4B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUFSDAY SEPTEMBER 18,2007
SHROYER (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
I was able to field most of the balls hit right to me, but far too many grounders sprung from the web of my glove, ricocheted off my glove or scooted under my glove completely. Of course, rattled by my shaky fielding and still hesitant to cut loose, I didn't improve my throwing in the field.
Luckily, on day one I got to exhibit my specialty — standing on first and taking throws. But one fellow tryout participant gave me something to remember the rest of the week.
As infielders tested their arm strength from shortstop, all it took was for that old familiar sting to return to the index finger on my glove hand to figure out that Mike
Irvine, Chicago senior, had the best arm of the bunch. To put it mildly, Mike had a rifle for an arm. In fact, Mike could do it all. If anyone is going to make the cut, he's my pick.
REDEMPTION
That's the beautiful thing about baseball, though; it's a redemptive game.
Considering how I'd done warming up, fielding grounders and not forgetting how poorly batting practice had gone for me the week before. I wasn't expecting to do any better at the plate during outouts.
First, we took front toss from coach Kevin Tucker in the batting cages. To my surprise, I made consistent, solid contact. My pants didn't fall down, and I didn't injure anyone. I just hit the ball.
But before taking batting practice from coach Ritch Price on the field, I took extra swings with Tucker. The blisters on my hand were screaming for me to stop, but I had to be sure I was ready.
"Better than I throw," I told them.
When I got to the field, Price and coach Kevin Frady were both curious to know how I hit.
This was it. If I couldn't even look like a baseball player during batting practice, I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to show my face for the next two days of trouts.
Then it came. After taking a few
"Base hit at Hoglund Ballpark!"
Price said.
uneventful backs, i sent a shot to the right-field grass.
I can't describe what it felt like to hear Price utter those words. All I can say is it is sweeter than any Vin Scully or Jack Buck play-by-play.
I guess I did two things right last week. I played first base, and I hit well during batting practice.
On the second and third days, we got to face live pitching. Unfortunately, the pitchers who were trying out didn't throw me any fat ones like Tucker, Price and Frady did.
On day two I went up against Zach Gaarner, Troy sophomore.
This poor guy had taken so many bad throws from me that I wouldn't have blamed him for planting his first pitch between my shoulder blades. Instead, he fed me a fastball down the middle, and I swung away. Foul tip. Strike one.
Then Zach unleashed a breaking ball away, and I laid off. One ball, one strike. I sent the next pitch, another fastball, toward the bullpen down the left-field line. If I were right-handed, it might have intimidated Zach. One ball, two strikes.
Determined that I wouldn't go down looking, I went down swinging at a breaking ball in the dirt.
On day three I faced Kyle
Knutson, Olathe junior, who has one heck of a heater.
I've heard Tony Gwynn talk about how he never wanted to know what pitch was coming next. I found out why.
>> NFL
After I worked a full count against Kyle, coach Ryan Graves told him to throw me a fastball. Even though I knew it was coming
— and it came right down the pipe
— I went down swinging.
But worse things have happened to me during tryouts. As I head into today's scrimimage, I have one goal in mind: Cut loose. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll be in the right place at the right time again.
— Edited by Tara Smith
Patriots shrug off 'Spygate' scandal punishment
BY JIM LITKE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Any remaining doubts that Bill Belichick got off easy should have evaporated by the end of the first quarter.
It was New England 14, San Diego 0 at that point Sunday night, and it was already apparent things were only going to get worse for the Chargers, and the rest of the NFL from there on out.
"What it was, was a trap for us, really," San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson said shortly after the Patriots put the finishing touches on a 38-14 win.
What he meant was any coach worth his motivational salt, let alone a master manipulator like Belichick, would have no problem lighting a fire under his team after the events of last week. "Spygate" was bulletin-board material, all right, in block letters 4 feet high.
"So I wasn't surprised at all by how well they played," Tomlinson summed up.
Whether the same can be said
for commissioner Roger Goodell is anyone's guess.
Like everyone else who follows football, Goodell must have known Belichick and the Patriots' organization were going all-in this season. After winning three Super Bowls
in four years,
then missing out on the past two, their plan was to win it all now. That's why owner Robert Kraft opened his wallet, trading for Randy Moss.
"At times it was challenging," he said referring to his players, "but they stayed focused."
That was putting it mildly.
Tom Brady connected on 5-ot-0 passes in the Pats' efficient opening drive, presumably without any
Right now there seems to be little hope of slowing the Patriots, though 'Spygate' may have legs.
signing three other receivers and handing Adalius Thomas $7 million a year.
So how much, really, did Goodell think he was going to accomplish by taking away a likely No. 1 draft pick next season (the Patriots have two), fining Belichick $500,000 and the franchise an additional $250,000?
Based on scant evidence, even the commissioner would have to conclude: not enough.
Belichick acknowledged as much, in his typically cryptic way.
New England by intercepting an illadvised pass from San Diego's Philip Rivers and returning it 65 yards for another score.
As the clock ticked off the final seconds, Brady, Moss and Thomas joined a long line of New England stalwarts congratulating Belichick like he was the father of the bride.
Perhaps the only thing more impressive than the game plan Belichick put together to stymie the Chargers was how thoroughly he masked his satisfaction afterward.
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While noting the amount of the fines and likely penalizing New England a No.1 draft pick were "unprecedented," Goodell also reserved the right to pile more punishment on the organization if additional information became available. He also said he expected full cooperation regarding some other materials he requested.
Preparation is what Belichick does better than anyone else in the business, and if Goodell wanted to whack the Patriots, that's where he should have aimed his stick and suspended Belichick for a game or two.
If reports are true the coach recently signed a contract extension paying him in the $5 million range through 2013, the least effective punishment is hitting him in the wallet. The only way he gets the message is if it costs his team some
When someone asked whether this had been one of his most difficult weeks as a coach, Belichick answered with a straight face, "The Chargers are a tough football team. They're not easy to prepare for."
Right now there seems to be little hope of slowing the Patriots, though "Spygate" may have legs.
Call 1-866-4AF-ROTC or visit AFROTC.COM.
"I'm very confident the Patriots are going to abide by the rules," Goodell said in a pregame interview on NBC. "They understand that the consequences could increase."
Whispers continue to circulate that New England defensive lineman may have been stealing opponents' radio signals ahead of the snap. That would explain league reports that the Patriots were using more radio frequencies against the Jets than
Just one loss could make the difference between the Patriots going on the road during the postseason or playing at home. A loss to the Chargers might have significantly altered the playoff picture, since they're expected to push the Patriots and Colts in the AFC title race despite early season scoring problems.
Judging by their performance, Belichick and the Patriots don't seem too worried.
games.
league rules allow.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick watches his team prepare before Sunday's game against the Chargers. Belichick escaped suspension for using a video camera to spy on opposing coaches and was able to prepare as usual with his team. He did receive a $500,000 fine in addition to a $250,000 fine placed on the Patriots organization.
The University of Kansas Department of Theatre and Film University Theatre & Theatre for Young People Present
Lewis Carroll's THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS 2007
2.30 p.m.
Sunday
September 23, 2007
William Inge
Memorial Theatre
Murphy Hall
1530 Naismith Drive
AND WHAT ALICE FOUND THERE
Adapted by Rosemary Nursey-Bray
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