Kevin Brown Summits the Ultimate Mountain

By Mike Takeuchi

(Note-Due to Kevin's wishes for privacy during his final days, I could not explain the exact nature of his illness. Unfortunately he passed away today November 13, 2009. He was a great guy and will be missed terribly by myself and many in the community.) MT





Dear Kevin,



I know your son Ryan and your dad Larry just picked up an award from the Athletic Round Table Luncheon last Monday for being their Sportsperson of the Month. But while they appreciated the gesture, some people you know (myself included) think that you deserve so much more.

First, your son Ryan thinks you are the greatest and bravest not so much for climbing the seemingly impossible big walls of El Capitan , but just for being a wonderful dad to him and his sister Rachel and a great husband to his mom Lori. Your dad said that over the years, you have touched a lot of lives in your years on this earth and that he is very proud of you.

Your family isn’t the only one who recognizes the gift that you have given to people. As a healer and athletic trainer, you were par excellence, bar none, Dr. Bill Gallivan said. Bill said that from the San Francisco 49ers, to the Olympic athletes, the golfers from pros like Fred Couples and Don Parsons, you were nothing short of an amazing teammate. But he added that you seemed to do your best work with the high school and youth athletes of the community.

Bill said that you were a pleasure to work with and a fabulous guy to share the sidelines with. He added that patients loved you because you always went beyond healing just their physical injuries and that he wished more caregivers used your approach.

One of those athletes you trained, Gavin Feuer, may just make that jump to the pros some day. Gavin, a senior pitcher for the Santa Barbara High baseball team was thankful for the safe haven you provided for him. He also noticed that you would often treat those who couldn’t afford it. Because of this and many other things, he unfailingly trusted you to do the right thing.

The biggest lesson he learned was how you taught him to turn weaknesses into strengths was not just for the gym, but equated to life on the outside. He will be forever grateful of that.

Other than your family, your good friend and climbing partner Kevin Steele probably knew you best. Perhaps it was bivouacking thousands of feet above the ground, along the walls of El Cap, or maybe it was discovering new routes on the Full Moon Dihedral as a world-class climber, or teaching him something you were great at, surfing or maybe it was even standing beside him at his wedding, Kevin Steele knew he could trust you with his life. That says a lot about a man.

I’ll always appreciate the warm treatment and assistance you provided without charge in whatever ailed me. You were a one-man welcoming committee that was always eager to share your experiences or a good story.

I’ll never forget the time you walked across the dining room at Petrinis to say hello to my family and then went back to yours. With eyes bright, you shared a secret with your kids with a look of pure happiness on your face.



We all just wanted to congratulate you Kevin. By virtue of your love for your family, earnestness and passion while pursuing your profession with the truest of hearts, you have become dear to us all. And in the process, you have summitted a mountain that is as high as 100 Mt. Everests stacked up one on top of the other. And we are all looking up and proudly watching as you plant your flag in triumph.



Note, there is a nice “appreciation thread” for Kevin Brown filled with spectacular photographs by Kevin Steele on Supertopo.com.

Nicest Guy on the Yankees Almost Makes Me Want to Root For Them

By Mike Takeuchi
(Photo by Yankees Team Doctor Chris Ahmad)

On the Anaheim Stadium field. while stretching between the serious Jorge Posada and locked-in Alex Rodriguez, Mick Kelleher bore the expression of an 18-year-old rookie who couldn't believe his good fortune.

The funny thing is, even after 36 years in the Major Leagues as a player and coach, maybe he hasn't. And that's partly why many local baseball fans were hoping that the universally recognized nice guy will finish first, even if he is part of the Evil Empire known as the New York Yankees

Kelleher, a Santa Ynez resident, is the Yankees' first base coach and infield instructor. After 11 years as a player, and 25 as a coach, it will be his first trip to the Fall Classic.

Despite not yet reaching the pinnacle of his sport, the energetic 62-year-old has enjoyed a bounty of honors — from the respect of his peers, to an endearing nickname that will forever be immortalized in Chicago Cubs lore. He is also a widely respected infield coach, whose pupils have included future Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter.

Just prior to Game Four of the ALCS, and shortly after being given a warm welcome from Angels coach Ron Roenicke, he leaned on the railing of the visitors' dugout and shook his head in wonder.

"I don't know how to explain it," Kelleher said. "I've been very fortunate to have a career in the game I love. I love the lifestyle, the travel, and mostly the people."

Gary Woods, also a former big leaguer, said there was nothing to wonder about. They met during the early 1970's when Kelleher moved to Santa Barbara with his wife Renee, and soon became workout partners and close friends.

"There is not a finer person in Major League baseball," Woods said. "That, and the fact that he is simply the best infield coach in the game, have given him a life that he loves and deserves.

"As a player, he may not have been blessed with the most talent, but I can't think of a player that gave any more of themselves."

Kelleher broke in with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1972, then played for the Houston Astros, the Chicago Cubs, the Detroit Tigers and, finally, with the Angels, with whom he retired in 1972.

While lacking power (.213 career average, zero home runs), he more than made up for it with fielding (.975 percentage) and toughness.

Woods, who also played for the Cubs, pointed to one memorable fight on Aug. 7, 1977 when his friend took on the toughest player in the game — and won. In an already brawl-filled game with San Diego, the Padres Dave "King Kong" Kingman was plunked by Chicago pitcher Steve Renko. Angered from the play, Kingman took out Kelleher hard at second base during a double-play attempt. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Kingman barreled straight into the 5-9, 170-pound Kelleher — who proceeded to jump on King Kong's back and pummel him.

"He looked like a little monkey on King Kong's back," Woods said with a laugh. "But damned if he didn't get the best of Kingman."

Kelleher also laughed when asked about the story.

"I may have won the fight on the field, but after he got the best of it because I had five bruised ribs, a wrenched neck, and a severe charley horse on my left leg, and we were both suspended," Kelleher said. "The funny thing is, Kingman signed with the Cubs the next year and it was bygones."

The fight earned Kelleher the nickname "King Kong Killer," along with t-shirts in his honor, and the eternal adoration of longtime Cubs fans. This approach and toughness also earned him a job when his career ended. Jack McKeon, who would later win a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 2004, told Kelleher to call him when he was done playing.

"When you're a player you only think about playing as long as you possibly can," Kelleher said. "You literally have to take it one day at a time and I was fortunate to have played for 15 years. When I was done playing in '83, I called him and got a job as instructor with the Padres."

Sprinkled among stints with the Padres, the Cubs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he also coached first base, he worked with a young Jeter while serving as the Yankees roving fielding instructor from 1996 to 2002, and was the first base coach with the Tigers from 2003-2005. In 2006 he returned to the Yankees as an instructor and was named first base coach last year after Tony Pena was promoted to bench coach.

It reunited Kelleher with Jeter.

"Even when he was young, we knew Jeter was a player — heck he had 200 hits in his first full season," Kelleher said. "I didn't have to tell him much then, and I definitely don't have to say much now. But I'm here if he, anyone needs me. I keep an eye on them, but everyone has their own style of work.

"It's hard for players to see what they are doing wrong. That's what coaches are here for, helping the players adjust immediately. That's what it's all about."

After his season ends, Kelleher will move back here to a place he settled with Renee and raised their now adult daughter, Britanny, while making such close friends as Bill Pintard, manager of the Santa Barbara Foresters. Pintard, who also serves as a scout for the Angels, named his daughter Kelby, which is Kelleher's nickname.

He was able to spend time with Kelleher in Anaheim during the recent series, while others such as Woods and Joe Howell have been trading yucks by phone.

The Santa Barbara High baseball team is also looking forward to some quality time with Kelleher.

"It's flattering that he will come out and bother to work with us before leaving for spring training to work with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez," Dons coach Fred Warrecker said. "Over the last 10 years, he has taught us many things, the latest being Break on the Ball or B.O.B. — in which everyone is moving prior to the play.

"If it's good enough for the Yankees, it's good enough for Santa Barbara High, so we do it every day."

That same enthusiasm was evident last Tuesday, as Kelleher bounded from stretching, to infield practice, to pitching batting practice. As he was on the field, Howell extolled his friend by phone.

"Outside of the field, you wouldn't have any idea that Kelby was a ballplayer," Howell said. "In fact, one time he broke his nose playing basketball and he couldn't convince the lady that his insurance was the Major League Baseball Players Association because she didn't believe that he was a player. But that didn't stop him from playing with a bunch of lawyers as our ringer."

"Anybody that knows him has seen that same pure heart that had him last so long in the Major Leagues, is reflected by anyone who knows him. When my son Ben wanted to have a baseball themed birthday party, Kelby not only came dressed in his Padres uniform, but he made me wear one of his uniforms too.

"Even though the pants were high waters and came up to my calves, I outweighed him by some 50 pounds, and had no baseball skills whatsoever, he almost convinced me that I pulled it off. That's Kelby."

e-mail: irontak@yahoo.com

Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

Dodgers and Angels Need Brother Antonine's Divine Intervention

By Mike Takeuchi

Anaheim-With both Los Angeles teams on the brink of elimination, the Dodgers and the Angels may want to call upon some divine intervention from Brother Antonine Correa. The former porter at the Old Mission, who passed away 15 years ago, was an avid Dodger fan and was friends with Angels manager Mike Scioscia during his playing days as the Dodgers catcher.

If he is looking down from up above, he may have enjoyed seeing his favorite team and favorite player managing another being so closed to a trip the World Series. But with the current state of both, he may be fretting as he once did in front of the television at the Old Mission.

As a child, I knew Brother Antonine, who was this writer's art teacher at San Roque School in the mid-1970's, quite well. He was a man with great passion who bluntly recognized this writer's lack of future as an artist at an early age. Yet he still left me with a fondness for him because he was the first adult outside of my own parents to give it to me straight.

And boy, did he love his baseball.

"I remember meeting him when we came up to Santa Barbara with our Dodger Caravans (a traveling group that included players and then manager Tommy Lasorda to communities outside of Los Angeles) ," Scioscia said. "And each time he would come up, he made sure to stop by and talk about the team. He really knew his baseball."

His longtime colleague, Brother Timothy Arthur chuckled at the recollection of his friend planted in front of the television during baseball season.

"I don't think he missed many Dodgers games on television," Brother Timothy said. "I remember him always saying that although he couldn't play the game, it didn't stop him from loving it."

Although he did not have an acumen for baseball, he was multi-talented according to Father Maurus Kelly, a priest at the Old Mission.

"As porter at the Mission, Antonine was tremendous," Father Kelly said. "Whenever we had visiting clergy come, he went out of his way to schedule activities and outings for them and took care of the logistics. But his biggest talent was art..

"He did a lot of stitchery here and became quite reknown for it. His art is hanging in churches across the country and around the world. He also made vestments for the priests here and abroad. Eventually he started making vestments for certain bishops to wear. He was really unselfish when doing this. Antonine was more than willing to commit himself to anyone that needed any help."

And that included the Dodgers. After several visits with Scioscia via the Caravan and on his own, the two traded notes and Scioscia sent pictures and Dodgers memorabilia. Brother Antonine responded by making Scioscia tapestries.

"When he gave me the first cloth, I was literally blown away," Scioscia said. "I was amazed at his talent, but really touched that he took the time to make them for us. I still have them."

Scioscia said the two then talked about the commonality of the beauty of sport and art. Over the years, Brother Antonine made more of his artwork and gave them to the Dodgers players.

"Antonine was able to combine two of his passions and bring joy to others by sharing them," Brother Timothy said.

And now that the Dodgers and Angels are one albeit troublesome round away, would he have changed his allegiances to the Angels for Scioscia?

"I don't know, but I hope so," Scioscia said.

His old friend was more certain.

"I think he would have been happy either way," Brother Timothy said.

Dodger Fans Retrained?

October 15, 2009


Los Angeles- They didn't leave.


It wasn't surprising that the Phillies beat the Dodgers on Thursday night 8-6. They aren't the defending World Champions for nothing. And it wasn't a shock that try as they might, the Dodgers couldn't perform a miraculous comeback in a sport where three out of ten is considered a success (I stole that line from Torii Hunter).

What was shocking is the fact that though their team was down, the 56,000 Dodger fans didn't leave en masse. In fact, a great majority of them were there on the final pitch, even after Casey Blake grounded into a double play in the bottom of the ninth.

Where the Angeleno faithful are notorious for arriving after the third inning and leaving before the end of the seventh, they may have been actually trained to stick around this year. Until recently, there really hasn't been much to stick around for since Mike Piazza left. Even with the four consecutive home run miraculous finish against San Diego three years ago didn't teach Dodger fans to stay until the final out.

But this year, where Andre Ethier seemingly hit a walk-off home run every other game, and the Mark Loretta single that clinched the Division Series last week, people have been taking part. The best part about the excitement is, that the fighting seems to have ceased, or at least slowed down. Although data is not released, one anonymous security guard said that violence at the Stadium is indeed down.

Sitting in the auxiliary press area in the reserve seats behind home plate, which incidentally much better than being in the actually press box. I enjoyed observing the fans almost as much as the thrilling game. Perhaps because we are slightly segregated from them, but close enough to watch and listen. There were the usual insidious chants of “Phillies Suck!” and other comments which seemed to have come straight from “Dumb and Dumberer”. But for the most part, they were in the game, supporting their team. (BTW Observance of fans would be a grad student's dream of a sociological experiment).

One can almost forgive the towel waving, a ripoff of the Steelers Terrible Towels and even the Homer Hankies of the Minnesota Twins Metrodome. After all, it may have helped the team win the clinching playoff game as Cardinals Matt Holliday lost the ball into the lights (and maybe towels) of Dodger Stadium. It beats those thunder sticks. My wife Munch's ears are still ringing from the ALCS in 2005.

Maybe it's me that has the problem. Have I become a snob much like the Patton Oswalt played character in the poignantly painful movie “Big Fan”? When I have gone to a game as a fan, other than applause for a good play by either team (people do look at me strangely when I do) and conversation with my seat neighbors, I am largely silent. Maybe I should go a little bonkers some times. It probably helps with the stress level. Just don't make me do the Wave. But two things I will most definitely do, come on time, and wait until the last out is recorded.

An Unrequited Bromance

Hunter Plays and Lives a Life Worth Emulating
(Torii Hunter and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson before Game 1 of the ALDS)


By Mike Takeuchi


Anaheim-This ain't no bromance but how do I love thee Torii Hunter? Let me count the ways Well, maybe it is a little. But from his electric style of play to who he as a man, the Angels' center fielder is like a virtual Pied Piper of the clubhouse.

On Thursday, he proved that once again by hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning of a scoreless tie to offset the magnificent pitching of John Lackey in helping to lead his team to a 5-0 victory in Game 1 of their Divisional Series playoff against the Boston Red Sox. The win was the team's first playoff home win since Game seven of the 2002 World Series.

After he hit the home run, he paced the dugout like a tiger that hadn't eaten in three days and then spiked his helmet like he had scored the game winning touchdown for his Pine Bluff (Arkansas) high school football team.

“It's like when I played football, they called me the Sandman because I put them to sleep,” Hunter said seriously.

That's my kind of guy. Because for me, I find that there are more players that I don't care for than I actually like. Other than Hunter, there are a few-Ichiro of course, Chone Figgins and David Eckstein because I can visually look them in the eye. There are a couple of players that I enjoy watching like the Giants Pablo Sandoval and the Dodgers Matt Kemp. Manny amuses me much like Barry did where their failures are as entertaining as their successes, but that's about it.

Perhaps it's because of proximity and seeing them up close makes me jaded. But maybe it's something more. Maybe it's the way many play the game with a nonchalance that looks suspiciously like apathy or even antipathy towards the game. Hunter is the antithesis of this in the way he plays and the way he lives his life.

In this modern age, he is the closest thing to a modern day Roberto Clemente that there is, which is ironic since he is his team's 2009 nominee for the award for the Hall of Fame player and humanitarian. Hunter, the winner of the 2007 Marvin Miller Award recently won the Branch Rickey Award for his accomplishments off of the field. Named for the former Brooklyn Dodgers executive who is best known for signing Jackie Robinson, the honor is given to the player who exhibits “service above self.”

Last year before a game, I came up and asked him about another program he is involved in, the RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities) to get African American players more involved in the sport. While I expected a 30-second sound bite, what I got was a ten minute conversation about how important it is to keep Blacks in the sport in particular, and about the role of race in sport in general.

Of course the guy can play a little. With a .275 lifetime average and 235 homers and 322 doubles he can hit pretty fair. But it is in the field where he dazzles the most With eight consecutive Gold Glove awards, he is the standard for center fielders. He can also be spectacular making the wall climbing catch a semi-regular occurrence. Who can forget the Spiderman earning nickname when he out jumped Ichiro to rob Barry Bonds of a home run in the 2002 All-Star game? Since he signed with the Angels, things haven't changed-inspiring teammates such as Chone Figgins.

“He's a game changer,” Figgins said. “He plays big that's what he does. He comes to play and makes things happen at the right time.”

And he always talks to the media win or lose. My first encounter with him was after the All-Star Game in San Francisco years ago. With everyone, including Hunter in a hurry to get back to the next game they were playing, I looked for a player, any player to interview to meet my deadline.

“What you need sir?” Hunter asked. “I'll talk to you. We are all getting out of here in a hurry, but I got a minute.”

He save my deadline and my life.

Through the last two years, I have observed him to be an eloquent speaker with a touch of Pine Bluff still in him. When asked what the difference between guts and nuts were, he smiled.

“The nuts is Hood,” Hunter replied.

Even in defeat, he was always what we reporters call “a story saver”-the one guy you can count on to help you make deadline when other guys won't talk. It was never more apparent after the last home playoff game the Angels played in, a 7-5 loss to the very same Red Sox who eventually eliminated the Angels in four games.

After that game, he simmered with anger, yet still was willing to talk to the media. After most of the reporters tiptoed away, a few of us remained because it was apparent that Hunter was not finished talking. A question was posed to him about a teammate talking about facing the reality of elimination. When asked the same question he frowned.

“Elimination?” Hunter seethed. “Who's talking about elimination? Tell me who it is, because I want to slap them.”

He then went on for another five minutes before he started smiling and said, perhaps to convince himself more than anything, that the Angels season wasn't over. It's too bad the team didn't follow his lead, because two games later, it was.

Thursday night's clubhouse scene was a little more joyous. When Hunter came back to the clubhouse, a horde of scribes and TV types were waiting for him. Hunter willingly and happily obliged questions about anything and everything-including his end zone style spike of his helmet in the dugout.

“ I just lost it, I was so pumped up,” Hunter said. “My adrenaline was going man. I wish you guys can feel what I feel in my body. Because it's niiiiiicce!”

“I really wish you guys can feel that,” Hunter repeated before excusing himself to the shower.

After the group broke up, I related what was said to the Angels clubhouse gatekeeper Bruce Olson. I added that I thought Torii Hunter has got to be one of the nicest guy in baseball.

“In any walk of life,” Olson responded.

I stand corrected.

Levels Jerry, Levels

Reserve Level, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles- Every where one travels there are levels. And I ain't talking about what Kramer needed for his apartment in Jerry Seinfeld's world. The ones I am referring to are social levels and in this case in particular media levels. As I sit high above the action in front of a guy two rows behind me who thinks nothing of deriding St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Mark DeRosa for having the audacity to take time out after he hit his head sliding into the knee of Dodgers first baseman James Loney, I think of the social strata that occupies those reporting the Major League Baseball playoffs.

Count me at a similar level as that of my Beta fish (or his preference Siamese Fighting Fish) Bubbles-alternately lovable and tenacious. But in the eyes of other fish, he is just another low gill-flapper in the food chain. Bubs and I are of the same breed, insignificant to everyone around us. But don't cry for us, we are actually happy in our anonymity. As I look around at those trying to get up the Major League pecking order, I have to shake my head in amusement at the schmoozing (Yiddish for “talking about nothing” literally).

Watching the hens (Relax pc patrol, I'm talking about the men) gather and cluck there way in little groups, they virtually ignore the weeklies, Web site writers, and small town scribes like myself. It reminds me of a Hollywood party.

But as I sit among my brethren in the Reserve Section, it is a nice comfortable feeling, talking baseball with like-minded individuals who love and know the game- the knucklehead a couple of rows behind us, notwithstanding.

Bobblehead Mannyia

(Either a bobblehead of Manny Ramirez or D'Artagnan with Matt Kemp)



Calling to Mind the Seagulls of Finding Nemo




By Mike Takeuchi



Los Angeles- In my profession, my colleagues and I are sometimes met with sneered disdain and a few labels- “liberalmedia” (conservatives), “effingmedia” (baseball clubhouse workers), or “whatsupguys?” (the players to a crowd that includes a few women) not in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. On the extreme, other terms of endearment include names that are unprintable unless one is working in the pornographic industry or addressing a well-known Los Angeles Times sports columnist.

I must admit, when we are not shills for the teams we cover, some of us act in a certain way that sometimes justify names like jackals and others that are bestowed upon us. After observing my brethren on Wednesday's Dodgers game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, aka Manny Ramirez bobblehead day, add one more to the list-seagulls.

Like the hilarious scavenger sea birds from “Finding Nemo” (“Mine! Mine! Mine!”) reporters will take anything for free. If it's a three-day old donut with two bites taken out of it, I kid you not, it will be gone as soon as nobody's looking-true story.

One nationally known sportswriter (who I will not name because as in the locker room, there is sanctity in the press box) takes the free hot dogs (oops I mean Dodger Dogs) David, the wonderful chef puts out and stuffs them into his jacket pocket. With his salary and probable per diem, one would figure that he could afford to buy himself dinner. But then again, in this day and age of journalistic downsizing, you never know. Still, it called to mind when former Lakers' player and current Minnesota Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis would fill his gym bag with the waters and juices provided in the locker room.

Despite an expected across-the-board 20% decrease in attendance, the fourth such promotion by the Dodgers would of course, be sold out. The first three, Casey Blake, a batting Ramirez (which original sponsor Kaiser Permanente opted out of due to the slugger's suspension for PED's), and Matt Kemp, were filled or nearly filled to capacity. And now “Curtain Call Manny”, a statuette celebrating the sixth inning game winning grand slam he hit on July 22, the giveaway date of his first bobblehead, was no different.

With everyone wanting to receive a figurine that more resembles D'Artagnan from Dumas' “The Three Musketeers” in a pose straight out of the musical “A Chorus Line”, the game was sold out. Being in the middle of the week in September, people took off work, pulled their kids from school to receive one of the prize bauble-heads. I was no different, thanks to Jon Chapper of the Dodgers media department who found three duckets for me to buy (yes I paid) to go to the game with my friends Trent and Jeff and hang out with my buddy Polo Ascencio. But I also had to get a credential to interview two Pirates players who are from (pitcher Virgil Vasquez) and lived in (Delwyn Young) Santa Barbara.

After sitting in Loge section 145 for the first four innings, I got up to go to the press box-partially to get cooled by air conditioning, partly to get away from the shrill voice sitting behind me. The young mother, who alternated between calling everyone on her cell phone, talking to the players like she was holding a personal conversation with each one, to threatening to “smack” her toddler daughter if she continued to act like a two year old. She also directed her venom at Juan Pierre, the anti-Manny on-base fiend whose only crime was to not be a charismatic Dominican slugger. Judging from Mother-of-the Year's reaction, I suspect if the home team's bench was located in section 145, poor Juan would have gotten smacked after getting tagged out at third after a missed bunt on a botched sacrifice play.

Once I got to the box, I was shocked to see how crowded the small room was. The three rows of 20 seats each were filled as was the walkway behind the last row of seats as if it were the middle of October. For some reason, more media decided to show up for work that day and I don't think it was to write about the Dodgers, who were resting half their regulars including Ramirez, and the Pirates led by sublime outfielder Andrew McCutcheon (*Note McCutcheon is one of the most exiting players in the Majors.). Equally interesting, not one, but two stat keepers for MLB.com online were there for the game. How can two stat keepers work on one laptop?

I took a seat in the dining commons below a television set to finish my story on Vasquez. But as I wrote during the sixth inning, the scene around me was too irresistible too ignore causing me to nearly miss Kemp's home run. As I watched it unfold with great amusement, music wafted into my head. While those in the back row casually looked around, some of those who did not get the seats were positioning themselves to the tune of the Blue Danube Waltz. It was a romantic dance by some to gain the love of a nine-inch plaster figure made in China.

After several minutes of feigned indifference, James, the gatekeeper of the box came as his custom in the seventh inning bearing gifts, the receivers expressed a surprised gratitude. But it was obvious that their reactions were as genuine as a Kanye apology, because deep inside I knew they were saying Mine! Mine! Mine!

Is Scott Boras the Most Hated Man in Sports?

Uber Agent Points Out that There Are Two Sides to Every Story


By Mike Takeuchi

(This interview was taken on August 19, two days after Boras client, former San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg signed for a record $15.1 million over four years. The top three picks, Strasburg, Dustin Ackley, the former University of North Carolina outfielder(Mariners), and high school outfielder (Padres) Donavan Tate were the top three picks in the draft. All are Boras' clients. Boras was at Chavez Ravine checking up on Manny Ramirez and the Cardinals' then latest addition, Matt Holliday.)


While pundits have for better or worse named Scott Boras as the most influential man in baseball, owners and man fans have used language only printable in Penthouse to condemn him as the anti-Christ who is destined to bring Armageddon to their beloved pastime. A recent conversation with Boras at Dodger Stadium revealed a man who wanted to set the record straight.

Boras, who grew up in northern California while rooting for the likes of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, is a lifelong fan of the game whose fondest memory is seeing the athleticism of Mays close-up and the experiencing the kindness of another Giants great Willie McCovey in person.

The former minor league infielder, who began his current profession by negotiating contracts for a not-yet perennial All-Star Keith Hernandez in the early 1980’s, currently represents a roster of talent that could contend for the World Series. With a client list that includes Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez Boras has drawn admirers and detractors alike due to his aggressive style-most recently with the holdouts of draft picks that included the much coveted Stephen Strasburg.

While acknowledging that baseball, to the tune of 5% of players he represents, has been very, very good to him, the 56 year old pointed out that it is a two-way street in terms of player contracts. After Strasburg signed with the Washington Nationals for $15.1 million over four years, the calls for a salary cap along with Boras’ head on the blogs intensified. When this was brought up, Boras was quick to respond.

“My opinion is if they don’t put a cap on revenue, why should they put a cap on salaries?” Boras asked. “The quid pro quo of the game is that in 1990, baseball made $1 billion dollars, in 2000 they made three, and last year, it was a record $6.5 billion. No owner is going to put salaries into a player or players that will put his position in peril. That would be bad business. And the playing field, although not even, is made easier by revenue sharing of teams that aren’t as well managed or don’t have the market of others.

“Everyone is doing really well with that formula working. I don’t know why you would change it because the franchise values for each team have gone up.”
While Forbes Magazine verified that the revenue numbers back Boras statement, the article stated that the 2009 Major League Opening day rosters had a salary of just over $2.6 billion-not including minor leaguers. Also, in 2008, the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Toronto Blue Jays were the only teams that reported losses-but all three were profitable thanks to substantial media packages.

“In baseball we have an agreement that 50% goes to the players, who are hugely responsible for making the profits, and 50% goes to the owners in an equitable situation,” Boras said. “And because of this, I honestly don’t see any kind of reform happening soon because revenue is at or above last year’s record season.”

When it was pointed out that the revenues will drop off due to an expected 17- 20% attendance decrease (according to veteran baseball journalist Peter Gammons) due to the poor economy across the board, Boras thinks that the sport will be less affected over the long haul.

“In the economy you need to look at a specific industry as opposed to looking at the general economy, and baseball is doing very well comparatively,” Boras said. “Attendance is down, but I think baseball will bounce back.”

When I asked him about Joe Fan, I got the answer I was expecting from any media savvy spokesperson.

“Baseball continues to be more affordable than the other sports,” Boras said. “I think that, its frequency, more chances for a personal connection with the players will keep people coming to the park.”

I cynically said that I hope he was right. I'm not sure if he heard me.

Rays Manager's Cycle of Life

By Mike Takeuchi (Photo by Larry Goren)



In my travels, I found that whether one's choice of two-wheeler is a rusty old cruiser or the latest $10,000 carbon schnitzel road bike, the subject of bicycling is often a great icebreaker.

I will never forget the time when an initially crotchety elderly gentleman melted into whimsy when he was asked about a 50-year-old bike in the corner of his store

Recently, a similar discussion with a regular "Joe" occurred.

Perhaps Joe Maddon was tired about talking about the game the night before. Or maybe the Tampa Bay Rays' manager was done explaining the many moves of a roster that includes former Santa Barbara Foresters pitchers Matt Garza and James Shields and how they will keep them in contention for a playoff berth.

But as he sat in the visitor's dugout in Anaheim, Maddon's eyes lit up and his voice became animated when the subject of bicycling came up. An avid cyclist, the former bench coach for the Angels has taken a bike on the road with him for years much to the delight of Mike Scioscia, his opposing manager and former boss.

"Joe loves that thing," Scioscia said. "Whenever he went out on the road, he had to have it with him."

In addition to his ever-present laptop, an iPod full of eclectic music, and some books, Maddon always brought along a mountain bike that would require disassembling and reassembling with every stop. To his former manager's amusement, he would often ride from the team's hotel to the stadium.

Now, as manager of a World Series team, he can afford three bikes, a Trek 6500 mountain bike, a Trek 7700 FX hybrid, and a Bike Friday-a high end folding bike that fits in a suitcase.

The Bike Friday, which is made by Green Gear Cycling in Eugene, Ore., allows Madden to ride 80-100 miles a week when he's on the road.

"I really like the Bike Friday because it's a great bike and very convenient for the road," Maddon said.

Despite having first-rate workout facilities in the stadiums and hotels that the team visits, Maddon chooses cycling over the Stairmaster.

"It's great, people have no idea how good it is when concerning your stress level," he said. "You can go to the gym and ride a stationary bike, but it doesn't have the same feel of riding outdoors. When it comes down to feeling the wind and Sun on your face, it's not even close."

August 10, 2009: The Day I Felt Like a Journalist

Sitting in the quietude of Anaheim Stadium overlooking a darkened field with only the grounds crew and a few family members lingering, I felt a light bulb go off in my head.

Moments earlier, Vlad Guerrero hit his 399th and 400th home runs. Kendry Morales didn't have such a bad day either with two of his own. The Rays Jason Bartlett came up a single short of the cycle and his Tampa Bay team lost a thrilling 8-7 game against the Angels. To complete the spectrum, former Foresters player Matt Garza had a terrible day, one that had him ending up throwing things in the dugout.

To me, baseball was only part of what I tell my wife Munch was "a day and a half."

With two decidedly different projects going on-one, interviewing major and minor leaguers about their memories of playing with the Santa Barbara Foresters baseball team. The other, a tale about my cousin's original birth father who was a spy and covert operations specialist for the O.S.S.-the precursor to the CIA.
August 10, 2009 was a day that awed me in two senses, the first about the tale of my cousin's family just because it seemed so improbably. The second, about the awe in the form of physical prowess that caused this writer to gasp not once, but twice.
The fact that I have the privilege to write about them both in the present and the near future has awakened a spirit that lay dormant while writing meaningless pieces that paid bills, yet inspired none. All the while, being able to talk shop with the likes of former New York Times sportswriter and current Sports Illustrated writer Lee Jenkins and discuss cycling with Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon.
And lastly,I was not only able to interview someone (in this case Garza) who didn't particularly have a good day, but managed to get him to smile when getting him to think about something other than the game. Okay, the last thing is a bit over-the-top indulgent, but it's my blog after all.

In short, today was a pretty damn good day for this journalist.

Schmidt Takes a Giant Leap Forward

Schmidt Takes a Giant Leap Forward
By Mike Takeuchi

Los Angeles-I don’t know why I have always liked Jason Schmidt. Maybe it was because not only was he a very good pitcher, he was probably one of the nicest guys in the sport. Win or lose, he was always a standup guy, whether it was at AT &T or Dodger Stadium he spoke long and thoughtfully until the last reporter has left.
One day five years ago, I caught him alone in the AT & T locker room about a year after his mother died from a brain tumor-the same thing that killed my mother in 2001 and we talked about our losses with each other. We spoke of the disease’s brutality and effect it had on not only mom, but the entire family. It was a nice conversation, one that he had not expected from a sportswriter, and one that I had not expected from a baseball player. (Just to prove that there are some thoughtful minds a similar conversation was had after the Phillies heartbreaking comeback win in Game 4 of the NLCS with manager Charlie Manuel last year).
Now he is trying for another comeback attempt with the Dodgers. Two years after signing a three-year $47 million contract, he is trying to avoid what some of my colleagues are saying is one of the worst busts in recent Dodgers history. The odds are stacked against him, but because the Dodgers are hurting for pitching at the bottom of the rotation, it may be a godsend for the right-hander to get a few starts to see if he has something left in his arm.
On Monday, with his velocity considerably lower than in his heyday and his control suspect in the first inning, he gave up three runs on four consecutive hits to make the Chavez faithful cry (an obscenity laced) call for a change. But then something happened. With the early jitters gone, Schmidt battled, got his control back, mixed pitches well, and got out of the inning. This was impressive for no other reason is that when things got worse, the right-hander got tougher.
Any pitcher will tell you that it is exponentially easier to pitch with a lead, because simply, it is. But without that luxury, he somehow bore down and got out of the inning. His hitters got him four back in the bottom of the inning and two more on Manny Ramirez’ Mickey Mantle passing two run bomb to left in the second for a 6-3 lead.
While that was occurring, Schmidt pitched like a wily veteran with a mere 86 mph fastball, an interminably slower curve, and the guts of a winner. He retired the side twice and pitched five innings of five hit ball while walking three and striking out two, not great numbers, but good enough to be in line for the win leading 6-3. The Dodgers eventually won the game 7-5, giving Schmidt just his second win with the team.
After the game, his manager Joe Torre was pleased for the latest addition to the pitching roster.
“Everybody was really happy for him, especially getting through five innings and coming out with a victory,” Torre said. “He controlled the game pretty much. In the first inning he didn’t look very comfortable at all, but he certainly looked comfortable after that.”
Schmidt was relatively pleased with his effort.
“I’d hoped just to get out there and make it look respectable and have the team win, really,” Schmidt said in the clubhouse after the game. “I was nervous driving in today getting the text messages… there was a lot of buildup to today. And the first inning definitely wasn’t what I had planned and finally we got out of it. And coming in scoring four runs after giving up three was probably the biggest thing. I’m happy with the outcome.”
His comeback is far from complete-there are more question marks than exclamation points. But if his surgically repaired shoulder holds up, he could be the fifth starter the Dodgers need. But whatever happens for the rest of his season, for the rest of his career, he’ll always have the knowledge that he made the journey back to a Major League mound. I wonder if he thought that as he walked off the mound after the fifth inning. And as he received congratulations when he entered his team’s dugout, there was no cheering in the press box. But there was one reporter whose eyes were misty.

For Trent

Gerke is ready to make his pitch

By TRENT GERKE

July 14, 2009 9:58 AM

Trent Gerke is a 13-year-old honors student at Goleta Valley Junior High School who was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) in April. Since then, he and Wyatt Taylor have been designated by the Santa Barbara Foresters Hugs for Cubs Program as the youths the team is playing for. Today's 5 p.m. game against the California Wahoo at Uyesaka Stadium is dedicated to Trent, and he will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. According to Foresters general manager Pat Burns, all proceeds from the game will go towards assisting in his medical costs. Trent Gerke sat down with News-Press correspondent Mike Takeuchi and talked about his recovery and what being a part of the Foresters has meant to him.

Since I went to their camp five years ago, the Santa Barbara Foresters have been a big part of my life. And since I was diagnosed with AML, I feel more part of the team than ever.

I have always been a competitive person, whether it's basketball or trying to get perfect attendance at school. My dad (Jeffrey) who is my best friend and I have constant contests on who can eat faster. So when I got with the Foresters another competition was to get as many foul balls as I could for the free Cold Stone Creamery coupons.

Some of the kids would get mad, but I would enough balls where the guys in the press box were calling me "Foul Ball Trent". Foresters coach Bill Pintard would just laugh at me. Sometimes, when a player would hit his first home run for the team, we would try to retrieve their ball, like with Vinnie St. John last year.

I was ready to do the same thing, along with playing hoops and getting good grades in school this year, when I started feeling really tired and sore all of a sudden. My dad took me to the doctor and they said I had back pain. Dad took me back again and I was told to go to the emergency room.

After being diagnosed with AML I didn't know how serious it was. I was just bummed I was going to miss school for the first time in years. I didn't realize how serious it was until I started getting my first chemotherapy treatment. That was the worst and scariest time of my life.

In constant pain, I had to rely on a morphine drip to get me through each day. I couldn't eat because my gums were bleeding, I couldn't move my neck, and my hair started falling out. Luckily I couldn't remember those things and the 106-degree fevers that came.

The bad thing is I don't remember when the Lakers' Luke Walton called me and the decorations and cake that the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation did for me on my birthday. My dad remembers and said the cake was good. Jerk (haha)!

But I do remember one thing Coach's visit. Coach and (hitting coach Gary Woods) Woody came into my room the first day and told me to stay positive. It was here that I began realized that I have to have a good attitude if I want to get better. I also learned to appreciate Coach and all the things he's done for us that nobody else knows about.

Former and current players like (infielder) Ryan Goetz called or visited. They all said the same thing Coach did, that I was part of the team.

The next two rounds of chemo have been 100 times easier. There have been some complications, but we've gotten through them. It has been made easier because of guys like, Vinnie whose family gave me a bunch of USC stuff, and (relief pitcher) Matt Hutchison, who came by to hang out with us at the hospital for a few hours. Hutch is a great reliever, but he's not very good at (the board game) Uncle Wiggly. When he played us he came in last.

The Foresters aren't the only team that has been great. We had a Hugs for Cubs night at Angel Stadium, where Torii Hunter and Vlad Guerrero signed autographs and took pictures for the group. My favorite baseball team, the Dodgers, invited us down to a game. Laura Levinson and Polo Asencio were especially great in helping me meet Andre Ethier, who is my favorite player. Andre was really encouraging. Later Polo talked to Joe Barkett who asked me if I wanted to announce "It's time for Dodger baseball!" before the game. Heck yeah!

When I got up to the mike, I was really nervous. I would have rather have had to shoot a free throw in front of 40,000 people than talk. But I did OK and when I went off the field, the Dodgers were running on. As he went out, Andre pointed at me and gave me a thumb's up. That was pretty cool.

Although it kind of stinks being sick, I have had some incredible experiences and met some amazing people like my doctor, Daniel J. Greenfield and the nurses at Cottage Hospital. Some of the people who I have known all of my life, like my Grandma Barbara (Gerke) have been just amazing.

But the one person who has been the best is my dad. We have always been close, but through this whole ordeal, he's been unreal, staying up at the hospital every night, trying to get me to eat, talking trash with me to challenge me to get better. I can't put even into words how much he's meant to me. He's the most important thing in the world.

When I take the mound today, I will have all of them in my mind when I try to throw a strike for the first pitch. I have to throw a good one, because after throwing a strike the first time, I bounced it on the Fourth of July game. But I think with all the backing of family, friends, and the Foresters, I will be fired up to put one in there.

A Pretty Incredible Athlete

Jason Lester Has Been Nominated for an ESPN 2009 ESPY Award in the
Category of Best Male Athlete with a Disability.

Kona, Hawaii – July 3rd, 2009 – Ironman and Ultraman athlete Jason
Lester, whose right arm is paralyzed, has been nominated for an ESPY
Award in the category of Best Male Athlete with a Disability. The 2009
ESPYs, hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, will be taped on July 15th at the
Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, and will air on July 19th at 9pm Eastern
time.

"I want all my fans to go check out nominees at www.ESPYS.tv,”; says
Jason. “Naturally, if you feel I deserve an ESPY then I’d appreciate
your vote.”

Jason Lester is an Ironman athlete who has the use of only one arm,
and his story of triumph over tragedy has become an inspirational
message for athletes and non-athletes around the world. He has
competed in a number of Ironman, Ultraman, marathon, and endurance
races, including the Hilo to Volcano Ultra Marathon in Hawaii, the
Hawaii Ironman, ULTRAMAN Canada and ULTRAMAN Hawaii.

About the ESPYs
The ESPYs gather top athletes and entertainers together to commemorate
the past year in sports by recognizing memorable sports achievements,
reliving unforgettable moments and saluting top performers and
performances. The ESPYs honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation
for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano
at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.

About Jason Lester
Jason Lester is an Athlete | Author | Artist | Activist | Motivational
speaker - and founder of The NEVER STOP Foundation, and whom the movie
“A Painted Race” is based on, telling the story of his triumph over
tragedy, including losing the use of one arm. For more information
about Jason Lester, please visit www.paintedrace.com or
www.jasonplester.com.

Jesusita Fire and Sport

The Jesusita Fire and Sport
Republished By Mike Takeuchi

Loge Section 148, Row T, Seat 8, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles- In an irony of ironies, seeking asthma relief from our ash filled skies, my wife Munch and I took a trip down to Los Angeles to a place formerly known as Mannywood for a little escapist amusement. But even as the home Dodgers and their rivals the San Francisco Giants played, I couldn't help but keep thinking about home.

The last week has literally been hell for the residents of our community more so for people like my uncle Mamo and Auntie Reiko who lost their homes to last week's Jesusita Fire. But amidst this difficult time, I was touched by a lot of small things that occurred in the sporting realm.

Of course I am not talking about the 50-game suspension of Dodger's slugger Manny Ramirez. While it is a blow to the team and its fans, it is far from tragic, although diehard supporters and certain Los Angeles sports columnists may tell you otherwise.

I know that avid fans, especially those in the Yankees and Red Sox realm would disagree, but I have finally come to the realization that the important things in sports are not the results, but the stories of the people within them.

While the fires raged this past week, I was feeling certain guilt about covering sports while something so serious and disastrous was going on around us. It was only when I was reassured by some parents that this is what their kids and they needed, did I feel free to enjoy the games and races. With that freedom, I came away with a positive reassurance about human nature.

Small gestures such as emails from professional sports teams were appreciated. Hearing personal stories of families at Saturday's Breakers game was cathartic. Learning that swimmers Josh Pighetti of Dos Pueblos and Brendan Kerwin-McElroy, whose fathers are both fire fighters, chose to stay with their families instead of competing in the Channel League Championships, was simply heartwarming.

The Santa Barbara Dons girls softball team finally winning a league game after going years without, produced mixed feelings. While I was pleased for Coach Rebecca Penrose and company, I felt bad that the game occurred on the first day of the fire and they couldn't truly savor the victory.

Perhaps the nicest moment for this columnist occurred at Pepperdine last Wednesday. After the Gauchos beat the Waves in baseball, and the smoke made its way across the Malibu sky, Pepperdine sports information director Roger Horne, baseball SID Chris Macaluso, and some of their players' parents went out of their way to express their understanding.

Perhaps they reached out because they have endured a similar bad stretch a few years ago, but I think it was more because of a deeper reality that in the grand scheme of things, we are all part of the same team. It was in these moments that I believe that the common bond of sport superseded any rivalry or controversy that comes up. And when the Giants beat the Dodgers on Sunday, I was able to fully enjoy being in the moment of the Manny-less game at hand. In fact, I didn't even miss him.

Nick Adenhart: Remembering a Similar Tragedy Close to Home

When Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed, I was more affected than I thought I would be. Maybe it's because I was just down in Anaheim for Opening Day and knew (and like) many people in the organization, but I think it was more because of what happened 20 years ago in Santa Barbara to some people I knew. A drunk driver plowed into a group of cyclists-killing one, maiming another, and affecting the others for the rest of their lives.

By Mike Takeuchi



In a lot of ways, Ken Foraker knows how the Angels were feeling when they were at the lowest point in trying to deal with the April 9 death of Nick Adenhart.

He knows, because he too lost an athlete friend to a drunk driver almost exactly 20 years ago, and in that same accident, he lost his leg.

As I watched the Angels on television these last two weeks, and Sunday, in the clubhouse and on the field before a game against the Mariners, I wanted to show some kind of support to a great organization filled with classy people.Because during the grieving period for Adenhart, the thought of Foraker, and especially Chip Wessberg, the rider who was killed, kept popping into my head.

Locals who have been around a while may remember when a drunk driver plowed into a group of elite cyclists from behind on Highway 101 on March 22, 1989. The group, which included former UCSB volleyball star Shari Kain, Category I rider Foraker, and endurance coach Chip Wessberg didnt have a chance.

I remember hearing this funny sound from the car and an explosion, like tires blowing up and thinking uh-oh, Foraker said by telephone.

Foraker was then hit on his left sideof his left leg sheared off above the knee and launched 100 feet down the road.The car dragged him several hundred yards until he stopped, lying next to the body of Wessberg. The whole time, although he wished he had, Ken Foraker did not lose consciousness.

Fast forward through months of hospital stays and rehab, and years of riding his bike with one leg, and Foraker is training at the U.S. Paralympic Training Center in Chula Vista to prepare to become the elite road cyclist he was denied of being twenty years ago. Although things are going well and he has much to look forward to, the memories of the accident, which are never too far away, came back recently.

When I read (about Adenhart) online, I couldnt believe that these three people lost their lives because they were so young, Foraker said.For his teammates, I am sure the sadness is indescribable.Going into the locker room and not seeing him, its going to take a long time to get used to.You dont even know how to deal with it. Because it was caused by a drunk driver, it is something that can cause a lot of anger.It is something that is very difficult to accept. But once they do, theyll be able to move on.

Walking around Angel Stadium, looking at the concrete mound outside the stadium filled with mementos and tributes to the young pitcher and then inside the clubhouse elicited chills. A filled locker in the far right corner of the clubhouse with Adenhart's 34 hanging up amidst shoes and clothes, made it look like the player is going to come in any minute.The only indication of that last night is the April 9 lineup poster ó the game he last pitched in, laid inside the locker.

While it is quieter than it has been in the past, the banter in the clubhouse seemed easy.There are more smiles and light in the eyes of the players that only two weeks ago were as vacant as a condemned building.Center fielder Tori Hunter spoke easily on a number of topics from Santa Barbaras weather to his hitting the home run the night before. When the delicate topic of the teams psychological status came up, he smiled and nodded as if he expected the question.

Were starting to come around, Hunter said.Were starting to get normal now and I like that.Life goes on and so does our season.

Hunter excused himself to go up on the field where he, second baseman Howie Kendrick, and television announcer Rex Hudler stood at the top of the dugout step to enthusiastically greet many of the 8,000 area little leaguers who were walking on the field prior to the game.

The healing process continues.

The Suicide of a Nice Guy

Rest in Peace: Tom Niven

The story below my note was republished with permission from Tom Niven's family.

Unfortunately, suicide is something that is familiar to me. In addition to four people that I have known who have taken their lives, I had a firsthand experience ten or so years ago while working in mental health. At a mental health assessment house, one client swallowed 100 Tylenol P.M. pills during one of my shifts. Luckily for me, he hit a wall with a thud which caused me to run back to his room to find him. Long story short, he was taken to the hospital, treated, and saved-that time. Because I never saw him again, I never followed up on what happened to the resident. Nor did I really want to. Not because I felt like I saved a life and wanted to good about myself. On the contrary, the only notion I felt was fear and horror, and the sinking feeling that if I followed up, this guy would have finished the job he started.
Suicide is a mystery only to those who have not experienced it firsthand. Unless in extreme cases of a dramatic occurrence, it generally is not caused by external circumstance. It starts with a genetic predisposition to clinical depression, and is followed by a series of events that snowball into the person making the ultimate decision. Looking back through my former client's case file, I not only saw the path that led him to make his choice, but realized how he thought he had no other choice.
The same type of situation applies to a very nice guy that I knew, Tom Niven. A triathlete loved by many, liked by all.

Depression and tough run of events led to triathlete's deD mise

Two months later, I'm still trying to make sense of a great loss to this athletic community. But unlike other times over the years, when a disease or an accident sadly took away someone we loved, this one was harder to take.

Nice-guy triathlete Tom Niven left this earth a different way. He committed suicide.

The 48 year old left behind a wife, Karen Kistler, family, and many friends. For many of us, it was a shock to hear the news.

All I could think of was this guy I would chat with two or three times a week on the bike path to UCSB who seemed perfectly content, especially when talking about triathlon. When he ran in the dirt, his happy aura made him seem to hover above the ground. But, as we all know, things aren't always as they appear.

In a lengthy phone conversation, his sister-in-law and fellow triathlete, Kristine Finlay, detailed a complex individual who battled depression while loving the sport of triathlon. She added that his main thing was to get others involved in the sport.

"Tom really wanted to help people and share his passion, especially with Karen," Finlay said. "Even though Karen did triathlons before Tom, he gave her the desire to do an Ironman. He got (my significant other) Michael (Simpson) into it. Even his parents did them -- with his mom taking home hardware (trophies).

"We would constantly joke about going to the dark side, because we were so into it. He got me wanting to do an Ironman distance (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run) triathlon because he convinced me that doing one was about overcoming obstacles. Whenever we trained, he was a one-man support team. If we went on a run, he would take care of us by loading the car with extra socks and energy drinks whatever other crap people would need."

But the good times didn't last forever. Already having a genetic predisposition to depression, a chain of events in recent years that included the sudden death of a fellow triathlete, professional disappointments in the environmental field, and a crash that left him with a broken collarbone and in constant physical pain, sent Niven into a downward spiral.

"The injury was the catalyst," Finlay said. "His driving force was to help other people and take care of them. After he injured himself, he felt like he didn't have anything to offer anyone anymore and he began to get worse."

In the Lompoc home they moved into in 2006, he isolated himself from friends and family until he ended his life on a Wednesday in late January. Family, friends, co-workers and fellow athletes gathered the next Saturday in Lompoc. At the service, Finlay recalled marveling at how her sister individually thanked each person who attended.

"The support indicated how many people cared and how many people Tom had touched," Finlay said. "The depth of the strength of the people that came was huge. The impact they had would have overwhelmed Tom. It's a shame that he didn't see it. He wouldn't have believed it."

Finlay acknowledged that Niven's death has been tough on the entire family, most especially Kistler. But with the help of a grief counseling class, Karen Kistler is dealing with her grief head on. In an email, she expressed her appreciation to the numerous people who have reached out to her and her family.

"I've been completely bowled over by the outpouring of support that the Niven and Kistler families and I have received," Kistler said. "If Tom had been able to see how many people cared for all of us, maybe he would've chosen a different path.

"What it does show me is that we all have the potential to make a positive difference in each other's lives. I feel that Tom was an epitome of that. He loved to have others experience the joy of exercise and the striving for and reaching a goal, particularly through triathlons. His commitment to others helped a lot of us do things that thought we never could do, like an open water swim, or an Ironman.

"And the community in turn has given back to me way more than I would've ever dreamed. I consider each and every call, e-mail, letter, and visit that I have received to be hands reaching out to me to pull me from the abyss. And I have needed every one as I can not do this journey alone. I cannot even begin to thank everyone for all that's been done for me and my family."

Violence in the Stands is Ruining it for the Fans

In my 37 years of attending, and a decade of reporting baseball, I have never been to an Opening Day game until this year when I had the privilege of attending both the Angels' and the Dodgers' home openers. Not only was I treated to a win by both home teams, they were exciting games to boot with Joe Saunders throwing a shutout in a 3-0 Angels win, and Orlando Hudson hitting for the cycle in an 11-1 pounding of the Giants. But that joy was tempered after hearing that violence at each stadium, left a man dead in Anaheim, and another with stab wounds at Chavez Ravine. I used to think of going to the ballpark as an escape from the difficulty of life, but that difficulty seems to have invade this haven.

Violence in the Stands is Ruining it for the Fans

By Mike Takeuchi

"My son was killed at Dodger stadium in 2003. Please stop the violence and enjoy the sport."

— Char Antenorcruz, mother of Marc Antenorcruz to the L.A. Times

People gotta chill. It is bad enough that Southland baseball lovers have had to weather the sadness of the death of Angels' pitcher Nick Adenhart, but violence at or near opening day Games for both Los Angeles area teams made the first week a lot less joyous.

The latest incident occurred during Monday's home opener at Dodger Stadium. As the fans cheered their team to victory courtesy of second baseman Orlando Hudson hitting for the cycle, something unfortunately more common was about to occur.

A man was stabbed several times after a confrontation in the parking lot with a group of men in a pick-up truck.

This happened one week after Buena Park resident Brian Powers, who while fighting with one man, was punched from behind by another after the Angels' home opener. After hitting his head on concrete during the fall, he was declared brain dead that evening and died April 8.

Far too many incidences of violence have occurrenced in the past few years.

Perhaps the worst occurred nearly five years ago at Dodger Stadium the night the San Francisco Giants clinched the National League West pennant. Shortly after the game, Marc Antenorcruz was shot.

Two years later, security personnel scuffled with unlicensed merchandise vendors in the stadium parking lot. Although there weren't any fatalities, four people had knife wounds.

At Oakland Coliseum in 2003, some yahoo thought it would be funny to throw a cherry bomb from the upper to the lower deck. It burned an 8-year-old boy and damaging his father's eardrums.

Over the years, despite beefing up security, going to the ballpark seems less safe — even without the aforementioned violence.

In 2006, before they were eliminated by the Mets in the playoffs, I lamented to my seat neighbor Jose that the Dodgers Cam never showed the fans in the pavilion or the upper deck.

"It's because they are always fighting," Jose laughed.

How true he was. Sure enough as the Dodgers were going down, no fewer than five fights occurred around us.

Even last season, when fans momentarily forgot their anger towards each other thanks to Manny Ramirez and a magical year, Game 4 of the NLCS was marred not only by the Phillies' comeback win, but several brawls — not to mention verbal abuse that reduced a petite college-aged woman to tears because she had the audacity to wear a Philadelphia cap.

Short of imposing martial law in the stadium, there seems to be no perfect solution. Because of the famous bottom line, teams would never consider cutting off beer sales earlier or distributing drink tickets to limit quantity. The only things I can think of are to beef up security, make them more proactive and not just reactive, and not allowing already drunk fans into the stadium.

Self policing would help, but it can't be relied upon. While it is noble for fans to come forward to complain, oftentimes fear of repercussions prevent this from happening.

There seems to be no clear cut solutions — only an acceptance that things are getting worse. And that's bad news for the true fans.

A Day to Remember

Picture I took from 2007 Jackie Robinson Day

Today being the 62nd anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, I wanted to repost an article I wrote four years ago chronicling Lester Rodney, the first white journalist who called for the desegregation of baseball. Rodney, the former sports editor of the Daily Worker, called for this ten years prior to Jackie's debut with the Dodgers. The day after tomorrow is his 98th birthday. Happy Birthday Lester! And Happy Jackie Robinson Day to all.

By MIKE TAKEUCHI

Rodney led call to open major league baseball to blacks

With so much attention on the Hall of Fame inductions, a former journalist and athlete with local ties was enshrined in a ceremony of a different sort last weekend. Lester Rodney joined former USC coaching legend Rod Dedeaux and the late Jackie Robinson as the newest members of the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium of the Pasadena Central Library on July 24.

For the last seven years, the Baseball Reliquary, a nonprofit organization formed to foster education, art, and culture through the sport, has selected individuals not necessarily because of superlative statistics, but because of their overall contribution to the game. The enshrined include Hall of Fame players such as Roberto Clemente and Satchel Paige, union leaders (Marvin Miller), pioneers (first female umpire Pam Postema), and unique spirits (Bill Veeck Jr., Mark Fyderich and Bill "the Spaceman" Lee).

Seventy years ago, the Walnut Creek resident was making news in the sporting world in a different way. He was the first sports editor of the communist paper, the Daily Worker. In addition to covering games (where he later earned a lifetime membership in the Baseball Writer's of America ), the paper wrote about the social impact of sport.

During the Great Depression, the Daily Worker was one of the most read papers in the country. An unemployed college graduate at the time, Rodney's journalism career began after he wrote a letter of complaint about the paper's lack of sports coverage. Essentially told to put his typewriter where his mouth was, he was hired on the spot as the editor of a weekly sports section.

He tirelessly hustled by mixing coverage of boxing, basketball, college football and baseball with social commentary pieces on sport, later turning the section into a daily occurrence. Spearheaded by its newest editor, the Daily Worker began an earnest campaign to integrate baseball.

Interviewed in his Walnut Creek home earlier this year, Rodney recalled his conviction about the integration of baseball.

"Blacks were denied the right to compete with and against 'the best' major league players," Rodney said. "Here were these wonderful players like Josh 'Hoot' Gibson, Buck Leonard and later Satchel Paige. This was a terrible wrong that needed to be righted. "

Beginning in 1936, a decade long campaign, one that included getting players and managers to speak out against integration and calling out baseball commissioner Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis, culminated with Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey signing Jackie Robinson to a contract in 1946.

Rickey, a staunch anticommunist, refused to credit the Daily Worker.

"It didn't matter (who got the credit) because we just wanted to end the ... ban," Rodney said.

When made aware of the atrocities of the Stalinist regime, Rodney and several staff members resigned their membership. In another twist, a few years later he became the religion writer for the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

After retirement, he played tennis where he became one of the top age-group players in the country.

At his induction, Rodney approached the microphone and once again deflected the credit.

"I am grateful to be honored because of the most extraordinary figure of human sports, Jackie Robinson," Rodney told the audience.

Oakland A's Trainer Bobby Alejo's revolutionary approach on a progressive team

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By MIKE TAKEUCHI

Bob Alejo works with A's first baseman Jason Giambi. Photo courtesy of the Oakland Athletics

April 12, 2009 7:05 AM

For strength and conditioning Coach Bobby Alejo, the power is in the relationships. Whether it is Jason Giambi, or a UCSB Gaucho, Alejo's main asset is forging strong relationships with the athletes he works with. And in his latest position, working for the Oakland Athletics, he plans to use this kinship so the A's batters can connect over the fence.

After a three-year stint as UCSB's strength and conditioning coach, as well as working with Olympic gold medal volleyball players Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser, Alejo returned to the A's last November.

Included on this year's roster is slugger Jason Giambi, a free agent acquisition who worked with Alejo during his first time around with the A's and later, the New York Yankees.

"I grew up with Bobby (in terms of being in the Majors)," Giambi said from the visiting clubhouse at Angel Stadium. "And when I signed with the A's this time around, I thought that it was awesome that he was back, because he's someone I trust completely. I'm counting on him to prolong my career."

Trust is something that Alejo has earned along every stop of his 29-year career. Along with UCSB and the A's (where he worked from 1993-2001), the 51-year-old also held the same capacity at UCLA from 1984 to 1993, and worked individually with Giambi, as well as Rogers and Dalhausser. During last year's Beijing Olympics, he was on the staff of the U.S. Volleyball team.

It was in his first year at UCSB where he was approached by former Gaucho Rogers to train him.

"Todd was pretty persistent when it came to wanting to work together," Alejo said. "But then again, he had that hunger to succeed, which was something I saw in the entire athletic program at UCSB. When Gary Cunningham hired me, I saw an organization that wanted to get past that mid-major level.

"I wanted to get into the expectation of a true Division I school I think that had to preclude anything we did in the weight room or out on the field. And we had to change that before we thought about our training and what we were going to be doing on the court, on the field, or in the pool. The coaches and athletes were so supportive. I really feel that despite my success in other fields, that was probably the foremost rewarding experience of my coaching experience."

At UCSB, the feeling was mutual. Senior associate athletic director Bobby Castagna, who was Alejo's direct supervisor, said that the coach had a knack for maximizing an athlete's potential due to his knowledge and desire to teach.

"Because the athletes trusted and believed in him, they related with Bobby well," Castagna said. "He was especially good at motivating them because he was personable, listened to the athlete, and wanted them to succeed more than even they did. We were all pleased at what a great job he did."

Apparently, somebody else was noticing. A's General Manager Billy Beane looked at his team that had totaled 47 trips to the disabled list in the past two years and knew he had to make a change.

"Bob had a great track record when it came to injuries as a strength coach during his decade with us," Beane told the San Francisco Chronicle. "He's also innovative and very much a motivating influence."

Because the progressive A's don't operate like a typical baseball team, Alejo's style of hard weights, speed, and power training were the perfect fit for a team that mixes youth with experience. After contacting each player personally, the first thing Alejo did was work on their minds.

"The whole genesis of the idea in change was Billy Beane's idea," Alejo said. "We wanted to get away from the injured mindset as well as formulating a new thought process. While it goes against conventional baseball thought, this philosophy has been proven to lessen the frequency and severity of injuries.

"Of course we take into account age and fitness with the individual's program. For a player like Jason, his training may be similar to that of (catcher Kurt Suzuki), but he will have more of an emphasis on the recovery aspect because an older athlete has to pay attention to it more as opposed to a younger athlete about development where you have this timeless and boundless energy."

After leaving Oakland for the Yankees in 2002, Giambi lured Alejo to work with him until Major League Baseball banned all non-team personnel from clubhouses in 2005. It is worth noting that despite Giambi's admitted use of performance enhancing substances, Alejo's name was never mentioned in either the BALCO case or the Mitchell Report. A source from Major League Baseball verified this.

According to Castagna, Giambi's loss was UCSB's gain.

"We were extremely fortunate that Bobby was available at the time," Castagna said.

Prior to Monday's Opening Day Game in Anaheim, as the A's took batting practice, Alejo's current team seemed to buy into his methods as well. Out in right field near the fence, several players were working up a sweat during base running drills and sprints. In the middle of the group, running as much if not more than the players was Alejo teaching, joking, and training, with a smile on his face.