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After making history, Bianca Smith has moved on from the Red Sox

Published

2 years ago

February 8, 2024

After making history, Bianca Smith has moved on from the Red Sox

Bianca Smith made headlines when she was hired in January 2021 as the first Black woman coach in professional baseball’s history. CNN, BBC and People Magazine were among the outlets that ran stories about the newest Boston Red Sox minor league coach.

Two years later, Smith left the Red Sox organization to much less fanfare – leaving a multi-year offer on the table because she says she didn’t feel challenged.

“They wanted to send me back to rookie ball and I had no desire to be there, so I decided to take my chance,” Smith said in a phone interview with The Athletic. “Everyone I know who stays at rookie ball (for a long period of time) does so because they have families and they like the lifestyle. I was ready to travel more. My passion is (game) strategy and rookie ball is almost entirely player development.”

Smith isn’t giving up on getting back to MLB. She’s pivoting. The 31-year-old moved to Japan last summer and is coaching elementary and middle school baseball through the JET (Japanese Exchange and Teaching) program, which she called a “bucket list” item. Smith also recently accepted a job with the Great Britain women’s national baseball team and the 23 and under Great Britain baseball team.

Smith’s goal for this part of her coaching career is to be a sponge, soaking up as much information and different experiences as possible. Defensive strategies and baserunning are Smith’s passion, a style of baseball that’s more popular in Japan.

By the end of this year, she will have coached in five countries on three continents. In addition to learning Japanese, Smith is working on learning Chinese and Korean.

“Everyone (in MLB) speaks Spanish now, it almost feels like a requirement,” she said. “But how many coaches do we have who speak those languages? There are so many players coming from here, and more on the way, and all the Asian players typically have is their translators. There’s a huge focus on baserunning in Japan and I want to bring that over. It’s the idea of getting different experience and adding tools MLB doesn’t have.”

Smith made her decision to leave the Red Sox in late fall of 2022, which meant that most other teams had limited openings for the following season. Smith wasn’t surprised that she didn’t immediately land another job: The rookie-level positions are often the last ones open.

This offseason, though, was another story. Smith applied to several open positions and says she didn’t get an interview.

“That was surprising,” said Smith, who was open when she was hired by Boston that she had bigger goals: To be the first Black woman coaching in the Major Leagues.

A graduate of Dartmouth, where she was the only woman on the club softball team, Smith has two graduate degrees — one in sports business, the other in sports law. She interned with the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers and Major League Baseball and served as the assistant coach and hitting coordinator at Carroll University in Wisconsin before the Red Sox hired her.

“I don’t want to say anything bad about the Red Sox, I loved my time there, but there’s a part of me that believes if I had come in as any ethnic male I would have advanced,” Smith said. “I don’t like the attention, I try to be modest but I do realize that my resume is crazy. I had to go through a lot just to get that rookie ball job, and that’s why I was surprised that I didn’t get a team interested in talking about a position after everything I’ve done.

“Looking back, I do believe I would have had more of a chance to advance if I wasn’t a woman in the game. There could have been stuff behind the scenes that I didn’t know about. But every industry has politics to deal with. As far as on the field, I didn’t have any issues.”

The Red Sox declined to comment on specifics of Smith’s contract offer, but Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said, “Bianca ultimately decided to pursue other opportunities within baseball which we respect and (we) certainly wish her the best. During her time with the Red Sox it was exciting to see her continually grow as a staff member. She was a pleasure to work alongside.”

Even if Smith doesn’t get an offer from a pro team, she has a contract in Japan until August 2026 that affords her the opportunity to be picky about what to do next.

Smith says she no longer has dreams of being a big-league manager, and in a perfect world would prefer to be a base coach. Less attention, more strategy. Smith shied away from the blitz of media that accompanied her historic hire, and went a month and a half before making it public that she had left the Red Sox. She says she now has some regrets about that.

“I didn’t appreciate the opportunity of that attention,” said Smith, who started a blog called Go Be The First to document her adventures abroad. “I grew up with the belief that coaches should be behind the scenes, but now I do wish I had done more with (the attention) and used it as a platform. It’s not just about me not being in pro ball, it’s the fact that I was the only Black woman. And now there’s no one for Black girls to look at.

“I’ve had a chance to step back and think about what I’ve done. I kept telling people when I got the job, ‘I’m not done yet, let’s talk about it later.’ Obviously, I’m still not done, but I have done something that nobody has done before. I’ve had a couple of interviews here in Japan with different papers, that not only was I the first Black woman in MLB, but now I am in Japan coaching here. Now it’s hit me that, ‘OK, I’ve done something that’s pretty amazing.’ I can see that and still want to do more.”

Smith said she misses the players she coached and that she’s still in touch with many of them, as well as her former co-workers.

“Most of them understood and supported my decision. They know what my goals are, how ambitious I can be. Maybe (I’m) a little impatient, but I don’t have any ill will,” she said. “It’s harder to get back into pro ball than I thought it would be. But I don’t regret my decision (to leave). I think I’d be more upset in a job I was unhappy in where I’m not growing.”

(Top photo of Smith in 2021: Billie Weiss / Boston Red Sox via Getty Images)

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Sports

Sherrone Moore’s alleged mistress rips sentence that kept former Michigan coach out of jail

Published

2 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Sherrone Moore’s alleged mistress rips sentence that kept former Michigan coach out of jail

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The former Michigan staffer with whom Sherrone Moore allegedly had an inappropriate relationship that led to his firing and subsequent arrest is not thrilled that Moore seemingly got off easy.

Moore was fired for his relationship with Paige Shiver on Dec. 10. Soon after the firing, he was jailed after allegedly breaking into her house and threatening to kill himself.

Moore was sentenced to 18 months probation and ordered to pay just over $1,000 in fines, which was not enough for Shiver.

Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium Nov. 22, 2025, in College Park, Md. (Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images)

“December 10th was the most terrifying day of my life,” Shiver said in a statement after Moore’s sentencing Tuesday, via the New York Post.

“The criminal acts he committed were extremely frightening and violent. He broke into my apartment, crying, yelling, enraged and came at me with knives. I was threatened, and I feared for my life.

“Today’s sentence does not reflect the harm done to me or the objective evidence in this case.”

An Action Injury Law Group statement obtained by Fox News Channel last month claimed Shiver endured “years of manipulation, harassment and exploitation by a man who held enormous power over her professional life as the head football coach of one of the nation’s most prominent college football programs.”

Shiver’s attorneys questioned Michigan’s entire athletic program after the incident, adding their client believes “she may not be the only person who experienced inappropriate, coercive or predatory behavior from this individual.”

Former University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore is sworn in with his attorney, Ellen Michaels, before he takes a plea in front of Judge J. Cedric Simpson at the 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor March 6, 2026. (Mandi Wright/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

MICHIGAN PLAYERS FEEL ‘VERY BETRAYED’ BY SHERRONE MOORE SCANDAL, INTERIM COACH REVEALS

Moore and the alleged victim had an “intimate relationship for a number of years,” a prosecutor said during an initial hearing shortly after his arrest.

In an Ann Arbor courtroom, Moore thanked his wife, Kelli, for her support while saying he took the process “very seriously.” The judge in the case told Moore that he “take[s] her for granted.”

Prosecutors accused Moore of contacting the staffer via phone calls and texts after the breakup, prompting the woman to contact the University of Michigan and cooperate in its investigation. Moore was subsequently fired from his position as head football coach, which prosecutors said prompted him to show up at her home.

Moore then allegedly “barged” his way into the residence, grabbed a butter knife and a pair of kitchen scissors and began threatening his own life. According to prosecutors, Moore allegedly told the staffer, “My blood is on your hands” and “You ruined my life.”

Moore pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors to resolve the felony criminal case.

Moore went 16-8 as Michigan’s head coach — 8-5 in his first season and 7-3 last season. He missed a pair of games due to a suspension from a sign-stealing investigation.

Former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore listens to attorney Ellen K. Michaels during an appearance in front of Judge J. Cedric Simpson at a probable cause hearing at 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor Jan. 22, 2026 (Eric Seals/USA Today Network)

Moore replaced Jim Harbaugh after the team completed a 15-0 season en route to a national championship. Moore was the offensive coordinator of that squad.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson, Paulina Dedaj, and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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Deandre Ayton knows the Lakers need him to be his best in the playoffs

Published

3 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Deandre Ayton knows the Lakers need him to be his best in the playoffs

The last time Deandre Ayton appeared in the playoffs was in 2023, when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns and viewed in NBA circles as having the potential to be a force as a center in the league.

A lot has changed since then.

He’s on his second team since those days in Phoenix, playing two years for the Portland Trail Blazers and now the Lakers. He has been viewed by many as an inconsistent player who hasn’t reached his full potential.

Ayton has a chance to prove his worth, to show his critics he has the ability to be elite in the postseason when the Lakers open the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs Saturday against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena.

“I love playing this game and I take great passion of playing on both ends of the floor,,” Ayton said after practice Wednesday. “I still believe just being a two-way player in this league, that’s truly my second nature, and that’s how I want to be noted as in this league. It’s just being an all-around, two-way superstar. Just taking passion on both ends of the floor.

“I can play hard on offense. I can play hard on defense. So, that’s just really my goal — running the floor always and closing out possessions with rebounds and protecting the rim. So, just trying to enhance everything I can coming into the playoffs.”

Ayton averaged career lows in points (12.5), rebounds (8.0) and minutes (27.2) this season. But he did play a career-high 72 games and shot a career-best 67.1% from the field.

In the three seasons Ayton reached the playoffs with the Suns, he was a double-double machine, averaging 15.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in 45 postseason games.

The Lakers will need that version of Ayton, especially with star guards Luka Doncic (hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (oblique strain) out indefinitely.

“I’ve shown it,” Ayton said. “So, it’s just me accepting the role I’m in and playing hard as hell in that role. That’s about it. Every night.”

In seven seasons before he arrived in Los Angeles, Ayton averaged a double-double. When the Lakers signed him to a two-year, $16-million deal with a player option, they hoped to get that Ayton.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton deflects a shot by Nets guard Nolan Traore last month at Crypto.com Arena.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“The whole season for him has been about finding consistency,” coach JJ Redick said. “When he’s at his best, we’re an elite basketball team. That’s just the reality. He raises our ceiling so much — and it’s on both sides of the ball. It’s not him being able to score 24 points, although when he scores and shoots, we typically win. … He’s just a really good basketball player and we’re very happy with where he’s at.”

Ayton was asked to evaluate his season.

“I was challenged a lot this season and I feel like I embraced everything that was thrown at me,” he said. “It took some time, but I eventually got control of everything. And I think I got a hang of it and I like it. I got the guys on the team that helped me embrace everything that’s going on.

“And just things we have going, with the dilemmas and the injuries, I feel like we’ve been through this the whole year. Just guys going out and guys having big games. And we’re the team where you don’t know who’s gonna have the 30 points, or this or that. We’re just going to play hard and just play together.”

Ayton will have his hands full with Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds.

“It’s the postseason, you know?” Ayton said. “It’s called mano y mano and it’s not always Xs, and O’s. You got to stop the man and guard your yard.”

When the Suns reached the 2021 Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, there were times when Ayton was considered the second-best player on his team. Over six games he averaged 14.7 points and 12 rebounds and shot 53.1% from the field.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series for the Lakers is on the horizon, and Ayton is excited to show what he has to offer now that he’s back in the playoffs.

“Almost speechless, especially being on this side of town now, you know, playing in L.A. when I was on the other side,” he said. “This place can get pretty loud. And I’m still trying to just go home and embrace everything. I know we haven’t ramped up yet, but coming out of these practices, JJ gives you so much. And you have to dissect it sometimes, and you’re thinking about the environment, you think about the fans, thinking about the first game as a Laker in the playoffs.

“So, I just try to find some time to catch myself and gather and just just relax. I’ve been here before, but I am truly excited. I want to do backflips. I’m in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins.”

Sports

FIFA to implement tailgating ban at several major US World Cup venues: reports

Published

14 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

FIFA to implement tailgating ban at several major US World Cup venues: reports

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In just over two months, soccer fans will descend on stadiums across North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But those thousands of fans won’t get to take part in a long-running pregame tradition — at least at the venues located in the U.S.

FIFA is set to ban pregame tailgating at U.S. stadiums during the tournament, according to multiple reports Tuesday. NFL venues such as Arrowhead Stadium, Gillette Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field, among others, were listed as host sites where fans will not be allowed to tailgate this summer.

It was not immediately clear what led to the decision or why it is being introduced.

A general view shows the empty parking lot at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sept. 14, 2020, as no fans were allowed at the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. (Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports)

The governing body and tournament organizer may be aiming to prevent crowd-control issues similar to those that surfaced when Copa América was held in Miami. Large gatherings outside stadium entry gates fueled logistical hurdles.

Tailgating has long been synonymous with American sports culture, giving fans a budget-friendly way to enjoy the game-day atmosphere.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PRICES HIT ABSURD LEVELS FOR WORLD CUP GAMES: REPORT

But with that option gone, fans may encounter a very different pregame scene this summer. While FIFA will oversee venues during the tournament, the atmosphere outside them could ultimately prove more challenging to manage.

Real Madrid fans tailgate outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, before the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final match against Paris Saint-Germain on July 9, 2025. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The move to outlaw tailgating comes as several host cities adjust transportation plans to ease traffic flow around World Cup venues. Fans attending matches at MetLife Stadium in the New York area will not be able to park in the stadium’s usual gameday lots.

Fans of Real Madrid tailgate in a parking lot outside Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match against FC Red Bull Salzburg on June 26, 2025. (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images)

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Public transportation is expected to be the primary alternative, though travelers may face higher fares to cross state lines. New Jersey Transit could charge more than $100 for round-trip service to MetLife Stadium during games, The Athletic reported.

On a typical day, the 18-mile commute commands a fare of less than $13.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.