Pedroia, Braun win Rookie of Year honors
Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia was an easy pick for A.L. Rookie of the Year, while Ryan Braun barely edged Troy Tulowitzki for the N.L. honor Monday.
Generously listed at 5-foot-9, Pedroia became a fan favorite at Fenway Park with his all-out style. Plus, few knew he played with a broken left hand down the stretch.
Pedroia hit .317 with eight home runs and 50 RBIs. He got 24 of the 28 first-place votes to outdistance Tampa Bay outfielder Delmon Young in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Braun’s brawn earned him the N.L. award. The third baseman from Milwaukee finished two points ahead of Colorado shortstop Tulowitzki.
Braun received 17 of 32 first-place votes and finished with 128 points. Tulowitzki got 15 first-place votes and 126 points. Ballots were completed by the end of the regular season.
Called up from Triple-A in late May, Braun hit .324 with 34 home runs and 97 RBIs.
•The New York Yankees and Jorge Posada agreed Monday night to a $52.4 million, four-year contract that keeps the catcher off the free-agent market.
•The Detroit Tigers acquired outfielder Jacque Jones from the Chicago Cubs for utility player Omar Infante and also signed reliever Todd Jones to a $7 million, one-year deal.
Golf
New golf class honored
Curtis Strange, who won consecutive U.S. Open titles, and Hubert Green, a major winner at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, led the latest class inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame at St. Augustine, Fla.
Joining them in the Class of 2007 was Se Ri Pak – winner of five majors and 24 total events on the LPGA Tour.
Kel Nagle of Australia, a 76-time winner worldwide, was elected through the Veteran’s Category.
Inducted posthumously were golf course architect Charles Blair Macdonald and three-time British Amateur champion Joe Carr.
Miscellany
Federer loses again
Top-ranked Roger Federer lost consecutive matches for the first time in 4 1/2 years, falling to No. 7 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 4-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5 at the Masters Cup at Shanghai, China.
No. 5 Andy Roddick survived a second-set lapse to beat No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
•Wyoming football coach Joe Glenn apologized for making an obscene gesture to the Utah team after the Utes tried an onside kick while ahead by 43 points.
•At Cullowhee, N.C., Kent Briggs was fired as head football coach at Western Carolina, two days after his team gave up 79 points to archrival Appalachian State.
•At Stillwater, Okla., linebacker Chris Collins was permanently dismissed from Oklahoma State’s football team, six days after he pleaded guilty to a felony aggravated sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl in Texas.
•Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen shouldn’t have been allowed to start in the Tour de France because he allegedly evaded doping tests ahead of the race, an independent inquiry concluded at Utrecht, Netherlands.
•Ryan Briscoe replaced Sam Hornish after Hornish moved from IRL to Penske’s NASCAR team.