Former Nippon Professional Baseball team Yomiuri Giants Manager TETSUHARU KAWAKAMI,
"who led the famed club to nine consecutive championships" from
'65-'73, "has died of natural causes." He "was 93." Kawakami's relatives
said that the man who brandished a red-painted bat and was known as the
“God of Hitting” passed away at a hospital in Inagi, Tokyo, at 4:58pm
Monday. In his 18 years in pro baseball, "Kawakami won five batting
titles, two home run crowns, three RBI titles and had six titles for the
most hits in a season." He "was the first player in Japanese pro
baseball to achieve 2,000 hits and was named the league’s MVP three
times" (JAPAN TIMES, 10/30). ... F1 driver LEWIS HAMILTON
has become a global ambassador for Education for Save the Children.
Hamilton will support the charity’s efforts on a visit to West Bengal (Save the Children). ... Malversation charges were filed against Philippine Olympic Committee President JOSE COJUANGCO and other officials of the Philippine Sports Commission before the Office of the Ombudsman "in connection with the release of government funds to a bogus National Sports Association" (MANILA TIMES, 10/30). ... Former Scotland and Harlequins center JOE MCPARTLIN has died at the age of 75 "after a long illness." McPartlin "won six caps for Scotland between 1960 and 1962, making his debut against France at Murrayfield, and appearing in the Five Nations" (SCOTSMAN, 10/30).
QUESTIONED ABOUT ASSAULT: Former tennis player MARTINA HINGIS "has been questioned by Swiss police over claims that she assaulted" her French husband THIBAULT HUTIN. Hutin "filed a complaint in September over an alleged assault" by the 33-year-old Swiss former world No. 1 as well as her mother, MELANIE MOLITOR, and boyfriend MARIO WIDMER (THE AGE, 10/31). ... Newcastle boxer CHAD "HOLLYWOOD" BENNETT "has denied allegations that he or anyone representing him" offered proposed Filipino opponent JIMREX JACA money to throw their fight. Jaca's trainer, FRANKLIN ALBIA, said that "they were approached with a proposal to throw the junior welterweight fight" for A$3,500 ($3,320), of which A$2,000 would have gone to the fighter and A$1,500 to Albia (BRISBANE TIMES, 10/30). ... Retired MotoGP driver CASEY STONER "tested a new frame and engine in what Honda labelled a 'gruelling' three-day MotoGP test at Sugo." The two-time champion "focused solely on Honda's prototype machines, completing runs on both the 2013 RC213V and an updated version of its 2014 counterpart" (AUTOSPORT, 10/30).
PAYING THE PRICE: England batsman KEVIN PIETERSEN "has accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages over a Specsavers advert which implied that he might have tampered with his bat during the Ashes." The advert was prompted by controversy in the third Test at Old Trafford in August -- "a draw between the two sides which meant the home nation retained the Ashes, but a match also blighted by allegations of dishonest tactics." Specsavers Optical Group Ltd. "accepted that Pietersen did not behave in the manner suggested, apologised and had already removed the advert from circulation." It also agreed "to pay him substantial damages and his legal costs" (SCOTSMAN, 10/9). ... County Championship side Lancashire County Cricket Club Head coach PETER MOORES "has agreed a new deal at Lancashire keeping him at the club" until '15. The 50-year-old joined the Red Rose county in '09 and "led them to a first outright Championship title victory for 77 years" in '11 (BBC, 10/29).
VA, VA, FROOME: Britain's Tour de France champion CHRIS FROOME "has won the prestigious Velo d'Or award as the best rider" of '13. The Team Sky rider "is the second Briton to be given the award in as many years" after teammate BRADLEY WIGGINS earned the accolade 12 months ago. Colombia's NAIRO QUINTANA, "the Tour runner-up as well as leading climber and best young rider, was voted prospect of the year." CHRISTOPHE RIBLON -- winner of the Alpe d'Huez stage at the Tour de France --"won the Velo d'Or Francais as best French rider" (BBC, 10/30). ... Former ManU Manager ALEX FERGUSON's autobiography has become the U.K.'s "quickest-selling non-fiction book since records began in 1998, shifting 115,547 in its first few days of sale." According to The Bookseller, the book pips previous record holder DELIA SMITH, whose '99 cooking book "sold 112,000 copies in its first week." Indeed, figures reveal £1.4M ($2.2M) was spent on Fergie's book last week out of £30.7M ($49M) in total book spending in the U.K. (IRISH MIRROR, 10/30).
