There’s this shortstop that’s been on my mind
All the time, Scutaro oh oh
Now he doesn’t know my name
But I think he likes Boston just the same
Scutaro oh oh
With regards to Phil Collins

Late Thursday night, we learned the Boston Red Sox and Marco Scutaro had reached a preliminary agreement on a two year deal. On Friday afternoon, they made it official.

It’s a two year deal worth $12.5 million with a mutual option for 2012.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com via his Twitter, Scutaro will get $12.5 million guaranteed over the two years. He gets a signing bonus of $1 million and salaries of $5 million in 2010 and 2011. The Red Sox hold a $6 million team option for 2012. If the Red Sox decided to decline that option then Scutaro could exercise a $3 million player option or receive a buyout of $1.5 million.

The question that now remains is what will the Red Sox do with Jed Lowrie?

This week:

After becoming bowl eligible for the third straight year last weekend, the UConn Huskies will honor their 16 seniors in the regular season finale against the South Florida Bulls at Rentschler Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Here are the rosters for the Bulls and the Huskies.

The Line/Prediction:

According to Rivals.com, the Huskies are 7.5 point favorites and the over/under is 51. My prediction is UConn 34 South Florida 24.

Tickets:

As of the time of this post, there are still tickets available for the game.

Getting To The Game:

Here is link for the weather report. Here is all the parking info you will need for the game, this link includes directions to Rentschler Field. Here is a Rentschler Field seating chart.

The parking lots will open up 4 hours before kickoff. Here is a list of the tailgating rules at the Rent. And some alternative tailgating rules can be found here.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television:

Saturday’s game wil be televised nationally by ESPN2. Mark Jones is on play-by-play while Bob Davie is on color.

If you get ESPN360.com, you can also catch the game there.

Radio:

For the 18th consecutive season, WTIC 1080-AM in Hartford serves as the flagship station for the UConn Radio Network. WTIC is the state’s only 50,000 watt signal and can be heard in 23 states and parts of Canada. Veteran UConn announcers Joe D’Ambrosio (play-by-play) and Wayne Norman (color commentary) return to call the action with Kevin Nathan on the side lines and Eric Davis on production.

The UConn pregame show begins 90 minutes prior to kickoff, while home games, the UConn Tailgate Show will air two and a half hours prior to the game with Arnold Dean. UConn football games are also broadcast over the internet at WTIC.com. For a full list of stations on the WTIC/UCONN radio network, click here.

South Florida Radio

USF’s radio broadcast with Jim Louk, Mark Robinson and Mike Pepper can be heard on 14 affiliates statewide. Here is a list of the USF Radio Affiliates.

The game will also be available on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 158.

Continue reading →

UConn Football links

The UConn Huskies football news will be coming up shortly in the game preview in the other news section.

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Recruiting the Geno way [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Charles moves past mentor [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Video: Post Game Following The Victory Over Vermont [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Video: John Altavilla On The Victory Over Vermont [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Doty Ready To Get Back At It [Rich Elliott – Connecticut Post]

Doty Falls, Gets Back Up [Rich Elliott – Connecticut Post]

Tina, Jamelle and the Man from Mars [Roger Cleaveland – The Republican-American]

Svetlana in the house (Dec. 23) [Vickie Fulkerson – The Day]

UConn women keep rolling, battering Vermont [Connecticut Post]

No. 1 UConn Defeats Vermont [Hartford Courant]

The Scholarly Side Of Moore [Hartford Courant]

Extras … [Hartford Courant]

UConn doubles up UVM [New Haven Register]

UConn rips Vermont, extends winning streak to 46 [The Day]

Huskies leave Catamounts in awe [The Republican-American]

Charles 2nd all-time in rebounding [The Republican-American]

Auriemma solidifying place in Div. I history [Tufts Daily]

Continue reading →

With wins over two ACC foes in North Carolina State and Boston College, the Vermont Catamounts were supposed to give the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team a challenge on Thursday night. That challenge lasted all of four minutes.

Maya Moore had 20 points to lead UConn to it’s 46th consectutive win (third longest in women’s basketball history) as they doubled up Vermont 84-42 in front of 8,908 at Gampel Pavilion.

The Huskies (7-0) and Catamounts (4-1) faced off during UConn’s run to the National Championship in 2009 when the Huskies won 104-65 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

UConn was leading 5-4 heading into the first media timeout and whatever Geno Auriemma said worked.

The Huskies came out firing on all cylinders and increased their defensive pressure as they went on an 11-0 run to take 16-4 lead. UConn continued to push the ball and Meghan Gardler’s buzzer-beater gave the Huskies a 32 point lead at 50-18 heading into the locker room.

It’s the third time this season the Huskies have reached 50 points in the first half.

Tina Charles had another excellent game as she had 18 points and 9 rebounds. Tiffany Hayes finished with 9 points and a game-high 6 assists. Kalana Greene added 9 points and both Kelly Faris and Kaili McLaren came off the bench to chip in with 7 points each.

UConn received a little scare from Caroline Doty when she went down after driving to the basket in the first half. Replays showed that she hit her head hard on the floor and she did return to the game and finished with 5 points.

Courtnay Pilypaitis led the Catamounts with 20 points. Vermont’s second leading scorer May Kotsopoulos was held to just five points.

UConn shot 59% from the floor while Vermont shot just 31% and had 20 turnovers. When you make turnovers, UConn makes you pay as they had 29 points off the 20 turnovers.

The Huskies are off until next Thursday when former UConn point guard and current Hartford Hawks coach Jen Rizzotti brings her team across town to the XL Center. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Here in UConn Country, we are dealing with rumors of UConn Huskies football coach Randy Edsall’s name being thrown around for the Notre Dame job. Now with Kansas Jayhawks head coach Mark Mangino resigning, we can expect Edsall’s name to be included in that search as well.

Here’s what former UConn and current Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins had to say about the departure of Mangino:

“We appreciate the eight years that Mark has given to rebuilding our football program,” Kansas Athletics Director Lew Perkins said.  “He and I have reached a mutually satisfactory agreement that reflects the appreciation we have for his efforts on behalf of Kansas Football.

“As you know we have recently completed an internal review of the football program.  I have been instructed by legal counsel that we cannot release any documents related to this investigation, nor any details regarding our settlement agreement.  The investigation and settlement agreement will remain part of Mark’s personnel records.

“Mark has brought much success to the football program at KU,” Perkins continued.  “He can leave with confidence that he has turned the football program around and set it on a path to even greater future success.

Perkins was the athletic director at UConn from 1990-2003 and was responsible for bringing Edsall in to help build the program as they were transitioning from the FBS (1-AA) to FCS (1-A).

Edsall did not speak about the Notre Dame rumor on Thursday nor would I would expect him to talk about this when it happens. He was already linked to the Kansas job when Mangino’s troubles with his former players arose.

With the unseasonably warm weather here in New England, it seems only appropriate that the (Jason) Bay Watch is heating up.

According to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times, the Seattle Mariners are very interested in signing Boston Red Sox free agent outfielder Jason Bay.

We’ve been told the Mariners have made a concerted push to land B.C. product and local resident Jason Bay, a Type A free agent left fielder from the Red Sox. This despite the fact that Bay (who gained his U.S. citizenship this year), is not the defensive whiz Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has prefered in other deals he’s made.

The Mariners don’t seem too be concerned with his defense but like him for the big bat he could provide them in the middle of the lineup.

Although Bay has said that geography won’t play a preference in where he signs, he would be able to sleep in his own bed each night at home as he makes his off-season home there. The Red Sox are still very interested in bringing back Bay as well.

If Bay decided to sign with the Mariners, the Red Sox would receive two compensation picks. Seattle holds the 18th pick in the 2010 draft and the Red Sox would get a sandwich pick as well.