MLB
– The Blue Jays have offered their managerial job to Red Sox’ pitching coach John Farrell, according to Comcast Sports Net’s Sean McAdam. ESPN’s Peter Gammons had reported that BoSox’ third base coach DeMarlo Hale was still under consideration, but McAdam, who cites several sources, says it’s Farrell’s job if he wants it. The Jays reportedly talked to more than 20 candidates for the job.
– Rangers’ OF Josh Hamilton has been named MVP of the ALCS. Hamilton reached base in all four plate appearances Friday, once by single and three times by intentional walk. He batted .350 with four homers in the series and is headed to the World Series, a ridiculous turnaround from the lows he’s experienced in his life. Let’s see if he takes home the AL MVP award, too.
– According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, Jays’ 1B Lyle Overbay, 33, hasn’t been contacted by the team about next season, but he didn’t rule out a return.
“I’ve enjoyed my time there in Toronto. It’s a two-way street. They’ve got to want me back, too.”
If the Jays and Overbay part ways, which is expected, then DH Adam Lind will move into the first base spot. He appeared in 11 games there last season. Overbay, who finished the final year of his 4-year contract and made $7M last season, struggled at the plate for the majority of the 2010 season, hitting .243, but did finish with 20 home runs in 534 at-bats.
– The MLB has released the finalists for some 2010 hardware:
2010 Player of the Year Award (voted by the MLBPA): Rangers’ OF Josh Hamilton, Rockies’ OF Carlos Gonzalez and Reds’ 1B Joey Votto
Marvin Miller Man of the Year (player who inspires others to higher levels of achievement by his on-field performance and contributions to the community): Angels’ OF Torii Hunter, Tigers’ 3B Brandon Inge and Rockies’ SS Troy Tulowitzki.
AL Outstanding Player: Jays’ OF Jose Bautista, Tigers’ 1B Miguel Cabrera and Rangers’ OF Josh Hamilton.
AL Outstanding Pitcher: Mariners’ RHP Felix Hernandez, Rays’ LHP David Price and Yankees’ LHP C.C. Sabathia.
AL Outstanding Rookie: Tigers’ OF Austin Jackson, Rangers’ RHP Neftali Feliz and Rays’ LHP Wade Davis.
AL Comeback Player: Twins’ LHP Francisco Liriano, White Sox’ RHP Freddy Garcia and Rangers’ DH Vladimir Guerrero.
NL Outstanding Player: Reds’ 1B Joey Votto, Rockies’ OF Carlos Gonzalez and Cardinals’ 1B Albert Pujols.
NL Outstanding Pitcher: Phillies’ RHP Roy Halladay, Rockies’ RHP Ubaldo Jimenez and Cardinals’ RHP Adam Wainwright.
NL Outstanding Rookie: Giants’ C Buster Posey, Braves’ OF Jason Heyward and Cardinals’ LHP Jaime Garcia.
NL Comeback Player: Braves’ RHP Tim Hudson, Giants’ 1B Aubrey Huff and Mets’ RHP R.A. Dickey.
NFL
– The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that former Jets’ sideline reporter Jenn Sterger will agree to not go on record with the NFL so long as Vikings’ QB Brett Favre satisfies her demands in a financial settlement. Ha, extortion! Favre, who’s earning $16M in base pay this year, should have no trouble meeting Sterger’s demands. Sterger’s lawyer attempted to pressure Favre late Friday by saying his client was “strongly considering” speaking to NFL security about the racy texts and voicemails Favre sent Sterger in 2008. Favre is going to have to throw some green at her to make this situation disappear.
NBA
– Knicks’ G Kelenna Azubuike (knee) could be sidelined until January, according to the NY Daily News. Azubuike wasn’t close to 100%, but he had called himself questionable for opening night. The Knicks are thick at guard, so he won’t be rushed back.
– Heat’ F Mike Miller (right thumb) has undergone surgery to repair a torn ligament and fracture and will be sidelined until at least January. Miller, 30, who signed a 5-year/$25M deal this offseason, sustained the injury when he got his hand caught in a teammate’s jersey in Wednesday’s practice. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, he underwent a 45-minute procedure on Thursday to fix the damage. The paper reported that he will be in a cast for four weeks and a splint until the injury is healed.
– NBA commissioner David Stern said Friday he thinks eliminating teams will be on the table during collective bargaining as a way to solve the league’s financial woes.
“It’s a sensitive subject for me because I’ve spent 27 years in this job working very hard not only to maintain all of our teams, but along the way add a few.”
“But I think that’s a subject that will be on the table with the players as we look to see what’s the optimum way to present our game, and are there cities and teams that cannot make it in the current economic environment. I’m not spending a lot of time on it.”
CBSSports.com first reported Thursday that the league would “continue to be open to contraction,” after Stern said he wanted player costs reduced by $700-800M.
That set off predictable panic in some small-market cities whose teams have struggled on the court and at the gate. Asked if contraction should be a chilling word in Memphis, Stern said: “No, it shouldn’t be. It’s a good word to use, especially in collective bargaining.”
The players likely would fight contraction because of the loss of jobs it would entail. Union president Derek Fisher said,
“We have a responsibility to protect as many jobs as we possibly can, so that would be more for the commissioner and the league and the owners to make a decision on contraction and numbers of teams and those things.”
For now, Stern is more interested in making teams in smaller markets competitive than he is in taking them away.
“I would say that we’re committed to small market teams. We are going to have a new CBA eventually and we’re going to have a more robust revenue sharing.”
The labour deal between the league and players is set to expire June 30, and Stern revealed Thursday the league wants salary costs slashed by one-third in the next agreement. The union released a statement later Thursday in which executive director Billy Hunter said the owners’ stance could lead to a lockout and loss of part or all the 2011-12 season.
NHL
– Guy Lafleur is staying on as an “ambassador” for the Montreal Canadiens. A team spokesman said Thursday that the club’s all-time scoring leader has inked a new long-term deal to remain one of the Canadiens’ five public relations “ambassadors,” along with Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer and Rejean Houle, who all renewed their contracts earlier this year.
Lafleur was especially controversial when he had a weekly newspaper column which he has since dropped. A more recent controversy had Lafleur charged last year for obstruction of justice for helping his son Mark, charged with sexual assault, to break a court-imposed curfew. Lafleur was given a one-year suspended sentence and a fine, but the sentence was overturned in an appeals court on Aug. 17.
The 59-year-old is to kick off a seven-city farewell tour of Quebec on October 29 that he says will be his last old-timers games. Lafleur put up 518 goals and 728 assists and won five Stanley Cup in 14 seasons with the Canadiens, who drafted him first overall in 1971. He later played for the Rangers and Nordiques.
WWE
– NXT season two contestant Titus O’Neil accidentally posted an image of his genitalia on Twitter shortly after midnight on Thursday. He then attempted to cover up his miscue by claiming a hacker did it.
“Whomever is sending Inappropriate Crap thru and to My Twitter account PLEASE STOP!!” he exclaimed. “Its the same reason My daily post haven’t gone thru!!”
It should be noted, however, that his post decreeing the supposed hacker was made four minutes after the nude photograph was sent. More incriminating is that both posts were made via Blackberry’s Twitter app.
– The promotional poster for Survivor Series has been updated to solely feature Wade Barrett. The previous poster featured the seven-member slate of Nexus; two of which are inactive due to injury (Skip Sheffield and Michael Tarver), while Darren Young is no longer affiliated with the group.
– WWE issued a statement this evening in response to Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz ruling authority to Connecticut poll workers to determine that if anyone shows up to the polls on Nov. 2 wearing any WWE merchandise, whether it be a Dolph Ziggler T-Shirt or Nexus Santa Hat, they may be forced to go home and change, cover it up, or take it off in order to vote.
“Denying our fans the right to vote, denying them their First Amendment rights, regardless if they are Democrat, Republican or Independent, is un-American, unconstitutional and blatantly discriminatory,” said Vince McMahon.
VoV
Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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