Batting titles for Pujols, Mueller
DETROIT, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Bill Mueller and Albert Pujols won batting titles Sunday as the regular season of the 2003 major league baseball campaign closed.
Pujols, who owns nearly every offensive record for a player over his first three years in the majors, edged Todd Helton of Colorado for the National League crown.
In the American League, Mueller batted .326 and edged teammate Manny Ramirez (.325), last year's winner, and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (.324).
Also, Detroit beat Minnesota, 9-4, to avoid matching the 1962 New York Mets' record of 120 losses in a season.
"There's definitely a sense of relief," said Tigers manager Alan Trammell.
In other notables, there were stadium closings in Philadelphia and San Diego, Alex Rodriguez of Texas and the Phillies' Jim Thome won the home run titles, Toronto's Carlos Delgado and Colorado's Preston Wilson on the RBI crowns, Roy Halladay led the majors with 22 wins, and Eric Gagne of Los Angeles set a record with 55 consecutive saves.
Tennis pioneer Althea Gibson dies
EAST ORANGE, N.J., Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Tennis champion Althea Gibson, the first black person to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, died Sunday at a New Jersey hospital. She was 76.
Gibson had been in poor health for years before passing away at East Orange General Hospital, according to Darryl Jeffries, a spokesman for the city of East Orange.
Gibson, a big hitter with an awesome serve, became the first black person to play at the U.S. Open Championships in 1950 and Wimbledon a year later. She won the French Open in 1956, earned back-to-back titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 1957-58, and added three doubles crowns at Wimbledon from 1956-58.
Fran Clayton Gray, CEO of the Althea Gibson Foundation, said she suffered a heart attack three months ago that kept her bedridden, and entered the hospital two days ago with bladder and kidney infections.
Armour sets PGA Tour scoring record
SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Tommy Armour III claimed his first PGA Tour win in 13 years Sunday and set a scoring record along the way at the $3.5 million Texas Open.
The 43-year-old Texan set the record in his home state, finishing with a 72-hole total of 26-under-par 254.
Armour eclipsed Mark Calcavecchia's aggregate record of 256 -- established at the 2001 Phoenix Open -- at the par-70 LaCantera Golf Club and earned the $630,000 first prize.
Calcavecchia finished the Phoenix Open at 28-under, blistering the par-71 TPC of Scottsdale.
Armour had rounds of 64-62-63-65.
Defending champion Loren Roberts and Bob Tway shared second at 19-under 261.
U.S. women ease into World Cup quarters
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Cat Reddick scored twice in the second half Sunday to send the United States into the Women's World Cup quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over North Korea.
The U.S. (3
0) won Group A and will square off with Group B runner-up Norway on Wednesday at Foxboro, Mass. Norway is the only team in the world with a winning record against the U.S. and defeated the Americans at the 2000 Olympics.
Sweden (2-1-0) finished second behind the U.S. in Group A after a 3-0 triumph over Nigeria. The Swedes will face Group B winner Brazil (2
1) on Wednesday.
Reddick scored her first goal three minutes into the second half. The only college player on the American roster, she struck again after 66 minutes.
Earlier, striker Hanna Ljungberg scored for Sweden in the 56th and 79th minutes.
Eagles, Raiders escape; Colts roll
BUFFALO, N.Y., Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Philadelphia and Oakland got much-needed wins Sunday to highlight the day in the NFL.
At Buffalo, Donovan McNabb led scoring drives on the Eagles' first two possessions, completed 18-of-29 passes for 171 yards, and rushed for 49 yards on seven carries in the Eagles' 23-13 win over the Bills.
At Oakland, Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 46-yard field goal with 5:01 left in overtime to lift the Raiders to a 34-31 victory over the San Diego Chargers.
Veteran quarterback Rich Gannon engineered two scoring drives three minutes apart to rally the Raiders from a 31-17 deficit.
Elsewhere, it was Washington 20, New England 17; Houston 24, Jacksonville 20; Minnesota 35, San Francisco 7; Cincinnati 21, Cleveland 14; Dallas 17, New York Jets 6; Kansas City 17, Baltimore 10; St. Louis 37, Arizona 13; Denver 20, Detroit 16; Carolina 23, Atlanta 3; and Indianapolis 55, New Orleans 21.
For the Colts, Peyton Manning became the first quarterback in 12 seasons to throw six touchdown passes in a game, including three to Marvin Harrison.
