Hometown Broadcasting Sports Friday 6/12/20
12 June 2020 Sports
The Major League Baseball draft concluded its two-day run Thursday. After picking UCLA outfielder Mitchell Garrett in the first round Wednesday, the Brewers had four picks left in the final four rounds. In the second round, Milwaukee chose 21-year old shortstop Freddy Zamora out of Miami. In round three, the Brewers took 21-year old Xavier Warren, a catcher from Central Michigan. In the fourth round, they picked 21-year old outfielder Joey Wiemer out of Cincinatti and in the fifth round, the Brewers selected Hayden Cantrelle, a 21-year old shortstop from the University of Louisiana at LaFayette.
-0-
Will Ryan is officially the head coach of the UWGB men’s basketball team. The university officially introduced Ryan on Thursday at Titletown Tech. Among those in attendance were his family and his parents. Packers president Mark Murphy was also there to show support after he sat in on interviews for all four finalists for the job. Ryan stated, to his knowledge, all incoming recruits would honor their commitment to the university. The new head coach is optimistic about the roster.
“You just have to stay positive and we do have nice pieces returning and newcomers coming in,” Ryan said. “I feel confident in that regard that we have a nice cast and I don’t have to go out to recruit 14 new kids to come to campus within six weeks.”
-0-
Baseball is back! Northwoods League Baseball will begin its 2020 season on Wednesday, July 1st.
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders and Green Bay Booyah will be part of a “Wisconsin-Illinois Pod.” The season will run through Aug. 20 and end with a two-day pod playoff series.
The La Crosse Loggers, Rockford Rivets, Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and Wisconsin Woodchucks are also in the pod. The Northwoods League says the pod could expand before the season’s end. Other teams are working on starting their seasons in July.
There will be new safety guidelines in place due to coronavirus. The Dock Spiders, who play at Marian University’s Herr-Baker Field, will have 25 percent the normal stadium capacity. Family groups will be seated at least six feet away from other fans. Single-game tickets will go on sale the week of June 15.
-0-
Claudell Washington, a two-time All-Star outfielder who played 17 seasons in the majors after being called up as a teenager by the Oakland Athletics, has died. He was 65. Washington died early Wednesday morning in the Bay Area according to his friend, A’s scout and former major leaguer Shooty Babitt. Washington had been battling prostate cancer. Babitt, who followed Washington’s path from Berkeley High School to the Athletics, called Washington his “baseball hero” and said he taught him never to accept a losing effort. Washington played with seven teams in his career, finishing with 1,884 hits, 164 home runs and 312 stolen bases. He made the All-Star Game in 1975 with the A’s and in 1984 with the Atlanta Braves during his long career. Washington has the dubious distinction of striking out more times than any player against Nolan Ryan with 39 in 90 career at-bats. The outfielder also hit the 10,000th home run in New York Yankees history, connecting off Minnesota’s Jeff Reardon in 1988.
-0-
The NFL has extended virtual offseason programs for teams through June 26th, but no further. Although team facilities have opened for key personnel, coaches and players rehabilitating injuries, healthy players have been barred from those complexes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The remote programs have taken the place of on-site work, and some teams already have announced they are shutting those down. But on Thursday, the league said it will allow the virtual work for an additional 15 days. Most training camps are scheduled to open late next month. Several options are available, from an earlier opening for in-person meetings and physical exams, to pushing back or reducing the preseason — including fewer games. The first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 6, with Dallas against Pittsburgh in the Hall of Fame game at Canton, Ohio. The NFL plans to open the regular season on time with Houston at Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sept. 10th.
-0-
Share |