2025’s No. 1 draft pick and Associated Press national college player of the year Cooper Flagg.

Tatum attended Duke’s “Countdown to Craziness” preseason event Friday in a ceremonial kickoff to the season, with Scheyer telling fans that Tatum would assist the program in the months ahead.

“This program has always been about pushing the game forward,” Scheyer said in Tuesday’s statement. “Jayson has been incredibly loyal to Duke since the day he committed, and this evolution represents the next step in how we connect The Brotherhood to the future of our players. Jayson is the ultimate professional.

“His ability to inspire, motivate, and guide our student-athletes is unmatched, and I could not be more excited to see the impact he will have on our team and our culture.”

Tatum was a one-and-done star for the Blue Devils during the 2016-17 season before moving on to become the No. 3 draft pick. Tatum blossomed into one of the NBA’s top players and helped Boston win the 2024 championship.

“This program means so much to me, and I had an unbelievable time here,” Tatum said in a statement. “I already watch every game, come back whenever I can, and connect with Coach Scheyer often. To have the chance to formalize my relationship with the program and broaden my ability to impact the players and culture means the world to me.

“As former players, we all share the responsibility of supporting the next generation of Duke Basketball.”

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Joe Hendry will be part of the WWE NXT Vs. TNA Wrestling ‘Showdown’ event, but the popular star won’t be competing. On X, TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella shared that Hendry will be the special guest referee of the Men’s eight-man tag-team elimination match.

Team NXT will feature WWE NXT Champion Ricky Saints, TNA World Champion Trick Williams, Jeâ€Von Evans, and Myles Borne. As for Team TNA, they will be represented by Moose, Leon Slater, Mike Santana and Frankie Kazarian.

It will be interesting to see where Hendry’s loyalties rest in this important tag-team elimination match. It has been reported that Hendry is expected to join WWE full-time when the time is right and he has made several appearances for the brand. TNA President Carlos Silva recently clarified that Hendry is still part of TNA Wrestling, despite his appearances for WWE.

Outside WWE NXT and TNA Wrestling, Hendry has appeared on WWEâ€s main roster. The TNA talent was part of the 2025 Menâ€s Royal Rumble match. He also appeared at WrestleMania 41 as the surprise opponent of Randy Orton.

Hendry’s situation at Showdown mirrors that of Jordynne Grace, who will officiate the Women’s Elimination Tag Team Match. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from Showdown, including breaking news and live results.

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Chelsea Green already has plenty of back-up with her ‘Secret Hervice,’ but could a new cabinet member be in the wings? On X, WWE NXT Superstar Karmen Petrovic shared her interest in joining the faction of the first-ever Women’s United States Champion.

@ImChelseaGreen we need to talk about adding a lil bit of sharpness to the secret hervice… call me ??

— karmen petrovic ? (@karmen_wwe) October 4, 2025

Fans in the comments loved the idea of Petrovic joining the faction. One fan tagged Green to tell her that Petrovic would be a “perfect addition” to the Secret Hervice. Another said that Karmen was “overly qualified” while a third advised Green to “hire Karmen on the spot!”

The Bosnian-Canadian Petrovic joined WWE in 2022 and debuted on WWE NXT TV in July the following year. Since then, she has been a regular on NXT programming and has also appeared in TNA as well as Bloodsport.

Before wrestling, Petrovic competed in Karate and is a multi-time gold medalist in the spot. With these skills, Petrovic would certain be an intriguing addition to Green’s posse.

The Secret Hervice consists of Alba Fyre and Piper Niven, though Niven has been out of action in recent weeks. There have been concerns that the setback could be career-ending for Niven, who has been aligned with Green for over two years.

As for Petrovic, time will tell whether her plea results in a main roster call-up, or if she will have to wait. But it’s clear that Karmen clearly sees a future for himself in a black suit and by Green’s side.

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VANCOUVER — As theyâ€ve collected momentum during the National Hockey League pre-season, the Vancouver Canucks have also built up their leadership. This second construction project predates the first.

This time last year, the most important Canuck not named Quinn Hughes was still lost deep in injury uncertainty. With his rare and confounding torn popliteus muscle destabilizing his knee, Demko didnâ€t know last September when he would play again. On the darkest days, it was difficult to say if heâ€d play again.

Now fully healthy and fully empowered by new head coach Adam Foote to take a greater role in leadership, Demko starts the Canucks†final pre-season game Friday against the Edmonton Oilers and feels ready to help lead the team into what players plan on making a redemptive season after last yearâ€s upheaval.

“I feel like I’ve kind of checked all the boxes that I’ve needed to in the practices,†Demko told Sportsnet after Thursdayâ€s workout at the University of B.C. “Obviously, when you get into the games, there’s things that feel a little foreign as you’re kind of shaking off the rust. You know, I hadnâ€t played a pre-season game in two years. It’s different hockey this time of year — even different from a week from now. So it has been good to just get into the games, getting a little bit of peace of mind.â€

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In his post-practice press conference, coach Adam Foote was asked about changes he sees in top centre Elias Pettersson.

“What it seems to me,†Foote said, “what I see right now is he’s taken a real hard leadership role, which is very noticeable. You recognize it, and his teammates notice it. And his teammates are with him on it, too. Like, Demmerâ€s with him.â€

That leadership has been recognizable in a lot of Canucks.

From the time Foote was hired last May to replace Rick Tocchet, who left the team amid the rubble of last seasonâ€s dysfunction, the new head coach identified building stronger leadership as a key to rebuilding performance.

Itâ€s worth mentioning again that one of Footeâ€s first acts as coach was to meet in Michigan with Hughes, Demko and Pettersson. This was followed by Zoom meetings over the summer with a broader leadership group that included Tyler Myers and Marcus Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Conor Garland, Filip Hronek and others.

Their buy-in has been evident since training camp began two weeks ago. The best players have been driving the Canucks.

“I think Footy kind of orchestrating everything the way he did in the summer really helped,†Demko said. “It’s (different) when guys get to camp, you know, maybe two weeks early, and then you start having discussions about leadership. But I think this was one of the things that Footy was really passionate about and had a lot of conviction about addressing. And credit to him, he did it.

“He stepped in early — really early in the summer. You know, at times, it felt like: What are we going to get out of meeting this early? But kudos to him. He kind of had the vision before anyone else did. I don’t want to talk like weâ€ve got it all figured out because no one does. I mean, no one does in the world; we’re all clueless here. But yeah, it feels like everyone’s on the same page, the guys that have been here.â€

And how does that feel after last season?

“It’s an interesting feeling just because it’s not a really tangible thing,†Demko, who studied psychology at Boston College, said of the dynamic. “You know, it’s something that is so important, something thatâ€s always preached about with every team and every coach. Weâ€re always trying to accomplish the same things, but sometimes it doesn’t work. Sometimes it’s harder to find, for whatever reason. But, yeah, it feels good right now. It feels like it’s been sharp. I think guys are being accountable.

“You can kind of feel that just the practices have a lot of life. That makes it fun. It won’t be like that every day. You know, the seasonâ€s a grind and some days are a little bit lighter than others. We’re all just human beings trying to figure it out. But definitely there’s a crispness in execution, there’s a willingness to work for other people that, I think, is super important. That’s the biggest thing, you’re not just going out so you don’t get in trouble for not being there. You’re working hard for the guy next to you.

“That’s why we play. I mean, that’s why I play. You want to play for your teammates, you want to be doing what you can for them. It’s a good feeling when you get a collective group of people doing that for one another.â€

The Canucks will have close to their full NHL team on Friday, although Foote and his staff may take final looks at prospects like forwards Braeden Cootes and Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and defencemen Elias Pettersson (Junior) and Tom Willander.

The Canucks reduced their pre-season roster by two wingers on Thursday, sending Joseph LaBate to the American Hockey League and waiving Vitali Kravtsov with the intention of doing the same. But the team still carries 27 players, not including third-string goalie Nikita Tolopilo and winger Nils Hoglander, who is out 8-10 weeks after undergoing ankle surgery.

Foote said depth defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph has a groin injury, and veteran blue-liner Derek Forbort will be rested so heâ€s ready for the Canucks†season-opener against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Embracing a faster, more aggressive style under Foote, Vancouver is 3-2 in the pre-season and coming off an 8-1 thrashing of the Flames in Alberta on Wednesday.

Friday will be Demkoâ€s second start of the pre-season.

“When it gets to this point, one pre-season game left, it just becomes about being in your team and kind of maintaining the habits that you know are going to get you to where you need to be for opening night,†the 29-year-old goalie said. “Obviously, I’m happy that I’m not in the situation I was last year. I’d probably like to get to a point where we’re not talking about that every time I do media anymore.

“But, you know, I feel good and I think the team looks really good. Thereâ€s a lot of things that we’ve done really well that I think we’re just trying to continue to build. So it’s been good so far.â€

THURSDAYâ€S PRACTICE LINES AND PAIRINGS

DeBrusk-Pettersson-Boeser
Kane-Chytil-Garland
Oâ€Connor-Cootes-Sherwood
Raty-Blueger-Lekkerimaki
Bains-Sasson-Karlsson

Hughes-Hronek
M. Pettersson-Myers
Pettersson (Junior)-Willander
Aman-Mancini

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Major League Wrestling is significantly expanding its production capabilities and on-air talent roster, with actor Danny McBride’s existing partnership taking on a more prominent role.

SEScoops has learned that McBride will become a regular fixture on MLW broadcasts going forward, with his Don Gato character featured in ongoing vignettes throughout programming. The expanded presence also includes McBride’s Don Gato Tequila being served at upcoming MLW events.

The increased visibility for McBride coincides with major behind-the-scenes developments at the promotion. MLW is actively staffing up its post-production team amid rumors of a new weekly series project in development. Sources indicate the promotion is currently seeking backstage correspondents specifically for the rumored weekly programming.

McBride, known for his work on HBO’s “Eastbound & Down” and “The Righteous Gemstones,” has maintained a relationship with MLW through his Don Gato character. The expanded role suggests MLW is leveraging McBride’s mainstream entertainment credibility as the promotion positions itself for a programming upgrade.

The simultaneous production expansion and talent search strongly indicate MLW is preparing for a significant increase in content output. While the promotion has not officially confirmed plans for a weekly series, the infrastructure buildout and elevated star power point to ambitious expansion plans in the works.

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Paul Toboni is up for the task.

Named the Nationals President of Baseball Operations at 35 years old, Toboni is bringing the combination of a fresh perspective, a decade of experience with a historic organization and an appreciation of successful sports leadership to Washington, D.C.

“More than anything, we have a lot of work to do — don’t get me wrong — and I think we can be honest with the current assessment of the organization,†Toboni said. “At the same time, we’re going to achieve what we want to achieve. Itâ€s going to take a little bit of time, but we’re hell-bent on doing it, and we’re going to embrace the challenge.â€

The Nationals officially announced the hiring of Toboni, who most recently had served as the Red Sox senior vice president and assistant general manager, on Wednesday. The team parted ways with former GM and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo in July, following a 17-year tenure.

The youth-heavy Nats finished the season 66-96. They have not posted a winning record since capturing the 2019 World Series.

“I think it starts with creating a scouting and player development monster,†said Toboni. “We talk about James Wood, Daylen Lyle, Dylan Crews, MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams, all these players at the Major League level that are young and talented; the more of those type players that we have matriculating to the big leagues, the better off we’re going to be.

“If we can just do a really, really good job identifying, acquiring, developing that talent, and then we create really a great culture around development and accountability and hard work and all the things that we hold sacred, Bill Walsh, the famous NFL Coach, says the score will take care of itself.â€

What drew Toboni to the Nationals role?
Toboni was largely expected to be a candidate for the Red Sox GM position this winter. Before accepting the job with the Nationals, he and his wife, Danielle, considered what it would mean for his career and family; they have four young sons, ages 6, 5, 3 and 1.

“To be honest, at the start I wasn’t totally sure I was going to be interested,†Toboni said. “My wife and I are pretty unique in that we had told ourselves we were going to keep a pretty high bar for the opportunity that might come our way as it relates to this position.

“The one thing that I knew from the outset that was important to both my wife and I — and obviously our kids — was that the city was something that we love. A world-class city — food, culture, diversity, all those things, we were just drawn to it.

“Then, the culture of sports within the city, too. Not just all the professional sports teams, but I’m a basketball fan, so Georgetown hoops and Howard hoops. I think about all the high school sports, WCA [Washington Christian Academy] and Gonzaga [College High School] and all those schools. Thereâ€s such a deep culture of sports in the area, so the whole city was a big draw from the start.

“But even with that, I wasn’t totally sure it was going to be the right opportunity for us. Then I got around the ownership group, and we were just very much aligned on how we saw things. I found them an incredibly warm, humble, grounded group of people that love baseball and are super competitive. More than anything, [they] had values that align with mine. So the more I was around them, my wife and I both thought that this was an opportunity that was too good to pass up.â€

How will Toboni approach the managerial search?
One of Toboniâ€s top to-dos will be selecting a manager for next season. The Nationals fired Dave Martinez in July, and Miguel Cairo held the interim role for the remainder of the season. Toboni described previous Major League managerial experience as “one variable to consider, but it’s definitely not everything.â€

“I think, honestly, it starts with joy,†Toboni said. “You want to be around people that are optimistic and stay positive through the ups and the downs. The Major League season is a long season, and there are inevitably going to be downs. You want someone that’s still going to be walking into the building every day and adding energy to the room. I think it starts there.

“I talked about humility; I think you have to be open-minded and curious about learning new things. [Hall of Fame basketball coach] Gregg Popovich talks about ‘getting over yourself.†We want people that have gotten over themselves and don’t take themselves too seriously.

“Integrity is huge to me. … Are you dependable? Do you hold yourself accountable? Do you follow through on things when you say you will do things? That’s really important to me.

“Lastly, certainly not least, you want someone that’s competitive. I like to say, weâ€re going to make the scoreboard visible. … Itâ€s been a huge part of my life and my sports career. We’re going to be competitive, we’re going to keep score, and we’re going to thrive in that environment. I think the manager has to be setting the tone in that respect.â€

What lessons will Toboni incorporate from his tenure with the Red Sox?
On his journey to his final roles with the Red Sox, Toboni ascended from area scout to VP of amateur scouting and player development. Notable Boston Draft picks in recent years included Marcelo Mayer (2021), Roman Anthony (‘22) and Kristian Campbell (‘24). Rookies Connelly Early (‘23) and Payton Tolle (‘24) earned a spot on the Wild Card series roster.

“They weren’t identical positions, but the Red Sox were in a pretty similar position in 2019,†Toboni said. “We had been successful [winning the 2018 World Series], but then we were kind of getting ready to fall off a cliff, so to speak, and the farm system wasn’t great. I think there was this huge need to identify, acquire and develop players, young players, so we set out on this mission to do so. I think the Red Sox have made a lot of strides over the years in that respect. … Iâ€m pretty confident that I can help make the Nationals better in that respect. Ultimately, I think it’ll ideally lead to bringing in a good amount of talent into the organization.â€

How does Toboni view analytics?
When looking at analytics, Toboni considers his work experiences in Major League Baseball, along with his personal experiences as a collegiate baseball player at Cal, where he competed in the Menâ€s College World Series in 2011.

“I am a strong believer in the value of analytics,†Toboni said. “Having said that, I’m also a strong believer in the value of area scouting and a strong believer in the value of coaching. I’ve been on the receiving end of it as a player. I know how magical it can be when you have a coach that you really connect with, that you feel their care for you, you feel yourself getting better, and how addicting that can be. There’s huge power in that.

“I think at the same time, it’s a little bit of a false choice: Are you analytics or are you a more traditional background? I think just finding out how to integrate the two is kind of where the magic lies, so to speak, because there’s huge power in both those areas. I think it all circles back to getting people that are humble enough and open-minded enough to see the value in those spaces.â€

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