Online registration for TD Beach to Beacon 10K set March 13
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Runners who want a ensure spot at the starting line for the 18th TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race should mark their calendars for March 13 – and start getting their fingers in shape.
Last year all 4,000 slots allotted to the general public were filled online in a record four minutes, 32 seconds. Race organizers said Tuesday they anticipate similar heavy demand in 2015, meaning runners must be prepared to fill out the online form as quickly as possible when general registration opens at 7 a.m. on Friday, March 13.
The registration process for the Aug. 1 road race will begin Thursday, March 12 for host Cape Elizabeth residents only, then continue for the general public the next morning. A lottery for 1,950 remaining slots will take place from March 13 through March 22, with lottery entrants announced on March 24. Runners register at the race website, www.beach2beacon.org. The race entry fee for is $50.
Gedman named Pawtucket hitting coach
Kevin Boles will return as the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox for the second-straight year after leading the club to the 2014 Governor’s Cup championship in 2014. The upcoming season will mark Boles’ eighth year in the Red Sox organization.
Coach Bruce Crabbe also is returning to the staff for 2015, his 11th year with the organization.
Hitting coach Rich Gedman and pitching coach Bob Kipper will join the staff.
Gedman, a former Red Sox, last held the position as Double-A Portland hitting coach (2013-14).
Kipper, who pitched eight major league seasons, spent the past five seasons (2010-14) as Portland’s pitching coach.
Wings’ Howard to miss 2-4 weeks
Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard is expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks while recovering from a slight groin tear suffered Saturday in a 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.
Howard will miss the NHL All-Star Game scheduled for Jan. 25 in Columbus, Ohio. Just hours before Howard was injured, he was selected to play in the game for the second time in his career. In 32 games this season, Howard has a 16-7-7 record with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
The Red Wings filled his spot on the Detroit roster with Tom McCollum from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League.
College football title game draws highest cable TV ratings ever
— Ohio State’s victory over Oregon in the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game on ESPN drew the highest ratings and viewership in the history of U.S. cable television, the network said on Wednesday.
ESPN said Monday night’s game drew an average of 33.4 million viewers. The network said the top three shows in cable TV history are Ohio State’s 42-20 victory over Oregon and the two College Football Playoff Jan. 1 semifinal games that each drew just over 28 million viewers for ESPN and were at the time the highest-rated cable shows ever.
The viewership for Monday night’s game blew away the figure for last year’s Bowl Championship Series title game in which Florida State beat Auburn with an audience of 25.6 million.
The 18.2 U.S. household rating for Monday’s game, according to Neilsen data, marked a 26 percent hike over last year’s championship game, giving ESPN a rosy start to its landmark 12-year, $7.3 billion deal to air the playoffs and the title game.
D-backs set record with Lopez deal
A record $8.27 million bonus helped the Arizona Diamondbacks land Cuban right-handed pitching prospect Yoan Lopez.
The deal, first reported by MLB Network, is pending a physical and would surpass the $8 million bonus the Los Angeles Angels gave infielder Roberto Baldoquin just last week.
Lopez, 21, was pursued heavily. The Dodgers, Yankees and Padres made offers to the right-hander, who is likely to be invited to spring training with the Diamondbacks. In December, the Diamondbacks signed Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas to a $68.5 million contract.
Lopez has three seasons in Cuba’s top pro league and features a 95 mph fastball in workouts for teams in November. MLB confirmed his free agency status before the workout.