B2 Thursday, October 4, 2012
The Iola Register
www.iolaregister.com
Kansas City hopes to put skids on turnover trouble KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Of all the things the Chiefs should be focusing on this time of year, with the season four weeks old and the Baltimore Ravens coming to town on Sunday, something as elementary as protecting the football shouldn’t be topping the list. That’s something to work on
in training camp, when running backs are told to carry the ball “high and tight,” and quarterbacks are told to throw it away if they’re under pressure. Fundamentals, right? Lessons that should have been learned long ago. Clearly, that hasn’t been the case in Kansas City.
Yankees, A’s take home division titles By BEN WALKER AP Baseball Writer
A dropped fly ball by Josh Hamilton, a home run from Ryan Zimmerman and pitch by pitch, the baseball playoff picture became completely clear on the final day of the regular season. “Now the real season starts,” New York Yankees star Derek Jeter said Wednesday night. The playoffs begin Friday with a pair of winnertake-all wild-card matchups. The defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals visit Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves in the NL, then Baltimore plays at Texas in the new, expanded format. On Saturday, the newly crowned AL West champion Oakland Athletics will face Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and the Tigers in Detroit to open the bestof-five division series. That night, Johnny Cueto starts for Cincinnati against Matt Cain and host San Francisco in Game 1 of the NL division series. The low-budget A’s clinched their unlikely title, trumping Texas 12-5 by taking advantage of Hamilton’s error. Trailing by 13 games a week before the All-Star break, the A’s
The Chiefs lead the NFL with 15 turnovers, their eight fumbles lost are double the next-worst team in the AFC, and their minus-13 differential is a big reason that they’ve been blown out in three of the four games they’ve played, and needed a late rally to win the other. The most sobering display may
20 years, more than double this point last season. “You have to spend so much time trying to stop (Klein) as a runner, it obviously exposes you in the pass game,” said Weis, whose job it will be on Saturday to find an answer when the Jayhawks visit the Wildcats for the first time in his tenure at Kansas. “Sometimes they get some really easy money because you have to come up and stop him,” Weis said. “If you can’t stop him, you don’t have much of a chance to win the game.” As long as Bill Snyder is at the helm, Kansas State isn’t likely to abandon its steady, clock-eating approach in favor of a fullon shootout mentality, the kind that resulted in West Virginia’s 70-63 basketballlike final score last Saturday over Baylor. Still, it looks like the Wildcats’ goal of a more balanced offense is being realized. Klein is integral to the system, but credit is also due the group of offensive linemen who have protected the Heisman Trophy hopeful well despite injury problems. The Wildcats have been without right guard Boston Stiverson and left guard Nick Puetz most of the season. As a result, the lone returning starter is center B.J. Finney. Senior Cornelius Lucas, redshirt freshman Cody Whitehair, junior college transfer Tavon
so we’re going to concentrate on the importance of the football and hanging onto it,” Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said Wednesday. Sounds like it’s time for a refresher course, Ball Security 101. “One thing we do is work on it more,” Crennel said, “so all week we’re going to put more emphasis on hanging onto the football.”
H Cabrera Continued from B1
hit for Curtis Granderson in their 14-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox. Granderson had homered twice to reach 43 for the year, tied with the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton and one shy of Cabrera. Cabrera went 0 for 2 against the Royals before leaving in the fourth inning to a standing ovation. He finished the regular season hitting four points higher than Angels rookie Mike Trout, his toughest competition for AL MVP. Cabrera was the runaway leader in RBIs. “I am glad that he accomplished this while leading his team to the American League Central title,” Yastrzemski said in a statement, pointing out that his Red Sox reached the World Series when he won one of baseball’s most coveted titles. The Tigers will have that chance when they open the postseason Saturday against Oakland. “It was hard the last two days because everybody talked about it. I just had to focus, I had to go out there and do the job,” Cabrera said. “The hardest part was to go out there and focus and win games. I said, ‘If we win the division, everything would take care of itself.’” The crowd at Kauffman Stadium gave Cabrera a standing ovation before he flied out in the first inning. He struck out in the fourth but remained in the game, allowing manager Jim Leyland to remove him with two outs to another standing ovation from thousands
overcame a four-run deficit Wednesday to relegate the Rangers to a wild-card spot. “It shows how important Game 162 is,” Oakland designated hitter Jonny Gomes said. “I don’t think it took 162 games to check the character of this ballclub.” The Yankees claimed the AL East a few hours later. They began celebrating in the dugout during the seventh inning when the scoreboard showed second-place Baltimore had lost 4-1 to Tampa Bay, thanks to three home runs by Evan Longoria. Jeter, a five-time World Series champion, and the Yankees put an emphatic end on their finish, routing rival Boston 14-2. A year after a thrilling, last-day scramble for playoff spots, all 10 slots had already been filled going into the afternoon. Soon enough, the pairings were set, too. The Yankees hold homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs, and will open Sunday at either Baltimore or Texas. Zimmerman and the Washington Nationals got sized for hats with postseason patches, then beat Philadelphia 5-1 to earn home-field advantage all the way through November, if necessary.
H K-State Continued from B1
have been last Sunday, when Kansas City turned it over six times — five in the first half — against San Diego. Matt Cassel tossed three interceptions and Jamaal Charles fumbled twice, allowing the Chargers to race out to a 27-6 halftime lead en route to a 37-20 win. “We cannot turn the ball over,
Rooks and junior Keenan Taylor have been counted on to pick up the slack. “They work together so well,” Snyder said. “Pass protection, so much of it is communication prior to and after the snap of the football, being able to adjust to a variety of different things that can take place.” Besides providing competent pass protection, the offensive line’s discipline is a major reason why Kansas State has been assessed just eight penalties for 66 yards over four games. The Wildcats are far and away
the best in the Big 12 at avoiding yellow flags — the next team in line is Kansas, which has racked up 18 penalties for 129 yards. Another boon has been Klein’s chemistry with his pass catchers. While the senior quarterback has worked extensively on his delivery since the summer, his most important reason for newfound success could be his relationships with those on the other end of his passes: wide receivers Tramaine Thompson, Tyler Lockett, Curry Sexton and Chris Harper.
Races postponed HUMBOLDT — A weekend of racing, featuring the USRA Mo-Kan Nationals at Humboldt Speedway has been postponed, due to fore-
casts for rainy, cold weather Friday and Saturday. The replacement date has not been confirmed, track owners said.
of appreciative fans. Cabrera high-fived his teammates as he entered the Detroit dugout, and then walked back to the top step and waved his helmet, just as if he was celebrating at home. “I would say without question he’s enjoyed it. How could you not enjoy what he’s done if you’re a baseball player?” Leyland said. “I doubt very much, knowing him, that he necessarily enjoys all the extra attention, and all the extra conversations he’s had to have. It’s kind of out of his realm in personality, to be honest with you.” Cabrera’s pursuit of history occurred largely in the dark, though, overshadowed by thrilling playoff races, the sheer enormity of the NFL — even the presidential election. An event that in other years might dominate headlines has been mostly cast aside. “The entire baseball world should be here right now,” said Verlander, the reigning AL MVP, who may soon watch that award get handed off to his teammate. Perhaps part of the void has to do with Cabrera’s very nature. He’s not the boisterous sort, never one to crave attention. He would rather hang out with a couple of buddies than stand in
John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/MCT
Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera tips his hat to the crowd after coming out of the game in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. front of a pack of television cameras, answering countless questions about what makes him one of the game’s most complete hitters.
L A B E T T E
“He’s not a talkative guy,” Tigers catcher Alex Avila said. “One, he doesn’t speak English that well, but two, he lets his ability carry through.”
H E A L T H
“I couldn’t be happier.” Mary Hughes is well-known in the Parsons area for her volunteer work – and her pies. Her pastries have brought hundreds of dollars at charity auctions. So when osteoarthritis in her shoulder and knee threatened to slow her down, she chose replacement surgery with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brad Meister at Labette Health. “The shoulder went well, so I got the knee done,” she said.“It was wonderful after it was all over,” she said. “I have no pain.” Going through Joint Camp helped prepare Mary for her surgeries and what to expect every step of the way. She was impressed with the number of people from all over southeast Kansas who were there for treatment. From surgery through follow-up exercises, the staff became like family, she said. “I had a hard time breaking away,” she laughs. “They had to kick me out!” Having orthopedic surgery at Labette Health was a good experience, she said. “They did a great job of taking care of me.” “I liked not having to go to the city to have it done,” she said. “We have nationally known orthopedic surgeons and they do a good job, so why go any place else?” “I couldn’t be happier.”
The Track That Action Built
USRA MO-KAN NATIONALS
th d This Fri., Oct. 5 th & Sat., 6 Oct. e n s
n o p t P o sr fu
ils
a B-Mod 3,000 To Win Modified; $2,000dTo e tWin r $ $ e h To Win Pure Stock 1,000 To Win Factory &rt600 $
(Runningfheats o r and features both nights) h c t Gates Open at 6; Racing at 8 Friday a W Adults - $10; Kid’s (6-12) with adult - $5 Saturday Gates Open at 3:30; Racing at 6 Adults - $15; Kid’s (6-12) with adult - $5
Track 473-3694
•
www.humboldtspeedway.com
1902 S. US Hwy 59 | Parsons | 620.421.4880 www.labettehealth.com
Mary Hughes, Parsons Retiree and Community Volunteer