Big game at Mitchell Park
Oklahoma plays Kansas State tonight in a Big 12 baseball game that is huge for the future. Yes, hard to believe.
But after OU’s 6-4 loss to K-State on Friday night, the Sooners are 11/4 games behind eighth-place KSU in the Big 12 standings, and only eight teams make the conference tournament. Lose tonight, and OU is in serious jeopardy of missing the Oklahoma City tournament, which would be a huge embarrassment for the Sooner athletic department.
I have no idea what Sunny Golloway’s job status is; I hope to find out more next week. But I know this. If the Sooners don’t make it to Bricktown, it can’t be good.
OU and KSU have another game scheduled for Sunday, then close out the regular season with traditional rivals. OU and OSU play three games at neutral sites; Kansas State and Kansas play a three-game series, with two games at KSU and one at KU.
So let’s say OU and KSU split these last two games. Then OU would have to win two more games than does KSU next week. Meaning if the Sooners win two of three from the high-riding Cowboys — a very tall order — KSU would have to get swept by Kansas.
It’s all looking dim for the 2008 Sooners.
On pace for 30 wins
Brandon Webb’s complete-game victory for the Diamondbacks on Thursday night raised Webb’s record to 8-0 and kept alive what really is baseball’s impossible dream: another 30-win season.
We haven’t had a 30-win season in 40 years, since Denny McLain’s remarkable 1968 season, and McLain was the first 30-game winner since Dizzy Dean went 30-7 in 1934.
Webb is on pace for 37 wins, but that’s deceiving. By the time Webb pitches again, he’ll be on pace for just 35 wins. Arizona keeps playing when Webb isn’t pitching. And if Webb doesn’t happen to win his next start, the start after that, he’ll be on pace to win just 31.6 games.
So the message is clear. In this age of five-man rotations, pitchers that want to post huge win totals have to win almost every time out. Look at it this way. If Webb pitches every fifth game, that’s 32 starts. Even if Webb pitches every 4.5 games — occasionally getting bumped up for rainouts and off days — that’s just 36 starts.
Think about that. To reach 30 wins, a pitcher today has to win five out of every six starts.
Brandon Webb is not going to win 30 games. But if any pitcher is ever going to make a run at it, the only way to do it is with a quick start. And winning your first eight starts is most definitely a quick start.
Great Scott in NBA playoffs
Kobe Bryant was named the NBA’s MVP, and while Kobe was an excellent choice, voters also had some worthy options. Kevin Garnett. LeBron James. Chris Paul.
But there was no such competition in coach of the year. The Hornets’ Byron Scott was the clear choice, and so far in this series against San Antonio, we can see Scott’s work in action.
A starting unit that is more offensive-oriented than defensive, the Hornets are playing some serious defense on the Spurs. Think about it. Paul? Getting better on defense, but still a work in progress. David West? The same. Morris Peterson? We didn’t see Peterson here in Oklahoma City, but I don’t think he’s a defensive whiz; definitely a comedown from the guy he replaced, Desmond Mason, even though Peterson is a better offensive player. Peja Stojakovic? You’ve got to be kidding.
Only Tyson Chandler is an elite defender, and yet the Hornets are trapping and confusing and frustrating San Antonio. The Hornets have kept Tony Parker out of the lane and made Manu Ginobili look completely out of his element.
That’s good coaching. That’s solid coaching. New Orleans remains a long way from the NBA title — 10 wins still, with probably no more than eight home games left — but if Scott continues to get his Hornets to defend like this, the championship is within reach.
A step back in time
Sam Aubrey died Monday at the age of 85. When talking to people Tuesday about Aubrey, who played for and coached for Henry Iba, then followed the legend as the Oklahoma State basketball coach, I came across this great old story. Didn’t really fit in my column, but I thought I would share it with you here.
Bob Mattick was a 1953 all-American in Stillwater, and that was Aubrey’s first year back on campus as Iba’s assistant coach. The team didn’t fly much anywhere in those days and returned from a long road trip in December only to arrive at the Stillwater train station and discover that Iba had ordered another long practice.
So off to Gallagher Hall went the team for a three-hour workout, and afterwards Mattick staggered back to his dorm room to study for an exam the next day.
About 11 p.m. that night in Bennett Hall, Mattick got the craving for a cold beer and a barbeque sandwich, which for Iba players was no less dangerous than plotting the overthrow of the United State government. Anyway, Mattick called upon some friends, non-athletes, on the other side of the dorm, and they agreed to take part in the conspiracy.
They helped sneak out Mattick and into the back of a car. The group drove to Aggie Barbeque on south Washington, what is now the Strip in Stillwater. Mattick ducked down, shivering in the backseat of the car while his friends went in. Thirty minutes later, themselves refreshed, the conspirators returned with a sandwich and beer, and Mattick sat in the floorboard enjoying his plunder.
The group made it safely back to Bennett Hall, Mattick resumed studying and the next morning took his test. “I had a hell of an exam,” Mattick said. “Felt good the rest of the day.”
That afternoon, Mattick went to practice, but after the workout, Aubrey approached Mattick. “Bob, Mr. Iba wants to see you.” Mattick had no clue what the Iron Duke wanted.
Iba asked, “Bob, how’d you enjoy that beer?” Mattick still doesn’t know how Iba discovered the crime. Iba ordered Mattick to run seven sets of stairs in Gallagher Hall. He finished about 10 p.m. and headed for the locker room. “Where you going?” Iba asked. “You’re not through.” Iba made Mattick run the football stadium steps in the dark.
The next day, Mattick came bee-bopping into Gallagher Hall and ran into Aubrey. “Sam looks at me, says, ‘Bob, you going to enjoy any more beers the rest of the season?’ He was definitely a product of Mr. Iba.”
Says Mattick, “You paid for your debts in those days. I never touched another beer the rest of the season.”
Ozark travels
I spent last weekend in the Ozarks. My brother received his doctorate degree from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Mo., so the family made a weekend of it.
We spent a lot of time in the Ozarks when I was kid — even took my honeymoon there in 1980 — but I haven’t been back much. We had a great time.
Springfield is an interesting place and has a beautiful downtown ballpark for its Texas League franchise. John Q. Hammons, the hotel magnate, is Mr. Springfield and helped fund the ballpark, which is named for him. Hammons’ field is not the Brick, but it’s still very nice.
The Texas League is an interesting configuration. When I was a kid, before the Rangers came to Arlington, the Texas League had teams in Dallas and Fort Worth and even Houston (before the Astros). Teams were in Amarillo and Beaumont and El Paso and Austin. Even Oklahoma City.
Now, some cities have moved up to the majors and some up to Triple A, and the old Southern cities — Jackson, Miss., and Shreveport, La. — have been replaced. The Texas League now has a South Division, which is really the Texas Division (Frisco, San Antonio, Midland and Corpus Christi) and the Ozark Division (Springfield; Tulsa; Little Rock, Ark.; and Springdale, Ark.). We drove the first day to Eureka Springs, Ark., then up to Springfield the next day, so we went the turnpike to Tulsa, then the Cherokee Turnpike to Siloam Springs and through Springdale to Eureka. Think about that. I hit three Texas League cities all within probably 150 miles.
Springfield is most known for the original Bass Pro Shop. And it remains the only Bass Pro I’ve ever entered. Sorry Bricktown. I went to the Bass Pro in Springfield in 1991 and returned last weekend. I’m told the Springfield version is the best, that it’s much bigger. I didn’t really shop, but I certainly took my granddaughter around to see all the live animals and exhibits.
We had dinner at Hemingway’s, which is on the fourth floor of Bass Pro, and is one of the best meat buffets I’ve sat down to. It was almost like a Brazilian steakhouse, where they walk around with these big slabs of meat for you to eat. We had snapper, Santa Fe chicken, carved roast beef and ham, crablegs and probably some stuff I’m forgetting. I’m no big fan of crablegs; the meat is wonderful but it’s too hard to pull out.
We drove up from Eureka Springs, Ark., on Friday afternoon, which means you go past Branson, and I hadn’t been to Branson in at least 10 years. I went to Branson quite a bit as a kid, so I still picture the only winding main highway through town that was a major traffic jam. Dozens of music theaters lining the streets but no side streets that could take you anywhere. Now, of course, there are highways and hospitals and strip shopping malls and no telling what else. An amazing transformation. Not that I really desire to ever do more than drive past.
Eureka Springs, on the other hand, seems the same as 30 years ago. Eclectic downtown, dozens and dozens of bed & breakfasts, the highway at the top of the hill that has some tradition commerce. We stayed at a B&B minus the second B; no breakfast included, which is fine with me. My brother booked us a house for our party of 10, and it worked well, although I’m not really fond of B&B’s. I like comfort more than quaint. I like modern amenities, like cable television and ice machines, more than antique furniture.
We had dinner Thursday night at a place called Ermilio’s, an Italian joint in an old house, and it was very good. But the most memorable dining experience came Friday at lunch, when my brother found us a place called Oasis, supposed to be the best Mexican in town. We walk in — six adults and two babies — and the place had like six little tables. But the woman said we could have the big room in the back. We park the stroller outside and walk to the back, only to find a room that was probably 18 feet long and 41/2 feet wide. Three little tables sat separately against the wall, so we split up and went about our business. At the end of the room, where my brother sat, was a door that we thought led back to the kitchen. My granddaughter tried to open it but we said no. A few minutes later, here came a woman who walked in, stopped sort of suddenly, then regrouped and made some pleasant comment and went to the door. It was the bathroom. Worse yet, the commode sat right in the front corner of the tiny bathroom, so my brother could have reached out and touched the toilet if the wall wasn’t in the way and could easily open the door without getting out of his chair. For the next 30 minutes, a stream of people used the facility — Oasis was a local hotspot — and my brother, who has a little George Costanza in him with some neurosis about public bathrooms, got to sit there with a ringside seat. I told him to enjoy his enchiladas.
A few travel tips:
1. Don’t take the Creek Turnpike in Tulsa unless you know rush-hour traffic has I-44 backed up. The Creek is not a time-saver.
2. The drive on the Will Rogers Turnpike — Tulsa to Joplin, or vice versa — is underrated for its landscape. Much of it looks like it still could be the scene for “Oklahoma!”
3. If you’re in Eureka, use the trolley. Trolleys go all over town, with convenient stops, and it saves parking hassles.
4. Don’t give money to beggars. You meet some true down-and-out people in big cities. But not in Eureka Springs. Shops and diners always are looking to hire, and they’re not all that choosy. So when a kid, probably 19 years old, on a skateboard hit me up for loose change in the city park, I was glad to tell him to get lost. I gave away some money in Chicago; I wasn’t about to do it in Eureka Springs.
More emails from the readers
Time for an email update. Lots of subjects. The Sonics name change. Other NBA material. My column about U.S. Grant Billy Pendarvis.
First, the name of Oklahoma City’s impending NBA franchise. John wrote, “There can be only one name. 89ers. While being Oklahoma City-based, the team will represent all of Oklahoma, not just OKCity. The name must be all-inclusive, giving all Oklahomans a claim of possession. The name must also be unique and represent all that is Oklahoma and its history. Best remembered, and notable more so then 1907 statehood, is the Oklahoma Territory land rush of 1889. Most people in America know little that 1907 is the year of Oklahoma gaining statehood. On the other hand, most Americans are aware of Oklahoma’s land rush of 1889 as they are of California’s 1849 gold rush. It was the most unique event of the century. 89ers is easy to say. It represents Oklahoma’s proud history and is unique to the NBA as well as the other states of our nation.”
Two words: Clay Bennett. When Bennett ran the 89ers baseball team, he changed the name to RedHawks. Can’t see him restoring the name. I actually loved the 89ers name, but it’s not even close to all-inclusive. I can’t see the Indians getting too excited about the 89er name. And while it was unique, I don’t know that the Oklahoma land run matches the War Between the States in terms of 19th-century uniqueness. And John has more faith than do I in the history acumen of modern Americans. I doubt most Americans are aware of 1889 Oklahoma or 1849 California.
Karen asks, “How about AEROS for the new basketball team? Red flanked with silver arrows to bring in some of our Native American Oklahoma history. So much cooler than Barons (fat and rich) and black and gold (yawn).”
I’m not all that crazy about Aeros, but I love red and silver. I like black and gold, but red and silver is really good.
People also responded to my column about Pendarvis, who didn’t win state championships at U.S. Grant but most definitely changed the lives of the girls on his teams. Geary wrote, “Thanks for introducing the rest of us to a good man! The sad part of it is that men like Pendarvis make the papers once every blue moon, whereas the boys like Pacman will be there constantly.”
Actually, we write a lot about good people. Unfortunately, readers tend to remember the scandalous stuff.
Jim wrote, “Very touching article on Billy Pendarvis. Brought tears to my eyes. What a remarkable man. I need to revise my thoughts about you. Berry, I have always viewed you as a tough, let the chips fall where they may, type of writer. Talented, but somewhat aloof and maybe ever a little arrogant. Now I guess I’ll have to add compassionate and understanding as well. Thanks for taking the time to research and write about a coach and his kids whose athletic accomplishments are not necessarily newsworthy. You probably won’t, but you should get some kind of award for this article.”
I think I’ve just been insulted.
The NFL draft drew some views. Joe wrote, “Read your article on the (Cowboys) draft. Did they really help themselves? I thought the RBs were good. Some experts thought Mendenhall was better than Jones, but that maybe Jones was better for what the Cowboys needed. I guess they improved in the secondary if PacMan can just give them one good season before going to jail again. I guess Jenkins is highly thought of. I questioned them not getting a WR. They stated that they felt there was not one in the draft that could be as productive the next two years as Terry Glenn which may be true if he is healthy. However, he will be 34 next year and TO, 35. It will be a stroke of luck if they can play all year and be productive. Choice was a steal at where they got him and he could be very good for them.”
You can’t beef up every position. You’ve got to pick your spots.
Roger wrote, “I have been pondering: which player in this year’s NFL draft will make the biggest impact over the length of his career? I believe that man is Glen Dorsey of LSU. In a class loaded with defensive line talent, I believe Dorsey will prove to be the most disruptive to an opposing offense. His play reminds me of defensive linemen like Warren Sapp and Reggie White – intimidating the offense by his strength, quickness and high energy. Last year I said that Adrian Peterson was the most explosive back since Jim Brown and that AD would be the best of his rookie class. Well, Adrian had a nice year, but he didn’t quite equal Jim Brown — not yet — but if the Vikings find an effective passing attack I think Adrian can still do it. He will get better!”
I don’t know if Dorsey will be a great player or not, but any team that takes Matt Ryan over Dorsey (that’s you, Falcons) deserves to be a franchise in tatters.
The name change wasn’t the only NBA topic on the minds of readers. Brian wrote, “I just read a story that said Sonics’ tickets are the NBA’s fifth-cheapest, soft drinks are $1 and programs are free. That’s good news for all fans. However, the same article lamented about the price of other things in relation to other NBA venues…hats ($19), parking ($15), beer ($6.25) and dogs ($5) all rank among the most expensive in the league. Do you think that’s something patrons will have to worry about when the Sonics arrive?”
If I was a patron of the NBA or the local movie house, concessions and ticket prices would always be a concern.
Craig wrote, “I am happy for the Hornets but feel kind of weird after paying $18K per year for two years for tickets only to see the team gel and come together in New Orleans. I figured that was about to happen after last year, though. New Orleans was last in attendance before Katrina. I really believe the Hornets, as a team, would not be where they are today had they not come through OKC first.”
Maybe not, but let’s give Byron Scott and Jeff Bower credit. They’ve put together a heck of a team, primarily seeing in Tyson Chandler what the Chicago Bulls apparently couldn’t see.
Brian wrote, “I am an avid OU fan and football season ticket holder. I travel to several of the away games. With all of the anger and frustration by Sonics fans towards Oklahoma City, how do you think the OU football team and fans will be treated by the locals when they are in Seattle this fall? I haven’t heard or read any comments on this.”
Well, I think most of the anger and frustration is directed at the Sonics’ ownership, not Oklahoma City, so unless you’re Clay Bennett, all OU football fans should be safe. And in case you haven’t noticed, all the big talkers on email cower down in real life.
And finally, some good old college basketball talk. Robert asked, “Is there any chance (Daniel) Bobik would be considered as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma State basketball team? Always liked Bobik. His defensive skills could possibly be a valued attribute for an assistant coach.”
I love Daniel Bobik. But they usually gives those jobs to guys who are, you know, actually in coaching.
A plug for Pendarvis
Rarely do I plug one of my future columns. But I’m going to do it today. In the Friday Oklahoman, I’m writing about U.S. Grant girls tennis coach Billy Pendarvis and the remarkable things he’s done with that program.
Oklahoma City Public Schools are a little bit of a cause of mine. I write about them when I can. Athletics, like a lot of things in the city schools have been mistreated. Underfunded. Undersupported. Underadministered. The people who should be responsible — and maybe that includes us all — have fallen on the job.
There is a lack of pride in OKC schools. A lack of discipline, yes, but that stems from a lack of pride. Billy Pendarvis, in a small way, in the little circle of girls tennis at a south-side school, has changed that.
I think you will enjoy reading about him, and I think it’s important that we find more Billy Pendarvises. His kind is the hope for the future.
