Clemens wins AL Cy Young Award
NEW YORK, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The New York Yankees' Roger Clemens won an unprecedented sixth Cy Young Award today. He became the second-oldest pitcher in history to claim the American League honor.
Clemens has two more Cy Young Awards than his nearest challenger and is the first pitcher to win one with three teams, having also claimed the honor with Boston in 1986, 1987 and 1991, and Toronto in 1997 and 1998.
Only Early Wynn, who won in 1959 with the Chicago White Sox, was older than Clemens, winning the AL award at 39 and 10 months. Clemens was 39 and 3 months when he finished his season at 20-3 with a 3.51 ERA.
Gaylord Perry is the oldest to win a Cy Young Award, doing so at the age of 40 for the San Diego Padres in 1978.
"To win these individual awards I have to give credit to the guys behind me," Clemens said. "They do it all. I also have had some great catchers."
Arizona Diamondbacks lefthander Randy Johnson collected his fourth career Cy Young Award on Tuesday. Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves and Hall of Famer Steve Carlton also have won four.
A 20-game winner for the sixth time in his career, Clemens became the first pitcher to open a season 20-1, winning 16 consecutive decisions in the process. He also struck out 213 batters in 220 innings.
Mourning still suffers from food poisoning
NEW YORK, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning will miss at least three games due to the affects of food poisoining, the team announced today.
The 31-year-old Mourning was ordered by doctors to stay home Wednesday as the team traveled to New York for tonight's game with the Knicks.
Mourning also will miss games against Charlotte on Friday and Minnesota on Tuesday before being re-evaluated. He may return for a home game against Dallas on Nov. 23.
Power forward Brian Grant also will be sidelined the next 10 days due to a bone contusion of his right foot.
Mourning had played the previous two games after missing a pair due to food poisoning, but he admitted the recent bug has set him back "five steps" in terms of stamina and strength in his fight against kidney disease.
The six-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year missed 69 games last season while being treated for a kidney disorder.
Michael Dickerson out a month
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Memphis Grizzlies guard Michael Dickerson will miss at least a month after an MRI revealed a stress fracture near his groin, the team announced today.
Dickerson is expected to be out 30-45 days.
The extent of the injury was discovered while his strained right abductor was being re-evaluated. There are five abductor muscles between the pelvis and knee in each leg, and they are used mostly to pull the legs together.
Dickerson, 26, suffered the injury during a game against Phoenix on Nov. 6 and sat out the following day against the Los Angeles Clippers. He eventually was placed on the injured list on Nov. 9.
Hewitt benefits from day off
SYDNEY, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Lleyton Hewitt did not take the court today, but his chances of ending the year as the top-ranked player in the world improved dramatically.
With top-seeded Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil and third seed Andre Agassi both losing, Hewitt moved a match away from claiming the top spot at the $3.65 million Tennis Masters Cup.
Hewitt got within eight points of Kuerten for the world's top ranking on Wednesday with a straight-sets win over Agassi, but watched Thursday as his top two challengers for the year-end No. 1 lost.
Hewitt can clinch the year-end No. 1 Friday if he defeats fellow Australian Patrick Rafter and Kuerten loses to Kafelnikov in their final group matches.
Woods, Duval struggle in World Cup
GOTEMBA, Japan, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods and David Duval, set back by a two-stroke penalty, struggled today as they opened defense of their title at the World Golf Championships-EMC World Cup.
Ranked first and third in the world, Woods and Duval are one of 24 international teams competing this week. They combined to shoot 6-under-par 66 and were tied for 11th, four shots off the pace.
A year ago, the American duo overcame host Argentina, which was represented by European Tour members Angel Cabrera and Eduardo Romero, to win the inaugural event.
After one round this year, there is a three-way tie atop the leaderboard. Scotland's team of Andrew Coltart and Dean Robertson are at 62, as are Sweden's Niclas Fasth and Robert Karlsson, and Mike Weir and Ian Leggatt of Canada.
Duval was assessed a two-shot penalty after practice putting on the 16th green. Practice putting during competition is allowed in match-play events, but is forbidden in stroke-play tournaments on all the major tours in the world.
Calmus among Butkus Award finalists
ORLANDO, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Rocky Calmus, the leader of fourth-ranked Oklahoma's defense, was named today as one of three finalists for the Butkus Award, which goes to the nation's top linebacker.
The 6-3, 240-pound senior also was a finalist last year, when the Sooners beat Florida State in the Orange Bowl to win the national championship.
The other finalists, pared from a list of 12 semifinalists, are UCLA senior Robert Thomas and Maryland junior E.J. Henderson.
The winner will be announced Dec. 7.
Calmus, also a finalist for the Lombardi Award, has recorded 106 tackles and an interception this season, along with three sacks and 12 stops for losses.
Record setting QB out for season
STARKVILLE, Miss., Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Wayne Madkin's record-breaking career at Mississippi State has come to a premature conclusion as the senior quarterback will miss the remainder of the season with a broken toe on his right foot.
Madkin, the Bulldogs' career passing leader, suffered the injury in the second quarter of last week's 24-17 loss at Alabama and will undergo surgery Friday.
Madkin, who started 41 of Mississippi State's last 42 games, set school records for completions (462) and passing yards (6,336).
But the Bulldogs (2-6) have endured a disappointing 2001 season. They are in the last place in the Southeastern Conference West Division and rank second-to-last in Division I-A in scoring offense, averaging just 12.3 points per game.
LPGA Tour gets richer
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The LPGA announced its 2002 schedule today, one that features bigger purses, a new event and the absence of a "Florida Swing."
There will be 34 official events on the LPGA Tour next year with an average purse of $1.19 million -- the highest in the tour's 51-year history.
The 2001 season opened in Florida. But one of the Florida events was moved to California and the others were discontinued.
Votaw said the tour will not have a "Florida Swing" again until it can find quality sponsors and a community that is able to support an event on a long-term basis.
The only event to be held in Florida next season will be the year-ending Tyco/ADT Championship at West Palm Beach.
The 2002 schedule gets under way with the LPGA Takefuji Classic from Feb. 28-March 2. That leaves 3 1/2 months between the final official event of 2001 and the first next season.
Ireland qualifies for World Cup
TEHRAN, Iran, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Ireland clinched a berth in the 2002 World Cup today despite suffering a 1-0 loss to Iran in the second leg of their playoff.
Ireland, which won the playoff on aggregate, 2-1, reached the finals for only the third time and the first since 1994. It became the became the 31st member of the 32-team field for the World Cup, which will be staged in South Korea and Japan.
The final team will be decided Nov. 25, when Uruguay hosts the second leg of its playoff with Australia. The first leg will be played Nov. 20 in Melbourne.
