ANSAN 2009
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Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN TUESDAY APRIL 21, 2009
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DRAFT PREDICTORS NOT WORTH A CENT
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CELTICS HOLD LEAD TO EVEN OUT SERIES
WWW.KANSAN.COM
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2009
Boston takes 118-115 victory in Game 2 despite Gordon's 42. NBA 15B
ALL IN THE FAMILY
PAGE 1B
From left: freshman outfieldier Jason Brunansky, Redshirt sophomore pitcher Brett Bochy, and senior catcher Buck Afenir all have fathers or uncles who were players in Major League Baseball. Brunansky's father played for the 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins, and Bochy's father has managed the San Francisco Giants since 2006. Afenir's uncle's played four seasons of Major League Baseball.
Baseball roots run deep for Jayhawks
Family ties to the MLB play a big part in the lives of three team members
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
While it was a great experience, the now-freshman outfielder for Kansas took it as nonchalantly as fielding a fly ball, even when he met perennial All-Stars Torii Hunter, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.
In the summer of 2007, Jason Brunansky was preparing for his final year of high school. He did something not out of the ordinary; he went on a trip with his father. Except this wasn't just any summer vacation. Brunansky and his father headed to Minneapolis to celebrate the anniversary of the Minnesota Twins' 1987 World Series Championship. Brunansky's father, Tom Brunansky, played left field for the Twins in the series.
"I got to meet all of his teammates and it was quite interesting to get their ideas on the current
status of the MLB," Brunansky said. "I got to go into the clubhouse to see all the current Twins players, it was cool."
Jason Brunansky is one of three players who have close family connections to Major League Baseball. Brunansky is joined by junior relief pitcher Brett Bochy, whose father, Bruce Bochy, is the manager for the San Francisco Giants and senior catcher Buck Alenir, whose uncle, Troy Afenir, played professional baseball for Oakland Athletics for the majority of his short career.
All three remember the way baseball permeated their lives. Their fathers and uncle, respectively, were an integral part in their development of game and life skills.
"Most people look at him and
Kansas vs. Baker
6 p.m.
Hoglund Ballpark
Even though his dad was a World Series champion, Brunansky said he never felt as if his childhood was affected by his father's stardom.
Admission is free for students with a valid KUID.
they are like 'Oh my gosh, a professional baseball player, that's amazing!" Jason said. "I just kind of got used to it. I mean he's my dad; it's funny looking how people react to it."
Brunansky and Afenit were very young when their respective family members retired from the game, so
neither of them had to deal with a father or uncle constantly being away from the family. Bochy's father, on the other hand, took over as manager of the San Diego Padres in 1995. He had retired from the game in 1987, the same year Brett was born.
Despite this, though, Brett said he never felt like playing baseball was a chore growing up.
"He definitely helped a lot," Brett said. "He didn't make it an issue to force it on me, but he definitely helped out in my path to getting where I am today."
Brunansky said he feels he wouldn't be the player he is right now without the lessons that his father taught him about the game and life.
"I believe it's unimaginable how much information he's been able to
Tom Brunansky
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DADS AND UNCLES
SEE FAMILY ON PAGE 3B
Father of: Freshman center fielder Jason Brunansky Major League seasons: 14 (retired)
Career totals: 245 batting average, 271 home runs, 919 RBIs
Awards and accomplishments: 1985 American League All-Star, 1987 World Series champion
Bruce Bochy
Father of: Sophomore reliever Brett Bochy
Major League seasons: 21— Eight as player, 13 as manager (Currently managing San Francisco Giants)
Career totals: As a player: 239
batting average, 26 homeruns,
93 RBI. As a manager: 1098
wins,1164 losses..485 winning percentage
Awards and accomplishments: Four National League West division titles (1996, 1998, 2005, 2006) one National League Pennant (1998) National League Manager of the year (1996) National League manager at 1999 All-Star game
Troy Afenir
Uncle of: Senior catcher Buck Afenir
Major League seasons: Four (retired)
Career totals: .190 batting average, no home runs, seven RBI
Awards and accomplishments: None
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Henry brothers further delay decision
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Xavier and C.J. Henry might want to invest in a Magic 8-Ball because they're having trouble making decisions.
Xavier Henry, the No. 3 recruit in the nation according to Rivals, com, and his older brother, C.J. Henry, made yet another change of plans Monday. Carl Henry, Xavier
and C.J.'s father, told Rivals early in the day that his sons would not take their scheduled official visit to Kentucky this weekend.
Hours later, Zagsblog.com reported that the Henrys would indeed travel to Kentucky to meet
X. Henry
with coach John Calipari.
"N o w, they'regoing to visit Kentucky at the end of the week." Carl Henry told Zagslog, "My
youngest son called me and said he wanted to go visit."
C. J. Henry
together next season. Kansas and Kentucky are the only two schools they are seriously considering.
Xavier and C.J. both want to play
Carl had told Rivals that a decision could come as early as Wednesday. Now that they are visiting Kentucky, however, the Henrys probably won't announce until late next week at the earliest. But is there a date for their
SOFTBALL
SEE RECRUITING ON PAGE 3B
Jayhawks take on the Golden Hurricane
With six conference games left, the jayhawks (16-25, 4-8) could finish as high as 10-8 in the conference, and a favorable
Statistically out of the chase for the Big 12 Conference regular season title, the Kansas Jayhawks now have to jockey for position.
BY TOM POWERS
tpowers@kansan.com
Kansas looks for a victory over Tulsa to build momentum before its last six conference games
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 3B
Kansas vs. Tulsa
Tulsa, Okla.
Game 1: 3 p.m.
Game 2: 5 p.m.
Jerry Wang/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Jerry Wang
Senior outfielder Dougie McCaulley dives for a catch during the Jayhawks' April 11 game against Oklahoma. The Jayhawks won 4-2 against the Sooners, but a string of losses earlier in the season will prevent the team from winning the Big 12 Conference regular season title.
COMMENTARY
Perkins deserves his bonus but it needs to be reworked
It is easy to forget where the money for athletics comes from. It's far easier to hop on a bandwagon, disenfranchised that the University has "given" Athletics millions of dollars again, instead of spending it elsewhere.
The Journal-World's editorial had plenty of spice, calling Perkins "controversial" and saying that he could walk away from Kansas with "who knows what other goodies," but made no allusion as to why he is "controversial" and what those "goodies" may be.
I knew that reports last week of Athletics Director Lew Perkins getting an additional $750,000 tacked onto his "retention bonus" would fire up colorful reactions from local media and residents. I was pleasantly surprised at times and disappointed at others.
It also misses when stating that the bonus hits "particularly hard" amidst University budget cuts. The
A Lawrence Journal-World editorial calling Perkins' bonus "unseemly" materialized last Thursday after Sweet Lew's perks were made public. To use some sports lingo, it showed flashes of potential but could use a little more practice
bonus, like the money that funds the construction and renovation of athletic facilities, is privately accumulated through revenues and donations. But in the same breath, when the editorial cites a recent temporary suspension by Athletics of faculty and staff ticket discounts, we have legitimate reason for displeasure.
Furthermore, the editorial scores when it critiques the bonus itself — which is what should be this conversation's focus. The $750,000 is being added to a preexisting $1.3 million retention bonus that will be payable Aug. 1 if Perkins stays through June 30. If left unchanged, the bonus could allow Perkins to walk away this fall with a $2.05 million bonus for
SFE MONTEMAYOR ON PAGE 3B