Chris Cote Back On Dan Le Batard Show

     Chris Cote is back on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. Le Batard said that he will pay Cote out of his own pocket for him to return to the program. 

     Cote was released by ESPN last week from his position as a producer/on-air commentator on the Dan Le Batard Show. Dan Le Batard was never notified by ESPN of this decision. There has been a large public response toward ESPN for letting go Cote.  

Don Mattingly Manager Of The Year

     Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly has been named the National League Manager of the Year by the BBWAA. He is the third manager in Marlins history to receive that honor. Jack McKeon won it in 2003 and Joe Girardi got it in 2006 when the club was known as the Florida Marlins. 

     He became the fifth person in Major League Baseball history to be voted Most Valuable Player and Manager of the Year joining Frank Robinson, Joe Torre, Don Baylor and Kirk Gibson.  

     Mattingly was named the Marlins manager back in 2016 and led them to a 31-29 record during the 2020 regular season. He helped the club reach the postseason for the first time since 2003 and the third time in franchise history. They knocked off the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Playoff Series and were swept by the the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Playoff Series. 

Florida State League Moving To Low-A Baseball

     The Florida State League will be moving their status from high Single-A baseball to low Single-A baseball for the 2021 season. It is part of a new designation system set up by Major League Baseball as they take over Minor League Baseball operations. 

     It will effect several minor league teams based in South Florida. They include the Jupiter Hammerheads(Miami Marlins), Palm Beach Cardinals(St. Louis Cardinals) and the St. Lucie Mets(New York Mets). All these clubs will now have low Single-A baseball status.

NBA Sets 2020-21 Season Calendar

     The National Basketball Association has set dates for the 2020-21 calendar year. They also set up parameters for the salary cap and player salaries. 

     The 2020-21 season will begin on December 22 and all 30 NBA teams will play in 72 games to satisfy being paid by all regional cable networks for their television rights. 

     The salary cap for the upcoming season will be the same as last season with a $109,140, 000 salary cap and a $132, 627, 000 luxury tax threshold. The lowest yearly salary for a rookie player with no years of experience will be $898,310 while the maximum salary for a player with five years or less left on their contract is $29,467, 800. 

     The NBA Draft will be held on November 18. The NBA free agency period starts on November 20 with a moratorium and signing can be announced as of November 22. 

Mark Jones Sacramento Kings Television Voice

     Mark Jones has been named the new television play-by-play announcer of the Sacramento Kings on NBC Sports California. Jones has worked as an ESPN play-by-play announcer of college football, college basketball, NBA and WNBA games for 30 years and will still continue to work there. 

     Jones appeared on Miami Heat television broadcasts for three seasons from 2000-01 to 2002-03. He worked as a studio host for broadcasts on Sunshine Network, WBFS-TV Channel 33 and WFOR-TV Channel 4. Jason Jackson took over his television studio host role in 2003-04 and has maintained that position for the past 17 years. 

Ulf Samuelsson New Panthers Assistant Coach

     The Florida Panthers have named Ulf Samuelsson as an assistant coach. He will be on the Panthers bench alongside head coach Joel Quenneville. 

     Samuelsson had previously worked under Quenneville with the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant coach from 2017-18 to 2018-19. They were teammates with the Hartford Whalers for six seasons from 1984-85 until 1989-90. Samuelsson won two Stanley Cup titles while with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. 

     He did work as an assistant coach in the National Hockey League going back to the 2006-07 season. Samuelsson had stints with the Phoenix Coyotes and the New York Rangers. 

Chris Cote No Longer At ESPN

     Chris Cote is no longer employed with ESPN due to their job cuts implemented by that organization last week. He was a producer/on-air contributor of the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on ESPN Radio and simulcast on numerous ESPN television stations over the last five years. 

     Cote, son of longtime Miami Herald sports columnist Greg Cote, was also heard on several different podcasts. He was part of a group of people behind the scenes on the Dan Le Batard Show named The Shipping Container. Cote will continue as the producer of the Greg Cote Show podcast on the Miami Herald website.