Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 6, 2001)
Wednesday Best Bet NBA Finals: Philadelphia at L.A. 6 p.m., NBC SPORTS EDITOR: JEFF SMITH Smittside@aol.com Runge v. Moos finally comes to a (positive?) end OUT IN LEFT FIELD ADAM JUDE I can finally sleep easy at night. Jody Runge and Bill Moos might be happy to put the past behind them and get on with their lives, but, damn, I am ecstatic. Nobody ever thinks of the lowly reporters when a cri sis hits. I’m frickin’ exhausted, and that’s not just a ploy to get some sympathy from my professors. Sure, I get my name in print every day, but do you actually take time to understand what I go through? Damn. I don’t think anyone is more relieved than I am that the University has finally released the Bond, Schoeneck & King report, which Moos and other administrators have allowed to get buried in dust while sitting on their desks. The Kansas City-based law firm, hired by Moos & Co. for about l/20th of Runge’s future wealth — §24,500 to be exact — turned in its report April 24, yet everyone (with exception to the staff of The Register-Guard and their trusty inside sources) hadn’t heard a peep about what the Midwest big shots were saying about the future of Oregon’s most successful program. I wasn’t allowed to see the report, but Runge sure was. And as much as she said the firm’s findings had nothing to do with her resignation as head coach of the women’s basketball program, in truth, it had a lot to do with it. It may have had everything to do with it. Upon initial readings, the most alarming fact re vealed by the report is that the majority — probably the vast majority — of the players with eligibility re maining said they would not return to McArthur Court if Runge was there. Can you really blame them? I was intimidated-by Runge just watching her at games from afar. I don’t have anything personal against Ms. Runge, but I’ve written those five letters — R-U-N-G-E — so many times that I wake up at night trying frantically to stop my hand from twitching. She always treated me well, though. But, apparently, that wasn’t the case for those who were supposed to be closest to her. Runge argued that some of the players just couldn’t accept their roles, many of whom were expected to take the belittling that Runge dished out like Gatorade. The lady knew how to win. She’s a hard-nosed, straight-forward activist for women’s rights. And she ac complished a lot, perhaps more than any other coach in school historv. But as Moos has said, the health of the student-athlete comes before winning. Which takes us to Mr. Moos. To her credit, Runge wasn’t the only problem in this mess. Moos could have handled things better as far as his candidness with the media and Runge. If not the public, Runge at least de served that much. Moos only added to the alleged miscommunication problems. In short, we could’ve all handled it better. Regardless, I’m glad its over. Done with. Outta my life forever. Trying to keep something positive in mind through the three months of turmoil, it seems that everyone end ed up with something beneficial. Ms. Runge will pick up a cool half-million dollars out of the deal, albeit aligned with a smeared reputation. Moos will hire a coach, hopefully sometime before the end of the term, who will be successful but not so demanding of his resources. The team will soon have their wish: a fun-loving, per sonable coach whom they can respect like a mother. And I will be able to sleep easy, finally, knowing that I don’t have to deal with this ever again. Hopefully. Adam Jude is a sports reporter for the Emerald. He can be reached at ajude34@yahoo.com. Emerald For less than five dollars, people can take in a Eugene Emeralds baseball game and enjoy a cool summer night at the ballpark at 20th and Willamette. Take me out to Civic Stadium ■ Eugene’s professional baseball team—the Ems—gears itself up for another exciting season By Jeff Smith Oregon Daily Emerald On 20th and Willamette, across the street from South Eugene High School, sits history. This is the site of a 63-year old stadi um that has hosted such events as rodeo, soccer, football and, of course, baseball. And, just recently, it was voted by Baseball America as one of the top-10 minor league ballparks in the nation. “Of those 10, we were the only one that wasn’t built in the ’80s or ’90s,” said Bob Beban, general manager of the Eu gene Emeralds. Eugene’s Civic Stadium, not be con fused with Portland’s former Civic Sta dium (now known as PGE Park), is 18 days away from once again being filled with the unmistakable sounds of the America’s favorite pastime. The Emeralds are the single-A minor league team of the San Diego Padres and have been calling Civic Stadium home since 1969. The home-opener is June 24, when Eugene hosts the Vancouver Cana dians for a three-game series. One of the reasons that the stadium continues to be an attraction is its histor ical feel and its easy-going aura that helps fill the summer nights. “I think the key is consistency,” Beban said. “Year after year, we try to produce a solid product with only minor changes. ” Beban said that Civic Stadium, which has seen more than $250,000 in im provements over the years, is once again going through some minor stadium up grading expected to be completed by the home opener. The stadium generally draws enthu siastic crowds between 3,000 and 5,000 people, keeping sports fans in the com munity occupied until Oregon Ducks football begins in September. Matt Cook, a junior University stu dent, was one of the many Emeralds fans last summer during their South Division championship year when they went 40-36. Cook admitted to not knowing much about the team until he was forced to stay in Eugene over the summer. “It was my first time seeing single-A baseball and I admit, I was pretty skep tical at first,” Cook said. “But then I saw the Ems and I was very surprised by the fun-loving atmosphere of it all. After seeing them over and over, you can’t help but to fall in love with them.” The 2001 season marks a change for the Emeralds as for the third time in four years, they are now an affiliate for a dif ferent major league baseball team. Prior to the 1999 season, the Emeralds moved to the Chicago Cubs from Atlanta, and now they are a part of the San Diego Padres organization. Turn to Ems, page 6 Judo champs hopeful for Olympics ■ Senior Nathan Pietsch and graduate student Sen Koshida both won gold medals at the State Games in Corvallis last weekend By Jesse Thomas for the Emerald If you plan to stand toe to toe with these two men, you’d better be ready. The State Games of Oregon took place last weekend at Corvallis High School, where senior Nathan Pietsch and first-year graduate student Sen Koshida dominated for the Oregon Club Sports Judo team. The Ducks competed in a total of seven matches and never lost, which helped win them both gold medals. The men competed in the black belt catego ry with Pietsch in the middle weight class and Koshida as a light weight. “I was confident that I would do well,” Pietsch said. “I went in with the mind-set that I wanted to win.” This is far from the first medals the men have earned to add to their show cases. Pietsch won the gold this year for an amazingly sixth time and Koshida re peated in his catego ry winning the gold for the second time. “I am definitely blessed to have won six times,” Pietsch said. Koshida is from Japan and has been practicing Judo for more than 10 years. Because Judo is not nearly as big in the United States as it is in Japan, Koshida had no trouble with the competition. “For me, the competition was not that hard,” said Koshida, who is not quite sure whether he will choose to compete in the Games next year. Pietsch said he was honored to win the gold, but he is looking toward bigger and better things. In 1999, he was the Amateur Athletic Union Champion for Judo. After traveling to places like Japan and Korea to train and compete, Pietsch was ready for a shot at the 2000 Olympic Team. Unfortunately for Pietsch, he injured his knee before the trials. He still trav eled to the Olympic Trials but had to withdraw before competition even started. But being young, Pietsch said he has hopes for future Olympic ap pearances. “The doors just have to open up,” Pietsch said of his feelings toward being on the Olympic Team in 2004. The future remains to be seen for these two, but with the way things are going, it looks to be a bright one.
