Sports Editor:
Adam Jude
adamjude@dailyemerald.com
Assistant Sports Editor:
Jeff Smith
jeffsmith@dailyemerald.com
Best Bet
NHL: Philadelphia at New York,
5 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday, November 11,2001
Big Mac's
exit marks
ending of
special era
And Mark McGwire makes
three.
Three of baseball’s finest ambassadors
to ever step between the lines an
nounced their retirements during, or af
ter, one of the sport’s most successful
seasons. Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn
stepped away from the game recently, fol
lowing two decades as baseball immortals.
But now comes the news of McG
wire’s departure from the sport he loves,
and although it was done without much
fanfare, baseball will lose one of its
greatest symbols in
the history of the
game.
The year was
1998. Only' four
short years earlier,
baseball was mired
in the worst work
stoppage in the his
tory of professional
athletics. Major
League Baseball
was losing money.
But then along
came McGwire and
Behind the Dish a fellow named
Their historic home run chase proved
to be the most exciting race in recent
memory, and what would ultimately
lead to baseball’s continuing reign as
“America’s pastime,” a name it was be
ginning to lose because of all the labor
unrest.
McGwire’s 70 and Sosa’s 66 home runs
should be remembered along with the
New York Yankees’ 27 World Series wins,
Nolan Ryan’s seven no-hitters and even
Hank Aaron’s 755 career home runs.
What those home runs did that season
has never been done in the history of
sport.
Another gentleman, if that’s what you
can call him, decided to abolish McG
wire’s single-season record this past
year. Barry Bonds, even though he plays
for my beloved San Francisco Giants,
had no right breaking that record. When
McGwire did it, he did it with pizzazz
and a genuine love. When Bonds did it,
he wouldn’t even comment on it.
When McGwire did it, he didn’t im
mediately run and ask to be traded or
ask for a new contract because he want
ed more money. When Bonds did it, the
first thing that came to everyone’s minds
was whether it was going to take $20 or
$21 million to sign the 37-year-old.
No, instead, McGwire returned home,
happy in his accomplishment and
knowing that his record probably
helped save the game of baseball. What
he did for the sport is immeasurable.
Had he and Sosa not pushed each other,
who knows where the game would be
today. The owners and players still
don’t have a collective bargaining agree
ment, so is there going to be a 2002 sea
son, at least on time?
Dan Patrick, best known for his cre
ative catch phrases and enthusiasm on
SportsCenter, recently wrote a column
for the station’s Web site. He discussed
McGwire’s retirement, raising a point
that McGwire, unlike the greats, will
Sammy Sosa.
Turn to Hager, page 10
Soccer ends season of improvement
■The Ducks tally a school-record
eight wins, but six seniors miss
the postseason for the fourth time
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
One all-time Oregon soccer great.
Two senior defenders anchoring a new
defensive system. Three shutouts, four
goals to beat Washington State, five sea
son goals for the young freshman star.
Six graduating seniors. And seven non
starters to see significant playing time.
It all added up to eight wins.
The Oregon soccer
team notched a
school-record 8-8-2
ledger in 2G01, and
the season marked a
turn-around in the
program with the
Ducks breaking
school records for
goals, shots, points and assists.
“It was nice for us to finish chances
and get better results this season,” Ore
gon head coach Bill Steffen said.
The Ducks started the season shakily.
They beat Gonzaga in the opener but
then tied Idaho and lost to Montana. Af
ter successive wins over San Jose State
and Nevada, Oregon entered its
matchup with then-No. 20 San Diego at
3-1-1 overall.
In their biggest win of the season, the
Ducks toppled the Toreros, 3-0. Oregon
entered a matchup with then-No. 5 Port
land with high hopes, but lost 4-2. The Ducks
suffered a similar fate when they played the
top teams from the Pac-10, and limped into last
weekend’s matches with Washington and
Washington State with a 1-6 conference record.
But the Ducks ended the season on a high
note in Washington. They almost beat the
Huskies, who scored a goal in the 88th minute
to tie the game, and ripped into the Cougars for
a 4-0 win.
“Those games in Washington redeemed (the
players) for some times when they played that
well but didn’t win,” Steffen said.
Oregon was led all season by a sextet of sen
iors who paced the team in points and attitude.
“We’ll miss those seniors,” Steffen said. “Not
only for their roles on the field, but for their
Adam Amato Emerald
Chalise Baysa (2) was the most productive player in Oregon history. She broke all the Ducks’ major offensive records.
roles oil it as well. We re confident in them be
coming successful people when they leave
here.”
The six Oregon seniors included forwards
Chalise Baysa and Crystal David, midfielders
Beth Bowler and Annie Murphy and defenders
Starr Johnson and Angela Romero.
Baysa was the most point-productive mem
ber of the graduating seniors. She will be re
membered as perhaps the best player ever to
grace Pape Field, after she broke individual
records for career goals, game-winning goals,
points and shots.
And on Tuesday, the Pacific-10 Conference
coaches selected Baysa to the All-Pac-10 Sec
ond Team for the third time in her career.
“She’s been a lightning-rod for our team for
four years,” Steffen said. “She’s handled that
role with class.”
Romero and Johnson are the most unherald
ed members of the graduating class. This year,
they took over and ran a new defensive
scheme, allowing the Ducks to outscore their
opponents, 32-28.
Murphy was the hero for one game, scoring
twice to beat Arizona State. Bowler improved
dramatically this season under the new
scheme, and took 36 shots overall. That would
have been a school record had Baysa not taken
69 this season.
Those totals illustrate the Ducks’ different
mentality this season. Shoot, and shoot often.
That offensive mentality will be passed on,
Turn to Soccer, page 10
Thomas Patterson Emerald
Maurice Morris, seen here resting his hamstring during the Arizona State
game, has three weeks to heal up before the Dec. 1 Civil War.
No. 7 Oregon to enjoy
‘well-deserved break’
■ With plenty of time to rest, .
the Ducks expect to be ready
for Oregon State on Dec. 1
By Adam Jude
Oregon Daily Emerald
Seventeen days, four hours, 12 min
utes and 34 seconds — let the count
down begin.
Saturday’s dizzying 21-20 victory
over UCLA at the Rose Bowl was Ore
gon s last game until
its Dec. 1 bout with
Oregon State. And
after eight consecu
tive games, dating
back to Sept. 22, the
Ducks are going to
savor the time off.
We needed a break, senior quarter
back Joey Harrington said. “This is our
bye week. We’ve been playing for eight
straight weeks now and this is a well
deserved break. We’re just going to re
lax and try to get healthy.”
The Ducks — 9-1 overall and ranked
seventh in both the coaches and media
polls and, more importantly, fourth in
the Bowl Championship Series — will
use the extra time to heal some
wounds and prepare for the nationally
televised Civil War game at Autzen
Stadium. Head coach Mike Bellotti
gave the team two days off from prac
tice this week and said the team will
probably take four days off for the
Thanksgiving break next week.
“It will be exactly like a bowl game,”
Bellotti said of the break. “We’ll alter
nate between days off, weight training,
practicing, recruiting. We’ve never had
something like this for a regular season
game.”
Getting healthy will be their No. 1
goal before facing Oregon State, the
team that ended the Ducks’ hopes of a
Rose Bowl with a 23-13 win in Corval
lis last year.
“I’ve got a list of eight or nine
Turn to Football, page 10