It should come as no surprise that when ESPN announced their 2012 Sunday Night Baseball schedule of telecasts that we’d find the Boston Red Sox playing the New York Yankees twice.

The good thing is that we’ll be able to listen to Terry Francona every Sunday night since he’ll be a part of the broadcast crew replacing new Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine. I do have to wonder if Tito will ask for those nights off since he knows he’ll be at the ballpark broadcasting a game for at least four-five hours.

Here’s the release from ESPN:

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Taco Bell – the exclusive, national game of the week – will continue to showcase Major League Baseball’s top teams and biggest stars throughout 2012. The Sunday Night Baseball schedule will feature the Los Angeles Angels and offseason acquisition Albert Pujols visiting the New York Yankees and Derek Jeter on April 15; two rivalry matchups between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees (April 22 and July 8); multiple appearances by the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals (May 20 and July 15, in addition to Opening Night April 4); and three appearances by the Texas Rangers – the defending AL pennant winners – April 8 and 29 and May 13.

ESPN’s first seven Sunday Night games will feature at least one playoff team and several of MLB’s biggest stars will be on display, including the Angels’ Pujols; the Yankees’ Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano; Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury; Texas’ Josh Hamilton; Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria; Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard and Chase Utley; St. Louis’ Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman; Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp; Atlanta’s Chipper Jones and Brian McCann; Chicago’s Paul Konerko; and Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman.

This season will also mark the debut of analyst Terry Francona, who joins play-by-play commentator Dan Shulman and analyst Orel Hershiser in the Sunday Night Baseball booth. Sunday Night games are also available via ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3 and ESPN Mobile TV.

ESPN Radio’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team will again be play-by-play commentator Jon Sciambi and analyst Chris Singleton.  ESPN Radio, entering its 15^th season of MLB coverage, will also broadcast a game of the week each Saturday during the regular season, the State Farm Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, and every Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series game.

The Sunday Night Baseball schedule as selected to date follows (all telecasts begin at 8 p.m. ET).  Game selections for the remainder of the season will be made three weeks (June and July 1, 22 and 29) or two weeks (August and September) in advance.

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Schedule

MLB Opening Week on ESPN

ESPN’s 23^rd season of Major League Baseball will also include five games April 4-6 highlighted by an exclusive Opening Night telecast when the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals visit the Miami Marlins, in the debut of Marlins Park, Wednesday, April 4, at 7 p.m.

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It looks as though MLB commissioner Bud Selig will have to settle the compensation issue between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs about Theo Epstein.

According to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times and confirmed by Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, the Red Sox have asked Selig to settle the dispute. The Sun-Times states that Theo’s best friend in the Red Sox organization, Larry Lucchino (sense the sarcasm) asked that Selig settled the matter.

As we know, Theo left the Red Sox about a month or so after the season with one year left on his contract. The two teams agreed their would be compensation for Theo leaving to go to the Windy City but for the past two and half months, the sides haven’t been able to come together on something agreeable.

This will be interesting to follow as to what Selig decides as what is “fair” compensation for Theo. While executives have left for other teams in the past, there really is no precedent.

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Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

It’s game day for the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team as they’ll host the Cincinnati Bearcats at Gampel Pavilion. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Men’s Basketball links

New-Look Cincy Comes to Town [David Borges – New Haven Register]

Jim Calhoun Looking To Win Charity Challenge [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

UConn: Notes From Tuesday’s Men’s Basketball Practice [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

UConn preparing for Cincinnati [Gavin Keefe – The Day]

Notes/Quotes: Jan. 18 [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Midseason Report: All the Other Stuff [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Game preview: UConn men host Cincinnati [Lee Lewis – The Republican-American]

Streaking Bearcats headed to Storrs [Neill Ostrout – Journal Inquirer]

No. 11 Huskies Set For Home Contest Against Cincinnati Wednesday [UConnHuskies.com]

New-look Cincy to test UConn men [CT Post]

UConn Faces Big Test Against Cincinnati Without Boatright [Hartford Courant]

Bearcats Grew Up Quickly After Ugly Fight With Xavier [Hartford Courant]

For Dave Leitao, Donyell Marshall, A Long Way From The Spotlight [Hartford Courant]

New-look Cincinnati faces Huskies [New Haven Register]

No. 13 UConn men host Cincinnati tonight [The Day]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Cincinnati up next [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Hartley joined 100 3-pointer club; Doty is next [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Video of UConn target Taya Reimer’s most recent game [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Stokes Responds To Benching By Producing First Double-Double [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Benching Jolts UConn’s Kiah Stokes Into Solid Game Vs. UNC [Hartford Courant]

Kiah’s play vs. UNC stokes optimism [New Haven Register]

UConn Football links

UConn Coaching Changes? News And Notes… [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

UConn Coach Foley Moving To Tight Ends: DeLeone To O-Line And Remains Coordinator [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Foley, DeLeone Switching Coaching Roles At UConn [Hartford Courant]

Cochran now officially part of UConn football family [The Day]

Other UConn related links

W. Track. Crevoiserat Named BIG EAST Track Athlete of the Week [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Soccer. Nickardo Blake Taken By Toronto In MLS Supplemental Draft [UConnHuskies.com]

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Here’s the release from UConn announcing that UConn Huskies men’s basketball sophomore guard Jeremy Lamb has been named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list.

STORRS, Conn. – UConn sophomore guard Jeremy Lamb (Norcross, Ga.) has been named a Top-25 candidate for the Wooden Award, as announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club.  Lamb is one of four BIG EAST Conference selections for one of the nation’s most prestigious awards.

The Huskies had two player selected to the preseason Wooden Award Watch List.  Junior big man Alex Oriakhi (Lowell, Mass.) was not selected for the Midseason Top-25.

Lamb has guided Connecticut to a 14-3 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the BIG EAST Conference.  UConn is currently ranked No. 13 in the AP and No. 11 in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

The sophomore wing has recorded six games with 20-plus points, including 30 in the season opener.  Lamb has led UConn in scoring nine times and has shot 50-percent on the year.

Joining Lamb from the BIG EAST are Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom, West Virginia’s Kevin Jones and Syracuse’s Kris Joseph.  North Carolina led all teams with three players selected.

Lamb and the Huskies will face Cincinnati at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday, January 18.  The game will be televised on ESPN 2 and can also be heard on 1080am, the UConn Radio Network

To see the Wooden Award Midseason Top-25, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Here are the 25 players who made the Wooden Award Top-25 List:

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Will Barton, Memphis

William Buford, Ohio State

Anthony Davis, Kentucky

Marcus Denmon, Missouri

Draymond Green, Michigan State

John Henson, North Carolina

John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara

Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette

Kevin Jones, West Virginia

Perry Jones III, Baylor

Kris Joseph, Syracuse

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky

Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut

Damian Lillard, Weber State

Scott Machado, Iona

Kendall Marshall, North Carolina

Doug McDermott, Creighton

Mike Moser, UNLV

Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State

Thomas Robinson, Kansas

Mike Scott, Virginia

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Cody Zeller, Indiana

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Photo credit:  Bettina Hansen – Hartford Courant

Well we can cross another one off the list of players that the Boston Red Sox have that are arbitration-eligible.

With tonight’s deadline of exchanging figures with arbitration-eligible players fast approaching, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has avoided going to arbitration again by signing Mike Aviles to a one-year deal worth $1.2 million.

Aviles, who by the way will be a part of the 2012 Red Sox Road Trip that will be stopping in Connecticut on January 21st, came over to the Red Sox on July 30th when he was acquired from the Kansas City Royals for Yamaico Navarro and Kendal Volz. In 38 games with the Red Sox, Aviles hit .317 with two home runs, eight RBIs and four stolen bases.

In 91 total games between the Royals and Red Sox, Aviles hit .255 with seven home runs, 39 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

Aviles could figure into the outfield mix as well as being a backup infielder with the announcement on Tuesday that Carl Crawford underwent wrist surgery. Aviles has been playing the outfield in winter ball in Puerto Rico for Ponce Leones.

Cherington now has four contracts to go to avoid going to the arbitrator. They are Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard and David Ortiz. Besides Aviles, he’s avoided going to arbitration now with Matt Albers, Andrew Miller, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Ryan Sweeney, Franklin Morales and Jacoby Ellsbury.

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Photo credit: Getty Images

After a miserable 2011 season by his standards, Carl Crawford isn’t getting off to the hottest of starts in 2012 and the season hasn’t even begun yet.

During a conference call with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington announced that the left fielder underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left wrist. It’s not known yet whether or not he’ll be ready for Opening Day 2012.

Here’s what Cherington had to say:

“We’re not going to put a timeline on his recovery, but we’re optimistic Carl will be progressing in baseball activities as we get into spring training.”

In his first season with the Red Sox after signing a huge free agent contract (seven years, $142 million), Crawford hit just .255 with 11 home runs, 56 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. Other than when he was called up by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2002 where he hit .259 in 63 games, the lowest Crawford hit in his nine years with the Rays was .273.

As of right now, the only sure thing in the outfield will be Jacoby Ellsbury. After that, Ryan Sweeney and Darnell McDonald are your other outfielders. Mike Aviles could also play the outfield as well.

Hopefully Crawford is a quick healer and we won’t have to worry about who’ll be playing the outfield when the season gets underway in April.

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Photo credit: Reuters Pictures

Here’s the release from the Boston Red Sox about the 2012 Red Sox Road Trip:

The Red Sox are hitting the road to get ready for 2012, the 100th year anniversary of Fenway Park! The 2012 Red Sox Road Trip presented by Coca-Cola will be traveling throughout New England with stops in all six states from Friday, January 20 through Sunday, January 22. This year, the Road Trip will travel in two legs, each hitting one New England state per day. We will be bringing Red Sox historical artifacts and the 2004 and 2007 World Series trophies along with Wally the Green Monster, a face painter and a balloon artist. At each stop, we will be doing random giveaways of 2011 Red Sox autographed memorabilia.

Vouchers will be distributed inviting fans to a special pre-sale where they will be able to purchase four (4) tickets to a 2012 Red Sox game.* Red Sox 100th Anniversary books and Red Sox Nation and Kid Nation Fan Club memberships will be also available for purchase.

After a successful inaugural year, the Red Sox will again be hosting Sing Your Way to Fenway at each of the stops where fans will have the opportunity to audition to sing the National Anthem. Contestants will perform and the winner from each state will have the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at a future Red Sox game. Learn more about Sing Your Way to Fenway »

In addition, one lucky fan from each state, who visits a Red Sox Road Trip tour stop, will be selected as a Grand Prize Winner for the Red Sox Road Trip VIP Experience (includes pre game VIP tour, pre-game experience and four tickets to their respective 2012 Red Sox State Day game TBA). Fans can register at each tour stop and the winner will be randomly selected from all names. The winner will be notified by phone.

To see where the 2012 Red Sox Road Trip is going to, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

2012 ROAD TRIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

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With today’s deadline of exchanging numbers with arbitration-eligible players, Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington is staying busy getting the rest of his arbitration-eligible players signed.

After agreeing to terms with Franklin Morales last night, the Red Sox and Jacoby Ellsbury have agreed to a one-year, $8.05 million deal according to MLB Trade Rumors’ Ben Nicholson-Smith. It’s a big raise for Ellsbury after making $2.4 million last year in his first arbitration-eligble season.

The big raise is warranted for Ellsbury after his monster season last year where he finished second in the AL MVP voting, won a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove and was named to the AL All-Star team. He hit .321 with 32 home runs, 105 RBIs and had 39 stolen bases.

This coming after a 2010 season that was lost to injury and he actually came into the 2011 season with a lot of questions. Instead, he went out and proved all the doubters wrong and set himself up for a nice payday which he got.

Cherington now has five contracts to go to avoid going to the arbitrator. They are Alfredo Aceves, Mike Aviles, Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard and David Ortiz. He’s avoided going to arbitration now with Matt Albers, Andrew Miller, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Ryan Sweeney and Morales.

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Photo credit: Reuters Pictures