ON THE FRINGE by Stephen Hobbs
Final recap of the U.S. men’s and women’s water polo teams at the 2012 London Olympics. The American women won gold on Saturday by defeating Spain by the score of 8-5. The men finished in eighth place. They were defeated by Australia on Sunday by the score of 10-9.
1. London will be remembered as a disappointing Olympics for the USA men’s water polo team and an unforgettable Olympics for the American women. In 2008, the men’s and women’s teams finished with silver medals. However, there was a stark contrast of emotions. The men were ecstatic with their performance. They had a renewed sense of optimism and they vowed to return to the gold medal match in London. The women were frustrated once again. They were a major favorite coming into the tournament and they failed to live up to the expectations. Four years later, both teams had a complete reversal of fortunes.
2. The future looks bright for the women. After a disappointing result in 2008, the injection of Maggie Steffens to their squad helped lead them to Olympic gold. She has already emerged as a leader on the team and she is now also the most complete player that the U.S. has. At the age of 19, Steffens already has an Olympic gold medal, received the most valuable player award for the tournament and scored seven goals in her Olympic debut, tying the most goals scored by a woman in an Olympic match. All of this came before she played her first collegiate game at Stanford University. Steffens took a year off in between high school and college to train with the national team, and all of her hard work paid off. Although the Americans will have to replace Heather Petri, Brenda Villa and likely other players such as Betsey Armstrong, the team still has a strong core remaining. The USA women should have a strong chance to repeat as gold medalists in 2016 in Rio.
3. The London games revealed the uniqueness of the men’s magical run in Beijing. Merrill Moses was a force in the cage for the United States in 2008 and the team captured the silver medal — which was their highest finish at the Olympics since 1988, when the Americans also finished with the silver. In London, the problem for the U.S. occurred in group play. Three wins over Montenegro, Romania and Great Britain got the team off to a good start, but the matches against Serbia and Hungary were the most important. The Americans lost both of those games and saw their chances of medaling slip. Finishing fourth in their group secured a quarterfinal matchup with Croatia, who eventually went on to win gold. The U.S. lost 8-2 and was eliminated from medal contention.
4. The frustrating tournament for the U.S. also exposed how reliant the men are on their leader Tony Azevedo to produce on the offensive end. Ryan Bailey had a strong tournament offensively for the U.S., as he led his team with 13 goals. Azevedo and Peter Varellas both finished the tournament with 11 goals, but their play was inconsistent throughout. Azevedo struggled to consistently produce on offense, as many teams focused heavily on him, which left the U.S. team without a major scoring threat. The Americans were never able to fully click on offense. Although it may not look like it, their quarterfinal loss to Croatia may have been one of their better offensive games. The U.S. kept drew 15 ejections but could only convert one power play goal. The opportunities were there, but they just could not put their shots away.
5. Going forward, other players will have to step up and emerge as the future of USA men’s water polo. Azevedo will be 34-years-old, if he participates in what would be his fifth Olympic Games in Rio, and with the likely retirement of Ryan Bailey, and inevitably other members of this year’s Olympic team, the Americans will have to rebuild their squad going forward. The men put a major emphasis on keeping the core group of players together after Beijing to try and repeat their success. However, this strategy may have hurt the development of future members of the national team. Either way, all of these changes must now occur under the supervision of a new national team coach. In July it was announced that men’s head coach Terry Schroeder would return to coach Pepperdine University in the fall of 2013, another blow to the future of men’s water polo.
Quick thoughts after the U.S. men lost to Spain 8-7. The U.S. will take on Australia on Sunday for seventh place.
1. The Americans dug themselves into a hole with poor play early on. Spain scored a goal 24 seconds into the game and lead the rest of the way. The U.S. looked lethargic and lacked the swagger that they had in previous matches. Merrill Moses, who is usually one of the most emotional members of his squad, looked placid early on. He also let in a couple of goals that he would like to have back. In the second half, the U.S. played much better, especially Moses. He regained the confidence that we have come to expect from him and his play in the cage improved dramatically. He kept his teammates in the game, and they eventually almost pulled out the victory. Jeff Powers and Layne Beaubien led the Americans offensively, but the deficit was too great to overcome against a strong team in Spain.
2. Tony Azevedo has not had his strongest tournament. The team captain for the Americans scored one goal on the day but struggled in other aspects of the game. He had a goal disallowed because he moved forward after drawing a foul outside of the five-meter line, a problem that has plagued him multiple times through the tournament, and he struggled to fine open shooting lanes. One of the reasons is because he is the biggest scoring threat on the team. Opposing teams are not allowing Azevedo to get open, and when he does find room, he has multiple shot blockers in his face, in addition to trying to get it past the goalie. However, Azevedo has been most effective in the tournament when he is active on the offensive end. When he is stagnant and trying to set up to draw fouls outside the five-meter line, other teams are able to focus on him and shut him down.
3. Ryan Bailey played in his 600th international game. He debut with the national team in 1998, and he has continued to improve his play every since, even in what will most likely be his fourth and final Olympics. Bailey scored a goal in the fourth quarter, with under 30 seconds left in the game, to cut the score to 8-7. Overall, it wasn’t Bailey’s best game of the tournament but he still provided a presence on the inside that was unmatched by his teammates. Even at the age of 36, Bailey is still one of the best players on the men’s national team.
Quick thoughts after the USA men’s water polo team lost a quarterfinal match to Croatia by the score of 8-2. The Americans will play Spain on Friday. The winner will advance to the fifth place game on Sunday. The loser will play for seventh place.
1. The American’s loss to Croatia can be summed up by one statistic: power play efficiency. The U.S. finished 1/15 on the power play and the Croatians finished the game 6/12. Defense was not the problem. 1/15 on offense was the problem. Early on, the U.S. had chance after chance to stay in the game. The American’s were able to draw ejections and get the Croatian players in foul trouble early on in the game. If they would have converted two or three of their power plays in the first half, the U.S. would have put a lot of pressure on Croatia. Peter Varellas finally converted a power play goal for the U.S. in the third quarter, cutting the score to 5-2. At the time, the momentum seemed to be with the Americans. However, Croatia responded with two more goals in the quarter to push their lead to 7-2.
2. Croatian goaltender Josip Pavic shut the door. He stopped 12 of 14 shots and was an intimidating presence on defense. Pavic leads all goaltenders with a 71.6 save percentage for the tournament and he showed why. He made save after save early on in the game and added to the American’s frustrations on offense. Croatia’s overall team defense was also impressive. They continuously had shot blockers in the American’s faces, and shooting lanes, which eliminated many shots that even reached the cage. If a shot was able to make it to Pavic, he reacted well and made the save.
3. Ryan Bailey continues to be one of the top players on the American squad. The 36-year-old played well against Croatia, and has done so throughout the entire tournament. He scored one of the two goals for the Americans, which cut the Croatian’s lead to 5-1 at the time. One of the main reasons that the U.S. had so many power play opportunities was due to their strong two-meter man inside. Because John Mann picked up two early ejections, Bailey was forced to shoulder the load. Bailey continues to work hard for position, in what most likely will be his final Olympics, which allows his teammates to have more space on the perimeter. Expect Bailey to be a big offensive factor for the Americans in his final two Olympic matches in London.
HOLLYWOOD MEETS WRIGLEYVILLE: THE NORTH SIDE OF CHICAGO KEEPS PARTYING By Ian Massey
Last week I visited Wrigley Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs, for the second time – the first came when I was ten years old. It was before Steve Bartman went into hiding, before Sammy Sosa corked his bat, and before news broke of Moises Alou pissing on his palms prior to plate appearances instead of wearing batting gloves like a normal human-being. I saw Sammy sprint to his right field position with his pointer finger in the air – much to the boozers in the bleachers’ delight – sat 50 yards from where Bartman would later interfere with Cubs history, and shook Alou’s hand after he signed a baseball for me. Having not met Felipe, Matty, Jesus, or any of the other four-hundred Alou brothers and sisters who have played Major League Baseball, I’d probably be correct in stating, Moises was the moistest Alou.
From beer vendors filling the aisles to ivy on the brick walls in the outfield, Wrigley didn’t seem to change much at all after eleven years passed. Win or lose, the traditions continued where they left off; an opposing player’s home run is thrown back to the infield dirt from the bleachers, the postgame partying spills into bars that line the stadium, and the Chicago Transit Authority’s red line crams fans of both teams in like sardines before and after games at the stop on Addison.
I attended two games while in town and the Cubs lost both to the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs played atrociously, committing five errors on a Friday afternoon game that saw fly balls float from high above second base and land firmly on top of the visitor’s dugout – hence, the Windy City nickname. The Reds somehow escaped with only a two-run victory in a 10-8 win, leaving 17 runners on base. Unheard of.
But what I saw on that Friday afternoon transcended a rebuilding franchise that hasn’t won a World Series since before the Titanic sank. There was a sense of community. Every game at Wrigley is a party. From what I’m told, some children mimic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to join their fathers at the ballpark every Friday afternoon that the Cubbies are in town. Ferris, Cameron and Sloan’s adventure may have been fictional, but the festivities within Wrigley are bona fide.
I’ve never seen so many three-day-weekenders in my life than I did last Friday. Roughly 40,000 fans packed the stadium, nearly to capacity, in order to watch a team that was over 20 games under .500 at 1:00 pm. For me, growing up an Angels fan, it was unheard of. After starting 9-15 in April, the Angels brought in just 27,288 fans for a Wednesday night game against the Minnesota Twins on May 2. By the time Wednesday July 25 rolled around, Angels Stadium had 39,107 fans in the crowd to see an equally awful Kansas City Royals team face the surging, 54-45 Angels.
Thanks for the fair weather, Anaheim. On the North Side of Chicago, the Cubs haven’t been above .500 all season, yet their lowest attendance rate at a game in 2012 was on August 13, the day I flew out of Midway Airport as thick dark clouds pounded the city with rain. They still played that night as drizzle persisted, but 31,452 fans still showed up!
Now back to Wrigley. I grew up watching WGN on sick days with the voice of the late-Harry Caray broadcasting to my television in Southern California. Caray was more appealing than the only other option midday. It was either the Braves on TNT, One Life to Live on ABC, or Harry Caray on WGN – I chose Caray and the Cubs, then watched the Angels play in the evenings. Caray’s hair was as white as the snowy Illinois winters, and he had a voice that often escapes me because it blends far too much with Will Ferrell’s impressions, but what I remember was a well told ballgame and the exclamatory “Cubs WIN!” on good days for the baby bears.
Five years before I ever reached Chicago, Caray passed away. For years, he sang the seventh inning stretch, beginning the rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with “All right! Lemme hear ya! Ah-One! Ah-Two! Ah-Three!” Caray would then conclude with “Let’s get some runs!” as the Cubs took their swings in the bottom of the seventh.
To this day, the tradition continues, and I’m proud to say that I’m blood related to the woman who carries on Caray’s custom – Katie Marta. The daughter of my mom’s sister, Katie lives the dream with her position at Wrigley Field. For six of the 14 years since Caray passed, Katie has coaxed celebrities into singing the ballpark anthem at the second oldest park in Major League Baseball, while organizing the ceremonial first pitch prior to ballgames and Cubs conventions as well.
She’s brought Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis’ Campaign to the on-deck circle, along with Vince Vaughn, Dick Butkus, Tony Romo, Brady Quinn, Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Michael Wilbon, Jackie Chan, Mr. T., McLovin, Larry King, Michael J. Fox, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Saturday Night Live’s Seth Meyers, and many more. She’s welcomed Johnny Depp and Conan O’Brien to the park, and booked Draco from Harry Potter, Frazier from Frazier, and John Grisham from a bookshelf near you.
Katie Marta welcomed Conan O'Brien to Wrigley Field in 2009.
Katie’s Facebook profile picture rotates from a picture with her childhood idol – Michael Jordan, to her drinking buddy – Eddie Vedder, to an image of her laughing along in the background of the Cubs’ broadcast booth as the late Cubs great Ron Santo passionately produced entertainment for all in attendance during the stretch.
Some celebrities come to throw out the first pitch, some sing the stretch, and some do both, but they all seem to garner attention from a receptive and knowledgeable crowd.
Katie brings Hollywood to Wrigleyville. Steve Harvey once noted that if you dropped Katie Marta’s name at Wrigley, you could probably be on the field within five minutes without a ticket. When he walked behind her to get to the field on July 29, Harvey laughed that the ushers parted like the red sea for her.
Her dreams are realized daily, so she makes others’ come true regularly … including mine. Growing up a ballplayer, a bad day was one in which I didn’t have grass or dirt stains on my pants by dinnertime. When I arrived at the ballpark last Friday, Katie had tickets behind the Cubs dugout waiting for me, along with a VIP field access badge. Because of her, I stood on my first MLB field with the famous clock tower staring at me in center, while some patrons paid money to sit atop local businesses to watch from bleachers that overlook the ballpark from across the street.
Last summer, an 80-year-old Cubs fan attended her first game at Wrigley. Katie found the woman’s seat, and brought she and her family down to the field. At 80, she bent down to the dirt that surrounded the playing field and extended to the outfield warning track, brushed it, and wept.
On August 10, a Cubs fan belted out “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at Wrigley after bidding upwards of $17,000 in a Cubs charity auction for the right to take part in the three-and-a-half decade old tradition. As she does before each singer begins, Katie prepared the singer to make sure he kept pace with the organ player and didn’t forget the lines – it works for some, but not others. Google Mr. T sings “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and make sure to pity the fool.
On my second day at Wrigley, I met ESPN college basketball analyst and former Notre Dame Coach Digger Phelps on the field before he tossed out the first pitch and sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” He was courteous, witty and even called over Reds third baseman Scott Rolen to chat about his old high school basketball days in Indiana. At the end of his song in the middle of the seventh, he said with a baritone voice, “Let’s get some runs!” just as Caray did for years. Phelps then tossed a Cubs hat from the press box, which was snagged by one of the thousands of fans arching their necks to see him from below. Going along with tradition, the Cubs didn’t score for the rest of the evening, and the fans exited the stadium to continue the party elsewhere.
Billy Goats, Bartmans, piss-dampened palms, and 104 years of World Series drought aside, the fans keep coming, the celebrities continue to sing, and the weather is far from fair on the North Side of Chicago. God bless old Wrigley and may he let it live on for another century, with or without a winning season or two.
ON THE FRINGE by Stephen Hobbs
Quick thoughts after the U.S. women defeated Spain 8-5 in the gold medal match.
1. The United States finally did it. Since the introduction of women’s water polo at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the Americans have been a major favorite going into to each tournament. However, the U.S. squad has finished disappointingly with the silver medal twice, and the bronze medal once. This time was different. Early on, the U.S. women looked nervous. Spain started the game with an early goal, and the Americans struggled to sustain a consistent offensive threat. However, once again, Maggie Steffens settled her team down. Steffens scored a goal with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, and her team did not look back. The American women won the second quarter by a 4-1 score and held a 5-2 lead at the half. They then extended their lead by winning the third quarter 2-0 and held on in the fourth for the victory.
2. The defense for the Americans was dominating. Part of that was the improved play of goaltender Betsey Armstrong throughout the entire Olympic tournament. The other aspect was the defensive focus of her teammates. During the first match against Spain, the American women took a lot of ejections on the defensive end, which allowed the Spaniards to come out with a tie. Today, the Americans played a much smarter defensive game all around. They were strong when guarding two-meters but not overaggressive. Also, their shot blocking took away many of Spain’s shooting lanes in front of Armstrong. The team defense of the USA women was at its best in the gold medal match.
3. Kami Craig was a force inside. The two-meter offensive player did not finish with a goal on the day, but her play did not go unnoticed. Craig’s position requires that she must absorb a physical beating and also draw ejections, to create scoring opportunities for her teammates. Today, and for much of the tournament, Craig did exactly that. Although Steffens and Armstrong will receive much of the credit for the gold medal win, Craig deserves a great deal of praise.
4. The past and future of USA women’s water polo was on display. Brenda Villa and Heather Petri were competing in their fourth and likely final Olympic Games, and Betsey Armstrong admitted in a post-game interview that this would likely be her last Olympics. Luckily for women’s water polo fans, Maggie Steffens is only 19-years-old. Steffens was the best player for the U.S. throughout the entire tournament and she continued to shine in the gold medal match. She was the team’s leader in the pool and scored big goals for her squad when they mattered the most. Steffens deserves all the accolades that she earned from the London Olympics and look for her to continue to be a dominating force for the Americans for years to come.
ON THE FRINGE by Stephen Hobbs
Quick thoughts after the USA men’s water polo team lost a quarterfinal match to Croatia by the score of 8-2. The Americans will play Spain on Friday. The winner will advance to the fifth place game on Sunday. The loser will play for seventh place.
1. The American’s loss to Croatia can be summed up by one statistic: power play efficiency. The U.S. finished 1/15 on the power play and the Croatians finished the game 6/12. Defense was not the problem. 1/15 on offense was the problem. Early on, the U.S. had chance after chance to stay in the game. The American’s were able to draw ejections and get the Croatian players in foul trouble early on in the game. If they would have converted two or three of their power plays in the first half, the U.S. would have put a lot of pressure on Croatia. Peter Varellas finally converted a power play goal for the U.S. in the third quarter, which cut the score to 5-2. Even though the Americans had the momentum at that point in the match, it was much to late to try and rally against a strong Croatian squad.
2. Croatian goaltender Josip Pavic shut the door. He stopped 12 of 14 shots that he faced and was an intimidating presence on defense. Pavic leads all goaltenders with a 71.6 save percentage for the tournament and he showed why. He made save after save early on in the game and added to the American’s frustrations on offense. Croatia’s overall team defense was also impressive. They continuously had shot blockers in the American’s faces, and shooting lanes, which eliminated many shots that even reached the cage. If a shot was able to make it to Pavic, he was able to react well and make the save.
3. Ryan Bailey continues to be one of the top players on the American squad. The 36-year-old played well against Croatia, and has done so throughout the entire tournament. He scored one of the two goals for the Americans, which cut the Croatian’s lead to 5-1 at the time. One of the main reasons that the U.S. had so many power play opportunities was due to their strong two-meter man inside. Because John Mann picked up two early ejections, Bailey was forced to shoulder the load. Bailey continues to work hard for position, in what most likely will be his final Olympics, which allows his teammates to have more space on the perimeter. Expect Bailey to be a big offensive factor for the Americans in his final two Olympic matches in London.
ON THE FRINGE by Stephen Hobbs
August 6 — Quick thoughts after the USA men’s water polo team lost to Hungary 11-6 in their final group play match. The U.S. will face Croatia on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.
1. This was the result that I expected. Coming into the game the Americans looked like they would have the upper hand on paper. Hungary played mediocre water polo, for their standard, at the start of the tournament and the U.S. team was coming off a good showing in their first four matches. But Hungary responded when it counted and today they looked like a true gold medal contender once again. Their ball handling skills and deftness on the power play was too much for the U.S. to handle.
2. The U.S. offense still needs work. It was obviously that the Hungarians had a plan coming into the match. They took away the biggest threats for the U.S.: their two-meter offense and Tony Azevedo, and they forced the Americans to take shots from bad angles. The U.S. also lacked a true outside threat. Peter Varellas had eight goals coming into the match, but only took one shot in the game. Jeff Powers was the only American who showed any willingness to step in and be a threat on offense.
3. The struggles on offense carried over to the power play. The Hungarians have put on a power play clinic at the Olympics so far and that continued today. The ball was whipped from player to player quickly without touching the water. After five games the Hungarians have scored 30 goals on 48 shots, for a 62.5 percent efficiency, which leads the entire tournament. Comparatively, the Americans have scored 17 goals on 33 shots, for a 51.5 percent advantage. That percentage for the U.S. is strong, however, the Hungarians still have almost twice as many goals as the U.S. on man-up advantages. On Monday, the Hungarians went 5/10 on the power play, while the Americans went 4/11. However two of the goals for the U.S. came in the final quarter when the game was already out of reach. The U.S. must draw more ejections and convert their chances early on in the match against Croatia if they want to have a chance to advance to the semifinals.
USA OLYMPIC MEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM LOSES, SPERAW’S STOCK STILL RISING By Ian Massey
After recently signing a new contract with UCLA, winning his third national championship at UCI, and coaching at his second Olympics, John Speraw is the new figurehead of college volleyball; not even the US men’s volleyball team’s elimination from Olympic competition could deflate his eventful summer.
By Ian Massey
What would inspire you to accept a promotion? Better hours? A hefty bonus? Maybe a reserved parking spot in the company lot? Or is prestige the most important factor?
For UCLA’s new men’s volleyball coach, John Speraw, the position came with a pay increase, as well as a seat at the throne of college volleyball.
Few coaches could turn down an opportunity to coach at the pinnacle of all institutions, whether it’s UCLA’s men’s volleyball program, USC’s football program, or the Duke Blue Devils’ basketball program. When Coach Mike Krzyzewski decides to call it a career, the crème de la crème of all college basketball coaches will be lined up to interview for his vacated position. The prestige often overshadows the circumstance at some select institutions. Despite all the horrific cobwebs that have enveloped the Penn State football program, Coach Bill O’Brien has a blueprint laid out by USC coach Lane Kiffin on how to rally a fallen program. No matter what Jerry Sandusky did, or Joe Paterno didn’t, or the damage that has been done, Penn State football will someday rise again because of its rich tradition.
UCLA’s men’s volleyball coaching position commands the same type of respect in the volleyball arena that Duke’s basketball position, or Notre Dame’s, Michigan’s and Ohio State’s football positions garner in their respective sports. There’s a deep seeded tradition in men’s college volleyball that has been developed in Westwood, California on campus at UCLA. For 50 years, the program has been led by the John Wooden of volleyball – Al Scates. In 50 years, Scates won 19 national championships at UCLA, doing so with a unique coaching style and incredible wit.
Scates and the Bruins won the first NCAA men’s volleyball national title ever awarded in 1970, and he would win six of the first seven championships. His last of 19 came in 2006, after starting the season 12-12 and ending the year on a 14-game win streak. Now his prodigy, former UC Irvine coach and current USA Olympic men’s volleyball assistant coach John Speraw, will take over at UCLA.
Speraw won the 2007, 2009 and most recently – the 2012 national championship – at UC Irvine, a school that Speraw single-handedly placed on the college volleyball map with his mastery of recruitment, player development, and execution.
Photo by ucirvinesports.com
Speraw taking over for Scates would be like John Calipari succeeding John Wooden. Speraw, a 40-year-old UCLA graduate with a degree in micro-biology and molecular genetics, is the only individual in men’s volleyball history to win national championships as a player, an assistant coach, and as a head coach. He also owns an Olympic gold medal.
Speraw helped the US men’s national team win a gold medal four years ago in Beijing, China. Ranked fifth in the world, Team USA finished pool play 4-1 in 2012, before being eliminated by No. 6 Italy on August 8.
As the assistant coach of the U.S. men’s national team, Speraw served as the team’s head coach for three matches in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing when head coach Hugh McCutcheon left the team to mourn the death of his father-in-law and to be with his gravely injured mother-in-law, who were attacked while sightseeing in Beijing. The team went 3-0 with Speraw at the helm, and then won five more victories when McCutcheon returned, to win gold.
As a senior at UC Irvine, I truly started to realize the power of a university with a rich tradition this year. Speraw served as UCI’s head volleyball coach for ten seasons, winning three national titles in his last six years before leaving the small market school for the big stage at UCLA. On May 5, I was in attendance as UCI swept USC on the Trojans’ home floor in front of 9,612 fans – the third largest crowd in men’s volleyball championship history. For Speraw, it would be his final national title at UC Irvine. It was a night of celebration for nearly half of the crowd that had travelled up from the heart of Orange County to cheer on the blue and gold. But for anyone with their finger on the pulse, we knew it was a night of uncertainty. Would Speraw jump ship to his alma mater? Would he create his own legacy, much like football coach Chris Petersen has at Boise State? Speraw chose UCLA.
En route to the title, Speraw and the Anteaters defeated Al Scates’ UCLA Bruins. The student defeated his professor, knocking the Bruins out of the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament, and possibly symbolically telling Scates – your program will be in good hands.
Before making his decision known, Speraw celebrated with his players at UCI stoically. Something was up. His words were short at the team’s victory parade, which was attended by just a couple hundred students. Maybe it was a sign that it was time to move on. Speraw had put a school on the map, and yet, the school didn’t have the same rich history of diehard fanatics that UCLA has boasted for decades. As I searched for any indication as to whether he’d stay or leave, his words said he might be staying, but his body language told me, “I’m sorry for sounding so political.”
Speraw had to have known that he was on his way out, leaving behind a school that he could have carried for decades more. But what if the recruits stopped coming? What if the wins stopped piling up? That’s why UCLA was a better option. According to Speraw, UCLA’s budget was double that of the Anteaters’, despite UCI’s offer which he referred to as “generous.”
Out of 108 national championships in UCLA’s history, Scates and the volleyball program had won more than any other sport, with 19. Three more than the Bruins’ men’s tennis program and eight more than the men’s basketball team, there’s just no beating the Bruins’ stranglehold on college volleyball; much like there’s no passing on USC football for Lane Kiffin, or Ohio State football for Urban Meyer. Whether it’s been Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley or Max Browne, the recruits keep coming for USC’s football program, as they have for Scates and now Speraw in Westwood.
Upon signing his new deal with UCLA, returning to the same school that he once committed to as a student-athlete, Speraw said in an interview with uclabruins.com, “I can’t replace 50 years of coaching experience, [Scates’] sense of humor, and all the things that make Al Scates a phenomenal coach.”
After 50 seasons and 19 national titles, UCLA's Al Scates retired in April. Photo by USA Today
After the Olympics, Speraw will likely be back to the recruiting trail in order to revamp his new program. In the fall, he will likely once again convince a number of personalities to work together towards a deep Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament run. While his knowledge of the sport is unending, Speraw’s ability to mesh a unit together has been critical to his three titles with the Anteaters and will be key to uniting a Bruins program that hasn’t won a national title since 2006.
Speraw brings with him a rivalry with USC head coach Bill Ferguson, who he and UCI defeated to win the 2012 title. Making the UCLA and USC rivalry much more interesting, Speraw dominated the Trojans to win his third title as a head coach for UCI on May 5. Ferguson praised Speraw’s team and offered excitement for the future of collegiate volleyball.
“I thought the level of play in that match was unbelievable,” Ferguson said after the match. “The fan support for both teams was unbelievable. I hope everyone involved in this understands what an unbelievable thing that was for our game tonight. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an atmosphere like that for a national championship match. I think we took college volleyball to another level tonight and that’s something we’re very proud of.”
UCI has moved on and hired former assistant coach and UCI alumna David Kniffin, who coached under Speraw for five seasons in Irvine, winning two titles in that span, before becoming the assistant coach to the University of Illinois’ 2012 women’s volleyball national championship team. Kniffin returns to his alma mater for his first head coaching position. Like Speraw was ten years ago, Kniffin is a young coach with a brilliant philosophy. His training, game management and scouting abilities will give Speraw and the Bruins a run for their money for years to come.
Prior to announcing his departure from Irvine, Speraw spoke volumes of UCI’s potential to continue on with or without him.
Photo By Marlin Agoub
“I think the depth that helped us win this year is going to help us win next year,” Speraw said of the Anteaters, at the team’s national championship victory celebration in May, “Because I think we’re going to be able to replace some of these guys.
[UC Irvine] means the world to me. It’s the school that took a chance on an unqualified, unproven assistant coach, and gave me an opportunity to take some chances on my own, and try out my philosophies of my own. And that opportunity, I’m just very grateful for it.”
UCI will allow Kniffin to take some chances, and implement philosophies of his own now, as Speraw reaps the benefits of paying his dues at the small budget school that helped him realize his dream position at UCLA.
ON THE FRINGE by Stephen Hobbs
August 6 — Quick thoughts after the USA men’s water polo team lost to Hungary 11-6 in their final group play match. The U.S. will face Croatia on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.
1. This was the result that I expected. Coming into the game the Americans looked like they would have the upper hand on paper. Hungary played mediocre water polo, for their standard, at the start of the tournament and the U.S. team was coming off a good showing in their first four matches. But Hungary responded when it counted and today they looked like a true gold medal contender once again. Their ball handling skills and deftness on the power play was too much for the U.S. to handle.
2. The U.S. offense still needs work. It was obviously that the Hungarians had a plan coming into the match. They took away the biggest threats for the U.S.: their two-meter offense and Tony Azevedo, and they forced the Americans to take shots from bad angles. The U.S. also lacked a true outside threat. Peter Varellas had eight goals coming into the match, but only took one shot in the game. Jeff Powers was the only American who showed any willingness to step in and be a threat on offense.
3. The struggles on offense carried over to the power play. The Hungarians have put on a power play clinic at the Olympics so far and that continued today. The ball was whipped from player to player quickly without touching the water. After five games the Hungarians have scored 30 goals on 48 shots, for a 62.5 percent efficiency, which leads the entire tournament. Comparatively, the Americans have scored 17 goals on 33 shots, for a 51.5 percent advantage. That percentage for the U.S. is strong, however, the Hungarians still have almost twice as many goals as the U.S. on man-up advantages. On Monday, the Hungarians went 5/10 on the power play, while the Americans went 4/11. However two of the goals for the U.S. came in the final quarter when the game was already out of reach. The U.S. must draw more ejections and convert their chances early on in the match against Croatia if they want to have a chance to advance to the semifinals.
ON THE FRINGE by Stephen Hobbs
Quick thoughts after the USA men’s water polo defeated Great Britain 13-7 on Thursday.
1. It was nice to see the reserves for the U.S. have good performances. Chay Lapin, who is the back-up goalkeeper for the U.S. entered into the game at the start of the second quarter after the Americans jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Although Lapin will not be pleased with his stat line, eight saves on 15 shots, he was playing in his first Olympic match. Starting goalie Merrill Moses is 34 years old and Lapin is one of the future goalkeepers for the U.S. national team. If Moses were to be injured in this year’s Olympics, the U.S. team’s medal chances would be slim. However, any game experience that Lapin can get in London will go a long way for the future of the U.S. Olympic team. John Mann also earned significant time. He logged more than 16 minutes of action, scored one goal and drew five ejections, from my count. J.W. Krumpholz was an outstanding performer inside at the Beijing Olympics, as he provided a much needed spark off the bench. Because Ryan Bailey expends a lot of energy on offense the men will need a strong 2-meter presence from their bench. Mann’s performance did come against a lesser opponent in Great Britain but it was still encouraging to see.
2. Tony Azevedo and Ryan Bailey may be the elder statesmen on the squad but their play against Great Britain led the way. Azevedo scored the first three goals of the night, he finished with four total, and Bailey added three goals. The British squad refused to knock down Azevedo when he had open space on offense, which served as a poor defensive strategy. Bailey battled inside, occupied his defenders and earned ejections to jumpstart the American’s offense. In the fourth quarter Azevedo found Bailey inside on a post pass during a power play opportunity, which signified the connection in the water that both men have with each other. The American squad will only go as far as the two four-time Olympians will take them.
3. The U.S. team can clinch the top spot in Group B on Saturday with a win over Serbia. Although their final group play game will come on Monday against Hungary –the reigning gold medalists are currently struggling in fifth place in Group B — it would behoove the men to take care of business when they have the chance. Matching up against a weaker opponent in the quarterfinals will increase their chances of making their second consecutive Olympic gold medal final.
ON THE FRINGE by Stephen Hobbs
Quick thoughts after the U.S. women’s water polo team tied Spain 9-9 on Wednesday.
1. The road to Olympic gold will again be tough. Since the introduction of women’s Olympic water polo in 2000, the U.S. women have been the favorite, or one of the favorites, to win a gold medal. In Sydney, Athens and Beijing the Americans failed to win gold, and coming into London the U.S. women are once again a favorite. After defeating Hungary on Monday, the Americans looked like they were on their way to a 2-0 start to the tournament. The Spanish women jumped out to an early lead and then rallied from a 9-6 deficit to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. American head coach Adam Krikorian cannot be happy with how his 2-meter defenders played in the match as Spain drew nine exclusions and three penalty shots.
2. Maggie Steffens set an unrealistic expectation of her performance in her Olympic debut. Steffens scored seven of her team’s 14 goals in the United States’ win over Hungary on Monday; an easy storyline for the national media to follow and also to expect similar scoring outputs moving forward. The fact that the 19-year-old’s seven goals tied the all-time record for goals in an Olympic match should be a warning to people looking for a repeat performance. In reality, she did not have an outstanding game against Spain – scoring one goal, committing three offensive fouls, collecting two steals and an assist – but her play was still solid. Spain made a concerted effort to focus on Steffens during the American’s power play opportunities and expect the rest of her opponents to do so going forward.
3. Brenda Villa had a game to forget. The four-time Olympian scored one goal on seven shots for the U.S. Not only did she miss six shots, but also most of her attempts were poor. Her last attempt, which came on a late power player for the Americans, hurt the most; Maggie Steffens had a much better angle to shoot the ball and Villa failed to make the extra pass to Steffens. Villa was not the only American forcing bad-angle shots on Wednesday, but her shot selection was the most questionable.
4. The U.S. really could have used a left-handed shooter. Having a roster full of right-handed shooters is not unheard of but it was apparent that the Americans needed a lefty to attack Spain’s defense. The U.S. women too many shots on the weak side, for their right-handed shooters in six on six and power play situations. The Americans will need to come up with a better strategy jumpstart their offense moving into Friday’s final Group A match against China.
BILLY COULD MAKE DUSTY BAKER A HERO – OR A GOAT by Ian Massey
Reds Double-A prospect, Billy Hamilton, is on pace for 190 stolen bases; why not take him to the playoffs?
By Ian Massey
Rickey Henderson is one of three players since 1900 to steal at least 110 bases in a season. The others were Lou Brock and Vince Coleman. Brock had 118 in 1974, Coleman had 110 in 1985, and Henderson had 130 in 1982. Not since Henderson stole 93 bags in 1988 has a player eclipsed 80 stolen bases in a season, but the next great one might be just around the corner. He is Billy Hamilton, a six-foot-one inch, 160 pound, switch-hitting, Double-A shortstop who is a kleptomaniac on the basepath.
Stealing bases is an art that goes beyond speed. Henderson had a knack for reading pitchers, the reaction speed to either dive back safely or explode towards the next base in a split second’s timing, and the speed to beat any pitcher’s slide step or a rocket-armed catcher. Enter Billy Hamilton, a 21 year-old prospect for the Cincinnati Reds, currently playing for their Double-A affiliate Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Ironically enough, the sixth leading single-season stolen baseman in MLB history was also named Billy Hamilton. In 1891, vintage Billy Hamilton (no relation) stole 111 bases in a season. 99 years later, the Reds’ future base stealer was born.
So how good is Hamilton? For starters, if he were to play 162 games in 2012, he’d be on pace to steal 190 bases. In 104 games, Hamilton has swiped 122 bases – 104 in 82 games at Single-A, and 18 in 22 games at Double-A. While his pace has fallen from 205 stolen bases in Single-A to 133 bags in Double-A, Hamilton has continued to successfully swipe eight out of every 10 bases. In 2011, Hamilton became the first minor league player in a decade to swipe over 100 bases, totaling 103, while hitting .270 with a .340 on-base-percentage. This year, he may nearly double that total.
Hamilton’s patience at the plate will be crucial. In 82 games at the Single-A level this season, Hamilton drew 50 walks, hitting .323 with a .413 on-base-percentage. Granted, it’s Single-A, but without the bat, he’d just be a glorified pinch runner. Since his call-up to Double-A, Hamilton has adjusted well, hitting .284 with a .404 OBP.
Prior to the 2012 season, Hamilton was listed as Baseball America’s 50th best prospect; that number should improve dramatically since the youngster has continued to swipe bases and shown the patience of a veteran at the dish in 2012.
Photo Credit: Cincinnati.com
As of August 4, the Cincinnati Reds are 4.5 games up on the Pittsburgh Pirates for the National League Central division lead. Rookie shortstop Zack Cozart has performed admirably, slugging 11 home runs, driving in 23 runs, and batting .247. With a solid pitching staff and well-rounded lineup, the Reds have a decent shot at advancing to the National League Championship Series in 2012, but an outside the box move that would add an intriguing chess piece to Dusty Baker’s board would be to call up Billy Hamilton and play the kid in September … and October.
Why would the Reds consider using a roster spot on Hamilton? Baseball is a game of chess. Orioles manager Buck Showalter and Angels skipper Mike Scioscia are two examples of coaches who are always thinking outside the box. Up by two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Showalter once ordered the intentionally walk of Barry Bonds with the bases loaded, making it a one-run ballgame, before his pitcher induced a lineout by catcher Brent Maybe on a 3-2 count, escaping with a narrow victory. Showalter could’ve been the goat, but was instead regarded as being crafty after the game.
Scioscia has been known to bring his centerfielder in to form a five man infield with one or no outs in the ninth inning to cut down the winning run at the plate, while sacrificing a massive range with just two outfielders. The experiment has had mixed results, but what the Angels perfected in 2002 – the same year they won their first and only World Series – was the Chone Figgins experiment.
At age 24, Figgins was called up to the Majors far too early. Despite hitting .305 in 125 games at Triple-A Salt Lake that year, Figgins had been a liability at the plate the year prior, hitting just .234 with a .312 on-base-percentage in 2001. He had matured somewhat, but was still one season away from reducing his strikeout rate, and he wasn’t quite ready for Major League pitching. Figgins’ legs earned him a September call-up, though, as the Angels found their secret weapon on the basepath. Scioscia stuck with Figgins in the playoffs as the speedy rookie scored the tying run in a five-run comeback in game six of the 2002 World Series against none other than Dusty Baker and the San Francisco Giants. The Angels went on to force a game seven and win the World Series. The next year, Figgins spent half of his season back in Triple-A, where he eventually found his consistency at the plate.
Having witnessed the Figgins experiment firsthand, Baker should consider the Hamilton experiment this fall. In the National League, pitchers are pinch hit for regularly. Imagine infielder Miguel Cairo pinch hitting for relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton in the bottom of the ninth inning of the National League Championship Series. Cairo singles with one out, down by a run. With the top of the order up, Hamilton swipes second base. A single scores him, or another stolen base puts them a sacrifice fly away from the World Series.
Hamilton will surely be tested more by MLB catchers and pitchers, but that doesn’t mean his production will drop off considerably. Stealing 1.17 bases per game is no fluke; Hamilton could be the closest anyone will ever come to Henderson – IF … he keeps getting on base.
As an 18 year old, Rickey Henderson stole 95 bases in Single-A. At 19, 81 bases. He swiped 220 bases in 384 minor league games before reaching MLB (93 SBs per 162 games). Henderson then went on to average 71 stolen bases over his first 15 seasons in MLB. Playing in 2054 games in those 15 seasons, Henderson stole 1,098 bases (87 SBs per 162 games).
Michael Bourne led the league with 61 stolen bases in 2011. He averaged 67 stolen bases per 162 games in his minor league career, and has averaged 52 stolen bases per 162 games as a major leaguer.
Juan Pierre, who led the league in 2010 with 68, has averaged 51 stolen bases per season in 13 years of MLB service. In the minors, Pierre topped out at 66 steals in Single-A as a 21-year old.
Over the past seven seasons, the MLB leader in stolen bases has averaged 67 per season (Michael Bourne, Juan Pierre, Jacoby Ellsbury, Willy Taveras, Jose Reyes (2), Chone Figgins). Those same players averaged 64 stolen bases per 162 games in their minor league careers before being promoted to MLB.
Considering Henderson’s minor dropoff and the fact that no minor leaguer, nor any stolen base leader over the past seven seasons has touched the stolen base production that Hamilton has put up in the minors, Hamilton just might be the next MLB player to steal 100 bases. For every 162 minor league games Hamilton has played, he has stolen 132 bases, 39 more than Henderson averaged. Just imagine what this kid will do if his bat and glove come around.
For now, though, the only value Hamilton could provide to the Major League Reds would be a role as the team’s pinch runner. Much like the Wildcat formation in football or the three-point specialist in basketball, the pinch runner has the potential to be a wild card that could literally steal a ballgame away. In the future, he’ll be a valuable switch-hitting shortstop who likely won’t just be a wild card, but a perennial all-star.
But is it worth risking a roster spot on Hamilton in 2012?
Reds infielder Miguel Cairo is hitting .151 in 91 at-bats in 2012, but is a .290 career postseason hitter who has learned from the best of the Yankees over the years. Rookie corner infielder Todd Frazier is currently playing first base in place of MVP candidate Joey Votto, who is sidelined with a knee injury. Frazier has hit 13 home runs in 2012 and will be a valuable bat off the bench for the Reds come playoff time.
With five outfielders currently on roster, Drew Stubbs, Ryan Ludwick and Jay Bruce are locks for making the postseason roster, but as of recently Xavier Paul is 7 of 18 since being called up to the big club. If Paul continues to impress, he’ll be on the playoff roster. Then there’s Chris Heisey in left field, who has 30 career home runs.
That leaves backup shortstop Wilson Valdez as the potential odd man out. Valdez provides depth as a backup infielder, but is hitting .240 with just a .274 on-base-percentage and 10 RBI in 2012. At this point, Reds starter Mike Leake has more home runs than Valdez, and is a career .270 hitter in 141 at-bats. Leake might be a better option at the dish on his off day than Valdez any day. If there’s anyone worth pulling to give Hamilton a shot, Valdez is the guy.
With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, do you want the speedster on first base with no outs, who can put you in scoring position with one pitch? Putting Hamilton in the game leaves the bench empty of hitters, meaning your pitchers would need to hit for themselves should the game reach extras. Or would you play it safe, risk hitting into a double play, and save a below-average .240 hitter on the bench, in case a pinch hitter is needed in the 11th? Hamilton seems like the better choice. A pinch runner might be as trivial as a left-handed specialist, but there’s a reason why coaches bring lefties in to face one batter – they’re effective. And so could be Billy Hamilton.
When the playoffs are over, Hamilton would return back to Double-A to figure out how to swing the bat and field his position at shortstop.
Hamilton is at least two years away from being Major League ready and there’s no need to rush the Reds’ leadoff hitter of their future, but Cincinnati could certainly use Hamilton for September and October, and potentially make a huge splash in the National League playoffs. Reds fans could be talking about Hamilton like Red Sox fans still rave about Dave Roberts’ stolen base that helped send the Sox to the 2004 World Series.
It’s been 22 years since Cincinnati won the World Series with Barry Larkin at short. Since Larkin’s retirement, Cincinnati hasn’t quite found their next big shortstop. Billy Hamilton might just be the man who takes the reins to not only transform the Reds, but Major League Baseball as we know it.
