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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 29, 1993)
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Sodas r $ Available for in-house or delivery Offer good only with coupon Coupon expire* August 27, 1993 TRACK TOWN PIZZA CAMPUS 1809 Franklin Blvd 484-2799 WEST • 2511 W. 11th & Wilson 484-426J^ - Oregon Daily Emerald Sports — Emeralds catcher down to earth By Carrie Vincent f<y if** > t'ijcf Qa»*ty f Murray Olderman's sportsyvritmg ( lass is not a mob uf raving, digging media lunalii s In fat t. the students are a hit quiet, almost shy for journalists, treading on new ground. Not unlike the intervie wee Mike Sweeney, the catcher for the Eugene Emer alds baseball team, is also treading on new ground. Having just turned 20 years old and in only his second year in the minor leagues. Sweenev, although a little reticent, seemed to enjoy being the center of attention He (luckily for the c lass) has not experienced the prying, negative media in his career so far At Tuesday's game against the Everett Giants, the i ntcher. who leads the team in runs scored (17). seemed to tic- the darling of the crowd The y oung man inspired the older fans to take almost a parenting tone in their cheering and the young kids seemed to love the sound of Ins name rolling <iff their longues "Sweeeeeney!" in tolls of tif adulation bs la r-i aiving tins year from the ‘arts, last year wasn’t so easy. "The 1 rowds bothered me last year a lot." he said, "but (his year is no! so had." Bui he was still willing to talk openly with the i lass, politely listened to questions, tried (n be aware of the names of the students and answered everything as honestly ns any journalist could hope for At the end of the interview he even offered to get passes for any of the students for an Kmeralds game and shyly added to each and everyone as they were leaving. "Bye! It was really nice to meet you " His manners can probably be attributed to his Irish-Catholic upbringing As the second oldest of eight children, he often spends his off-seasons helping w ith his younger siblings in his home town of Ontario. Calif But Ins leva for baseball can probably l*t attrib uted to the fai t that Ins father (Mike Sweeney, also) was a i enter fielder for the California Angels from 1971 to 1973. But neither his dad nor his mother ever pushed him into athletics, though they were supportive "It's always U*en my lifetime goal to play base ball.” Sweeney said. Sweeney said that though his father plac ing lor the Angels gave him the love for the team, it was Brian Downing, who used to be a catcher, desig nated hitter and finally an outfielder for the Angels, who was his true idol "I remember when I was five." Sweeney said, "at the opening of the T-hall c eremonies my dad had him come and speak I remember (Downing) looked like some big, mammoth man But I always go! a real thrill watching him play Sweeney, at fi-foot-2 and 195 pounds, is not exactly polite himself, but he said Ins si/e is fair ly recent. "When I was a freshman in high school, 1 was only 5-foot 3 and 120 pounds.” he said Sweeney is confident that bis decision to play baseball, instead of going to college, was the right one. "1 don't feel any regrets.” he said. "1 feel I've learned a lot more in the last couple of years in pro ball than I would have in college." ‘Even if I make it in the big leagues, I’ll probably still be driving my Honda Accord, not a Mercedes. That’s not for me.’ Mike Sweeney, Eugene Emeralds catcher Sweeney said, however, that if he ever went to m fioot he would like to stay in the area of sports, possibly studying physical therapy or sports med icine. According to his contract, if he should get injured, the Kansas City Kovals, the parent team of the Kmeralds. would pay Sweeney for four years of college Sweeney, even at his young age. has a good financial sense Instead of blowing his signing bonus of $30,000 on cars or other luxuries, he invested two thirds of it in stocks and mutual funds "Kvun if I make it in the big leagues. I'll proba bly still be driving my Honda Accord, not a Mer cedes," Sweeney said "That's not for me." Sweeney lives with three other players in an apartment near the University campus, which makes their $950/month stipend fairly easy to live on The occasional Top Ramon is about as gourmet as Sweeney and his roommates get, he said, so most of his money goes toward food. Because this is his second year with the Kitier alds — he is the only returnee on the roster — he had hoped at the beginning of the season that he would advance to Rockford, III., the next-step-up the-ladder from hise for the Royals. Although he thinks his young age is usually an advantage. Sweeney said this time it worked against him. "I was told I was only 1*) and they wanted me to stay with the Kmeralds and learn from my manag er. John Mize rook, who used to be a major league catcher." lie said Sweeney was a pitcher in high school, hut he is confident that the move to catcher was the right one. But when Olderman playfully questioned him about the "tools of ignorance" — the designa tion for ret eivers — Sweeney agreed "They certainly aren't tools of intelligence, get ting balls thrown at you all the time," he said. His contribution to the Kmeralds and his hum bleness were summed up in one sentence when he was asked how he felt about leading the team in extra-base hits. "I am?" he replied I didn't know that 1 guess you learn something new every day." It didn't really hit Sweeney until he was a junior in high school that he might he able to play hall jiast his senior year. After his team went 28-0 and won the California state title in baseball was when it really hit him. Sweeney believes the chances of making it to the majors with the same team that recruited him (in the 10th round) are pretty slim Which is fine with him "I'm still an Angel fan." he said, "even though they're lousy." --- N' Early Bird Specials 500 WASH J = —.. ■ Close to campus • Clean ■ Handicap accessible machines • Serving the area for 17 years 200 E. 17th (Between High i Pearl) -* ☆ 20 MOVES/30 BUCKS ☆ StVf QSJAR vet o ; hr— * ☆ 344-2691 ☆ * 1888 Franklin Blvd. (r*xt to 7-Elovon on VHard) k OOE • Exp 8*30/93 Open tOam to 11pm l.pirwtt/12/93) Campus SUBSHOP 1225 Alder 345-2434 So* v*iaj jr Stinrri i* jr» ljCHtt Jat-Junto t»».sufwr» Uwr coupwr pw iwtow Monmmnwis.