Monday, August 30, 2004

JUST WHEN IS THIS FORTY-NINER FUTURE—NOW OR ALMOST NOW?

The sign on the fence to Long Beach State’s George Allen field says the “Future is Now”. Boy do the folks at the Beach hope that is true.

For the current residents of GA Field, women’s soccer, the future is not quite in clear view. They beat Sac State last weekend but had to accept at 0-0 tie with a USF team that had fallen 3-0 in their opener. The Beach booters are next in action Friday and Sunday when they host the 49er Classic, featuring Iona, Drake and UC Davis.

For the other fall team, women’s volleyball, the future is still clouded by the mix of the healthy and the hurt that will be winding up a three match opening week with Liberty on Friday and then nationally ranked Utah on Saturday. The Flames of Liberty will just enjoy the trip but the Utes figure that this is the year to kick some sand on a perennial power. Should be a great barometer of how good the 2004 ladies of the spike will be.

FAMOUS FAMILY DUST-Cincinnati Red Luke Hudson, brother of Niner v-ball assistant Liz Hudson’s, beat Liz’s non-related favorite pitcher, Randy Johnson last week in Phoenix. Liz limped to her seat after she became the first, and we hope last, Niner injury this fall. She sprained an ankle in two-a-days.

Next up is 49er First lady Sylvia Maxson who will be gone until Christmas doing a sabbatical in London where she can have tea and crumpets. Her abandoned husband President Bob deserves your invite for a home cooked meal this fall.

On the selective memory front our pal Seth Greenberg, who could not remember some legal issues with staff, does remember how to schedule basketball opponents for his Virginia Tech hoop entry. This year Tech is in the ACC but for non-conference fare play a bakery full of Morgan State, Loyola MD, MD Eastern Shore, VMI, James Madison, and Bethune-Cookman.

No longer in the Niner family is academic advisor Don Peters who has spent the past few years cajoling student athletes during the week and yodeling anthems on the weekend. He is going full time in his field of sports psychology.

Too bad Don’s gone I wanted him to counsel USC’s Mike Williams and the Lake Show’s Kobe Bryant. The lads made bad choices and I for one have no sympathy.

Now for the stat-starved Dirtbag baseball fans the number-gatherers at Long Beach State have the summer report. Troy Tulowitzki and Cesar Ramos won gold medals at the World Championships in Taiwan with USA national team and smuggled home a giant Chinese banner to the off campus digs they share behind Vons.Tulo batted .299 in 20 starts at short, scoring 17 runs and tied for the team lead in homers. Cesar appeared in seven contests, going 3-2 with a 3.33 ERA. More summer good news from third sacker Danny Mocny who won all-star honors in the Northwoods League batting .333 with 20 runs and 21 RBIs. Setup guy Brian Anderson was a teammate of Mocny, going 2-3 with a 2.85 ERA.

Big Brett Andrade threw 16.2 innings, posting a 2-1 mark and 4.32 ERA for the Goldpanners while fellow Niner hurler Scott Juneau went 2-1 with a 3.43 ERA over 13 games.

Back to coach talk. V-ball's Brian Gimmillaro will meet and greet along with most of the other Beach skippers at a Fall Coach Chat at Buster's Beach House next Tuesday from 6-8 pm. You can also send in your favorite plays to soccer’s Mauricio Ingrassia, polo’s Ricardo Azevedo, track’s Andy Sythe and hoop coaches Mary Hegarty and Larry Reynolds.

The Crime blotter. Like our favorite indoor Olympian Tayibba Haneef, Alexis Crimes was a multi-sporter in high school and a three-sport athlete for the Eagles, Crimes also competed in track and field and basketball. She was a most valuable in volleyball, track, basketball and academics. And real personable too. She will major in Pre-Medicine.

Closing quote from U.S. Olympic softball pitcher Lori Harrigan to LeBron James, after James joked that he could homer off her. “I told him, OK, my Nike deal against yours, and that shut him up.” –DR. DAN

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