Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)
June 20, 2003
Section: Sports
Edition: Final
Page: D7
Memo:NOTEBOOK
THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT BRINGS OUT COACH IN FANS AS SECOND-GUESSING HEATS UP
Mike Fields, Herald-Leader Staff Writer
Clearing off the desk and closing up the notebook for the summer …
* Baseball and second-guessing go together like Maris and Mantle. (OK, I’m showing my age.) Lend an ear at the state baseball tournament at Applebee’s Park and you’ll hear fans endlessly critiquing the coaches.
“Everybody sitting there sees every single move you make,” LaRue County Coach Eric Hughes said. “In football, a coach might call a play but the fans don’t have a clue what was supposed to have happened. Same thing in basketball.
“But in baseball, the coach is open for discussion. It’s a slower game and everybody’s got time to sit back and second-guess. Most people played baseball when they were young, and a lot of of them coached it at some level. So they all think they know the game.”
No matter how much a coach wins, one move can sour the fans. Last week Paul Dunbar Coach Mickey Marshall pulled his starter in the seventh inning of a semi-state game against Russell County, and Dunbar wound up losing. The second-guessing decibel-level was deafening. If Dunbar’s reliever had shut the door, not a peep would’ve been heard.
“A lot of times, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t,” Boone County’s Matt Wilhoite said.
“You’ve got to have pretty thick skin,” said Apollo’s Bob Mantooth. “You’ve got to have faith in yourself and your staff. I think most fans enjoy trying to figure out what to do, and not necessarily doing it to criticize you.”
* If Dunbar wins the state baseball title, it will have 41 wins — the most in state history. If the Bulldogs beat Apollo in tonight’s semifinals, they will join Covington Catholic (2002), Harrison County (1997) and Madison Central (1982) as the only 40-game winners.
* The best pro prospect in Kentucky high school baseball is Male junior pitcher Scott Green, who’ll be under the watchful eyes (and radar guns) of scouts at the state tournament. The 6-foot-7 right-hander’s fastball can heat up to more than 90 mph. Green was slowed by a rotator cuff injury early in the season, but he’s rounding into form. He had a one-hit shutout of St. Xavier in the region and a perfect game against Anderson County in the semi-state.
* UK football signee Jacob Tamme of Boyle County, a standout receiver who will play in tonight’s all-star game against Tennessee, might have baseball in his future. He’d like to play baseball for the Cats, too. Tamme, a rangy 6-foot-6, was a four-year starter at shortstop for Boyle County. He had impressive career numbers: .407 average, 33 homers and 129 RBI. “If he had chosen to concentrate on baseball, I think he’d been taken in this year’s draft,” Rebels Coach David Camic said.
* Andy Fryman of Mason County, an offensive lineman for the Kentucky All-Stars, is better known for his exploits in track and field. He set a state record in winning the state discus title (194 feet, 11 inches), and came close to a record in winning the shot put (65-7.5). He swept those events at the Adidas Outdoor Championships at Raleigh, N.C., last week. He threw the discus 191-6, and the shot 65-6.25. He has signed with UK in track and field.
* In 1972, Mac Whitaker and Sam Harp were both outfielders for Morehead State’s baseball team before Harp transferred to Kentucky State to play football. Thirty-one years later, the former MSU teammates are finalists for National High School Athletic Coaches Association coach of the year honors — Whitaker in baseball and Harp in football. Whitaker has more than 600 wins and three state titles at Harrison County. Harp has more than 225 wins overall, including six state titles at Danville. The awards will be presented July 31 in Tulsa, Okla. “After all these years, it’s kind of neat for this to happen to both of us at the same time,” Whitaker said.
* There’s no sure-fire way to determine which school had the best year in athletics, not when powers such as St. Xavier and Trinity have all-boys enrollment, while Mercy and Sacred Heart are all girls. And how can you get a true read when some schools don’t have volleyball or wrestling teams?
Out of curiosity, though, I checked out which schools that have both boys and girls had the best overall records in five team sports: football, boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, baseball and fast-pitch softball.
Lexington Catholic was the only school in the state to win at least 10 games in football and at least 20 in the other sports. The Knights were 11-2 in football, 24-8 in boys’ hoops, 32-5 in girls’ hoops, 27-4 in baseball and 20-14 in softball for 114 total victories.
Christian County was second with 112 wins — 9-4 in football, 17-10 in boys’ basketball, 29-4 in girls’ basketball, 25-9 in baseball and 32-2 in softball. Rockcastle County, despite an 11-12 mark in softball, was third according to my computations with 99 wins. The Rockets were 13-2 in football, 24-5 in boys’ hoops, 26-7 in girls’ hoops and 25-12 in baseball.
Catholic was a runaway winner in Lexington over Dunbar (84 wins), Lafayette (81), Henry Clay (80), Tates Creek (74), Lexington Christian (71) and Sayre (37).
* National football recruiting analyst Tom Lemming has labeled three high school seniors-to-be in Kentucky as “difference makers” at the college level: Trinity quarterback Brian Brohm; Paducah Tilghman running back Joe Casey, and Warren Central receiver Lonnell Dewalt.
* The 2003 football season kicks off in nine weeks. The openers for Lexington teams: Bryan Station hosts Madison Central Aug. 22. Henry Clay hosts Paducah Tilghman (and future UK running back Joe Casey) in an afternoon game Aug. 23. Lafayette faces three-time defending state champ Boyle County in the Charger Classic at Papa John’s Stadium in Louisville Aug. 22. Lexington Catholic hosts Prestonsburg in the St. Joseph Hospital Bluegrass Bowl on Aug. 23. Lexington Christian visits Evangel Christian Aug. 23. Paul Dunbar faces Garrard County in the Constitution Bowl in Danville Aug. 23. Tates Creek is at Clark County Aug. 22.
* The seventh annual Kentucky Prep East-West All-Star fast-pitch softball games will be played at UK this weekend. The senior stars play Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by the juniors. The juniors play first on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. Admission is $8.
* All-star baseball games for the 12th Region’s top juniors and seniors will be held at Boyle County, starting at noon Saturday and Sunday.
* Mike Zuckerman, a former Henry Clay quarterback who had been part of the Blue Devils’ coaching staff for 10 years, has resigned. “I just felt it was time to get out and take time to do other things,” he said.
* Henry Clay boys’ assistant basketball coach Daniel Brown, part of the Devils’ run to the state semifinals this year, has switched city schools. He’ll be an assistant to Eddie Oakley at Dunbar. Brown played for Oakley at Nicholas County.
* Miami of Ohio pitcher Graham Taylor, of Dixie Heights, was freshman of the year in the Mid-American Conference. The left-hander led the RedHawks’ with a 7-4 record, 3.83 ERA, and 67 strikeouts in 99 innings. He made the Louisville Slugger freshman All-America team.
* Mark Michael, who pitched Lexington Catholic to the 1999 state title and had a solid college career at Central Florida, signed a free-agent contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and reported to their rookie league in Brandenton, Fla.
* Whitesburg’s Gina Fields finished her high school fast-pitch career with a record of 114-34, the third best in state history. She had nine shutouts and a 0.90 ERA this season.
* Glasgow golfer Whitney Wade will tee it up in the Women’s U.S. Open July 3-8 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon. Wade shot 1-over-par 145 in a 36-hole qualifer at Cantigny Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill., last week. She was third overall and low amateur out of 85 golfers.
* Veteran basketball referee and baseball umpire Denver “Smoky” Jones suffered a stroke and is hospitalized at Hazard’s Appalachian Regional Hospital.
* Joe Back, part of the broadcast team for the East Kentucky Sports Network at the Boys’ Sweet Sixteen the last 11 years, died last week. He was 37. Back, who lived in Paintsville, also did high school football and basketball games for Hazard radio station WSGS.
* Somerset native Don Irvine, who’s been a boys’ basketball coach at Augusta, Burgin and McLean County, is returning to Burgin next season as coach and athletic director.
* Jeff Jackson, who coached University Heights Academy to a Sweet Sixteen championship in 1992 and four All “A” Classic titles, is the new coach at Lincoln County.
* Derek McKnight has stepped down as girls’ basketball coach at Breathitt County.
Mike Fields covers high school sports for the Herald-Leader. This article contains his opinions observations. You can reach him at (859) 231-3337; 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 3337 or by e-mail at mfields@herald-leader.com.
(1) – Brohm
(2) – Wade