Sports Desk

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

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BASEBALL


COLON BEATS OUT RIVERA FOR AMERICAN LEAGUE CY YOUNG


Bartolo Colon won the American League Cy Young Award yesterday in a surprisingly one-sided vote, becoming the first Angels pitcher in 41 years to take home the honor.


Colon, who led the league with 21 wins, was listed first on 17 ballots and second on the other 11 for 118 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He was the only pitcher named on every ballot, easily beating out Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera, who received 68 points. Rivera got eight first-place votes, while 2004 winner Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins received three and finished third. Dean Chance was the only other Cy Young Award winner in the Angels’ 45-season history, winning in 1964.


Though Colon (21-8) was the league’s only 20-game winner, this year’s Cy Young race was thought to be close. His 3.48 ERA and 157 strikeouts ranked eighth, while Rivera racked up 43 saves and a career-best 1.38 ERA. Santana went 16-7 with a 2.87 ERA and led the majors with 238 strikeouts. Both Colon and Rivera pitched for division champions, but the voters ultimately gave more weight to the starter: Colon threw 222 2 /3 innings to Rivera’s 78 1/3. Cleveland Indians left-hander Cliff Lee came in fourth in the balloting, and Mark Buehrle of the White Sox finished fifth.


YANKEES DECLINE OPTION ON MARTINEZ


The Yankees let Tino Martinez go yesterday, declining their $3 million option on the popular first baseman. Martinez returned to New York this year and hit .241 in part-time duty with 17 home runs and 49 RBI. He was a staple in the Yankees’ lineup from 1996-2001, helping the team to four World Series championships and five AL pennants with his clutch hitting and reliable defense.


Always a fan favorite at Yankee Stadium, he was brought back to provide insurance at first base for slugger Jason Giambi, who was coming off a 2004 season wrecked by illness and injury. And Martinez did his job, going on an early home run tear while Giambi was still struggling, a big reason the Yankees were able to recover from an 11-19 start to win their eighth consecutive AL East title.


But Giambi, now healthy, found his stroke as the summer wore on, pushing Martinez to the bench most games. Often used as a defensive replacement, the two-time All-Star finished with 303 at-bats in 131 games.


Martinez is a .271 career hitter with 339 homers and 1,271 RBI in 16 major league seasons. He gets a $250,000 buyout and becomes a free agent. His salary was $2.75 million last season.


COLLEGE BASKETBALL


BLUE DEVILS LEAD PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS


Duke tops the preseason All-America team, too. Senior teammates J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams of the no. 1 Blue Devils were the leading vote-getters yesterday on the Associated Press’s preseason All-America team.


It is the fifth time since the AP started the preseason team in 1986-87 that teammates were chosen by the national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Seniors Dee Brown of Illinois and Craig Smith of Boston College also made the team, along with junior Adam Morrison of Gonzaga.


Redick, the only returning first-teamer from last season, received 67 of 72 votes, while Williams, a third-team choice last season, was on 63 ballots. It is the second time Duke has had two players on the preseason All-America team. Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill were the first teammates to do it in 1992.


– Associated Press

NY Sun
NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.


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