Rays’ Cruz wins MLB’s award for philanthropy
Nelson Cruz won Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award for character, community involvement and philanthropy.
The 41-year-old, a 17-year MLB veteran and seven-time All-Star, provided financial support to 1,200 families in his hometown of Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic, during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping feed 700 families.
After a fire destroyed the home of a childhood friend, Cruz provided the town with a fire engine, 80 firefighter uniforms and an ambulance for transport of people to the nearest hospital, which is about an hour away.
His Boomstick23 Foundation began construction of an education and technical center last year. Cruz also organizes dentists and optometrists to go the town’s clinic for checkups, medicine and eyewear.
He helped arrange for MLB, Major League Baseball Players Association and the union’s Players Trust to donate $400,000 to the Dominican Republic for medical equipment and food aid during the pandemic.
Cruz was nominated by the Twins, who traded him to Tampa Bay in July. He joined Hall of Famers Rod Carew (1977), Dave Winfield (1994) and Kirby Puckett (1997) as Minnesota players to win the award. WORLD SERIES VIEWERSHIP INCREASES >> The World Series opener drew an average of 10,811,000 viewers on Fox, up 17.5% from the record low of 9,195,000 for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ opening 8-3 win over Tampa Bay last year.
The Braves-Astros number was the second-lowest total to start a Series.
Tuesday night’s game averaged a 6.1 rating, 15 share on Fox. Fox said it averaged 11,077,000 viewers combined for Fox, Fox Deportes for Spanish-language coverage and Fox’s streaming apps. The game was the most-streamed World Series opener at 273,619, an increase of 82%.
Before last year, the low for a Game 1 had been San Francisco’s 7-1 win over Kansas City on Oct. 21, 2014, viewed by an average of 12,191,000 on a Tuesday night.
Olympics
OLYMPIANS TO BE ISOLATED >> Chinese organizers confirmed participants in
the Winter Olympics will be strictly isolated from the general population and could face expulsion for violating COVID-19 restrictions.
Vice mayor and Beijing 2022 organizing committee official Zhang Jiandong told reporters that those taking part in the games beginning Feb. 4 must remain in a “closed loop” for training, competing, transport, dining and accommodation.
Athletes and other participants will also be tested regularly for the coronavirus.Family, spectators and sponsors from outside the country will not be allowed to attend. All participants must have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to their departure for China.
College football
VIRGINIA TECH LB CHARGED WITH SECOND-DEGREE MURDER >> Isimemen Etute, 18, a suspended Virginia Tech linebacker who is accused in the death of Jerry Smith, 40, in May, was indicted by a grand jury, The Roanoke Times reported. A hearing is scheduled Nov. 18.
Etute said he visited Smith’s apartment in April after he was matched with someone named “Angie” on Tinder, and returned on May 31 to determine whether his match was male or female, attorneys and witnesses said. A detective testified that Etute groped Smith and used his phone’s flashlight to get a better look in the
dark apartment before repeatedly punching the victim.
The medical examiner’s office revealed that Smith died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Etute was released in June on $75,000 secured bond under house arrest and electronic monitoring. He was suspended from the school and its football team during the investigation.
Soccer
BARCELONA FIRES COACH >> Barcelona fired coach Ronald Koeman after the team’s 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league.
Barcelona said Koeman “will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday.”
He leaves with the club in ninth place in the Spanish league standings with 15 points from 10 matches.
Tennis
MURRAY LOSES IN VIENNA >> Andy Murray saw his perfect record at the Erste Bank Open come to an end, slumping to a 6-3, 6-4 defeat to teenager Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the second round in Vienna.
It’s the first loss for Murray in 10 matches at the Austrian indoor event, which he won on both previous visits in 2014 and 2016. The latter triumph propelled him to the year-end No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings.
Alcaraz will play Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals.