2008 Woodie Awards
Alumni schools varsity
Baseball proves better with age
Sean Kent
Issue date: 10/24/06 Section: Sports
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As the Saint Mary's community welcomed parents to its campus this past Saturday, the baseball team welcomed back some of its most prominent alumni to compete against the current varsity squad. The annual alumni game gave current players not just a workout, but a chance to compete against Saint Mary's graduates who are currently in the minor leagues.
The day started with an early, abbreviated game pitting two squads of alumni against each other, one team consisting of older, longer-removed Gaels, while the other team used players who graduated within the past three years. Surprisingly, it was the "older" Gaels who defeated the younger squad in five innings, 2-1.
The alumni versus alumni game resembled something out the film Field of Dreams with a collection of mish-mosh uniforms and laughter more than anything else gracing the field. The highlight of the game by far was a pitching appearance by diminutive Tom Nelson '70. He baffled the young batters with an array of junk and off-speed pitches, and then followed his scoreless inning with a ten plus pitch at-bat which concluded on a questionable called strike three. Nelson questioned the umpire, "What happened to that $200 I paid you?"
After a barbecue and a short break, the varsity took the field. In this game, the alumni pulled out all the stops, playing minor leaguers Sam Carter '06, Bryan Byrne '06, and Mike Sansoe '05, while sending assistant coach Kevin Trochez '04 out on the mound. The alumni squad scored a run off the varsity squad in the first inning and set the pace for the entire game.
The varsity team was held scoreless until the fifth inning and was only able to score one run.
In the process of cruising to an easy victory, one "old" Gael came within feet of hitting a homer and then was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double. Even current Kansas City Royal Mark Teahan '03 made an appearance as a first base coach for the alumni team, helping them onto an 8-5 victory over the varsity team.
Overall the alumni game was another success. Now the team has currently split itself into squads, playing their own version of the "World Series" with one side being coached by junior catcher, Ian Gordon, and the other by sophomore infielder, Joel Staples.
The day started with an early, abbreviated game pitting two squads of alumni against each other, one team consisting of older, longer-removed Gaels, while the other team used players who graduated within the past three years. Surprisingly, it was the "older" Gaels who defeated the younger squad in five innings, 2-1.
The alumni versus alumni game resembled something out the film Field of Dreams with a collection of mish-mosh uniforms and laughter more than anything else gracing the field. The highlight of the game by far was a pitching appearance by diminutive Tom Nelson '70. He baffled the young batters with an array of junk and off-speed pitches, and then followed his scoreless inning with a ten plus pitch at-bat which concluded on a questionable called strike three. Nelson questioned the umpire, "What happened to that $200 I paid you?"
After a barbecue and a short break, the varsity took the field. In this game, the alumni pulled out all the stops, playing minor leaguers Sam Carter '06, Bryan Byrne '06, and Mike Sansoe '05, while sending assistant coach Kevin Trochez '04 out on the mound. The alumni squad scored a run off the varsity squad in the first inning and set the pace for the entire game.
The varsity team was held scoreless until the fifth inning and was only able to score one run.
In the process of cruising to an easy victory, one "old" Gael came within feet of hitting a homer and then was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double. Even current Kansas City Royal Mark Teahan '03 made an appearance as a first base coach for the alumni team, helping them onto an 8-5 victory over the varsity team.
Overall the alumni game was another success. Now the team has currently split itself into squads, playing their own version of the "World Series" with one side being coached by junior catcher, Ian Gordon, and the other by sophomore infielder, Joel Staples.