Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

A19
SPORTS Tuesday 7 February 2017
Who’s White? The young Pats RB had 3 TDs including winner

STEPHEN HAWKINS in all season long just for triots within one score af-
AP Sports Writer that moment, just trying to ter Brady’s 6-yard TD pass
HOUSTON (AP) — James get a victory for my team- to Danny Amendola, who
White sure waited a long mates, is really amazing” then caught the overtime-
time to get his first rushing said White, who had no forcing 2-point conversion
touchdown of the season. idea he was the only player after White’s touchdown.
It came with 57 seconds in the NFL’s 51 Super Bowls “James White is just — he’s
left in the fourth quarter to score a touchdown on everything you want in a
of the Super Bowl Sunday, the game’s final play. teammate and football
leading to a 2-point con- The third-year running back player. Dependable, con-
version for the Patriots to tie from Wisconsin also had a sistent, durable, the best
the game at 28-28, forcing TD reception and a 2-point attitude,” Brady said. “He
the first overtime in the his- conversion as the Patriots brings it every day and we
tory of the big game. rallied from 28-3 down. just kept going to him so I
He didn’t wait very long to White, who had one rush- think that speaks for itself.”
get his next rushing score. It ing attempt for no gain Brady set a Super Bowl re-
came about four minutes and four catches in New cord with 466 yards passing
into overtime and won the England’s two AFC playoff and the Patriots had the
Super Bowl for New Eng- games, also finished with biggest comeback ever
land 34-28 over the Atlanta a Super Bowl-record 14 to win the NFL’s signature
Falcons. catches for 110 yards. His game. If not for that perfor-
“Felt like everything went 5-yard TD catch in the third mance, White would have
in slow motion,” White said. quarter started the rally, been a strong contender
“That’s dream about as a cutting the lead to 28-9. for MVP.
kid, ball in my hands with The Patriots often get per- Asked if he expected to
the game on the line, I’ve formances from little-known be such a big part of the New England Patriots’ James White, right, catches a pass under
got to find the end zone.” players in big games. In the game plan, White respond- pressure by Atlanta Falcons’ Deion Jones during the first half of
White, who didn’t have a AFC championship, receiv- ed, “I just wanted to be a the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in
rushing touchdown all sea- er Chris Hogan surprised viable option for my team. Houston.
son, immediately popped the Steelers with 180 yards “The ball came my way. Associated Press
up and sprinted around receiving. Blocking, running, I just the line.” away he was in the end
the end zone before being White’s 20 points were a wanted to do whatever The game-ending run was zone.
tackled by teammate Le- Super Bowl record, and in- it takes to get a victory,” a toss right, with White find- “It really hasn’t set in,”
Garrette Blount. cluded his run for a 2-point he said. “It’s a Super Bowl, ing a crease and pushing he said. “It’s surreal right
“All the hard work you put conversion that got the Pa- you’ve got to lay it all on forward. And he knew right now.”q

AP source: Royals, Jason Hammel agree to $16M, 2-year deal

BY DAVE SKRETTA dium last week after signing left before the Royals re-
AP SPORTS WRITER a $12 million, two-year deal ported to Surprise, Arizona,
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- to replace Kendrys Morales Moore moved quickly to
The Royals knew at some in the lineup. assess free-agent options.
point they would have to The Royals appeared to Hammel and Doug Fister
move on from grieving be content with their start- were widely considered
over the sudden and tragic ing rotation, anchored by two of the best arms still
death of Yordano Ventura Ventura, Danny Duffy and available, but the Royals
and address the difficult Ian Kennedy as they pre- eventually turned their fo-
task of replacing him. pared for spring training. cus to the tall right-hander.
That apparently came Jason Vargas was expect- Hammel has a 4.42 ERA
when the Royals agreed ed back after missing most over parts of 11 seasons,
with right-hander Jason of last season following though his best years have
Hammel on a $16 million, Tommy John surgery, and been his most recent. He
two-year contract, a per- general manager Dayton 10-7 with a 3.74 ERA for the
son with knowledge of the Moore anticipated several Cubs in 2015 before help-
negotiations told The Asso- in-house candidates to ing them to the champion-
ciated Press. In this Sept. 19, 2016, file photo, Chicago Cubs starter Jason compete through spring for ship last season.
The person spoke on con- Hammel delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball the fifth starter job. Among the candidates for
dition of anonymity Mon- game against the Cincinnati Reds in Chicago. That all changed when the final rotation spot are
day because the deal is Ventura’s car crashed on a Nathan Karns, who was
pending the completion of stretch of highway leading acquired from Seattle in
a physical. ries champion Chicago joining the Cubs. It was with to the town of Juan Adrian, a trade for Jarrod Dyson;
The 34-year-old Hammel Cubs last season and has the Athletics in 2014 that about 40 miles northwest Matt Strahm, who was elec-
is expected to take Ven- proven to be a workhorse Hammel appeared in relief of Santo Domingo. The tric out of the bullpen last
tura’s place in the starting with at least 30 appear- against Kansas City in their young pitcher, who signed season; Chris Young, who is
rotation. The 25-year-old ances in each of the past dramatic wild-card game a $23 million, five-year deal trying to bounce back from
flamethrower was killed three seasons. won by the Royals in 12 in- shortly before opening day a disastrous 2016 season;
last month in a car acci- He is also intimately famil- nings. in 2015, was pronounced and youngsters Alex Mills,
dent in his native Domini- iar with the Royals, pitching Also on that Oakland dead at the scene. Miguel Almonte, Kyle Zim-
can Republic. against the club with Tam- team? Designated hitter That left a much bigger mer and Josh Staumont, all
Hammel was 15-10 with a pa Bay, Colorado, Balti- Brandon Moss, who was in- void in the starting rotation. of whom may need more
3.83 ERA for the World Se- more and Oakland before troduced at Kauffman Sta- With only a couple weeks seasoning in the minors.q