Rico Brogna, Good Fit (Cont.)

[Gwreck]

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=2547387

]His big-league career spanned 14 at-bats, but he left a lasting impression. He's Rodney McCray, and when he was with the Vancouver Canadians he ran straight through the outfield fence in Portland, Ore., while chasing a fly ball during a Pacific Coast League game May 27, 1991. It's become a fixture of sports bloopers -- McCray running full speed through the Flav-R-Pac sign in right-center field at Civic Stadium. The moment will be immortalized Saturday when the team hosts "Rodney McCray Bobblefence Night" at PGE Park, as Civic Stadium is now known. McCray will throw out the first pitch, sign autographs and witness the dedication of "McCray Alley" in right-center field. "I'm honored and tickled to death," McCray was quoted as saying on the Beavers' Web site. "I never get tired of talking about [the crash]. It's kind of like the skier who epitomizes the 'agony of defeat' -- I'm the guy who crashed through the wall. Usually, it's the big-league superstars who get their own bobblehead, so I'm very excited." In the seventh inning of the Beavers-Canadians game, Chip Hale hit a shot toward the wall. McCray took off. "I couldn't feel the warning track," McCray said. "Next thing you know, I'm through the wall." McCray suffered only minor injuries. He stayed in the game but was replaced before his next at-bat in the eighth inning. He's become proud of the moment. "I might not be a Hall-of-Fame player, but I made it to the Hall of Fame with a film clip," McCray said. "Not too many guys can say they're in the Hall of Fame, some way, some form. It's still pretty cool."

[Guest Edgy DC]

Good for Rodney. Meanwhile, read on, those of you who don't know Dick.

TOM EGGERS

August 11, 2006

It's a pretty safe bet if you were to select five of the top all-around high school athletes Douglas County has ever produced, Dick Smith would be on the list.

By the time Richard Arthur Smith graduated from Glide High in 1957, his list of athletic feats were unmatched -- and probably still are to this day.

Smith excelled on the football field, basketball court and baseball diamond for the Wildcats from 1954-57, earning 13 varsity letters in four years of competition. He also lettered in track as a freshman.

Click to Enlarge This is a photo of the 1956 state and regional champion Roseburg American Legion baseball team (Lockwood Motors) that advanced to the Legion World Series. Dick Smith, one of the aces of a talented pitching staff, is holding the plaque in the back row. Photo courtesy of John Livingston

He received all-state honors in the three major sports, and the Glide teams were highly successful during that time, winning two state championships and finishing as the state runner-up three times.

And Smith was one of the key players on the 1956 Roseburg American Legion baseball team (Lockwood Motors) that advanced to the Legion World Series -- the first Roseburg club to qualify for the Legion summer classic.

Smith, a 6-foot-1, 190-pounder by the end of high school, passed up some college scholarship offers, electing to sign a professional baseball contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1957. He played until 1968, seeing some big league time with the New York Mets (1963-64) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1965) as an outfielder.

"Very fond thoughts ... those years at Glide will stand out in my memory forever," Smith, 67, said in a phone interview Wednesday from his home near Medford. "The people and all the friends I met up there were special.

"We had a great run (athletically), great coaches and the best equipment. It was a group of kids that comes along once in a lifetime, and I was lucky to be a part of it. Glide sports is a highlight of my life."

Dick, the only child of Richard P. and Kay Smith, was born in Lebanon but was a Glide student for most of his childhood.

John Livingston, a 1959 Glide graduate, has been a Glide resident all but six years of his life. He was a teammate and remains a close friend of Smith, and coached and taught at Glide for 30 years.

"Having seen most of them, Dick without a doubt had the most talent," Livingston said. "He had power, speed, a strong arm, uncanny hand-eye coordination -- all the tools. He was the complete package.

"We competed on the state level in football, basketball and baseball, and it pretty much revolved around Dick's ability. He's one of the best athletes Douglas County has ever had -- I don't hesistate to say that."

Smith was a sophomore when Glide, guided by Jack Forsythe, won its first and only state title in football in 1954, defeating Culver 39-14 in the Class B six-man final to cap a 9-0 season. Smith, a halfback, ran for five touchdowns and passed for seven scores and intercepted three passes in three playoff games.

"To be honest, that was kind of a surprise. But quite a thrill," Smith said. "Glide up to that point never did anything in any sport and to win it was really something. They (fans) came out of the hills to watch the games."

Glide and Culver had a rematch in the 1955 state final, with the Wildcats losing 32-14. Smith was named a high school All-American after his senior football season and played in the Shrine All-Star Game.

"Dick was just a terror. An amazing athlete," said Roseburg resident Kerwin Doughton, a first-cousin of Smith's who once lived in Glide. "He was big, fast and agile."

In baseball, Smith played in three straight state championship games. Echo defeated Glide 3-1 in the Class B final in 1955, the Wildcats downed Sisters 2-1 for the B championship in 1956 and Seaside shut out the 'Cats 1-0 in the A-2 final in 1957.

Smith, a hard-throwing right-hander, was the starting pitcher in the 1956 and 1957 contests. He tossed a four-hitter with 15 strikeouts against Sisters as Forsythe's Wildcats captured their first state baseball title at Multnomah Stadium (now PGE Park) in Portland.

"We went in that year expecting to win," Smith said. "We had a lot of experience."

The 1957 final was a terrific pitcher's duel between Seaside's Garry Holmes and Smith. Holmes, a left-hander, hurled a one-hitter with 22 strikeouts, while Smith fired a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

"He (Holmes) didn't throw that hard, but he threw a curveball and we never saw anything like that," Smith said.

Smith led the Wildcats to the consolation championship (fourth place) in the 1957 state A-2 basketball tournament, scoring 25 points in a 45-43 win over Drain. He averaged over 22 points as a senior, with a high of 35 coming against Douglas.

What was his favorite sport of the three?

"Whatever season it was," he said. "I played pro baseball, but it was probably the worst of my three sports. I thought I was a better basketball player more than anything. I know I would've played basketball had I gone to college."

Smith remembers signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers for $4,000. They became the Los Angeles Dodgers after moving to the West Coast following the 1957 season.

"It was my decision, my folks left it up to me," he said. "That was a lot of money back then."

Smith made his Major League debut with the Mets on July 20, 1963. He played in 66 games with the Mets over two seasons and 10 with the eventual world champion Dodgers in 1965, batting a collective .218. His first hit in the big leagues came in St. Louis off left-hander Bobby Shantz.

Smith has lived in Jackson County since 1981. He's twice divorced, the last in 1983. He has three children: Rich, 41, of Los Angeles; Tania, 36, of Vancouver, Wash.; and Joey, 24, of Medford.

His father died on June 20 at 91, while his mother is 86 and living in Medford. Dick has been struggling with health problems since 1999, and uses a cane and walker to get around.

He wasn't able to make the 1956 Legion team's 50-year reunion in late July in Roseburg, but Livingston passed the cell phone around and Smith was able to enjoy a couple of special moments talking with his former teammates and coaches.

* You can reach Associate Editor Tom Eggers at 957-4204 or by e-mail at

teggers@newsreview.info

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yesterday's most popular UMDB lookup?

Rodney McCray.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Dave Marshall, Hall-of-Famer.

Hall of Fame: Worth the wait for '06 class

13 inductees from baseball, softball.

By Ben Villa, Staff writer

LONG BEACH - Many of the Long Beach Hall of Fame class of 2006 had to wait a long time after their career's were over to be inducted but on Saturday, none of them seemed to mind.

In fact, it only made it sweeter.

The Long Beach Hall of Fame inducted 13 new members in baseball and softball Saturday afternoon in a ceremony held at Blair Field prior to the Armada's game with the Chico Outlaws.

"It's been a long time since my softball career has been brought but this is a great honor," former Millikan

One of these guys may be Dave Marshall. (Click to enlarge.)

High and Long Beach State softball player Diane Lewis said. "It's such a thrill to be in the presence of such great players and this honor ranks very high in my life."

On the baseball side, six new members were inducted including former major league baseball players Dave Frost, Ed Crosby, Dave Marshall and Bob Sturgeon.

Crosby was a pitcher with the California Angels and in 1979, he helped guide them to their first American League West title after going 16-10 with a 3.67 ERA.

"I'm just as proud of being inducted into the Long Beach Hall of Fame as anything else I've ever did in my life," Frost said. "When you're younger, you live in the moment but as you get older, you appreciate things more like this."

Crosby, who's the father of former Dirtbag and current Oakland A's shortstop Bobby Crosby, played six years in the major leagues as a reserve shortstop and in 1973, he was a member of the National League West Champion Cincinnati Reds.

Marshall spent time with the Giants, Mets and Padres while Sturgeon played for the Cubs in the 1940's. The other two baseball men who were inducted were Bob Myers, who coached Millikan to two CIF titles (1967, 69) before leading Long Beach City College to a state title in 1976 and Ross Newhan.

Newhan, a sportswriter who began his career at the Press-Telegram in 1961, worked 37-years at the Los Angels Times and in 2004, he was inducted into the writer's wing at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

On the softball side, along with Lewis, who was a two-time CIF Player of the Year with the Rams in 1983 and 1984 before going on to star at Long Beach State, wining 36 career games, Lou Novikoff, Virgil Jones, Jimmy Jones, Larry Silvas, Sandy Winchester and Cindy Masner were also inducted.

Jimmy Jones and Virgil Jones along with Novikoff and Silvas were all inducted into the Softball Hall of Fame while Masner was the second four-year starter in Long Beach State history from 1982-85.

Winchester was a member of the first 49ers team to advance to the College World Series, posting 20 wins in 1986. She was a four-year letterman and an All-conference selection three times, finishing her career with 325 strikeouts and 57 wins.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Darren Bragg starts over.

Former major leaguer Darren Bragg plays closer to home

Monday, August 14, 2006

The great moments of life rarely make an impression on us as they happen. It takes the prism of time, sometimes, for things to become clear. Darren Bragg realizes that. It all became clear to him one summer's day in 2006.

Many great things have happened to Bragg, a Wolcott native now living in Southbury. He enjoyed a celebrated baseball career at Georgia Tech, followed by 11 years in the big leagues. He played in baseball's postseason three times, played for the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets, and he even hit a grand slam off Randy Johnson, when Randy Johnson was in that unhittable phase.

And when the ball playing was over, when the rush of years and the blur of stadiums and the change of uniforms -- he played for nine teams in the Bigs -- all came to an abrupt end, Bragg found himself sitting in a familiar place, on a hard bench at Greatorex Field in Waterville Park. The infield was tattered and coarse, nothing like the plush lawns of a big league stadium. And yet there was Bragg, back in one of the places where his baseball journey began, feeling like he was right back where he belonged.

"I sat there and I remembered playing a Sandy Koufax game at that park," said Bragg, "and suddenly, it felt special. I remember thinking, 'Here I am, I have played baseball my whole life, I am about to turn 37, and I am showing up at a park where I played when I was 13.'"

Bragg's life as a big leaguer is over, but life being a kid again, playing a game purely for the fun of it, has resumed.

Bragg signed up to play baseball with the Bethlehem Plowboys in the Tri-State Baseball League just a few months removed from his old life, playing baseball professionally. Some of his old mates from Wolcott and his amateur playing days suggested he come play again.

"It is the best decision of my life. I can see baseball for what it is again. It's a game," said Bragg. "It is refreshing to see the attitude of the other players. Guys are here for the pure enjoyment of the game, and being able to compete. That's what it comes down to. For me it has always been about the competition."

For Bragg, that competition could also be a grind. He loved the game but, as Bragg put it, "You fight for your job every day of your life. It's not easy playing a game when you're thinking that every time you strike out, you might lose your job. I am proud of what I did, but I didn't have time to enjoy it while I was playing. There were times during the game, in between pitches, when you look around and you realize that this is the real deal. That hit me one time when I was playing for the Braves, in the outfield at Wrigley Field during a playoff game. But when it comes down to it, you have to block all that out."

Think about that for a moment: In what can likely be the greatest moment of your professional life, you are trained to ignore it as it happens, lest you be overwhelmed.

Bragg's played in Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium and Fenway Park, as a member of the home team in all three, but now Bragg calls Gallup, Fuessenich and Greatorex home, and he's soaking it all in with gusto.

"When you're playing professionally, everyone always has something to complain about," Bragg observes. "Now you walk out and some fields have no dugouts, no this, no that, and everyone out there is playing and loving it. That's refreshing."

Bragg did not walk into this Tri-State season like a mythic Roy Hobbs figure. He had his days of glory playing baseball, and he had no intention of taking that away from anyone else. So instead, he has pitched. He had never pitched before, and the way he figures it, that is the great equalizer between a former big leaguer and guys having fun on a weekend.

"It's all new and fresh to me. I am at a level that's just the same as the other guys. A guy I played with in Seattle, Dave Fleming, he also lives in Southbury. I said to him, 'Why don't you come pitch for us,' and he says, 'No, I want to play centerfield.' I guess we all want a challenge."

Bragg came to the plate once in the regular season.

"I came up in the last inning, with the bases loaded, and the situation was, if I hit a home run we win the game," said the man with 46 career home runs in the major leagues. "I grounded out to second. The guy threw me a sinker away and I rolled over it. It was very humbling. I've been humbled more than once by this game."

Bragg enjoys life as a Gentleman Ballplayer now. His wife, Kathleen, a Wolcott girl, brings their three daughters, Riley, 7, Reese, 5, and Regan, 3, out to the park, and they roll out a picnic blanket and watch a ball game the old fashioned way.

Soon he will venture into the business world, running baseball clinics and serving as a consultant for baseball leagues of all ages.

"I am getting ready for baseball camps in the fall. I hope to run camps in the spring and summer, and I will do some baseball consulting, private lessons and player development with local Little Leagues. I think I can help kids do the right things on a baseball field. It's what I have done my entire life, wake up in the morning and go to a baseball field. I enjoy going to a field every day. I've got to be on the field. I haven't walked that far away from the game. Not yet."

You can reach Joe Palladino at

jpalladino@rep-am.com

.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Jack Aker & Son

[seawolf17]

Former major league pitcher Doug Sisk (#39 NY Mets) can help you grow money tax-free to send someone you care about to college.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Had I known we'd have used Doug Sisk for IJD's 529. Instead we got some non-Met relief pitcher.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Dallas Green ruffles more feathers:

]Jim Salisbury | Boiling Manuel scalds Green By Jim Salisbury Inquirer Columnist The next time Charlie Manuel gets in the face of a Phillies icon, he might want to tip off the team's marketing department. Think of the tickets that could be sold. The T-shirts! Big Chuck vs. Big D. What Manuel lacked in promotional flair, he made up for in red-faced moxie last night when he confronted Dallas Green near the dugout about 90 minutes before the Phillies played the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies had just concluded batting practice when Manuel, the current and frequently criticized manager, wagged his index finger and gave the former manager a tongue-lashing. Green has always been known for two things in Philadelphia: Managing the 1980 Phillies to the only World Series championship in franchise history. And his outspokenness. Now an adviser to general manager Pat Gillick, Green criticized Manuel's job performance during a radio interview several weeks ago. It got back to Manuel, and people close to him say he has seethed about it ever since. Sources say that Green was "slapped on the wrist" for criticizing Manuel and that his "punishment" included staying away from the field, clubhouse and dugout, not that Green was often seen in these areas. Before last night's game, after the gates had opened to fans, Green made a rare trip to the field to show some friends around. It was the first time he and Manuel had seen each other since Green's critical remarks. Green craned his neck and tried to say hello to Manuel as the skipper walked from the batting cage to the dugout. Manuel, clearly simmering, motioned for Green to step his way. The whole thing lasted about 60 seconds and Manuel, 62, appeared to do all the talking. At one point, he angrily jabbed his index finger in front of Green, still robust at age 72. Other than that, Manuel kept his cool while delivering his message. Green, a noted hothead, did nothing. Had the confrontation occurred in private, it might have been a different story. When Manuel finished talking, Green walked away. Green didn't run an end around when asked about the confrontation. He didn't try to say that he and Manuel were talking about the best places to go duck hunting. "It wasn't very friendly," Green said. "That's his style. He's got some macho to him." What did Manuel say? "He said he doesn't like what I said, and he doesn't like me," Green said. He shrugged. "I don't give a [hoot]," he said. "He's entitled to say what he wants. I'm entitled to say what I want. He got some things off his chest." In his office moments after the quick but pointed confrontation, Manuel was more tight-lipped than Green. "It's like I always tell you guys, if I've got something to say, I'll say it," Manuel said. "I felt like I needed to say something and I did. "The things he said bothered me. I felt like he didn't support me or my staff." Manuel said Green left him a voice mail several days after the critical radio interview, but he scoffed at the timing of the phone call. "He called me at 7:15, after the game had started one night," Manuel said dismissively. "This was the first time I saw him. That's all I want to say." Manuel was told that Green actually complimented him moments after last night's dustup, but the manager wasn't interested in hearing it. He had to get ready for a game, and a wild-card race that the Phillies didn't seem capable of being part of when Green slammed him several weeks ago. "I don't remember saying anything derogatory," Green said. "I don't think it's a secret we played some lousy fundamental baseball early on. That seems to have corrected itself. Right now, the intensity is good, and the game-situation baseball is good. That's what I believe in. "This race has kind of jumped up on all of us. It's so [messed] up, anything could happen. These guys have a great opportunity and they should be proud of that. They're playing with more passion. They like each other. That's a credit to Charlie. He's made it happen. "You've got to give Charlie credit. He's righted his team, and that's what a manager has to do." Last night's undercard between Manuel and Green came at a time when the future of both men has been debated. Green was inducted into the team's Wall of Fame last week, an overdue honor that has left some privately wondering if he would retire or not be retained as an adviser next year. Manuel's status has been debated since his first day on the job. "I think Charlie will be back," Green said. "I think Pat appreciates the job he's done keeping the team together." And what about Green's future? "That's up to Pat," he said. Gillick will address the future of both men after the season. Or maybe he should order a wrestling match. Big Chuck vs. Big D II. Winner gets to stay.

[metirish]

] By BOB KLAPISCH NEW YORK -- The voice has thickened from too many cigarettes, and so has his waistline. If you ask Lenny Dykstra what happened to the pesky little center fielder, the real engine of the '86 Mets, and he'll laughingly say, "I've got some mileage on me, dude." Dykstra doesn't mind the self-deprecating humor, not when life is treating him this well. Of all the Mets who'll gather at Shea on Saturday for the 20-year reunion, none has succeeded in such surprising fashion. Didn't we somehow know that the Ivy League-educated Ron Darling and the media-savvy Keith Hernandez would someday end up in the broadcast booth? And who can say they're surprised that Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry are still fighting the darker angels of their souls? But no one could've predicted the gritty -- OK, crude -- Dykstra would end up as a millionaire entrepreneur. He started out with a chain of car-wash franchises in Southern California, but little Lenny is now deep in corporate real estate and stocks. Even more unlikely is that Dykstra has turned into a nationally-renown expert, delivering a weekly financial column for TheStreet.com. His batting average on Wall Street? Even better than when he was batting .400 in 1990 with the Phillies, landing on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Today, Dykstra says more than 90 percent of his stock picks are money-makers. And if you don't believe it, he says with that familiar edge, "go ahead, dude, look it up." "Look, I'm one of the few players who has more money now than when he was in the big leagues, and that's not by coincidence," Dykstra said by telephone Tuesday. "This is my life now, this is what I do, because I made up my mind when I retired I wasn't going to end up broke." Dykstra's passion for business is equal to, or perhaps greater than his obsession with getting on base as a Met. But he hasn't forsaken his roots. Dykstra still loves the Mets and everything they represented in the late '80s -- the winning, the attitude, and the sheer thrill of beating the odds as a 5-foot-8 squirt who should've been too short to make it. Even now, Dykstra loves telling people he had just one friend growing up -- "I needed someone to play catch with" -- and that he didn't attend a single dance in high school. "Even back then, it was all about getting to the big leagues. I've spent my whole life trying to break out of the middle of the pack," Dykstra said. "That's why when I made it, I played so hard, because I knew how lucky I was. "I played to the scoreboard. That's the way it's supposed to be. Anything else, and you're just up there hacking. The thing that I was most proud of was being voted the most-hated player by the opposing teams five years in a row. But my teammates? They knew I'd take a bullet for 'em." Somehow, we can still see Dykstra as a young man, a wad of tobacco as big as a fist stuffed into his cheek, slamming a home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the NL Championship Series against the Astros. For all the memories that accompany that magical October, Dykstra's blast off Dave Smith, the one that propelled the Mets to a walk-off 6-5 win, ranks as one of the most powerful. It's arguably the single greatest moment of Dykstra's career at Shea. Then, as now, Lenny lived for the adrenaline, only now it's stocks instead of fastballs that give him a rush. Still, he said, it's all part of a stage that he was born to be on. "I learned at an early age I was in the entertainment business," Dykstra said. "Baseball -- the Wilpon family, Nelson Doubleday -- made it possible for me to be part of that dream. When I come back to New York three or four times a year, every single time someone will come up to me and say, 'Thank you for that great season.' You bet it means a lot to me." Now Dykstra wants to give something back to the sport. He's developed a concept called The Players Club as a way to protect professional athletes against later-in-life financial hardship. While it might be hard for the average laborer to understand (or sympathize) with ballplayers running out of cash after retirement, Dykstra says you'd be surprised how many do. "When you're 23 or 24, you're getting that $500,000 check every other week. You're not thinking about your future," he said. "But when you're 35 and you stop playing, your cash flow doesn't just taper off, it's shut down completely. A lot of players aren't prepared for that." Dykstra made his point to three different ballclubs this spring, encouraging players to fast-forward to their late-30s and 40s. The feedback, he said, was positive enough for him to think about ramping up his concept for the 2007 season. In the meantime, though, Dykstra will step back in time, back to when he was lean and fast and driving the National League beyond the limits of its sanity. For one afternoon, Dykstra will be the billboard of the '86 Mets -- cocky enough to be hated by pitchers, but always good enough to back it up. Does he miss it? Dude, do you even have to ask? E-mail: klapisch@northjersey.com

[Guest Edgy DC]

Kevin Tapani, Hall of Famer.

Four area men among U.P. Hall inductees

By Dennis Grall -

dgrall@dailypress.net

IRON MOUNTAIN — Two of the Upper Peninsula’s most accomplished professional athletes headline the 2007 class of the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame.

Kevin Tapani of Escanaba spent 13 seasons as a major league pitcher with five teams and Lynn Chandnois, who was born in the village of Fayette, played seven years in the National Football League and was the league’s player of the year in 1952.

Kevin Tapani was among four area inductees into the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame. (Dennis Grall photo.)

Joining them will be the late Marion “Mingo” Anderson of Marquette, Allison (Bailey) Bottoms of Ewen, Tom Csmarich of Ontonagon, Al Erickson of Escanaba, the late Wesley “Wackey” Olson of Marquette, Jim Pinar of Escanaba, Joe Reddinger of Kingsford and Tom Wender of Iron Mountain.

The 36th annual induction banquet will be held April 28, 2007 at the Premiere Center in Iron Mountain. The U.P. Sports Hall of Fame museum is located at Famers Restaurant at Pine Mountain Lodge in Iron Mountain.

The group was selected recently by the UPSHF Executive Council in a meeting at the Elks Club in Newberry.

The inductees:

MARION “Mingo” ANDERSON, Marquette - A pioneer in women’s athletics in the Upper Peninsula, Anderson was the pitcher as the Mehrmann Plumberettes fastpitch softball team won Class C state titles in 1951 and 1952. She was a three-time U.P. Open singles champion in tennis, won U.P. singles bowling titles in 1951 and 1964 and had a 667 series in 1954. She had a hole-in-one in golf and was the only female entrant in speed snowmobile races in Marquette in the early 1950s. She died July 23, 2006.

ALLISON (Bailey) BOTTOMS, Ewen - The Upper Peninsula’s all-time girls high school basketball scoring champion with 2,131 points at Ewen-Trout Creek High School, Allison Bailey also had 1,357 rebounds and 258 blocked shots. She was MVP of the 1997 state high school all-star game, then had a sterling basketball career at Michigan Tech University. She scored 1,561 points at Tech and set records for career (461) and single-season free throws (137) and most consecutive free throws (25). She was MVP of the GLIAC tourney, a first-team GLIAC North Division all-star and Kodak honorable mention All-America.

LYNN CHANDNOIS, Fayette - An all-around, big-player performer for the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers from 1950-56, Lynn Chandnois scored 16 touchdowns. He holds the team career kickoff return record of 29.57 yards, which is second all-time in the NFL. He had two kickoff returns for touchdowns in 1952, when he was selected the NFL’s Player of the Year. After earning all-state honors at Flint Central High School in football and basketball, Chandnois was a four-year football standout for the Spartans and also played basketball for one year. He ranks first in career pass interceptions (20) and interception return yardage (384) and was the team’s MVP in 1948 and an All-American in 1949. He was the State of Michigan’s Outstanding Amateur Athlete in 1950.

THOMAS CSMARICH, Ontonagon - A two-time Northern Intercollegiate Conference all-star football player at Michigan Tech University, Tom Csmarich was the league MVP in 1966 and joined Tech’s Hall of Fame in 1997. He ran for 1,457 yards and caught 48 passes for 600 yards and scored 17 touchdowns for the Huskies. He also had 683 career return yards. Regarded as one of the best athletes to graduate from Ontonagon High School, Csmarich starred in football, basketball and track. He also conducted developmental athletic programs for boys and girls for 15 years.

AL ERICKSON, Escanaba - A batting champion in the Mid-American Conference with a .483 average at Western Michigan University in 1961, Al Erickson helped the Broncos reach the College World Series. He was a four-year catcher for WMU (1958-61), then signed a bonus contract with the San Francisco Giants in 1961. He advanced to Class AAA El Paso in 1965 until his career ended with a rotator cuff injury in his shoulder. Erickson played on two state championship baseball teams in Escanaba, in Little League in 1951 and American Legion in 1955. He was a standout fastpitch softball player for the Escanaba Merchants from 1966-78 and also coached Legion baseball in Escanaba and in high school coached baseball at Powers and golf at Manistique.

WESLEY “WACKEY” OLSON, Marquette - Inventor of the infamous “kick shot” circa 1936-37, Wesley “Wackey” Olson is the brother of UPSHF inductees Eddie and Weldon Olson. Wackey Olson was involved in the promotion and development of hockey at every level, as a player, coach, manager, league supervisor, referee and broadcaster, from his teens in the 1920s through the 1960s. He played with the Upper Peninsula Huskies in the Michigan Olympic Hockey Trials in 1932, then played with Haley A.C. in the Michigan-Ontario Hockey League. Olson, regarded as the best athlete in a clan of nine brothers, also played basketball at Marquette Pierce High School, played baseball in the U.P. semi-pro league and performed in Marquette Figure Skating Club ice shows.

JIM PINAR, Escanaba - A long-time sports broadcaster, Jim Pinar also spent 14 years as an award-winning sports information director at Northern Michigan University. Pinar also broadcast NMU football and basketball games while serving as SID, where his publications received national recognition in six sports from 1988-2002. Pinar was a sportscaster for WDBC, WQLQ-FM and WMXG-FM in Escanaba, WJPD in Ishpeming and WLUC-TV in Marquette. He was a charter member of the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame’s executive council and was a committee member of the NMU Sports Hall of Fame. He also played football at Escanaba Holy Name High School and Northland, Wis. College and was an assistant football and basketball coach at Gladstone and Escanaba high schools for four years.

JOE REDDINGER, Kingsford - A football and track coach at North Dickinson High School, Joe Reddinger directed the Nordics to 11 straight Wolverine Conference football titles and 13-out-of-14. Reddinger, 187-102 through the 2005 season, brought the Nordics to the Class D state football championship game in 1998 and to the semifinals in 1992, 1998, 1999 and 2001. The Nordics have earned 15 straight playoff berths. The track team won U.P. Class D titles in 1993 and 1999. He has served as a basketball referee since 1970 and joined the MHSAA’s Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee in 1999.

KEVIN TAPANI, Escanaba - A pitcher for five Major League baseball teams in a 13-year career, Kevin Tapani compiled a 143-125 record with a 4.35 ERA. He helped the Minnesota Twins win the 1991 World Series by beating Atlanta in Game Two and also pitched for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs. He beat every Major League team except the Cubs and Tampa Bay, the only teams he never faced. Tapani hit two home runs, including a grand slam against Atlanta in 1998. He started 354 of the 361 games he pitched, collecting nine shutouts and 26 complete games. A savvy pitcher who relied on excellent control (2.4 walks a game) in 2,265 innings. Tapani spent four years pitching for Central Michigan University, going 43-16 with a no-hitter, and was drafted by the Oakland A’s in 1986. He was quarterback of Escanaba High School’s Class A state championship football team in 1981.

TOM WENDER, Iron Mountain - Tom Wender directed Iron Mountain High School to two state football championships (Class C in 1993 and Division 7 in 2000) and was 166-52 in 21 seasons. Iron Mountain made the state playoffs 14 times in that span and also finished second once. IMHS won eight titles in the ultra competitive Mid-Peninsula Conference. After retiring in 2005, he spent 2005 as an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State University, then joined the Northern Michigan University football staff in 2006. He was instrumental in raising funds for new football bleachers, a new field house, running track, practice field, irrigation system, concession stand and outside sidewalks at the IMHS complex.

Plus, a little Danny Napoleon action in the Benton Courier...

... . In his book, “Ball Four,” former Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton writes that that he and his companions used to have a contest to pick Mr. All-American Ugly in Professional Baseball, but they quit because New York Mets outfielder Danny Napoleon won every time.

Napoleon was picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals and sent down to the double-A Travelers, where he played right field. One evening a member of our bleacher bums group got onto manager Ken Boyer (in the third-base coaches box), accusing him of having rabbit ears. Boyer let the fan get under his skin and Napoleon must have had the real rabbit ears because he came on in a dead run from his position to the box seats. Only problem, he chose the wrong boxes and got into it with a group of just-returned-home combat vets in the box next to ours. The vets were not awed by Napoleon's looks and stood and duked it out with the Travs. Cops came down and hustled the vets out of the ballpark as they objected at the top of their lungs and the crowd booed the police.

The president of the Texas League was in attendance that night, and saw it all. Napoleon was not invited back the next year.

Ron Meyer is cartoonist, columnist and former general manager of the Benton Courier. His column appears Friday.

ronmeyeradv@worldnet.att.net

[Guest Edgy DC]

Elias says:

STREAK SNAPPER: Adrian Beltre's walkoff homer Tuesday ended Seattle's 11-game losing streak.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the fourth such homer since 2000 -- a walkoff homer to end a losing streak of 10 or more games.

Curiously, it happed just once from 1900-1999, when Marv Throneberry ended a 13-game skid for the Mets in 1962.

[Guest Edgy DC]

"I don't think I've ever had a speeding ticket before for crying out loud."

Former pitcher Jeff Reardon found not guilty in robbery

Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Former All-Star relief pitcher Jeff Reardon was found not guilty by reason of insanity Monday for robbing a jewelry store in December.

Two court-appointed psychiatrists, along with two defense psychiatrists, testified that Reardon, 50, was under the influence of a dozen prescription medications and that there was no reasonable explanation the robbery.

The medications reacted and caused Reardon to exhibit emotionally unstable, hostile and manic behavior, his defense attorney, Mitch Beers, said.

"He did not know what he was doing," Beers said. "He was very, very depressed and very suicidal. The medications caused him to be delirious and to hallucinate."

Reardon, who played in two World Series, was taking antidepressants and mood stabilizers because he was distraught over the 2004 drug-overdose death of his 20-year-old son, his attorneys said.

After Judge Stephen Rapp's ruling was announced on Monday, Reardon said he was relieved and that he had been worried about going to jail.

"I don't think I've ever had a speeding ticket before for crying out loud," Reardon said.

Reardon walked into Hamilton Jewelers in Palm Beach Gardens and handed an employee a note saying he had a gun and the store was being robbed. He fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

Reardon, who retired in 1994 and ranks sixth in career saves and made more than $11.5 million during his career, according to baseballreference.com. His attorneys said he was not having financial problems.

The four-time All-Star was 73-77 with 367 saves and a 3.16 ERA in 16 seasons with the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees.

Reardon had a save in the Twins' 1987 World Series victory over St. Louis. But five years later, he gave up a decisive two-run homer to Toronto's Ed Sprague in the ninth inning, allowing the Blue Jays to tie Atlanta at one game apiece. Toronto eventually won the 1992 World Series in six games.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Jerry Grote is doing right.

Golf notebook: Grote sponsoring benefit tournament

Web Posted: 08/29/2006 10:06 PM CDT

San Antonio Express-News

Jerry Grote, whose baseball career was highlighted by being part of the New York Mets' amazing World Series title in 1969, is focusing his attention on winning on another front these days.

Grote, through his foundation, is sponsoring a tournament on Oct. 20-22 to benefit The 100 Club, which aids the dependents of police and firefighters killed on duty.

The Fall Golf Fiesta, featuring two-man teams, will take place on three courses over three days, with participants tackling a different format for each event. The Alsatian in Castroville, Northern Hills and Woodlake will host the rounds. The $250 entry fee for each team covers all three days of competition.

Grand prize is seven days and six nights in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Log on to JerryGrote.com or call (210) 696-7293 for information.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Eyewash article at Carwash.com, worth pointing out if only to indicate that there is a site called carwash.com.

Sports heroes find carwashes good investments

Lenny Dykstra, a star of the New York Mets' 1986 World Series team, and Jeremiah Trotter, a Pro Bowl linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles, both own a chain of carwashes, according to separate profiles of them published recently.

The

Express-Times

story on Trotter, who is still playing for the Eagles, tells of his dark days after knee surgery seemed to end his career.

At the time, he was being released by the Washington Redskins but remembered a former coach, made a phone call and got a chance with the Eagles, the story recounts.

Dykstra, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies later in his career, got his business career going with a chain of carwashes in Southern California,

NorthJersey.com

reports.

From that start, Dykstra has become an expert on the stock market, is involved in corporate real estate and writes a weekly column for TheStreet.com, the story noted.

To read the full story on Dykstra, click

here

.

To read the full story on Trotter, (which may require registration) click

here

.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I am a DJ. I am what I say.

Former stars helping athletes deal with faze after glory days

Ex-Nittany Lion Dozier, ex-Phillie Green head sports consulting firm.

By Mark Wogenrich Of The Morning Call

D.J. Dozier and Tyler Green know all about crossing over from athletic to civilian life. In their new business venture, they're helping other athletes do the same.

The former Penn State running back and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher are partners in Cambridge Sports Consultants, an Allentown-based sports marketing and representation firm that opened last spring. In addition to representing current pro athletes (including Philadelphia Eagles David Akers and Brodrick Bunkley), the group provides career transition services for athletes ending their playing careers.

'It's a psychological blow; Tyler and I know all about that,'' Dozier said. ''We're here to help them deal with that major hurdle — to know that, regardless of what they have achieved, yesterday is gone, and the best part is ahead.''

Dozier and Green broke from company business (or tried to generate more of it) Monday by participating in the 19th annual Good Shepherd Celebrity Classic at Saucon Valley Country Club.

The event once again drew a roster of notable sports personalities, including former NBA star Artis Gilmore, former Phillies Bobby Shantz and Robin Roberts, former Phillies manager Nick Leyva, and Saint Joseph's basketball coach Phil Martelli.

Former Buffalo Bills receiver Andre Reed won bragging rights among the celebrity golfers, helping his team to a first-place finish at 24-under.

Liberty High grad Mike Hartenstine, who played with the Chicago Bears, led his team to a second-place finish (and won one of the long-drive contests).

The Good Shepherd Classic raises money for the Good Shepherd Pediatric Center, which serves more than 1,300 children a year.

For Dozier and Green, the day was a nice break in their hectic schedule. The two met last year through a mutual friend who thought they'd be perfect fits for the new venture.

Dozier, a sports agent, had been working at a sports camp near State College, and Green was working in sports marketing outside Philadelphia. At Cambridge Sports Consultants, which is moving to larger offices in Schnecksville in the fall, they brought their divergent histories together.

Dozier played on Penn State's 1986 national championship team (he was part of the 20th-anniversary reunion last week) and was the Minnesota Vikings' first-round pick in 1987. After his NFL career didn't pan out, Dozier briefly played pro baseball in the Mets organization before retiring in 1992.

After that, Dozier coached high school baseball in his native Virginia Beach and worked in the financial industry. Though he continued to work in commercial real estate, in 1995 Dozier began devoting himself to ministry outreach. He spent five years traveling the world speaking on behalf of several large ministries.

''Two things I gained were an incredible sense of purpose and the real value of a person's life,'' Dozier said. ''It was the most important time in my life. To deny yourself and help other people is an incredible experience.''

Green, the former first-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies, pitched in the majors for 10 seasons before ending his career in 2000 after six surgeries (four shoulder, two elbow). He got into banking, then sports and entertainment marketing, before joining Cambridge.

Green is an assistant baseball coach at Germantown Academy and also writes and produces music for his own publishing company (KnuckleCurv).

In this new partnership, Dozier and Green want athletes to see them as models.

''The [mistake] some guys make is they continue looking back,'' Dozier said. ''We want them to think of this as the next big game.''

mark.wogenrich@mcall.com

[Guest Edgy DC]

''The [mistake] some guys make is they continue looking back,'' Dozier said. ''We want them to think of this as the next big game.''

When I see brackets like that, I always wonder about what profane filth is being paraphrased.

[seawolf17]

Edgy DC wrote: ''The [mistake] some guys make is they continue looking back,'' Dozier said. ''We want them to think of this as the next big game.'' When I see brackets like that, I always wonder about what profane filth is being paraphrased.

I love those little brackets. Whenever I write fake news stories for my fantasy baseball league, I sprinkle them liberally throughout my quotes.

[Guest Edgy DC]

One for MbtN:

Maine To Retire Mike Bordick's Number 3 Saturday

Ceremony to Start at 11:45

Sept. 13, 2006

ORONO, Maine-- The University of Maine baseball program will host its Maine Baseball Weekend on September 15 and 16, 2006. The weekend will feature a golf outing, a reception, the retirement of Mike Bordick's number 3 and an alumni baseball game.

Maine will retire Mike Bordick' Number 3 in a ceremony on Saturday.

The weekend begins on Friday, September 15th with a Golf Tournament starting at 10:00 a.m. at Bangor Municipal Golf Course. At 7:00 p.m. that night there will be a reception at The Muddy Rudder in Brewer, Maine. If interested in attending the golf tournament or reception, people are encouraged to call the Maine Baseball Office at 207-581-1096.

On Saturday, the day will start with the alumni taking batting practice at 10:00 a.m. The Mike Bordick Number 3 Retirement Ceremony will begin at 11:45. Scheduled to speak are Maine head coach Steve Trimper, former coach Dr. John Winkin, Maine Director of Athletics Blake James and Bordick.

The alumni will play the current Maine team in a nine inning game following the ceremony. Players expected back for the weekend activities include Mike Bordick, Jack Leggett, Ed Flaherty, Bob Whalen, Mike Collar, Mike MacDonald, Aaron Izaryk and many more.

Bordick will become the fourth Maine baseball player to have his number retired, joining legendary coaches Jack Butterfield and Dr. John Winkin, along with former pitcher Bill Swift.

Bordick played at Maine from 1984-86 and led the Black Bears to the College World Series in 1984 and 1986. He then went on to play for Oakland, Baltimore, the New York Mets and Toronto during his 14-year major league career. Bordick played in the 1990 World Series with the Oakland A's and the 2000 World Series with the New York Mets. In addition, he played in the 2000 All-Star game. Bordick was elected into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. He holds major league records with 110 consecutive games without an error at shortstop and 543 chances in a row without an error.

People with questions regarding the weekend are encouraged to call Maine head coach Steve Trimper at 207-581-1090 or e-mail him at stephen.trimper@umit.maine

[Benjamin Grimm]

Mike Bordick wasn't exactly Mr. October with the Mets: Four singled in 33 postseason at bats. (That's a .121 batting average. For those who don't like batting average, he had a .121 slugging percentage too!)

[Willets Point]

Yes that's when the nickname BOREdick was coined.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

He was hit in the wrist/thunb by a pitch in the Giants series, IIRC, and was worthless Offensively and defensively but the Mets as usual in the Phillips era, had no capable backups.

[metirish]

Bud Harrelson's son to testify against a friend up for murder

[Guest Edgy DC]

I stumbled across this, from the 1976 Memphis Blues program. It's so bush league that it's beautiful:

Memphis Blues skipper Jim Beauchamp has been a manager for just one year, but he's already proven himself a winner.

Beauchamp, like the late, legendary Vince Lombardi, knows winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. [How horrible can you get? -- ed.]

In his first managerial season last year, Beauchamp piloted the Houston Astros' Double A farm club at Columbus, Ga., to a secondplace finish. For some of his players that was a unique experience.

"You can't expect a player to win in the big leagues unless he's won in the minors," Beauchamp notes. "I had some players tell me after the season was over that last year was the first year they've played on a winner since they signed a professional contract."

Just to prove last summer wasn't a fluke, Beauchamp guided a team in winter ball to a second place finish, winning the last 11 games to earn a playoff berth.

"I learned about winning when I was in the Cardinals' organization," explains Beauchamp, who also played for Houston, Atlanta, Cincinnati and the New York Mets. "I don't care if the players like me or not, but I do demand their respect.

"When they get to the park they're going to give me 100 percent. If they don't they're going to be in trouble.

Denny McLain (Blues general manager) has worked hard to get people out to the park and we're going to work hard to entertain them when they get here.

If Beach, as his friends call him, can continue to turn out winners, he may follow in the footsteps of the two managers who preceded him in Memphis--Karl Kuehl and [1965 Cocoa Rookie Astros and 1966 Cocoa Astros manager] Joe Frazier.

Kuehl, who managed Memphis the last two seasons when the Blues were affiliated with the Montreal Expos, is now the Expos manager, while Frazier is the new Mets boss.

Should Beach some day earn a big league job, one of the first people he'll thank will be former Cardinal great Ken Boyer, now the manager at St. Louis' Triple A farmclub in Tulsa.

"Ken helped me tremendously," recalls Beauchamp, who was a player-coach under Boyer two years ago. "He knew I wanted to get into managing some day and some nights he'd come out and say, 'Here, you make out the lineup. You manage tonight.' "

Beauchamp, who makes his offseason home on his 180-acre ranch at Grove, Okla., is married and has two sons and a daughter.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Two hours of Hebner.

Norwood’s natural

By Brian Falla/ Daily News Staff

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - Updated: 05:26 AM EST

NORWOOD -- When Jack Tolman set out to make a documentary on Richie Hebner’s life and career in the major leagues, he envisioned a 30- or 60-minute film.

But like Hebner’s 18-year career, the film quickly took on a life of its own, and, in the end, the Norwood Public Access Television station manager said, the story ended up as a Ken Burns-esque two-hour documentary that left more film on the cutting room floor than in the final version.

The film will be premiered Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Olde Colonial Cafe on Nahatan Street in a fund-raising event for Norwood Little League.

A Norwood native and NHS graduate, Hebner played in more than 1,900 games in his career, slugging 208 home runs and batting .276. The 58-year-old Hebner currently resides in Walpole, according to the Web site of the Durham Bulls, the Tampa Bay Devils Rays’ AAA affiliate in the International League. Hebner manages the Bulls.

Tolman’s film documents the career from high school through Hebner’s current job with Durham.

The film is a remarkable accomplishment, combining filmed interviews as well as old film clips from Hebner’s high school days and his MLB career, which included time on the Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.

Tolman started out thinking he would simply wrap some video clips around an interview with Hebner, but the project started to expand rapidly when Tolman started asking around and discovered that "everybody has a story about Richie Hebner," said Tolman. "This thing could have gone on forever."

Tolman stumbled upon an old file cabinet containing newspaper clippings and he dug up old vintage footage of Hebner’s hockey career that almost landed him on the Boston Bruins.

"I probably could have done two hours on his hockey career alone," Tolman said from the NPATV studios yesterday. "There are a lot of people around here who still say Richie was one of the best high school hockey players to ever play in Massachusetts."

But instead, the film focuses largely on Hebner’s baseball career.

The list of interviewees reads like a Who’s Who of the baseball world. Hebner plays a starring role, and the film is anchored around a 60-minute interview he had in February 2005 with Norwood resident George Fahey. But Tolman has sprinkled in clips from a variety of interviews, such as the Red Sox Johnny Pesky, who managed Hebner in the minor leagues. Former Red Sox General Manager Lou Gorman and former Red Sox manager and Walpole resident Joe Morgan are also featured.

By coincidence, Tolman also hooked up with Norwood native Allen Doyle, a childhood friend of Hebner’s, who is now a professional golfer and won this year’s Senior U.S. Open Championship.

Doyle is related to school nurse Roe Riley, whom Tolman told of his Hebner project.

"The next day, the phone rings and it’s Allen calling from Georgia," said Tolman. "This thing kind of had a mind of its own."

Tolman also tracked down Hebner’s former Pirates teammates who did some reminiscing about the Bucs’ 1971 World Series title and what it was like playing with Hall of Fame players like Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski and Willie Stargell.

Bob Robertson was Hebner’s roommate with the Pirates and in the film said one of the things that amazed him was Hebner’s use of a 41-ounce bat and how Hebner could hit anything inside or low over the right field fence with such a heavy bat.

"You’ve got to be quite a man to swing a 41-ounce bat," said Robertson, who played first base and hit 26 home runs for the Pirates in 1971.

Robertson also said he remembered Hebner for always singing his favorite song, John Denver’s "Leaving on a Jet Plane" -- which he found ironic since Hebner didn’t like to fly -- and for always talking to the groundskeepers before games.

"He was always very nice to people," Robertson said.

But Hebner’s story remains true to its roots, and Hebner’s ties to Norwood remain a backbone of the story.

The film starts out with Hebner recalling his school days in Norwood, when he starred in both baseball and hockey, learning to play ball on the fields of Father McAleer’s and learning to skate on the swamp off Nahatan Street that is now NorWest Woods.

In the film, Hebner said he was lucky to grow up in a time before sports climbed the evolutionary ladder from pickup games to organized practices.

"There wasn’t the pressure that kids go through now," said Hebner. "The only thing we had to worry about was getting home for supper."

"That’s all he did," recalled brother Dennis Hebner. "He lived to play."

Childhood friend Bob Clifford recalled Hebner’s early forays into the hockey world weren’t great.

"He was a horrible skater at first," said Clifford, who said Hebner pick up the skill very quickly, leading him to believe he could have played any sport he set his mind to.

Hebner went on to score 50 goals for Norwood High and was pursued by the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings.

Hebner said he considered hockey as a career, but wound up being selected 15th overall by the Pirates in the 1966 draft and opted to play baseball.

By 1969, Hebner was up with the Pirates and the rest is history.

"I think I made the right choice," said Hebner.

Sunday’s premiere is open to the public. Hot dogs will be served outside. A $5 donation to the Norwood Little League is suggested, but not mandatory. Hot dogs and other food will also be sold outside.

"I’m hoping it will be a fun day," said Tolman, who will also be selling the Hebner DVDs with profits going to the Little League. "It should be a sort of mini-reunion party, too."

Brian Falla can be reached at 781-433-8339 or at

bfalla@cnc.com

.

[Benjamin Grimm]

That film sounds like it's about 100 minutes too long.

[Guest cooby]

Certainly they must mention his grave digging job

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mitchell never played second.

METS SERIES

Mitchell brings success to his 'baseball family'

CHRIS ELSBERRY celsberry@ctpost.com

NEW YORK — He was the utility guy in an age when utility players didn't exist. He played all three outfield positions. He also played shortstop and first, second or third base, depending on where manager Davey Johnson needed him most.

Kevin Mitchell was a rookie in 1986, playing for one of the hardest-playing and hardest-partying teams ever assembled — the New York Mets.

"We were a family and we had fun when we came to the ballpark," Mitchell, 44, said recently when the 1986 Mets were honored at a 20th anniversary reunion at Shea Stadium. "What I tell younger players is, they've got to have fun when they go to the ballpark, that's the only way they're going to win, come as a family. This was my baseball family when I was here and you've got to stay together."

Mitchell played in 108 games for the Mets that season, batting .277 with 12 homers and 43 RBIs, while also scoring 51 runs. He finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting.

He played 40 games in left field, 29 in right and six in center. He also played 24 at shortstop, seven at third base and two at first, earning the nickname "World" from catcher Gary Carter because he could play wherever the Mets needed him.

And when the Mets needed him most, Mitchell delivered.

The Mets trailed 5-3 with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 6 of the World Series when Mitchell, who was pinch-hitting, lined a single to left. It was the second of three straight singles by the Mets, who rallied for three game-winning runs, capped by Mookie Wilson's destiny grounder.

"Good things will happen when you do good things," Mitchell said. "That's what made it so fun to play in New York."

After Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez flied out to open the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 6, Carter singled and Johnson made the call for Mitchell, who was caught a little off guard. According to Hernandez, who had gone to the clubhouse and was drinking a beer, Mitchell was half-dressed making reservations on the phone to go home to San Diego. Mitchell pulled on his uniform top, hustled down the runway and then lined a single to move Carter to second. Knight's two-strike single scored Carter and moved Mitchell to third, and the tying run just 90 feet away.

And when Bob Stanley's pitch to Wilson bounced back to the screen, Mitchell scored to tie the game at 5-5. That set the stage for Wilson's grounder that went through Bill Buckner's legs at first and gave the Mets an improbable 6-5 win.

Despite his success, on Dec. 11, 1986, Mitchell was traded to the San Diego Padres for Kevin McReynolds.

"I couldn't even tell you why. I got home (after the season) and I was traded," Mitchell said at the reunion. "I had talked to Wally and he said, 'Oh, they'll never trade you. You're a rookie, you're playing well.' All of a sudden, the media's at my house."

Today, Mitchell is only slightly involved in baseball, as a part-time batting coach in the Mexican League. He runs a program in the San Diego area for children called "Athletes for Education."

"Baseball was good to me, but now it's gone," Mitchell said. "I've got to keep my life going."

[Guest Edgy DC]

More flashback pieces from the Mets series with horribly boring titles from the same guy:

Dykstra provided spark a championship team needed

Today: Gary Carter, 'The Kid'


Mets' fever was amazin' in '86

I guess I grew up on similarly trite pieces about the '69ers.

[soupcan]

RE: Hebner

If he was such a great guy then how come I remember him as being a total douchebag?