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The 2021 Gutter Bowls

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BOSTON – The (Wasabi) Fenway Bowl, which was scheduled to feature Virginia and SMU, was cancelled and the Boston College Eagles will have “no contest” declared for the second time since 2018 as the 2021 Military Bowl was scrapped for the second year in a row because of concerns of COVID-19. It is the second straight year the Fenway Bowl game, which has never been played, has been canceled because of the virus.

Boston College was forced to decline participation of its matchup against East Carolina, scheduled for Monday, due to a combination of COVID-19 cases and injuries while the Fenway Bowl, featuring SMU and Virginia, was canceled Sunday after positive COVID-19 test results on its roster. The game was set to be the final one for coach Bronco Mendenhall at Virginia after he resigned from the program earlier this month. SMU had already traveled to Boston for the game.

The bowls are the second and third outright cancellations of the 2021-22 College Football bowl season, joining Hawaii pulling out of the Hawaii Bowl against Memphis on Christmas Eve. Additionally, Texas A&M was forced to pull out of the Gator Bowl due to COVID issues, but Rutgers stepped up to take the Aggies’ place as a 5-7 squad. Last season, 18 bowls were canceled by the pandemic.

The matchup is the second straight bowl game canceled for SMU, though the Mustangs would have been without a bulk of the coaching staff after former coach Sonny Dykes left for TCU. The Virginia Cavaliers were in pursuit of their third winning season in the last four years under Mendenhall before new coach Tony Elliott takes over the program.

For East Carolina, the cancellation is especially disappointing. The Pirates have not played in a bowl game since 2014 but earned a 7-5 record in Coach Mike Houston’s third season. Boston College has not won a bowl game since 2016.

Merry Christmas 🎄 2021

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Here is the NBA on Christmas Day schedule:

Noon: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks (ESPN): The Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks will meet on Christmas Day for the first time since the Hawks moved to Atlanta (which took place in 1968). The teams faced each other twice on Christmas Day when the Hawks were in St. Louis (1956 and 1965). This will mark the first time the Hawks have been scheduled to play on December 25th since 1989. The Knicks have played 53 times on Christmas, the NBA team high.

2:30pm ET: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks (ABC): The Celtics have played the third-most games on Christmas Day (34 entering 2021, trailing only NY and the LA Lakers) and the most road games on Christmas Day (29 entering 2021). Milwaukee will be hosting a Christmas Day game for the second consecutive year. The Bucks are (4-3) on the holiday with last year’s 138-99 stocking full of coal deposited on the Golden State Warriors.

5:00pm ET: Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns (ABC/ESPN Radio):The Suns are (12-6) on the holiday and the Warriors are (13-17). Phoenix’s last Christmas Day game came in 2009, a 124-93 win vs. LA Clippers. Golden State’s Draymond Green was the last player to record a triple-double on the holiday, and is one of six players to do so on Christmas Day: Draymond Green (2017), Russell Westbrook (2013), LeBron James(2010), Billy Cunningham (1970), John Havlicek (1967) and Oscar Robertson (four times: 1967, 1963, 1961 and 1960).

8:00pm ET: Brooklyn Nets at Los Angeles Lakers (ABC/ESPN Radio):The LA Lakers are scheduled on Christmas Day for the 23rd straight year. They have the most all-time victories on 12/25 with 24. Lakers center DeAndre Jordan holds the single-game record for most blocked shots on Christmas Day with eight for the LA Clippers against the Golden State Warriors in 2011. LeBron James ranks second in career points on Christmas Day with 383. He needs 13 points to pass the late Kobe Bryant (395) and become the all-time leading scorer on 12/25 when he has a (10-5) won-loss record which trails only Dwyane Wade’s (10-3) record. Meanwhile, the highest-scoring game by an active player on Christmas Day belongs to the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant, who had 44 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Denver Nuggets in 2010. KD fell 16 points shy of Bernard King’s record.

10:30pm ET: Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz (ESPN): The nightcap will feature Dallas’ Luka Dončić against Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, all three named NBA All-Stars last season. Both franchises are relative newcomers to the NBA on 12/25 tradition, with Dallas (2-2) and Utah (5-2). The Jazz games on Christmas Day have all been played at home (including two as the New Orleans Jazz).

TIDINGS of JOY: The NBA’s first foray of Christmas Day game came in 1947 when the Baltimore Bullets defeated the Chicago Stags 87-70 at Baltimore Coliseum. The same day, the New York Knicks defeated the Providence Steamrollers 89-75 at Madison Square Garden and the Washington Capitols won at St. Louis Bombers 73-56 at St. Louis Arena. The 56 point effort is the all-time low for Santa. … The last time there was just a single game on Christmas was 2006 when the Miami Heat defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 101-85 at Miami’s American Airlines Arena.

Celtics Sign Two for 10-Day Contracts

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BOSTON – The Boston Celtics signed 10-year NBA veteran Al-Farouq Aminu and two-year vet center Norvel Pelle to 10-day contracts. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Aminu, 31, has played in 711 career NBA games (445 starts) over 10 seasons with the LA Clippers, New Orleans, Dallas, Portland, Orlando, and Chicago, averaging 7.5 points (42.0% FG, 33.2% 3-PT, 74.6% FT), 6.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steal, and 24.9 minutes. Originally selected eighth overall by the Clippers in the 2010 NBA Draft out of Wake Forest, Aminu has produced 11.3 points on 43.4% shooting (39.1% 3-PT), 7.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 40 career NBA playoff games (33 starts) across five separate postseason appearances.

Pelle, 28, has competed in parts of two NBA seasons with Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Sacramento, and New York from 2019-20 to 2020-21, averaging 2.1 points on 52.4% shooting, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocked shots in 37 games. He played in 24 of his career 37 games with the 76ers as a rookie in 2019-20, tallying 2.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. Pelle joins the Celtics from the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League, where he posted 8.9 points on 51.9% shooting (87.5% FT), 8.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in nine games (six starts).

Aminu will wear number 72, and Pelle will wear number 29 for Boston.

Hall of Fame Preps for Class of ’22

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SPRINGFIELD – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame provided a partial list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2022, including numerous high-profile, first-time nominees including Manu Ginobili, Tom Chambers and Lindsey Whalen, as well as candidates who have previously been on the ballot in Chauncey Billups and Swin Cash.

A first look at the list of eligible nominees was provided by NBA Today on ESPN, hosted by Malika Andrews. A complete list of eligible candidates can be found below.

A press conference announcing the Finalists from the North American and Women’s committee for the Class of 2022 will be held during NBA All-Star Weekend, which is scheduled for Friday, February 18th in Cleveland, Ohio. The Hall of Fame will also reveal the full enshrinement schedule at this time. The entire Class of 2022, including those selected by the direct elect committees, will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana, in early April.

Celtics Sign Joe Johnson

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official Press Release) – The Boston Celtics have signed seven-time NBA All Star and 17-year veteran Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Johnson, 40, has played in 1,276 career NBA games over 17 seasons with the Celtics, Phoenix, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Miami, Utah, and Houston from 2001-02 to 2017-18, averaging 16.0 points on 44.1% shooting (37.1% 3-PT, 80.2% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 34.7 minutes. He produced double-digit scoring in 13 consecutive seasons from 2003-04 to 2015-16, five of which were 20+ point campaigns.

Originally selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Johnson rejoins Boston for the first time since his rookie season. The Little Rock, AR native recorded 6.3 points on 43.9% shooting in 48 games (33 starts) with the franchise in 2001-02.

Johnson will wear number 55.

 

It’s SMU vs Virginia at Fenway Bowl

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The SMU Mustangs and University of Virginia Cavaliers will play each other in the inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park on Wednesday, December 29 at 11 a.m. ET, announced by ESPN this afternoon. The inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl, jointly produced by Fenway Sports Management and ESPN Events, will be nationally televised on ESPN. It will mark the first college football bowl game to be played at the historic home of the Boston Red Sox, and the first Division 1 bowl game to be held in New England.

“The Wasabi Fenway Bowl will be a new landmark sporting tradition New England can be proud of, and we could not be more excited to have these two outstanding teams participating in the inaugural game at historic Fenway Park on December 29,” said Michael Welts, CMO of Wasabi Technologies.

“Beyond the field, we are also honored to further the game’s philanthropic mission through the Honor Roll program, which recognizes the incredible efforts of educators to help students reach their full potential in and out of the classroom, while supporting access to quality education in our region. Not only will the Wasabi Fenway Bowl ignite a new passion for college sports in New England, it’s a tremendous opportunity to give back to our local community,” he said.

SMU will be playing its 19th bowl game in program history, after ending the season with an 8-4 record overall, going 4-4 in AAC play. The Mustangs were ranked in the top 25 for five weeks in 2021, reaching as high as No. 16, and feature one of the nation’s top offenses, led by record-setting quarterback Tanner Mordecai.

“Our student-athletes worked hard this season to reach our goal of making the post-season and this will provide a truly unique and first-of-its kind student-athlete experience in playing at Fenway Park against an ACC team,” said SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart.

Virginia enters the 2021 Bowl Season with a record of 6-6 (4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference). The 2021 Wasabi Fenway Bowl will be UVA’s 22nd bowl game appearance in program history. The matchup marks the first-ever meeting between SMU and Virginia. The Cavaliers will play their first game in the city of Boston since 2010 when they visited Boston College.

“We are pleased to be the Atlantic Coast Conference’s representative for the inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl,” said Virginia athletics director Carla Williams. “Playing at such a historic venue will be a special opportunity for our football program and a great experience for our fans. I am grateful for everything that Bronco Mendenhall has done to elevate our football program over the past six years and excited to see him be able to coach this team one more time. It will be a very special moment for everyone associated with Virginia football.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to coach my team one more time and it will be a remarkable experience to play a bowl game at Fenway Park,” “There are a handful of sporting arenas in the country that are as unique, historic and beloved as Fenway Park. So, the idea of coaching my last game at Virginia at a place like Fenway Park, I really like that,” said Virginia head football coach Bronco Mendenhall.

“At the beginning of the year, we set winning a bowl championship as one of our goals. We are going to plan a great experience for our team, enjoy our time in one of the most historic cities in our country and prepare really hard for the final time we will compete together,” he said.

Sox Reacquire Jackie Bradley Jr.

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Red Sox Nab Bradley Jr, Two Prospects From Milwaukee for Renfroe

BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox today acquired outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. along with minor league infielders Alex Binelas and David Hamilton from the Milwaukee Brewers, in exchange for outfielder Hunter Renfroe. The Red Sox’ 40-man roster is now at 39 after Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the trade.

Bradley, 31, has played in 1,007 major league games with the Red Sox (2013-20) and Brewers (2021), batting .230 (755-for-3,286) with 104 home runs. A 2016 All-Star, he earned the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for center field in 2018 and was a finalist for the award in three other seasons (2014, ’16, ’19). Bradley helped the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series, as he was named Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series. In 2021, he appeared in 134 games for the Brewers, making 79 starts in center field, 11 in left field, and nine in right field while hitting .163 (63-for-387) with six home runs.

Selected by the Red Sox in the supplemental round of the 2011 June Draft, Bradley has made 752 starts in center field for Boston, sixth most in franchise history. He made six Opening Day starts for the club, including one in left field (2013) and five in center field (2016-20). In 2020, Bradley set career highs in batting average (.283) and on-base percentage (.364), also committing zero errors and leading major league outfielders with seven outs above average (Source: Statcast).

Bradley has been recognized by the Boston Baseball Writers as the Red Sox’ Defensive Player of the Year (2017, ’18, ’19), Comeback Player of the Year (2015), and Minor League Player of the Year (2012), also earning a Special Achievement Award for his 29-game hitting streak in 2016. An active member of the community along with his wife, Erin, Bradley served as captain of the Red Sox Scholars program from 2016-20 and supported the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. He and Erin have a daughter, Emerson, and a son, Jax.

Binelas, 21, was selected by the Brewers in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Louisville. A left-handed hitter, he is ranked by MLB.com as Milwaukee’s No. 17 prospect. Binelas split his professional debut between the Rookie-level ACL Brewers and Low-A Carolina, hitting .309 (43-for-139) with 33 runs scored, 11 doubles, nine home runs, 29 RBI, and a .973 OPS in 36 games. He made 20 starts at third base and four at first base. The Wisconsin native was also selected by the Washington Nationals in the 35th round of the 2018 June Draft.

Hamilton, 24, was selected by the Brewers in the eighth round of the 2019 June Draft out of the University of Texas at Austin and made his professional debut in 2021. A left-handed hitter, he is ranked by MLB.com as Milwaukee’s No. 16 prospect. Hamilton hit .258 (104-for-403) with 66 runs scored, 19 doubles, 11 triples, eight home runs, and 43 RBI in 101 games between High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi in 2021, making 87 starts at shortstop and 13 at second base. Following the 2021 season, he played in 14 games for Salt River in the Arizona Fall League.

Renfroe, 29, appeared in a career-high 144 games for the Red Sox in 2021, also setting career bests in batting average (.259), on-base percentage (.315), OPS (.816), runs scored (89), doubles (33), extra-base hits (64), and RBI (96). He made 138 appearances in right field and tied for the MLB lead with a career-high 16 outfield assists, which were the most at the position by a Red Sox in the Expansion Era. Selected 13th overall by San Diego in the first round of the 2013 June Draft, Renfroe has hit .237 (465-for-1,966) with 128 home runs and 322 RBI in 576 major league games over six seasons with the Padres (2016-19), Rays (2020), and Red Sox (2021).

Red Sox Acquire Hill, Paxson

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox went the veteran route to shore-up their pitching rotation and in doing so, signed left-handed pitcher Rich Hill to a one-year contract for the 2022 season. In addition, the Red Sox signed left-handed pitcher James Paxton to a one-year contract for the 2022 season, with a two-year club option for the 2023-24 seasons. In the event the club does not exercise that option following the 2022 season, Paxton would have the right to exercise a conditional player option for the 2023 season. The Red Sox’ 40-man roster is now at 39 after Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the additions.

Hill, 41, has pitched for 11 major league teams over 17 seasons, going 74-52 with a 3.80 ERA (479 ER/1,134.2 IP) in 324 appearances (195 starts) with the Chicago Cubs (2005-08), Baltimore Orioles (2009), Red Sox (2010-12, ’15), Cleveland Indians (2013), Los Angeles Angels (2014), New York Yankees (2014), Oakland A’s (2016), Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-19), Minnesota Twins (2020), Tampa Bay Rays (2021), and New York Mets (2021).

In 2021, Hill made 19 starts for the Rays and pitched in 13 games (12 starts) for the Mets, posting a 3.86 ERA (68 ER/158.2 IP) with 150 strikeouts, a 1.21 WHIP, and a .235 opponent batting average. In five starts against American League Postseason teams, he was 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA (5 ER/25.2 IP), having made three appearances against the Yankees, one versus the Red Sox, and one against the Houston Astros.

Born in Boston, Hill graduated from Milton High School before attending the University of Michigan. He last pitched at Fenway Park on September 25, 2015, when he threw a two-hit shutout against the Orioles, striking out 10 batters and walking one. In 25 career appearances at Fenway (one start), Hill is 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA (5 ER/27.1 IP). In 2019, he earned the Tony Conigliaro Award, presented annually by the Red Sox to a major leaguer who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage.

Hill has made 13 Postseason appearances (12 starts) for the Cubs (2007) and Dodgers (2016-19), going 1-2 with a 3.06 ERA (18 ER/53.0 IP).

Paxton, 33, is 57-33 with a 3.59 ERA (301 ER/754.2 IP) in 137 major league appearances—all starts—with the Seattle Mariners (2013-18, ’21) and New York Yankees (2019-20). After making a career-high 29 starts and going 15-6 for the Yankees in 2019, he missed a majority of the 2020 season due to injury. In 2021, he made one start for the Mariners before undergoing Tommy John surgery on April 13 and missing the remainder of the season.

A native of Vancouver, Paxton pitched at the University of Kentucky from 2007-09 and was selected by the Mariners in the fourth round of the 2010 June Draft. He posted a sub-4.00 ERA in each of his first seven major league seasons (2013-19), including a 2.98 ERA (45 ER/136.0 IP) over 24 starts for Seattle in 2017. On May 8, 2018 at Rogers Centre, Paxton threw a no-hitter in a 5-0 win over the Blue Jays. Since the start of 2016, he has averaged 10.61 strikeouts and only 2.53 walks per 9.0 innings, having struck out 695 batters and walked 166 during that time.

Red Sox Sign Wacha for 1-Year

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox today signed right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha to a one-year contract for the 2022 season. The club’s 40-man roster is now at 38 after Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the deal.

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Wacha, 30, made 29 appearances (23 starts) for the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2021 regular season, posting a 2.88 ERA (11 ER/34.1 IP) in his final seven outings. After throwing 5.0 scoreless and hitless innings on September 28 against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park, he allowed only one hit in 5.0 scoreless innings on October 3 against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The right-hander led the majors with four outings in which he threw at least 5.0 innings, allowed zero runs, and surrendered one or zero hits.

After spending his first eight major league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2013-19) and New York Mets (2020), Wacha made his American League debut in 2021 with the Rays and went 3-5 with a 5.05 ERA (70 ER/124.2 IP), 121 strikeouts, and 31 walks. In three starts against the Yankees last season, he allowed zero earned runs in 16.0 innings while holding hitters to a .100 batting average (5-for-50). In a 1-0 win over the Red Sox at Tropicana Field on June 24, Wacha surrendered only one hit in 5.0 innings.

Selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2012 June Draft (19th overall) out of Texas A&M University, Wacha is 63-48 with a 4.14 ERA (472 ER/1,026.1 IP) in 202 career major league outings (181 starts). A 2015 National League All-Star, he has made six Postseason starts and two relief appearances, going 4-3 with a 5.21 ERA (22 ER/38.0 IP). His lone Postseason outing of 2021 came as a reliever in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Red Sox at Tropicana Field.

Born in Iowa City, IA, Wacha currently resides in Jupiter, FL.

Red Sox Exercise Cora Option

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox exercised club manager Alex Cora’s contract option for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, said Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom in a statement issued by the club.

“I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to manage the Red Sox,” said Cora. “We experienced so many special moments as a team and as a city in 2021, but we still have unfinished business to take care of. I am excited about the current state of our organization and eager to continue my work with our front office, coaches, players, and everyone who makes this such a special place.”

“Alex’s leadership of our staff and our players was critical to all that we accomplished in 2021,” said Bloom. “Along with the entire Red Sox front office, I am excited for many years of continued partnership as we work together to bring another World Series trophy to Fenway Park.”

Cora, 46, is 284-202 (.584) in three seasons as Red Sox manager, having led the club to a winning record in 2018 (108-54), 2019 (84-78), and 2021 (92-70). Among the 19 individuals to manage at least 400 games with the Red Sox, Cora’s .584 winning percentage is the highest. One of 48 managers in the franchise’s history, he has won two World Series titles with Boston, one as a player in 2007 and another as a manager in 2018.

In 2021, Cora led the Red Sox to a 92-70 record in the regular season, including a Major League-best 47 come-from-behind wins. Boston advanced to the American League Championship Series, after defeating the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game and the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series. Boston owned the AL’s largest increase in winning percentage from 2020 to 2021 (.168), second-largest in the majors behind only the San Francisco Giants (.177). Cora became only the sixth manager to lead the Red Sox to multiple Postseason appearances, joining Bill Carrigan (1915-16), Joe Morgan (1988, ’90), Jimy Williams (1998-99), Terry Francona (2004-05, ’07-09), and John Farrell (2013, ’16-17).

Named the 47th manager in Red Sox history on October 22, 2017, Cora led Boston to a franchise-record 108 regular-season wins and an American League East title in 2018. After the 2019 season, the club and Cora mutually parted ways on January 14, 2020. On November 6, 2020, the Red Sox and Cora agreed to a two-year contract through the 2022 season, with a two-year club option for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He became the fifth person to manage the Red Sox in two separate stints, joining Bill Carrigan (1913-16, ’27-29), Mike Higgins (1955-59, ’60-62), Johnny Pesky (1963-64, ’80), and Eddie Popowski (1969, ’73).

During his playing career with the Red Sox (2005-08), Cora batted .252 (176-for-698) in 301 games, splitting time primarily between second base and shortstop. He was part of Boston’s Division Series roster in 2005 and appeared in four games during the club’s 2007 World Series title run, including two games in the Championship Series and two in the Fall Classic. He also served as the Red Sox’ starting shortstop in three games during the 2008 Postseason.

Cora resides in Caguas and has four children: Jeriel, Camila, Xander, and Isander. His older brother, Joey, played parts of 11 major league seasons with the San Diego Padres (1987, 1989-90), Chicago White Sox (1991-94), Seattle Mariners (1995-98), and Cleveland (1998).