Page 3
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■nesday, July 11, 2001
Sports
THE BATTALION
^Baseball season
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Mark Passwaters,
Matthew Thigpen
& Michael Balhoff
The Battalion
ajor League Baseball
stands at its official midpoint
h Tuesday’s All-Star Game,
jerts who had everything
)ng once again have a
nee to show their wisdom as
y predict what will happen
e second half of the season.
1 American League
HMost Valuable Player: Bret
Bone, Seattle. The Mariners
art the best team in baseball,
and Boone has been its best
ppyer. He already has set ca
reer highs in every offensive
category while playing a fine
sec ond base. If he keeps play
ing at this level, he will be a
njost unlikely MVP selection.
■ Runner-up: Manny
Bmierez, Boston. He has kept
the Red Sox near first place all
b\ himself.
I Cy Young Award: Roger
Blemens, New York. As annoy-
: ing as it is to pick a Longhorn
for this award for the sixth
Bne, Clemens is having a sen
sational season. With Pedro
Hardnez injured, there is no
real competition.
: Rojokie of the year: Ichiro
Buzuki, Seattle. Ichiro has be
come a fan phenomenon while
j threatening to break several
major league batting records.
But how can this guy be a
\ . rookie when he has played for
10 years in Japan?
“Real” Rookie of the year:
Josh Towers, Baltimore. The
baby-faced Towers has gone
from mid-May callup to one of
the league’s better pitchers.
Manager of the year: Tom
Kelly, Minnesota. Name one
starter for the Twins, just one.
Most people cannot, yet Kelly
has led them to a four-game
lead over the mighty Indians at
the All-Star break.
Runner-up: Lou Pinella,
Seattle. Pinella had enough tal
ent in Seattle to win, but win
this often?
Surprise of the year: The
Mariners’ amazing start. Many
people thought Seattle was in
trouble after losing Alex Ro
driguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and
Randy Johnson in three
straight years. They are not
only contending, but are on
pace to break the major league
record for wins.
Disappointment of the
year: Texas Rangers. $252 mil
lion, .252 winning percentage.
Most ridculous item of
the year: Rangers pitching
staff. They would have a 6.00,
ERA against the Arlington
Little League.
Outrage of the year: Joe
Torre’s selection of seven Yan
kees to the All-Star team. Ru
mor has it he was upset that he
could not take the batboy too.
Comeback player of the
year: Ruben Sierra, Texas.
Sierra has gone from forgotten
to nearly as formidable as he
was 10 years ago.
National League:
MVP: Luis Gonzalez, Ari
zona. His 35 home runs have
helped the Diamondbacks to
first place in the NL West. He
is a classy player who is very
deserving of such an honor.
Runners-up: Lance Berk-
man and Moises Alou, Hous
ton. Both would get more at
tention if their team was in
first place.
Cy Young Award: Curt
Schilling, Arizona. The yearly
bridesmaid to Greg Maddux
and Randy Johnson finally gets
his moment in the spotlight.
Rookie of the year: Albert
Pujols, St. Louis and Ben
Sheets, Milwaukee. Pujols
may reset every rookie hitting
mark. Sheets was the first pick
in the 2000 draft and may win
20 games in the majors this
season.
Manager of the year: Don
Baylor, Chicago. How can
the Cubs be in first place?
Who knows? Baylor does,
and he deserves the award for
that alone.
Surprise of the year:
Philadelphia Phillies. T he per
petually phlopping Phils are
phiting for phirst.
Disappointment of the
year: New York Mets. Last
year’s NL World Series repre
sentative is in a fight too — for
last place.
Outrage of the year: The
continued presence of Derek
Bell on a major league roster.
The Pirates signed Bell to a
See Midseason on Page 4.
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Editor
rts Editor
Pinaster
t..
ign Director
;h Friday
nmer session
jicals Postage;;
3 Battalion,
, A&M Universit;
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845-2647; t
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5-2696,
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&M
Mail subscni
the summer o'
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DON'T MISS OUT! July 23-27
Ages 8-12 meet from 8am to 10am.
Ages 13-17 meet from 10am to noon.
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I"his clinic will cover all aspects of golf including:
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Registration forms are available at the Texas A&M Golf
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he Idas MM Mi (curse
PEN TO THE PUBLIC
American, NL’s best face off; Johnson
emergency starter for National League
SEATTLE (AP) — On the night when all of
baseball gathered to honor him, Cal Ripken de
livered his own All-Star sendoff.
Ripken upstaged Ichiro Suzuki, Barry Bonds
and every other big name in the ballpark, hitting
a home run in his final All-Star appearance to lead
the American League over the Nationals 4-1
Tuesday night.
What began as a trip down memory lane —
Ripken started at shortstop, at Alex Rodriguez’s
suggestion — wound up with him taking a glori
ous trip around the bases.
, It was easily the most thrilling moment in a
game that saw Roger Clemens finally face Mike
Piazza. There was no drama there, though some
one was later hit by the shattered bar
rel of a bat — NL honorary manager
Tommy Lasorda.
Derek Jeter and Magglio Ordonez
connected for consecutive home runs
as the AL won its fifth in a row. Suzu
ki, the most popular player in Seattle
these days, singled and stole a base as
the AL cut its deficit to 40-31 -1.
But, it was Ripken’s night.
At 40, Ripken supplanted Stan
Musial as the oldest player to homer
in an All-Star game when he hit Chan
Ho Park’s first pitch of the third in
ning over the left-field fence.
“I swung and made good contact
and the ball went out of the ballpark
and I felt like I was flying around the
bases,” Ripken said.
Tony Gwynn, who will retire with
Ripken after this season, applauded
from the opposing dugout and NL
starting pitcher Curt Schilling caught
the moment on his camcorder.
Ever the reluctant hero, Ripken had to be,
coaxed out of the dugout by the sellout crowd of;
47,364 at Safeco Field.
Even a freight train running on the tracks be-!
yond the center-field wall seemed to sound a trib-;
ute to baseball’s old blue eyes — a two-horn blast-
right after the Baltimore third baseman homered.
Later, the game was stopped as every All-Star
player joined commissioner Bud Selig in a six-
minute ceremony before the sixth inning to say
goodbye' to Ripken and Gwynn.
“It’s been a great run,” Ripken told the fans.’
Two years ago, in baseball’s last All-Star love-
fest, Ripken and Gwynn supported Ted Williams
See All-stars on Page 4.
All Star Game Starting Lineups
NL
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Seattle Mariners DH
8. Cal Ripken Jr.
Baltimore Orioles 3B
9. Ivan Rodriguez
Texas Rangers C
Pitcher:
Roger Clemens
New York Yankees
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Colorado Rockies DH
6 Mike Piazza
New York Mets C
7. Chipper Jones
Atlanta Braves 3B
8. Jeff Kent
San Francisco Giants 2B
9. Rich Aurilia
San Francisco Giants SS
Pitcher. Randy Johnson
Arizona Diamondbacks
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