A5
THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020
SPORTS
BASEBALL
Harber holding out hopes for a 2020 season
By GARY HENLEY
The Astorian
Conor Harber plays professional baseball
in another country. But when it comes to the
2020 season, he’s in the same boat as every
other ball player.
Little leaguers, high school, college and
professional players — unless they play in
Korea, they’re all waiting for that fi rst pitch
of 2020.
Harber spent the 2019 season with the
Acereros de Monclova (the Monclova Steel-
ers) of the professional Mexican League.
And it was one fun season for Harber, both
individually and team wise, as the Acereros
won the Mexican equivalent of the World
Series.
Harber, in fact, started the seventh and
deciding game of the championship series
for Monclova, ultimately a 9-5 victory over
the Yucatan Lions.
Currently, the Mexican League season
has been postponed, “and we’re not sure if
we’re even going to have a season,” Harber
said last week. “It’s not looking too good.”
The 2020 Major League Baseball season
was set to open in late March, while Mon-
clova was scheduled for an April 6 season
opener.
Harber and his teammates were just get-
ting into spring training when everything
was put on hold.
“I was down (in Mexico) for three weeks
before everything kind of hit,” he said. “Our
season had already been postponed until
May 11, then they pushed it back another
month.”
Right now, “it depends if they open it
up to crowds,” said Harber, as the Mexican
League is very fan-dependent.
So, Harber headed back to his home turf
to wait things out while staying in baseball
shape.
“I’m just trying to stay busy,” he said.
“After every season, I usually give myself
a month-and-a-half off just to relax, take
my mind off everything and give my body
a break.”
He starts working out in mid-Decem-
ber, and by mid-January is throwing bullpen
sessions.
After the high school season was can-
celed, Harber gained a new group of work-
out partners.
“Right now I’m throwing with some of
the high school seniors who will be mov-
ing on to college. (Warrenton’s) Jake Mor-
row has been catching us. He’s trying to get
ready for the fall at Linn-Benton.”
Meanwhile, “I’m just waiting to see what
happens with the Mexican League.”
Harber was looking forward to his sec-
ond season with Monclova, where his pitch-
ing blossomed in last year’s post season,
along with the Acereros, who rallied from
Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
Conor Harber plays baseball in Mexico.
the brink of elimination in three straight
playoff series to win the title.
In the fi rst round, Monclova trailed Mon-
terrey three games to two in a best-of-seven.
Harber was the winning pitcher in Game 6
to tie the series, and Monclova won Game
7, 5-2.
In a best-of-seven against Tijuana, the
Acereros trailed two games to none, then
won four of the next fi ve (Harber got the
win in Game 7) to advance to the champion-
ship series, another seven-game affair, with
Monclova rallying again to defeat Yucatan
in Game 6 and Game 7.
“The regular season was fun, but once the
playoffs rolled around … it’s a lot different,”
Harber said. “I can’t get too specifi c, but
they were doing stuff in the crowd and on
the fi eld, if you saw that in the states, some-
one’s getting sued for it.”
Monclova had never won the champion-
ship, “so it was special for everyone in the
town,” Harber said. “They threw a big party
afterwards. Nothing like I’ve ever expe-
rienced. A parade … we only went 2 or 3
miles, but there were tens of thousands of
people. It’s a lot of fun there, for sure.”
The traveling, on the other hand, is not.
“The bus rides and the airplane rides start
wearing you down,” he said. “Two-hour bus
rides to the airport, and then a three-hour
plane fl ight. We have to do that about twice
per week.”
Harber has certainly paid his dues when
it comes to miles traveled.
After graduating from Astoria, he played
collegiately at Western Nevada and Oregon.
He was selected in the MLB draft by Bal-
timore in 2013 and Tampa Bay in 2014, but
did not turn pro until he was taken in the
16th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in
2015.
His minor league career began with the
Helena (Montana) Brewers, followed by
stops with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers,
Carolina Mudcats and the Biloxi Shuckers.
After he was released by the Brewers in
the spring of 2019, Harber hooked up with
Monclova.
OREGON CAPITAL
INSIDER
Only 26, Harber still has an agent and has
not given up on his m ajor l eague hopes.
“With the post season I had last year, I
was kind of hoping to be seen,” said Har-
ber, who has not ruled out playing in Korea
or Japan.
“I thought that might be an opportunity
if I keep doing well. A couple guys off our
team have gone over. It’s harder to get in
there, but guys are being picked up all the
time and going back to the states and play-
ing for m ajor l eague clubs.”
A lot of it, he said, “is just timing. If
you’re doing really well and if a club is short
on pitching, they will scoop guys up. It’s just
being ready to go when they need someone.”
For now, Harber would just like to be on
the mound, in any game in any country.
“I’m still staying healthy. Hopefully
we’ll get a season so I can get a little base-
ball in this year.”
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OBITUARIES
Marc Allan Walter
APPLIANCE
Dunedin, Florida
1959 — 2020
Marc Allan Walter, age 60, passed away expect that his cat, “Murphy,” was not far
suddenly on May 7, 2020.
behind. Murphy would spend every hour of
Born in Lyons, Kansas, in 1959, Marc the workday in Marc’s offi ce, which often
was a resident of everywhere. Not
ran past dinnertime. If you were
one to spend too long in one place,
a client, it was not uncommon to
he had the pleasure of living on
hear Murphy in the background
either coast and several places in
during calls.
between. Though if you were to
To honor Marc, his best friend
ask him, the years that included
Murphy and everyone who makes
any measure of snow were not of
bonds like this possible, the family
much consequence.
requests a donation in lieu of fl ow-
Marc is survived by all of
ers to secure.oregonhumane.org/
those who loved him, and will
doggiedash/stephanie
be remembered as a loving hus-
A private graveside service will
Marc Walter
band, father, papa, friend, the best
be held at Evergreen Cemetery in
fi re protection engineer God ever
Seaside, Oregon.
blessed this planet with, a man of the sea and
Hughes-Ransom Mortuary is in charge
a restless wanderer.
of the arrangements. Please visit hughesran-
Everyone who knew Marc could usually som.com to leave messages of condolence.
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Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Seattle
64 50
67 51
68 52
63 50
Clouds and sun;
Partly sunny
Partly sunny Clouds and sun
nice
63 48
58 49
61 48
Showers
possible
Showers
possible
Showers
possible
Aberdeen
Olympia
66/47
69/51
Wenatchee
Tacoma
Moses
Lake
70/45
ALMANAC
UNDER THE SKY
TODAY'S TIDES
Astoria through Sunday
Tonight’s Sky: Virgo is rising in
the east in late evening, contain-
ing only one bright star, Spica.
Astoria / Port Docks
Temperatures
High/low ................................ 65/47
Normal high/low .................. 61/47
Record high .................. 84 in 1993
Record low .................... 38 in 1923
Precipitation
Sunday ..................................... 0.00”
Month to date ........................ 3.15”
Normal month to date ......... 2.62”
Year to date .......................... 35.21”
Normal year to date ........... 32.91”
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020
Time
High (ft.) Time Low (ft.)
3:28 a.m.
5:33 p.m.
8.4 10:51 a.m. -0.6
6.6 10:45 p.m. 3.4
Cape Disappointment
3:12 a.m.
5:08 p.m.
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
Hammond
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today .................. 5:32 a.m.
Sunset tonight ............... 8:54 p.m.
Moonrise today .............. 8:46 a.m.
Moonset today ............ 12:03 a.m.
First
Full
Last
New
3:21 a.m.
5:19 p.m.
Warrenton
3:23 a.m.
5:28 p.m.
Knappa
4:05 a.m.
6:10 p.m.
Depoe Bay
May 29 June 5 June 12 June 20
2:21 a.m.
4:24 p.m.
8.2 10:01 a.m. -0.7
6.5 9:48 p.m. 3.8
8.5 10:20 a.m. -1.0
6.7 10:13 p.m. 3.5
8.8 10:35 a.m. -0.5
7.0 10:29 p.m. 3.5
8.7 11:52 a.m. -0.5
6.9 11:46 p.m. 2.9
8.1 9:32 a.m. -1.2
6.4 9:21 p.m. 3.6
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Honolulu
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
New York City
Phoenix
San Francisco
Wash., DC
Wed.
Hi/Lo/W
78/64/pc
77/60/pc
86/70/c
75/61/t
76/51/s
85/74/pc
83/68/t
89/62/s
87/77/t
77/60/pc
103/76/s
81/56/s
80/64/pc
77/67/t
82/64/s
84/68/t
77/64/t
79/51/pc
86/74/s
86/66/t
88/63/s
88/76/pc
77/64/pc
109/80/s
77/55/s
80/69/pc
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy,
c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,
r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice.
77/55
Hermiston
The Dalles 83/55
Enterprise
Pendleton 69/46
78/53
81/53
La Grande
73/49
75/52
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Hi/Lo/W
70/50
Kennewick Walla Walla
77/55 Lewiston
83/51
72/48
Salem
Pullman
82/51
Longview
64/50 Portland
74/53
71/51
Yakima 82/54
71/49
Astoria
Spokane
80/53
Corvallis
76/53
Albany
75/52
John Day
Eugene
Bend
76/53
75/48
74/53
Ontario
75/59
Caldwell
Burns
78/49
75/58
Medford
85/58
Klamath Falls
80/49
City
Baker City
Brookings
Ilwaco
Newberg
Newport
Today
Hi/Lo/W
74/47/sh
67/53/pc
61/50/pc
74/51/pc
62/50/pc
Wed.
Hi/Lo/W
78/48/s
69/56/s
64/53/pc
80/52/pc
64/51/pc
City
North Bend
Roseburg
Seaside
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Today
Hi/Lo/W
66/53/pc
81/57/pc
63/48/pc
76/54/pc
73/52/pc
Wed.
Hi/Lo/W
66/53/s
84/57/s
68/50/pc
79/52/s
78/53/pc