Heat Challenge Nuggets

     The Miami Heat host the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at Kaseya Center. It is a rematch of the 2023 NBA Finals. 

Jorge Alfaro Lands With Brewers

     Former Miami Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro will be joining the Milwaukee. He will be signing a minor contract with them. He was released prior to the 2024 regular season by the Chicago Cubs.

     Alfaro participated with Miami for three seasons from 2019 to 2021. He chalked up a .252 batting average with 25 home runs and 103 runs batted in during his 253 games with the Marlins. 

Ichiro Suzuki Japanese Baseball Hall Of Fame

     Former Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame on Thursday. He is expected to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown next week. 

     Ichiro played the beginning of his professional baseball career in Japan. He joined the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and was named the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. Ichiro helped them set an American League record with most wins in a season. 

     He dealt to the New York Yankees in 2012. Ichiro would then play three seasons with the Marlins from 2015 to 2017. He finished his MLB career with the Mariners in 2019. 

Bob Uecker Passes Away

     Longtime baseball play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker passed away on Thursday at the age of 81. He was the radio and television voice of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1971 to 2014. 

     Uecker had a local South Florida connection. He was the NBC television game analyst when the Marlins franchise won their first World Series title in 1997. Uecker worked the World Series in a three-man broadcast booth that year with play-by-play announcer Bob Costas and game analyst Joe Morgan. He received the Ford C. Frick Award in 2003 from the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Red Wings Occupy Panthers

     The Detroit Red Wings exposed the Florida Panthers 5-2 at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night. The Cats recently played four of their past five games on the road prior to this contest. 

     The Panthers now have a 5-6-1 record in their past 12 contests. The Red Wings improved to 8-2-0 since Todd McClellan took over as their head coach. Former Panthers player Vladimir Tarasenko made his first appearance in Sunrise since capturing the Stanley Cup last June. 

     Detroit(21-19-4) skated out to a 1-0 lead with the man advantage at the 8:48 mark of the first period. Tarasenko angled a pass from the right wing and Erik Gustafsson made a left-outlet pass from the top of the zone. Jonatan Berggren released a wrist shot from the left circle past Sergei Bobrovsky for his seventh tally of the year. 

     Florida(26-17-3) responded and tied it 1-1 with 8:59 remaining in the first. Dmitry Kulikov passed the puck from the right point. Carter Verhaeghe took a shot from the right circle which was saved by Cam Talbot. Anton Lundell collected his 10th goal of the campaign as he steered it in from the left side of the crease. 

     In the second period, the Red Wings made it 2-1 at 7:52 on the power play. Alex DeBrincat sent a cross-ice pass from the left circle to Patrick Kane in the right circle. He centered it to the crease area and Dylan Larkin guided the puck in with a forehand shot for his 19th goal this season. 

     It became 2-2 as the Panthers answered by 29 seconds later. Mackie Samoskevich connected a pass from the left wing and Evan Rodrigues snapped a shot from the inner right circle for his ninth goal of the campaign.

     The Red Wings reclaimed the lead 3-2 on the power play with 6:16 left in the second. Mo Seider made a square pass from the top of the zone to Mo Seider on the left point. He pushed a diagonal pass to his right and Kane rifled a wrist shot from the right-circle dot for his 11th goal this season. 

     Detroit increased their lead to 4-2 with 4:19 to go in the period. Larkin got to a loose puck at the Cats blue line. Marco Kasper would fire a snap shot from the high slot for his fifth goal in 2024-25. The Panthers replaced Bobrovsky in net with Spencer Knight following the tally. 

     The Cats pulled their goalie with over three minutes remaining for an extra attacker. The Red Wings expanded it to 5-2 when Larkin got an empty-net goal for his 20th goal of the season with 1:22 left. 

Marlins Acquire Will Kempner

     The San Francisco Giants have traded pitcher Will Kempner to the Miami Marlins. He did not play in 2024 due to a broken foot. 

     Kempner was selected in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He did get to participate in one game during 2023 for the Giants Double-A affiliate in Richmond. 

Tiger Woods Begins In TGL Golf

     The new TGL professional golf league started on January 7 in Palm Beach County. The organization launched in the SoFi Center indoor venue on the Palm Beach State campus in Palm Beach Gardens. All matchups of the two-month season consisting of six different teams will be held on Monday and Tuesday nights in the same location. 

     Well-known championship golfers will play in the venture. Tiger Woods leads Jupiter Links GC, Rory McIlroy represents the Boston Common Golf, Justin Rose plays for Los Angeles Golf Club, Rickie Fowler is with New York Golf Club, Justin Thomas competes for Atlanta Drive GC and Shane Lowry is a part of The Bay Area Club. 

     Woods and his four-member team Jupiter Links GC made their debut last night. They were dominated by Los Angeles Golf Club 12-1.