Martin takes pole at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. — Mark Martin watched and waited as 44 other drivers made two qualifying laps around Richmond International Raceway on Friday night, then went out and beat them all to win the pole for tonight’s Sprint Cup race.

Martin ( Batesville) turned the second- fastest lap on his first circuit around the 0.75- mile, D- shaped oval, then nudged Carl Edwards to the outside of the front row with a lap at 128.327 mph. Edwards’ top lap at 128.290 had hung on through 17 drivers.

But the savvy Martin got Edwards’ attention right away, then claimed his 53rd career pole and fifth at Richmond.

Kevin Harvick will start third, followed by A. J. Allmendinger and Kyle Busch.

The second five includes Jeff Gordon, local product Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Five- time Series champ Moose Skowron, 81, dead

NEW YORK — Moose Skowron, a five- time World Series champion and one of only two players to hit three home runs in Game 7s, died Friday of congestive heart failure at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill. He was 81.

Skowron helped the New York Yankees win four titles in the 1950s and 1960s.

“There weren’t many better guys than Moose,” said former teammate Yogi Berra, the only other player with three Game 7 homers in the Series. “He was a dear friend and a great team man. A darn good ballplayer, too.”

Skowron became a star first baseman with the Yankees and went on to appear in eight All- Star games over six seasons.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig called him “an integral part of the wonderful Yankee teams of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.”

“He was a wonderful storyteller and an important link to a great era in baseball history,” Selig said.