SPORTS
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2018
1B
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HERMISTON
MLB
Arms race
for Astros,
Mariners
at deadline
AL West rivals trade to
beef up bullpens
By BEN NUCKOLS
AP Sports Writer
“There’s nothing better than the smell of burning fuel and rubber.”
Adam Warren and Zach Duke
moved into the Seattle bullpen.
Closers Roberto Osuna and Ken
Giles switched spots. And Lance
Lynn got a
new look in
pinstripes.
A
day
before
the
deadline
to
make trades
without waiv-
ers, there were
a flurry of
deals Monday. Osuna
Hoping
they could improve their bull-
pen without causing friction in the
clubhouse, the defending World
Series champion Houston Astros
acquired Osuna from the Toronto
Blue Jays for Ken Giles and two
pitching prospects.
The 23-year-old Osuna was a
first-time All-Star last season, his
second as the Blue Jays’ full-time
closer, and finished with 39 saves
and a 3.38 ERA.
But he hasn’t pitched in the
majors since May 6 because he’s
been serving a 75-day suspension
under Major League Baseball’s
domestic violence policy. That sus-
pension ends Sunday. Osuna was
charged in May with one count of
assault in Toronto, a charge that
remains pending.
The Astros have a zero-tol-
erance policy on domestic vio-
lence and released former pros-
pect Danry Vasquez in March after
video leaked of him hitting his
girlfriend. Houston pitchers Jus-
tin Verlander and Lance McCullers
Jr. used social media to voice their
disgust about Vasquez’s actions
after the video became public.
Astros general manager Jeff
Luhnow said he reached out to
— Shade Coe
See TRADES/2B
Staff photo by Brett Kane
Terry and Shade Coe, and Jerry and Jeremy Erb, pose next to their ‘76 Monte Carlo, which they race at Hermiston Raceway.
Handing off the
KEYS TO VICTORY
Second generation of racers
take the wheel at Hermiston
Raceway
By BRETT KANE
East Oregonian
he summer sun sizzled high over
Milton-Freewater on Sunday after-
noon as Jerry Erb, 51, and Terry Coe,
48, wiped sweat and grease from their
brows while polishing up their ’76 Monte
Carlo for its next outing at the Hermiston
Raceway.
The duo is used to the heat and hard
work, though — together, they’ve been
building and racing cars since they met 27
years ago.
Their wives, Liz Erb and Mindy Coe,
used to compete in equestrian team pen-
ning, and introduced their husbands to each
other. From there, the two raced in courses
in Walla Walla, Enterprise and Hermiston.
“I was a huge NASCAR fan growing
T
Go see it
Hermiston Raceway is hosting its Friday
Night Bash from 6-10 p.m. on Friday.
Racers in the Late Models, Street
Stocks, Legends, Mini Stock & Super
Mini, Bombers, and Hornets categories
will compete. The race will be capped
off by the CrashMania Demolition Derby.
Team 123 will be racing their ‘76 Monte
Carlo in the Bombers division.
up,” said Coe. “It was always something I
wanted to do.”
The opportunity couldn’t have pre-
sented itself more perfectly. Coe was work-
ing for C. Rob Carter’s plumbing business
when Erb was given the Monte Carlo back
in 1991.
“Rob let us use his shop to rebuild this
old car and bring it back to life,” Erb said.
“In a way, this wouldn’t have happened
without him.”
Erb and Coe enjoyed racing together
for several years until it came time to set-
tle down and start a family. Aside from
the occasional weekend fishing trip, the
two lost contact when they began focusing
more on raising their kids.
Their car found itself sitting in Erb’s
garage for the better part of a decade until
one day his son Jeremy showed interest in
following in his footsteps.
“The kids weren’t doing anything but
playing video games,” Erb said. “It was
time to get the car out of the garage again.”
Jeremy, along with Coe’s son Shade,
learned to drive in the Monte Carlo, doing
circles out in the pasture when they were as
young as 9.
“Jeremy lit the spark up again,” Erb
recalled.
These days, however, Jeremy and Shade,
both 25, are ready to race the car on courses
bigger than the pasture. Ever since March,
the father-and-son teams have been hard at
work gearing up the Monte Carlo to com-
pete at the Hermiston Raceway. This is Jer-
emy and Shade’s first full season as drivers.
See RACEWAY/2B
Hometown Cress wins back-to-back Frontier Days rodeos
By TYLER POSLOSKY
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
CHEYENNE — A year ago,
Brody Cress used a re-ride to win
his first Cheyenne Frontier Days
Rodeo buckle.
A year later, he was on the other
side of it, watching Wyatt Casper
jump back in the bucking chute for
a second attempt Sunday at Fron-
tier Park Arena.
Cress’ heart raced as his trav-
eling partner barreled out of the
chute. He wanted Casper to ride
well, but for Cress, history was on
the line.
“That horse (Casper rode), you
can be 90 on her any day, too, so
I guess I was a little nervous, but
I did what I could with the horse
I had,” the 2014 Cheyenne East
graduate said. “So I sat, waited and
watched.”
Casper posted an 87-point ride,
falling 2½ points shy of Cress, who
became the first cowboy to win
back-to-back Frontier Days saddle
bronc titles since Tuff Greenough
in 1935-36.
“It’s outstanding, and this rodeo
carries so much history, and it’s the
rodeo I’ve been coming to since I
was a little kid,” Cress said with a
smile. “I’m blessed to be able to
have them as one of my sponsors.
“I wouldn’t want to represent
any other rodeo in the world. So
to be able to come here where it’s
tough to draw three good enough
horses to do that, because you’re
riding against the best guys in the
world — it’s a hard thing to do, so
I’m truly blessed to be able to do
that.”
Cress won the aggregate stand-
ings with a 252.5 and reeled in
more than $13,000 in earnings
Sunday afternoon.
Tommy Cress watched his son
take a victory lap around the arena
and couldn’t help but smile.
“I was excited,” he said.
“There’s nothing like watching
guys go over to that camera pit.
You just know what it means to
them and their career and what it
means to this town. Our town has
the 2,500-plus volunteers, and they
really care about this rodeo year-
round. We all take a little part in
that when a hometown guy does
well.”
For Brody Cress, he’s beaming
with confidence, and he doesn’t
plan on tapering off any time soon.
“Definitely keep going stron-
ger,” Cress said. “The sched-
ule only gets busier. We don’t
have very many days off for the
next month or two, but I love it
that way. If I’m healthy and rid-
ing good, then I like to be out on
See CRESS/2B
Blaine McCartney/The Wyoming Tribune Eagle via AP
Brody Cress, of Hillsdale, Wyo. competes in the saddle bronc event
during Championship Sunday of the 122nd annual Cheyenne Fron-
tier Days Rodeo on Sunday at Frontier Park Arena, in Cheyenne,
Wyo. Cress won the event for the second year in a row.
Sports shorts
MGM, Caesars to cash
in on sports betting
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Two titans
of the casino industry are racing to
cash in on the newly created U.S.
sports betting market, taking steps to
expand their footprint and strengthen
their positions as more states approve
necessary regulations and people
become more interested in legally
gambling on pro and college sports.
MGM Resorts International
reached separate agreements Mon-
day with a European bookmaker
and a U.S.-based regional casino
operator.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
LeBron won’t close door on return to Cavs
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — LeB-
ron James won’t rule out a sec-
ond homecoming in Cleveland.
The NBA superstar, who
earlier this month ended his
second stint with the Cava-
liers by signing a four-year
contract with the Los Ange-
les Lakers, told The Associ-
ated Press on Monday there
could be a day when he plays in
his home state again.
Asked if he could end his
career in Cleveland, James says
he doesn’t “close the chapter on
anything or close the book on
anything.”
When James announced he
was leaving the Cavs, Cleve-
land owner Dan Gilbert said the
team would retire “the famous
#23 Cavs jersey one day down
the line.”
James says he didn’t know
about Gilbert’s comment. But he
says it’s awesome.
1963 — The Cleveland Indians
become the first American League
club to hit four straight home runs.
Paul Foytack is the only major
league pitcher to give up four
straight home runs.
2012 — Michael Phelps breaks
the Olympic medals record with
his 19th, helping the U.S. romp to
a 4x200-meter freestyle relay vic-
tory at the London Games. With 19
medals spanning three Olympics,
Phelps moves one ahead of Soviet
gymnast Larisa Latynina.
Contact us at 541-966-0838 or
sports@eastoregonian.com