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SPORTS Wednesday 13 november 2019
Mets' Alonso, Astros' Álvarez

named Rookies of the Year

By JAKE SEINER "My whole family was tell- the NL winner, but his vote
NEW YORK (AP) — Young ing me I would be the win- total didn't match. The up-
sluggers known for their ner of the award," Álvarez beat slugger was all smiles
prodigious power, Pete said. "And once I was se- as usual — just like when
Alonso and Yordan Álvarez lected as the winner, I was teammates ripped off his
knocked the Rookie of the very excited." jersey following a game-
Year voting out of the park. He's the third Houston play- ending walk in September.
In a rarity for the major er to win, following team- "I'm not taking my shirt off
league home run leader, mate Carlos Correa in 2015 for this one," Alonso joked. In this Sept. 28, 2019, file photo, New York Mets' Pete Alonso re-
Alonso didn't land the big- and Hall of Famer Jeff Bag- With a left-handed swing acts after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball
gest blow. well in 1991. reminiscent of long-legged game against the Atlanta Braves, in New York.
Alonso, a star first baseman Álvarez easily beat out Hall of Famer Willie McCov- Associated Press
with the New York Mets, got the other AL finalists, with ey — another unanimous
29 of 30 first-place votes Orioles left-hander John Rookie of the Year pick
for NL Rookie of the Year. Means second and Rays in- — Álvarez immediately
Braves right-hander Mike fielder Brandon Lowe third. entrenched himself in the
Soroka got the other first- The Mets agitated their middle of Houston's batting
place vote and finished fans by stashing Alonso at order. He hit seven homers
second in balloting by the Triple-A through the end in his first 12 games, and his
Baseball Writers' Associa- of the 2018 season, citing OPS ranked fifth in the ma-
tion of America revealed his inadequate defense at jors after he debuted June
Monday night. first base. He went to spring 9.
"To just win the award, training this year battling Álvarez's OPS was the high-
doesn't matter if it's unani- with buddy Dominic Smith est ever by a rookie, sur-
mous or not," Alonso said. for the starting job, and passing Shoeless Joe Jack-
"It's still such a blessing." Alonso wasn't even certain son's 1.058 mark in 1911.
Álvarez, a hulking designat- to crack the opening-day "It's a dream for every
ed hitter from the Houston roster until being declared player to get to the ma-
Astros, earned all 30 first- New York's primary first jor leagues," Álvarez said.
place votes to become the baseman a day before the "I was basically living my
24th unanimous selection regular season. dream." Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez watches his two-run home run
since the award was intro- Alonso said he was chal- McCovey appeared in 52 during the second inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Se-
duced in 1949. lenged by first-year gen- games while winning the ries against the Washington Nationals Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in
"I was really not expecting eral manager Brodie Van NL award in 1959, the only Washington.
it," Álvarez said through a Wagenen to "show up in total lower than Álvarez.q Associated Press
translator. shape and earn your spot."
The 24-year-old Alonso led "I felt like I answered the
the majors with 53 hom- bell," Alonso said. U.S. beats Japan 4-3 in Olympic
ers, one better than Yan- The former Florida Gator
kees slugger Aaron Judge's became an instant star in baseball qualifying in Tokyo
rookie record from 2017. the Mets' blue and orange.
"Polar Bear" Pete became Wielding his hefty 34-inch,
the face of baseball in 32-ounce birch bat, Alonso By The Associated Press ment, Mexico beat Aus- are assured berths in the
Flushing, beloved for his hit .292 with nine homers, 26 Tampa Bay prospect Jake tralia 3-0 and Taiwan de- six-nation Olympic field.
power, personality and RBIs and a 1.024 OPS over Cronenworth put the U.S. feated South Korea 7-0. Hideto Asamura drove
philanthropy. He's the sixth March and April, claiming ahead to stay in the first Mexico leads with a 3-0 in all three runs for Ja-
Met to win the award and the first of three NL Rookie inning, Angels draft pick record, followed by Japan pan with RBI singles in the
first since teammate Jacob of the Month honors. He Jo Adell homered and the and South Korea (both fourth, sixth and eighth in-
deGrom in 2014. put on a power-packed Americans beat Japan 4-3 2-1), the U.S. and Taiwan nings, the first two off Rich-
Padres shortstop Fernan- show while winning the All- Tuesday night at the To- (both 1-2) and Australia ard and the last against
do Tatis Jr. was third in NL Star Home Run Derby, and kyo Dome for their first win (0-3). Tampa Bay's Spencer
balloting. The only voter then cemented his fan- in the super round of an Managed by Scott Brosius, Jones.
to place Soroka ahead of favorite status by donating Olympic baseball qualify- the U.S. plays Australia on Cronenworth had an RBI
Alonso was Andrew Bag- $100,000 of his $1 million ing tournament. Wednesday and Taiwan grounder in the first that
garly of The Athletic. Alonso derby prize to charities sup- Clayton Richard, released on Friday. The first- and scored Philadelphia's Alec
was the only NL player porting injured soldiers and by Toronto in September, second-place teams ad- Bohm, who had doubled
named on every ballot. 9/11 workers. got the win despite al- vance to the Premier12's leading off against Rei
Álvarez, a 22-year-old from "Pete kept the same at- lowing two runs in 2 2/3 gold-medal game and Takahashi. Boston's Bobby
Cuba, played 87 games af- titude that he came in innings. Brandon Dickson, the third- and fourth-place Dalbec added a run-scor-
ter debuting in June, fewest spring training with through a former St. Louis pitcher teams play for the bronze. ing double in the third.
by any position player to the entire season," Van who has spent seven sea- The top finisher from the Oakland's Mark Payton
win AL Rookie of the Year. Wagenen said. "He was a sons with Orix in Japan's Americas, the U.S. or Mex- doubled leading off the
He hit 27 homers, batted good teammate. He was a Pacific League, struck out ico, qualifies for the Tokyo fifth and scored on Bohm's
.313, drove in 78 and had a true professional. And obvi- two in a perfect ninth for Olympics next year. The single. Adell, selected by
1.067 OPS for the pennant- ously, he was a lightning in the save. Seattle's Penn second-place finisher from the Los Angeles Angels
winning Astros. He strug- a bottle for all Mets fans." Murfee started with three the Americas goes to a fi- with the 10th overall pick
gled at times in the post- Alonso wore a hat read- hitless innings. nal qualifying tournament in the 2017 amateur draft,
season, but that was after ing "100%" on the broad- In Tuesday's other games in March or April. homered off Yudai Ono in
voting had concluded. cast while being named at the Premier12 tourna- Japan and Israel already the seventh.q