According to the Boston Herald, the Red Sox are one of the teams that has inquired about Ross.

The Marlins are falling fast in the NL East and could be sellers at the trade deadline.

The Red Sox have jumped in because of their need for outfield depth. Though Jeremy Hermida was activated from the disabled list on Thursday, everyday outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is just starting baseball activities since fracturing several ribs. Mike Cameron also has been battling abdominal injuries but has managed to stay in the lineup for the most part.

Ross could be a possible backup plan for the Red Sox, who also are believed to have interest in Royals outfielder David DeJesus. But DeJesus left Thursday's game against the Yankees with a sprained right thumb, and the Royals are not sure how much time he will miss. They planned to send him to a hand specialist Friday, and Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star warned that "he might be out a while," surely hurting his trade value. 

Ross currently is hitting .275 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs with the Marlins. He is an outfielder who can hit for average with some power, and has hit at least 20 home runs in his last two seasons.

Adding him to the Red Sox’ roster would improve an outfield that has not been healthy or consistent this year.

The Dodgers, Phillies, Braves and Yankees also have been asking about Ross

The rosters for the 2010 Cape Cod League All-Star game have been announced, and the Harwich Mariners will be providing the most star power when the East and West clash under the Green Monster.

Leading the Eastern squad will be Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox manager Scott Pickler. Serving as skipper for the West will be Harvey Shapiro, manager of the defending champion Bourne Braves.

The East will be bolstered by the presence of both Drew Martinez (Brewster) and Kolten Wong (Orleans), who are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the league in batting average. The East also will have one of the best pitchers on the mound in starter Andrew Gagnon (Brewster), who comes in with a league-leading five wins, a razor-thin 1.69 ERA and 38 strikeouts.

But the West's bullpen will be formidable and features Bourne relievers RJ Alverez and Tony Zych. Neither of them has allowed a run in their summer campaigns.

Here are the full rosters.

East

Starters
C: Pratt Maynard, North Carolina State
1B: Aaron Westlake, Vanderbilt
2B: Kolten Wong, Hawaii
3B: Tyler Hanover, LSU
SS: Joe Panik, St. John's
LF: Drew Martinez, Memphis
CF: Cohl Walla, Texas
RF: Caleb Ramsey, Houston
DH: Clint Moore, West Point
P: Andrew Gagnon, Long Beach State

Reserves
C: Joe Pavon, UConn
IF: Levi Michael, LSU
OF: Ronnie Richardson, Central Florida
P: Marcus Stroman, Duke
P: Derek Self, Louisville
P: Matty Ott, LSU
P: Braden Kapteyn, Kentucky
P: Kyle Simon, Arizona
P: Logan Verrett, Baylor
P: Colton Murray, Kansas
P: Adam Morgan, Alabama

West

Starters
C: Andrew Susac, Oregon State
1B: Cam Seitzer, Oklahoma
2B: Kevin Medrano, Missouri State
3B: Tyler Bream, Liberty
SS: KC Serna, Oregon
LF: Zach Wilson, Arizona State
CF: Chad Right, Kentucky
RF: John Ruettiger, Arizona State
DH: Jordan Leyland, UC Irvine
P: Tayler Ray, Troy

Reserves
C: Tony Caldwell, Auburn
IF: Casey Auburn
OF: Scott Woodward, Coastal Carolina
P: Christian Jones, Oregon
P: Max Perlman, Harvard
P: Jed Bradley, Georgia Tech
P: Austin Wood, St. Petersburg
P: AJ Achter, Michigan State
P: Tony Zych: Louisville
P: RJ Alvarez, Florida Atlantic
P: Grayson Garvin, Vanderbilt

The 44th Cape Cod League All-Star Game at Fenway Park starts at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are still on sale for $10.

So the NHL held its ground and axed Ilya Kovalchuk‘s deal with the New Jersey Devils. The league went out and said what everybody was already thinking: The Devils were laughing in the face of the NHL salary cap.

Apparently, only Kovalchuk felt like he would still be playing hockey at the ripe age of 44. You got the feeling that even Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello knew exactly what he was doing circumventing the system he helped create after the lockout.

The problem was that the NHL knew what he was up to as well, and unfortunately for the Devils, they may be the example the league will point to in regards to what GMs shouldn’t do.

Yes, Kovalchuk’s 17-year deal was the longest in NHL history, but it was far from being the first long contract. Rick DiPietro got himself a 15-year stay on Long Island, though not necessarily on the ice. Roberto Luongo is set to be the netminder in Vancouver until he’s 43.

And that’s just the goalies.

Henrik Zetterberg is in Hockeytown for 12 years. He’ll earn $67.65 million in the first nine seasons until he takes a massive cut to $5.35 million in the last three.

Alexander Ovechkin will be in the nation’s capital long enough to see at most four different presidents.

There’s also a center that goes by the name of Marc Savard. You may have heard of him. He’ll be earning $28 million in Boston for the rest of his career, yet the Bruins’ cap hit only equals an extremely manageable $4 million.

Up until Tuesday, all the NHL could do was grumble and rubber-stamp the increasingly ridiculous-looking deals because, in all honesty, it’s hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that both sides negotiated the deals knowing full well they may not carry them out fully.

“We are extremely disappointed that the NHL has decided to reject the contract of Ilya Kovalchuk,” Lamoriello said in a statement after the deal was rejected.  “The contract complies with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. We will have no further comment until the process outlined in the CBA is complete.”

And Lamoriello is right.

According to the CBA he did nothing wrong, and that’s the problem. It is a question that will linger long after Kovalchuk pots his first goal wherever that may be, and it will ripple throughout the league — especially down on Causeway Street, where the Bruins face two big questions come next offseason.

They are Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. Chara and Bergeron are both entering the final year of their respective contracts. Bergeron will make $4.75 million, while Chara will make $7.5 million, and both are considered the core of the team, with Chara as the current captain.

Chara is among the league’s elite defenseman. He’s arguably in the top 10 and has been the go-to shutdown defenseman for the B’s. Take Chara out of the lineup, and it would be hard to imagine the Bruins still being among the league leaders in goals against. In other words, the Bruins’ chances of success depend on Chara, meaning it will be imperative to keep him in black and gold.

Bergeron was a sensation after the Bruins drafted him in the second round in the 2003 draft. There was a scare when he suffered a Grade 3 concussion that limited him to only 10 games in the 2007-08 season. His production dipped in the immediate season after the concussion, but he went on to score a team-leading 52 points last year.

Now entering his third season since his concussion, Bergeron will be 25 on July 24 and entering the prime of his career. He has future captaincy written all over him, so the Bruins will want to be keep the center in the fold as well.

In the wake of the Kovalchuk rejection, long-term contracts in the NHL will be viewed differently. It’s too early to tell whether the rejection was a check against what many already were calling a ridiculous contract or whether it was a sign of things to come, but it’s guaranteed the loophole will be closed in the next round of CBA talks.

It will have a definite effect on how Chara and Bergeron’s future deals will be negotiated, and also may mean changes for other players or teams.

That can mean a lot of things for the Bruins, but the message has been made clear. Peter Chiarelli and GMs across the league will have to tread a little more lightly when it comes to locking up the faces of their franchises.

Martinez won’t join a major league club this season, but he is not ready to retire from baseball, according to ESPNDeportes.com.

"This doesn't mean that Pedro is announcing his retirement from baseball because it's possible that he will change his mind for next year," Fernando Cuza, Martinez’s agent, told ESPNDeportes on Wednesday. "But today, he asked me to call all the teams that were interested to announce his decision."

Multiple teams were reportedly interested in Martinez's services for the second half, including the Philadelphia Phillies — the team Martinez pitched for last season.

Martinez was solid for the Phillies after joining them last August as he went 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA and helped lead the Phillies to their second straight National League pennant. In the postseason,however, he was 0-2 with a 3.71 ERA in three starts.

Martinez, an 18-year veteran, is 219-100 in his career with a 2.93 ERA. His 3,154 strikeouts rank 13th on the all-time list.

The former Red Sox ace was last seen throwing from a mound opening night at Fenway Park, where he delivered the ceremonial first pitch on opening night.

Starting this weekend during the Brickyard 400, the Roush Fenway driver will join ESPN's SportsCenter as an analyst. He will be a weekly guest and offer his insights after each Sprint Cup race on ESPN.

"To be able to get out of the race car and immediately give the fans a driver’s perspective will be something new and different,” Edwards said. "I’m looking forward to being a part of the ESPN team."

Edwards has 16 Sprint Cup race wins and currently sits in the No. 10 spot in the Sprint Cup standings. If he qualifies for the Chase for the Cup, it will be his fourth consecutive season qualifying for the NASCAR playoff. With his winning pedigree, he looks forward to the broadcast experience.

"The neat part about this is I’ll be getting out of the race car, walking straight down to the studio and giving my insight into the race," he said. "I think it will add a different dimension to the coverage, and I’m glad ESPN is giving me the opportunity to do this."

The Brickyard 400 will begin Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Edwards and Brad Keselowski were both handed punishments for their actions near the end of the Nationwide race at Gateway International Speedway. Edwards will be docked 60 driver points, fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the rest of the year. Keselowski also was placed on probation for the remainder of the season.

The punishments were in response to Edwards’ intentional wrecking of Keselowski on the final lap of the race coming out of the last turn.

Edwards and Keselowski already had mixed it up earlier during the final lap. Keselowski nudged Edwards out of the way for the lead, and that led to Edwards returning the favor near the end of the lap.

"As with all NASCAR actions of this nature, we will internally evaluate the penalties, and the underlying explanations, prior to making any decision about next steps," said Geoff Smith, Roush Fenway president. "We look forward to watching Carl and Brad as they continue to compete on a weekly basis for the championship in the Nationwide Series."

Roush Fenway team owner Jack Roush also was docked 60 championship points.

Edwards went on to win his second race of the season. He still sits in second place in the Nationwide Series standings, 168 points behind Keselowski.

According to Techcrunch.com, the upstart blogging network has added another site to the fold, acquiring The Sporting Blog from Sporting News. The Sporting Blog and all its archived stories will migrate to SB Nation as part of the deal. Terms of the deal were not released.

The popular blog, founded in 2007, brings a more comedic take on the sports news of the day and was part of Sporting News’ move into digital media. As the blog grew, SB Nation thought it would make a good addition to its growing stable.

SB Nation’s acquisition also coincides with the start of a new Tumblr blog. The moves are the latest in a line of steady growth for the network that started in 2008.

The site has a deal in place with the NHL to feature stories from local SB Nation blogs on its main page, and its more than 200 local sites have quickly gathered visitors in the seven million range.

With the addition of The Sporting Blog, SB Nation hopes to bring more humor to its main page.

According to Kotaku.com, the former Red Sox pitcher is set to debut his new video game at the upcoming Comic-Con 2010 convention in San Diego. The game — now officially titled Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning — is inspired by the works of acclaimed sci-fi author R.A. Salvatore and comic book artist Todd McFarlane, and will debut in the form of a trailer at the annual comic book convention.

The game is the product of Schilling's 38 Studios, the video game studio he founded in 2006 and turned to full time after retiring from baseball.

Schilling, a self-professed gamer and avid World of Warcraft player, gathered Salvatore, McFarlane and famed game designer Ken Rolston to develop the game that was previously code-named Project: Mercury.

Not many details have been released, but it is being billed as a large, open-world role-playing game.

The studio has partnered with EA Games to publish the game, which is shooting for a late 2011 release date.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella will retire after the 2010 season, according to ESPN.com.

The 66-year-old skipper will retire as the 14th winningest manager in major league history after 23 seasons of calling the shots.

"Why make this announcement now? [GM] Jim Hendry asked me in recent weeks regarding my future with the team and I told him I had made the decision to retire at the end of the season," Piniella told ESPN.com. "Since my decision has now been made, I don't want to mislead anyone about my intentions when asked in the future."

In his three previous seasons with the Cubs, Piniella led them to three consecutive winning seasons. He led them to the playoffs twice, with both postseason appearances ending in sweeps in the division series. The Cubs secured the best record in the National League in 2008, but this season, the Cubs currently sit at 10 games under .500 — good enough for fourth place in the NL Central.

Piniella also stated that he will not let the announcement of his retirement get in the way of winning more games.

"I want to keep the momentum going more than anything else and win as many games as we can to get back in this pennant race," he said. "I'm going to give every effort I have to help this team win and that will remain my sole focus through the rest of the season."

His early announcement gives Hendry ample time to find his replacement, which may include former Cub great and current Triple-A Iowa Cubs manager Ryne Sandberg.

Heading into Tuesday’s action, Piniella has 1,826 wins in his 23rd season as manager.

After a fascinating, bizarre and ultimately quiet saga, the Russian sniper decided to stay in Newark.

But could he have landed on Causeway Street?

Or better yet, how big a bullet did the Bruins dodge by not making a trade for Kovalchuk a few months ago when the playoffs were merely a delusion to fans?

The New Jersey Devils are turning a corner in their history. Kovalchuk's signing looks to be the first step in a change of philosophy for a system that won the Stanley Cup on the idea of defense over offense and the team over the individual. This shift no doubt has been accelerated by the departure of former head coach Jacques Lemaire and the eventual decline of goaltender Martin Brodeur.

Kovalchuk is the new centerpiece in New Jersey while the core in Boston has long been set.

Back in March, when the Bruins were starved for goal scoring and Kovalchuk hit the trade market, many fans were demanding that Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli make the move for the Russian.

It was a tumultuous time. The Bruins were having trouble scoring two goals a game, and the playoff window was closing fast. Meanwhile, fans were split between wanting to roll the dice for Kovalchuk or declaring the season lost, making any trade in which the Bruins were not sellers a waste of time.

Kovalchuk ended up leaving Atlanta for Niclas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya, Patrice Cormier and the Devils' first-round pick. At the time, it seemed like a reasonable price, considering the Thrashers knew they wouldn’t be able to sign the left winger at the end of the year.

For the Bruins, acquiring Kovalchuk would have equated to something along the lines of Blake Wheeler, Dennis Wideman and a first-round draft pick (who knows whether it would have been Toronto’s pick or Boston’s own?).

But it is difficult to translate deals from one team to another team, especially for players of Kovalchuk's caliber.

The Thrashers easily could have demanded the Maple Leafs’ pick, which was already looking to be a top pick, or one of the Bruins' top centers like Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci. The Bruins also might have been forced to surrender a top prospect, perhaps leaving them without Joe Colborne or Maxime Sauve, both of whom look to be in the Bruins' fold as early as this coming season.

This is all speculation, of course, and speculation that ended up meaning nothing since the Bruins made the playoffs and advanced to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals without Kovalchuk.

In the end, the Bruins can thank Devils GM Lou Lamoriello for not adding to Boston’s current cap crunch. Despite Lamoriello's ability to limit Kovalchuk's cap hit to around $6 million per year, New Jersey will have to shed some salary.

If the B’s had acquired Kovalchuk, it would have cost a lot to keep him in town, too.

The Bruins have enough problems when it comes to the cap, and Kovalchuk would have handcuffed them further. With team cornerstones Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron looking for new contracts soon, Boston will need to have money to keep them around long term.

Chiarelli's gamble paid off in the end. He knew his hand and walked away in a good position.

Now the Bruins head into the season with new stud forwards Tyler Seguin and Nathan Horton and a cap situation that, though still tight, is free of one Russian headache.

According to CapGeek.com, the 2010-11 Bruins currently sit at $59,762,771 in terms of payroll, fourth-highest in the NHL over the offseason. With the latest signings of Gregory Campbell, Adam McQuaid, Andrew Bodnarchuk, and Jeff LoVecchio on Thursday, they are now left with $587,229 of cap space under the NHL’s $59.4 million limit..

The Bruins have 19 players under contract for next season at the moment, but missing from those 19 are some rather big pieces: Tyler Seguin, the second overall pick from this year’s draft, and restricted free agent Blake Wheeler.

Wheeler heads into arbitration later this month and is expected to get a nice raise from the $2.825 million he made during the 2009-10 season, despite suffering a sophomore slump. Seguin will make a base salary of $900,000 in his entry-level contract, but given his skills, the rookie will more than likely cash in on bonuses that could push him to the $3 million range. 

Something has to be done.

“We’re tight at the cap, and we’ll be able to put Blake in the mix,” Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said in a conference call Thursday. “Then we’ve got to sever cap space, and we’ll see where we’ll go from there as it applies to the start of the year.”

Tight is an understatement. 

The three teams ahead of the Bruins in cap space are already over it. The Vancouver Canucks are currently $358,333 over the cap. The Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks? Despite salary shedding that would make the Florida Marlins proud, the Hawks are still $1,011,590 over the cap. The Philadelphia Flyers top the list coming in at $2,497,262 over the cap.

So what are the Bruins’ options?

One involves the injured Marco Sturm, who tore up his knee in Game 1 of the Bruins playoff series against the Flyers and looks to be off the ice until at least December. In that situation, the Bruins can place him on the long-term injured reserve list, allowing them to not have his $3.5 million cap count against them. But that only serves to prolong the problem. Sturm will return at some point and so will his salary hit, making it nothing more than temporary relief.

Suddenly, the Marc Savard trade rumors don’t sound so far-fetched. Though his contract, at one point in time, was heralded as a great cap-saving move (he signed for a minimal $4 million cap hit over his seven years), it now could be a target for cutting.

Would such a move hurt the team? Yes. It would be the second season in a row in which the Bruins dismiss one of their better scoring forwards, and even though there is a logjam at center and Seguin projects to be an offensive force, Savard is still one of the Bruins’ most consistent, high-scoring forwards, and his absence would be felt, not to mention his no-movement clause can ax any move before it happens.

But how much of a choice do the Bruins have now?

Tim Thomas is another target for trading, but at his age (36) and with his large contract ($5 million for three more years), he is not the most desirable player to acquire, despite his resume and skills. He is also coming off hip surgery and probably is better served to play behind Tuukka Rask, pushing Rask to play better and backing him up if he stumbles.

Lastly, there is the question of Michael Ryder. The winger impressed in his first year coming over from Montreal, scoring 27 goals and adding 26 assists. He then disappeared in his second season, totaling only 32 points in 82 games, greatly underachieving for a player that will earn another $4 million this season.  His lack of performance and large contract make him near impossible to trade away, leaving the only other option as burying him and his salary in Providence.

That’s not likely since Ryder’s still thought of highly by management. He also is going into a contract year and will have to perform if he hopes to earn himself another contract.

Whatever happens, it is quickly becoming clear that Seguin will be on the team opening night. All indications lead one to believe that Wheeler will as well.

The numbers will add up, and right now, that is the problem.

During their July 17 game against the Aberdeen Ironbirds, the Spinners will attempt to break a world record by having the largest collection of people popping Bubble Wrap simultaneously. All fans in attendance will be given a one square foot piece of Bubble Wrap as they enter the park, and the attempt will occur in the middle of the third inning.

According to the team’s official website, everyone in the stadium will participate — from the fans, the staff and even players themselves. The last time a record was broken during a Spinners game was in 2004, when the largest game of "Duck, Duck, Goose" was held after an August game.

The Bubble Wrap stunt is part of a celebration of the 50th birthday of the packing material. Other events will include a Bubble Wrap dance floor and dance-off.

"Bubble Wrap is one of the most addicting, unnoticed nuances in life," said Jon Goode, Spinners vice president of communications. "We just hope that fans will be able to resist the urge to pop the Bubble Wrap before the record attempt."

Also part of the festivities will be a prize for the 50th fan that enters the park. That fan will have a chance to win a year’s supply of popcorn if the 50th out of the game is recorded on a popup.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. at LeLacheur Park.

At least that’s what the New York Islanders would like to hear when it comes to where Kovalchuck will sign.

To be fair, it’s a bit excessive to compare the hockey saga to LeBron’s decision — that is a feat that will be impossible to top — but to say that Kovalchuk has not had an effect on the entire NHL free-agent market is ignoring the matter altogether.

The Russian sniper’s indecision has now reached its 15th day, and the list of possible destinations has grown and shrunk more times than can be counted. Once on that list, and perhaps still a secret sleeper, are the lowly Islanders.

They made some waves a few weeks ago when it leaked that they were jumping in on the Kovalchuk sweepstakes. The Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils, the previous favorites, were suddenly scrambling to handle what looked like a serious new contender.

"I've made maybe a hundred calls and explored options," Isles GM Garth Snow told Newsday when asked about his interest in the Russian. "Maybe it doesn't come to fruition, but I'm not doing my job if I don't make those calls."

According to several media outlets, Snow was ready to offer the coveted free agent $10 million over 10 years.

Then, just as quickly as they entered, the Isles walked away.

Two weeks later, there is still no clear indication of where Kovalchuk will land. The Kings have dropped in and out of the race so many times it’s near comical.

But Islanders fans, though slightly disappointed, may be breathing a sigh of relief.

Sure, Long Island will miss out on a premier free agent. Again. But was Kovalchuk the answer to saving hockey on Long Island? Upon closer examination, probably not.

For starters, despite having a hard time getting to the cap floor, the Islanders can’t afford to throw money around, so there was little surprise when their interest died once Kovalchuk started demanding more money and additional years.

Second, even though the Isles lack wings, Kovalchuk does not necessarily fit the team. The Islanders are still rebuilding. While they’re not at rock bottom like Edmonton, they’re also not on the rise like Los Angeles. The Isles have quickly established a good young core centered around 2009 first overall pick John Taveres. They can’t afford to handcuff themselves to a player who may deliver stats-wise and get people in the seats but could limit future options.

If Kovalchuk signed with Islanders, his cap hit would be greater than either Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby’s. Is Kovalchuk that kind of player?

The Islanders already are heavy on long-term contracts with players like Rick DiPietro, who has a hard time staying on the ice as it is.

Lastly, the Islanders need a new arena. Kovalchuk may draw gate traffic, but he probably isn’t going to save the Lighthouse Project anytime soon. If you have to create a list of the things that will revive hockey in the area, the top two priorities would be drafting well and making the playoffs.

Kovalchuk is flashy, but he does not guarantee success to a team. He is more the final piece to a puzzle the Islanders have not completed.

So as the Kovalchuk saga continues and the Kings look to be the front-runner again, maybe fans on Long Island should be glad they won’t factor into this decision.

The popular sea sponge will be making appearances at McCoy Stadium on July 19 and 20 as the Pawtucket PawSox face the Toledo Mud Hens.

The famous Nickelodeon character will be available before, during and after both games for meet and greets and photographs.

The residents of Dublin, Ga., keep these things close to their heart, and all of them were on full display during the 2010 Summer Redneck Games.

Among the competitions were watermelon seed spitting, redneck horseshoes (played with a toilet rim), bobbing for pigs’ feet and the ever-popular mud pit belly flop.

What started as a lighthearted goof meant to play into the jokes that a "bunch of rednecks" would be running the 1996 Atlanta Olympics has become a local sensation with all proceeds going toward local charities.

Pictures from this year's events can be seen here, courtesy of Life.com.

According to the New York Daily News, D'Antoni mused that the Knicks "had a shot" at signing former super free agent LeBron James, despite his apparent desire to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.

"I don't think they knew for sure because you never know if the cap room is going to be created," D'Antoni told the Daily News. "You don't know a lot of stuff, and they were covering their bases. I can't get in their minds because I have no idea."

The Knicks were one of the first teams to court James once NBA free agency opened on July 1. They had been working diligently over the past few seasons to cut salaries in order to have the cap space to sign James and other big free agents.

In the end, their huge marketing campaign and celebrity committee weren’t enough to woo James to New York, and he eventually signed with the Heat, adding fuel to the idea that the three free agents already had decided to find a way to play together while they were all members of Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

D'Antoni chalked everything up to the Knicks being unlucky.

"I respect what they did," D'Antoni told the Daily News. "They never led me on. They never did anything against me. We did our business, and they did their business. Like anything else, you come in second, you get crusty. I respect them. They're great players, and if you're Miami, it should be fun, and the rest of the league has to take notice."

Now the Knicks will build around former Phoenix Sun Amare Stoudemire instead of James.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the popular sideline reporter has signed a new multiyear deal with ESPN, which will expand her duties beyond the sidelines. Andrews will appear on College GameDay as a new member of the show's lineup and also will be a regular contributor on Good Morning America.

"I am very pleased and excited about my new role with the network, and I'm especially looking forward to the new opportunities presented with College GameDay and Good Morning America," Andrews told The Hollywood Reporter.

Andrews has been working for ESPN since 2004. Earlier this year, she took a break from work and made a deep run in ABC's Dancing With the Stars.

The Lowell Spinners third baseman will join the rest of his Lowell club as they take on the Jamestown Jammers (Single-A Florida) in the fifth annual Futures at Fenway minor league doubleheader Saturday, allowing him to play third base in the shadow of the Green Monster sooner than expected.

"It’s a very cool and very exciting opportunity," Vitek said before the game. "It’s such a great park with such a great history. It’s such a great thing to come out here and have an opportunity to play on this field."

Just a few months prior to his Fenway debut, Vitek was manning second base for the Ball State Cardinals while taking the mound every weekend. He hit .361 for the Cardinals while throwing for a respectable 3.28 ERA as a starter over the weekends.

The Red Sox were eager to grab him with the 20th pick considering he was one of the better power hitters in the draft. He is the current No. 3 hitter in Lowell, where he is hitting .279 with 19 hits (six of them doubles) and nine RBIs.

When it comes to his game, he likes to model his play afterRed Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

"I love watching him play," Vitek said. "He just goes balls out every play and is just a really fun player to watch."

Unfortunately for Vitek, Pedroia will likely be manning his natural position for a good while in Boston, so the Red Sox have shifted him to third base. It’s a move that Vitek has been working everyday to pick up something new.

"It’s not so bad," he said. "I go out there every day and learn something new about the position. I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable out there. It’s been going good, just hard work every day."

The move to third base means a lot of relearning defense for Vitek, and it’s the other aspect of his game the Sox want him to work on.

"[They] just want me to get my defense down at third base," he said. "Just learn the position I’m most comfortable with because I’ve kind of been moved around my entire life. So I just have to learn how to get comfortable at one position only and work from there."

And he has been getting comfortable. He went 4-for-5 in his last game against Jamestown with three doubles, adding to his growing resume.

It’s players like Vitek that truly demonstrate the futures really being shown at Fenway.
 

If they do, make sure to check out Dan Podheiser's live blog for full coverage.

Final/6th, Jammers 7-2: And the game has been called due to the downpour that has hit Fenway Park. The loss drops the Spinners to 6-16 continuing their terrible start.

Rain Delay: The Red Sox game is on the Jumbotron as it seems they're gonna wait for the rain to pass.

Top 6th: And the grounds crew is getting to work. Waiting on word if they're calling it or if we're just going into a delay.

Top 6th, Jammers 7-2: Kang botches the play allowing Ozuna to get to first and bring in another run. Ozuna is having a day today, he's 4-4.There are now runners as at first and second with two out as what looks like tiny hail is starting to come down on Fenway. Maybe God was not too pleased with the Spinners start. In other news, it looks like a wonderful day in Toronto.

End 5th: Sanchez grounds out to end the inning. He may have wanted to wait a bit longer as the game is now official if it gets called because of the rain.

Bottom 5th: The rain is picking up as Kenneth Toves comes in to relieve Saul Gonzalez.

Bottom 5th, Jammers 6-2: And Vitek draws a walk. The pitch also manages to get by Dallas Hord bringing in a run.

Bottom 5th: Vitek's battle leaves one fan disappointed as one of his foul balls knocks the beer right out of his hand.

Bottom 5th: Vitek is giving one hell of an at-bat.He's at a 2-2 count.

Bottom 5th, Jammers 6-1: And Kang delivers! He hits a double to left bringing in a run. Newly engaged pitching coach John Birtwell comes out to talk to his pitcher as Vitek come up with runners at second and third.

Bottom 5th: Sanchez runs out an infield hit as rain begins to fall. Spinners have runners on first and second with two out for Kang.

Top 5th: The clouds are coming in on Fenway as the Jammers take the field again. It might just be mother nature that ends the Spinners day today instead of Jamestown … they hope.

End 4th, Jammers 6-0: She said yes!

Jamestown pitching coach John Birtwell proposed to his girlfriend on the field after the fourth inning, and the lucky lady accepted.

In other, less pressing news, Brandon Jacobs reached base with a two-out single, but the Spinners were unable to score.

Bottom 4th, Jammers 6-0: And the hits keep on coming for Jamestown as they tack on another run.

Top 4th: That's the day for Younginer. Charlie Rosario now comes in for the Spinners. Younginer went three innings giving up five runs, four of them earned.

Bottom 3rd, Jammers 5-0: Felix Sanchez steals second with two out with James Kang at the plate, he grounds out to third leaving Sanchez at second.

Top 3rd, Jammers 5-0: The Jammers add another run. Younginer is already up to 62 pitches for the day.

Top 3rd, Jammers 4-0: Dallas Poulk makes a diving stop at second to finish off the Spinners in order in the bottom of the second.

Top 2nd, Jammers 4-0: Ryan Fisher hit a single to left but Brandon Jacobs bobbled it getting Fisher to second. Sequoyah Stonechipher got another hit but was caught getting greedy. Fisher still managed to score.

Top 2nd, Jammers 2-0: After Younginer gave up two walks Noah Perio made him pay by sending a double to left center. Two came in to score.

End 2nd, 0-0: Saul Gonzalez strikes out Bryce Bentz. The spinners left a man stranded at third.

Top 2nd, 0-0: And Vitek strikes out. A bit of a bummer considering he had a career night last night getting four hits (three of them doubles)

12:17 p.m.: After earning a leadoff walk Felix Sanchez stole second putting him in scoring position. James Kang sacrificed him to third giving Vitek a shot to bring Sanchez in from third.

Middle 1st, 0-0: Younginer worked himself ouf of a bases loaded jam by getting Aaron Senne to pop-out. Spinners are coming up to bat.

12:07 p.m.: Younginer surrendered a leadoff double to Harold Brantley before having Noah Perio groundout. After surrendering a single to Marcell Ozuna he got Ryan Fisher to pop up to left. The Spinners almost doubled up Brantley at third but Younginer missed the tag. It's two outs with runners on the corners.

12:03 p.m.: The sky has cleared up as the Spinners take the field. A Younginer delivers the first pitch for a strike.

11:58 a.m.: The ceremonial first pitch has just been thrown and we're just about ready for baseball at Fenway.

11:45 a.m.: Here are the starting lineups for Saturday's game.

Jamestown
1. Harold Brantley, DH
2. Noah Perio, SS
3. Marcell Ozuna, RF
4. Ryan Fisher, 3B
5. Sequoyah Stonecipher, LF
6. Aaron Senne, 1B
7. Dallas Hord, C
8. Dallas Poulk, 2B
9. Brent Keys, CF
Saul Gonzalez, SP

Lowell
1. Felix Sanchez, CF
2. James Kang, 2B
3. Kolbrin Vitek, 3B
4. Bryce Brentz, RF
5. Brandon Jacobs, LF
6. Miles Head, 1B
7. David Rendroe, DH
8. Chia-Chu Chen, C
9. Joantoni Garcia, SS
Madison Younginer, SP

11:32 a.m.: Batting practice just wrapped up for the Spinners and Red Sox 2010 first round draft pick Kolbrin Vitek was talking to the media. He can't wait for the game to start so he can have his first taste of the Fenway crowd. It has to be a whirlwind couple of months for the kid who was just playing college ball with Ball State a few months ago.

11:15 a.m.: The Lowell Spinners return to Fenway Park for the fifth Futures at Fenway game against the Jamestown Jammers (Single-A Florida), and Lowell's Madison Younginer will take the hill at Fenway for the Spinners in the not-so-normal home game.

"We're all young in our careers," Spinners third baseman David Renfroe told the team's official website. "To get to play at Fenway already is pretty fun. I'm excited about it, everybody is."

On display was the upper echelon of Bruins prospects, some of whom will be in Boston in October, while others will get their first shot at pro-hockey in Providence. The rest will either go back to college or to their junior teams, with the Bruins' brass keeping an eye on their stats.

Wherever they end up in October, Bruins fans have plenty to look forward to. With that, here are the top 10 prospects coming out of camp.  

1. Tyler Seguin
This is obvious. It's almost unfair to even call Seguin a prospect at all, but, as he has been constantly reminding the Boston media, he hasn't earned his spot just yet — even if it is just a formality.

Seguin has been electrifying in development camp. He is fast, creative, and tough, and he has what could be the hardest wrist shot of all the prospects. There's not much more to say; simply wait for training camp and see how he fares against real NHL defensemen. Either way, he'll be in Prague come October.

2. Joe Colborne
This is a big summer for the former University of Denver center. He has a real shot to make the Bruins' roster out of training camp, though that may require a move to the wing.

He averaged a point per game with the Pioneers and impressed in his six games in Providence. He takes advantage of his size and has great hockey sense, but the Bruins may want him to take advantage of his good shot rather than make a pass. A move to the wing may facilitate that.

3. Jordan Caron
Caron is the other player who has a real shot at suiting up for the Bruins after training camp. In his 43 games in juniors last season, Caron racked up 26 goals and 27 assists. He played a good defensive game, too, posting a plus-25 rating for the year. Caron, who was drafted in the first round of last year's draft, is a high-energy player who can do well on the third line — think a grittier, more agitating version of Danny Briere.

4. Jared Knight
Knight flew under the radar at the draft and was a bit of a surprise to some when the Bruins picked him up with the 32nd pick. That reaction may be chalked to the fact that Knight lives with diabetes. That has not stopped Knight from living up to the Bruins' faith in him at camp. A major part of Knight's game is his speed and fearlessness, a common sight at development camp was watching Knight bolt for the net, almost taking the goalie and net with him. Top that off with a hard, fast wrist shot, and the Bruins have a Zach Parise-type player. He'll be returning to the OHL's London Knights next season, but keep him on your radar — he may be one of the Bruins' big steals.

5. Ryan Button
One of the better defensemen in the Bruins' system, the 6-foot, 185-pound member of the Price Albert Raiders (OHL) may be the coveted puck-moving offensive defenseman the Bruins have wanted so badly over the past year or two. Button is an excellent skater who has no qualms with joining the attack, but he has the wheels to get back on defense if he has to. He was one of the brighter spots on a mediocre Prince Albert squad, scoring six goals and 27 assists in 67 games last season. Like any young offensive defenseman, he needs to bulk up in order to handle the physicality of the NHL.

6. David Warsofsky
When the Bruins traded away Vladimir Sobotka for the rights to the St. Loius Blues for the Boston University defenseman, a lot of fans were not happy to see the high-energy Sobotka leave. To put it simply, they shouldn't be.

Warsofsky is a fast, smooth-skating defenseman who, above all, loves to score. He tied for the NCAA lead in shorthanded goals with four last season, finishing with a total of 12 goals and 11 assists. His game is more about challenging the puck carrier and using his speed to break away. He's going back to BU for his junior season, where he will serve as an assistant captain. He'll be working on bulking up and perfecting his angles, but the one thing that will stand out is his offensive touch. He's even got the goal celebrations to back it up.

7. Tommy Cross
A defenseman out of Boston College, Cross has a big summer ahead of him after missing a lot of time because of a bad knee. Now that he is healthy and back at development camp, he's been using his size to impress. He's a defensive defenseman who can contribute a little on the offensive side, as he recorded eight assists in his freshman year at BC. He's big and strong and can skate with the best of them, making him a good future shutdown defenseman.

8. Ryan Spooner
Another one of the B's 2010 draft picks, Spooner scored 19 goals and netted 35 assists in 47 games with the Peterborough Petes (OHL) last season. Spooner is a fast center with some grit in his game who is not afraid to get dirty when it comes to getting the puck. He also boasts a good wrist shot, giving the Bruins should another good center in their system.

9. Maxime Sauve
The Frenchman was a sensation with Val d'Or (QMJHL), where he scored 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 25 games. He then quickly racked up two goals in his first few games in Providence at the end of its season. Another scoring center, Suave does not let his lack of size stop him from doing everything he can on offense or defense. He's a good two-way player who works very hard every shift. Don't be surprised to see him called up at some point during the season to serve on an energy line.

10. Yuri Alexandrov
The Russian defenseman should have an edge over the others in that he played against men over in the KHL. Alexandrov has one of the more complete skill sets among the Bruins' defenseman prospects. Though he has not been turning many heads in camp, his play in Russia can't be ignored. He has a laser of a shot and is completely comfortable quarterbacking a power play, as well as shutting down forwards. He has quick skates and good instincts, but he needs to get some more size and, more importantly, adjust to the North American game. If he can do that he has a good shot of making the big club.