4B
/ SPORTS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
MLB
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St. Louis Cardinals batting coach Mark McGwire works with Cardinals outfielder Colby Rasmus in the batting cage at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. McGwire was due to arrive in Jupiter, Fla., later Tuesday for baseball spring training.
McGwire gets back in the game
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JUPITER, Fla. — Mark McGwire's No. 25 jersey is ready for duty again, hanging outside his locker stall in the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training clubhouse.
The most controversial batting instructor in the major leagues was due to arrive in Jupiter late Tuesday and could be on the field as early as today, the date for pitchers and catchers to report for St. Louis.
Several of his pupils are already here, including second baseman
Skip Schumaker, who is among a handful of Cardinals familiar with McGwire's passion for hitting after offseason workouts in California. He's perhaps McGwire's biggest booster on the team, having worked with the slugger he grew up idolizing since 2005.
The leadoff hitter had one complaint: No longer will he have McGwire's undivided attention.
"I'm excited about it," Schumaker said. "I'm not excited I have to share him. He's helped me a whole lot the last couple of years and I'm excited to have him for a full season."
Last month, McGwire ended more than a decade of denials and evasion by admitting that he used steroids and human growth hormones as he became a home run king. Schumaker said teammates would quickly learn that McGwire, though tarred and feathered by many as a poster boy for performance-enhancing drugs and thus far locked out of the Hall of Fame despite his 583 homers, has plenty to offer.
"He preaches consistency and not to have a roller coaster type of year, and to know your swing," Schumaker said. "He's convinced me I know my swing and he's always been super positive."
Big Mac's return to baseball comes just over a month after admitting to steroids use during his dramatic power surge in the 1990s, including his then-record 70-homer season in '98. In January, the Cardinals were optimistic that McGwire would be able to fully focus on his coaching debut after he submitted to a round of interviews. Manager Tony La Russa went beyond optimism, basically warning that McGwire would have plenty on his plate without revisiting his flawed career.
"What more is there to say? This is definitely go forward time."
Undoubtedly, there will be more questions when the 46-year-old McGwire shows up. His assertion that steroids allowed him to heal from injuries but did not offer a power boost was bothersome to many, with even general manager John Mozeliak weighing in against that notion.
Until the hubbub dies down, the clubhouse and the field will be McGwire's sanctuary. He figures to get a royal reception from players who won't judge him for any misdeeds from the past.
"He has been more forthcoming than anybody yet," La Rusa said.
"I'm happy I wasn't playing in that era so I didn't have to even think about it," said Joe Mather, a candidate for the Cardinals's vacant third base job. "But you can't really go back and judge somebody when you were never really there."
Several pointed out that during McGwire's heyday, pitchers had equal access to steroids.
Growing up, Mother always wore McGwire's number.
"He was my guy," Mather said. "I'm looking forward to it, that's for sure. All I've heard is good things."
Jayhawks finish fourth in Houston
BY ANDREW WITUSZYNSKI
awitusznski@kansan.com
MEN'S GOLF
After day one at the Rice Intercollegiate in Houston Monday, the Kansas Jayhawks were frustrated and disappointed, but they were also optimistic about the final round.
That optimism helped the Jayhawks jump from eighth place Monday to a fourth place finish Tuesday afternoon.
"If they had buried their heads and given up that could have really hurt us," coach Kit Grove said, "But the team stayed positive and played well today."
Leading the way was Nate Barbee, a junior from Dakota Dunes, S.D., and Bryan Hackenberg, a senior from Denver.
Barbee, for the 10th time this season, shot an under-par round with a score of 71 and Hackenbergwas right behind him finishing with an even par score of 72.
"Nate and
Kansas pulled off both of those feats in just 18 holes of golf.
With the fourth place finish,
the Jayhawks earned their fourth
"Nate and Hack really came through for us," Grove said, "This is a big finish for the team to start off the spring."
Grove had two goals for the final round. The first: get in to the top-five on the team leaderboard. The second: surpass Big 12 rival, Nebraska.
Perhaps more importantly, they got even with Nebraska for beating Kansas this past fall.
top-five finish as a team this season in just six events.
"I'll take it considering all the weather conditions and it being the first tournament of the spring."
"This was really good for
"It's nice to have an extra eye out there on all the putts." Barbee said. "It gives me a lot of confidence when standing over the
"I always walk with Nate in the last round and I think it gives him a little bit of a comfort zone," Grove said.
NATE BARBEE Denver junior
For a player, having a coach to walk with and give advice during a round can be beneficial.
Barbee's two goals after Monday were to get into the top five as a team and individually, and Barbee helped make both of those goals a
reality Tuesday.
Typically, Grove walks with one of the freshman players, but since the end of Barbee's freshman year, Grove has chosen to walk with Barbee throughout the final round.
On Tuesday, Grove walked with Barbee during the final round — each coach is allowed to walk with one player during each round.
"I'll take it considering all the weather conditions and it being the first tournament of the spring"; Barbee said.
"Chris and Alex really pulled it together, which was great, because we needed somebody else to step up," Hackenberg said, "Putting really made the difference today for all of us."
ball."
Kansas surpassed Grove's expectations, coming in fourth place, and he said he was proud of the team.
us to beat Nebraska, it took a lot of team work for us to pull that off and we're excited about it," Hackenberg said.
Chris Gilbert, a freshman from Simi Valley, Calif., recorded a final round of 76 and Alex Gutesha, a freshman from Greenwood Village, Colo.,
"The boys were ready to go today but not as nervous and amped up as they were yesterday"
Barbee's one-under day and third place result secured his 10th top 10 finish in his career.
shot a 77.
"The boys were ready to go
KIT GROVE Coach
"We took a step towards becoming postseason eligible today, and we need to use this tournament to build some more confidence," Grove said. "This result will definitely help our ranking."
have their first tournament of the spring behind them they can surely relax a little more.
Edited by Kate Larrabee
today, but not as nervous and amped up as they were yesterday," Grove said. "Rarely do you play good golf when you're not relaxed."
Now that the lavhawks
She's number one
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Gold medalist Korea's Lee Sang-Hwa reacts on the podium during the flower ceremony at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday. She won the women's 500-meter speed skating race at the Richmond Olympic Oval.