Show B2 — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Tuesday November 18 2003 American League NEW YORK (AIM - For sale: Amcri-va- n League MVP Asking price: about $ 79 million An hour alter becoming only the second player I'nmi a last 'place team to win a Most Valuable Player award Alex Rodrigue continued that tlie Texas Rangers have talked to him about a vissible trade "Management has approached me with a situation and some choices and I’m just going to keep my doors open right now" Rodrigue said Monday from Mexico during a conference call Rodrigue received 242 points lor the American League award in voting by the Hasenall Writers'Association of America Toronto first baseman Carlos Delgado was second with 213 points followed by ' Yankees catcher Jorge Posada with 194 Showing the 'split among the writers RflWP e 10 players received votes one short of the recolid set in the 1947 NL vote and matched in the 177 AL vote Rodrigue was the only player picked on every ballot lie hit 298 tied for the major league lead with 47 homers and led the Al in runs 24) and slugging had I IX RBIs seclie (MX)) percentage in ond the AL to Delgado's 145 Regarded by many as (lie best player in tlie league Rodriguez became tlie first AL player to win the MVP while playing for a team Andre Dawson won tlie e 'X7 NL award with tlx Cubs Last year Rodrigue finished second in MVP voting to Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada and in 1996 he finished three points behind the Rangers’ Juan Gonzalez “It means the world to me” Rodriguez said ''I’m so proud It really is a valida- first-plac- -- 1 1 last-pla- last-plac- ' could be for sale tion to all the hard work and dedication" Rodriguez has completed three seasons contract the of a $252 million I riclicst in baseball history He has been paid $56 million gets another $ I million and is owed $12 million plus on Dec interest in deferred payments from the first three seasons An additional $4 million of the signing bonus is due in 2(X)4 and 2005 Since the team signing the original contract usually pays the signing bonus that leaves $ 79 million remaining over the final seven years an average yearly payout of $2557 million Rodriguez said he thought there hud been talks about a possible trade with "three of four teams" but didn’t elaborate Only a handful of teams such as the Mels Yankees Red Sox Orioles and Dodgers could take on all of that contract' AL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD takes A-R- od AL’s top prize Alex Rodriguez won the American League Most Valuable Player Award for the first time in his career capping a season in which he led the AL in home runs runs and slugging percentage but the 1 Rangers finished last First- - second- - and and total points on a basis third-plac- e votes Top Player Rodriguez Tex Delgado Tor : 1 large-mark- et vote-gette- rs 1st 2nd 3rd Tot 6 242 3 210 194 Posada NY 4 2 2 3 Stewart Minn Ortiz Bos Ramirez Bos ' SLG : Bos1 Gardaparra 2 1 140 130 103’ 99 AP SOURCE: Associated Press Sabres nip Sens r OTTAWA (AP)- -JP Dumont and James Patrick scored 14 seconds apart early in the third and Martin Biron made 23 saves in the Buffalo Sabres' 1 victory over Ottawa on Monday night Dumont scored from the slot 1:52 into the third to break a scoreless tie and Patrick added his third of the season at 2:06 Ottawa defenseman Wade Redden scored for the third ' straight game pulling the Senators within one with a power-pla- y goal at 4: 0 Ottawa's last eight goals have come with the man advantage ' including a teanvrecord five Thursday night against Columbus e Buffalo ended a winless streak: The Sabres have won just twice in their 12253 last seven games ( ) The Senators who fell to 0-- 6 in one-gogames last their second in a row Ottawa is 2- -' - al 2-- of 14 since collecting points while winning five of its first seven games Biron came up with a big stop on former teammate Vaclav Varada’s'chance early in the second and made a pad save moments later on Daniel Alfredsson’s shot from the of the crease edge ' Sabres center Daniel Briere set up Dumont's goal early in the third Briere moved from behind the net and passed from the right side of the net " to Dumont who beat Senators backup Martin Prusek through' the legs for his fourth of the 5-- 1 : three-gam- 1 1 2 season move into 2nd By San Francisco wide receiver Terrell Owens left runs down the field after making a catch agirist Pittsburgh on Monday night SDDini Receiver does it all in leading 49ers past Steelers SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Terrell Owens had been so far this season wjth ordi-V-na- dropped some passes and TO-likeTh- : dmps'dislractions and double coverages all conspiring most-against one of football's ' players exciting ' Under the prime-tim- e : spot-lig- ht v ’ were on him ' Owens had a 6 --yard touch-down catch among hiv eight receptions for 155 yards-anTimRaltay weni yards in the 49erv3U-1- 4' 1 and he's made some plays” - In the teams' first meeting since a game at Candlestick Park in 1999 San Francisco (5-- 5 ) d immafed the itiatchup of defending division : champions who have: 11Week struggled this season ' Fully aware of - the national audience Tor his talents the ' - ' rain-soak- Owens Kevan Bur- low rushed for a 78- 'yard score in the third quarter to break would-b- e actor and- open San Francis-- : co's fourth straight basketball star got 4®r 30 San Francisco start- - ' home victory While t4 Steelers ed with brie of the Barlow's teammates ' ' niobbed him in the big plays he has pro- end zone Owens strutted back ' s ided only sparingly this fall On the third play of the Nin- to ihe sideline with his swag- second drive Rattay lofted a cr' ger that's growing as quickly — iT u — “ - m perfect pass (town the left side- line Owens accelerated away from comerback Chad Scott stopped at the goal line and did a slow pirouette into the ciyl zone before breaking into a dance “He's so big and strong that : ' : 5 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelerson Monday night: "They're giving me the opportunity (6 make some plays” Owens said "The first half of the season 1 w as really putting pressure on myself I : No 1 Huskies By The al y Owens finally broke free with one spectacular play after another — perhaps because the San Francisco 49ers' Al- -: Pro j’ecei ver knew al eyes I wasn't playing was when We went on a losing skid and I was just try ing lo do tori miich Helped by two superb down ' 'field blocks by ry Top)25lbasketball Connecticut needed 20 minutes to start Uxiking like the No 1 team in the country The Huskies rallied from a three-poihalftime deficit to beat Yale 0 Monday night in Storrs in the opening round of the Preseason NIT It was belter than the last time Connecticut was a preseason NoJ 'The Huskies opened the 1999-0- 0 season with a 8 loss to Iowa in the Coaches vs Cancer Classic The undermanned Bulldogs used a patient offense to spread the floor and keep the Huskies from getting out on the break That changed in the second half as the lead Huskies used a 14-- 2 run to take a 7 17 lead as on to and they went by as many tine over ' before struggling at the the final 4 12 minutes Emeka Okafor the AP's preseason player of the year had 21 points and 3 rebounds to lead Connecticut which will host the winner of the nt 70-6- 1 70-6- 48-3- free-thro- w 1 thisweek” TCU the only Unctefeated team in Division along' with Oklahoma fell from ') sixth tp eighth The Horned h Frogs who finish the season Southern Mississippi' against and SMU need to be in the y ' top six to guarantee an at- -' : BCS bowl in berth a large “The only thing' we can' control is how we play in the last two games of the season ’’ coach Gary Patterson said''-“Wunderstand with the sys- - V tern that's currently in place we need to win our last two games to have a chance for a A - - : a'28-yar- ' BCS near-flawle- ss : “If 25-of-- (3-- fifth-pla- 7) which lost its sixth in seven games thanks to key defensive errors and Antwaan Randle El’s fumble bn a kickoff return which allowed the 49crs to score two touchdowns in 14 seconds ce fora 18 Ohio State was second with 752 points followed by USC at 771 andLSU at 1221 “I wasn't concerned about it last week and I am not con ’ ' bowl" The biggest development T this week was Ohio State's move to second although it ' might just be temporary : Even with a win against a' quality opponent like Michi- -' gan the Buckeyes can’t improve their computer ranking unless Oklahoma loses They are second in six of the computers and third in the: other but the lowest ranking isdropped Also Ohio State’s strength of schedule will only improve marginally after this week's ‘ ‘ ' game'-'- ' take a while to get going Associated Press first-roun- cerned aboutit this week” USC coach Piete Cflrroll said “We have a big game coming ' up against UCLA We ’re just trying to take' care of business j (29 j "That’s great 1 guess built doesn’t really mean anything when they have to single him : it's a mismatch" Rattay said untjl we go up and play “We did a good job calling ' Michigan” Ohio State defensive end WillSmithsaid plays fbrtiim" Fullback FredBeasley also : “After we play Michigan and d touchdown caught hopefully come out with a added from win then we can see where who Rattay pass We’re ranked then'’ more spice to the49ers’ quar- tcrback controversy with a sec- Oklahoma (1 0h0) remained ' the runaway leader in the ond straight performance in place of injured standings that will' determine which two teams will play for Pto Bowl player Jeff Garcia ' ‘‘It ultimately comes dowp the national championship in ' the Sugar Bowl to Jeff’s health" Rattay said he’s healthy: he’ll go I The Sooners have a 10 for love to play I Jove to be out for computer-rpoll average-1ank there but right now my pile average 040for is the backup” strength of schedule zerofor ' losses and 06 bonus points' Tommy Maddox was for 327 yards for Pittsburgh Touts for beating : BCS Collegelfootball Ohio State moved past USC into second place in the BCS standings Monday Even so the Buckeyes might need more than a win at Michigan (q defend their championship The Buckeyes bdged ahead V of Southern California by 0 19 points following their 1643 overtime winbver Purdue The Trojans jost ground in the : computers and: strength of schedule after winning 45-- 0 at AP photo : The Associated Press irv d game between Vermont and Nevada in the second round on Wednesday night Denham Brown had 15 points and Ben Got- don added 1 3 and six assists for the Huskies who tmklhe lead for gcxxl at 36-3- 5 with 17:13 left on a k dunk by freshman Josh : Bixine In addition to getting on the break Coitf necticut turned up the pressure defense as well' Yaie which was playing a No 1 team for the first time in school history committed just three turnovers in taking the 8 half- time lead They committed six turnovers in the opening five minutes of the second half ' and the Huskies were turning most of those into easy baskets Dominick Martin and Edwin Draughn each had 14 points for Yale which lost its 12th fast-brea- 31-2- straight season opener Y It was the 7th consecutive win in a home opener for Connecticut which shot 577 percent in the second half including 1 (15-for-2- 6t from range The Huskies hit three 3s in four posses-sions as they took control in he second half They failed to put it away however by going from the free throw line in the final 4:30 and were for the game: The win was the 400th at Connecticut for coach Jim Calhoun-whis in his 17th season there He has a career mark of 648-- 2 It was Connecticut's 1 1th straight win over Yale and its 52nd in a row over an instate opponent No 11 Texas 89 Brows 51 At Austin Texas PJ Tucker had 1 8 points and 13 rebounds to become the third Longhorns freshman to finish with a double-doubin his college debut Tucker broke the Texas freshman first-garecord for rebounds and tied the points mark Brandon Mouton added 16 points and James Thomas had 19 rebounds for the Longhorns Jaime led Brown with 16 points v : Y le APphoio CormuctiaA's Ben Gordon right drives pest Yale's Edwin Draughan during presesson NIT game Monday — I |