Jan 7, 2022 3 min read

Wild Things sign pitcher

The Washington Wild Things announced Friday the signing of right-handed pitcher Hayden Pearce, who played four seasons at University of the Pacific before making the jump to the United Shore Professional Baseball League in 2021.

After being a starter most of his collegiate career, Pearce appeared in 20 games in relief for the East Side Diamond Hoppers of the USPBL. He logged 34.2 innings and sported a 5-1 record with three saves and an 0.78 ERA. Pearce allowed only 21 hits, six runs (three earned), walked six and struck out 42.

“I’m happy that Hayden will be joining us for camp. He comes in with a reputation of being a strike thrower – someone who can fill up the zone,” said manager Tom Vaeth. “He will be one of a handful of guys who will be vying for a spot at the back end of our rotation.”

ESPN reveals new broadcast team

Former players David Cone and Eduardo Perez are joining Karl Ravech to form a new broadcast team for ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” telecasts.

Alex Rodriguez, the scandal-tainted three-time MVP who had been on the telecasts during the past four seasons, will shift to eight Sunday night alternate telecasts on ESPN2.

Ravech joined ESPN in 1993 and becomes the fourth play-by-play broadcaster on ESPN’s Sunday broadcasts following Jon Miller (1990-2010), Dan Shulman (2011-17) and Matt Vasgersian (2018-21).

In tennis

The top men’s tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, spent Orthodox Christmas in an immigration detention hotel in Australia on Friday as he sought to fend off deportation over the country’s COVID-19 rules and compete in the Australian Open.

The 34-year-old athlete and vaccine skeptic was barred from entering the country late Wednesday when federal border authorities at the Melbourne airport rejected his medical exemption to Australia’s strict COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

He has been confined to the detention hotel in Melbourne pending a court hearing Monday, a week before the start of the tournament.

In the NHL

The Vancouver Canucks had another game pushed back Friday when the NHL announced it was postponing Saturday’s matchup with the Ottawa Senators because of ongoing attendance restrictions. The league also postponed a Senators-Jets game originally set for Jan. 15.

Current health orders in British Columbia limit attendance at indoor sports events to 50% capacity. The NHL says the games will be rescheduled for later in the season when such restrictions may be eased or lifted.

Sponsor wants out from ‘clown game’

The title sponsor for Jacksonville’s season finale against Indianapolis is suing the Jaguars in hopes of having its name disassociated from the game during which disgruntled fans are planning to dress as clowns to protest team owner Shad Khan’s decision to retain general manager Trent Baalke.

RoofClaim.com, a roofing company based in Georgia that does business in Florida, is seeking to avoid “its brand being emphasized as the primary sponsor of the clown game,” according to a complaint filed Thursday in circuit court in Jacksonville.

The company is demanding a jury trial and seeking damages in excess of $30,000.

In figure skating

Two-time champion Alysa Liu withdrew from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships after testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday, less than a day after a third-place finish in the short program put her in position to make the Olympic team.