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Betts, deGrom, Treinen win Baseball Digest awards
Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts has been chosen major league player of the year by Baseball Digest.
Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets was picked as the pitcher of the year and Oakland closer Blake Treinen was selected as the top reliever.
The awards were announced Thursday. A 15-person panel including broadcaster Bob Costas, former team executive Jim Duquette and ex-player Eduardo Perez chose the winners.
Betts won the magazine’s 50th player of the year award. He led the majors in batting at .346 in helping the Red Sox to a franchise-record 108 wins. Betts hit 32 homers, stole 30 bases and scored 129 runs.
DeGrom led MLB starters with a 1.70 ERA. He struck out 269 in 217 innings while going 10-9 for a Mets team that often provided little run support.
Dave Anderson, Pulitzer winner, dies at 89
Pulitzer Prizewinning sports columnist Dave Anderson of The New York Times has died at 89.
Anderson worked at the Times from 1966 to 2007. He wrote elegant, descriptive commentary, displaying a wealth of expertise in baseball, the NFL, boxing and golf.
Anderson wrote 21 books and received the 1994 Red Smith Award for outstanding contributions to sports journalism from the Associated Press Sports Editors. He was inducted into the National Sports Writers and Sportscasters Hall of Fame in 1990. He was known for his warmth to friends and strangers and unflagging politeness.
His Pulitzer cited six columns from 1980, notably “The Food On a Table At the Execution.” It portrayed the scene at George Steinbrenner’s office when the New York Yankees owner forced out rookie manager Dick Howser.
Judge upholds seizure of secret recording device
A federal judge has dealt a blow to the defense for an Iowa youth basketball coach charged with secretly recording his teenage players undressing.
Judge C.J. Williams ruled Thursday that the seizure of a USB device from former Iowa Barnstormers coach Greg Stephen didn’t violate his privacy rights.
The ruling means prosecutors can use videos found on the device against Stephen, who is charged with transporting and possessing child pornography and sexually exploiting minors. Stephen allegedly recorded players disrobing during trips to tournaments.
Stephen’s former brother-inlaw, Vaughn Ellison, discovered the device in a bathroom when he was remodeling Stephen’s Monticello home. He later gave it to police.