Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Tuesday 18 February 2020
Mike Trout rips cheating Astros, calls for bigger punishment

By GREG BEACHAM spect for some of the guys." ing good, and you go into
AP Sports Writer Trout said a few members Houston and get banged
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Mike of the Astros reached out to up, it could mentally drain
Trout thinks the Houston As- him during the offseason to you."
tros should pay more dearly explain their side, but Trout Trout didn't make a sug-
for their cheating ways. didn't sound impressed. gestion for what the Astros
The Los Angeles Angels' "You don't know what players' punishment should
three-time AL MVP ripped helped them or what not," have been, but the scan-
the Astros and questioned he said. "But if you know dal obviously touched a
the discipline handed out what's coming, it's going to nerve in the Halos' brilliant
by Major League Baseball definitely help them. I don't center fielder, who has
on Monday after he report- know if you take the tro- spent his entire career try-
ed to spring training. Trout phy away or take the rings ing to outhit the Astros.
joined the chorus of promi- away, but they should defi- "Obviously the GM got fired
nent big leaguers angry nitely do something." and Hinch got fired," Trout
about Houston's rampant Trout doesn't remember said of punishments for Jeff Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout, left, and Shohei Ohtani watch
sign stealing on its way to hearing the Astros bang- Luhnow and manager AJ batting practice during spring training baseball practice, Mon-
the 2017 World Series title ing on trash cans at Minute Hinch. "But the players get- day, Feb. 17, 2020, in Tempe, Ariz.
and beyond. Maid Park during his nine ting nothing, that's definite- Associated Press
"It's sad for baseball," big league seasons, all with ly not right, for sure."
he said. "It's tough. They the Angels in the AL West. "I think everybody wants it ported to his new team
cheated. I don't agree with "I noticed the banging off to be a clean, level playing Monday, but the Angels'
the punishments, the play- the bat from center field," field," Trout added. "I didn't new $245 million third base-
ers not getting anything. It Trout said. "It just feels like know it wasn't until this stuff man was more circum-
was a player-driven thing. they weren't missing pitch- came out, and then you spect in his thoughts on the
It sucks, too, because guys' es. It's frustrating, because realize when we played at Astros, his hometown team.
careers have been affect- you have guys coming in them at (Houston) or what- "Everyone is quick to ham-
ed. A lot of people lost jobs. here battling every day ever, they were hitting a lot mer them down and just kill
It was tough. and working on stuff. ... I of balls. They've got a lot of them," Rendon said. "But at
"Me going up to the plate can't imagine what the great players over there for the end of the day, we've
knowing what was com- pitchers feel like. It's a sure, but it was something got to look at ourselves in
ing? It would be fun up mental game. You go in different." the mirror, and we're not
there. A lot of guys lost re- a stretch where you're do- Anthony Rendon also re- perfect people. q
Continued from page 17 came in 1956 in Jackson-
"She was the best I've ever ville, Florida, and by 1961
seen, man or woman," she was dominating the
Whitworth told espnW.com tour, winning at least 10
in 2015. "I've had the privi- tournaments annually
lege of playing with Sam from 1961 to 1964. Among
Snead and Jack Nicklaus her major wins were four
and Arnold Palmer and U.S. Opens and four LPGA
all of them. And some of Championships.
our ladies had wonderful Wright retired from the tour
swings. But nobody hit it like in 1969 because of foot is-
Mickey, just nobody." sues and mental fatigue:
Mary Kathryn Wright was she was the biggest draw
born in San Diego on Feb. on the LPGA Tour and
14, 1935. She started play- played constantly to help
ing golf seriously at age 11 it thrive.
and in 1952 at 17 won the "It was a lot of pressure to
USGA Girls' Junior Champi- be in contention week after In this 1967 file photo, the gallery follows Mickey Wright's iron
onship. In 1954, she won the week for five or six years," shot from the fairway at the Toronto Golf Club.
World Amateur. Wright told Golf World in Associated Press
She studied psychology for 2000. "I guess they call it
a year at Stanford before burnout now, but it wore cancel their tournaments if survived breast cancer in
dropping out in 1955 to me out. Unless you're a golf- she didn't play. And, know- 2007. The Stuart News in
pursue a professional golf er, you can't understand ing that if they canceled, 2012 said Wright spent most
career. the tension and pressure the rest of us wouldn't be days gardening, fishing
"I've earned my own ver- of tournament play. And able to play, Mickey would and playing the stock mar-
sion of a master's degree it was the expectations: It always play," Whitworth ket and crossword puzzles.
in psychology in study and was always, 'What's wrong said. For golf, she hit wedges off
experience, trial and error, with your game? 'Are you Wright's last tournament a practice mat on her pa-
on golf courses throughout coming apart?' Second or victory came four years tio onto the 14th fairway of
the United States. For psy- third isn't bad, but it feels after leaving the tour, the an adjoining club.
chology ... is as integral a bad when you've won 44 1973 Colgate-Dinah Shore When she donated 200
part of good golf as an ef- tournaments in four years." Winner's Circle. That was items to the United States
ficient swing," she said, ac- Whitworth said her friend before that tournament Golf Association in 2012,
cording to the World Golf and rival had to play al- was considered a major. she said she hated giving
Hall of Fame. She was in- most every week for the Wright moved to Stuart, up that mat. The course
ducted in 1976. tour to survive. Florida, in 1974, where she ranger gave her a new
Her first tournament win "Sponsors threatened to lived the rest of her life. She one.q