WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SAN DIEGO TONY AS NINERS TRY TO REMEMBER WINNING
For the many years that the San Diego State Aztecs have brought their baseball team to Blair Field the game in the stands has often been as intriguing as the game on the field. That would be the “where’s Tony Gwynn” game. You should know that tonight, as in the past, Hall of Famer and LB Poly alum Tony is, er ah low key. He is a full sized man who will be wrapped in warm-ups and team jackets and a cap and more outside garments than the guys in Hurt Locker. His former volunteer assistant Anthony Johnson, with a similar stocky profile, was often selected by 49er fandom as Gwynn when he trotted out to the first base coaching box. Anthony still helps out but just for home games but you win a prize for being the first in your row to find Tony.
Now to the game, oh yes, Steven Moranda, a two-year junior college all-league selection at Fresno City comes in at 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA gets the start for SDSU and unless Mike Weathers really did have open auditions this afternoon it will be Eddie Magallon the freshman from Paramount for the first mound worker for the Beach. Troy Watson from Sac City is next in line and then it is staff TBA... The Niners come in a 4-6, yes, same as Fullerton, with a team batting average .260 and ERA of a un-Buckley-like 4.25. The Aztecs are 5-6 aga9nst a more modest schedule hitting at .270 with a 3.90 ERA.
NOTES ON MY NAPKIN--Uncle Ben Goldberg of the Beach Club sports bar had a crowd of Dirtbags including wining pitcher Andrew Gagnon (“I pitch better when I breathe”) and family in his establishment Saturday evening. Gagnon is now the staff ace while the Beach offense struggles to find some consistency. Skipper Mike Weathers is blunt. “We simply can not defend our house and…we haven’t been on the road yet.”…This weekend visitors for the RPI-conscious Cal Staters is perennial top 20 power Wichita State. The Shockers will make their first trip out of Kansas this season as part of a five game road trip. It all starts at Blair Friday to Sunday and then WSU plays two in Tucson against improving Arizona…Back at home Niner softball is sleeping in their own beds after opening the season in road tourneys. They are hosting their annual Long Beach Invitational at nearby Mayfair Park with a invite list that includes Purdue, Notre Dame, Buffalo, Idaho State and San Diego. A mound feature is the recovering Brooke Turner who earned BWC Pitcher of the Week by throwing gas in a 1-0 setback to Pac-10 foe Oregon and was dominant leading The Beach to a 6-2 victory over Buffalo…want another view of the Washington series? Let’s drop in on the Huskies campus newspaper, the Daily News... “Washington 11, Long Beach State 9…For most of this game, it was not as close as it looks. LBSU led 6-0 after three innings and 9-4 after five, but the Huskies had a seven-run seventh inning to gain the permanent lead. And it wasn’t even that the Huskies displayed any power that inning. They just took advantage of two critical 49er mistakes ¬— an error and a passed ball — and had a barrage of singles, doubles and walks.” Ouch…
"Where are theys"... it was a Redwood City contingent at Blair on Sunday that would be Mr. and Mrs. Mark Knupfer and shortstop son of years gone by (1995-96) Jason. Still in playing shape and with funny stories about his fellow ex-Bag Jason Hodges, Knups is now in the insurance business in NorCal and has indeed provided grandchildren to his parents…other Tuesday BW tilts, UC Riverside at UCLA, Northern Illinois at Cal Poly, and USD at Irvine…After months of math, the numbers finally lined up for the 49er basketball teams who will begin their quest to reach the NCAA Tournament Thursday at the Anaheim Convention Center next door to Disneyland…the ladies team are really Cinderella’s moving into a top four seed after missing out in 2009…the men playing brilliant some times and inconsistent other times, will be in the hunt…at least the calendar is kind to the 49er faithful...drive and park once and get Jody Wynn’s women playing at 2:30 and Dan Monson’s men at 6:00 p.m., opponents TBA. Just win on Thursday and stay warm tonight—DR.DAN
Now to the game, oh yes, Steven Moranda, a two-year junior college all-league selection at Fresno City comes in at 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA gets the start for SDSU and unless Mike Weathers really did have open auditions this afternoon it will be Eddie Magallon the freshman from Paramount for the first mound worker for the Beach. Troy Watson from Sac City is next in line and then it is staff TBA... The Niners come in a 4-6, yes, same as Fullerton, with a team batting average .260 and ERA of a un-Buckley-like 4.25. The Aztecs are 5-6 aga9nst a more modest schedule hitting at .270 with a 3.90 ERA.
NOTES ON MY NAPKIN--Uncle Ben Goldberg of the Beach Club sports bar had a crowd of Dirtbags including wining pitcher Andrew Gagnon (“I pitch better when I breathe”) and family in his establishment Saturday evening. Gagnon is now the staff ace while the Beach offense struggles to find some consistency. Skipper Mike Weathers is blunt. “We simply can not defend our house and…we haven’t been on the road yet.”…This weekend visitors for the RPI-conscious Cal Staters is perennial top 20 power Wichita State. The Shockers will make their first trip out of Kansas this season as part of a five game road trip. It all starts at Blair Friday to Sunday and then WSU plays two in Tucson against improving Arizona…Back at home Niner softball is sleeping in their own beds after opening the season in road tourneys. They are hosting their annual Long Beach Invitational at nearby Mayfair Park with a invite list that includes Purdue, Notre Dame, Buffalo, Idaho State and San Diego. A mound feature is the recovering Brooke Turner who earned BWC Pitcher of the Week by throwing gas in a 1-0 setback to Pac-10 foe Oregon and was dominant leading The Beach to a 6-2 victory over Buffalo…want another view of the Washington series? Let’s drop in on the Huskies campus newspaper, the Daily News... “Washington 11, Long Beach State 9…For most of this game, it was not as close as it looks. LBSU led 6-0 after three innings and 9-4 after five, but the Huskies had a seven-run seventh inning to gain the permanent lead. And it wasn’t even that the Huskies displayed any power that inning. They just took advantage of two critical 49er mistakes ¬— an error and a passed ball — and had a barrage of singles, doubles and walks.” Ouch…
"Where are theys"... it was a Redwood City contingent at Blair on Sunday that would be Mr. and Mrs. Mark Knupfer and shortstop son of years gone by (1995-96) Jason. Still in playing shape and with funny stories about his fellow ex-Bag Jason Hodges, Knups is now in the insurance business in NorCal and has indeed provided grandchildren to his parents…other Tuesday BW tilts, UC Riverside at UCLA, Northern Illinois at Cal Poly, and USD at Irvine…After months of math, the numbers finally lined up for the 49er basketball teams who will begin their quest to reach the NCAA Tournament Thursday at the Anaheim Convention Center next door to Disneyland…the ladies team are really Cinderella’s moving into a top four seed after missing out in 2009…the men playing brilliant some times and inconsistent other times, will be in the hunt…at least the calendar is kind to the 49er faithful...drive and park once and get Jody Wynn’s women playing at 2:30 and Dan Monson’s men at 6:00 p.m., opponents TBA. Just win on Thursday and stay warm tonight—DR.DAN
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