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Thursday, September 11, 1975
University Daily Kansan
9
O'Rear switches sports careers
Ol' John O'Reilly finally decided this summer he'd had enough of 12-hour bus rides, greasy hamburgers and dirt-carpeted baseball parks.
For the past four summers, O'Rear had spent his time as a shortstop in the Baltimore Orioles organization, and it was a well-breasted good team to play in a rookie league to Double-A ball.
But O'Rear said there was another, more solid reason he left pro baseball.
"HITTING I - JUST WASN'T good enough to match," he said, at least in terms of basketball.
With his rise in the Oriole chain stalled, O'Rear had to decide whether he could afford it.
"The told me I'd probably be back in the next year. Well, that didn't go with me."
"I went in and talked to the front office a few weeks ago, and talked about next year and my future," he explained. "They told me we were counting on me. Of course, they're going to say that, regardless, to keep you around.
So O'Rear started looking for another future. It wasn't that hard to find one, thanks to new KU football coach Bud Anderson, wanted O'Rear in a Jabvah uniform.
He's already running as KU's third-string quarterback.
WHEN 'O'REAR TALKED to Moore, the
balloon of a football
scholarship. O'Rear took it.
Actually, Moore had tried to get the rugged 6-foot, 180-pound O'Rear when he graduated from high school four years ago. He then drafted in the second round by the Orleans.
Although he wasn't $100,000 bonus baby,
O'Rear said the Baltimore offer had been a
million.
"Being drafted number two—that's high enough to make you think they want you."
Apparently, though, O'Rear didn't want
the Orioles anymore this summer, even though he'd made the mid-season Southern League All-Star team. He was in a late season slump, but his hitting to miraculously improve next year.
IN HIS FIRST SEASON, playing in a rookie league, O'Neal had his 28%. In the second season, he scored 140.
Inside Sports by Yael Abouhalkal
237. Last summer, in Double-A ball in the California ST. League, he swagged away at a 253 clip. When he left the Southern League a few weeks ago, he was hitting. 237.
"You can hit .237 playing shortstop in the major联赛," O Fareal said, then added with a smile. "But you can't get to the big leagues hitting .237 in the minors."
O'Rear said the horror stories about minor league football for all buses and busrides is true.
"It depends on what league you get in," he said. "The Florida St. League had real good ball parks and the travel wasn't bad." The Southern League, on the other hand,
"THE BUS RIDES WERE terrible—they're the worst part of minor leagues. Some rides last 12 to 14 hours. You're sitting in the bus, cramped and uncomfortable. Some of hamburgers, a lot of greasy food, it's the best thing to keep fit to play pro-baseball.
There's a lot of hotel-eating, also,
therefore when the daily meat allowance is
just £7.50
"You eat in a hotel three or four times and you don't need their menu anymore," he said smiling. "Most of the times it all tastes the same."
BASEBALL'S LOSS, HOWEVER, is gain for the Jawhay football team.
"He's still a little uncertain on a lot of plays," Moore said at the time. "But he's a good runner and I look for him to develop into a fine player."
There's definitely a difference between the two sports, O'Rear said.
Moore said recently he'd been impressed with the way O'Rear had adapted football skills and plays, after his baseball-oriented past.
"Football's a lot tougher physically," he said. "Baseball has a more mental strain, because you're playing every day, going through it. You don't get banged around as much, either."
O'Rear realizes his football skills are a little rusty.
"IT'S TAKING ME TIME to get used to the football and get in shape," he said. "It's different because you're using different materials, so we had thought it would to get the feel of it again."
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"I like baseball, I really do," he asserted,
"I probably like it as much as football,
maybe even more. I'm glad I played it. But
I don't like it too much." He got to where
I thought I was being used.
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Overall, O'Rear doesn't have many regrets over leaving baseball.
"I just decided to get my education and figured this was the best way to get it."
Staff Photo by GEORGE MILLENEI
John O'Rear
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