Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Carlos Pena was one of four first-timers to receive Gold Gloves in the American League on Thursday.
Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia, Texas shortstop Michael Young and Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer also became first-time winners for fielding excellence.
The outfield was a repeat from last season: Los Angeles’ Torii Hunter and Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki each won for the eighth straight year and Cleveland’s Grady Sizemore earned his second award.
New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina, coming off his first 20-win season, added to his accolades with his seventh Gold Glove.
Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre won for the second straight year.
Pena bounced around the majors for several seasons before joining Tampa Bay last year, and quickly got a regular spot by hitting 46 home runs.
Pena starred with the bat this year, too, with 31 homers and 102 RBIs in helping lead the surprising Rays to their first playoff spot. He also sparkled with the glove, making only two errors as Tampa Bay reached the World Series, where it lost to Philadelphia.
Managers and coaches pick players in their own leagues near the end of the regular season, and can’t vote for someone on their team.
The Gold Gloves often raise the ire of many baseball fans.
Critics claim the best fielders are overlooked in favor of more popular players, and further insist that better hitters get a break in the voting.
Hunter and Sizemore earned US$100,000 bonuses in their contracts for winning Gold Gloves. Beltre and Suzuki got US$50,000 each and Pena, Mauer and Young won US$25,000 apiece. Mussina and Pedroia did not have Gold Glove clauses.
The NL Gold Gloves were announced on Wednesday. Winners were pitcher Greg Maddux, catcher Yadier Molina, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, second baseman Brandon Phillips, shortstop Jimmy Rollins, third baseman David Wright and outfielders Nate McLouth, Carlos Beltran and Shane Victorino.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was