Take me out to the Ems game
m m
I *
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HI
Wide variety of Eugeneans
watch all-American sport
No. I didn't want to go to the Emeralds game. 1 told a few
friends Thursday evening. I actually would have rather
stayed home to watch “Love Boat” reruns than sit in the rain
and dodge foul balls.
But baseball is America's national pastime, they told me. It
represents all those principles America was founded on —
motherhood, apple pie, hotdogs and capitalism, of course. And
besides, they said, it’s Beer Night.
Suddenly my aversion to baseball, even of the single A variety,
seemed to be forgotten. I grabbed my ID. a rain jacket and enough
cash to get in the door and buy as many beers as it would take to
make the game enjoyable.
On the way to Civic Stadium, factually started to anticipate the
fun I could have at this game. I don’t especially like baseball, but I
like watching people and ! know 50-cent beers can really bring out
all kinds.
There is one thing I can say for baseball — it s not one of those
events that audiences flock to an hour ahead of time in order to get
a good seat. In fact, one good way to avoid standing in line is io got
to Civic Stadium on time. That way spectators can avoid the
crowds that start forming about half an hour after the first pitch.
As my friends and went in search of the beer fine we jaunted.
past several concession stands selling overpriced popcorn, and a
souvenir stand where two woaien stood eager to sell art Emerald
batting helmet to anyone who had a few bucks to spare. It was then
I realized there is something more monotonous than sitting through
a double-header. Staffing the souvenir stand pushing batting
helmets at a double-header has got to be worse.
Rounding the bend with my eyes pooled tor « large, red
Budweiser sign. 1 began to wonder where all those thousands of
fans that the Etna averaged each game were hiding. They certainly
weren't in line for soda.
As I strolled along pondering that thought, I nearly ran smack
into a burly man wearing a tattered Coors T-shirt lialancing four
beers in a cardboard Dairy Queen-style carrying tray, Ten feet
behind him was a woman carrying three cups of beer in each hand
She didn't have much luck wrapping both hands around nil six of
the flexible cups, so she put her fingers inside and pinched the
cups together. On the way back to her seat she spilled half the beer
put of each cup. but at least she managed to get back without drop
ping any of them. Others weren't so lucky.
As we walked down an aisle between the bleachers looking for
a place to sit, rtiy friends and I witnessed an amazing feat that
neither the Ems nor the visiting Salem Angels would surpass A
I nearly ran smack into a burly man wear
ing a tattered Coors T-shirt balancing four
beers in a cardboard Dairy Queehrstyle
carrying tray. . V
man carrying a beer in each hand slipped in a puddle of ficer at the -
top of the stairsMIis feet •flew out in front of -hirn. and he-proceeded .
to bounce' onhis buttocks downabout 10 steps' The fans jn thenear
.vicinity turned a way! from the. game and applauded tlieir.hefo who •'
managed-to spill a inert* quarter of a cup from eachifieer Realizing.
.that more than a few .people- not Iced .h.is faux pas. he iiirned.jp the
crowd, bowed,and;then rsih r'ed-faced.back-to his"seat at the-either..
end of fhii stadium.•' .,'-*■'
As 1 Scanned the stadium attempting to pinpoint-the typipal
‘baseball fare 1 came to the realization that baseball-fans just cannot
be stereotyped. V . . -
'■ ‘ )ust above us was a.pack of teenage girls a round 13-ypars-old,
•wearing'identical hairstyles add.clothing They hu.ddled together,
•and giggled-in unison as one.brave girl called out to a familiar boy',
sitting'200 feet away" When they decided to thmw ice. at. another
boy sitting to the. side of me..! wanted to shout'something threaten
■ ing su'r.fi as, "Hey; knock it off pr I'lPget security .-"..But -knowing '
. this would.only’cause them.,to squeal, w.ith delight. •! ref rained-flow
rude’. 1 thought',*to'come.tb a baseball,game and not watch the
players.' •
.The y.punger boys in the crowd weren't'watching.the game
.either, nor .were'they watching the girls: .The little beHrons were
running around chasing each other. This little garni* of theirs was
made more challenging than usual, however. While they pursued
one another up and down the grandstand*, they had their hands
full with hot dogs, soda pops and trays full of nachoa.
I was having |ust too much fun at this game. The people, the at
mosphere. the cheap beer (50 cents as opposed to $t.25 usually), it
was worth the $2.50 admission. And I'm sun* the man sitting to my
right would agree Maybe he was just a devoted fan. Hut more like
ly he was soused. The grubby, pony tailed character arbitrarily
cheered and heckled both teams So much for Kins loyalty.
I was happy to discover that one aspect of the all-American
sport has remained constant. Despite outrageous player salaries
and labor disputes, baseball still is fun for the entire family.
Several enthusiastic parents with arms full of babies and
diaper bags were followed by children with arms full of popcorn
and candy bars. After several Innings of subsequent trips to the
snackbar and then to the bathroom, many of these couples, who
started out with a determination to instill values such as u love of
hasolMill and the importance of good sportsmanship looked ready to
throw in the towel. *
They didn't Nve baseball anymore, and their image of good
sportsmanship was shattered during the second inning of the so
cond game when Salem rightfiulder (iienn Meyers was ejected for
arguing a call. Then Angels' Manager timer* Hines was kicked out
of the game after a long and ridiculous argument with plate umpire
herwin Hanley ‘ ... ...
': . The entire episode0 lasted about lit 15 minutes and could have
."been the first?. incident all night that caused every fan in Civic
Stadium tit watch the field at the same time I guess if exaggerated
"antic*‘work-for •thopros they, can work for the minor leagues as
• Weli: : ;' •. •*. > • . .
leaving.Hie.stadjuin (admittedly a hit early in order to avoid
the traffic) I was glad my*friends talked me into an evening at the
-’-ballpark..! hadn't known about this mix of bder.and baseball before.
; VVasdnew.? To mV .amazement Beer Night is far from.new. lt was
instituted hi the ttt'fiOs and ;is common throughout all levels of
. bhselrall. except .for little league. «»f'course. And if the purpose is to
’up’attendance. ills working Average attendance at Civic Stadium
for non-beer-nights '.is. 21200. which increases to 3,500 pn btier
pight Maybe riri.net the only one-who is singing. "Take me out to
• the beer game.". • ' '. \
Story by Diana Elliott
Photos by Karen Stall wood
; • .- Clockwise from the top: Them is nothing like chewing
- ' flavored- ice.ah/d- watching .in Ems game.: All; ages are at
• . treated to America's'favorite pastime} fans fans can chose
' • between long heer lines pr personal delivery of the ice-cold
. beyeritg0.% ' : . • . /'■
'-*—-——■ —:-----—— * > ■
Many players find Eugene one
stop on long road to major leagues
If the names Paul' Howarth, Julio
Alcala, and Chrisjelic do not light up the
competitive fires in the average major
league baseball-fan', don’t be surprised.
Those names may be in the bright lights
of the-big: leagues.some' day.but.fornow
these, prospective .stars, spend, their; time
playing for. the Eugene Emeralds ill the
depths of the Northwest League against
the likes of the Sajem Angels, Bend
Phillies and Medford Athletics. •
As the major-leaguers are on the verge:
of a strike' over millions of dollars and a
pension plan that will- keep them coun
ting their money for-the rest.of their lives,.
2.5 minor-league ballplayers toil at. their
trade in Eugene's Civic >Stadiunrfor $700
a month
The Emeralds, are in the midst of the
pennant race in the Northwest League
with a middle-oMhe-road 23-23 record
with 28 games left. The Kills stand third
in the four-team Oregon division, four
games behind the Salem Angels
('lass A.base ball is a starting point for
most major-league ballplayers of today.
Eugene has been the starting point, or at
least a stop along the road, for several
major-league players of recent memory.
in the late 1‘»t>0s and earjy V970s, the
Ems were the last stop on that road-far the
Philadelphia Phillies as the AAA affilia
tion in the Pacific Coast League;. Mike
Schmidt, an All-Star infielder, .is pro
bably the most notable of the former
Emeralds. He played for the Ems in 1972,
hitting 26 home runs and driving in 90
runs. •'
The list does not stop with Schmidt,
however. Current Chicago Cub shortstop
I,arrV Bovva played for the Ems in 1969,
hitting .287: Current California Angels
catcher Bob Boone played with'Schmidt
in Eugene In 1972 and led the Pacific
('oast . League in putouts, ‘ assists and
errors. . ."
Slugger Creg Luzinski also played in
Eugene in 1971. Luzinski hit 36 home
runs, and added 114 runs.hatted in with,
the Ems on his way to. the major leagues.
Willie Montanez played• for.the Ems in
197(1 and went on to enjoy 10 years in the
majors with various clubs.
Luzinski. Schmidt, Bdwa, and Boone,
all played integral part's oil the Phillies
World Championship team in .1980.
As the AAA affiliate for the Phillies, the
Emerald players were only one step away
'from .being major leaguer, in 1973 the
Phillies;left Eugene and the town was left
without a major league affiliate for the
1974 season In 1973 the Cincinnati Reds
moved'in their single A affiliate and. the
process of making it to the major leagues
continued to flourish in Eugene.-. .
Although the quality, pf baseball may
have dropped, the list of former
Emerald’s-making it to the major leagues
continued to grow. Mario Soto, the cur
rent ace of the Reds pitching staff, heads
the list. Former Reds pitcher Paul Moskau
was an All-Star intlje Northwest League,
but never did reach that status in the
majors. . .
Eric Davis is also a former Emerald who
has been toiling in the majors', but has not
. been consistent enough-tb land a fulbtime.
job tfiere,- He has .been alternating .bet- •
ween the Reds AAA'.farm club and the •
majors. . •" ,.. ’ \ . ' .
Pitcher Charlie Leibrandt played for the
Ems and the Reds but now hurls for the
. Kansas City Rcjyals. He .might find a bit of
■ irony in the fact that ..the Royals, are now
the major league affiliate of Eugene.
In -1983 the Emeralds dropped, their af
filiation .vvith the Reds and the-Royals'
moved in their single A team.. • *•
1984 was a trying year'.for the.baseball
fans of Eugerte as the young" Emeralds
won only 19 of their 74 games .to cpmpile
the worst winning percentage of any team
in professional baseball. The Royals sent
back eleven players for this year and the
team has already won four more, games
than all pf last year.
The current Emeralds may not be the
best team that Eugene has ever seen, but
the players can take heart in the fact that
someday they may be able to say Eugene
was just one Stop on their path to the ma
jor leagues.
Story by Rob Collias
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