Oregon daily emerald., September 29, 2004, Image 5

Oregon Daily Emerald
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
“That was just instinct. Kind of
like running from the cops. ”
Marquis Weeks | Virginia’s safety, after his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
■ In my opinion
BRIAN SMITH
LEFTY SPECIALIST
A cheer for
the team,
not the
individual
If you can hear me Mike Scioscia and Bill
Stoneman:
Kudos.
Kudos for having giant cajones.
Kudos to the Anaheim Angels manager
and general manager for standing up for the
team, rather than the individual.
I know that sounds bad, but let me ex
plain.
If you don’t know what happened on
Sunday, Anaheim’s left fielder Jose Guillen
pitched a hissyfit after being lifted for a
pinchrunner — the result of a pitch that
beamed Guillen in the leg.
To defend Guillen for a moment, it
looked like it hurt. I know — I’ve been
drilled by a few pitches myself. After limp
ing around home plate for a while, Guillen
walked down to first, content to stay in the
game.
Also, understand that Anaheim started
the day less than two games back of Oak
land going into an epic, three-game week
end series.
OK, I understand.
A player who wants to stay in after being
drilled, admirable.
However, a player who throws a temper
tantrum after being pulled from the game
because of being drilled, detestable.
That’s exactly what Guillen did after
Scioscia replaced him with pinchrunner Al
fredo Amezaga. Guillen walked off the field
during Oakland’s pitching change, tossed
his helmet toward the side of the dugout
Scioscia was standing in, walked to the op
posite end of the dugout and slammed his
glove against the wall.
So, how did Scioscia and Stoneman re
spond?
They suspended Guillen — hitting .294,
with 27 homers and a career-high 104 RBIs
— for the rest of the regular season and pos
sibly the post-season, without pay.
Yeah, without pay.
Wow.
“He was obviously not happy with the de
cision,” Anaheim general manager Bill
Stoneman said. “Unfortunately, this was not
the first time something has cropped up
with Jose.”
Earlier in the year, Guillen went on anoth
er tirade after being drilled in a game in
Toronto, calling out his pitchers for not re
taliating on his behalf.
“We had to do something with Jose,”
Scioscia said. “This is about the organiza
tion, not one guy. Bill wanted to be loud and
clear with the message. It was an issue get
ting in the way of winning. ”
Come again?
An organization that seems to be focused
on the collective product and results rather
than spoiling and babying its players?
Holy crap, Batman.
A lot of people would label the Angels’
decision as knee-jerk, and in some ways, I
agree. But in the bigger picture, 1 think the
Angels did the right thing and I support their
decision wholeheartedly.
SMITH, page8
Danielle Hickey | Photo editor
Sophomore defensive back Jordan Carey, seen here Saturday against Idaho, was dismissed from the Oregon football program for repeated violations of team rules.
Oregon dismisses defensive back
Sophomore Jordan Carey is out after repeated violations,
while former Nebraska and All-Big 12 player Richie Incognito enrolls
BY JON ROETMAN
SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER
Sophomore defensive back Jordan Carey was
dismissed from the Oregon football program for
repeated violations of team rules, head coach
Mike Bellotti said Tliesday.
The Olympia, Wash., prep star made the
move from wide receiver to defensive back last
week after being named the seventh receiver in
a six-man rotation.
The 5-foot-ll, 200-pound Carey saw action in
two of the Ducks’ first three games this season,
recording one tackle on Saturday against Idaho.
He finished his Oregon career with one recep
tion for three yards and recovered a fumble for
a touchdown during last season’s 31-27 win
against Michigan.
Carey’s decorated prep career culminated
with him being named state player of the year
by The Seattle Times during his senior year at
Capital High School.
Carey is the third player Oregon has lost in
the last two weeks.
Freshman fullback Jerome Johnson was
ruled ineligible by the NCAA last week for
undisclosed reasons, while redshirt freshman
quarterback Johnny DuRocher announced his
desire to transfer and was given a conditional
release from the program.
“It's the same thing we deal with every year,”
Bellotti said. “Life goes on. It’s unfortunate.
With Jerome Johnson, we knew there were
some issues persisting and we had not counted
on him fully this upcoming season. Johnny
DuRocher (wanting to transfer) was a total sur
prise and shock and obviously an individual
decision.” Belotti added that Jordan Carey’s dis
missal was the result of repeated violations.
Incognito joins team
Oregon added a talented yet troubled athlete
to the team on Monday with the transfer of Ne
braska center Richie Incognito.
The 6-foot-3,300-pound Incognito is enrolled
in classes at Oregon and will start practicing
with the team next week if he passes a physi
cal, Bellotti said.
An All-Big 12 tackle last season, Incognito
comes to Oregon with an unfavorable past. He
has a history of violence on and off the field, in
cluding being charged with three counts of as
sault in February, stemming from a fight at a
party. He was found guilty of one misdemeanor
assault charge during a three-day June trial and
paid a $500 fine.
FOOTBALL, page 8
Ducks embark on arduous schedule
With the loss
of senior
Lauren
Westendorf,
junior
outside hitter
Kelly Russell,
along with
her 144 kills,
will set the
pace for Ore
gon's attack
this season.
Erik R.
Bishoff
Photographer
After dropping its first Pac-10 match in Friday's
Civil War, Oregon undertakes a grueling slate
BY STEPHEN MILLER
SPORTS REPORTER
There are currently six Pacific-10
Conference volleyball teams listed
in the top 20 of the USA
Today/CSTV Top 25 Coaches’ Poll.
Eight Pac-10 squads have winning
records, which isn’t surprising
considering many collegiate
coaches view this league as the
toughest conference in the nation.
Challenges ahead
for Ducks
Oregon (8-3 overall, 0-1 Pac-10)
lost its first conference game and
its attack ace against rival Oregon
State last Friday. The Civil War was
a close battle, with the Beavers
outscoring the Ducks 117-105 in
four games.
Senior outside hitter Lauren Wes
tendorf’s promising season — 182
kills and 29 service aces in 36 games
— came to an end when she tore
the anterior cruciate ligament of her
right knee in the second game. Wes
tendorf will have the opportunity to
petition the Pac-10 and NCAA com
mittee for a medical redshirt, but
that result is unlikely because the
former Pac-10 Player of the Week
has played in more than 20 percent v
of the games this season.
The Ducks had four outside
hitters finish with double-digits in
kills against the Beavers: Sarah
Mason, 19; Erin Little, 13; Kelly
Russell, 11; and Westendorf, 11.
It’s the first time that has oc
curred this season.
As the team MVP in 2003, Rus
sell played in all 91 games for
Oregon and posted the team-high s
in kills with 278. She is expected
to be the Ducks’ leading attacker
once again.
Mason earned Pac-10 All-Fresh
man honors last season. The 6
foot-3 sophomore is third in total
kills (138). Little, also a sopho
more, will see more consistent play **
and her responsibilities will in
crease with the loss of Westendorf.
VOLLEYBALL page 8