First Call: Antonio Brown avoids arrest on child support charge; former Pitt AD Scott Barnes hospitalized

Monday’s “First Call” recaps an eventful week for former Steelers receiver Antonio Brown. Former Pitt Athletic Director Scott Barnes is recovering from a medical event in California. The Pirates were the beneficiaries of a huge inning from a Red Sox rookie. And an ex-Penguin is still showing some scoring touch in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Paying up

Mr. Big Chest has paid his big bill.

According to the New York Daily News, former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown went on Instagram with a receipt for $33,260.58. That was the amount he allegedly owed in child support payments (plus service fees) to his ex-girlfriend in Florida, Wiltrice Jackson, with whom he shares a daughter.

A judge in Miami-Dade County, Fla. issued an order for police to arrest Brown over the child support payments. But Brown was not taken into custody. As the Daily News added, Jackson had also accused Brown of shoving her during a domestic dispute in 2019, but he was never charged.

A.B. is now part owner of the Albany Empire, a National Arena League football team. As TMZ reported last week, Brown got into a heated discussion with a security guard at halftime of the season-opening game.

Health scare for former Pitt AD

Oregon State Athletic Director Scott Barnes was hospitalized in Fresno, Calif., over the weekend. A former Fresno State Bulldogs basketball player, Barnes was at his alma mater to receive an alumni award.

Barnes, 60, was Pitt athletic director from 2015-17. Prior to his stop in Oakland, Barnes was at Utah State. Via the Associated Press, Oregon State said Barnes was in stable condition at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno on Sunday after experiencing what the school called a medical event while attending the awards ceremony the night before.

“Scott Barnes is a dear friend, trusted colleague and an incredibly loved man across the Oregon State and Pac-12 families and the entire college sports community,” the Pac-12 said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with Scott and his family at this time.”

Barnes has been OSU’s athletic director since 2017.

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Fine Freddy

Former Pittsburgh Penguin Frederick Gaudreau chipped in again for the Minnesota Wild during their playoff game against Dallas Stars on Sunday.

After scoring in Game 2, Gaudreau found the back of the net again for Minnesota during Game 4.

Frédérick Gaudreau tucks the rebound past Oettinger to bring the Wild back within one with 1:20 to go!#mnwild pic.twitter.com/NY0FZbuwDN

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 24, 2023

That goal gave the Wild some life as it pulled them within one late in the third period. But the Stars held on to win 3-2. That result evened the first-round playoff series at 2-2.

Another former Penguins prospect, Filip Gustavsson, took the loss in net for Minnesota. He allowed three goals on 24 shots.

Not often you see it

A rarity happened during the Brewers-Red Sox game in Milwaukee on Sunday. And the Pirates were certainly happy that it transpired.

As part of a 12-5 win, Boston put up nine runs in the eighth inning. Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida homered twice in the same frame. The first long ball of the game gave the Red Sox the lead. The second was a grand slam.

Masataka Yoshida's go-ahead homer puts the @RedSox on top! pic.twitter.com/o9iuZnUxhK

— MLB (@MLB) April 23, 2023

Masataka Yoshida's second homer of the inning was SLAMMED to right! ???? pic.twitter.com/ySDpYYy01V

— MLB (@MLB) April 23, 2023

Via ESPN Stats and Info, Yoshida is the fourth rookie in MLB history to hit two home runs in an inning and the first since Joe Pepitone did so for the New York Yankees in 1962. He became the first Red Sox player to go deep twice in one inning since Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz in August 2008.

The loss by Milwaukee, combined with the Pirtaes’ 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at PNC Park, allowed the Pirates to grab first place in the National League Central Division.