Tampa Bay Rays' Luke Scott signs with Korean baseball team

The SK Wyverns announced Thursday they've signed Major League Baseball veteran Luke Scott to a one-year contract.

The Incheon-based Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team said they inked the 35-year-old veteran for US$250,000, along with a signing bonus of $50,000.

Scott made his big league debut with the Houston Astros in 2005 and most recently played with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013.

He batted .241 with nine home runs and 40 RBIs in 91 games. For his nine-year career, Scott has hit 135 homers with a .258 batting average in 889 games.

He hit more than 20 homers in three straight seasons starting in 2008, all with the Baltimore Orioles.

Scott is the first foreign player to join the KBO with more than 100 career MLB home runs.

The Wyverns said Scott, along with extra-base power, has a good eye at the plate and has the ability to get on base. He has a career on-base percentage of .340.

Scott has played all three outfield positions and first base over his career.

Last week, the KBO decided to add an extra roster spot for foreign players on each team. Teams can now acquire up to three players from overseas, with two of them able to play at the same time. The two expansion teams, the NC Dinos and the KT Wiz, can have a maximum of four foreign players on their active rosters for their first two KBO seasons.

The Wyverns have now filled up their quota of three foreign players. They've retained left-handed starter Jo-Jo Reyes from last season and signed right-hander Ross Wolf to replace the departing southpaw Chris Seddon.

Lions players support coach Jim Schwartz

After seemingly having the NFC North division title firmly in their grasp the Detroit Lions are seeing their season slip away.

After being in control of the division with a 6-3 record with a sweep of the Chicago Bears, the Lions have dropped three of four and now sit in third place in the division at 7-7. The slump has put pressure on head coach Jim Schwartz to right the ship and get the Lions to the playoffs or risk being fired. Despite the Schwartz fielding questions about his job security the Lions players have came out and voiced support for the embattled coach.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was vocal about how he felt about Schwartz and the team.

 “Am I playing for Jim’s job? I think that’s a part of it,” Suh said today. “I’m sure everybody wants to win — the owners expect winning — but most importantly, you’ve got to play for winning, play to have a hunger to want to be a winner, and that’s what I play for.

“Obviously, I don’t want that coach to go anywhere. I love his scheme, love the way things go, but I don’t think that has to do with anything right now. What we need to do is focus on getting these next two wins and, most importantly, we got to go and take care of business at home against the New York Giants.”

Maybe he doesn't want Schwartz to go because he never disciplines him when he does anything wrong. Maybe a coach that would come in and be hard on him and make him accountable is something he might not like.

Nate Burleson knows that it's the players that ultimately decide games but coaches always pay the price.

“You look at all the losses we’ve had, it’s came down to plays we didn’t make,” receiver Nate Burleson said. “It seems like there’s always a point in the game where we have a chance to extend the lead or put ourselves in position to control the rest of the game, and we don’t do that, so we can’t look further than the guys wearing the jerseys.

“Maybe it’s just older guys talking; we want to shoulder the responsibility anyway. I think that’s the best way to look at it anyway. The coward’s way out is trying to point the finger in other directions. So if anybody wants to give criticism, give it to the players, not the coaches. They don’t suit up. They make the calls that put us in the position to be successful, and we’ve got to capitalize and make those plays happen.”

Correct Nate, but when it's third and short Schwartz shouldn't be cosigning play calla that have an empty backfield and shotgun formations. That's why fans and media always jump on the coach.

The Lions have a chance to stop the bleeding as they will face the reeling New York Giants on Sunday. the way things are going for the Lions this game won't be a gimme. They'll be favored but with both teams struggling something will have to give. The Lions still have a shot at the division crown but will need help by the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers and they'll have to take care of business themsleves.  

 “We let go of an opportunity to put these other teams away,” Suh said. “We opened the door back for them. We still have an opportunity to take care of business, and it’s most important that we do our part, or none of it matters. And that’s what we’ve yet to do, to this point, is do our part and close the door. So now we’ve let a bunch of ants in the house and now you’ve got to go get an exterminator to get them out.”

Time for the Lions to put up or shut up.

"It Girl" of the week: Katherine Barbery

The Just Sports & Just Us "It Girl" of the week is Katherine Barbery.

Rutgers lands ex-Georgetown player Greg Whittington

If you ask me Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan will need all the help he can get as he navigates the Scarlet Knights into the Big Ten next season.

While Jordan has done respectable on the recruiting trail he's going to need to lure some upper echelon talent to compete with the Ohio State's, Wisconsin's, and Indiana's of the world. Today Jordan landed a high major talent that can help his program.

Ex-Georgetown Hoya Greg Whittington announced that he would be transferring to Rutgers.

Whittington was dismissed from the Georgetown program over the Thanksgiving weekend. Last season Whittington missed the final 13 games of the season due to academic trouble. During the summer he tore his ACL and had no return scheduled.

Whittington had been recruited by Memphis, Nebraska, South Carolina and Oregon as he was a highly sought after transefer. If he is healthy, he can be an impact player for the Scarlet Knights.  He averaged 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds during the 2012-2013 season.

Rockets might have "deal in place" for Omer Asik

When the Houston Rockets signed Dwight Howard I'm pretty sure Rockets coach Kevin McHale envisioned a twin towers lineup when he wanted to play big.

It was only a dream because Omer Asik begged to be traded and general manager Daryl Morey has been trying to find a place for him ever since.

Morey has taken his time to find the right deal and now it seems like the might have one in place.

USA Today's Sam Amick has reported that there may be a trade on the horizon involving the Philadelphia 76ers and the Rockets that could go down by next Thursday.

Asik might be the player involved on the Houston side but the speculation on the Philly side might be that Thaddeus Young or Spencer Hawes could be moved to Houston. Amick says that Morey is holding off on pulling the trigger to see if he can get a better.

Right now this is just all speculation but where there's smoke, there's fire and Morey is never afraid to deal if he can find a good partner.

Los Angeles Lakers show interest in Knicks' Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler

With Pau Gasol struggling again and their backcourt hit by the injury bug, the Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly called the New York Knicks about possible reinforcements.

ESPN's Chris Broussard reported that the Lakers have inquired about Knicks guard Iman Shumpert and center Tyson Chandler.

Shumpert has been getting the cold shoulder from the Knicks after enjoying a solid season last year. With the Lakers short on point guards and Kobe Bryant playing with the ball in his hands a little more, the Lakers are looking to Shumpert to help hold the fort until Jordan Farmar, Steve Blake, or Steve Nash comes back.  

The Denver Nuggets and Tornto raptors have also been discussed as possible trade partners for Shumpert.

As far as Chandler goes, the Knicks say they aren't willing to move him but anything is possible, especially of they find a sweetheart of a deal. Why the Lakers would want to take on Chandler's contract and his health concerns are beyond me, unless they would take on Gasol.

Report: Kyle Shanahan to leave Redskins, split from his dad

It's always a a nice, warm story when a father and son team up as coaches and try to make it to the mountaintop. That's how some might have thought when Kyle Shanahan became the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins and join his dad Mike on the sidelines.

Apparently the arrangement will be coming to an end.

The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Shanahan has “decided it is no longer worth it to work with his father” and will attempt to blaze his own trail after four years with the Redskins.Shanahan spent two seasons as offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans before joining the Redskins in 2010.

This latest look into Washington’s implosion came shortly after CBS’ Jason La Canfora reported that many within the organization actually pin much of the blame for this 3-10 season on Kyle Shanahan’s relationships with Mike Shanahan and Robert Griffin III.

Conversations with several people within the organization have revealed a similar perception of Kyle Shanahan as someone who was empowered and enabled by his father, spending an abundance of time in his father's office, given a wide swath of power, and rubbing many people -- players, fellow coaches and members of football operations -- the wrong way. At the same time, Kyle Shanahan has been the most heavily rewarded of the team's assistant coaches, as team sources said the two-year extension Shanahan earned following the playoff run in 2012 will pay him $1.5M in 2014 alone. That's money he's almost certain to collect away from the team, with this regime widely expected to be fired after this season.

“Kyle is the head coach, it's just that no one knows he is,” said one member of the organization. “He gets whatever he wants. And he has no relationship at all with (quarterback Robert Griffin II). So how could it work?”

Although this is a surprise, Kyle wasn't pleased when starting quarterback, Robert Griffin III, was shutdown for the last three games of the season in favor of Kirk Cousins.

Kyle had a decent run in Houston so it's possible that he could co elsewhere and succeed, but he'll have to do it without any of his father's connections (Gary Kubiak in Houston).