Cliff Lee wins AL Cy Young Award
NEW YORK, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Cleveland Indians lefthander Cliff Lee was the winner of the American League Cy Young Award announced Thursday afternoon.
With 132 overall points, the southpaw, a seven-year veteran, easily outpolled Toronto righthander Roy Halladay (71 points) and Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez (32 points).
Despite Cleveland's disappointing 81-81 mark in the 2008 season, Lee, 29, compiled a 22-3 record with an AL-leading 2.54 ERA. His 22 wins equaled Arizona's Brandon Webb, who was the National League's runner-up for the Cy Young Award to San Francisco's Tim Lincecum on Tuesday.
Over 223 1/3 innings, he walked 34 batters, struck out 170, and surrendered only 12 home runs.
"Even if I had won every start, I don't know if I'd be satisfied," Lee told MLB.com near the end of the 2008 season. "There's always something you can do better. I don't know how to explain it other than that. It's just the way I am, I guess."
Gardenhire signs extension to manage Twins
MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Minnesota Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire has signed a contract extension that links him to the American League team through the 2011 season.
Gardenhire, 51, has been the Twins' manager for seven seasons, building a 622-512 record. Minnesota was 88-75 last year and lost a one-game playoff with Chicago for the AL Central title.
"Ron and his staff have done an outstanding job over the last seven years, and none was better than the 2008 season," said Twins General Manager Bill Smith.
"Continuity has been a great strength of the Twins organization for two decades. The current staff has played an important role in the design and development of the Target Field facilities and these agreements will carry the staff into the new ballpark in 2010."
The Twins are to move into a new ballpark in 2010. Gardenhire's extension was for two years while his staff was given contracts through the 2010 season.
Gardenhire was the runner-up to Tampa Bay's Joe Maddon in AL manager of the year voting this year. Since taking over the Twins in 2002 he has helped Minnesota to four division titles and six winning records in seven years.
Bing leads the Singapore Open
SINGAPORE, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Native Lam Chih Bing shot 4-under-par 67 and holds a one-stroke lead after the rain-delayed first round at the Asian Tour's Singapore Open.
Bing birdied three of the last four holes Thursday, upstaging a number of marquee players on other tours around the world.
He thrilled a sparse, damp home crowd during a round filled with rain and a two-hour delay due to lightning.
The round eventually was suspended by darkness with only half of the field able to play 18 holes at the start of the $5 million event, the Asian Tour's richest national open.
One of the Thursday's finishers, American Phil Mickelson, ballooned to a 2-over 73, and will face a six-shot deficit at the start of Friday's second round.
"I know two-over par does not sound good, but I will actually take it," Mickelson told reporters following a round that began with four bogeys and a birdie. "I did very well to recover (later)."
Davydenko notches Masters semifinal spot
SHANGHAI, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Nikolay Davydenko was a straight-set winner Thursday and earned a semifinals berth in the ATP's Tennis Masters Cup tournament in Shanghai.
Davydenko, the tournament's No. 4 seed, topped Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-2 in a dominant performance in the final round-robin match for the Gold Group. That improved Davydenko to 2-1 in the tournament. Del Potro finished with a 1-2 record.
Davydenko was just 53 percent on his first serve but was solid enough to win 74 percent of his total service points and 51 percent of the points on del Potro's serve.
He joins second-seeded Novak Djokovic in Saturday's Masters Cup semifinals. Djokovic, also 2-1 in round-round play, had wrapped up his semifinal position before he dropped a 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 decision to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Thursday. Djokovic breezed through the first set before Tsonga rallied for his first win in the tournament.
Red Group round-robin play concludes Friday. Third-seeded Andy Murray (2-0) is paired against top-seeded Roger Federer (1-1). Federer, who has won the tournament four of the last five years, must beat Murray to advance to the semifinals. Murray has locked up a semifinals berth.
The first Red Group match Friday pits Radek Stepanek, filling in for the injured Andy Roddick, against Gilles Simon.
Report: Holyfield to get title shot
LONDON, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. boxer Evander Holyfield will try to become the oldest heavyweight champion in history with a fight in Switzerland in December, the BBC reported Thursday.
Holyfield, 46, has agreed to a bout with Russia's WBA champion Nikolai Valuev on Dec. 20 in Zurich, the BBC said.
Analysts say the American's chances against the 7-foot Valuev are slim to none because Valuev will have a seven-inch reach advantage and weighs at least 100 pounds more than Holyfield.
"I'm taking this fight very seriously," said the 35-year-old Valuev, a 1984 Olympic bronze medal winner. "Holyfield is a strong opponent, and 10 years ago I would not have dreamed of getting into the ring with this champion."
Holyfield has not fought since losing a unanimous decision on Oct. 13, 2007 to then-WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov.
His career record is 49-9-2, but since 2001, he has won only five of 11 fights.
