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SPORTS Friday 13 November 2020
Cleveland's Bieber, Cincinnati's Bauer win Cy Young Awards

By JAY COHEN
AP Sports Writer
Shane Bieber and Trevor
Bauer love to talk pitch-
ing. They bonded as team-
mates with the Cleveland
Indians, and stayed in
touch after Bauer was trad-
ed to the Cincinnati Reds
last year.
Bieber got a text from Bau-
er before this season start-
ed. The right-handers had
the same Las Vegas odds
for the Cy Young Award.
"I said ... why don't we go
2 for 2, or something like In this Sept. 29, 2020, file photo, Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber, left, delivers in the first inning of Game 1 of an Amer-
that?" Bieber said. ican League wild-card baseball series against the New York Yankees in Cleveland, and in this Sept. 4, 2020, file photo, Cincinnati
Reds starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, right, delivers during the first inning of the second baseball game of the team's doubleheader
Why not, indeed. against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh.
Bieber was a unanimous Associated Press
winner in the American
League on Wednesday had the pleasure of meet- the field and outspoken lander for the Detroit Tigers Corey Kluber took the prize
night, and Bauer became ing in professional baseball. off it, the 29-year-old right- in 2011. It was the 10th time in 2014 and 2017. Gaylord
the first pitcher to take "We talked a little bit hander struck out 100 in 73 an AL pitcher was listed first Perry in 1972 is the only oth-
home the NL honor for the throughout the year about innings and led the majors on every ballot. er winner for the Tribe.
majors' oldest franchise. how cool would it be to with two shutouts, a pair of Minnesota Twins right- It's the first Cy Young Award
"Nobody's more deserving have ex-teammates win seven-inning performances hander Kenta Maeda was for Bauer, who tied for sixth
of it than him and he knows the award together, and on doubleheader days. the AL runner-up, followed in the AL voting in 2018 af-
what he wants and he here we are. So I'm really He became a free agent by Toronto Blue Jays lefty ter he went 12-6 with a 2.21
knows how to go out and happy for him." after the season and turned Hyun Jin Ryu. ERA for the Indians. He was
get it," Bieber said. "And Using a versatile reper- down the Reds' qualify- The BBWAA will announce traded to Cincinnati as part
we keep in touch. I was toire that includes a loop- ing offer, but left the door the MVPs on Thursday night. of a three-team deal at last
truly pulling for him and you ing curveball and wipeout open for a return. "Today's a good day re- year's deadline that moved
know, so is my family. And slider, Bieber went 8-1 with "I haven't thought about gardless," Bieber said. "It just Yasiel Puig to Cleveland.
I know he feels the same a 1.63 ERA and 122 strike- free agency very much makes it that much better Bauer struggled after he
way, so it's special." outs in 77 1/3 innings during yet, to be honest," said that we were able to take was acquired by the Reds,
Bieber and Bauer, two Cali- the pandemic-shortened Bauer, known for some this thing home and that it going 2-5 with a 6.39 ERA in
fornia natives, made it an season, leading the majors unusual and progressive was unanimous." 10 starts. He was hampered
Ohio sweep on the mound in ERA and strikeouts and training methods that have The 25-year-old Bieber, a by a right ankle injury that
in 2020. They are the third tying Chicago Cubs right- helped turn him into one former walk-on at UC San- affected him for much of
pair of former teammates hander Yu Darvish for the of baseball's best pitchers. ta Barbara, was selected the year. But he returned
to win Cy Young Awards most wins. "I have had a lot of stuff by Cleveland in the fourth to form when this season fi-
in the same season, ac- Bieber became the second that I've been doing trying round of the 2016 amateur nally started in July.
cording to the Elias Sports player in Indians history to to get my offseason under- draft. He made his ma- Bauer allowed just two runs
Bureau. Greg Maddux and win the AL's pitching Triple way, trying to get better at jor league debut in 2018 and eight hits in 26 1/3 in-
Dennis Eckersley in 1992 Crown, joining Hall of Fam- baseball." Darvish finished and went 11-5 with a 4.55 nings over his first four starts.
and Max Scherzer and Rick er Bob Feller in 1940. He also second in NL voting by the ERA. But he really started He also closed out the sea-
Porcello in 2016 also ac- was the first pitcher to lead Baseball Writers' Associa- to show off his potential son with a flourish, record-
complished the feat. the majors in all three cate- tion of America. New York last year, winning the MVP ing a 1.29 ERA and 46 strike-
Bieber and Bauer had gories since Johan Santana Mets ace Jacob deGrom award at the All-Star Game outs in 35 innings over five
neighboring lockers in for Minnesota in 2006. was third, falling short in his and finishing with 15 wins September starts.
Cleveland. Bauer went 5-4 with an NL- bid for a third consecutive and a 3.28 ERA. "The biggest deal this year
"We've had a close rela- best 1.73 ERA in 11 starts, Cy Young Award. Bieber gave Cleveland its is I was just healthy," he
tionship since then," Bauer helping the Reds reach the Bieber was the first unani- fifth Cy Young Award since said. "I was able to go out
said. "I think he's one of the playoffs for the first time mous American League CC Sabathia won in 2007. there and compete, be on
best human beings that I've since 2013. Animated on winner since Justin Ver- Cliff Lee won in 2008, and a routine."q

Gio Reyna makes U.S. soccer debut, a

day before 18th birthday

By The Associated Press Barcelona and Yunus Musah of Valencia,
Gio Reyna made his U.S. national soccer who turns 18 on Nov. 29. Reyna and Musah
team debut against Wales at Swansea on became just the 12th and 13th players to
Thursday night on the day before his 18th make an appearance before turning 18.
birthday, joining his father and mother as Claudio Reyna was a U.S. captain and
the first three-member family in American played in three World Cups. He was 20
history to make international soccer ap- years, 5 months, 26 days when he made
pearances.Reyna, who has become a the first of 112 national team appearances This Oct., 3, 2020, file photo shows Dortmund's Giovanni Reyna
watching during the German Bundesliga soccer match between
regular at Germany's Borussia Dortmund, as a 61st-minute substitute in an exhibition Borussia Dortmund and SC Freiburg in Dortmund, Germany.
was among three players to debut, joined against Norway at Tempe, Arizona, on Associated Press
by 19-year-old Konrad de la Fuente of Jan. 15, 1994.q