Boxing returns Aug. 9

Vol.
Vol. 4,
4, No.
No. 11,
11, August
August 4,
4, 2008
2008
Boxing returns Aug. 9
2
PLAY BY PLAY
AUGUST 4, 2008
Across from the Salem Wal-Mart (Exit 137 off I-81)
���������������������������
�������
�������
���������������������
�����������
���������������
������������������������
����������������
������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
���������������������������������������������������������������������������
������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
�������������������������������������������������
���������������������
���������������
������������
��������������������
AUGUST 4, 2008
PLAY BY PLAY
Playbook
Opinions
Dick Williams ..........................................4
This month’s question answered by
Brent M. Johnson, M.D.
Mike Stevens ..........................................5
John A. Montgomery ............................7
Linda Barrett
Bill Turner
Christian Moody .....................................6
Mike Ashley .......................................... 19
Articles
Brad Bankston Keeps the ODAC in Step with the NCAA ............. 9
Mikey O’Brien Makes the Jump from Titan to Yankee.............. 12
Ex-Avs’ Pitcher Brian Bogusevic Moves to the Outfield ........... 13
Local Martial Artist Robin Hartman Pursues Her Goal .............. 14
George May, a Legend of the Games ............................................. 18
Tanner McCoy
Extras
Question for the Doctor ..... 3
Natural Health Tip................ 6
Playmakers ............................ 8
Ask A Ref................................. 8
Snapshots of the
Season ..........................10, 11
From the Bookshelf ........... 15
��������������������������
����������������������
������������������ ����������������������������
��������������������������������������
��������������������������������������
���������������������������������
������������������������������������������
��
������
��������������������
Question for
the Doctor
3
��������������������������������
���������������������
� � ��������������������
I enjoy running and hiking and believe
I have developed shin splints. What can
I do?
Shin Splints or medial tibial stress syndrome is an overuse condition that may
result from several causes. It is usually
characterized by pain on the inside of the
leg which occurs as the activity is started,
often improves as the activity continues,
and may recur toward the end of the run
or hike. If the leg is examined, tenderness
can usually be found on the inside of the
Dr. Brent M. Johnson
leg from just above the ankle to about half
way to the knee. Although the pain feels like it is in the bone, it is
most likely related to muscle strain. The onset is usually related to
a change in the activity such as a significant increase in intensity, change in the terrain, or a change in footwear. People with increased pronation (flat feet) may be more susceptible to developing
it. Initial treatment should consist of active rest (continue activities/exercises which do not cause pain, i.e., cycling, swimming), ice
massage to the tender area, and a two-week course of anti-inflammatory medication. Over-the-counter orthotics, such as Superfeet,
may be helpful as well. If this is unsuccessful, you should seek more
thorough medical evaluation.
Roanoke Orthopaedic
Center
��������������
��������������
�����������������������
�����������������������
����������������������
����������������������
������������������������
������������������������
����������������������
����������������������
�����������������������
�����������������������
������������������������
������������������������
�����������������������
�����������������������
�����������������
��������������������������
�������������������������
���������������������������
�����������������������
�������������������������
������������������������
�����������������������
��������������������������
������������������������
�����������������������
�������������������������
�������������������������
��������������������
������������
���������������������
����������������������
�������������������
�����������������������
������������
�������������������
�����������������������
�����������������������
����������������������
�����������������
��������������������
��������������������������
����������������������������
���������
�����
��������������
����������������
�����
������������
������������
������������
������������
������������
�����������������������������
�������������������
�����������������������
�������������������
�����������������������������
�����������������
������������������������
���������������
����������������� ���������������
4
PLAY BY PLAY
Trio dominated local golf in the ’50s
IN THE
REARVIEW
MIRROR
Dick Williams
ing the Roanoke City-County Golf
Tournament. Some 150-175 local
golfers participated in this threeday tournament held at the large
courses in Roanoke at the time —
Hidden Valley, Ole Monterey and
Roanoke Country Club.
Along with many other spectators, I was part of the final-day
gallery on three memorable occasions, 1953-55. Three formidable players stand out in my mind
— George Fulton, Connie Sellers
and Ralph “Runt” English. They
were clearly the dominant local
players of that era.
More than 160 golfers were entered in the ’53 tournament, which
was played at Hidden Valley Country Club. Fulton had won the tournament in 1950, Sellers in ’51 and
English in ’52, so it was no surprise
that they all contended for the title. Golfers in the championship
flight played a grueling 36 holes
on the final day. After the first
18 holes on Sunday, Fulton held
what seemed to be a command-
Players in this Issue
Publisher/Editor
Graphic Designer
Contributors
ing six-stroke lead over English
and Sellers. However, on the final
18, Fulton faded and the diminutive English fired a 70 to win his
second consecutive championship. Fulton blew his lead on the
ninth hole taking a seven. Sellers,
who along with Fulton shot a 69 in
the opening round, finished third
with a 72-hole total of 298.
John A. Montgomery
Donna Earwood
Mike Ashley
Robert Blades
Rod Carter
Donald Earwood
Sam Lazzaro
Gene Marrano
Joyce Montgomery
Christian Moody
Mike Stevens
Bob Teitlebaum
Bill Turner
Dick Williams
P.O. Box 3285, Roanoke, VA 24015
(540) 761-6751 • E-mail: [email protected]
On the Web: www.playbyplayonline.net
©Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. No part of Play by Play may be reproduced
by any means or in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Play by Play is published every fourth Monday. Deadline for submissions
for the September 1 issue is August 18.
Photo courtesy of Connie Sellers
I
N MY POST-RETIREMENT
days, many of my acquaintances have asked me if I’m
playing a lot of golf. My answer is a
polite no. What I don’t tell them is
that I do not play golf, never have
and have no desire to.
Growing up in a neighborhood
as the only lefthander, I never
wanted to learn how to play the
game. I was more interested in
swinging a wooden bat. However,
I have played putt-putt about once
every decade since 1960.
Along with my neighborhood
friends, I caddied in my early adolescent years. We would go to Hidden Valley Country Club on Saturdays and Sundays, sign in at the
caddy-shack (a small hut about
the size of a modern day bathroom), and wait until our names
were called. Usually, each of us
would caddy for two golfers. This
was called “carrying doubles.” The
pay was great, about $2 for the day,
and sometimes one of the golfers
would throw in a tip ranging from
a quarter to 50 cents.
Duffers paid more than the better players and if a golfer would
partake in a drink from a flask,
you might get paid an additional
amount.
I do follow televised golf, especially the major tournaments, and
in the early 1950s, I enjoyed watch-
AUGUST 4, 2008
of Fame, was ahead on the leaderboard at the tournament’s halfway point but his game went sour
on the final 18 holes and Fulton
prevailed. Sellers finished in
third place with a 72-hole total
of 291. English finished second at
287.
This trio would go on to capture
seven more Roanoke City-County
tournaments, a total of
13. Fulton led the way
with seven wins, his
last in 1967, while English and Sellers each
won the tournament
three times.
“The tournament’s
format changed from
stroke play to match
play in the early ’70s,”
says
accomplished
area golfer Barry Wirt,
Sr., who won the 1982
event. Tim Chocklett,
George Fulton (l) and Connie Sellers (r) wrestle match-play
winner
the 1951 State Am Cup from F.J.D. MacKay
in 1995 and longtime
Fulton, an auto dealership enWilliam Byrd golf coach, says he
trepreneur, won the ’54 event afbelieves the format changed beter trailing Sellers by three strokes
cause golf clubs didn’t want to tie
heading into the final 36 holes.
up their courses for an entire day
Three holes from the finish, Fulton
hosting the tournament.
had an eagle on 16 that sealed his
Like today’s match play, the
win. Sellers shot a final-round 74
City-County tournaments that
and finished with a 291 total, three
I watched featured several outstrokes behind Fulton. English’s
standing young golfers. Jeffer298 total was good for third place.
son High School’s golf team won
With a record field of 175 golfback-to-back state titles in 1954ers entered in the tourney in 1955,
55. Members of those teams, inSellers had the hot hand, carding
cluding twins George and Paul
a 70 in the first round and seizing
Kosko, David Edmunds, Al Peva two-stroke lead. Fulton, who had
erall, Jimmy Darby, Danny Kefbeen the State Amateur champion
fer, Gayle Naff and Calvin Sisson
in ’54 in addition to winning the
all distinguished themselves in
City-County title, shot 77, while
the City-County tournaments.
English was tied for third place
But the top of the leaderboard
with a 75.
belonged to the aforementioned
Fulton and Sellers were even
three dominant players, whose
when the final round started. Sellperformances remain etched in
ers, a former Virginia Tech golfer
my mind — more than a half-cenand member of Tech’s Sports Hall
tury later.
WDBJ names Wells sports director
WDBJ7 SPORTS REPORTER TRAVIS WELLS WAS
named sports director for the television station in late
July, succeeding Mike Stevens, who has moved to the
position of communications director for the city of
Salem.
Wells started at WDBJ as an intern in the early 1990s.
In 1995 he was hired as a photographer. After stints with
TV stations in Charlottesville and Bristol, Wells returned
to WDBJ in 2002, replacing the late Roy Stanley.
Wells is a Martinsville native who played college Travis Wells
basketball for JMU and Radford. His father, Troy, was recently named
boys’ basketball coach at Hidden Valley High School.
WDBJ expects to name a third member of its sports broadcast team
prior to the start of the upcoming high school sports season, assisting
Wells and Grant Kittelson.
AUGUST 4, 2008
PLAY BY PLAY
5
Remembering the Good, the Bad, the Ugly
A
FTER 25 AMAZING YEARS
of covering sports as a broadcaster in Southwest Virginia,
I’m now out of the athletic loop.
This month’s column is my first for
this magazine since accepting my
new position as communications
director for the city of Salem.
I no longer have the game assignments, but I do still possess the contacts and almost all of the memories. Play by Play publisher John Montgomery suggested I reflect on the past two-and-a-half decades and offer
up a few transitional thoughts.
So, I come to you this month with a five o’clock shadow and a twig of
tumbleweed planted between my teeth willing to share the Good, the
Bad and the Ugly.
The Good:
Honestly, there has been so much good that it would be impossible to
list it all. Where else can a kid fresh out of college from Staunton land a
job and end up interviewing everyone from Richard Petty to Jesse Jackson to Travis Tritt? I was on the sideline when Virginia Tech’s football
team played for a National Championship in 2000 and 10 years earlier I
was with Virginia when the Cavaliers were ranked No. 1 in the nation.
If there was a local story angle that needed to be told whether it was in
New York, Miami, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Dallas or Daytona I got to
go on my employer’s dime.
For a number of years in the 1980s and ’90s, when the TV station had
plenty of that money, management allowed me to schedule very aggressively. Every year, during a six-month stretch starting in August, I would
spend a week at Redskins’ training camp, come back and do Friday Football Extra and the college football season, sprinkle in three or four Sunday trips to D.C. for Redskins’ regular season games, go to a bowl game,
spend a week on the NASCAR Media Tour and then go to Daytona for
eight days.
The sights and sounds of all of those competitions were amazing, but it
was never the events, but rather the people who made the job so good.
The travel and even the games got old, but never the individuals.
The Bad:
Unfortunately, some of those athletes, coaches and administrators
didn’t always set the best examples, so as a result they ended up making
headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Dennis Vaught’s decision to use illegal cleats in the 1992 Group AA
state football semifinals will go down in infamy, but his poor decision
pales in comparison to the top offenders. The Vick brothers will forever
top the list of bad. Having seen both Michael and Marcus in their innocence, watching them self-destruct has been painful. I’m embarrassed
for them and saddened that they were unable to take advantage of their
God-given abilities.
Hopefully, future athletes will learn that they too must play by the rules
of society and that there is such a thing as accountability.
Death has also been an unfortunate aspect of my broadcast work. I
certainly found that out when Friday Football Extra player of the week
Mark Your Calendars!
Roy Stanley Memorial
Sports Memorabilia Auction
August 14 at 6 p.m.
WDBJ7 Studios
***
7th Annual Golf Tournament
August 17 at 8:30 a.m.
Hanging Rock Golf Club
Roy Stanley
For more information, call Mike Bell
at 777-3241 or log
on to roystanleymemorial.org
Ronny Grogan from William Fleming was gunned down in the projects
and Parry McCluer star quarterback Chris Wheeler was killed in a car
wreck. We also said an extra prayer or two when cancer took the lives
of Radford running back Dana Palmer, NASCAR official Bobby Scruggs
and our good friend Roy Stanley.
I covered Dale Earnhardt’s memorial service and spoke at Roy’s funeral. Neither was on my original to-do list those days.
The Ugly:
Some would argue that the ugliest thing I was ever a part of was the
Roanoke Ballet’s production of a NASCAR ballet, but not me. While it
was a wickedly bold concept, it was a blast to do. In April of 2004, I performed two shows without a script, basically talking non-stop for over 90
minutes with the help of NASCAR drivers Rick Mast and Ward Burton.
Our imaginations had to be enormous because our job was to treat the
human dancers in brightly colored spandex as if they
were Dodges, Fords and Chevys.
Choreographer Jenny Mansfield came up with the
concept as a way of helping people — even race fans
— appreciate dance by using pop culture. The ballet
members, complete with sponsor decals adhered to
their bodies, represented cars, and yes, they crashed
into one another on the stage of the Shaftman Performance Hall.
The pre-event television spots and print ads drew
lots of questions and even more laughter, but in the NASCAR Ballet
end the Roanoke Ballet company had the last laugh. The event garnered
stories in both Sports Illustrated and ESPN: The Magazine and advance
articles and reviews appeared in hundreds of papers across the nation.
I think my ballet days are over, but for now my plans are to continue
writing this monthly column and most of the time I’ll stay away from the
bad and the ugly and stick to the good in people, something I’ve tried to
do for the past 25 years.
6
PLAY BY PLAY
AUGUST 4, 2008
Hey, if duty calls, who am I to deny it?
O
Christian Moody photos
N MONDAY, JULY 21, I
played my best round of golf
since high school. The scorecard wouldn’t say that. In fact, if
the round was judged by score,
it would have to be considered
downright embarrassing.
But scoring was not the point
on that hot July day. No one cared
how many strokes it took to get the ball in the hole. No, it didn’t matter.
On Monday, July 21, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia
brought 20 kids to Hidden Valley Country Club for the first round of golf
they ever played. Each child would be paired with an adult who is also a
golf enthusiast.
I went there to take pictures and gather the story. But a funny thing
happened — there
were 20 children and
19 adults. And there
I was, with my sticks
in the trunk of the
car, perfectly willing
to change shoes and
hop on a cart. Hey, if
duty calls, who am I
to deny it?
I watched Hidden
Valley head golf pro
Tommy Joyce — one
of the finest teaching
pros in the state, acHidden Valley Country Club golf pro Tommy
cording to the admitJoyce gives out last-minute instructions
tedly biased opinions
Natural Health
Tip of the Month
From Dr. Jeffrey Barker, DC, CCSP
Your children will soon be starting back to school and they will be
putting a lot of added stress onto their spines. Here are some ideas to
help limit these stresses...
1. Set their study area up ergonmically; computer monitor at eye level,
keyboard & mouse at slightly above waist level, feet supported slightly
off the floor
2. Good back support in their ‘study chair’
3. Prop books up to read vs. looking down to the book
4. Take periodic stretching breaks to loosen tight muscles and get blood
flowing
���������������������
�������������������������
��������������������
�����������������������������
������������������������������������������
�������������������������������
�������������������
����������������������������������������
�������������������������������������������
��������������������
���������
�����������
������������
of local golfers I
know — giving a
lesson to children
on how to swing
a club. Most had
already received
some instruction
at The First Tee of
the Roanoke Valley, or in the golf
room in the Boys
and Girls Club
center on Ninth
Street Southeast.
Up on the putting green, Cheryl
Ayers, a programming
assistant
from The First Tee,
was giving a putting lesson with
the help of some of
the major sponsors
of two golf tournaments that benefit
the Boys and Girls
Clubs. Mike Wise
and Dyke Davies, Atlantic Credit and Finance CFO Chris Hanson oftwo Delta Dental fers Jai assistance with her putting stroke
executives, were also helping the youngsters with the finer points of putting.
On the practice tee, Chris Hanson, the CFO of Atlantic Credit and Finance, was working with two elementary-aged girls who were learning to
swing their golf clubs.
When the children arrived at Hidden Valley, they got a surprise — a
new set of golf clubs for each of them, to be sent to the Boys and Girls
Clubs. They weren’t sets of 14 fitted and measured, but they were a wood,
two irons and a putter in junior sizes, which will work just fine for the
kids.
Joyce told the kids he hoped they would get bit by the golf bug. He said
there are 18 golf bugs on the course, so he asked them to please not run
over them with the golf carts. The adults preparing to take the kids to the
course knew well what it’s like to get bit by the golf bug. We were there
because we love the game and are glad to introduce kids to it.
My partner was a rising third-grader named Nicole. Nicole had never
been to The First Tee or the golf room at the Ninth Street center, but she
was happy to come to Hidden Valley and try it. And the best part is, she
didn’t care that I was not a very strong partner.
The format was clever. The men hit a drive from the white tees — ladies
from the reds — and the kids hit drives from a marked spot on the fairway. Once it was determined whose drive was better, the other person hit
the next shot and the pair played one ball, alternating shots until the ball
was holed.
The spot for the kids’ drives were placed far enough down the fairways
that in most cases my drive didn’t even make it to their launching pad.
So we used Nicole’s drive on every hole. Truth was, in the nine holes we
played, she learned to hit the ball pretty well. Certainly respectable shots
for a 9-year-old girl on the first day she ever held a golf club.
Nicole and the other young lady in my foursome, Jai, who was playing with Hanson, were amazed by the grass on the fairways. Nicole said
it was as nice as a yard. She asked if they cut it every two weeks, like her
dad does. I told her the grass there was cut every day, which shocked the
young lady. I didn’t think about it at the time, but I’m sure now she was
picturing one guy on the course with a push mower cutting all that grass
every day.
“Why is there a forest next to the golf course?” she asked me. It was
one of those questions that has an obvious answer for golfers, but not one
answer easily put into words. She was amazed we could drive the cart
See MOODY, Page 16
AUGUST 4, 2008
PLAY BY PLAY
7
Journalism icons tackle new challenges
T
proach Mike as a columnist for the SJ and Mike agreed, I was thrilled.
An SJ survey a couple of years later revealed that Mike was the best-read
columnist within that paper’s pages.
Mike has not missed an issue of the Sports Journal or Play by Play, a
streak that makes him an iron man of sorts. (He’s the only contributor
who can say that.) But my respect for Mike goes beyond his dedication
and dependability. Mike’s wonderful personality that has been so evident on the airwaves is genuine. He’s as thorough as they come. He’ll
bloom wherever he is planted.
Count on it.
I’ve been active in the Roanoke Valley Sports Club for
some time. Not only have Mike
and his staff regularly covered
our programs, Mike has in fact
been one of our club’s most popular speakers.
When the Sports Journal created its Sports Personality of the
Year Award in 2001 (a tradition
upheld by Play by Play), Mike
was the inaugural winner. He’s
been followed by some giants
— Carey Harveycutter, John
Mike Stevens (left) has written a
Rocovich, Dan Wooldridge,
monthly column for 11-plus years
Charlie Hammersley, Pete
Lampman and Dave Ross — outstanding people all, but Mike was the
first. There was no question among our staff that made the selection.
Both Dan and Mike have been preeminent in their respective jobs, and
the journalism field is indeed a bit thinner without them. Here’s hoping
they continue to find outlets to express their opinions publicly, and perhaps Play by Play will fall somewhere on that list.
Donna Earwood
HE DOG DAYS OF AUGUST
are normally considered to be
a slow time in the sports world
— especially in the Roanoke Valley.
The Commonwealth Games
have passed, the Olympic softball
team has completed its visit, the
City-County swim meet has concluded, many of the local golf tournaments are over. High school football’s a few weeks away. It’s a good time
to go on vacation — and that, in a manner of speaking, is what two lynchpins of the Roanoke Valley journalism fraternity have done.
If only it were just a vacation…
Mike Stevens, longtime sports director of WDBJ, has moved to the position of communications director for the city of Salem (as well-chronicled
in these pages and elsewhere), and Dan Smith, editor of the Blue Ridge
Business Journal for the past 20 years, has just retired. (Yeah, right.)
It’s ironic that they both exited at the same time, as it occurs to me that
one of their links is that the publication you’re currently holding would
not exist in its present form without either of them. I owe both gentlemen
a huge dollop of gratitude.
When the BRBJ launched the Roanoke Valley Sports Journal (Play by
Play’s predecessor) in 1997, my office was adjacent to Dan’s. His help was
immeasurable in getting the sports publication up and running. I worked
side-by-side with Dan for 10 years, and his ebullient personality, his tireless energy, his bottomless pit of ideas and humor helped make coming
to work enjoyable. Even though the Sports Journal was not his primary
focus, Dan was always good for penning a provocative column, or suggesting an off-beat story, or taking pictures on his way home from work,
or doing whatever it took to get the paper out.
It’s hard not to like somebody like that. His yin and my yang made for a
good partnership, as our strengths were cloaked in different styles.
Of course, even in the 1990s, Dan and I had a long history. In the fall
of 1973, when I was a high school senior and Dan was a sportswriter with
the Roanoke paper, he gave me a tour of the sports department. I’ve never
been far away from that department (or Dan, either, for that matter) in
the 35 years since.
Dan is an encourager. He’s always letting me know about book sales or
writers’ conferences or tipping me off on freelance writing opportunities.
I’m proud to have contributed in various ways to two of his books.
It’s difficult to fathom that Dan turned 62 at the end of July, as he certainly doesn’t act his age. I imagine that he’s been told that a few times
before, and I’m willing to bet he won’t stay idle long.
I had admired Mike Stevens’ professionalism for many years before I
got to know him well. His competitive spirit was evident on the softball
diamond in the late 1980s, when our respective churches clashed several
times each summer. When my compadre Sam Lazzaro suggested we ap-
Dan Smith (left) and John Montgomery often shared the same table,
even if they come to it from different sides, as in this 1999 photo
PLAY
Makers
8
PLAY BY PLAY
Allyson
Fasnacht
W
Photo courtesy of
Liberty University
e knew Allyson Fasnacht
had game. It’s what she
can do outside the Liberty University basketball arena that
earned her one of the most prestigious awards in her conference.
In mid-June, Fasnacht was named
the Big South Conference Woman of
the Year.
The award is for more than hoops
prowess. It combines athletic excellence
with academic achievement and looks at
character and community service. In all
areas, Fasnacht excelled.
This past season, Fasnacht played in her final
Playmakers is sponsored by Professional Therapies of Roanoke
AUGUST 4, 2008
year of eligibility as a graduate student
in Liberty’s MBA program. She earned
a degree in sports management, graduating in November 2007 with a 3.89
GPA. She was the 2007-08 Big South
scholar-athlete of the year for women’s
basketball.
On the court, she earned a varsity
letter in each of her four years, was a
team captain her final two seasons,
and was the 2006 Big South Tournament most valuable player. She was
freshman of the year in 2005, when the
Lady Flames advanced to the Sweet 16.
The community service aspect has
proven valuable, Fasnacht says. “I
served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. We raised money for
the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I think
Fasnacht (left) was the main
cog in a Glenvar state title run we raised $5-6,000.”
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is a group of athletes that serves as a liaison with schools and the
NCAA through their conferences. Athletes from each sport serve on the
committee; Fasnacht was the secretary of the LU chapter this past year.
She says the committee sold temporary tattoos at football games, held
a date auction, a dodgeball tournament and she even spent time in front
of a Wal-Mart ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. She was involved
with the Salvation Army’s Christmas Child Initiative for four years, and
went on a mission trip with Athletes in Action in 2005.
This summer Fasnacht has been working in basketball camps at Virginia Tech and helping run tournaments. In late July, she went to Myrtle
Beach to assist with a baseball tournament for Triple Crown Sports, the
Fort Collins, Colo.-based company where she interned while at Liberty.
The Glenvar graduate says she intends to work in college athletics
or operations in the fall, but will return to Liberty to finish her MBA in
the future.
— Christian Moody
PROFESSIONAL
Ask A Ref
THERAPIES, INC.
����������������������������������������
��
����������������������������������
���������������������
������������������������������������
�����������������
In an effort to inform fans of the finer points of the rules of
the games, Play by Play regularly publishes the feature, “Ask A
Ref,” a chance for fans to ask a question about specific sports
rules, preferably those related to high school or the NCAA.
Questions can be sent to [email protected].
This month we consult baseball rules guru Tom Sepanas,
who answers questions online, with a question about base
obstruction.
Q.
A first baseman completely blocks the bag on a pickoff attempt before he catches the ball. The umpire
calls obstruction. Since the runner is trying to get
back to first, is he awarded first base, as that’s where
he’s going, or second base?
��������������������
��������������������
������������������
����������������������������������
� ������������ ���������������
A.
It’s second base. The award is not the
base he was going to, it is one base
in advance. In previous years, there
was no obstruction if a play was imminent.
But this year, a fielder who does not have
the ball must give a runner access to part
of the bag. That’s where an umpire’s
judgment comes into play.
AUGUST 4, 2008
9
PLAY BY PLAY
Thanks in big part to Brad Bankston, the
ODAC’S OK
Brad
Bankston
now lives in
Forest, but
ODAC headquarters will
remain in
Salem
by Gene Marrano
T
HE BRAD BANKSTON FILE: NOW IN HIS 15TH
year of service to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Brad Bankston is also entering his 12th
as commissioner.
A native of Keysville, Va., Bankston succeeded Dan
Wooldridge, whom he describes as a mentor. Bankston,
38, earned an undergraduate degree from the University
of North Carolina-Chapel Hill followed by a master’s in
sports administration from Virginia Tech in 1994, two
schools with athletics programs far removed from the
world of the non-scholarship Division III ODAC.
Responsible for day-to-day operations of the league
office in Salem and the conference’s 22 sports, Bankston
also acts as a liaison between the city of Salem and all
of the NCAA championships (Division’s II and III) held
there.
He just finished presiding over the D-III Golf Championships Committee, has held other NCAA committee
assignments and is president-elect of the Division III
Commissioners Association. Bankston, his wife, Beth,
and their two young sons recently moved from Roanoke
to Forest, where Beth can be closer to her job in administration with Centra Health.
***
Brad Bankston makes it clear: the Old Dominion Athletic Conference headquarters is not moving out of its
home office in Salem, near the Elizabeth Campus owned
by Roanoke College. He will, however, operate from an
office at Randolph College in Lynchburg several days a
week, leaving Sports Information Director J.J. Nekoloff
— soon to be dubbed assistant commissioner — in Salem. Longtime administrative assistant Mary Jane Esperti has helped keep the office on track for more than
30 years.
It is just the latest change for a league that’s on the
move all the time, much as the face of NCAA sports has
changed over the years. Even the Lynchburg satellite office at Randolph College reflects change — a year ago it
was Randolph-Macon Women’s College; now the school
is in the process of bringing its men’s sports up to speed.
Most of Randolph’s men’s programs will be eligible for
ODAC league championships in the next year or two.
“Good things are happening here,” says Bankston,
adding that much of the strife over going co-ed “is in the
rearview mirror.”
The evolution of Division III and the responsibilities
of the commissioner’s office have changed over the past
11 years. Bankston estimates that less than half of the D-III leagues had
full-time commissioners when he started.
“The leagues evolved…to the point where conference commissioners
play a large role in the governance process of the division, things we’re
responsible for from the NCAA’s perspective,” says Bankston.
Grant distribution and detailed compliance issues help keep him busy.
Being involved with Salem on NCAA championship events “[enhanced]
See BANKSTON, Page 16
10

PLAY BY PLAY
AUGUST 4, 2008
Junior Golf Competition
Drew Board (left) of Cave Spring Middle School won the gold medal in
the boys’ 13-14 division and Will Perry (below) from North Cross took the
gold in the boys’ 11-12 division. The tournament was played at Hanging
Rock Golf Club.
Cycling
Criterium
Bill Turner photos
A large contingent of
cyclists circled downtown Roanoke on July 4,
a day when traffic was
manageable.
Bill Turner
Ethan Zohn
JULY 18-20 • 2008
Bill Turner
2-on-2 Volleyball
Photo courtesy of Mark Lambert
The opening ceremonies speaker made
two extra appearances — with the
Jefferson College
of Health Sciences
student services staff
(from left): Scott
Hill, Letisha Beachy,
Stacey Lilley, Judy
Caffee, Ethan, Jennifer Carlo, Sarah
Ross, Al Overstreet
— and with automotive dealer Dave
Sarmadi (below).
Caitlyn Long (left), a volleyball and basketball
player formerly for Cave Spring High School
and currently for Roanoke College, teamed
with Maroons Sports Information Director Brad
Moore to win the silver medal in their division
at the Reserve Avenue fields. Long appeared on
the cover of Play by Play last fall.
Bill Turner photos

Live Healthy Virginia
Danny Bess
The team from Lone Star Baptist Church in Covington won bronze medals in the 2008 Live
Healthy Virginia program, activity division. Front row, l to r: Donna Earwood, Kim Moyers,
Shirley Williams, Jenny Wright, Lynnette May and Catherine Horton. Back row, l to r: Kevin
Moyers, Donald Earwood and Wayne Horton. Donna Earwood is the graphics designer for Play
by Play. The 100-day program, conducted Jan. 16-April 24, was designed to help teammates
make positive changes to lead to a healthier lifestyle through increased physical activity and
improved nutrition.
Softball
North Roanoke County’s
Ruthie Williams connects
for an RBI triple to secure
an extra inning win.
AUGUST 4, 2008
11
PLAY BY PLAY
Snapshots of the season
Dudley & Webb

‘Bullet Bill’ Dudley (left), a member of the College Football and NFL halls of fame, lived just
a few houses down the street in Bluefield, W.
Va., from Salem’s Sam Webb (right) more than
70 years ago, and Sam idolized his neighbor. (He
had good taste!) Sam, an outstanding athlete in
his own right, shared a meal in Lynchburg with
his idol on June 27 and they relived old times.
Photo courtesy of Sam Webb
�����������������������������
���������������������
������������������������
��������������������
� ������������������������������������������������
����������������������������������������������������
����������������������������������������������
�������������
������������������������������
�������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������
�������������
��������������������������������������������
��������������������������������������������������
������������������������������������������������������
���������
� �
� ��������
�������������
����������
�����������������������
Photo courtesy of Stuart Mease
Stuart Mease (left) met
Josh Hamilton nine years
ago when Mease, dressed
as the Hokie Bird, threw
out the first pitch in an Appalachian League game and
Hamilton signed the ball for
him. Mease was particularly
proud of their association
when Hamilton belted a
major-league record 28
homers in a round of the
All-Star Home Run Derby in
Yankee Stadium July 14.

Hondo Sommers (left)
tosses the caber, a 105pound, 17-foot wooden
pole, in the Mid-Summer
Scottish Highland Games
held at Roanoke County’s
Starkey Park July 12.
Bill Turner
Not for the Weak
Valuable
Commodity
Peak Condition
Bill Turner
Justin London (above), a former Northside
High School football star who went on to
start 28 games for UCLA, held a camp for
youth at the old Victory Stadium site in
early July. London hopes to garner an invitation to an NFL training camp.
12
PLAY BY PLAY
AUGUST 4, 2008
Mikey’s
smokin’
Mikey O’Brien fanned
142 batters in 75 innings
his senior season
O’Brien signs with the Yankees
Story and hotos by Bill Turner
M
IKEY O’BRIEN HAD A
lifelong dream he aggressively pursued. Like thousands of others, he always wanted
to be a major league pitcher.
But unlike most, the recent Hidden Valley High School graduate
found a way to put his career on
the fast track. In less than three
weeks, O’Brien went from being
a high school senior to signing a
professional contract with perhaps the most recognizable sports
team in the world — the New York
Yankees. Obviously impressed by
his talent, New York was one of
several teams who thought he was
a bona fide recruit with long-range
potential.
Nobody has witnessed the development of O’Brien more closely
than Jason Taylor, head baseball
coach at Hidden Valley.
Taylor had repeatedly heard effusive accolades about O’Brien before he arrived at Hidden Valley a
few years back.
“They kept telling me this kid
was coming through the Cave
Spring American Little League
who could really throw,” Taylor
says.
Taylor brought O’Brien onto the
Titans’ junior varsity team in the
eighth grade.
“He was exceptional,” Taylor
says. “As a ninth-grader he could
compete on the same level as
much older kids. He continued to
advance each year for us. Quite
frankly, when Mikey was a senior,
he would have been a good college
pitcher.”
But O’Brien’s career as a high
school star came with its bumps.
He sustained a bicep strain in
his junior year that limited him
to pitching just seven games that
season. Then last December, he
learned that he has diabetes.
O’Brien met the medical challenges head-on. “I just decided
to face what needed to be done,”
he says. “Stuff happens you can’t
control. Things could happen that
would be a lot worse.”
First, last year’s injury kept him
off the All-Star teams he had been
accustomed to making, then the
diabetes set in. These setbacks
could have derailed a person
with less resolve, but not O’Brien.
“Mikey was determined to prove
something going into his senior
See O’BRIEN, Page 17
���������������������
����������������������������������
���������������������������
����������������
�������������������������������������������
���������������������
������������������������
�������������
�������������
��������������
�����������
��������������������
����������������������
AUGUST 4, 2008
13
PLAY BY PLAY
AVALANCHE NOTEBOOK
Hurler moves to OF; Pankovits laments
college. He also believes progress
was being made as a pitcher.
Getting used to being on the
OOGLE BRIAN BOGUSEfield every day was his biggest
vic’s name on YouTube and
challenge early on after coming
you’ll see the former Salem
back to Salem in July.
Avalanche baseball player making
“It’s a lot more of a grind playan outstanding, sprawling catch
ing nine innings every night than
in right field while playing for Tupitching seven innings every fifth
lane against Oklahoma State in the
[or sixth] day,” he says.
2005 College World Series. “Hang
Bogusevic hit a less-than-robust
a star …Bogusevic just saved at
.217 but knocked in six runs during
least three runs,” said an enthused
his eight-game return stay in SaGary Thorne, who was handling
lem, including a home run in his
play-by-play duties for ESPN.
first game, but the Houston brass
That same year, while going 13was apparently satisfied and pro1 with a 2.72 ERA in 17 starts as a
moted him back to Corpus Christi
pitcher, Bogusevic the outfielder
several weeks ago.
also batted .324 with 21 RBIs in
Coaches and teammates were
36 games, despite a hamstring insupportive during his turn here.
jury. Chosen as a pitcher, he was
“Everybody’s been
the 24th pick overall
great,” he said after one
in the amateur draft
batting practice; about
that same year and left
two hours later his
school as a rising sethree-run double in the
nior.
sixth inning helped seal
So maybe the Housa win against Wilmington Astros knew what
ton. He did miss taking
they were doing while
turns at the plate in the
turning the 6’3” lefty
minors, which all eminto a full-time outfieldploy the designated hiter last month, demotter at the lower levels.
ing him briefly from AA Ryan Zimmerman
“[Hitting] is someCorpus Christi back to was in Salem in July
thing that I always did growing up.
the Single-A Avalanche.
I love doing it,” he says. Bogusevic,
Bogusevic, playing right field,
24, enjoyed watching Washington
had to learn about gearing himself
Nationals third baseman Ryan
physically and mentally to everyZimmerman, who played with
day play, not the five-day cycle he
Potomac against the Avs during a
was on as a starting pitcher in the
two-game rehab assignment beAstros chain. Remember now, this
fore headwas a Louisville Slugger first-team
ing
back
all-American pitcher in 2005 (and
to the big
a National Collegiate Baseball
club. “AnyWriters Association second-team
time you
all-American, as well), so changsee a guy of
ing career paths was a major deal.
that caliber
“It was a surprise,” admits Boyou kind of
gusevic, who modestly proclaims
watch him
that he was “all right,” as a hitter in
by Gene Marrano
Bogusevic is a rare Avalanche player in that he has
changed positions and uniform numerals since 2007
to see what he
does, [how] he
goes about his
business.”
St.
Louis
Cardinals
c enter f ielder
Rick Ankiel,
the most recent example
of a player
Bill Turner photos
G
Brian Bogusevic’s 2008
game face (above) is more
serious than last year (r)
who changed positions
successfully, is simply a
“good story” to Bogusevic.
Ankiel tasted early success
at the big league level as a
pitcher, but then lost his control
and decided to give it a shot in the
outfield. He came back last season
and is on his way to 30-plus home
runs for the surprising Cards in
2008.
There are some benefits to playing every day as an outfielder
— while there are more “ups and
downs,” the Illinois native says.
“They come in a shorter period of
time,” making it easier to turn a
bad outing into a good one. “It’s
a big advantage,” says
Bogusevic, looking at
the glass half-full. He
may have another slight
advantage as a former
pitcher, being able to
think
situation-wise
about how the guy on the
mound will be throwing
to him. “[I have] a little
bit of an idea of what
they’re trying to do,” he
says.
Salem
Avalanche
manager Jim Pankovits
was impressed by the atbats his new outfielder
had during his return to the club,
especially this late in the year.
“His jumps in the outfield have
been very good [as well]. I think
he’s doing just fine.” Raising his
level of concentration for nine innings, every day, and the stamina
needed might be Bogusevic’s biggest challenges, according to the
third-year Avs manager.
Bogusevic wasn’t a power hitter
in college (no home runs as a junior), but sees himself as a slashing, doubles-type batter. It’s still a
work in progress: “[I’m] just trying
to get a feel for my swing — and
just learn what it is before I start
making adjustments.”
***
After finishing at 30-40 in the
first half and bumping along at
the bottom of Carolina League’s
Southern Division after the break
another 10 games under .500, Pankovits offers a simple antidote for
his team to have any chance of
making it back to
the postseason for
a second straight
year: “We have to
play better.”
Improved pitching is a must, with
Erick Abreu and
Douglas Arguello
at least doing their
part. “The other
[starters] have to
step up,” says Pankovits. Same
goes for the Salem relief corps as
well — a team ERA of 4.53 at press
time had the Avalanche in the
bottom half of the league. “Some
of them need to step up and close
some games for us. We’ve scored
enough runs to be competitive.
It’s been all about the pitching for
us.”
Pankovits singles out first baseman Mark Ori for a great year as a
run producer in his second season
with the club. Outfielder Jimmy
Van Ostrand, promoted briefly to
AA after being named a Carolina
League All-Star, “has more than
held his own.” Jordan Parraz
has been a good table setter and
Koby Clemens “has swung the
bat real well,” even as he makes
the conversion from third base to
catcher. “It’s a huge step and he
had it doubly tough. We asked a lot
of him…and it hasn’t been easy.”
Catching a pitching staff that “has
struggled,” in Pankovits’ words,
hasn’t made that move any easier.
“He’s improved, but [Clemens] has
a long way to go.”
Salem had fewer saves and had
blown more of them than any
team in the league as of several
weeks ago. That’s a formula for not
making it back to the playoffs. “We
have to improve down the stretch
[but] I don’t think there are many
teams that are better than we
are,” says Pankovits. “The time is
now. It’s a game of confidence and
streaks.”
14
PLAY BY PLAY
AUGUST 4, 2008
‘A chance to prove what I can do’
Robin Hartman works
out several hours each day
by Mike Ashley
H
ERE’S TODAY’S HANDY
tip: if you’re in the Food
Lion in Vinton, don’t insult
any of the employees.
That’s where Robin Hartman
works. The 29-year-old Bedford
native is about a year into her
training in mixed martial arts
and her vivacious personality and
warm demeanor belie a competitive intensity that make her a terror in the sport’s 20-foot-diameter,
hexagon-shaped cage. Or on Aisle
9, for that matter, if you get uppity.
Seriously, Hartman has been
working at the friendly neighborhood grocery chain long enough
that she can’t be considered a
threat to shoppers, but MMA opponents with the temerity to climb
into that cage with her, they’re another matter.
“It gives me a chance to prove
to myself what I can do,” Hartman
says of the burgeoning sport. “I
guess I set goals and I don’t stop
until I have accomplished what I
was going for.”
So Robin Hartman, all 5-4, 140
pounds — the former all-region
soccer player at Staunton River
High School — is honed in on a
very specific sports goal these
days. She wants to become a pro
MMA competitor, and she’s putting her money, her time, an allout effort and a competitive drive
that would do any athlete in any
sport proud, where her mouth is.
When Hartman heard “Ruckus
in the Cage,” a sanctioned mixed
martial arts event, was coming to
the Salem Civic Center this past
April, she immediately knew she
wanted to give the rough-andtumble event a try. About seven
John A. Montgomery
Mixed martial artist seeks the big time
months of training — and we’re
talking three and four hours a day,
every day — preceded her debut.
That’s a lot of time gearing up for a
fight that lasted all of 45 seconds.
“After I won, I was ecstatic,
crying and proud because I had
done something I didn’t know I
could do,” she recalls, the excitement still fresh three months later.
“From that point on I knew that I
wanted to do this professionally.
That’s the biggest high of all time.”
Hartman remembers a lot more
about the build-up, though, than
the fast-finishing event itself.
“Your emotions in the back waiting…everybody sees everybody
(on the fight card),” she says. “Everybody’s calm, walking around
with their earphones trying to
take their mind off what’s about to
happen. I was nervous.”
Her corner men, Rikk Perez
of Perez Kenpo Karate School in
Vinton, and Bill Warner, tried to
psych her up by saying her opponent that night was talking trash.
“I was like, ‘OK, I know she really
didn’t say anything but I’ll feed off
it just to satisfy you,” she says with
a laugh. “What really helped me
was having so many people I knew
there to see me, knowing that
(personal trainer) Rita (Perini),
members from LancerLot (gym),
my friends and my family and coworkers were there, that helped
me do well.”
Hartman says her nerves were
about to get the best of her but
focusing on her local entourage
calmed her…at least until that
steel cage door shut behind her.
“I thought ‘What am I doing?’”
she says. “I can’t believe I’m doing
this. And the other girl got into the
cage and the door shut behind her,
and I was like, ‘OK, this is it.’”
Hartman remembers thinking
as the referee checked their gloves
that she wanted to land the first
blow. She did, but the two fighters
in the near-anything-goes sport
where boxing, wrestling and martial arts mingle, ended up on the
ground quickly, Hartman in a bad
position but neither fighter able to
gain an advantage.
The referee, charged with keeping things moving (among other
duties) had the combatants stand
and start again, a common practice in the sport.
“My coaches were yelling the
whole time but I couldn’t hear,”
Hartman says. “When you’re in
that situation, you don’t hear anything. You don’t hear anybody. I
went completely with instinct.”
At the restart, the two fighters
were wrestling back to the ground
but this time Hartman’s natural
athletic instincts allowed her to
grab her opponent, bent over in
front of her, around the neck.
“I slid my hand around her and
got her neck and she popped her
head out like a turtle and I just
grabbed her and choked her and
she tapped out.”
In other words Hartman’s opponent submitted; gave up just
45 seconds in as Hartman got her
deceptively strong arms around
her head. Hartman can routinely
press 65-pound dumbbells with
each hand and her grappling is the
strength of her MMA skills package, according to her and Perini.
Turns out that move is known as
a Guillotine Choke, and if you’re a
naive sportswriter who asked how
it works, you can definitely vouch
for the effectiveness of the grip
and can now consider yourself a
dumbbell for asking.
Hartman is a relative novice in
the sport but she is effective, in
part, she believes, because of that
background in athletics — the
non-stop running of soccer and
the strength and conditioning that
went with excelling in soccer and
basketball in high school.
Perini, a veteran of 25 years as
a fitness instructor and personal
trainer, the last several working
out of LancerLot, agrees, but sees
more in Hartman’s early success in
MMA. “She has a passion for this
sport,” says Perini, who has a First
Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do
herself. “She has natural strength
and quickness and speed. She’s
very well-conditioned.”
And Perini knows of whence she
speaks. She has trained with Billy
Blanks, the famed Tae Bo creator;
the fitness world’s ubiquitous Corey Everson, and five-time kickboxing champion Kathy Long,
among others. Hartman, working
out on her own at LancerLot at
the time and knowing nothing of
Perini’s background, asked how
she could lose weight.
“I get those kinds of questions
all the time,” Perini says. “So I
started asking her some questions
and found out she was going to
be doing Ruckus in the Cage, and
right away I [said] she’s going to
have to do more than lose weight.
I said, ‘I have to talk seriously with
this young lady’ because I know
what that sport takes.”
Perini wanted to make sure
Hartman was taking a realistic
approach to what her new goal entailed. This wasn’t a weekend warrior pursuit. Dedication to training is a requirement for survival,
much less success.
Just observing Hartman a few
minutes, one can’t help but be taken with her sincerity and she has
become a model student for Perini,
who has helped her with contacts
for training in boxing and karate,
as well as scheduling her week-byweek training regimen.
The two work out at the LancerLot in the facility’s new MMA
training room two or three hours
just about every day. On this day,
Hartman arrived before 3 in the
afternoon and was going to train
until 10 that night.
A single parent with two children, Hunter, 9, and Tina, 6, Hartman balances her heavy workout
schedule and day job with the help
of her parents, Debbie and Larry
Evans. Hartman left her job as
deli manager at Food Lion to allow
more leeway in her schedule, have
more time with her kids and keep
her weekends free.
She still works for the company
in a more flexible capacity, and
she wouldn’t have it any other way
than to pay her mom to help out.
“...I was raised,” she says matterof-factly, “to be very responsible.”
Hartman’s now responsible for
an MMA career that has a chance
to take off this fall. She will compete in the Aug. 16 mixed martial
arts “Cage Fest” at the Roanoke
Civic Center, and a possible MMA
bantam weight title match in October. She has been contacted
about fighting in an Illinois event,
as well. After five fights, an MMA
competitor is considered a professional and can begin to earn some
money, part of Hartman’s goal but
not the one that drives her.
“I could care less about the money,” Hartman says, “especially in
these little [fights]. I fight in these
just to get ready for the big ones.”
It would seem to the casual observer that anytime you step into
the cage against someone committed to doing you harm, that
would qualify as a big one. But
Hartman doesn’t think that way.
See HARTMAN, Page 15
AUGUST 4, 2008
From the
Bookshelf
Understanding the
Duke-UNC rivalry
Two reviews by Mike Ashley
“To Hate Like This is to be
Happy Forever,” by Will Blythe,
HarperCollins Publishers, 363
pp., $ 24.95.
The passion of the North Carolina-Duke basketball rivalry has
seeped across the Virginia border and is well-known in our
parts thanks to Bill Brill and
C.D. Chesley (and renowned
everywhere
now thanks to ESPN’s
non-stop
pounding
into our heads and Dick
Vitale’s screaming into
our ears).
Here, true-blue North
Carolinian Will Blythe
— and that blue is the
lighter hue — breaks
down the rivalry geographically,
geopolitically,
socio-economically, historically, ultra-personally
and with a fanatic venom that is
often funny and insightful.
Blythe specifically chronicles
both teams through the 2004-05
season, Carolina’s championship
year, but one also of specific interest to Roanoke readers because
of long accounts of J.J. Redick’s
exploits and prowess, and the introduction of Virginia Tech to ACC
hoops.
Blythe tries desperately to balance his inner “beast” — the
love for UNC that is perhaps only
dwarfed by his hatred of all things
Duke — and the book is at its best
as he wrestles that monster in a
funny monologue easily recognized by an sports fanatic who has
ever bargained with God over the
score, changed his position in a
room while watching his team on
TV to affect momentum, or ever
clutched anything considered a
lucky talisman for team fortune.
After an uproarious start, much
of the book morphs to mere semiobjective reporting, long chapters
based on in-depth interviews with
the likes of Redick, Vitale, Mike
Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and
other members of both teams and
15
PLAY BY PLAY
partisans of both schools. There’s
a little something for everyone on
both sides of the Cameron Indoor/
Dean Dome aisle.
And when a Carolina guy compliments a Dookie, then it really
means something.
“Because (Redick) shot extraordinarily well, he was feared
to the point of hatred…But here’s
the thing…Redick didn’t seem to
mind. He appeared to
love the animosity. He
looked as if he drank in
the crowd’s abuse like
a high-protein shake
and than spat it back
at them in the form of
three-point shots…He
inspired the greatest
intake of breath since
the Cuban missile crisis. His mere possession of the ball
in shooting position was enough
to spook the fans of rival schools.”
Blythe’s retelling of Tech’s first
ACC trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium is another highlight, though
probably painful to Hokies. Tech
set a school record with 34 fouls
that night as Redick & Co. paraded to the free throw line 49 times.
Tech coach Seth Greenberg probably mentioned that fact as he
was ejected, and the perception
of Krzyzewski as de facto ACC Supervisor of Officials is likely something Tech and Tar Heel fans have
in common.
A fan of any team, but particularly Carolina and Duke, can enjoy
this book, so rich with the emotions that make all of us fans. It also
helps to be a Southerner, another
strong narrative undercurrent in
Blythe’s diatribes. As a proud Virginian, I nodded knowingly at his
investiture in our Southern, midAtlantic heritage and ways, love
of mama and daddy and leanings
toward a genteel nature that was
at odds with the beast of absolute
fandom.
But then again, I’ve changed
living room chairs multiple times
during a game to try to make momentum swing to my team.
Major league mayhem
from 100 years ago
“Crazy ’08: How a Cast of
Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads and
Magnates Created the Greatest
Year in Baseball History,” by Cait
Murphy, Smithsonian Books, 378
pp., $ 24.95.
Every baseball fan has heard of
“Merkle’s Boner,” and here’s the
story of why it’s so prominent in
the lore of the game. The real kicker
is that it’s just part of an incredible
season that also included a
couple of pennant races with
six teams in contention until
the final two days of play.
One of those teams was
the dynasty that was the
Chicago Cubs and their famous infield combination of
Tinker, Evers and Chance.
(Tinker and Evers, incidentally, hated one another and
didn’t speak for the better
part of 30 years — just one of
hundreds of wonderful anecdotes in the book.)
And while their contributions to the game might be slightly
overrated (mostly because of a
popular published poem of their
exploits), it’s hard to downplay the
season that Pittsburgh’s Honus
Wagner had. All the big Dutchman
did was lead the National League
in just about every major category,
including hitting .350 with 109
RBIs, carrying the Pirates into the
final days of the amazing race, all
after holding out in the preseason
to double his salary to an unheard
of $10,000 per year.
But back to poor 19-year-old
New York Giants rookie Fred
Merkle, a replacement starter in a
key late September game between
bitter big-city rivals Chicago and
New York. After a tie-game, bottom-of-the-ninth single by Merkle
left him at first and the winning
run at third, Al Birdwell singled
to center with two outs to set off
a celebration in the Polo Grounds
where — as was common — fans
ringed the outfield nearly in play.
But in the jubilation, Merkle
never reached second base, and
though the ball was thrown into
the stands by a Giants player,
Johnny Evers somehow emerged
at second with another ball forcing
Merkle and negating the winning
run, a brave,
brave ruling by
veteran umpire
Hank O’Day.
(“When
you
made that rank
decision, When
the thousands
voiced their derision, Where in
Hades was your
vision?” asked
one New York
paper the next
day.)
The game was
declared a tie as darkness and fans
descended upon the field; the NL
race would now finish in a tie and
set up the biggest American teamsporting event to this point, an
Oct. 8 replay of the contest back in
the Polo Grounds in which Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown outdueled Christy Mathewson to win
the pennant.
But that’s just part of a rollicking season in the reckless age. It’s
a time when teams rarely employ
trainers and when players are
felled on the field, the cry of “is
there a doctor in the house?” originates. Erstwhile Fortune magazine editor Cait Murphy captures
it all, and not just the baseball but
the politics, news, customs and
tenor of the times.
If you love baseball or history or
both, “Crazy ’08” is a hit.
From Page 14
mid-40s. It would help if there
were more local women involved.
She’ll have to take her act on the
road to advance and that’s just another obstacle. You can take the
fight out of Roanoke but you can’t
take the fight out of this Roanoker.
“I don’t want to have any regrets
when I walk away,” she says. “I
don’t want to think: What could I
have done at 35? ...At 40? I want to
know that I put all I had into it and
I got to enjoy something I love for
as long as I could.”
Hartman
She says she can’t.
“I can’t let that get in my head,”
she says of thinking about someone out to harm her pretty little
head. “Once that gets in your head,
that’s when you’re going to find
yourself getting hurt.”
Hartman knows the risks and
she’s learning the rewards as she
goes along. She got a late start in
the sport but thinks if she stays
healthy she could fight into her
16
From Page 6
on the grass, and on the 12th hole
(we played only the back nine),
Hanson showed the girls trout in
a pond in front of the tee boxes.
They were excited to see the fish,
but Nicole said didn’t want to get
in the pond. I’m not sure why she
thought that might be expected.
Jai was a talker. Hanson and I
were with her for the better part
of a morning, but we both feel like
we’ve known her for years. No introvert, Jai was more interested in
leaves and bugs than golf, but she
still had fun.
My partner didn’t complain a
bit when I pushed a 110-yard approach shot 15 yards right of the
green — three times. She didn’t
judge my poor sand shots or express displeasure when I skulled a
chip across the green.
We toured the back nine at Hidden Valley in a cool 59. It was the
most fun I’ve ever had running up
Bankston
From Page 9
our image,” says Bankston, and
helped put the ODAC on the map,
fighting an “identity crisis,” in a di-
Brad Bankston now splits his
work hours between offices in
Lynchburg and Salem
vision dominated by D-III leagues
in the Northeast and Midwest.
From a competition perspective
he says, “We’ve probably never
been better top to bottom — men
and women.”
Several national championships, including a men’s basketball title by Virginia Wesleyan a
couple of years ago have helped
put the conference in the spot-
AUGUST 4, 2008
a score of 23 over par
in nine holes. The goal
was not to get the best
score (although Hanson and Jai did just that
with a 48) but to expose
the kids to golf. As Joyce
told them, he hopes
when they see golf on
television they stop
and watch. We all hope
when and if they get a
chance to play again,
they do. If they can take
up the game, we hope
they will.
Becci Emanuelson,
the chief professional officer for
the Boys and Girls Clubs, says this
event was a first, but she hopes it
will not be the last. It was a chance
for benefactors of the clubs to come
out and see the children helped by
their support. It’s a chance to interact and see that the money is
going to good use.
Atlantic will sponsor a skins
for them to interact with
the people who are playing. Plus this event exposes them to golf on a
real course. They get to
see what it’s really like.”
Davies says he hopes
the kids stay with the
game. “If we introduce
golf to these kids early
on and reinforce it at the
Boys and Girls Clubs,
The youth spent some
we give kids a chance to
time on the driving range
take up a lifelong sport.”
prior to their round
Both Hanson and Davies say they learned
from the kids, too. Sometimes golf isn’t meant to be taken
game on Oct. 6 as a fundraiser for
so seriously that we worry about
the Boys and Girls Clubs. Hanson
our score. Sometimes, it’s enough
says he’s glad for the sponsors of
to get outside and enjoy the grass
that tournament to meet some of
and the trees. Sometimes it’s OK to
the kids they help.
look forward to lunch more than
“There is great value here,” Hanthe next hole. Why? Because it’s a
son says. “We can link the kids to
game. It’s fun.
the tournaments. When we have
It sure was. Can’t wait to do it
the tournaments the kids are in
again.
school; there’s not much chance
light. Lynchburg College made
it to the D-III softball national
championships in Salem this past
spring, when Hampden-Sydney
also advanced to the baseball finals. “We’re more competitive nationally,” says Bankston.
Many of the ODAC schools have
upgraded their gyms or outdoor
facilities, adding FieldTurf and
building new stadiums. He calls
that a direct result of the emphasis that league members have put
on athletics, as part of the overall
college experience they can offer.
Eastern Mennonite and Wesleyan
have built new indoor athletic
field houses. Emory & Henry is upgrading its football field and will
soon have the capability of playing
night games. It also helps recruitment efforts — Bankston points to
the commitment at Bridgewater
College, where a struggling football program was upgraded. One
result was an appearance in the
Stagg Bowl championship game
several years ago. “They took off,”
says Bankston, who promotes
league members. “Everybody’s
done the right thing for their program.”
Coming from his own college experience at big-time UNC
and Tech, where he worked in
sports information, dealing with
the likes of Dean Smith, George
Lynch, Frank Beamer and Bud
Foster, to the world of Division III
is one reason Bankston likes his
has been a burden for the ODAC,
job so much. ODAC members “put
largely a bus league, something
the right percentages in the right
to deal with going forward. How
places,” in the relationship of athto pay referees and other officials
letics to academics. “That’s been
who may be driving long distances
refreshing…everybody’s perspecto cover games is an issue.
tive is not warped. They underElsewhere he thinks members
stand where athletics fits.”
have done a good job keeping a lid
At the Division I level, sports
on the costs of athletics.
is often “entertainment-driven,”
Bankston doesn’t see football
says Bankston, with commitments
expansion on the immediate horion the field and in the gym cutting
zon, although Lynchburg College
into classroom time. “Division III
did seriously consider it recently.
has found a good balance.” Not
ODAC schools that want to boost
that he doesn’t recall his D-I expetheir male enrollment often think
riences fondly: sitting three seats
about football; Shenandoah Coldown from the home team bench
lege explored joining the league
at the Dean Dome during the UNC
and would have been the eighth
basketball season gave Bankston
football program.
a great view of life at the top
Looking forward, integrating
of the NCAA
Randolph
pyramid.
College into
“I saw some
the mix is
great
ones,
one
imsomething
I
mediate
wouldn’t trade
c h a l lenge.
a million bucks
Making the
for…but I like
st udentthe Division
athlete exIII model and
perience
really found a
better
is
home with the
more longODAC.”
term,
acThe Early Years: Bankston learned the
Wooldridge ropes from administrative assistant Mary cording to
took Bankston Jane Esperti and Dan Wooldridge
Ba n k ston.
under his wing
Things are
while Bankston was still attending
going well now but he offers this
graduate school at Virginia Tech.
caveat: “You don’t become comThe skyrocketing price of fuel
placent.”
Christian Moody
Moody
PLAY BY PLAY
O’Brien
From Page 12
Bill Turner photos
year,” Taylor says.
O’Brien came out smoking. According to Taylor, the thing that
really put him on the radar screen
was his performance in a Florida
all-star tournament.
“He pitched a one-hitter and
still lost when the opposing pitcher threw a no-hitter,” Taylor says.
“The game only took 90 minutes.
O’Brien struck out 12 and the major league scouts in attendance
took note. The interest in him escalated quickly.”
Jason Taylor says O’Brien could
have played college ball in 2008
May
From Page 18
because most of the disgruntlement of others is not based on a
person. It was May’s “quiet serenity” that Campbell found to be admirable.
“He had the potential for discouragement that was huge,”
Campbell says. May battled
health issues, as did his wife,
Linda. Linda May died in April
2007, a severe blow to George.
But he went about his job with a
humor that Campbell says could
cause people to miss the deeper
person.
May’s depth and wisdom were
not lost on his students. Salem
High School 2008 graduate Matt
Lipscomb was part of a competition to be the school’s graduation
speaker. The speech he submitted
was a tribute to May and the lessons he taught that went above
and beyond mathematics.
17
PLAY BY PLAY
O’Brien’s senior season at Hidden Valley was nothing short of
phenomenal. He was virtually
untouchable in the regular season. Few batters could overcome
his 90-plus mph fastball or vicious
curve. Hidden Valley bowed out
of the Group AA state tournament
the first week of June with a 5-4
loss to eventual state runner-up
Alleghany.
O’Brien’s final 2008 pitching
stats are eye-popping: 11-1 record,
0.69 ERA, 142 strikeouts in 75 innings, an average of almost two
per inning. He also showed he
could handle a bat: a .487 batting
average, seven homers, 11 doubles
and 53 RBIs.
Most importantly, however, was
the interest generated from the
Florida performance.
“We had major league scouts in
contact with us all season,” Taylor
says. “Whenever Mikey was scheduled to pitch, there was a scout at
every game. He continued to impress them with his pitch location
and command of four pitches.”
There was particular interest from St. Louis, Atlanta, Oakland and the Yankees. New York
watched O’Brien six times and
scout Scott Lovecamp openly
said if O’Brien was available when
their selection spot for him came
up, they would take him.
On June 6, O’Brien’s dream
came true. The Yankees picked
with team officials. A
physical and the opportunity to mingle
with other Yankee
players and prospects
preceded a short negotiation. O’Brien became a professional
baseball player, signing on the dotted line.
That night he celebrated the signing with
Yankee officials. “They
really gave me the redcarpet
treatment,”
O’Brien says.
O’Brien reported to
the Yankees camp on
July 12 for a three-week
throwing program, to
be followed by an inO’Brien batted .487 this season
structional camp in
September. He has already moved
him in the ninth round of the 2008
up the ladder and is expected to
amateur draft.
pitch for the Yankees’ Gulf Coast
O’Brien suddenly faced a big
team this summer. Taylor thinks
decision: professional baseball or
he can make it to the majors in
a college scholarship in hand from
three years or less.
Winthrop University.
Despite his talent, O’Brien has
Interestingly, he put everything
an unusual sidebar in his quest.
on hold while he graduated from
“I’ve never been to a major league
Hidden Valley and headed to Myrgame in my life,” he says with a
tle Beach with his classmates for
laugh. “I get kidded about it a lot
beach week.
from friends and teammates. But
“I needed some time to relax
I want the first one to be when I’m
and have fun,” he says. “The Yanactually pitching.”
kees were very understanding.”
With the way things are moving,
On June 23, accompanied by his
that dream could become reality
brother, Eric, Mikey flew to the
sooner than anyone thought.
Yankee complex in Tampa to meet
“I was inspired by his willingness to help other people any time
he could,” Lipscomb told Play by
Play. “He was at school at 6 a.m.
every day to help students in the
math lab if they needed it.”
That help was not necessarily
just in math. “I know many people
he was a mentor to, more than just
a teacher. If someone was going
through rough times they could go
to Mr. May and he would stay after
school and talk to them.”
Lipscomb says May’s dedication to students was noticed and
appreciated.
Certainly the same can be said
for golfers of all ages.
“He was just a great giver,” says
Miller Baber, one of the top amateur golfers in the area who competes in and coordinates tournaments around the valley. Baber
serves on the committee for the
Roanoke Valley Match Play, and
also is a past champion. “He spent
virtually all of
his time when
he wasn’t with
his family helping others, in
golf, junior golf
or helping kids.
A lot of organizations lost
a lot when he
was gone, as we
found out this
year.”
Baber spoke
of May’s wit,
which was legendary, and his
joy in telling stories — especially
the one where he once beat Dan
Keffer in a tournament.
Oh yes, it should be mentioned,
May was a heckuva golfer. And
even though Keffer was better and
a heavy favorite, May was on fire
with his short game and made putt
after putt to upset Keffer.
Committee member Woody
Deans: ‘For 10 years, [George
May] ran it by himself’
Christian Moody
AUGUST 4, 2008
But May’s glory did not come in
the joy of victory, but the pleasure
of seeing others have a good golf
game.
When the cup bearing his name
was awarded to Wise at Botetourt
Country Club, Landis said he suspected May was there watching,
“with tears in his eyes.”
18
PLAY BY PLAY
AUGUST 4, 2008
LEGENDS OF THE GAMES
May’s lessons went beyond school, sports
Christian Moody
Photo courtesy of Wade Whitehead
T
�����������
Roanoke Valley Golf Association Championship Committee and took over the
tournament in 2002, called
the Valley Amateur at the
time, and secured sponsors,
designed a logo, built a Web
site and promoted it.
“We all have different
areas of expertise,” Deans
says. “George was just bubbling over to see what this
tournament has become.”
Like Wise, Deans
battled his emotions
when talking about
May. He says the word
“Loving” was added
to the title of the
George May Loving Cup as a gesture of the true
affection all the
members of the
Roanoke Valley
golf community
feel for May.
That affection
was also felt at Salem High, where
May was a popular teacher. Fellow
teacher Fred Campbell
reflected on May, and the lessons
he taught Campbell about the profession and life in general.
“George May had a wisdom
about him a lot of people didn’t
really know,” Campbell says. “My
fondest memories of George are
the times we were just sitting, or
maybe passing in the hall, and he
would say something that would
echo with me for days, maybe
weeks.”
Campbell says May taught him
not to take difficulties personally,
Christian Moody
ley Golf Hall of Fame.
“Hopefully we can get it
endowed,” says committee
HIS STORY IS AT LEAST
member Rob Landis. “For
nine months late — but realisall he’s done, it’s appropritically, it’s years overdue. Such
ate.”
is often the case when honoring a
A tribute to May could
stalwart local
easily be filled with trite
figure with a Legends of
old chestnuts: “Only the
remembrance the Games
good die young,” but at 62,
after he has
Forty-ninth in a Series
May had plenty of years left
passed away,
to him. “You never heard
gone to his greater reward.
an unkind word said about
Thank goodness the other comhim,” whomever “him”
mittee members who put together
happens to be. But again, in
the Roanoke Valley Match Play
May’s case, that’s the truth.
did not wait another year to honMay was a teacher, a family
or George May for his years of
man and a church-goer. He
work on the tournament, and his
was not a man who sought
countless hours of dedication to
fame and fortune. He loved
the local golf scene. The committo help others.
tee members secretly signed a flag
May was a math teacher
and mounted it into a plaque, then
at Salem High School. He A mainstay at local golf tournaments,
presented it to May in 2007 as a
was never the school’s head George May (above) died unexpectthank you for the years he gave the
golf coach, but worked edly in 2007. A prestigious trophy
tournament, formerly known as
as an assistant for many has been named in his memory
the City-County Golf Championyears. Still, the competiship (see page 4).
tive fires were not as strong as his
ers, Scott Wise, won the
May unexpectedly died this
love for all kids. If he could help a
George May Loving Cup on
past November leaving a hole in
young golfer from
July 13. He never played for
the heart of the
another school, he
May, but knew him well
golf community.
would.
enough that Wise choked
The
committee
Tim Chocklett
with emotion when talking
members made
served as William
about the cup’s new namesake.
sure he will not be
Byrd’s golf coach
“George was a class guy,” Wise
forgotten. The trofor many years
says. “My mother was a math
phy for the Roaand knew May
teacher at Byrd, so we always had
noke Valley Match
well. “He helped
a bond.” Wise says May would ask
Play
champion
anybody
who
about his family whenever they
has been named
asked,” Chocklett
spoke and he was always struck by
the George May
says, adding that
how much May clearly cared for
Loving Cup. A golf
May was known as
all kids, regardless of talent level
tournament was
a short-game speor school.
held in late July
cialist. “We played
Woody Deans says May is the
to raise money for
a lot of golf togethreason the Roanoke Valley Match
the newly created
er over the years.
Play is a viable tournament to this
George May MeHe’s going to be
day. “For 10 years, he ran it by
morial Scholargreatly missed.”
himself,” Deans says. “A bunch of
ship, to be adminOne of Chockus could see he needed help.”
istered through Scott Wise captured the 2008
lett’s former playA group of 10 people became the
the Roanoke Val- George May Loving Cup
by Christian Moody
See MAY, Page 17
����������������������������
�����������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������������
������������������������������������������������������������
���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
AUGUST 4, 2008
PLAY BY PLAY
19
Ringing in some new Olympic memories
F
IRST OF ALL, I LOVE THE
summer Olympics. The only
thing that could make them
better is if they moved into July so
by Mike
they’d help fill that sad time beAshley
tween the end of basketball and
the beginning of football.
I love that Olympic theme music, too. You know, duh duh da-duh duh duh duh DUH duh da-duh duh
duh duh da-duh duh duh. And I do like the summer Olympics better than
the winter because the summer has more sports in my wheelhouse like
basketball and track and field and boxing and gymnastics and beach volleyball. Swimming and wrestling are cool, too, at least every four years
or so.
The winter Olympics have all that skiing and skating and well, if you’re
not into skiing and skating, that doesn’t leave a whole lot to enjoy. Speaking of which, remember the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France?
I was actually at the Eating Olympics that year in Fat Albertville. I
was in the Feed Skating and the Two-man Huge. I would have won the
I-Can’t-Control-My-Figure Skating if it hadn’t been for that dang, fat Russian woman.
It’s pretty bad I gotta go back to a 16-year-old comedy bit for my
Olympic humor but that’s what the Olympics are to me…lots of great
memories. I don’t count the ’72 Olympics — the first on my personal
radar — as a great memory, but how could you forget the terrorists and
ABC studio host Jim McKay’s performance. Mark Spitz won seven gold
medals that year, too, and made all us little fat kids want to be able to
swim faster.
I was 16 when Nadia Comaneci took the world by storm in 1976, and
gymnastics was all the rage, just like it is every Olympic year. Please also
see figure skating. I’m not knocking those sports, just saying they get a
disproportionate popularity surge in Olympic years. That’s cool but don’t
force-feed ’em to us die-hard sports fans just because of the four-year uptick. Please also see professional women’s soccer.
What I really loved about the ’76 Olympics was Dean Smith and all
those ACC players taking back the gold after the ’72 travesty in Munich. Quick, can you name the seven Atlantic Coast Conference stars
Dean built his team around? (That would be Phil Ford, Walter Davis,
Mitch Kupchak and Tommy LaGarde from UNC; Steve Sheppard
from Maryland; Tate Armstrong from Duke; and Kenny Carr from
N.C. State.)
Now it’s Mike Krzyzewski’s turn 32 years later to reclaim gold in our
sport. I can’t think of the current state of international basketball without
remembering how crazy I thought the late Al McGuire was back in the
’70s when he was that lone voice saying the rest of the world was going
to catch and pass us on the hardwoods. Good call, Al. We should have
listened.
How come when politicians talk about the outsourcing of U.S. jobs they
never talk about all of the foreign players in the NBA?
The U.S. boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow because of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. I remember being adamantly in favor of
SIDELINES
that stance way back then, much like many folks are dead-set against
these Olympics in China because of human rights concerns.
I look at it a little differently now having spent so many years around
top athletes. I hate to see them miss their chance like many in 1980 did,
and I actually think the international focus on countries we have issues
with like China now — or Russia then — well, it forces them to clean up
their act a little at least while NBC’s cameras are over there.
Long story, short — sports shouldn’t be about politics. (Memo to Congress: Get out of baseball and steroids and football and Spygate and do
something about the economy and the war.)
And one more point about using the games for political statements.
Was there ever a stronger in-your-face statement than the one Jesse
Owens delivered to Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics? Not that I
remember watching that live on TV. Just remember highlights and how
funny those guys ran on the old kinescope or whatever it was. Even Babe
Ruth looked fast in his home run trot back then.
Anyway, Russia got us back in the summer of ’84, staying away from
the Los Angeles Olympics, where best as I remember, we won every single
event except the women’s 3,000 meters where Mary Decker got tripped
up by that wacky barefoot South African, Zola Budd.
By the way, is there a sadder convergence of Olympic greatness and
reality TV than Bruce Jenner, post-Michael Jackson facial surgery? I remember when he was outrunning everyone to win decathlon gold. Now
he’s just Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
The ’88 summer games had the showdown between American sprinter
Carl Lewis and Canadian Ben Johnson, and for all the hype, it ended
up being one of track and field’s worst moments. Johnson won but then
tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and in some ways, all
sports have never been the same.
To that point, we thought those East German women’s swimmers, the
ones with the mustaches, were the only athletes doping up for competition. Now we suspect everyone. Thanks a lot, Ben.
The Barcelona games in 1992 brought us the original “Dream Team”
but I can hardly remember a detail from any game. It was a team that was
too good, and set the bar impossibly high for future U.S. teams. The only
other thing I remember about those games is that stupid Dan (O’Brien)
and Dave (Johnson) marketing campaign. O’Brien ended up not even
making the team and Johnson only got the bronze, and I’m happy to report I can’t even remember what they were selling.
All I remember about the 1996 games in Atlanta is staying up all night
when that bomb went off in the plaza. A Radford student worker (a good
friend of mine) was volunteering as an NBC assistant down there and I
couldn’t sleep until the next day when I heard from him.
OK, thinking about him I do remember he told me he had a crush on
all those little, tiny gymnasts and that was the year Kerri Strug stuck the
landing on her vault on that heavily taped ankle to help the U.S. secure
the team gold medal.
I didn’t stick the landing on this column because I ran out of space for
memories from the last couple of Olympics. Then again, you saw ’em, too,
and the point is we’ll all be watching this month, waiting for a whole new
set of memories.
20
PLAY BY PLAY
AUGUST 4, 2008