10
m J on H elmkamp ___________
co-Editor-in-Chief
For decades, baseball
has been America's favorite
pastime, and has also given
fathers and sons a chance to
connect while playing catch
in the yard, participating in
Little League, or watching
baseball's greats play
America's game. For most,
the relationship between
father, son and baseball
comes to an end as the son
grows up, but not for the
coaching team of Mike Lord,
Varsity Baseball coach, and
his father, Greg, who joined
his son's coaching staff last
season.
"The day Mike was bom,
he was at th e b a llp a r k with
a ball in his hand. He grew
up around me and other
coaches and has had good
role models. He's seen
ways to coach and not to
coach and has taken what
May
Features
City High School. Mike was
always present while his
father coached, observing
firsthand what would later
help shape the coach that he
has become.
Members of the team
have responded in a very
positive way to having
the elder Lord on staff.
He has served as a voice
of wisdom for the team as
well as adding personality.
"He definitely makes it a
fun season. He has a ton
of phrases that he uses
like 'Holy moly, jumping
up and down Martha' and
'Green away.' I don't even
know what that means," Joe
Offer, senior, said. "But he
definitely has experience.
We all listen because he
knows what he's talking
about. He's been around
(baseball) for a long time,"
Greg has been a coach for
30 years at the high school,
while he was
still a student at
Pacific Lutheran
University. "It
was interesting,
I was coaching
guys only a couple
years older than
I was. My first
coaching job
was when I was
a senior in high
school, coaching
an eighth grade
baseball team,"
Greg said. He
has coached at
Lewis & Clark
College and at
different high
schools including
Roosevelt,
Mike Lord, Varsity Baseball coach (7), talks with starting pitcher, Kyle Kraus, senior^"
Beaverton
and other infielders during a tough inning in the first round game against South'-*
Medford. Behind the arm of Kraus and his 12 strikeouts, West Linn advanced to the
Madison and
second round with a 7-4 win.
Photo by Jon Helmkamp
Oregon City.
Mike Lord
was too much to resist.
knowledge of the game has
enticed his father to join
"When I retired from
made a strong impression on
him when the head coach
Oregon City and was asked
his son and members of the
"That would be the biggest win, knowing that he made a difference."
he likes and included it in
his coaching style," Greg
said. Greg was also Mike's
high school baseball coach
for four years at Oregon
collegiate and semi-pro
level. In the mid 70s, he
coached the Beaverton team
in the short-lived Collegiate
Semi-Pro League of Portland
at Oregon City stepped
down. The opportunity to
work alongside his son and
an easy transition to the *
coaching staff and its style
Mike Lord, Varsity Baseball coach, and his father and assistant coach, Greg, talk between innings near
the dugout during a home game against Lake Oswego. Mike considers Greg’s experience and knowledge
of the game a great asset to the baseball program.
Photo by Jon Helmkamp
to come over here, I said,
'Sure, I'll come over as a
volunteer.' I'm here just to
be another set of eyes and to
help in any way I can. I've
been here just to watch and
observe so he can grow and
develop his own style," Greg
said.
"We coach pretty much
the same way," Mike said.
"I learned from him and
teach my players the same
way he taught me. It's been
really good for him to see
me coach the same way
he did. Nothing has really
changed from the way that
he coached me."
Despite having very
similar coaching styles,
Greg can't help but notice a
difference between him and
his son. He thinks that Mike
has a much better grasp on
how to handle himself than
Greg did at his age. "When I
was his age I was probably
getting thrown out of
games and fighting with the
umpires. He has a lot cooler
head at his age than I did,"
Greg said.
Greg's experience and
team as well. "It's been great
having him on staff; he's been
a consistent presence. Having
someone who's seen every
situation in baseball has been
a calming presence for the
kids," Mike said.
Members of the team
have noticed a change in
their head coach since his
father has been on staff. "He's
(Mike) probably more laid
back because he knows he
has his dad there, and he
knows that his dad knows
everything that he does. He
probably feels that he doesn't
have to crack down on
everything because he knows
that if he misses anything, his
dad will catch it," Offer said.
Mike Lord has coached
against his dad over the
years, but was happy with
the change in seeing his dad
on his side of the field. "It's
been great competing with
him on common ground.
After seeing him in Oregon
City colors, it's great seeing
him in green and gold," Mike
said.
Lord Legacy
continued on page 11