Dec 13, 2022 4 min read

Wild Things make trade

The Washington Wild Things have traded relief pitcher Dan Kubiuk to the Joliet Slammers in exchange for right-handed starting pitcher Spencer Johnston.

Johnston started nine games in 2022 for Joliet last summer as a rookie and had a 5-3 record and 2.79 ERA in 51.2 innings. He struck out 34 and walked only eight.

Kubiuk pitched in two seasons with the Wild Things after being acquired in a trade with Winnipeg of the American Association in the summer of 2021. This past season, Kubiuk appeared in 39 games with a 2-2 record, 3.21 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 47.2 innings.

“Danny did a great job for us. Trades are never easy, especially when it’s a guy that you’ve gone through the battles with, but we feel really good about getting Spencer back in return,” said manager Tom Vaeth. “It helps fill a need that we have in our rotation, especially with the rookie classification, and it gives Danny a chance to go pitch at home in his back yard. We thank Danny for all his efforts in his time here with us and we wish him continued success.”

W&J schedule change

The Washington & Jefferson women’s basketball program has announced a change to its upcoming schedule.

The Presidents’ game with York has been moved up a day to Dec. 29 at Salvitti Family Gymnasium. The change was made to accommodate a request by York. The start time for the non-conference contest will remain at 1 p.m.

In college football

Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski promised to conduct a national search for Jeff Brohm’s replacement. He found the new guy just across the state line.

The Boilermakers announced Tuesday they had hired Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters as their head coach less than a week after Brohm left for his alma mater, Louisville. Walters’ formal introduction is scheduled for Wednesday.

Walters was a finalist for this year’s Broyles Award, which goes to the Bowl Subdivision’s top assistant coach.

In the NBA

The NBA’s Most Valuable Player award has been renamed The Michael Jordan Trophy.

The league made that announcement Tuesday and unveiled the redesigned award. The trophy has been named for Maurice Podoloff for about six decades.

As part of the announcement, the league revealed that The Jerry West Award is being introduced and will be given to the NBA Clutch Player of the Year.

– which, like almost all other league awards, will be voted on by a media panel. NBA coaches will nominate players for the clutch award.

Also, the Defensive Player of the Year will now receive The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy; the Rookie of the Year will receive The Wilt Chamberlain Trophy; the Sixth Man of the Year will now receive The John Havlicek Trophy; and the NBA’s Most Improved Player will receive The George Mikan Trophy.

In the NFL

For Cleveland’s linebackers, it’s been an especially painful season.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah became the fourth Browns starting linebacker to sustain a season-ending injury when he hurt his left foot late in Sunday’s 23-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Owusu-Koramoah was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, joining fellow linebackers Anthony Walker Jr. (quadriceps), Jacob Phillips (pectoral) and Sione Takitaki (knee), whose seasons also ended prematurely.

In track & field

United States sprinter Randolph Ross has been banned for three years for whereabouts failures and faking an email to anti-doping authorities.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced Tuesday that the back-to-back NCAA champion from North Carolina A&T will be suspended until June 30, 2025, meaning he’ll be ineligible for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Ross had been provisionally suspended on the eve of his 400-meter preliminary race at the world track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, on July 16, about a month after officials could not locate him to take a doping test – his third whereabouts failure in a 12-month period.