St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols was presented with the Robert Clemente Award, given annually to a major league player who combines community service with excellence on the field. Pujols received the award in a ceremony at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday before Game 3 of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies. He was selected from 30 nominees, one from each major league team, by a committee that included commissioner Bud Selig and Vera Clemente, Roberto’s widow. He was honored for his work with the Pujols Family Foundation, which helps the lives of children and young adults with Down syndrome. The Major League Baseball Players Trust will donate US$50,000 to a charity of his choice.
■ BASKETBALL
Police chief rebukes Thomas
A suburban New York police chief likened the conflicting accounts of an accidental overdose at Isiah Thomas’ home to a “cover-up” and rebuked the former New York Knicks coach on Saturday for saying it was his teenage daughter who required treatment. “It wasn’t his daughter,” Harrison Police Chief David Hall said. “And why they’re throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand.” Authorities were called early on Friday to Thomas’ Westchester County home, where police said a 47-year-old man was taken to the hospital and treated for an overdose of sleeping pills. But reached on his cellphone on Friday, the 47-year-old NBA great told the New York Post he had not been treated for a sleeping pill overdose, and that it was 17-year-old daughter Lauren who had a medical issue. Hall forcefully refuted Thomas’ statement. “My cops ... know the difference between a 47-year-old black male and a young black female. These people should learn something from [former US president] Richard Nixon — it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up.”
■ SKIING
Zettel wins giant slalom
Kathrin Zettel won the season’s first women’s World Cup giant slalom on Saturday after posting the fastest time in the second leg. The 22-year-old Austrian finished in a combined time of 2 minutes, 22.99 seconds to beat Tanja Poutiainen of Finland, who led after the first run, by 0.98 seconds. Andrea Fischbacher was third, 1.48 seconds behind, and Karbon was fourth, trailing Zettel by 1.51.
■ CYCLING
Cunego takes Japan Cup
Italy’s Damiano Cunego won the Japan Cup cycling road race yesterday, holding off compatriots Giovanni Visconti and Ivan Basso. Cunego, winner here in 2005, won the 151km race in 4 hours, 4 minutes and 57 seconds. Visconti and Basso were second and third. Former Giro d’Italia winner Basso was making a return to professional cycling after a two-year doping suspension. Valerio Agnoli, also of Italy, was fourth in 4:05:09. Basso’s Liquigas team won the team classification with a time of 12:16:28.
■ BOXING
Kessler retains WBA title
Mikkel Kessler of Denmark retained his WBA super middleweight title by knocking out Danilo Haeussler of Germany in the third round on Saturday. Kessler dominated and caused Haeussler’s left eye to start swelling in the second round. The Dane ended the fight after 1:08 in the third with a left to the chin of Haeussler, who went down flat on his back and could not beat the count. Kessler improved to 41-1, with 31 knockouts. Haeussler fell to 29-4 with one draw.
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