McGwire hits the Mark i
It was a five-year reunion of sorts
last weekend in Kansas City, Mo.
when the Oakland Athletics came to
town to play the Royals.
No, it wasn’t a player-player re
union nor one between managers. It
was more special than that.
This reunion was between player
and reporter, a type of relationship
that can often look like a calfight, but
usually more resembles a friendship.
I would consider my relationship
with Oakland slugger Mark McGwire
more of the latter.
Jeff
McGwire and I, both graduates of
Damien High School — a 1,200 stu
dent, all-male catholic school in La
Veme, Calif. — met previously in
1987.
McGwire was an unknown rookie
first baseman who had just come up
from the minor leagues in the spring
of that year. I was completing my
sophomore year at Damien, and was a
sports reporter with the school paper,
the Laconian.
I though t it would be a good idea to
interview McGwire, whose A’s were
playing the California Angels in Ana
heim, Cal i f., because this former Spar
tan was believed to be a flash in the
pan and with Oakland on a temporary
basis. (McGwire went on that season
to set the American League’s rookie
record with 49 home runs and hasn’t
looked back since).
With most of the fans at the “Big
A” on that sunny, smoggy Saturday
afternoon hounding such Athletic stars
as Jose Canseco and Dave Stewart, it
was easy to contact the unheralded
McGwire.
i iiiixuuutcu iiiy:>cii
student, McGwire’s response was
“that’s unfortunate.” He was prob
ably referring to the problem that
haunts Spartans of past and present,
who by attending an all-male high
school have had their sexual prefer
ence constantly questioned by the
public schools in the league.
But overall, McGwire was courte
ous during our short conversation,
which ranged from talking about
Damien teachers to that afternoon’s
game.
Through that talk, I could tell that
McGwire was a Damien brother, a
feeling shared by students and alumni
alike who carry that Spartan torch
with them everywhere they go.
But since this meeting last decade,
the 6-foot-5 McGwire has developed
into a perennial all-star, while I have
gone on to become a senior sports
reporter with the Daily Nebraskan.
Which is the greater accomplish
ment? Who’s to say.
But how friendly would McGwire
be, who is currently Major League
Baseball’s home run leader, now thai
he has surpassed expectations anc
become a multi-million dollar player
Well, il didn’t start out well, as
during batting practice last Friday, I
went up to the Oakland first baseman
and asked him for an interview after
introducing myself as being a fellow
Damicn-alumnus and being with the
Daily Nebraskan.
His response was “that’s unfortu
nate,” and since he was neither a UNL
student nor administrator, I figured he
was once again referring to Damien as
he did five years ago, and not the DN.
He told me that an interview
wouldn’t be possible on that day, and
said I should try back some other
time.
A fellow reporter saw my inability
to get some quotes, to which he told
me, “Don’t let it get you down —
McGwire’s a tough guy to talk to,” he
said. “We’re just like flies to them.”
As I was standing on the Royals
turf watching the Athletics continue
their batting practice by hitting balls
over the outfield fence and into Roy- j
als Stadium’s famed waterfalls, I fell
like my biggest baseball hero had just
let me down.
I have learned from previous expe- j
rience that when a person you look up
to shuns you away, there is no worse
feeling a person can go through.
' But no matter how big of a star
McGwire had become, I knew Mark
still had his Damien fire burning in his
heart and wouldn’t let me down.
I was right.
Following the game, in which the
A’s lost 6*5 despite McGwire’s 32nd
home run, I went into Oakland’s club
house to again talk to McGwire and
hope the result would be different
than before the game.
Seeing the red-haired giant sitting
at a table by himself eating some sort
of unidentified substance, I decided
this would be the best opportunity to
speak with this future hail of famcr.
As I walked up to McGwire and
again asked him for an interview, he
responded by saying that it could only
deal with that night’s game. But after
a little persuasion, McGwire gave in
and a pleasant conversation followed,
reminiscent of the one we had in
California Five years ago.
Topics of Damien’s influence to
baseball’s salaries came into our dis
cussion.
Such memorable quotes from our
talk from McGwire included “nobody
believed I could’ve been a big league
ballplayer,” “the more money you
make, there’s a lot of unhappiness
because people think they can live off
you," and “I didn ’ l play the game to be
a role model, but it’s something that
comes with the territory.”
This conversation helped me real
ize why McGwire is an inspiration to
myself as a Damien alumnus and to a
lot of others as well.
Thanks, Mark, for showing that
unlike many of your colleagues, you’ll
never forget where you came from
and will always be a Damien brother
at heart.
Singer Is a senior news-ed itorial and pol Itical
science m^Jor and is the Summer Daily
I Nebraskan's copy desk editor and a senior
sports reporter.
Gill returns to Huskers
By Jeff Singer
Senior Editor
With the hiring of a new quar
terbacks coach , the Nebraska foot
ball team is hoping that Turner Gill
can help breathe some life into
finalizing who
will take the
helm as Ne
braska’s top
signal caller
this fall.
Gill, who was
hired last
month to coach
the Corn
huskerquarter
Gill backs, left
Southern Methodist University as
receivers coach to return to the
school he led to three consecutive
Big Eight Conference titles from
1981-83.
The three-lime All-Big Eight
quarterback said gelling the chance
to coach the Huskers and work
with Nebraska Football Coach Tom
Osborne is exciting.
“It’s a great feeling, and I feel
comfortable here,” Gill said. “I’m
glad to have this opportunity, and I
respect Coach Osborne as a coach and
as a person.”
This won’tbe Gill’s firstchance to
work on Osborne’s staff, as he served
as a graduate assistant with Nebraska
in 1990. He went on to Southern
Methodist the following season.
Gill said knowing the Husker sys
tem from his previous experiences
will help him for the upcoming sea
son.
“Even though I’ve come in late.
I’m glad I already know the system,”
Gill said. “Now I hope I can get a guy
to come in here and help stabilize the
position.”
The position Gill was referring to
is at quarterback, wh ich is expected to
be contested between senior Mike
Grant, redshirt freshman Tony Veland
and standout recruits Tommie Frazier
and Ben Rutz.
This season, Gill is going to
split quarterback coaching duties
with Osborne, who has coached
the quarterbacks during his 20
year tenure as head coach.
But Gill’s duties won’t be lim
ited to Memorial Stadium, as he
will focus on recruiting during the
off-season.
The Fort Worth, Texas native
said recruiting in his home state is
vital in college football.
“Everybody recruits in Texas,
so you try to go in and get a couple
out of there each year,” Gill said.
The 29-year-old Gill, whose
new team has been ranked any
where from third to 14th in pre
season polls, said he’s looking for
ward to this year.
“I think it’s going to be a great
season,”. Gill said. “We’re defi
nitely going to have the chance to
win the Big Eight and even the
national championship, and when
you have those opportunities, it’s a
terrific situation.”
1
Volleyball team ranked seventh in poll
From staff reports
Volleyball Magazine has ranked
the Nebraska volleyball team seventh
in its 1992 preseason top-10 list.
The Comhuskcrs, who are picked
to win the Mideast Region and ad
vance to the Final Four in December
in Albuquerque, are scheduled to play
three other schools this season in the
top-10 rankings.
The Huskers will play fellow top
10 opponent Pacific in September
during Nebraska’s FirsTicr Invita
tional, and will compete against top
ranked UCLA and No. 9 Southern
California in November’s Big Eight
Pac 10 Challenge in Los Angeles.
The rest of the schools included in
the top-10 list include Long Beach
State, Hawaii, Stanford, Louisiana
State, Brigham Young and Florida.
Big Eight foe Colorado is included
in the magazine’s “others to watch”
category, as arc other 1992 Husker
opponents Illinois, New Mexico, Ohio
Slate and Texas.
y y y . • .
North Platte hopes to bring professional oaseoau w c uy
____ *_ . . . .Sr . « _i c_ “Tko nsMAntial ic hPTP RfttWCrS
NUK1H rLA 1 11 ^Ar)—Kcprc
scntativcs from three major league
baseball teams were in North Platte
earlier this week to assess the city’s
potential to be host to a minor league
team in the proposed Rocky Moun
tain Rookie League.
Farm directors of the Oakland Ath
Idles, IVlllWaUKCC DICWWS amj Jan
Francisco Giants met Tuesday with
North Platte Baseball Inc. members
Larry Haneborgand Brent Thompson
to discuss North Platte plans for a
team.
The group also toured Bill Wood
Field.
farm director Fred Stanley said. “There
are a lot of things North Platte has
going for it to attract a major league
franchise.”
Officials arc hoping to get the final
notice of league approval in 60 to 120
days.
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