Anaheim takes 2-1 lead in World Series
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Livan Hernandez was racked for six runs in 3 2/3 innings and lost for the first time in seven career postseason decisions Tuesday night as the Anaheim Angels pounded out 16 hits in a 10-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants in Game Three of the World Series.
The hit-happy Angels scored in double digits for the second straight game and took a two games to one lead in the series, regaining home-field advantage.
Hernandez (0-1) came in as one of just five pitchers to win his first six postseason decisions. The 1997 World Series Most Valuable Player, Hernandez's teams never had lost any of the 10 postseason games in which he had appeared.
But the Cuban righthander ran into the hottest hitting team in recent memory. Entering the contest with a .331 postseason batting average - the highest since the advent of divisional play in 1969 - Anaheim continued to rip the ball, whether it was livelier or not.
The Angels became the first World Series team to bat around in consecutive innings, scoring four run in both the fourth and fifth. Every position player had a hit and all but Garret Anderson and Bengie Molina scored a run.
Anderson drove in a run and Molina - hitless in the first two games - tied a World Series record by reaching five times in five plate appearances, a trick turned by teammate Tim Salmon in Game Two.
Hernandez, who tied for the National League lead with 16 losses during the regular season, allowed five hits and five walks.
Angels starter Ramon Ortiz (1-0), who entered the game with a 10.03 ERA this month, did not pitch well but was much better than Hernandez. The righthander allowed four runs and five hits in five inings, walking four and striking out three.
The Giants' Barry Bonds continued his stellar postseason by homering in his third straight game, tying Hank Bauer's World Series record. Bonds' fifth-inning blast to center field was his seventh homer of the postseason, adding another record to his collection.
Bonds also walked twice, tying Gary Sheffield's record for walks in a postseason with 20.
Game Four is Wednesday, with the Giants turning to lefthander Kirk Rueter to try to get them even. The Angels counter with rookie righthander John Lackey, who worked in relief in Game Two and will be pitching on his 24th birthday.
Selig puts gag on Piniella announcement
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays met with Lou Piniella for the second time in five days on Tuesday and were expected to formally offer him their managerial job, but Commisioner Bud Selig made sure that the continuing saga of the former Seattle Mariners manager would not steal headlines from the World Series, which resumes Tuesday night in San Francisco.
Devil Rays General Manager Chuck LaMar was to address the media regarding Piniella at a Tuesday afternoon news conference, but instead the team issued the following statement.
"The Commissioner's Office has informed the Devil Rays and other clubs this afternoon that there will be no comments on any subject until the World Series is completed."
Commissioner Selig had asked teams to refrain from making major announcements during the World Series, which began last Saturday.
The New York Daily News reported Tuesday that the Devil Rays offered Piniella, a Tampa native, a four-year contract worth more than $13 million.
The Devil Rays first met with Piniella for several hours on Saturday morning, one day after reaching a compensation agreement with the Mariners which enabled them to begin negotiating with Piniella, Seattle's manager for the last 10 years.
Piniella announced last week that he was leaving the Mariners because he wants to manage closer to home. Since he has a year remaining on his contract with Seattle, the Mariners are entitled to compensation if Piniella manages elsewhere in 2003.
Piniella guided the Mariners to an American League-record 116 wins in 2001 and was rewarded with AL Manager of the Year honors. But Seattle fell six games shy of the playoffs this season and Piniella reportedly was upset that the team did not make more midseason moves.
The most successful manager in team history, Piniella guided the Mariners to three straight playoff appearances and four in the last eight years.
Under Piniella, Seattle went 840-711 and reached the ALCS in 1995, 2000 and 2001. Piniella has a career managerial mark of 1,319-1,135 and guided the Cincinnati Reds to a World Series title in 1990.
Redskins sign guard Tre' Johnson
ASHBURN, Va., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Tre' Johnson, a starter at guard with the Washington Redskins for seven years and a Pro Bowler in 1999, is back with the team.
The Redskins on Tuesday signed Johnson to a contract for the rest of the 2002 season. Johnson, 31, spent the 2001 season with the Cleveland Browns after being waived by Washington for salary cap purposes, but was plagued by injuries and played in only three games.
The 6-2, 326-pound Johnson had not hooked up with any team this season before coming back to the Redskins, who have shuffled David Loverne, Alex Sulfsted, Brendan Stai and Kipp Vickers at the guard positions.
A 1994 second-round pick of Washington, Johnson started 63 games from 1994-2000 with the Redskins.
Vikings running back hospitalized
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Minnesota Vikings reserve running back Doug Chapman was hospitalized Monday due to internal abdominal bleeding caused by a hit in Sunday's football game against the New York Jets.
After being held overnight in intensive care for observation at Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, Chapman was listed in satisfactory condition on Tuesday.
The team's third back behind Michael Bennett and Moe Williams, Chapman thought he suffered a hip pointer when he was hit returning a kickoff. But after he woke up Monday with extreme abdominal pain, Chapman consulted with trainers and was taken to the hospital.
The Vikings have been hit hard by tragedy. Star right tackle Korey Stringer died from complications of heat stroke on the second day of training camp in 2001 and the wife of Vikings tackle Lewis Kelly suffered a miscarriage and later died from a blood disorder on Aug. 25.
Thome honored with Clemente Award
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Slugger Jim Thome was honored Tuesday with the 2002 Roberto Clemente Award for excellence on and off the field.
Thome, who just concluded his 12th season with the Cleveland Indians, is among the most popular players in recent franchise history. He is eligible for free agency following the World Series and the Indians are under intense pressure to keep the 32-year-old first baseman.
Thome has become a local icon for his tireless work in raising money to fight paralysis. In an on-field presentation before Game Three of the World Series, a $25,000 donation will be made in Thome's name to the Steve Palermo Chapter of the National Paralysis Foundation in Leawood, Kan.
The money will be donated in the name of his nephew, Brandon Thome, who is battling a spinal cord injury and currently is unable to walk. A $30,000 contribution in Thome's name also will be made to Roberto Clemente Sports City, a multi-purpose sports and education center in Puerto Rico.
"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I'm delighted to present the 2002 Roberto Clemente Award to Jim Thome for the outstanding contributions he has made to his team and the game," Commissioner Bud Selig said.
"This award, given in honor of the great Roberto Clemente, recognizes a player who not only puts his time and energy into the game, but also works within his community. Jim's support for the Steve Palermo Chapter of the National Paralysis Foundation and his involvement with community and team related issues make him an excellent choice for this award."
In addition to his involvement in the community, Thome had an outstanding season on the field, batting .304 while hitting a club-record 52 homers with 118 RBI in 147 games.
The award is named in the honor of Clemente, the long-time member of the Pittsburgh Pirates who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972. Arizona pitcher Curt Schilling was last year's recipient.
Alex Rodriguez is tops among his peers
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez has been voted by his peers as the 2002 Sporting News Player of the Year, far outdistancing San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds.
Rodriguez, who hit 57 home runs and drove in 142 runs for the Rangers, who finished last in the American League West, received 197 votes in balloting by major league players. Bonds, the 2001 winner of the award, finished second with 48 votes.
Oakland Athletics shortstop Miguel Tejada was third with 31 votes, while second baseman Alfonso Soriano of the New York Yankees was fourth with 23.
Mike Scioscia of the Anaheim Angels, who guided the franchise to 99 wins and its first-ever trip to the World Series, and Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves earned Manager of the Year honors in their respective leagues.
It was the fifth Sporting News award for Cox, who previously won the American League honor with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985 and the National League award with Atlanta in 1991, '93 and 1999.
Curt Schilling of the Arizona Diamondbacks was voted National League Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season, and lefthander Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics earned American League honors.
Third baseman Eric Hinske of the Toronto Blue Jays won the Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year award, and outfielder Brad Wilkerson of the Montreal Expos captured the NL Rookie honors.
Heuberger upsets Corretja
BASEL, Switzerland, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- One local wild card pulled off an upset while the other faltered Tuesday in the first round of the $1 million Swiss Indoors tennis tournament.
To the delight of the hometown crowd, Ivo Heuberger provided the surprise of the day by beating eighth-seeded Alex Corretja of Spain, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.
The loss officially ended Corretja's run at a spot in the Tennis Masters Cup - Shanghai. He entered the match 15th in the ATP Champions Race and was a long shot for making the season-ending championship.
George Bastl, the other Swiss wild card, is best known for his second-round upset of Pete Sampras at Wimbledon this year. But on Tuesday, Bastl was knocked off by German qualifier Alexander Waske, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4.
Sixth-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina and No. 7 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile advanced to the second round Tuesday. Nalbandian was leading his match with Olivier Mutis, 7-6, 1-0, when the Frenchman was forced to retire with a knee injury. Gonzalez defeated Italy's Davide Sanguinetti, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Matthews will start for Redskins
ASHBURN, Va., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Veteran Shane Matthews, who began the season as Washington's starting quarterback, but was injured then benched, will again be the starter when the Redskins host the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night.
He replaces rookie Patrick Ramsey, who started the last two games.
"Shane will be our starting quarterback," said Coach Steve Spurrier. "We obviously haven't done a good job at getting Patrick ready to play. We feel Shane gives our team the best chance to win. We still believe Patrick is going to be an outstanding quarterback in the future."
Ramsey made his NFL debut in relief of Danny Wuerffel against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5, and led the Redskins to a convincing but shocking 31-14 win, throwing for two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Ramsey then started the team's last two games, both losses. Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6, he was sacked seven times and threw four interceptions in a 43-27 loss. This past Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Ramsey lost four fumbles and Washington fell to Green Bay 30-9.
Top seed Hewitt advances with walkover
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- What was expected to be a quality opening-round match between top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt and local favorite Thomas Enqvist at the $650,000 Stockholm Open never got under way Tuesday.
Three-time champion Enqvist withdrew several hours before the match with a shoulder injury. Magnus Larsson was the only other player who signed the lucky loser sign-in sheet, but he could not play due to a back injury.
Hewitt, who is just 43 points in front of Andre Agassi in the ATP Champions Race, advanced without lifting a racket and next faces Raemon Sluiter in the second round.
Hewitt had his lead for the No. 1 world ranking reduced after he was forced to drop out of last week's Tennis Masters Series - Madrid with a viral infection. The Australian is without a title since winning his second Wimbledon crown and is 54-12 on the year.
Eagles give Darwin Walker long-term deal
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia Eagles Tuesday signed defensive tackle Darwin Walker to a seven-year contract, continuing their recent trend of locking up key players for the long term.
Walker has emerged as a pivotal player on one of the NFL's top defenses since moving into the starting lineup for Hollis Thomas, who went down with a broken foot during training camp.
In six games, Walker has collected 4 1/2 sacks to rank third in the NFL among tackles, behind Tampa Bay's Warren Sapp (seven) and Kris Jenkins
of Carolina (5). He also has 29 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Wagner has procedure for blood clot
CLEVELAND, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Cleveland Cavaliers rookie guard Dajuan Wagner Tuesday is scheduled to undergo a medical procedure to remove a blood clot in his ureter, the tube that connects his left kidney with his bladder.
The clot was discovered on Monday during tests for Wagner's bladder infection. It is anticipated that Tuesday's procedure will speed his recovery. No timetable has been set for his return to the team.
Wagner, the sixth overall pick in this year's NBA draft, is an explosive shooting guard who may also play the point for the Cavaliers. His specialty is getting into the lane and creating shots for himself and his teammates.
The 6-3 Wagner left Memphis after his freshman season to enter the draft. When the Cavaliers selected him sixth overall, it became clear they planned to deal point guard Andre Miller, who was shipped to the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal for forward Darius Miles.
Wagner, who possesses quickness, long arms and great jumping ability, had a stellar season in his only year at Memphis. He averaged 21.2 points per contest and led the Tigers to an overall record of 27-9. He then was named the Most Valuable Player after he led Memphis to the NIT title.
Felipe Lopez likely to miss season
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves, who have had a plethora of injuries, likely will be without swingman Felipe Lopez for the 2002-03 season.
An MRI Monday revealed that Lopez has both a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. He suffered the injury when he charged into Boston's Paul Pierce and twisted the knee awkwardly in the first quarter of an exhibition game on Saturday.
Lopez, a four-year veteran out of St. Johns, fills in at shooting guard and small forward. He averaged 10.2 points per contest in his first four exhibition games. Veteran Kendall Gill, who does not have a guaranteed contract, likely will take over Lopez's role.
Lopez is the sixth Minnesota player sidelined with an injury.
Don Reid has Achilles surgery
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A spokesman for the NBA's Detroit Pistons Tuesday said veteran backup power forward Don Reid has undergone successful surgery on his ruptured right Achilles tendon and will be lost for the 2002-03 season.
The surgery was performed by team physician Dr. Robert Teitge at Hutzel Hospital in Detroit. The seven-year NBA veteran is expected to be in a cast for six weeks, then will begin the post-op rehabilitation process,
Reid suffered the injury in the second quarter of Sunday night's preseason contest against the Miami Heat in Tampa.
Three Georgia starters slated for surgery
ATHENS, Ga., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- With a critical Southeast Conference contest at Kentucky looming, the Georgia Bulldogs have learned that three starters will not play when the team plays in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday.
At least one of them, offensive lineman Jon Stichcomb, could be done for the season. He will have arthroscopic to repair a partially-torn MCL in his left knee.
Stichcomb originally was hurt in the Oct. 5 game against Alabama, and aggravated the injury in subsequent games against Tennessee and Vanderbilt the past two weeks.
Stinchcomb, who tore the ACL in his left knee in high school, left the Vanderbilt game in the first quarter.
Stinchcomb will be replaced in the starting lineup by senior George Foster, who still is playing with a club on his right hand. Foster dislocated his wrist in a preseason car accident, but said the cast won't keep him from playing a complete game.
Meanwhile, junior tailback Musa Smith and sophomore wide receiver Fred Gibson will both undergo surgery to repair thumb injuries.
Badgers to play without Evans this season
MADISON, Wis., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Lee Evans, a senior wide receiver at Wisconsin, has abandoned his hopes to play for the Badgers this fall, and a decision about redshirting has yet to be made.
Evans suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the school's spring game in April, and underwent surgery on May 22. He had planned to be ready for the Badgers' Big Ten opener Oct. 5 against Penn State, but persistent knee swelling led to a delay, and the Badgers' medical staff refused to clear him to play.
The injury happened shortly after Evans decided not to forego the 2002 campaign and return to Madison this fall. Because he has a year of college eligibility remaining, he would have to declare for the NFL draft in January.
Evans continued to work out with the team in hopes of returning at a later date, but Coach Barry Alvarez told reporters that Evans has taken his doctors' advice and will not play this fall.
In 2001, Evans was one of the nation's leading pass-catchers, hauling in 75 throws for a league-record 1,545 yards. That made him a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the top 1-A receiver in the country.
Rabedeaux resigns as UTEP cage coach
EL PASO, Texas, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Jason Rabedeaux, the men's basketball coach at Texas-El Paso, late Monday resigned from his job, citing personal priorities.
In three seasons with the Miners, Rabedeaux went 46-46. After he guided the team to its first postseason appearance in six years two seasons ago, UTEP went just 13-15 in 2001-02.
Rabedeaux stressed that he wasn't fired or forced out. He also said he wasn't stepping away from what he thought was a losing situation. He said that he just has things in his life he needs to prioritize.
"Right now, at 37 years of age for Jason Rabedeaux, what defense we're in, and how many points we score, and when the next booster function is are not at the top of my list," he said. "I felt at this time it was in the best interest of our basketball program and our university that a change in leadership be made. It's a difficult decision, but one right now in my life that needed to be made. I'll coach again, but right now I need to prioritize and do something different."
Two seasons ago, Rabedeaux, whose annual salary is $145,000, led the Miners to a 23-9 mark and a trip to the National Invitation Tournament. That followed a 13-15 campaign, Rabedeaux's first as a head coach after serving as an assistant for five years at Oklahoma State.
Last season, the Miners slumped to 10-22, the most losses in a single campaign in school history.
