6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2007
BY SHAWN SHROYER
A CONVERSATION WITH BASEBALL COACH RITCH PRICE ABOUT HIS EARLY INFLUENCES AND LOVE OF THE GAME.
Q.
Q. Your sons obviously had you to look up to you to get into baseball, but who were some of your inspirations to get into the game?
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A. At an early age it was my dad. My dad was a high school coach, both my uncles were high school coaches and my grandfather coached an American Legion team when I was growing up. I pretty much grew up on the baseball field. Once I got into playing, my junior college coach, Dick McLean, was my role model for how to coach players and how
to relate to players.
Q.
Q. So with all that baseball heritage, did your sons really have a choice as to what sport they played?
A. I've been really lucky. I raised three boys who could play in the Big 12, and I've never once made those guys go to the field and practice. They've pretty much grown up playing Wiffle Ball from the time they could walk. I feel very fortunate that all three of them have a passion for the game.
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Q. Did you ever have any superstitions as a player?
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A. Are you kidding me? If I got a base hit walking a certain way up to the batter's box, I walked the same way. If I made an out, I walked a different way the next time. I might be one of the most hyper-superstitious guys in America, there's no doubt about that. If I see a penny when I'm jogging on game days, I stop and pick it up for good luck.
Q. Any other superstitions you have now as a coach?
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A. I don't step on the lines when I go across the field. Whatever we've done the day before that works, I try to repeat that the next day and use that as a good luck charm. That's one of the interesting things about athletics. The more you play and the longer you're in the game, the more superstitious you do get because there's such a fine line between winning and losing and we're all trying not to put a jinx on ourselves.
Q. Growing up on the West Coast, which team did you follow?
A. I've been a Giants fan my whole life. I grew up listening to Willie Mays on the radio and when they finally started putting games on TV and we moved to Oregon, that's all we got. We got the Giants before the Pilots and then the Mariners came to Seattle.
A.
Q. Who are some of your favorite players?
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A. I'm a huge Willie Mays fan. I thought he was the greatest player I'd ever seen play growing up. As I've gotten into coaching, I'm a huge fan of Ryne Sandberg for how professional he is, and Cal Ripken Jr. for his respect for the game, and Tony Gwynn is another guy I have phenomenal respect for. I named my middle son after Ryne Sandberg. I named my youngest son after Robbie Thompson, who was a second baseman for the Giants and could really turn a double play. And I named my oldest son after my dad, who was a second baseman
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Q. Would you say Willie Mays is the best all-around player to play the game?
A
A. He's the greatest player I've ever seen play, next to Alex Rodriguez. I now think Alex Rodriguez is the greatest player of his generation as well.
Q. Speaking of the Giants, what do you think of Barry Bonds and everything that went on with him over the summer?
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A. He's had an incredible run in San Francisco. The fans and the organization have been incredibly loyal to him. He actually helped build the stadium. There was a time the Giants were talking about moving when they were in Candlestick Park. To see that ballpark now, which may be the very best in baseball, it's a tribute to him. They talk about Yankee Stadium being the house that Ruth built, well Barry Bonds built Pac Bell. I think it's time for him to leave, too. Barry's time has come and gone and it's time for the Giants to move in a different direction.
end of the regular season, there's been talk about bringing instant replay to baseball. Would something like that work in baseball?
It's interesting because we all watched the tag play at the plate and when (Michael) Barrett put his foot right in front of the plate and (Matt) Holliday slid in, it's obvious he didn't touch home plate. So, if they had replay, they could've overturned that play. But I think the great thing about baseball is there is that factor that the umpires make right calls and wrong calls. It's part of the game. It's been that way for over 100 years. It'd be a shame to change it. It's like the ball-strike thing, every umpire is different as you know. It's an adjustment players and pitchers have to make. I think they ought to leave it alone.
O.
Q. Are you in favor of the DH or do you think pitchers should bat?
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A. I like the fact that the leagues are different. It adds to the intrigue and controversy of the game and it makes a difference between the leagues. I think it's a good thing. Being a college guy, we hit for our pitchers and we have to hit for our pitchers because most of them are just awful.
A.
Q. What do you think about Interleague play?
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I love it. It breaks up the monotony of the teams playing each other too much. You look at the rivalries you can get, like when the Royals and Cardinals play, and that never happened before Interleague play. In California, we get the Giants and the As going across the Bay Bridge to play and the Subway Series in New York. It's been a gold mine for baseball.
Q. With what happened during the Rockies-Padres game at the
O.
Q. In the college game, do you like metal bats, or do you think they should use wood?
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A. With the fact that our players are still learning to play the game properly, the metal bat makes the game a lot more fun to watch. I go out and watch my kids play in the summer time with wood bats and the scores are 2-1 and 3-2. The purists say that's how the game should
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be played. I personally think it's like watching a football game that's 7-3. I think it's boring. I like to see runs put on the board and see the ball hit out of the ballpark. I think it's a good thing for college baseball.
A
Q. What do you think of base ball coaches wearing uniforms?
A. Well, there's a lot of us that look really bad. There's no doubt about that. You look at some of the coaches and it's almost embarrassing how out of shape that they are. It's probably too bad that they can't wear polo shirts, wind jackets and shorts. They'd probably look a little more professional on the field.
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Q. I noticed you have "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis on your bookshelf. What do you think about baseball philosophers like Billy Beane and Bill James?
A. A lot of it's really interesting. I think Bill James has been good for the game. I think "Moneyball" was good for the game because it questioned the way some things were being done. I also think there's a lot of things in the book that aren't true. You can sit and analyze data in baseball and the great thing is, you can argue with half the stats "Moneyball" has. I do think the game is won with home runs. It's won with two-base hits and home runs. Those playoff games are won when you face the best pitchers in the game and the best pitchers don't walk guys. But, it was very, very good for the game.
Q. And, my last question for you: I noticed in your bio you were an assistant football coach at Menlo College. What was that like?
A.
I was 27 years old when I got the job at Menlo College, and it was a really good experience. The great thing it did for me was, I was fortunate enough to get a head high school job right out of college, so I was like three years ahead of the process when I got out of school, but I'd never been an assistant. It gave me a chance to be an assistant coach and the best thing I got out of it was the organization. Head football coaches do that better than anybody as far as how to organize practices and stay on time and use time management. It helped me in those regards, and I liked it. I liked it a lot.
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell