The 2020 Copa America will mark a tournament revamp, with six teams beginning the campaign in a north zone in Colombia and six playing in a south zone in co-hosts Argentina, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said on Wednesday.

Argentina will be in the southern group, alongside Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and an as yet undisclosed guest.

Brazil will feature in the northern group with Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and another invited nation.

The teams will play each other once in their groups, and the top four sides in each group will then qualify for the quarterfinals. The final is to be played in Argentina.

The changes are part of a widespread attempt to revitalise South American club and international competitions and bring them more into line with Europe.

CONMEBOL have abandoned their six-decades long tradition of playing the Copa Libertadores final on a home-and-away basis, and will this year play the final at a neutral ground for the first time, much like the Champions League.

Next year's Copa America will be the fourth in six years. Officials want the tournament to be played at the same time as the European Championship, Europe's equivalent.

Big picture

King's XI Punjab return to a venue where KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya brought the jersey swapping ritual to a cricket field. Before that game, Kings XI were in control of their own fate, but defeat that night meant they fell into the proverbial lottery of the IPL, having to depend on other teams to ensure progress into the playoffs.

The Wankhede stadium itself can be quite a lottery, exemplified by Mumbai Indians' inconsistent record here. Since last year, they have won only four out of nine matches in Mumbai.

Both teams beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous fixtures, but where Mumbai wrought a comeback out of thin air, Kings XI nearly did the opposite, before Rahul held his nerve to take his team home.

After battling form for most of last year in India colours and losing his place in the Test and ODI set-ups, Rahul has emerged as King's XI's highest run-getter this season. Furthermore, he averages an incredible 94.5 against Mumbai playing for Kings XI.

But while the visitors can celebrate the form of their top order, a largely untested middle order will be a worry. Their other concern at a high scoring venue where the fingerspin of R Ashwin - their highest wicket-taker so far - might be nullified by the conditions, is the lack of a sixth bowling option. David Miller loyalists since 2012, will Kings XI leave him out for Moises Henriques to attain the desirable balance for the venue?

Conversely, Mumbai are so well balanced that they are often accused of not utilising some of their players. So far, their middle order has come to the fore, as has their bowling. The openers are yet to fire, but perhaps it's an ominous sign for oppositions that Mumbai are healthily placed in the table without a major contribution from Rohit Sharma or Quinton de Kock.

In the news

Lasith Malinga continues to live two lives. Having led his side Galle to a win in the Super Four Provincial Limited Over Tournament three days back, Malinga was back training at the Wankhede on the eve of the match. A little snag: his replacement Alzarri Joseph produced the best bowling figures in IPL history on debut in the last match. As a result, Malinga's mere availability is unlikely to guarantee him a place in the XI.

Previous meeting

Mumbai faltered with the bat towards the end in Mohali, managing just 56 runs in the last seven overs, despite wickets in hand. On a flat pitch, their eventual total of 176 was gunned down by a strong top-order performance which included forties from Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal - the player of the match - and an unbeaten 71 from KL Rahul.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Rahul Chahar, Alzarri Joseph, Jasprit Bumrah, Jason Behrendorff

Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller/Moises Henriques, Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb ur Rahaman, Ankit Rajpoot

Strategy punt

• R Ashwin has been flexible with his own introduction into the attack. During the last match at home, he came on once the field was spread. But he faces a curious dilemma in Mumbai, where dew could play a part. If it does, he may want to get some tight overs out of the way with the new ball, a move also merited by the presence of the left-handed de Kock. But if they stick with Mujeeb ur Rahman in the XI, then the Afghan can get the Powerplay out of the way, and Ashwin can target coming on during the middle overs, in particular to have a crack at Kieron Pollard, whom he has dismissed four times in 39 balls, going at a little more than seven an over.

• Contrary to conventional wisdom, Mumbai Indians have a far better record defending totals at home in the last two years, than chasing them. They have won five of the eight times they have batted first at the Wankhede in the last two years, as opposed to suffering five losses in the nine matches they have chased in this period. Will they stick to their strength or let the reputation of the venue for being a tough defending ground, dictate terms?

Stats that matter

• Of all the bowlers to have bowled 90 or more balls to Rohit Sharma in T20s, Ashwin (and Piyush Chawla) has dismissed him the least number of times: one. While he has taken Chawla for 146 in the 113 balls he has faced from the leggie, against Ashwin, Rohit has been watchful, explained by a strike-rate well under a hundred. In fact, among all bowlers to have bowled 50 or more balls to Rohit, Ashwin has the best economy rate of 5.12, having conceded just 82 from 96 balls.

• Even though both Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga have kept Chris Gayle tied down, they have collectively dismissed him only thrice in 147 balls. Curiously, Ben Cutting has dismissed Gayle four times, the most for any Mumbai bowler. Cutting, however, has been taken for 63 in 37 balls as well.

• Before losing by three runs to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede last year, Kings XI had won three on the trot at the venue, having batted first on each of those occasions. On two of those occasions, Kings XI posted scores in excess of 220 - 226 against Chennai Super Kings in the 2014 playoffs, and 230 against Mumbai Indians in 2017.

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- Patrick Reed arrived at Augusta National Golf Club this week a little lighter, with seemingly a little less game and a much heavier burden as the defending Masters champion.

Reed, who held off Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm in the final round last year to win his first major championship, will attempt to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters tournaments and the first since Tiger Woods in 2001-02.

"I would always feel like it would be harder to win the first because every guy out here believes that they can win a major, and you know, you feel like you have the game to do it," Reed said Tuesday. "But until you actually do it, there's always that kind of self-doubt in the back of your mind that's always like, 'Well, you know, even though I believe I can do it, well, I haven't done it yet, and am I going to be able to do it?'

"So once you get over that hurdle and you do it once, then all of a sudden now your confidence goes even higher because you start believing; not only do you believe that you can win but you've also already done it, as well. To me, I was always thinking that the first one would be the hardest."

Given the current state of Reed's game, it might be much harder for him to win a second Masters title this year. Since sliding on a green jacket a year ago, he hasn't won a PGA Tour event and has slipped to No. 18 in the official world golf rankings. He finished fourth at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in June, but didn't finish higher than a tie for 19th in his final eight events in 2018.

This season, Reed has one top-10 finish in 10 tour events; he tied for 24th or worse in the past four tournaments. He ranks 91st in driving distance (294.5 yards) and 194th in driving accuracy (54.3 percent).

"I feel like the game now is where it needs to be," Reed said. "You know, we've put in a lot of hard work throughout the entire year. When you come here, you need to be mentally as well as physically ready to go out and play. I've been really close. I've put myself in position in some events. It's just one round here or there that has kind of hurt me. I just need to go out and put four solid rounds together."

Before Reed attempts to do that, he'll host the storied champions dinner on Tuesday night, which has been a Masters staple since Ben Hogan started the tradition in 1952. Reed selected a menu of bone-in ribeye steaks, mac and cheese, creamed corn, steamed broccoli and creamed spinach.

It's quite a buffet for a player who has lost to 10 to 12 pounds since last year.

"It's going to be a very fun night," said Reed, who is sharing a locker in the champions locker room with 1946 winner Herman Keiser. "Honestly, I just can't wait to go out and spend time with the past champions and hear different stories and be able to talk to the guys about, you know, how their experience was winning their first, whether it was a couple years ago, last year, whether it was a long time ago."

Few Masters champions have been as complex and vilified as Reed. He grew up in Houston, but played golf at the University of Georgia before leaving under controversy and leading Augusta State (now Augusta University) to back-to-back NCAA team titles. His parents live only 3 miles from the gates of Augusta National Golf Club, but he hasn't been to their home since 2012 because of a family rift.

Reed's father, Bill; mother, Jeannette; and younger sister, Hannah, watched on TV with friends as their son and brother fulfilled his boyhood dream last year. His father told ESPN's Ian O'Connor last year that Reed's estranged family members embraced and wept when he sank the winning putt.

"As we were all hugging as a family," Bill Reed said, "we said, 'This is for Patrick, too. We are all hugging him, too.'"

Reed's parents have never met his two young children, their grandchildren.

"We will pray every day like we have that we will get to see Patrick and those two kids," Bill Reed said last year. "We pray every day that our families will be together."

By all accounts, they're still apart as Reed returns to Augusta National as the defending Masters champion. He told The New York Times in a story published Tuesday that he "wouldn't at all be surprised" if his parents and sister showed up at the tournament this year, even against the wishes of Reed and his wife, Justine.

Reed's complicated family history and brash demeanor -- he publicly criticized Team USA captain Jim Furyk and his teammates after the Americans' ugly loss to Team Europe in the Ryder Cup in Paris last year -- has left many golf fans yearning for the day he puts a green jacket on someone else.

That might happen Sunday -- or Reed might very well be slipping on a slimmer version of the one he wore last year.

"I feel like I have a lot of fans around here," Reed said. "That's one great thing about the sport we play is whether it's here, whether it's anywhere else we play or whether it's around the world. A lot of the fans, they respect great golf and they want to see great golf.

"It all depends on how you handle yourself, and the more interactive you are with the fans, the more they are going to respect you. Because at the end of the day, the more the fans and the people get to know you, the more they realize that you're just a normal guy out there playing golf and you're just doing your profession."

One hundred days since UCLA fired Steve Alford, the Bruins finally have their new head coach.

Mick Cronin, who led the Cincinnati Bearcats to nine consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, has agreed to a six-year, $24 million contract with UCLA, it was announced Tuesday.

"Mick Cronin is a fierce competitor, and I'm excited to welcome him to Westwood," UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said in a statement. "Mick has built a fantastic program at Cincinnati, backed by integrity and discipline, and he has instilled an undeniable toughness in his student-athletes. I am confident he will build this program the right way and lead UCLA basketball back to national prominence."

We're thrilled to announce that Mick Cronin will become our program's next head coach.

Welcome to Los Angeles, Coach Cronin! ??☀️

NEWS: https://t.co/wBvFYog3ep pic.twitter.com/fM065dqda0

— UCLA Basketball (@UCLAMBB) April 9, 2019

Cronin heads to Westwood after 13 years at Cincinnati. He has won at least 20 games in each of the past nine seasons and has an 89-18 record over the past three seasons with the Bearcats.

The Cincinnati native is one of six coaches to lead his team to the NCAA tournament in each of the past nine seasons, along with Mark Few, Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, Bill Self and Roy Williams. Only once did Cronin advance past the first weekend of the tournament (2012).

Before joining Cincinnati, Cronin spent three seasons at Murray State, where he led the Racers to two NCAA tournaments.

"I am incredibly humbled and honored to become the head coach at UCLA," Cronin said. "I'm especially grateful to Chancellor [Gene] Block and to Dan Guerrero for this opportunity to join the Bruin Family. UCLA is a very special place with a strong tradition of excellence. To be able to join such a world-class institution is truly a privilege, and I can't wait to get started in Westwood."

Cronin has a reputation as a tough, hard-nosed coach and will look to rebuild the Bruins after a 17-16 campaign and drawn-out, public coaching search.

UCLA pursued Kentucky's John Calipari, but he wound up signing a lifetime contract with the Wildcats. The Bruins then turned their focus toward TCU's Jamie Dixon, but the two sides couldn't work out a buyout with the Horned Frogs. This past weekend, UCLA offered $5 million per year to Tennessee's Rick Barnes, but he opted to remain with the Volunteers.

Cronin replaces Alford, who was fired on New Year's Eve after five-plus seasons at UCLA. He led UCLA to three Sweet 16 appearances in his four NCAA tournament berths.

Israeli wing Yovel Zoosman has submitted paperwork to the league office to make himself eligible for the 2019 NBA draft.

"I am extremely happy to share that I will be declaring for the 2019 NBA draft in June," Zoosman told ESPN. "Until then, I am totally committed and focused on helping my team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, achieve our goal of repeating, and winning the Israeli league championship for the second year in a row. To be considered a potential NBA draft pick is an incredible honor, and hearing my name called on draft night would truly be a dream come true."

Zoosman, the No. 58 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, is having a productive season in the Israeli league and Euroleague, averaging 5.2 points in 20 minutes while shooting 45 percent from the field through 55 games. He is a leading candidate to win the prestigious Euroleague Rising Star award along with projected first-round pick Goga Bitadze.

"I have dreamed of being a professional basketball player from a very young age and always believed that through hard work, dedication and with the support of my family and coaches, I could achieve my goal of playing at the highest levels," Zoosman said. "Playing in the Euroleague at such a young age has been an incredible learning experience. Being able to compete on a weekly basis against some of the best players in the world has made me confident I belong here, at the highest levels. I am grateful for the platform that Maccabi has given me and use it to do my best to help my team win."

Zoosman was named MVP of the FIBA U20 European Championship last July, after helping the Israeli national team win the championship in Germany. He has represented his home country at every age group -- U16, U18, U20 -- as well at the senior national team level as part of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Zoosman has attracted significant attention this season from NBA scouts, not just due to playing a key role as a 20-year-old at the highest level of European competition but also for his size, length, shooting ability and basketball IQ.

"I've always considered myself more of a guard than a forward, and believe that given my size and length, I can be a successful pick and roll player," Zoosman said. "I believe my movement without the ball and court vision give me a great advantage and allow me to be an effective option on offense. I feel I am a very good shooter, but I also love to drive and finish strong at the rim. From a very young age, my father, who was my first basketball coach, taught me to take pride in my defense, which I do to this day."

Zoosman is attempting to become the first Israeli player drafted since Omri Casspi in 2009, and only the third Israeli to ever play in the NBA, a fact that is not lost on him.

"I love my country and I try to do my best to represent it wherever I go," Zoosman told ESPN. "For example, being part of the U20 European champion team this past summer and hearing our national anthem being played after being awarded the gold medal was an incredible experience that I will cherish forever. Israel being such a small country, any time an Israeli, athlete or not, achieves great success, the entire country supports him or her. Already today, I feel the great support and energy from fans across the country. If I were fortunate enough to be drafted this coming June, it would mean the world to me to follow in the footsteps of Omri Casspi, Gal Mekel, and others, make my country proud and hopefully inspire young Israelis to follow their dreams as well."

IT IS 22 minutes before tipoff, precisely, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the move.

The Bucks' do-everything forward springs up from the chair in front of his locker after a team meeting and walks barefoot from the locker room in Fiserv Forum into the training room, a path he takes before each home game.

"You know why I am here, Scottie," Antetokounmpo says. Athletic trainer Scott Faust nods.

The superstar needs his sauce.

"I put hot sauce on my knees," Antetokounmpo explains later. "It is not hot sauce. It is Icy Hot."

From his careful body maintenance to his mental preparation -- and even to his fashion choices -- the NBA's betting favorite to win MVP approaches his day with meticulous care. Indeed, every minute of Antetokounmpo's game-day routine -- which begins six hours before tipoff -- is scripted.

Antetokounmpo's eccentricities are a matter of efficiency, not superstition. Like Barack Obama and Steve Jobs before him, the 24-year-old All-Star aims to eliminate all unnecessary decisions and distractions. Instead of a blue suit or a black turtleneck, Antetokounmpo favors Nike Tech Fleece sweatsuits and has no interest in joining the NBA's nightly pregame fashion shows.

"I just want to win," Antetokounmpo says. "All that other stuff takes away from the game, and you just spend extra energy on looking good for five seconds. I don't care about that. I just want to look good on the court. Get the win and go back home and lay on my couch and just watch game film. That's it."

Coming off six-straight 20+ point scoring games, Giannis goes through his pregame regimen in Miami.

?: @MiamiHEAT x @Bucks on @NBATV (8 pm/et)! pic.twitter.com/QihwT2Fk3d

— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2019

THE BONES OF Antetokounmpo's keep-it-simple routine were set in 2016-17, his breakout fourth season that saw him earn his first All-Star nod and most improved player honors.

First up, he explains one Saturday afternoon in March, is his nap, a top priority, as it is for many professional athletes. Antetokounmpo traces his nap dependency to his teenage years. As a 14-year-old in Greece, he remembers his father, Charles, insisting he nap between school dismissal at 2 p.m. and a 7 p.m. game.

Now, Antetokounmpo indulges after morning shootaround. The Greek Freak drives from the Bucks' downtown practice facility to his home in River Hills, 15 minutes north. He tucks into his custom-sized bed at 1 p.m. and doesn't emerge until 3:45. "If I don't take a nap, I can't play," he says.

Once he's recharged, Antetokounmpo departs for the arena by 4 p.m., allowing himself 30 minutes to stretch and do some soft tissue work with Laura Tietjen, his physical therapist. Then it's time to hit the court for warm-ups, at 4:50. Assistant coach Ben Sullivan is already waiting to put Antetokounmpo through his carefully scripted shooting routine. When Antetokounmpo appears on the hardwood -- usually in a skin-tight white tank top, orange shoes and sweatshorts -- the two men don't speak.

There is one important piece of his pregame routine that has little to do with performance. He admits it borders on superstition: as players pound fists and prepare to fight for the tip, Antetokounmpo jogs past the basket and into the first row of fans, slapping his chest once with each hand before lifting his right hand to the sky. Now, finally, he's ready for tipoff.

After games, win or lose, Antetokounmpo invariably sits at his locker, icing his feet and pondering the night's action in silence, before proceeding to shower and get dressed.

"His routine is over the top," teammate Khris Middleton said. "I know where he is going to be every second before the game. When you see him not doing that, you realize something is wrong."

Antetokounmpo's routine is evidence of both his competitive hunger and his remarkable progress since entering the NBA as an unheralded teenager from Greece in 2013. During his six seasons, Antetokounmpo has dramatically improved his scoring, rebounding, passing, ballhandling and overall efficiency. He currently ranks first in player efficiency rating, third in scoring and sixth in rebounding leaguewide, while also serving as the best defensive player on the NBA's stingiest defense. His rise has been aided by his development of professional habits and his willingness to absorb the guidance of Milwaukee's coaching staff.

Case in point: his current shooting routine. The NBA's best shooters, including Stephen Curry and James Harden, perform elaborate pregame routines that double as spectacles: midcourt shots; complicated, off-the-dribble combinations; and even one-legged free throws.

Antetokounmpo, however, is still a below-average outside shooter (25.6 percent from three-point range), and his routine is geared around strict fundamentals. Former Bucks assistant Sean Sweeney, a close confidante, has preached the importance of committing game shots to muscle memory, so Antetokounmpo sticks to simple, realistic attempts.

He works mostly from midrange. He usually catches passes on the move and shoots in one motion, focusing on his balance, clean footwork and maintaining good mechanics. More advanced shots might come down the road, but for now, he is working to get warm and confident rather than to dazzle onlookers.

"[His shooting routine] is all dialed in to a very specific, 'This is what I have to do to get myself prepared to go out against the best players on the planet and dominate,'" Sullivan says.

Antetokounmpo closes his routine by shooting free throws. He takes several dribbles -- sometimes four, sometimes eight -- and pauses, cocking the ball up by his chin for several seconds before releasing. Afterward, he shakes hands with every person on the court, from Sullivan to the ball boys to the security guards, before heading back to the locker room for two 15-minute sessions in a NormaTec suit, which zips over Antetokounmpo's legs and looks like an astronaut's outfit. The machine hums as it squeezes his muscles to increase blood flow. He then has two 15-minute rounds of icing.

Save for his teammates and coaches, Antetokounmpo doesn't speak to anyone. He routinely waves off reporters and tells autograph seekers that he will oblige after the game. Antetokounmpo used to attend chapel with his friend and teammate Thon Maker one hour before tipoff, a tradition that ended when the backup center was traded to the Detroit Pistons in February. Now, Milwaukee guard Pat Connaughton brings him a piece of paper with the lesson of the day scribbled on it.

There's a good 3.5 minutes left of halftime, Ja Rule is mid-song and Giannis is already out shooting. pic.twitter.com/sPoyVnpI7x

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 24, 2019

WHEN RAPPER JA RULE performed at center court during halftime of a February game, Antetokounmpo returned to the court for his standard shooting work, seemingly oblivious as "Always on Time" played around him. It reflected how Antetokounmpo's adherence to schedule isn't limited to his pregame routine.

By streamlining Antetokounmpo's routine and loading it with skill development and health maintenance, Milwaukee's coaches have sought to strike a compromise with their franchise player.

Antetokounmpo's reputation as a workaholic who made regular late-night trips to the Cousins Center in St. Francis, Wisconsin, is well chronicled. After a loss or poor performance, a fuming Antetokounmpo would go to the old practice facility, where the team shared a swimming pool with elderly nuns, and re-create every made and missed shot. Back then, he wouldn't even take the time to shower and change out of his uniform.

That unwillingness to give himself recovery time was a point of concern for Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer, who replaced Jason Kidd this season. The Bucks want to encourage Antetokounmpo's intense work ethic -- especially when it comes to improving his shot -- but want to make sure he is not working himself to exhaustion.

Antetokounmpo hasn't lost the urge to correct every mistake and smooth out every shaky shot. His focused pregame drills allow him to accomplish the most useful work, in a guided environment, without overly taxing him. Budenholzer has also scaled back Antetokounmpo's minutes and given him nights off to nurse minor injuries. In his most controversial move, Budenholzer has instituted "lock-out" days -- locking the team's facilities to strongly encourage players to take the day off to recuperate.

"He is the prime example of who needs a lock-out day -- who you literally have to put a lock on the door," Budenholzer said of Antetokounmpo. "Giannis has grown a lot in being open to that and meeting us halfway. Or maybe 80 percent where Giannis is and 20 percent where we are."

Perhaps the joke is on Budenholzer: The coach locked the facility, and Antetokounmpo built a home weight room with plans on eventually expanding it to a full gym. There, he owns the keys.

Antetokounmpo's tendency to scrupulously script his day and control his own development bleeds into the offseason. While he says he approaches his summer with 50 percent of the intensity he has from October to June, close friends dispute that calculation. They estimate he dials it back only 10 percent in July and point out that he has toted a notebook to summer meetings with Kobe Bryant to track his next round of adjustments.

Antetokounmpo does make summer modifications to accommodate for relaxation and family time. Still, when approached about starring in "Space Jam 2" with LeBron James, Antetokounmpo declined. Being in the film would have required him to give up two weeks of private workouts to train with his fellow stars while making the movie, a total non-starter, given Antetokounmpo's reclusive tendencies.

"I don't like being Hollywood," Antetokounmpo says. "I don't like all this extra drama. I am just going to try to be me."

All told, it takes Antetokounmpo some 20 minutes to detail his game-day preparation and offseason preferences. When he's finished, he ticks off one final mental checklist to make sure he didn't forget anything: "Nap. Shooting. Hot sauce." He nods, confident he covered every base, then stretches his lengthy arms and pushes his chair away from the table. Then it hits him.

"Now, everyone is going to know about my routines and do the same," Antetokounmpo says. "Or they are going to try to mess up my routines and sabotage me."

Not if the Bucks' attentive staffers have anything to say about it.

On a recent trip to Philadelphia, Antetokounmpo arrived in the trainer's room seeking his hot sauce but was lost in thought. Faust, the trainer, looked up at him expectantly and asked, "Don't you have anything to say to me?" Antetokounmpo's eyes flashed, and he walked back out of the room before reappearing seconds later to deliver his customary greeting.

"You know why I am here, Scottie."

BOSTON -- Since he was hired as the Toronto Blue Jays' manager this past October, Charlie Montoyo has had a date marked on his calendar: April 9, 2019.

That's because when they announce the starting lineups for the Blue Jays and Alex Cora's Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday, it will be the first time two Puerto Rican managers face each other in a major league game.

"Let me tell you sincerely, when they gave me the job, the first thing I thought was, 'When do we play against Boston, against the other Puerto Rican?'" Montoyo said in an interview with ESPN on Monday. "I'm so proud of [Cora]. I get goose bumps just thinking about the many Puerto Ricans that are going to be in Boston [on Tuesday], waving the Puerto Rican flag.

"This is going to be historic, and I am very happy that this is going to happen. I know that we are representing Puerto Rico proudly. And the best thing about it all, is that Puerto Rico will win any way."

Montoyo, who is 53 and served as a bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays last season, became the fourth Puerto Rican manager in the major leagues when he was hired by the Blue Jays in October.

Edwin Rodriguez was the first Puerto Rican manager in the majors when he took over the Miami Marlins after the dismissal of Cuban-American Fredi Gonzalez in June 2010. Sandy Alomar Jr. served as interim manager of the Cleveland Indians during the last games of the 2012 campaign, when Dominican Manny Acta, now a coach with the Seattle Mariners, was removed from his post.

For the first time in major league history, there are three MLB managers with Puerto Rican roots, with Dave Martinez, born to Puerto Rican parents in New York City, at the helm of the Washington Nationals.

But Montoyo and Cora took very different paths to get to this point in their careers.

After 14 years in the majors, and since his retirement from playing after the 2011 season, Cora immediately became part of a short list of Latino prospects to be an MLB manager.

He then became manager and general manager of the Criollos de Caguas of the Puerto Rican winter league, was an ESPN baseball analyst and, later on, was general manager of the Puerto Rican team for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Cora also won a World Series championship as bench coach for the Houston Astros before becoming the first minority manager in Boston's 117-year franchise history.

The Red Sox decided to hire Cora without his having any experience as a major league manager primarily because of his demonstrated knowledge of baseball and his potential to communicate with and inspire players of diverse ages and backgrounds. He lived up to those expectations by becoming the second Latino manager, and first Puerto Rican, to win a World Series after Venezuelan Oswaldo "Ozzie" Guillen did it with the Chicago White Sox in 2005.

Montoyo had a short career of just four games in the major leagues with the Montreal Expos, about which the always jovial manager joked, "People better not forget that in those games I hit .400!"

Before becoming Kevin Cash's bench coach, Montoyo had a 22-year managerial career in the Rays' farm system.

He was at the helm of the Tampa Bay Rays' Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls, from 2007 to 2014. During his eight-year tenure, the native of Florida, Puerto Rico, won seven pennants and went to a record six Governors' Cup finals, winning championships in 2009 and 2013. His 633-515 record as manager of the Bulls is the highest number of victories in franchise history, leading him to be inducted into the International League Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2016.

"I've been saying it for five or six years," Cora said of Montoyo's hiring. "This is not about minorities. It's not about him being Latino or Puerto Rican. Charlie Montoyo is a great baseball man, and he's been coaching and managing for a lot of years. I'm very happy for him."

Cora and Montoyo will also both be looking to turn things around after a poor start to the 2019 season, with the Sox and Jays sharing last place in the AL East at 3-8. However, unlike Cora's champions, who finished last season with a franchise-record 108 wins, Montoyo will have an uphill climb with the Blue Jays.

Toronto is a young team, deep in a rebuilding process after winning 73 games last season, and a clear underdog in the AL East after finishing fourth in 2018.

"All I am is grateful for this opportunity," Montoyo said. "This is not an easy sport. You have to do it day in and day out. When things are not going well, that's when people show you who they truly are. Everything I do is from experience, I think about what I would like to see from my manager if I was a player. If the players see me relaxed, they will relax.

"And one thing that relaxes me is music. I love salsa music, and when you go to Toronto and go to my office, you will see some congas, you will see bongos, there is a guiro [a Latin American percussion instrument], there are maracas. ... I play some music, and I know they relax. It's not easy, and it's not like it doesn't bother me to lose -- it bothers me to lose more than anyone -- but it's a long season, and we have to stay relaxed."

In addition to the significance of Tuesday's matchup, Montoyo said it's also his mother's birthday.

"So I'm going to tell Alex, 'It's Mom's birthday, so come on, man, you can give me one,'" Montoyo joked. "'We'll have 18 more!'"

Cora and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, on Oct. 23, became the first two minority managers to face each other in 114 editions of the World Series. And they did it at Fenway Park, home of the last major league team to break the color barrier, 12 years after Jackie Robinson's debut.

On Tuesday, all eyes will be certainly be on Cora, with the Red Sox receiving their championship rings during their home opener. But for Puerto Rico, it will be a day like no other in baseball history, which made Montoyo think of Puerto Rican idol Roberto Clemente, the first Latin American player to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

"My favorite number is 25, but [Tuesday] I feel like I would like to be wearing Roberto Clemente's No. 21," Montoyo said, eyes glistening. "I feel like Roberto Clemente is looking down on us from heaven, saying, 'Look, this actually happened! Two managers, born and raised in Puerto Rico, one in Caguas and the other in Florida, Puerto Rico.'

"It's going to be very nice. It's going to be very special."