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The Indianapolis Clowns selected former 11-year major leaguer and 2018 World Series champion Jackie Bradley Jr. with the first pick in the inaugural Banana Ball player draft Thursday night, making him the first former MLB player to commit to participate full time in Banana Ball.

The former Boston Red Sox outfielder, an All-Star in 2016 and Golden Glove winner in 2018, told ESPN that his decision to play Banana Ball came together “days ago.”

With his oldest daughter being a big fan of Banana Ball, Bradley made an appearance for the Savannah Bananas during a July game at Fenway Park. He called it a great appearance that ultimately led Jesse Cole, founder of Banana Ball, to reach out to him about joining the Clowns.

The Clowns have a rich history, serving as the Negro Leagues’ version of the Harlem Globetrotters as an exhibition team and signing Hank Aaron to his first professional contract. They were also one of the first teams to roster women, such as Mamie Johnson, Toni Stone and Connie Morgan.

The team launched in 1935, was eventually disbanded in 1989, and had been inactive until Cole announced in October that it would be part of the inaugural 60-game season of the Banana Ball Championship League in 2026. Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, said last month that the partnership between the league and museum is “a tremendous opportunity, to not only entertain, but educate fans about the rich history of the Negro Leagues while paying homage to the team that helped influence Banana Ball.”

Bradley emphasized the Clowns’ role in “bridging pre-integration Black baseball to the modern baseball.” He called it a perfect fit to join them, saying he wants to help grow the game — and hopes his legacy is tied to being part of the club.

“I feel like this was another opportunity to not only the league, but to be able to help the people behind me to … hopefully, catapult other African American ballplayers to want to play the game,” Bradley told ESPN.

The 2018 American League Championship Series MVP also revealed to ESPN that he’s not ruling out a return to MLB. He last appeared in the majors in 2023 with the Kansas City Royals.

“If there’s an opportunity [to go back to the majors], I would obviously weigh that. If that’s for my family, then I’m not going to rule out any opportunities,” he said. “But it’s not something that I’m striving for. I’m very content with how my career has unfolded. I’ve been truly blessed. I’m just enjoying the moment.”

Bradley said he liked to “be present where my feet are,” and that joining the Clowns was an opportunity he wouldn’t pass up. He represents a certain flair and fun on the field while still being able to play at a high level, Cole explained.

Bradley’s full-time participation also could mark the beginning of a new era of Banana Ball. Former MLB players have previously played in Banana Ball games, most notably pitcher Roger Clemens appeared in March 2024 and Johnny Damon in July.

“If there’s players at the end of their career that want to just go and maybe play 60 games instead of 160 and play at sold-out stadiums and really just have a lot of fun while doing it, I think this could be something that would be a viable option,” Cole told ESPN. “Jackie’s a trendsetter, and I think he’s going to set the tone for maybe giving some other players at the end of their careers another option.”

However, Bradley said he doesn’t envision this as a farewell tour.

He says he sees this as hopefully being something that can carry on after his initial participation. He acknowledged that “it all has to come to an end at some point,” but he finds ways to cherish the moments — good and bad — of playing baseball.

The evolution of Banana Ball has been rapid since 2022 and is only growing, with the Banana Ball Championship League set to play in front of 3.2 million fans next year.

Bradley’s involvement is just another step up the ladder.

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Ex-‘Last Chance U’ coach shot on Oakland campus

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Ex-'Last Chance U' coach shot on Oakland campus

A senior member of the athletics staff at a community college in Oakland, California, was shot on campus Thursday, the second time in two days the city has had a shooting at a local school.

The Oakland Police Department said it was investigating the shooting that occurred just before noon at Laney College, where officers arrived to find a man with gunshot wounds. The victim was taken to a hospital and his condition was unknown.

The man later was identified as John Beam, the current athletic director and former head coach of the Laney football team. Beam and the Laney Eagles were featured in the 2020 season of the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U.” The docuseries focused on athletes at junior colleges looking to turn around their lives.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said she was “heartbroken” by “the second shooting on an Oakland campus in one week.”

“My thoughts are with Coach John Beam and his loved ones. We are praying for him,” Lee said in a prepared statement. “Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people. For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family.”

Lee added: “We are standing together, praying for Coach Beam and his loved ones.”

Thursday’s incident came a day after a student was shot at Oakland’s Skyline High School. The student was in stable condition. Police said they arrested two juveniles and recovered two firearms.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Colorado AD will step down, take advisory role

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Colorado AD will step down, take advisory role

Colorado athletics director Rick George will step down from his role at the end of the academic year and become a special advisor to the chancellor, the school announced Thursday.

George has been the AD in Boulder since 2013, returning to the school where he once served on legendary football coach Bill McCartney’s staff as the recruiting coordinator and assistant athletic director for football operations. This coincided with Colorado’s only national title in 1990.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Athletic Director for the University of Colorado for the last 13 years, but after considerable thought and discussions with my family dating back to last spring, I have decided it is time for new leadership to guide the department,” said George. “I wanted to make this announcement now in order to give Chancellor Schwartz plenty of time to find the right person for Colorado, and I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure a smooth transition.

“I also wanted to time my announcement so that I could support Coach Prime and our football team this season, which I’m looking forward to continuing in my new role.”

During his tenure as athletics director, George oversaw the development of a new athletics building attached to Folsom Field and was named the Athletic Director of the year in 2023-24 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

His time as AD will perhaps be most remembered by his hiring of Deion Sanders as football coach, which generated significant national interest in Colorado football. He also returned Colorado to the Big 12, which represented a significant domino in the collapse of the Pac-12 following UCLA and USC’s departures for the Big Ten.

George also spent time as a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and served on the Division I Council.

“Rick’s contributions to our university in his 13 years as head of our athletic department have been incalculable,” Chancellor Justin Schwartz said. “He is a nationally respected leader who has always kept CU at the forefront of the dynamic and highly competitive landscape of college athletics. I am grateful for his leadership and am elated he has decided to stay on as a Special Advisor and AD Emeritus.”

Prior to becoming AD, George was the Chief Operating Officer for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball.

The school did not announce a timeline for hiring a replacement.

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Yurachek replaces Rhoades as new CFP chair

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Yurachek replaces Rhoades as new CFP chair

The College Football Playoff management committee has formally approved the return of Utah athletic director Mark Harlan to its selection committee and named current committee member and Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek its new chair, the CFP announced on Thursday.

The moves come hours after Baylor athletic director and selection committee chair Mack Rhoades took a leave of absence from his job for personal reasons amid a university investigation.

“We are deeply appreciative of Mack Rhoades’ leadership and service as chair of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee this season,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a news release. “Mack has informed us of his decision to step down for personal reasons, and our thoughts are with him and his family during this time. We are pleased to announce that Hunter Yurachek will assume the role of Selection Committee Chair, effective immediately. Hunter’s experience, integrity, and commitment to the game make him exceptionally well-suited to lead the committee as it continues its important work throughout the remainder of the season.”

Harlan previously served a one-year term during the 2023 season. The CFP typically requires athletic directors on the selection committee to be active, “sitting” athletic directors. Because Rhoades was the Big 12’s nomination, he was replaced by a Big 12 athletic director. The 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua unanimously agreed to the changes.

Harlan is not the only committee member in his second stint with the group, as former Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long – also the CFP’s inaugural chairman – is participating again this season. The 12-person group was already one member short this season after committee member Randall McDaniel also stepped away last month for personal reasons.

Rhoades told ESPN on Thursday that he initiated the leave from his Baylor role but declined to explain why.

Baylor told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg that the university received allegations involving Rhoades on Monday. The allegations do not involve Title IX, student welfare or NCAA rules and do not involve the football program, indicating it is a separate incident from Rhoades’ alleged altercation with a football player during a September game.

Jovan Overshown and Cody Hall will serve as Baylor’s co-interim athletic directors, a school spokesman told Rittenberg. Overshown is the school’s deputy athletic director and chief operating officer, and Hall is Baylor’s executive senior associate athletic director for internal administration and chief financial officer.

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