MID-MAJORS FIGHTING FOR ARETHA--A LITTLE R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Folks around the national sporting scene categorize Long Beach State as a “mid-major”. A “major-major” would be a school belonging to a prestigious conference that plays all the sports-like football-and makes money along with the fun and games.

The big boys figure the role of mid-majors is to provide fodder for major-majors, maybe a little fear, but in the end a respite between their big conference contests. This matter came to mind recently for two reasons, the fuss about the Bowl Championship football series and our inspection of non-conference basketball schedules.

Given that assigned life-role, outfits like LBSU relish the chance to raise their RPI and give their chardonnay-sipping-quiche-eating cousins a serving of humble pie. This week the Niner nation circled their SUVs for trips to major-major UCLA for the baskets played Tuesday night and the NCAA volleyball first round coming up this weekend.

The LBSU ladies of the spike travel Friday night to face a Utah team (24-6) who they beat earlier this season. Both teams are better now. The other two Westwood tourney entries are LMU (17-11) vs. UCLA (18-10) with the Saturday night winner going to the Sweet 16’s at Seattle. In total an amazing six Big West teams—can you say a six-pack of mid-majors--made the field of 64 including UCSB who was shipped to a topugher regional at Georgia Tech.

BONUS BRUIN DUST--As a host to a mid-major the major-majors are required to extend normal courtesies. Press parking for example. UCLA recently asked that each person coming to cover for LBSU provide their driver’s license number. I quipped that likely the Bruins wanted to be sure that none of the Niner attendees improperly parked in a handicapped space. Quick with quip of his own, PT beat writer Frank Burlison opined that excessive parking violations of that nature would result in the issuance of a letter, a UCLA athletic letter.

Back to Beach bragging, Long Beach State’s latest ace lefthander, Cesar Ramos, was one the players on the initial watch list for the Wallace College Baseball Player of the Year award. He takes the ace title from the still-unsigned Jered Weaver who likely will not ink a Scott Boras developed deal until a day or so before spring training. He can not return to the Dirtbags because of his agent relationship.

Back to yesteryear, former Niner Coach Lute Olson's now has a Madison Square Garden winning streak of 11 games after Arizona beat Michigan in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT. Olson's first victory in the famed New York arena came in 1973 when he was coaching at Long Beach State.

More beauty news. If you thought that our town was a little blah the past couple of weeks, you were correct. Pound for pound the best athlete on the planet, our Misty May and new husband Matt Treanor were honey-mooning in Bora Bora. The queen of the sand is back and will be riding down Second Street Saturday as Grand Marshall of the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade.

Speaking of wheeling around, our retired pal Gordon Verrell covered the Long Beach basketball game at Charlotte and dared to complain about east coast highways, specifically North Carolina. “There's more construction in that state than on an ant farm. Of course, I took my pickup, not our car. As I'm sure you know, the only cars allowed on N.C. highways have big ol' numbers on the side.”

Last add moving news. A popular LBSU athletic staffer in the 80’s, Steve Holton, made the final cut at Cal Poly for their open athletic director post. The SLO search committee would like to have an AD by early next year. Holton had been athletic director at Northern Arizona since 1994 but left in a flap over a coach who upset players. During Holton's time at NAU, the Lumberjacks won 40 Big Sky titles, saw student athletes' grade point average above 3.0 in nine of the last10 semesters and saw an increase in athlete graduation rates and booster support.—DR. DAN

MID-MAJORS FIGHTING FOR ARETHA--A LITTLE R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Folks around the national sporting scene categorize Long Beach State as a “mid-major”. A “major-major” would be a school belonging to a prestigious conference that plays all the sports-like football-and makes money along with the fun and games.

The big boys figure the role of mid-majors is to provide fodder for major-majors, maybe a little fear, but in the end a respite between their big conference contests. This matter came to mind recently for two reasons, the fuss about the Bowl Championship football series and our inspection of non-conference basketball schedules.

Given that assigned life-role, outfits like LBSU relish the chance to raise their RPI and give their chardonnay-sipping-quiche-eating cousins a serving of humble pie. This week the Niner nation circled their SUVs for trips to major-major UCLA for the baskets played Tuesday night and the NCAA volleyball first round coming up this weekend.

The LBSU ladies of the spike travel Friday night to face a Utah team (24-6) who they beat earlier this season. Both teams are better now. The other two Westwood tourney entries are LMU (17-11) vs. UCLA (18-10) with the Saturday night winner going to the Sweet 16’s at Seattle. In total an amazing six Big West teams—can you say a six-pack of mid-majors--made the field of 64 including UCSB who was shipped to a topugher regional at Georgia Tech.

BONUS BRUIN DUST--As a host to a mid-major the major-majors are required to extend normal courtesies. Press parking for example. UCLA recently asked that each person coming to cover for LBSU provide their driver’s license number. I quipped that likely the Bruins wanted to be sure that none of the Niner attendees improperly parked in a handicapped space. Quick with quip of his own, PT beat writer Frank Burlison opined that excessive parking violations of that nature would result in the issuance of a letter, a UCLA athletic letter.

Back to Beach bragging, Long Beach State’s latest ace lefthander, Cesar Ramos, was one the players on the initial watch list for the Wallace College Baseball Player of the Year award. He takes the ace title from the still-unsigned Jered Weaver who likely will not ink a Scott Boras developed deal until a day or so before spring training. He can not return to the Dirtbags because of his agent relationship.

Back to yesteryear, former Niner Coach Lute Olson's now has a Madison Square Garden winning streak of 11 games after Arizona beat Michigan in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT. Olson's first victory in the famed New York arena came in 1973 when he was coaching at Long Beach State.

More beauty news. If you thought that our town was a little blah the past couple of weeks, you were correct. Pound for pound the best athlete on the planet, our Misty May and new husband Matt Treanor were honey-mooning in Bora Bora. The queen of the sand is back and will be riding down Second Street Saturday as Grand Marshall of the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade.

Speaking of wheeling around, our retired pal Gordon Verrell covered the Long Beach basketball game at Charlotte and dared to complain about east coast highways, specifically North Carolina. “There's more construction in that state than on an ant farm. Of course, I took my pickup, not our car. As I'm sure you know, the only cars allowed on N.C. highways have big ol' numbers on the side.”

Last add moving news. A popular LBSU athletic staffer in the 80’s, Steve Holton, made the final cut at Cal Poly for their open athletic director post. The SLO search committee would like to have an AD by early next year. Holton had been athletic director at Northern Arizona since 1994 but left in a flap over a coach who upset players. During Holton's time at NAU, the Lumberjacks won 40 Big Sky titles, saw student athletes' grade point average above 3.0 in nine of the last10 semesters and saw an increase in athlete graduation rates and booster support.—DR. DAN

MID-MAJORS FIGHTING FOR ARETHA--A LITTLE R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Folks around the national sporting scene categorize Long Beach State as a “mid-major”. A “major-major” would be a school belonging to a prestigious conference that plays all the sports-like football-and makes money along with the fun and games.

The big boys figure the role of mid-majors is to provide fodder for major-majors, maybe a little fear, but in the end a respite between their big conference contests. This matter came to mind recently for two reasons, the fuss about the Bowl Championship football series and our inspection of non-conference basketball schedules.

Given that assigned life-role, outfits like LBSU relish the chance to raise their RPI and give their chardonnay-sipping-quiche-eating cousins a serving of humble pie. This week the Niner nation circled their SUVs for trips to major-major UCLA for the baskets played Tuesday night and the NCAA volleyball first round coming up this weekend.

The LBSU ladies of the spike travel Friday night to face a Utah team (24-6) who they beat earlier this season. Both teams are better now. The other two Westwood tourney entries are LMU (17-11) vs. UCLA (18-10) with the Saturday night winner going to the Sweet 16’s at Seattle. In total an amazing six Big West teams—can you say a six-pack of mid-majors--made the field of 64 including UCSB who was shipped to a topugher regional at Georgia Tech.

BONUS BRUIN DUST--As a host to a mid-major the major-majors are required to extend normal courtesies. Press parking for example. UCLA recently asked that each person coming to cover for LBSU provide their driver’s license number. I quipped that likely the Bruins wanted to be sure that none of the Niner attendees improperly parked in a handicapped space. Quick with quip of his own, PT beat writer Frank Burlison opined that excessive parking violations of that nature would result in the issuance of a letter, a UCLA athletic letter.

Back to Beach bragging, Long Beach State’s latest ace lefthander, Cesar Ramos, was one the players on the initial watch list for the Wallace College Baseball Player of the Year award. He takes the ace title from the still-unsigned Jered Weaver who likely will not ink a Scott Boras developed deal until a day or so before spring training. He can not return to the Dirtbags because of his agent relationship.

Back to yesteryear, former Niner Coach Lute Olson's now has a Madison Square Garden winning streak of 11 games after Arizona beat Michigan in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT. Olson's first victory in the famed New York arena came in 1973 when he was coaching at Long Beach State.

More beauty news. If you thought that our town was a little blah the past couple of weeks, you were correct. Pound for pound the best athlete on the planet, our Misty May and new husband Matt Treanor were honey-mooning in Bora Bora. The queen of the sand is back and will be riding down Second Street Saturday as Grand Marshall of the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade.

Speaking of wheeling around, our retired pal Gordon Verrell covered the Long Beach basketball game at Charlotte and dared to complain about east coast highways, specifically North Carolina. “There's more construction in that state than on an ant farm. Of course, I took my pickup, not our car. As I'm sure you know, the only cars allowed on N.C. highways have big ol' numbers on the side.”

Last add moving news. A popular LBSU athletic staffer in the 80’s, Steve Holton, made the final cut at Cal Poly for their open athletic director post. The SLO search committee would like to have an AD by early next year. Holton had been athletic director at Northern Arizona since 1994 but left in a flap over a coach who upset players. During Holton's time at NAU, the Lumberjacks won 40 Big Sky titles, saw student athletes' grade point average above 3.0 in nine of the last10 semesters and saw an increase in athlete graduation rates and booster support.—DR. DAN

STUCK WHILE SHOPPING FOR YOUR FAVORITE COACH? TRY AN ATHLETE!

Glad to have you inside our chock full of great ideas Gazette, shopping season is upon us again and we aren’t just talking about pet rocks and perfumes.

Coaches you see are spending their precious scholarship bucks these days and when in doubt you often hear that they have selected, ta da, “the best athlete.” That is code for an incoming kid so versatile that they defy any one position and, as Martha Stewart would say (even from the Grey Bar Hotel), that is a good thing.

To prove our point we offer as evidence a Fab Four of 49er athletes who perform outside the confines of a particular position. Our nominees are Dyanne Lawlor from women’s volleyball, Cody Pearson from men’s hoops, Fernanda Santos from women’s hoops, and Troy Tulowitzki from baseball.

What these notable Niners have in common is that they have both verve and versatility. Last Saturday night Lawlor led Long Beach with 13 kills for LBSU and not a single assist. Unusual, yes since Lawlor was recruited as a setter, but as athletes know, you do what you need to do. Next year, after a summer in the Debbie Green College of Setting Knowledge, this athlete will succeed Jillian Mazzarella and be a triple threat--setter, hitter, and of course, athlete.

Mr. Pearson, as 49er followers know well, got his scholarship after winning the most popular walk-on award at the end of thee Wayne Morgan era. Keep him around for defense, oh yea and hustle some rebounds. So far all of the above plus he had ten points against powerful Charlotte, snagged four rebounds and defensively did what athletes do.

Now for Ms. Santos you will have to take my word but at 6-2, this Brazilian import has a deadly outside shot, boards with the best of them and runs like the wind. The toughest competition she has had to date has been with the NCAA clearinghouse but it looks like a positive result is in and Fernanda is finally a legal 49er.

Mr. Tulowitzki is well known for covering ground and fly balls all over the Dirtbag diamond north-south-east-west from home plate to shallow center. He hit .317 last year and led the Bags in stolen bases. I wish his folks had about eight more sons.

CATCH UP DUST- We promised to give you a mound round-up for the 2005 Dirtbags so here goes the guesses while searching for stuffing deep in that festive bird. First we should note that although two pitchers are gone, the hard-to-sign Jered Weaver and the signed and playing Jason Vargas, there are nine returners back from a team that was oh-so-close to the CWS.
The new ace is Cesar Ramos, a junior out of Pico Rivera who toured with Team USA and had a 2004 line of 12-4, 2.29 ERA, 133.2 IP, 108 H, 35 BB, 97 Ks. Behind him in no particular order are two righties Cody Evans out of Golden West JC (9-2, 84.2 IP, 2.98 ERA, 74 Ks, 18 BB) and Jared Hughes, transferring south from Santa Clara with a ton of potential.

The relief is led by pre-season All American Neil Jamison, a closer last year with 12 saves, 4.35 ERA, drafted in 8th round by Mets but coming back for more-money and better results. The other reliever was perhaps stronger at the end of the year, RHP Brian Anderson, Sr., a setup man with a 2.98 ERA in 28 appearances. The rest of Troy Buckley’s options include RHP Romeo Newman and LHP Brandon Vilalobos, who was a Tuesday starter last year, 1-2, 5.70 ERA in 10 App, 5 starts. And now you know the rest of the story.

Our closing quote is from Bobby Crosby who will keynote the Dirtbag Leadoff Dinner on January 20. Cros told us that if the Astros, who feature his old teammate Mike Gallo in the pen, had beaten St. Louis they would have beaten Boston. “They simply matched up better.”—DR. DAN

NOTES, NAMES AND NUMBERS ON MY NAPKIN.

Forty-niner men’s hoops will definitely win Friday night. Gazette Guaranteed. That’s because the home standing North Carolina Charlotte 49ers, named after a nearby highway, play the Long Beach State 49ers, named after their first birthday.

Our Niners come into the contest with two comfortable exhibition wins over lower division friends, UC San Diego and Alaska Anchorage but UNCC holds the edge on preseason preparation. They got ten extra days of practice thanks to a three game “Tour of Toronto” in October and a traditional on-campus exhibition game last week, a 114-75 victory over Pfeiffer.

The star was junior guard Mitchell Baldwin and UNCC skipper Bobby Lutz is effusive about his impact. “If you charted when Mitchell was in the game in the first half it was probably +20 and when he was out it was -6" And if that wasn’t scary enough for Larry Reynolds and crew the hosts have two NBA quality beefeaters in the paint to bother LB’s slender posts Anthony Coleman and Sam Byrd. Come December the Beach adds Onye Ibekwe, 6-8 and just a doughnut shy of 270 but this is now and then is then.

Ironically the Beach boys will get that extra practice time next season when they go on one of those every four years pre-season overseas tours. The results are as important as the extra time of togetherness.

While we are hooping it up, here is my tiny school Final Four for March’s Big Dance. Write ‘em down--St. Joes, enrollment of 6500, Gonzaga, enrollment of 5400, Duke enrollment of 6,202 and Wake Forest enrollment of 4,037. Except in my email in-box size doesn’t matter.

Looking back home, you have to love the smile on the face of the Beach’s number one fan Bob Maxson. The prez as you know has AL Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby on his speed dial and bookmarked on his computer. But even more the boss notes also that the amazing A’s shortstop was a 49er teammate of four other Major League youngsters, Astros reliever Mike Gallo, Expos outfielder Terrmel Sledge and lefthander Chad Bentz and Mariners outfielder Jeremy Reed.

Back to the napkin, these notes from the basketball Tip Off Dinner. Larry Reynolds saluting veteran trainer Dan Bailey, in his 34th year, according to Reynolds the former Utah footballer and wrestler has this training room regime. “When a player goes in there Bails just growls, spits on it and sends them back out. He’s so tough and gruff the guys would rather be back at practice than hang around the training room.

”Reynolds also got into the chat about those new cup holders that the Sixth Man boosters along with the basketball staffs have installed around the Mid. “When I got hired here I though Mr. Shumard said I had to “fill” the seats but now I understand that it was to “drill” the seats.” Drilling seats will save the beer; filling seats will save even more.

Now some Dirtbag servings from the hot stove league. The SID folks have this starting lineup as of Fall ball but I expect some shuffling by Spring. On paper there are six starters returning with new guys needed for C, 1B, OF, and DH.Around the infield their list has Tito Cruz, behind the dish, he hit .271 last season. At first would be redshirt Brandon Godfrey, who made the Junior Olympic National Team, at second Chuck Sindlinger, a two-year starter hitting 257, at short Team USA’s Troy Tulowitzki who carries both a gold glove and bat. (317, 7 HR, 44 RBIs last year) and Danny Mocny, .318, last year at third.

The outfield looks like Jamie Huizar in left, coming in from Sacramento CCwhere he hit .362, plus returnees speedy Steve Velazco back in center and slugging Sean Boatright in right. Boats hit .330 when healthy last season. The DH favorite is Evan Longoria out of Rio Hondo JC where he hit .435 plus 15 HRs. We’ll do pitchers next week.—DR. DAN

NEW LINEUPS ON THE COURT AND ON THE COURT

Slump busters in college are for the truly superstitious. Even if they had a bigger budget the Dirtbags couldn’t afford to burn their bats. And by the way, aluminum only melts at a real high temperature.

For men’s basketball and volleyball teams there occasionally is a close shave, every player giving up their hair to reverse a curse. But for the ladies of the court up until now there hasn’t been much available to turn a team around. Until now.

The professor of Long Beach lady hoopness, Mary Hegarty, thought about this matter over the summer, off of a 14-16 campaign last year, and if there wasn’t an instant fix in the form of new players she decided to re-arrange the furniture. Translated, for the first time in the history of the campus a 49er team will sit on the left side of the scorer’s table instead of the right side. Was she slump busting, fighting superstitions, un-jinxing? According to the LB sports spin doctors none of the above. “It’s the shortest route to her locker room.” Okay with me but I suspect more.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program of names and notes. We will start with women’s basketball where the absence of their imported offense, Brazilian Fernanda Santos and UCS transfer Aisha Hollans, kept LBSU out of the win column during their exhibition visit from a group of big and old former college and pro players employed under the banner of Play Mode. A similarly talented traveling troupe, Love and Basketball, will test Hegarty’s kids on November 19th.

For the gents, who did not change benches, last weekend they played like they love basketball, at least basketball as played against UC San Diego. Newcomer Shawn Hawkins scored, oft-injured Anthony Coleman rebounded and blocked shots, and the backcourt boys bothered the Tritons enough for 33 turnovers. Coach Reynolds will try and wrap up exhibition win number two tonight (Thursday) when Alaska-Anchorage visits the Beach after hosting LBSU in their tourney. After that, everything is for real, opposition and records.

Speaking of everything else, the Big West gathered down in Irvine last week to show off their basketball teams to the awaiting world, or at least the world south of Westwood. As suggested above the 49ers, especially from late December on when 6-9 man mountain Onye Ibekwe becomes eligible, will be better. That’s the good news, the not so good news competing BWC teams are improving too.

The Best of the Big West is supposed to be Pacific but history says Utah State will take one more crown on their way out of town. USU heads to the WAC next season and that reminded me of UNLV (1991), San Jose State (1996) and New Mexico State (1999) who also won and ran.

USU is led by the two time BWC Hustle of the Year award winner Spencer Nelson, a senior (and almost a senior citizen at 24 years, four months) and a quotable fellow. On his resume academic all-Big West, Most Inspirational Player and, over the weekend, 21 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists as USU routed Puget Sound 125-72.

And now some Spencerisms, “I am really glad hockey is on strike…now I can watch all of Sports Center.” How about football playoffs, “Heck yes, those guys wouldn’t be doing anything else in December.” And finally how is life on the road in the Big West? “Well after you play in front of 10,000 in Logan 400 in Fullerton doesn’t bother you.” Agreed.

We wrap up with a non-basketball note from the Big West gabfest. I shared an elevator with a high ranking UCI Administrator who talked about the upcoming visit of the volleyballing Anteaters to the Pyramid. “You know we almost swept Long Beach at our place and I think we can do it in three at their place. You know Brian (Gimmillaro) will have a better team next year.” Note to source, LB 3, Irvine 1 and yes the 2005 Beach team will be even better but they ain’t bad this year. Check ‘em out yourself when UCSB and Cal Poly visit Friday and Saturday.--DR. DAN

YOUR BI-POLAR CORRESPONDENT GIVES YOU THE BI-PARTISAN NEWS YOU NEED

Writing weekly, or even weakly writing, isn’t easy.

Stuck on what the lead would be for this week I procrastinated by reading messages from the family back in Florida reporting that last week was tough in the other Sunshine State. All the college and pro teams lost and, worse than that, the good citizens had to endure the torture known as voting. The good news, here and there, is all those campaign ads and mailers are done for a while and everybody can go back to games—basketball, bunko, bingo and Texas hold’em.

So let’s forget things political and just look at our fun and games, including a slew of them this weekend.

The first contests are sort of beauty contests, exhibitions for men’s basketball Friday night against old assistant coach Bill Carr his UC San Diego and the ladies on Saturday at 1 p.m. against the Play Mode All Stars. Should be a good barometer of what lies in store.

Saturday night the ladies of the Long Beach spike continue their payback tour. The Beach faces UC Irvine trying to settle matters with the Anteaters who upset the Beach earlier behind the Orange curtain. Next weekend UCSB will get their come-uppance and then the Beach gals will ship their 2004 resume to the NCAA and hope for a decent post-season seed.
Last weekend at Utah State, LBSU (17-4, 9-4 Big West) connected for a .248 hitting percentage and held the Aggies to a miserable 075 attack percentage. More of that and the season will last a lot longer.

FLYING DUST-UPS— In late November of 1994 LBSU opened the Pyramid, a unique 18-story physical education and athletic events center with it’s brilliant cobalt-blue exterior that can be seen for miles in all directions.

In late November 1907 F&M bank, behind the vision of C.J. Walker and his wife Carrie, was established using $25,000 of their own money. They have grown to 20 branches around the area and a gazillion bucks in the vault. Sadly however the Bank will probably not become the title sponsor for the Pyramid. Inside sources say it would have brought all the CSULB banking over to them for a low seven figure gift. To many they would have been a natural sponsor but some of the younger Walker heirs have nixed the idea.

Back to future, 49er Softball (best ever 51-13 last season) will try and knock your socks off this season and they would like to break some BBQ and bread with you at noon on Saturday November 13 at the campus diamond. Pete’s Sweethearts of Swat won the Big West last year and have added a genuine home run threat in BYU transfer Oli Keohohou. If you don’t have a good time I’ll buy your lunch and you can bank on that.

Last add Hawaiian where are they. Former Niner infielder Kaulana Kuhaulua who played for the Dirtbags in 2001 and signed by the Minnesota Twins played for their Class A affiliate Ft. Myers Miracles, with a brief stint with the Class AA New Britain Rock Cats. He played in the Florida State League all-star game.

Heading home, by day Sixth Man booster lady Prez Alix Traver helps to manage some million dollar research projects at LBSU. By night, and weekend and what other waking hours she has, Alix drums up support and supporters for LBSU Men’s Basketball who invite one and all to a “casual barbecue buffet” this Sunday at 4 p.m at The Grand at Willow Street Center. Call quick at (562) 985-4662 to get in and then bring some extra Benjamin’s for auction items like Lakers tickets, Ice Dogs packages, Joe Jost’s gear and the right to be on the bench as an Honorary Coach for games at UCLA and in the Mid vs. Portland.

And now our closing quote from the Dolphins DE Jason Taylor, disagreeing with the stats that showed him with no tackles last week. “The people who do those stats, half the time they're spilling ketchup on themselves and trying to wipe it off.” Geez, I resemble that comment.—DR. DAN--