Thursday, July 02, 2009

NO FIREWORKS IN THIS DUST---JUST A LOT OF MAMA HOO HOO

If you are stocking the SUV for that July 4th party, don’t worry I’ll bring the napkins. Of course all my napkins come with Notes particularly when I have to report on a month’s worth of people and places. Overlook the mustard and relish, this is your July Edition of Notes on My Napkin complete with a sound track that screams, “In the Hole.”

True to our college baseball roots, we regularly spend hours (usually after midnight) tracking a dozen Dirtbags toiling on summer league teams around the country. Better yet, nowadays each team also has a team page with pictures and numbers plus most have live audio and video.

The ’09 Summer Niners are Jordan Casas, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox; Jonathan Jones, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Devin Lohman, Orleans Firebirds, ; Josh Corrales, Peninsula Oilers; Joey Terdoslavich, Chatham Anglers, and Jake Thompson, Chatham Anglers, all in the Cape Cod League.

The others are playing in Alaska, Hawaii and points in between: Tre Dennis , North Shore Navigators; Ryan Donohue, Waikiki Surfers, Andrew Gagnon, Rochester Honkers,; Jason Markovitz, North Shore Navigators; TJ Mittelstaedt, Newport Gulls; and Kirk Singer, North Coast Knights. (Last add, talented catcher Kellen Hoime is rehabbing at home in Sacto, when he is not handing out State IOUs to innocent citizens.)

Summer teams compete for fans with some nifty promotions. In Rochester next year’s LB ace, Drew Gagnon, is a Honkers' starting pitcher and William Hung of American Idol fame does singing and dancing between innings, including, not a pitcher's favorite, "She Bangs!"

Back to our favorite summer indoor sport, balancing the shrinking athletic budget, it appears that salary savings is on page one of the LBSU playbook. Women’s golf coach Sue Ewart, Big West Conference Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2005 stepped down as women's golf coach last week but apparently been lured back as a part time special assistant assuming head men’s coach Bill Poutre agrees to expanding his duties to include the ladies side.

The ladies young golf star Lee Lopez, 2009 Big West freshman of the year, has transferred to UCLA. She made that move despite the fact that her appeal to avoid sitting out for one year was denied. Expect Lee to be back on the course in 2010 but wearing Bruin blue.

Another item on the LBSU AD’s to do list is selecting a new 49er strength and conditioning coach to replace Erick Burkhardt. The short list is said to have assistants from UCLA and USC, the head guy at UT San Antonio and an assistant from Temple.

CLOSING NOTES AND QUOTES—The most recently crowned NCAA baseball champions from LSU had some of their toughest games in Omaha over the years with Long Beach State. In 1993 the Tigers got coach Skip Bertman’s second CWS title when the Tigers turned in a heroic effort in a 6-5 win over Long Beach State in a heart-breaking last at bat. LB had beaten the Tigers 10-8 the day before and then saw a 5-3 lead melt in the ninth inning of Omaha sun.

Even on your best weekend in the Virginia Country Club gin games, you would have a hard time winning the $528,000 that Paul Goydos collected for finishing second in Connecticut last weekend. A super month (three quarters of a mill) for a home town hero! He is getting real close to a British Open invite as well.

Our closing quote is from a web friend worried about the big crowds and Niner basketball. He reminded me of what former LB football coach Dave Curry said to calm his nervous Niners before a game at Anaheim Stadium. “Relax, there will be 50,000 seats watching you play.'”

Off in August, back to you in September.—DR. DAN

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