Longoria and Soto Win ROY

The rookie races were all but over by July, when Evan Longoria and Geovany Soto gave an All-Star glimpse of things to come.

Longoria won the American League Rookie of the Year award in a unanimous vote and Soto ran away with the NL honor Monday, capping impressive seasons that included All-Star appearances for both players at Yankee Stadium.

Pretty rare stuff for a pair of first-timers -- but these were no ordinary freshmen.

"I had a great year, bar none," Longoria said. "I know I have the ability to do more."

Following a season of breakthroughs for the AL champion Rays, Longoria became the first Tampa Bay player to win a national award from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The power-hitting third baseman received all 28 first-place votes, making him the league's first unanimous rookie winner since Nomar Garciaparra in 1997.

Soto, the steady catcher with pop who helped the Cubs win the NL Central, got 31 of 32 first-place votes. The other went to Cincinnati's Joey Votto.

"It's kind of surreal. It really hasn't sunk in yet," Soto said on a conference call from Puerto Rico.

Called up from the minors in April, Longoria batted .272 with 27 homers and 85 RBIs despite missing five weeks after breaking his right wrist Aug. 7. Confident at the plate and splendid on defense, he was a big reason for the Rays' stunning surge to the World Series after 10 straight losing seasons.

"I definitely felt some awe most of the time during the season. I kept that to myself," Longoria said on a conference call from his California home. "I didn't start the year in the big leagues. I struggled all the way through high school ball and college ball. The journey that I went through as a baseball player -- to be sitting here means a lot."

Chicago White Sox second baseman Alexei Ramirez was the runner-up after receiving 18 second-place votes. Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury finished third.

Soto hit .285 with 23 homers, 35 doubles and 86 RBIs. He became the first catcher to win Rookie of the Year in either league since Mike Piazza of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1993.

The previous winner from the Cubs was pitcher Kerry Wood 10 years ago.

"I just didn't want to put extra pressure on myself. I just wanted to do my job as the team required," Soto said.

The Rays were so sure Longoria would become a big star that they gave him a $17.5 million, six-year contract after only six major league games. The deal could be worth up to $44.5 million over nine seasons.

So far, he's delivered.

Tampa Bay started play in 1998 and had never won more than 70 games until Longoria helped lead the Rays to 97 wins this year and the AL East title. He also hit a tying double with two outs in the eighth inning during the July 15 All-Star Game in New York.

Soto became the first National League rookie catcher to start an All-Star Game. In addition to his productive hitting all season, he did a nice job handling a Cubs pitching staff that compiled a 3.87 ERA, third-best in the NL. He even caught a no-hitter by Carlos Zambrano.

Soto credited backup catcher Henry Blanco and other veteran teammates for giving him advice and pep talks that guided him through a "roller coaster" year.

"That's what helped me have a strong season all the way around," Soto said. "I did try to act very sure about myself, very secure. But I had doubts."

After his injury, Longoria, who turned 23 last month, returned in time for Tampa Bay's playoff run. He homered in his first two postseason at-bats against the White Sox, then connected four times against Boston in the AL Championship Series to set a rookie record with six homers in one postseason.

But his offensive tear ended in the World Series, when Longoria went 1-for-20 with nine strikeouts and two RBIs as the Philadelphia Phillies beat Tampa Bay in five games.

"Obviously, I would have loved to play well and help the team," Longoria said. "I was still pretty content that we had a great year."

The 25-year-old Soto had a disappointing October after his team compiled the best regular-season record in the National League. Bothered by a nagging hand injury, he went 2-for-11 (.182) with no RBIs as Chicago was swept in the first round by the Dodgers, leaving the Cubs without a World Series title since 1908.

Balloting for BBWAA awards is conducted before the postseason. Votto garnered 21 second-place votes and 76 points to Soto's 158. Atlanta pitcher Jair Jurrjens came in third.

"I worked really, really hard in past years," Soto said. "I feel very, very special right now. It's a very good moment in my life."

The NL Cy Young Award will be announced Tuesday.

Hall To The Redskins

Deangelo Hall has a new team, the Washington Redskins.

According to a source, Hall agreed to a one-year deal that is worth $492,000 for the remainder of the season, the prorated portion of his $1 million base salary that he would have received from the Oakland Raiders.

"He's excited to be coming home, he's a Virginia Tech guy," Segal told The Associated Press.

The Raiders released Hall on Wednesday, eight games into a seven-year, $72 million contract.

He walked away with $8 million this year and a chance to sign with a new team.

The New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers were among the teams aggressively recruiting Hall.

Iverson Sporting A New Digit

Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey indicated he would be willing to give up his #3 jersey to new acquisition Allen Iverson, but the NBA ruled that the change could not happen until after the season, the Detroit News is reporting.

Iverson has chosen to wear #1, which was worn by Chauncey Billups, who was traded to Denver for Iverson.

Deangelo Hall, You Cant Play Ball...With The Raiders

Angered by the Oakland Raiders' 2-6 start, team owner Al Davis asked his front office staff to explore the possibility of releasing several players, including cornerback DeAngelo Hall, according to multiple sources.

The Raiders are expected to release Hall on Wednesday, sources told ESPN's Michael Smith.


Hall
The process started on Monday, a day after the Raiders' embarrassing 24-0 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Davis, looking ahead to rest of the season and to 2009, asked his staff to study a list of potential players who could be let go before the end of the week or after the season, sources said.

One source said the list included more than a dozen names. The Raiders' front-office staff studied the cap consequences of releasing high-priced veteran players. He also wanted his staff to see if other teams might claim any of these players on waivers.

The team was planning on making the move to release Hall on Tuesday before holding off, according to NFL.com. The Raiders have paid Hall $8 million for eight games, and also gave Atlanta a second-round pick for his services.

NFL.com reported the move to waive him now helps the Raiders avoid paying Hall $16 million worth of injury-guaranteed bonuses in his contract.

Hall has 48 tackles and three interceptions for the Raiders, including a season-high eight tackles last week against the Falcons.

Hall isn't the only Raider under consideration for release. Wide receiver Javon Walker received an $11 million signing bonus and a $1 million base salary this year, but he has only 13 catches in his first seven games with the Raiders. The other players on Davis' list are unknown.

At his Monday press conference, interim Raiders coach Tom Cable said he was thinking of making more changes in the starting lineup. Since taking over for Lane Kiffin, Cable has benched wide receiver Ronald Curry and safety Michael Huff. If Davis gets his way, some changes might be permanent.

Nuggets Trade Allen Iverson To Detroit for Billups and Co.

The Pistons and the Nuggets have finalized a trade that sends guard Allen Iverson to Detroit and Pistons mainstays Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to Denver.

"We just felt it was the right time to change our team," Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press. "Iverson gives us a dimension that we haven't had here and we really think it's going to help us."
The Pistons will introduce Iverson at a news conference Tuesday in Auburn Hills, Mich., at 3:30 p.m. ET. His debut with the Pistons might come Wednesday night in Toronto.

"He was very excited about the trade," Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, told the AP.

Young center Cheikh Samb, selected by the Los Angeles Lakers for the Pistons with the 51st overall pick in the 2006 draft, will also be going to Denver in the deal.
The Nuggets are expected to waive the 34-year-old McDyess, ESPN.com's Chad Ford reports. McDyess has no interest in playing for any team other than the Pistons, meaning he could choose to retire or negotiate a contract buyout with Denver.
Billups is in the second season of a four-year contract worth a guaranteed $46 million with a $14 million team option for a fifth year. The Pistons kept McDyess off the free-agent market by giving him a $13.5 million, two-year contract extension, and they would love to have him back if the Nuggets don't want his salary and buy out his contract.

Dumars put the entire Pistons roster on notice after they lost to Boston in the East finals, saying that there "are no sacred cows" on his team and vowing to consider trading anyone -- even a major contributor to the Pistons' 2004 title run like Billups -- in addition to firing coach Flip Saunders and replacing Saunders with the untested Michael Curry.

Sports and The Election : What a Mix

The next president of the United States will be trying to swing some more voters on the night before the biggest day of their lives.

Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain will be on ESPN during Monday Night Football with Chris Berman at halftime of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins game. It seems like the candidates are pandering to the sports audience heavily, as their D-Day nears.

The sports market has been flooded with politics in the last weeks between the World Series in baseball and Monday Night Football in the NFL.

Before game five of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays, Senator Obama purchased a half hour of presidential ad time on FOX, CBS and NBC. In reaction to Obama’s outcry to swing some more votes via commercial, McCain went on with Larry King on Larry Kings Live to shed more light on to why he should be the next president of the United States.

During the interview with Chris Berman at halftime of the Monday Night game, Obama said his best asset was that he “does not get to high or too low when things are going down ” and also stated that if elected president that would be a great quality to have. On a lighter note when asked what the one thing he would change about sports, the senator said he would change the college football playoff system. He once again reiterated how important it was for all to go out to vote and for the voice of the people be heard.

When Berman asked McCain what one thing he would change in sports, McCain said he would do everything he could do to get performance enhancing drugs out of professional and minor league sports. He said that performance enhancing drugs were awful and can be affecting kids playing in high school today who are the future for professional sports. The best advice McCain ever received from someone in sports was to “always have to do the honorable thing even when people are not looking, because you will be looking.” McCain jokingly stated about what he wants voters to be thinking inside the polls quoting a famous touchdown call, “he-could-go-all-the-way…to the white house.”

With only a few hours until the polls open, Senator Obama and Senator McCain have done all they can to persuade the public into making the right choice. They are even trying to get last second votes from football fans across America. And it’s only fitting that this come on a game with the Steelers, because Pennsylvania is a swing state after all.

Packers Aint the Same..

Thats what Titans stud defensive player, Albert Haynesworth said.

Titans' defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth doesn't think the Packers are the same team without Brett Favre.

"I had my helmet and stuff ready for him to sign, and now he is not going to be there," Haynesworth said of meeting Favre. "I'll definitely be bringing that Green Bay helmet when we play the Jets."

Well sorry Albert you wont get your helmet and other items signed because the gun slingger isnt in town, and the Packers will have a huge task of stopping you and the rest of the Tennessee Titans.