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sports Diasabra 20 November 2021

Ohtani voted AL MVP for 2-way season, Harper wins NL honor

(AP) — Shohei Ohtani’s in Japan, but tried not to let and June 5.
two-way season was so that get to me, let the pres-
incredible, MVP voters sure get to me,” Ohtani said. “I had to take a break and un-
filled out the top of their “I just wanted to have fun derstand that my wrist was
ballots only one way. and see what kinds of num- still hurt, my face and my
bers I could put up and what mental state probably wasn’t
Ohtani was a unanimous type of performance I could the greatest,” Harper said.
winner of the American put up.”
League MVP award Thurs- He finished with a .309 aver-
day for a hitting and pitching Harper received 17 of 30 age and 35 homers for Phila-
display not seen since Babe first-place votes and 348 delphia. The 29-year-old
Ruth, and Bryce Harper points from a separate panel. slugger led the majors with a
earned the National League the mound for the 27-year- of his season. Washington outfielder Juan .465 slugging percentage and
honor for the second time. old right-hander since Tom- Soto was second with six 1.044 OPS, tied for the lead
my John surgery in 2019. “It was my first one and I got firsts and 274 points, and San with 42 doubles and had 84
Ohtani received all 30 first- to play with a lot of players Diego shortstop Fernando RBIs.
place votes and 420 points in He averaged 95.6 mph with that I’ve always watched on Tatis Jr. was third with two
balloting by members of the his fastball, 28th in the ma- TV,” Ohtani said. “That was firsts and 244 points. Harper was a unanimous
Baseball Writers’ Association jor leagues among quali- a great experience.” MVP winner with Washing-
of America. fied pitchers, and had a 93.6 Harper overcame getting hit ton in 2015 and became the
mph exit velocity at the plate, Ruth had just two seasons in on the left cheek with a 96.9 fifth player to win MVPs for
“American fans, the U.S.A. which ranked sixth among which he thrived at the plate mph pitch from Génesis Ca- different teams after Jimmie
baseball, is more accepting qualified batters, according to while pitching regularly. He brera of the St. Louis Cardi- Foxx, Frank Robinson, Barry
and welcoming to the whole MLB Statcast. batted .300 with 11 homers nals on April 28, a ball that Bonds and Alex Rodriguez.
two-way idea compared to and 61 RBIs in 1918 while ricocheted off Harper’s left
when I first started in Japan, “MVP is something I was going 13-7 with a 2.22 ERA wrist. Tears came to his eyes “This one just felt a little bit
so it made the transition a shooting for,” Ohtani said. “I for Boston, then hit .322 with when he learned he had won, different,” Harper said. “I
lot easier for me,” Ohtani think every player is, as long 29 homers and 113 RBIs in and he talked about what he think being a little bit older, a
said through translator Ippei as they’re playing baseball 1919 while going 9-5 with a had overcome. little bit more mature, being
Mizuhara. “I’m very thankful professionally.” 2.97 ERA. Ruth was sold to able to have the teammates I
for that.” the Yankees that December “I was, `Oh, I’m great. I’m do, have the family now that
Ohtani won AL Rookie of and made just five mound fine.′ I’m pressing my face, I do with my kids.”
Ohtani batted .257 with 46 the Year in 2018 after leav- appearances in his final 16 `I’m good and I’m OK to
homers, 100 RBIs and a .965 ing the Pacific League’s Hok- seasons. get back,′ not knowing that Harper earned a $500,000
OPS as the Los Angeles An- kaido Nippon-Ham Fighters maybe it was a little bit too bonus for winning MVP in
gels’ full-time designated hit- to sign with the Angels. This Ohtani became the second soon for myself,” Harper his third season of a $330
ter, and went 9-2 with a 3.18 year he became the first two- Japanese MVP winner after said. million, 13-year contract.
ERA in 23 pitching starts way starter in the history of Seattle outfielder Ichiro Su-
with 156 strikeouts and 44 the All-Star Game, which be- zuki in 2001. He hit .211 with three RBIs He thanked his personal chef,
walks in 130 1/3 innings. It gan in 1933. “I’ve dealt with a lot of doubt- in May, then went on the Dan.
was the first full season on He called that the highlight ers, especially from my days injured list between May 22
Tennis trailblazer: Peng known for her grit on the court

and Caroline Wozniacki, her age of 8 by an uncle, the
opponent in that 2014 match, 35-year-old Peng is an ad-
came around the net to check mirer of John McEnroe and
on her. has a lucky cow on her ten-
nis bag to honor her birth in
Only then, with her body a year of the ox.
pushed to the absolute limit
— maybe even beyond the She enjoys Chinese cuisine,
limit — did Peng retire from reading, shopping and swim-
the match that marked the ming and “considers herself
pinnacle of her singles career. quiet,” according to her WTA
Tour bio.
Ultimately, she was taken
away in a wheelchair. When she reached the No. 1
(AP) - Struggling to stay ranking in doubles in Febru-
upright as suffocating heat For a player who overcame ary 2014, Peng became the
and humidity drained her heart surgery at the age of first Chinese player — male ished runner-up in seven her country hosted the 2008
energy in the U.S. Open 12, quitting doesn’t come or female — to reach the top tournaments. Beijing Olympics, as well as
semifinals, Peng Shuai re- lightly to the trailblazing ten- spot in either singles or dou- at the 2012 London Games
fused to give up. nis standout, who has disap- bles. Attempting to follow in the and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro
peared after accusing a for- footsteps of Li Na, a fellow Games.
She paused between points mer top Chinese official of Besides her two Grand Slam Chinese player and the first
to clutch at her left thigh and sexually assaulting her. titles in doubles — both Grand Slam singles cham- She also won three med-
put her weight on her racket achieved with Taiwanese pion from Asia, Peng also als when China hosted the
as if it were a cane. She leaned Her hard-earned grit and a partner Hsieh Su-wei — reached the fourth round at Asian Games in Guangzhou
against a wall and wiped away unique playing style featur- Peng also reached the Austra- Wimbledon three times in in 2010 — gold in singles and
tears. ing two-handed grips on lian Open final in 2017 with singles, the fourth round at the team event and bronze in
both forehands and back- Andrea Hlavackova. the Australian Open twice doubles.
Helped off the court and diag- hands carried her to 23 tour- and the third round at the
nosed with heat stroke, doc- level doubles titles, including In singles, besides her U.S. French Open twice. While not officially retired,
tors told her to quit. But Peng at Wimbledon in 2013 and Open semifinal appearance, she played her last match in
still came back for more. Six the French Open in 2014. Peng also won two titles — Her top ranking in singles Qatar in February 2020.
more points until she eventu- at Tianjin in 2016 and Nan- was No. 14 in August 2011.
ally collapsed to the ground Introduced to tennis at the chang in 2017 — and fin- Peng played for China when