Boxing Day: A Needed Holiday Tradition

By Mike Takeuchi

*Note a slighter shorter, less personal, more sanitized, and less soapbox ranting version of this story was published in a different medium.

During the holidays, it's better to give than receive, especially when we have too much.

Someone I have never met recently donated a very nice bike to a very worthy charity, which prompted two friends (who insisted on remaining anonymous) to follow suit with clothes, running shoes and other items. Inspired, this writer impulsively did the same thing-gathering up six bags of clothes, blankets, books, a bike and a car rack for bikes and dropped them off at local charities.

It does this skeptical optimist's heart good to see our community looking out for others, whether it is on a relatively large scale like the Christmas Unity Telethon, or Santa Barbara Middle School teaming with Hazard's Cyclesport to build bikes to donate to the local Boys and Girls Clubs, or even individuals such as Ovidio Mora, who collects soccer equipment for the youth of his native Costa Rica.

It is like a grass-roots form of Boxing Day.

According to Wikipedia and three other sites, Boxing Day is a tradition from Europe that dates back to the Middle Ages, and perhaps the early Christian era, during which metal boxes were placed outside churches for offerings to celebrate the Feast of St. Stephen (also Dec. 26).

While I wish that this country officially celebrated such a day, Although I am gladdened to see people do this on their own, I wish that this country officially celebrated such a day. Because frankly, we have too much crap.

When looking at the clutter in my home and attic, I asked myself if I really needed the three extra jackets that I haven't worn in two years. The answer of course was no. Then I took it a step further by looking at the rusting, but still functional mountain bike on my back porch and decided that I wasn't going to fix it up and that somebody else could probably use it more than I. I looked at a virtual mini library of books and decided the expose' on Roger Clemens that I read, really wasn't worth keeping, nor was the book on overthrown governments. From the result of this, I took into account that all of these things were still useful... for someone else.

So I packed things up and distributed them to shelters, the library (although I have yet to deliver), and a community bike place. I immediately felt lighter. Because not only was this going to someone who can use it, I unburdened myself.

My only regret is that this revelation occurred during the holidays. I had wished it occurred in the spring because that's when places need things the most. While shelves are stalked during the Yule season, they are positively freaking bare during the rest of the time. So I am hoping that if anyone is reading this, they might consider waiting till the spring or summer to act impulsively...

Also please consider what one drops off. Coats and useful staples such as canned goods are much better, of course, than high-tech bike shorts or energy bars. In one's own home, items that haven't been worn or used in the last year or two probably won't be.

Clothes are great, but think of other items too-like bikes. Bikes are a very useful item, especially if one lacks a car for transportation. While it may be a bit late for this Christmas, perhaps you can consider buying a kids bike to donate next year.

For me, personally, I get much satisfaction in more ways than one each time I do this. The first is to help others. The second is appreciating that I am in a position to do this. And lastly,as I said before, it is a very liberating feeling to get rid of crap we don't need.

I have a rule that for every Barcelona Football Club (my addiction of choice) shirt or item that I buy, I have to give a bag of clothes or an amount similar to charity.

But the last thing may be to my wife Munch's chagrin: I may have to wear a red- and blue-striped Barca jersey under my sport coat at the next wedding we attend.

In all seriousness, I believe that we are a society that likes to own things - which is fine. But in turn, we are often unnecessarily weighed down by what we collect. Although I am not Buddhist, there is a parable generally saying that the more one owns, the more they worry. And combining that with the polytheistic tenet of doing unto others as one would like to be done to them reminds me that not only this time, but any time is good to help others. But a warning, you may get a better feeling of liberation than that of doing general good for your fellow human beings. I should know, because I confess that it happened to me.

Chills in Carpinteria

By Mike Takeuchi

In the midst of the din where one couldn't hear themselves think, a presence may or may not have been felt.

The Carpinteria High boys basketball team was about to rally for an improbable win to put themselves in the final of their very own 43rd Annual Jim Bashore Cage Classic tournament and the noise reached a crescendo.

I looked down at my arm and saw all the hairs standing up and a chill ran down the back of my neck. I wondered, "Is that you Coach?" The coach I was wondering about was my former teacher John Ward, who incidentally was a teacher as well as the basketball coach and athletic director at Carp High until he passed away in September. Since then, his son Johnny, along with Henry Gonzalez have taken over the program.

They, along with Johnny's forever smiling sister Nancy have taken the reins of the traditional tournament as well. In what could have been a tough act to go through, the siblings made it easier by insisting to one and all that it would be fun.

"That's the way my dad would have wanted it," Johnny said before the tournament.

And with one day to go, fun it has been. Not only has there been exciting basketball, but it has been accompanied by a lot of laughter, often at the expense of others. Whether it was Carpinteria coach Johnny Ward ribbing his guard Munchie Aguilar on wardrobe choice or his social habits, or a referee taking the court late in the second half because he was sampling the goodies in the hospitality room, no one was spared from being target-including reporters.

"That's the way John would have wanted it, to run a good tournament that everyone enjoys," co-coach Henry Gonzalez said. "We have all been working hard to get this going, but Johnny and Nancy have been amazing in the organization and keeping the tradition of the tournament. "

At halftime in front of a court filled with kids shooting baskets, Warriors baseball coach Pat Cooney surveyed the scene and expressed pride, yet not surprise at their success in doing so.

"They ran the tournament for their dad last year, so it's not a reach for them to continue what they have been doing," Cooney said. "But doing this in a year that has been difficult, is admirable on their parts.

The players have noticed and appreciated this as well.

"They both have been keeping us together by doing a lot of things together," Andrew Sova said. " No one's really staying sad, thanks to them, we are going towards being happier now. But I still think about (John Ward) just about every day."

So it was kismet that Sova, who was close to the elder Ward, was the one to make the winning free throws with no time left on the clock. And perhaps something more was at work because John Ward's own son brought his team to the school's own tournament final while doing it with a "have fun" attitude.

"He would have been so stoked to see Johnny do that," Nancy Ward said. "That was dad's favorite kind of game and he would have loved to seen that. He would have been very proud of my brother."

"Yeah, he would have been happy," Johnny Ward said. "He's happy, I'm happy, everyone's happy. We had a great atmosphere. He was part of that atmosphere, he was covering it....he was here."

The Russian Rocket

By Mike Takeuchi
(*Note A shorter version of this story appeared in another publication)

When he was a mere nine-year-old Sergey Sushchikh had already found himself in a transition period. One year removed from coming to this country from St. Petersburg Russia, his family was relocating to Goleta. Yet instead of struggling with the language, he thrived in many aspects thanks to some great teachers and friends who embraced him. Eight years later, another group of friends and teachers have brought him into the comfort zone once again. Only instead of the language barrier being conquered, it was a possible championship.

On Saturday, Sushchikh will try to lead the Dos Pueblos boys cross country team to its highest CIF Southern Section Division placing in 38 years. The seven-member team of Sushchikh, Jacob Bartholomew, Alfred Scott, Sam Sarmiento, Bryan Fernandez, Max Davis, and Ben York, along with alternates Dylan Zukin and Brendan Morrow-Jones will travel to Mt. San Antonio College to try and become the first team to qualify for the State Meet since the Chargers placed fifth in the State Meet among Division II schools in 1999. The top seven teams and top 20 individuals of non-qualifying teams in the division earn a berth to the State Meet at Woodward Park (Fresno) on November 27.

One person who is confident that the current team will be there is Gordon McClenathen, the longtime coach who headed the Dos Pueblos program from 1967 to ’97, and whose 1972 team was the runner-up to division champion Lompoc. McClenathen, along with Micks Purnell assists head coach Leslie Wiggins-Roth and Len Miller in coaching the Chargers.

“They have the talent and the desire to go to State,” McClenathen said. “But they also have the character to do well if they do.”

And the runner in front will be undoubtedly Sushchikh. After a junior year in which he placed 47^th individually in the 2009 CIF-Southern Section Division II Finals, the senior started off solidly this fall. By the end of the season, he took off by running a league record 14 minutes and 31 seconds over a three-mile course to take top individual honors and lead the Chargers to a Channel League title. Last week he placed second in his division and fifth out of all runners by running 15:11 over 5k en route to pacing the Chargers to a third place in last week’s Division II Southern Section Preliminaries.

“We have been feeling really good these last few weeks, all of us,” the soft-spoken Sushchikh said.

While initially needing prodding to talk about his own running, the 17-year-old acknowledged that he was having a good year so far and expressed hope that it was a stepping stone to a running future that included competing for a Division I university. While taking college level calculus and English, he has maintained good enough grades to draw the interest of Syracuse University. That school, along with the University of Colorado and the hometown UCSB are among the schools he is considering.

He added that all of this wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for his coaches, especially Miller, the man who guided former American record holder in the mile, Steve Scott. Sushchikh credited the longtime coach, who was inducted into the UC Irvine Hall of Fame in 2006 as well as headed up the Arizona State program, as the coach who helped put him on the path to success.

“During my sophomore year, Coach Miller came along and something clicked,” Sushchikh said. “I just have so much respect for him as a coach.”

Miller said that while he couldn’t compare the runner to anyone he has coached, but he did recognize a common bond.

“Every runner is unique,” Miller said. “The great runners that I’ve coached have common threads that are part of the whole fabric. From Steve Scott on down to the great half milers I had at Arizona State, Sergey has all the personal and emotional qualities that my greatest runners possessed. He handles setbacks really well and accepts that nobody is going to win all the time. As his career progresses and someone beats him, instead of being depressed, he’ll try and figure out what he has to do to be better prepared the next time. Plus he is not intimidated by anyone. That’s why I think he will succeed.”

The one thing that Miller and his teammates alike appreciated about Sushchikh is his humility said Bartholomew, who shares captaincy duties with his teammate.

“We all know he is the best guy on the team, but he never goes around telling people that he is,” Bartholomew said. “He’s an admirable guy who’s dedicated to running, but is not above having fun and sharing his humor.”

Yet he is afforded immediate respect by his peers because of the example he has set for the younger runners, according to Fernandez, one of the three sophomores on the team, was the second fastest of the Chargers while finishing fifth in the division in 15:34 had the second fastest time on the team last week.

“He has taught us younger guys to let stuff like bad races go,” Fernandez said. “He just brushes it off and kills it the next time. In workouts, he is great at challenging us, always trying to break us. What it does is push us to another level. He is a great talent that I think will go far.”

On Wednesday afternoon, as the group gathers for a photo, the banter was light and fun with Sushchikh’s teammates willingly giving up their leader when asked if he had a nickname (which incidentally is the Russian Rocket, which was bestowed upon him by his middle school coach John Sprague). Yet when it came time to actually take the shot, each member filed respectfully behind Sushchikh even though he hadn’t uttered a word.

And when it was time to talk about an ideal race on Saturday, he responded in perfect sounding Russian and then translated it into English.

“Saturday is going to be a great day,” Sushchikh translated. “We’re all going to run really fast. And we’re going to go to the State Meet.”

While the language needed translation, the message most certainly did not.

Hubert Wolfe 82nd Airborne, 504th Regiment-All American All the Way

By Mike Takeuchi


(Reprinted Article)

Little did 12-year-old Hubert Wolfe know that when his father caught him trying to jump out of a three-story building with an umbrella, Dad was only delaying the inevitable.

Before long, Mr. Wolfe was fighting with the 82nd "All American" Airborne Division at Anzio in Italy, in Operation Market Garden in Holland, and later, the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium during World War II.

Earlier this week, inside his Lompoc home with his wife Pat, and his son Robert -- a historian of the famed division who was sitting nearby -- the 85-year-old told the story of being a member of B Company in the 504th Paratroop Infantry Unit of the 82nd. Called the "Devils in Baggy Pants" in a dead German soldier's diary, the elite division spent most of their time dropping behind enemy lines to strike and later hold their ground.

"I was a very small part of a very special group," Mr. Wolfe recalled.

Growing up in Pasadena, Mr. Wolfe chuckled that he always had an itch to try and jump out of things since the day his dad Lee Roy stopped him, and later, when he and his friend David Waters -- who also later joined the 82nd -- jumped off the roof of a house while each held two corners of a blanket.

After the war broke out, he had to wait to come of age.

"Of course we were all itching to do our part," Mr. Wolfe said. "But I had to wait because my parents wouldn't sign the form that would let me go in early. And when I finally could, I knew I wanted to be in the airborne. "

Basic training at Camp Roberts (near Paso Robles) was followed by jump school at Fort Benning in Georgia (the division's permanent home at Fort Bragg, N.C., was established later) and then to North Africa for more training before their first combat assignment as part of Operation Shingle in Anzio at the end of January 1944.

Despite being trained to jump out of airplanes, his regiment entered the Italian seaport area in a landing craft where they were greeted not by enemy soldiers, but by the strafing of the Messerschmitts of the German Luftwaffe. With the craft to his right taking a direct hit, Mr. Wolfe and his unit scrambled out.

"When I saw the boat next to us take a hit, I was thinking let's get off this damn thing," Mr. Wolfe said. "But the water was still deep, I had to help hold my corporal above the water because he was so short."

At Anzio, Mr. Wolfe saw much action as B Company completed several patrols in an area called the Mussolini Canal.

Although the enemy suffered 10 times the amount of casualties as his division, the 504th was decimated to the point that it couldn't participate in the Normandy Invasion on D-Day.

The Allied command had other plans for them, however. In an attempt to end the war by 1944, the group jumped behind enemy lines into Holland in September as part of the ultimately failed Operation Market Garden -- the largest airborne operation ever that was made famous by the movie "A Bridge Too Far."

While the main body of the 82nd was famously trying to cross the Waal River from Nijmegen in canvas boats, Mr. Wolfe suffered what he thought was an ankle sprain upon landing en route to an attempt to capture the Heuman Lock Bridge.

After four days of heavy fighting, a local gave him a cane and when the pain was too severe, another resident put him on the handlebars of his bike and rode the injured soldier to an aid station.

When Mr. Wolfe took off his boot, his ankle swelled to twice its size. He had fought for days without being aware that he had actually suffered from a broken a bone in his foot.

"Everyone had some kind of wound or another, it was actually rarer if someone didn't get killed or hurt," Mr. Wolfe said.

The Purple Heart recipient admitted he was one of the lucky ones. At the end of fighting, the 82nd lost nearly 1,700 men at Market Garden, including his buddies Capt. Bob Petit, Fred Granger, Robert Stern, Lawrence Blazina, Jerry Murphy and Maurice Marcus, a former weightlifter who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Mr. Wolfe said.

"It was hard losing your friends, but you had to move on to survive," Mr. Wolfe said. "I tried not to think about it too much."

After a short recovery, he and the newly replenished 82nd entered the Ardennes Forest area in November in what would later famously become the Battle of the Bulge. Here, on Dec. 20, near a town called Cheneux, Mr. Wolfe was pinned down from heavy fire and was struck in the back of the head by shrapnel from a large German machine gun.

Rendered partially paralyzed on his left side, the private dragged himself out of his trench to try and reach medical treatment. From out of nowhere he said, an unknown guardian angel grabbed him and carried the severely injured soldier back to the aid station where a Bronze Star, another Purple Heart, and a five-month hospital stay that included the insertion of a steel plate in the back of his head, awaited.

"I never knew the guy's name," Mr. Wolfe said.

It would be nearly 38 years until his savior was finally revealed. When Pat Wolfe overheard a conversation between two members at an 82nd reunion in Philadelphia in 1982, she began asking questions and became immediately excited when she learned that the man standing before her, Ian "Red" McKee, was her husband's very rescuer.

"I just hugged him for the longest time, and the first thing he said was, 'He's not going to want to hug me too is he?' " Pat Wolfe laughed.

Now, years later, and after another different but special reunion in Holland in 1982 (alas, his helpers there remain unknown), Hubert Wolfe said that despite what he had gone through, it was a rewarding yet difficult experience to be a part of.

"Whenever I wear my 82nd cap, people come up than thank me, which sometimes is overwhelming," Mr. Wolfe said choking back tears. "Because they can appreciate how difficult it was seeing and doing what I did. But I don't dwell on it. I am proud of what I did, but not particularly proud of taking lives."

Photos provided courtesy of Hubert Wolfe

Tour of California Returns to Solvang, But No Dopers Velkommen

They will return, but will people care enough to watch?

By Mike Takeuchi

While it will be fun to once again see the time trial stage of the Tour of California in Solvang (See press release below) on May 20, I am wondering how many fans will make the trek to any of the stages for two reasons that may be interrelated-Lance Armstrong's retirement, and the continuing doping saga, the latest being the lifetime ban of former U.S. Postal team rider Kirk O'Bee, which followed Alberto Contador's second failed test that revealed clenbuterol( a substance the New York Times said that a specific type of chemical called a plasticizer was found in plastic IV bags. It was reported that he had eight times the minimum amount, which signifies doping.). Contador claimed the culprit was tainted meat. (Which makes me wonder if Lance sent him some Texas brisket. Okay, it was just a fleeting thought.)

It will be interesting to learn how much interest the sport can garnish after what it has been through, especially with the continuing investigation of the seven-time Tour de France Champion Armstrong by super Fed Jeff Novitzky, the über federal agent that broke the BALCO scandal. That remains to be discovered.

Solvang, California (October 7, 2010) – Following weeks of speculation and anticipation, the Host Cities for the record-setting Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race were announced this morning by race presenter AEG. Consistently considered cycling’s most important and successful road race held in the United States , the sixth annual event will cover more than 800 miles over the epic eight days.

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California will travel to and through 15 Host Cities throughout the state over the course of eight days from May 15-22, 2011. Last year’s date change from February to May allowed the Tour de France-style road race to visit locations that would not have been possible previously, including a visit to Big Bear Lake . Due to the incredible success, the race will remain in May to provide fans with the most action-packed, exciting race possible.

Solvang was selected again for the fourth time to host the prestigious Individual Time Trial—scheduled as Stage 6 on Friday, May 20, 2011; repeating its pivotal roles in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Solvang and the surrounding Santa Ynez Valley wine country will be showcased during this thrilling race, which drew more than 15, 000 spectators and created even more significant positive economic impact each year.

Solvang Mayor Jim Richardson stated, "Velkommen! A hearty welcome back on behalf of the city council and our citizens. I would like to express our great pride that the Amgen Tour of California has chosen our fine city for the fourth time to host the prestigious time trial stage—most especially during our Centennial—this is a real honor!"

Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Tracy Farhad remarked, “We are thrilled to roll out the red carpet again—Solvang-style—for the Tour. This will be one of the highlights of our year-long Centennial Celebration! Mange tak!”

The race will wind through miles of beautiful California terrain, beginning with the first-ever visit to Lake Tahoe, a well known cycling destination and home of “America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride.” The eight-day race will travel through some of the state’s most scenic landmarks, with the overall finish taking place in title-sponsor Amgen’s hometown community of Thousand Oaks .

The 15 official stage start and finish communities that have been selected for the 2011 race include: South Lake Tahoe (new for 2011), North Lake Tahoe-Northstar at Tahoe Resort (new for 2011), North Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley USA (new for 2011), Sacramento, Auburn (new for 2011), Modesto, Livermore (new for 2011), San Jose, Seaside, Paso Robles, Solvang, Claremont (new for 2011), Mt. Baldy (new for 2011), Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks.

“Last year we witnessed the benefits of moving the Amgen Tour of California to May – better weather, a new, challenging route and more intense competition,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “In 2011 we plan to continue to showcase the beautiful features the state of California has to offer, while also continuing to raise the bar for what it means to be the largest, most important cycling race in America .”

Highlights of the 2011 route include the race’s first visit to Lake Tahoe, with the first day of racing featuring a more than a lap and a half around the lake. The riders also will summit famous Donner Pass on the way to Sacramento . On the way to San Jose , America ’s largest cycling event will venture into the Diablo Mountains for the first of two challenging mountain stages for the world-class cyclists. The riders will once again take the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway down the coast through Big Sur. Another exciting addition to the 2011 race is the final climb up to the Mt. Baldy ski area, whose steepness and switchbacks are legendary in the Southern California cycling community.

“The 2011 Amgen Tour of California route is going to result in an exciting and compelling race,” said Lance Armstrong of Team Radioshack. “All of us at Team Radioshack are looking forward to it.”

Beginning with the inaugural year in 2006, the Amgen Tour of California quickly became the most successful race in the United States with regards to economic benefits to the state, global recognition and the level of competition. The race also continues to set records in attendance for a single sporting event in the state of California , as well as any cycling event ever held on U.S. soil, with more than 2 million spectators in previous years.

“From the world-class riders and challenging competition, to the tremendous amount of support from the fans and Host Cities, the Amgen Tour of California has grown to become one of the most anticipated events within the international cycling community,” continued Messick. “Making the final selection of Host Cities for the race becomes an increasingly challenging task each year.”

With the 2011 Amgen Tour of California once again taking place in May, the cyclists will have more time to train, and the competition promises to be even tougher. In previous years, the race has drawn some of the world's most renowned and respected riders, such as top Tour de France competitors, World Champions and Olympic medalists that include Lance Armstrong, Tom Boonen, Oscar Freire, Paolo Bettini, Fabian Cancellara, Carlos Sastre, Ivan Basso, George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish and Andy Schleck.

“I was in as good of shape the past three years [when I won the Amgen Tour of California ] as I am now,” said Levi Leipheimer, race winner from 2007-2009, after the 2010 race. “The difference this year is that you see a couple of riders on the same level. The competition has definitely risen.”

“For our team, there’s only one race more important to us than the Amgen Tour of California, and that’s the Tour de France. This is a huge result for us. We can really walk away from the 2010 Amgen Tour of California with big smiles on our faces,” said Australian Michael Rogers of Team HTC-Columbia after winning the 2010 race.

Returning as the title sponsor for the sixth consecutive year, Amgen will continue to leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through its Breakaway from Cancer^® initiative. A leading global biotechnology company with headquarters in Thousand Oaks , Calif. , one of the 2011 race Host Cities, Amgen's invaluable support has helped to ensure the continued success of the race and impact beyond the sporting arena.

“The 2011 Amgen Tour of California route will deliver new challenges for the professional cyclists and also give Amgen an opportunity to introduce our company and our Breakaway from Cancer initiative to California communities that are getting involved in the race for the first time,” said Stuart Arbuckle, vice president and general manager, Amgen Oncology. “We look forward to collaborating with all of this year’s Host Cities to spread awareness about Amgen, our mission to serve patients through using biotechnology to create medicines for people with grievous illness, and the incredible support services that are available free of charge to people affected by cancer through Amgen’s non-profit Breakaway from Cancer partner organizations.”

The only American race listed on the international professional cycling calendar with a 2. HC ranking, the Amgen Tour of California has drawn the attention of both cycling enthusiasts and first-time spectators, solidifying its position as one of the most anticipated cycling events of the year.

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California will visit 15 Host Cities for official stage starts and finishes, while other cities along the route also will have the opportunity to witness the excitement of elite professional cycling. Stages for the 2011 Amgen Tour of California include:

• Stage 1: Sunday, May 15 – South Lake Tahoe to North Lake Tahoe-Northstar at Tahoe Resort
• Stage 2: Monday, May 16 – North Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley USA to Sacramento
• Stage 3: Tuesday, May 17 – Auburn to Modesto
• Stage 4: Wednesday, May 18 – Livermore to San Jose
• Stage 5: Thursday, May 19 – Seaside to Paso Robles
• Stage 6: Friday, May 20 – Solvang Individual Time Trial
• Stage 7: Saturday, May 21 – Claremont to Mt. Baldy
• Stage 8: Sunday, May 22 – Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks

Appreciating After Underappreciating Joe Torre

Story and Photo by Mike Takeuchi

*Note Although an entirely separate article by the author appeared in the Santa Barbara News-Press on October 6-the same quotations were used.

For the longest time, while respecting his accomplishments, I was not a huge fan of Joe Torre. Perhaps it was because I am a recovering Yankees hater (Recovering because I really can’t hate an organization that has been almost as good as the Dodgers and Angels have been to me.) or perhaps that I always thought that there were other managers like Mike Scioscia and Joe Maddon, who I thought were more skilled and got less attention. I did always believe however that Torre’s ability to manage players is nonpareil.

I have also learned that over the last five years, the 70-year-old’s communication with the media was as good or better than any leader of a sports team-even us small potatoes in the french fryer. Torre is different in that he knows how to work with us, and actually seems to sometimes enjoy doing it-often employing a dry, sarcastic wit-especially when we sometimes emotionally needy scribes wonder if we are loved. When asked Sunday if his interactions with media will be missed, he responded as such.

"That will hit me one night either three or four in the morning and I'll think my God, where are they?" Torre laughed. "But you'll find me."

He’s also good for a story or two. One day in May last year, shortly after the Kentucky Derby, Torre regaled those present by talking about his thoughts about horse racing. When the manager, who has a stake in a racehorse himself, was asked his thoughts on the Derby winning Mine That Bird, the image-conscious Torre instructed everyone within earshot to turn their recorders off before telling a story about why geldings often do well in racing.

“You’d be pissed too if someone cut your balls off,” Torre’s punch line went.

While having a reputation for only giving journalists from the larger publications like the New York Times the time of day, I have never experienced such-finding him to be very accessible. Years ago while he was with the Yankees, I wanted to know his thoughts about his role in an exhibit at the Museum of Tolerance (which I highly recommend), titled “Finding Our Families, Finding Ourselves”. The special wing had the likes of Billy Crystal, Carlos Santana, and Maya Angelou, joining Torre in separate video stories being played in sets that were built up much like scenes from each participant’s upbringing.

Torre’s experience was far from ideal, as he openly revealed on the screen placed in a set that resembled his childhood dining room about his unhappy childhood due to an abusive father. The year the exhibition came out, before a game against the Angels, he was more than happy to discuss the exhibition and the past for several minutes.

“It was rough, but I tell you, my mom and my sister got the worst of it,” Torre said something to the effect. “By opening up, I think it still helps me and I hope it will help others.”

While admiring his depth, I wondered at the time, if many of the other writers tried to get beyond the game strategies and superficial talk with someone that was a valuable and wealthy source of information. I was also slightly jealous that they had more opportunities because while doing their job, I don’t think they fully appreciated what he had to offer them.

This spring, when he was finishing up with the beat writers in the dugout, I grabbed him for one more question. Sighing slightly, he assented but said that it had to be quick because batting practice had started. When I asked him if he knew of any short-term players who ended up being baseball lifers, he stopped and wracked his brain trying to think of a few before offering a few suggestions. He then spent another several minutes telling a story until he excused himself after being reminded by his coaches that he needed to be out on the field at the cage. After all, there was a game that day.

On Sunday in the dugout for what was perhaps his last time as a manager, he waxed nostalgic with the media on a variety of topics, most notably his upcoming retirement.

"It's scary isn't it?" Torre asked rhetorically. "I am retiring from this phase. But I don't think I will ever shut down (from baseball). Too many people who have done that in certain companies think it's going to be great but don't seem to be very happy."

"There are so many things you get excited about (when managing), but there are other things like the tough decisions in the seventh, eighth, and ninth that I am happy somebody else is going to make," Torre said. "I don't anticipate anything that will make me want to manage again, but maybe there is something out there that may blindside me. I certainly am not looking for it and don't anticipate it."

Recalling his days as a player, Torre never envisioned himself as a manager at the time.

"When I played in St. Louis I was named a captain," Torre said. "Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be modest here, but I didn't have a great deal of self esteem (to value) in my own self worth. So when they named me captain, it really got my attention. During those six years in St. Louis (I felt I learned a lot) when Red Schoendienst was the manager, a Hall of Famer who gave the players a lot of leeway because he felt that the players knew what to do to win."

"I never thought the number of clubs I would (manage). After the Braves, the Mets, and the Cardinals, I said that's it. That was my playing career so I assumed that was my managing career. Then the Yankee thing came along."

While he didn’t bring a World Series championship to Los Angeles, he made the Dodgers very relevant in 2008 and ’09. And at the end of the 4,329 games he managed, 10 league championships, six World Series appearances with four wins in those, his passage to Cooperstown is all but guaranteed. While brushing off this subject, he diverted the topic onto being a fortunate part of baseball history.

"Growing up in New York, they were the two storied franchises and to have been the manager and gone to the postseason with both of them is quite a memory that I will cherish," Torre said.

On Sunday, in front of what remained of an announced crowd of 38,007 of the 56,000 seat Dodger Stadium, he was honored by the Dodgers. Looking in the stands I was disappointed because I thought that a career such as Torre’s deserved better-especially when the fans slightly spoiled the moment temporarily booed owner Frank McCourt. The Dodgers did their best to make it a nice ceremony, although they probably should have utilized Vin Scully in some way and maybe not have introduced McCourt. Presented with a wonderful painting and then giving a nice, heartfelt speech, Torre went out the way he has always appeared to me, with class.

In his office, speaking to the media for the last time, he looked like a man ready for retirement.

"It was a pretty satisfyingly special day for me," Torre said. "People have been so nice everywhere I have gone in the city. And the players, although they may not have understood what I was trying to say, they provided warmth and respect and all that good stuff. Just from all that I have had in my good life with the fans not only how respectful and warm and passionate how they were."

As his interview session was wrapping up, I shook his hand and thanked him. But as I walked out the clubhouse door, I wished I had said more-something like baseball players, owners, fans, and sportswriters owe him a debt of gratitude for not only what Torre has done, but for what he is. Because when you look at his career, from not only the games managed and played, but what he has meant to so many, especially after the terrible tragedy in New York in 2001, we discover that we really do.

Coach John Ward: A Great Teacher and Coach Who Kept His Sense of Humor Through it All

By Mike Takeuchi

(*Note a slightly different article appeared in another publication. Photo taking from Caring Bridge site.)

Despite all that I knew, the news hit me like a ton of bricks. When I first heard about longtime Bishop Diego and Carpinteria coach, teacher, and athletic director John Ward's passing, I was shocked at the suddenness of it all. After all, he was diagnosed only less than two weeks ago.

But the reality hit home when the coaches came to the podium.

Monday's Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon had been filled with thoughts on the 55-year-old coach and athletic director. His colleagues intimated that he had a serious illness, and a conversation with Carpinteria football coach Ben Hallock soon confirmed this.

But it was still hard to fathom the loss of one of the best and funniest high school teachers I ever had.

Back in the 1980's, Coach Ward arrived at Bishop Diego High School to teach and coach basketball. He replaced a no-nonsense, old-school guy - Jim Hargrove - that I had known and been fond of since I was a child. Until Monday, I always thought his first name was Mister.

The two were a study of contrasts, much like the Dodgers' stoic Walter Alston and his replacement, the effervescent Tommy Lasorda.

While Mr. Hargrove's underrated, dry humor was often overshadowed by his intensity, Coach Ward could be described as - well, a goofy guy who never met a pun he didn't like. Perhaps harboring a dream of one day being a stand-up comedian, he used the classroom as his stage and his students as his sometimes groan-filled audience.

But the funny thing is, through his unusual technique, even the most reluctant students like me learned much math and computer science from him. Perhaps it was because he was unafraid to show that he loved what he was doing.

Before moving on to another great teacher, UCSB's Paul Lee, Coach Ward taught me what recreation and the sporting lifestyle meant. He was an avid surfer then, possibly making him the coolest teacher we knew. And as was his style, Ward deflected a compliment with humor.

"I have to have some release after dealing with you yahoos five days a week," Ward quipped somewhat to the effect.

Despite claiming to need a break from us, his actions often spoke otherwise when he held open gym in the spring for anyone who wanted to play. Along with a few of us wannabes, there were future Bishop teacher and coach Ray Vasquez, current athletic director Dan Peeters, as well as City firefighters Junior Valdez and Jim McCoy from the basketball team, all having a good time with the guy who ran the activity with a constant commentary not unlike that of Harlem Globetrotters legend Meadowlark Lemon.

But beneath that humorous exterior lurked the passion of the coach. The moment that stands out the most came during a game between Bishop and then Tri-Valley League rival Fillmore. During an intense contest that would decide the league title, one of the Flashes' stars fouled out, prompting the fun-loving McCoy, who we called "Happy Boy," to respond with the old thumb-to-the-nose, fingers waving "Nyah! Nyah" taunt.

The referee was apparently unamused and assessed a technical foul, turning Coach Ward temporarily into Mr. Hargrove. But it didn't last very long. After giving Happy a temporary benching and an earful, he gave him encouragement and a slap on the butt before sending him back into the game.

That passion has endured over the years - first at Bishop, then at Carpinteria.

While the puns moved aside to more low-key asides, the humor remained as he attended virtually every Warriors' sporting event to make sure all his coaches, athletes and parents knew that they were loved.

Often running the front door, he would sometimes fill in as an announcer, utilizing his good nature to entertain an entire stadium filled with CIF track athletes and their families while pushing Carp's famous tri-tip sandwiches virtually every five minutes in cleverly worded sentences. Madison Avenue had nothing on Coach, because danged if I didn't buy two of them myself.

While always appreciative of this reporter's presence, he would also call on me if he read something he didn't think was right. One particular story had one of his coaches commenting liberally after a controversial loss. The next day, Coach Ward approached me during a Carpinteria volleyball match and sternly voiced his displeasure on what was written.

Ten minutes later, he sidled next to me and in a voice that reminded me of that teacher 25 years ago, apologizing without having to say sorry.

"You know Mike, I have to teach some of my coaches how to say 'No comment,' " he said with a smile.

As someone who has seen death first hand, professionally and personally, I can say that it is never easy for not only the person going through it, but their surrounding loved ones. I recall sitting with my mom on a weekly basis as she slowly deteriorated while losing her mental capabilities after two and a half years in bed.

With Coach Ward, the end came quickly and I am sure, painfully. Through it all, I am sure he did his best to keep those who loved him from being in too much pain. Ever the unselfish teacher and coach.

My final lasting memory of him occurred during a Bishop-Carpinteria baseball game last spring. On a miserable, rainy day during which nobody seemed happy to be there, the Cardinals overcame a nine-run, first-inning deficit to rally for a 10-9 win in extras.

Coach Ward approached myself and Peeters afterward.

"Well, I guess there could be worse days," he said with his ever-present grin.

Without you John, this is one of those days.

(For more on John, visit CaringBridge.org and type in "Johnward".

His Dues Paid Off-Michael Young Makes the Playoffs for the First Time in His Career

By Mike Takeuchi

(AP Photo-Texas Ranger Third Baseman Michael Young stands below Division Champions banner.)

*Note A slightly different article appeared in another publication.

Just as they have done all season, the Claw and Antlers are set to strike next week-albeit in a larger arena. In the process, a rare display of team loyalty and leadership will be rewarded when former UCSB and current Texas Rangers infielder Michael Young takes the field to play in the first postseason of his 10-year Major League career.

“Because we are playing meaningful games this late in the season, this has been without a doubt, the most enjoyable season, especially in the last month,” Young said while sitting in the visitor’s dugout at Angel Stadium on September 20. “The job isn’t over yet, so we’re not going to slow down until we accomplish our goals-which aren’t planned for any time in September.”

Playing his entire career with Texas, Young is part of a shrinking membership that includes Albert Pujols, Chipper Jones, Ichiro Suzuki, and the Yankees trio of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera-those who have spent their entire career wearing only one uniform. Yet despite solid career stats (.300 batting average, 808 RBI, 346 doubles, and 158 home runs as of Monday) that includes a Gold Glove (2008), a batting title (2005), and six All-Star game appearances, he is relatively unknown outside of his team and peer group. But, according to Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington, that doesn’t diminish his importance to the club.

“Michael Young IS the organization,” Washington said. “He’s been here ten years now, and he’s been the same guy showing up every day and giving everything he has while trying to make his teammates better. Now he’s paid his dues and gotten to the point where he’s close to what every manager, every player, and every coach would like to attain. And I couldn’t be happier for him.”

The fourth-year manager acknowledged that the team’s losing record during Young’s career could have been the main reason for his relative anonymity. In this span, not only have the Rangers not made the playoffs, they have finished on an average of 20 games behind in the standings, from merely three games back in a 2004 third-place finish, to a whopping 43.5 games behind in his rookie year of 2001. The 33-year-old, whose first sport love was boxing thanks to his parents and cousins, likened the struggles to a fighter backed into a corner.

“Sometimes you have to take it on the chin and fight your way out of it, even if it lasts awhile,” Young said. “There’s no point in dwelling on it. You make adjustments, keep swinging, and move on.”

That attitude was appreciated by his coach at UCSB Bob Brontsema. After moving from the outfield to shortstop, Young helped the Gauchos reach the NCAA Regionals during his sophomore year in 1996.

“At UCSB, the one thing the separated Mike from others was his work ethic and the fighter’s aggressive mentality,” Brontsema said. “He’s tough, strong, and nobody was going to beat him mentally. I think that’s what got him through the tough years at Texas. Because not only did he have to deal with losing seasons, he had to move to second base when he came up because they already had a pretty good shortstop (Alex Rodriguez) set in there. And despite winning a Gold Glove when another shortstop (Elvis Andrus) came up the next year, he wasn’t happy about moving to third at first, but you really didn’t hear about it too much from him.”

Brontsema added that another thing never publicly mentioned was complaints about the make-up of the team that last played in the postseason two years before Young’s first season. Until the Rangers play their first Division Series game, Young continues to be the player with the second most games played (1503 through September 27) behind St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Randy Winn (1713), without a playoff appearance. His statistics and playoff path is similar to that of his boyhood idol the former Yankees first baseman and Dodgers manager-to-be Don Mattingly (.307 avg., 1099 RBI 22 home runs 402 doubles over 13 full seasons) whose team qualified in his final year.

“I don’t look at his career in terms of who hasn’t played in the playoffs,” Brontsema said. “I see a loyal guy who decided to stay with (his team) by re-signing (six-year $80 million contract in 2007) despite getting other offers from teams with richer playoff histories.”

And it is paying off so far this year because of one thing.

“Plain and simple we got better players,” Young said. “We’ve always had good offense, but getting a monster like (Vladimir Guerrero) in the middle of our line-up made us more versatile in the line-up with power and speed throughout. Our pitching has been great since the start of this year, but since we got Cliff (Lee), we’re in another category. The whole team is the biggest bunch of blue collar gamers.”

The one thing that the team didn’t have was controversy- despite a March Sports Illustrated story breaking the news of Washington’s July 2009 positive cocaine test. Perhaps remembering an August 6, 2007 game when his manager was ejected for the first time in his career defending him, Young stood up for Washington in an emotional team meeting and later, publicly when the story broke on March 17.

“I’m a loyal guy,” Young explained. “I don’t let many people in, but when I do, you’re in. And Ron is one of those. I felt that he deserved the opportunity to show people who he really is. That’s why I was so outspoken about it. We got called into a meeting we had no idea why. Wash spoke to us
and the second he was done I wanted everyone to know that this is our guy. This is our manager. This wasn’t his issue it was ours. We were going to go through this as a team. Two days later, it was a nonstory.”

The team went on to have one of their most successful seasons, and raised their hopes in possibly making the organization’s first World Series appearance-although that has been clouded with the indefinite loss of MVP candidate Josh Hamilton to rib injuries while crashing into the on September 4 . Young still believes thanks to the power of Claw and Antlers.

The craze that has origins stemming from a few years back and continues presently thanks a ten-point buck set of antlers hanging over Hamilton’s locker and a double-following gesture by Nelson Cruz during an exciting midseason game. The “claw”, an extended arm with curled fingers represents a good play, the “antlers”, a spread of both hands and held on each side of the head, mark a display of speed (“run like a deer”) that are used each time a Rangers player does such. T-shirts depicting both are now a full-fledged Texas rage.

“This thing has taken on a life of its own,” Young chuckled. “We’ve done it for a while, but for some reason it has become a rallying cry for the guys on the team and our fans. This is a group of guys who like to have fun yet know how to walk the line between having fun and getting down to business.”

Despite the intensity of the postseason, Young admitted that he will allow himself a look around and think about the one thing more important to him than baseball, his wife Christina and their sons Mateo and Emilio.

“Since it’s been a long time coming, I am definitely going to take it in,” Young said. “I have been waiting for this opportunity since I got here. Once that first pitch comes, it’s time to be the one to deliver that coup de grace.”

My View on Who is at Fault

By Mike Takeuchi

I don’t have any idea who is at fault here, because in theory, both philosophies have sound arguments on which way this country should go. But in reality both have deeply flawed ways of going about it.

In the extreme, while one side acts on their own self interests and damn everyone else, the other unrealistically expects this great savior Jesus Obama (who I voted for btw) to come take them to the Promised Land.

In a country of over 300-million people, I think it is impossible for us to successfully govern ourselves due to a dated kluge that is our political system. At varying points on the spectrum, people would like some form of guidance while being able to make their own choices. But where is the most optimum point? Fuck if I know.

People on Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Charlie LeDuff's Facebook page made valid points in an erudite manner to open up a sorely missed dialogue-something that elected officials, who act on the fear of not being re-elected and/or labeled a pariah within their own party, are not willing to venture into.

Perhaps it is with false hope that someone can change this. I just hope that everyone realizes that unless both sides find some common ground, no matter who wins what battle, eventually we will be equally responsible for our own demise.

*With apologies to Ben Franklin

"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

Dave Zirin: A Writer Every Sports Fan Should Read

By Mike Takeuchi

As someone whose natural curiosity often goes to the depths of ridiculousness, I here are few sportswriters/columnists that really focus on stories with depth-often writing more for the subject or worse yet, for themselves as opposed to their readership. While George Vescey and Bill Rhoden, two true gentlemen from the New York Times still capture my fancy, very few contemporary scribes (Jeff Pearlman and Jeff Passan of Yahoo! are the only two I can think of off the top of my head), elicit contemplation.

However, the one writer that brings out the passion towards sports in me more than any other is Dave Zirin. Not at him mind you. Dave’s a good guy. But like the HBO show “Real Sports”, his work often inspires ire towards the subjects he writes about.

I first met Dave a few years ago for an interview in a coffee shop near the independent IMIX bookstore in Eagle Rock. As a typical avid viewer of ESPN (a network I loathe now btw), I thought I knew the inside of sports pretty well until I spent an hour with Dave. He literally opened my eyes to look critically at the entities that surround the games we love. And since then, when given the space and finding the subject, have tried to emulate myself.

Below is a previously published book review on his latest book-"Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love".

BAD SPORTS: HOW OWNERS ARE RUINING THE GAMES WE LOVE

Nonfiction

By Dave Zirin

Scribner, $25

Having been called everything from dangerous to a thorn in the sports establishment's side (by those who like him, no less), sportswriter Dave Zirin has ventured where most imbedded sportswriters refuse to go to become the definitive expert on the inseparability of sports and politics. In his latest offering, "Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love," he takes on the subject of the individuals who offer us the games we love at a cost that is high in more ways than one.

Often appearing on television whenever a political issue in sports comes up, this Tom Joad in the press box has been called "the conscience of American sports writing" by The Washington Post. The author has published four other books, including 2008's "A People's History of Sports in the United States: From Bull-Baiting to Barry Bonds," and is now the only sportswriter in the 145-year history of The Nation, the longest continually run magazine in the country.

In "Bad Sports," Mr. Zirin's voice resonates to anybody who has spent hundreds of dollars a pop to attend sporting events with family and worried about it during the game. He critically looks at sports czars who manipulate the system through political and civic connections, the entities their teams belong to, and, yes, even the media in getting new publicly funded stadiums, uprooting teams to new towns over the protestations of local residents, and, ultimately, making even more money than the public record states.

The book pulls the reader in immediately when it addresses the plight of the communities of three tax-subsidized stadiums — the Louisiana Superdome, Target Field in Minnesota and Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. All three were built at the expense of needed metropolitan infrastructure and were later hit with man-made disasters — the New Orleans levees breaking after Hurricane Katrina (2005), the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapse (2007), and two D.C. Metro trains colliding in 2009 that killed nine people, respectively.

While attacking a serious subject, Mr. Zirin keeps the reader enthralled by writing in a style without the effect of the corner zealot on a soapbox and often with an intelligent humor ("It would be like putting Jon and Kate in charge of a day-care center.") that elicits knowing chuckles.

Because Mr. Zirin's reputation precedes him, the one thing missing is commentary from the owners themselves. Only Ed Snider, CEO of Comcast, parent company of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's Flyers, is willing to go on record. It would have been interesting to hear the thoughts of colorful owners like basketball's Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban or the Raiders' Al Davis.

Then again, getting the sports bosses to talk may only reveal sound bites or double talk that fans hear in press conferences or reported by defacto shills for the respective teams (read ESPN). It is more definitive in the actions of ideological opposites such as the decidedly politically liberal NBA commissioner David Stern and staunch Reaganite Clay Bennett who conspire to move the Seattle Supersonics to Mr. Bennett's much smaller hometown or Oklahoma City, despite protestations from an entire city of Sonics fans.

At first glance, the average sports fan who lives for the insipid sound-bite coverage may not want to read "Bad Sports," because even if they agree with it and complain about it, quite frankly, they need to go to games. But upon closer inspection, the reader will find that Mr. Zirin's book is for anyone who has complained about high ticket prices or even paid $15 for parking at Dodger Stadium. Heck, it may encourage them to park outside the stadium and walk in with food from home in tow.