Sports briefs
Four-time all-star infielder Beckert dies
Glenn Beckert, a four-time All-Star second baseman for the Chicago Cubs in the 1960s and ’70s, died Sunday. He was 79.
Citing his family, the Cubs said he died of natural causes in Florida.
Playing alongside Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Ferguson Jenkins, Beckert won a Gold Glove in 1968 and made four straight All-Star teams for Chicago starting in 1969. He had the best strikeout-to-at-bat ratio in the National League five times and finished third in average when he hit a career-high .342 in 1971.
Beckert batted .283 in 11 seasons with Chicago (1965-73) and the San Diego Padres (1974-75).
Perunovich wins Hobey Baker Award
Minnesota Duluth defenseman Scott Perunovich won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Saturday night as college hockey’s top player, becoming the Bulldogs’ record sixth recipient.
Perunovich, a junior from Hibbing, Minnesota, who recently signed with the St. Louis Blues, edged North Dakota forward Jordan Kawaguchi and Maine goalie Jeremy Swayman for the award announced on ESPN.
“I’m extremely honored and humbled,” Perunovich said. “Five other Bulldogs have won this prestigious award, so it is just a privilege to join them.”
Perunovich was second in the nation with 34 assists and had six goals in 34 games, becoming the first defenseman to lead the National Collegiate Hockey Association in scoring. He was drafted by the Blues in the second round in 2018.
Booker wins NBA’s 2K20 tournament
Devin Booker won the NBA 2K20 Players Tournament on Saturday night, sweeping Phoenix Suns teammate Deandre Ayton in the best-of-three final.
ESPN broadcast the three-day, 16-player Xbox One competition.
Booker’s Houston Rockets topped Ayton’s Los Angeles Lakers 72-62 in Game 1 and the star guard directed the Denver Nuggets to a 74-62 victory over thee Milwaukee Bucks in the second.
Booker earned a $100,000 donation to a coronavirus-related relief effort of his choice. Seeded fifth, he beat Denver’s Michael Porter Jr., Washington’s Rui Hachimura and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Montrezl Harrell to reach the final – also sweeping those matchups.
Ayton topped Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Atlanta’s Trae Young and the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley, using his own Suns to top Beverley in the semifinals.