Thursday, November 16, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 9
Sports
A's player scores 2000 MVP title by small margin
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Jason Giambi narrowly won the American League Most Valuable Player Award Tuesday for carrying the Oakland Athletics to the playoffs.
Giambi received 14 of the 28 first-place votes, finishing with 317 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He got 11 seconds, two thirds and one fifth.
"This is a boy's dream come true," he said. "This has been nothing but a fairy tale for me this year with my brother (Jeremy) here and the A's winning the division."
Two-time winner Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox rebounded from his worst season
as a pro, finishing second with 285 points and 10 first-place votes. Seattle's Alex Rodriguez got the other four first-place votes, finishing third with 218 points.
Giambi, the leader of the young A's, spearheaded their run to the AL West title by hitting .396 with 13 homers and 32 BRIs in the final month.
"I knew when I came to the ballpark that it wasn't a question if I would get a hit — it was how many and if I'd have a home run." Gambi said.
"This kid, if you look at him the last couple of years, he's gotten better each year," Oakland manager Art Howe said during the plavoffs.
He ended the season batting .333 with 43 homers, 137 RBIs and 137 walks. He led the league with a .476 on-base percentage and was third with a .647 slugging percentage.
Toronto's Carlos Delgado was fourth (206), followed by Boston's Pedro Martinez (103). Cleveland's Manny Ramirez and Seattle's Edgar Martinez (97 each). Anaheim's Darin Erstad (94). Boston's Nomar Garciaparra (66) and the Yankees' Derek Jeter (44).
Martinez was a unanimous choice for the AL Cy Young Award this week.
Thomas, the winner in 1983-94, rebounded from career lows of 15 homers and 77 RBIs and lead the White Sox to the best record in the league. He hit .328 with career highs of 48 homers and 143 RBIs. He was at his best in June, hitting .300 with 12 homers and 28 RBIs.
Rodriguez hit .316 with 41 homers and 132 RBIs at one of the game's most demanding positions. He led the Mariners to the wild card spot and within two wins of their first World Series appearance.
Glambi received a $100,000 bonus for winning on top of his $3 million salary.
Player suspended for slashing
Hockey left-wing injures opponent, will sit out 20 games
The Associated Press
The suspension matches the fourth-longest in NHL history for an on-ice violation and will cost May almost $120,000 in salary.
NEW YORK — Phoenix Coyotes left wing Brad May was suspended for 20 games by the NHL yesterday for a slash to the head of Columbus forward Steve Heinze.
Heinze needed nine stitches on his nose but was not seriously hurt. May received a match penalty for attempt to injure in the Saturday night game and has sat out the two games since the infraction.
May met with Colin Campbell, the league's director of operations, in Toronto on Tuesday.
"I have to be held accountable," he said before his hearing with
"Honestly, I just wanted to tap him on the arm," May told the Arizona Republic.
Campbell. "I've never gone after anybody like that before in my career."
"I told the trainers, 'Stitch me up quickly, boys. I'm on a power play.'" he told the newspaper.
he apologized to Heinze after the game. Heinze said he accepted the apology.
"It is fortunate Mr. Heinze did not suffer a more serious injury. The message to all players in the NHL should be clear: The act of a player striking an opponent in the head with his stick will carry severe consequences."
May will be eligible to return Thursday, Jan. 4 against the New York Rangers.
Campbell said that while May "has not previously been suspended by the league for a supplementary discipline incident, he must be held accountable for the reckless use of his stick in this instance.
"I think it was a very harsh suspension," said Coyotes general
manager Bobby Smith, adding that the team made its case to the NHL on Tuesday and has no avenue for an appeal. "We're going to miss him terribly over the next 18 games."
"I guess it comes to a point that it's unfortunate for Brad May, but maybe it's good for everybody to see how severely this is going to be treated." he said.
Blue Jackets general manager Doug MacLean told The Fan, an all-sports radio station in Toronto, that the stiff penalty was necessary.
In the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, May will forfeit $117,647 of his salary. The money goes to the Players Emergency Assistance Fund.
Boston Bruins player Marty McSorley is currently sitting out one year for hitting Vancouver Canucks player Donald Brashear in the head with his stick Feb. 21. Gordie Dwyer of Tampa Bay was suspended for 23 games for abusing officials and coming out of the penalty box to fight in an exhibition game against the Washington Capitals last Sept. 19.
Bronco quarterback out of action
The Associated Press
DENVER — Quarterback Brian Griese, who led the Denver Broncos to victory Monday night despite playing with a separated throwing shoulder, will be sidelined 3-to-4 weeks and possibly longer.
"Optimistically, we're looking at three to four weeks," Broncos coach Mike Shanahdan said yesterday.
"I'm looking to come back in a month or so and see if I can throw the ball and help this team out because that's my responsibility." Gries said.
He was injured in the first quarter of Monday night's game when, on a scramble, he was tackled and landed on by Oakland linebacker Elijah Alexander.
Informed by doctors that he could do no further damage to his shoulder, Griese took a painkilling injection and returned to the game, engineering a 27-24 victory.
His injury was officially listed as a third-degree separation of the AC joint, the most severe type.
Griese, the AFC's top-rated passer, already was playing with torn cartilage in the same shoulder, which will require offseason surgery. The injuries are thought to be unrelated.
With Grisee out of action indefinitely, the Broncos, who vaulted back into playoff contention with the win against Oakland, will turn to veteran Gus Frenotte. The Broncos (6-4) entertain winless San Diego (0-10) on Sunday.
Frerotte started once this season in Kansas City. Frerette was 18-of-31 for 208 yards and an interception in a 23-22 loss. But, Griese insisted he hasn't given up on this season.
"I want to play this year," he said. "I want to let the swelling go down, and see if I can throw effectively and contribute to this team. If we get into the playoffs, and hopefully I can get back for a couple games, I want to help us out. If I can't, then I'll have to weigh the other options."
Frerotte said he welcomed the challenge.
"It's an opportunity for me to keep our team on track to where we want to go — to get us to the playoffs," he said.
Arizona State dismisses coach after down year
The Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State coach Bruce Snyder was fired yesterday with one game remaining in a third-consecutive disappointing season.
Snyder, who just four years ago directed the Sun Devils to an 11-0 regular season, will coach through the remainder of this season.
Athletic director Gene Smith, a former Notre Dame football player who has been at Arizona State since July, had said he would make a decision on Snyder's future after the season.
But he changed his mind following the Sun Devils' dismal 29-7 loss at Stanford last Saturday.
Smithe told Snyder his decision yesterday morning, then the coach met with his players to tell them. The Sun Devils don't resume practice until today, and Snyder told athletic department officials he wouldn't be available to comment until then.
Snyder will coach the Sun Devils (5-5) in their season finale at Arizona on Nov. 24. A win there would make Arizona State eligible for a bowl game.
He is 57-44 in nine seasons at Arizona State, but just 16-17 in the last three years. He has a 125-105-5 record in 25 years as a coach, including stints at Utah State and California.
Snyder had three years remaining on his contract. Smith said that the total buyout for the coach and his staff would be "under $2 million" and that most, if not all, of the money would come from boosters.
In 1986, Snyder won consensus national coach of the year honors after guiding Arizona State to an unbeaten regular season. The Sun Devils lost to Ohio State 20-17 in the Rose Bowl and finished fourth in the national rankings.
Arizona State was 9-3 in 1997, including a Sun Bowl appearance, but the team went 5-6 in 1998, and 6-6 last season.
Smith declined to talk about the specifics of why Snyder was fired, but said the winloss record was important.
Smith said yesterday that he had not talked with anyone about becoming the new coach.
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