Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 8, 2017)
10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 CONTACT US FOLLOW US facebook.com/ DailyAstorianSports Gary Henley | Sports Reporter ghenley@dailyastorian.com Athletes of the Week (FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 29-JUNE 3) LANDREE MIETHE Warrenton JASON MILLER Knappa he Warriors’ senior closed out her prep career at a 3A all-star series in T Corvallis last weekend. Miethe was a combined 5-for-8 at the plate in the two games. In a 12-11 victory in Game 1, she was 2-for-4 with two runs he Knappa infi elder had plenty of “Senior Moments” in his fi nal week T with the Loggers. In a 5-3 semifi nal win over Regis May 30, Miller led off the bottom of the fi rst inning with his fi rst career home run. He went hitless scored. Trailing by two in the last inning, Miethe had a double to bring in the eventual winning run, then scored from second in the next at-bat. She was 3-for-4 in Game 2. Despite a 6-4 loss, Miethe had an inside-the-park home run in her fi nal at-bat. She will play softball next year at Lower Columbia College. in the 2A/1A state championship game three days later, but drove in a run on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh, and scored the winning run on a single by teammate Reuben Cruz, as Knappa rallied from a 9-3 defi - cit with seven runs in its fi nal at-bat. The 10-9 win over Reedsport was Miller’s second state title with the Loggers in his four years. Shortstop Segura gets $70M deal from Mariners SPORTS IN BRIEF Zunino hits 2nd HR in 9th to rally Mariners past Twins , 6-5 Associated Press Associated Press SEATTLE — Jean Segura and the Mariners agreed Wednesday to a $70 million, fi ve-year con- tract covering 2018-22, a deal that brings stability to a shortstop position in fl ux for more than a decade in Seattle. Segura is making $6.2 million this year and would have been eli- gible for free agency following the 2018 season. The contract calls for a $3 million signing bonus, a $9 million salary next season and $14.25 million in each of the fol- lowing four years. Seattle has a $17 million option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout. Segura gets a full-no trade provision. Traded three times in fi ve years, Segura said the long-term stability was important — bol- stered by the no-trade clause. “As a player, you choose where you feel comfortable, where you feel like it’s home for you,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how much money you’re going to take, it’s all about how you’re going to feel.” General manager Jerry Dipoto, who traded Segura from the Angels to Milwaukee in a 2012 deal for pitcher Zack Greinke, said he understood the impor- tance of the no-trade request. “I feel like in this case, because of the amount of times that Jean has moved, I didn’t think it was an unreasonable ask because of how many times he’s been asked to move,” Dipoto said. “And, the fact that he wants to be here and he wants to play for the Mariners, we’re buying a six- year stretch of Jean’s career that will span, including this year, his age 27 through potentially his age 33 season. It’s a good buy for the Mariners,” he added. Segura was the centerpiece of one of Seattle’s biggest offsea- son moves when he was acquired from Arizona as part of a fi ve- player trade. After leading the National League in hits last sea- son, Segura has not disappointed in his move to the American League. SCOREBOARD LOCAL SPORTS SCHEDULE TODAY Junior State Baseball — Warrenton at Neah-Kah-Nie, 5:30 p.m. Ronald Martinez/Pool Photo Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) dunks on Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) during the second half of Game 3 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Cleveland on Wednesday. Warriors set to make their claim as NBA’s best ever By BRIAN MAHONEY Associated Press CLEVELAND — One victory left for the Golden State Warriors to claim another title. Not the one as NBA champions. The one as the best team ever. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warriors will be able to make that boast if they win Friday to complete the most impressive postsea- son run in major sports history. They moved to the brink of that with a 118-113 victory over the Cleve- land Cavaliers on Wednesday in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The Warriors are 15-0 and can fi nish off the NBA’s fi rst perfect postseason with a victory here in Game 4. Combine that with last year’s 73-win season, and a second title in three years — which could have eas- ily been three consecutive champion- ships — and foundation of the case has been made. The Cavaliers are no match for these Warriors, not even with arguably the best player on the planet in LeB- ron James. Golden State’s only com- petition is with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and the Bulls, and other great teams from the past. None won as dominantly as this team, which has four versatile All- Stars — including two former league MVPs — in their prime. These aptly named Warriors spent the last two months building big leads, then Wednesday wiped out a late defi cit. Some people may argue their great- AP Photo/Tony Dejak Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, left, and Kevin Durant talk in the final moments against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Cleve- land on Wednesday. UP NEXT: GAME 4 • Golden State Warriors (3-0) at Cleveland Cavaliers (0-3) • Friday, 6 p.m. TV: ABC ness, but James won’t. “It’s probably the most, most fi re- power I’ve played in my career,” James said. “I played against some great teams, but I don’t think no team has had this type of fi repower. So even when you’re playing well, you got to play like A-plus plus, because they’re going to make runs and they’re going to make shots and they got guys that’s going to make plays.” The NBA’s best postseason run is the 15-1 mark of the 2001 Lakers, while the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers went 12-1. Jordan’s fi rst title team in 1991 is one of three squads that went 15-2. The Warriors thought they were carving out their place in history when they set a record with 73 wins last season. But history turned to infamy when they blew a 3-1 lead to the Cav- aliers, the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history. They spoke openly of their desire to beat Jordan’s 72-win team in 1996, but this time have downplayed the importance of 16-0. “We obviously know how hard it is to win a championship, what all goes into it and how important each game is. And now that you can look ahead to Friday, all our focus is on that,” Curry said. “And just we obviously — we want 16 wins; it doesn’t matter how we get there. But now that we’re in this situation, why not take care of business and fi nish the job?” They were winning by 16.9 points per game through the previous 14, which would easily be another NBA record. And when they fi nally got a close one, they showed why their ros- ter is the envy of just about every other team, with the long-range shooting of Durant, Curry and Klay Thompson, and the defensive wizardry of Dray- mond Green and 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala. That roster would give these War- riors a chance against any great team from the past — and gives most of their opponents no chance against them. SEATTLE — Mike Zunino’s retooled swing following a demo- tion to the minors paid its biggest dividend yet for the surging Seat- tle Mariners. Zunino hit his second homer of the game with two outs in the ninth inning, a two-run shot that gave the Mariners a 6-5 comeback victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night. Kyle Seager and Carlos Ruiz also homered for the Mariners, who overcame a three-run defi cit and won for the ninth time in 10 games. “Really excited for Mike Zunino. Everybody knows the ability he has, but to try to see him get the performance,” Seat- tle manager Scott Servais said. “He’s worked his tail off. He’s bought into kind of the new swing mechanics and he should, because he’s getting great results right now.” Chef Flay buys interest in second Belmont horse Associated Press NEW YORK — Celebrity chef Bobby Flay hopes he’s cooked up another winner in the Belmont Stakes. Flay purchased 25 per- cent interest in J Boys Echo on Wednesday before the draw that assigned post positions for Satur- day’s $1.5 million race. The other 75 percent belongs to Albaugh Family Stable. Last year, Flay bought an interest in Creator just before the colt won the Belmont by a nose. J Boys Echo fi nished 15th in the Kentucky Derby under jockey Luis Saez. The chestnut colt found trouble leaving the starting gate and got bounced around in the pack of 20 horses. He skipped the Preakness. He has two wins in seven career starts and earnings of $349,600. He was purchased for $485,000. J Boys Echo is trained by Dale Romans and will be ridden by Robby Albarado, who couldn’t ride in the Derby because of injury.