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B2 SPORTS East Oregonian Thursday, June 6, 2019 Doc is in: Emrick not slowing down in his dream job By STEPHEN WHYNO Associated Press BOSTON — The Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues’ morning skates are over and a handful of broadcasters have taken the ice to re-en- act a play from this bruising Stanley Cup Final. In the otherwise empty stands is a singular figure having a good chuckle at the retired players doing their best to go over the Xs and Os. But Mike Emrick doesn’t sit still for long. It’s a rare moment of pause for a man seemingly always in motion. A car comes to take him back to his hotel seven hours before Game 2 so he can get a quick change of clothes for his on-air work. Then it’s back to work. The man known as “Doc” because he has a doctorate in broadcasting is working the 21st Stanley Cup Final of his illustrious career. He has been honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame and is the voice of the sport in America, a rapid-fire sto- ryteller who is beloved from the Shark Tank to Madison Square Garden. Colleague Kenny Albert calls him the Vin Scully of hockey, AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File In this May 29, 2019, file photo, NBC hockey broadcaster Mike Emrick poses for a photo while preparing to call Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins in Boston. and the admiration level in hockey circles is just as great. At 72, still calling games on the NHL’s biggest stage, Emrick is in his prime and showing no signs of slow- ing down or stepping away from broadcasting the fast- est game on ice. “I really wanted to do it from the time I saw my first game, but a lot of peo- ple really want to do some- thing and they don’t get to,” Emrick said. “When you have a job like that, you’re never working the rest of your life. So it’s been 46 years. I don’t know when it’ll end. God only knows.” Emrick is so enthusiastic on the air during games that New York Rangers presi- dent John Davidson won- ders when his former broad- cast partner is going to come up for air. Not during the most important time of year for Emrick. This love affair goes back a ways, to when he was a kid sitting at Fort Wayne (Indiana) Kom- ets games, practicing calls in the corner on Wednesday afternoons with his reel-to- reel, battery-operated tape recorder from the music store his dad owned. Down time for Emrick comes mostly in the sum- mer when he and Joyce, his wife of almost 41 years, go on camping trips to small towns, mostly in Michigan or visit his brother and step- mother who still live in his Indiana hometown. He does like to watch his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates. During the season, they like going to lunch and at night sit together in the living room with their two dogs Joybells and Liberty — he’s watch- ing hockey and she’s watch- ing veterinarian shows. “That’s a nice night for us,” Emrick says. “It’s prob- ably not a life many people would find really exciting, but we enjoy it.” Joyce and dogs are the centerpieces of Emrick’s universe that has plenty of room for the people who consider themselves lucky to call him a friend. That includes broadcast part- ners of various vintages — Eddie Olczyk, Glenn “Chico” Resch, Bill Clem- ent and Davidson. He has helped many through dif- ficult times by listening or simply lighting a candle in church for them. “Just the support part of it from Doc is what is the most important thing,” said Olczyk, who leaned on Emrick when he was bat- tling cancer. “He doesn’t even have to say anything, but if you just get a text or a picture or whatever, you know he’s thinking about you. Having been through it himself, that’s what friends do. I look at Doc as a friend.” Emrick is 28 years removed from prostate can- cer. He got the call from Hershey Medical Center on a Friday night while he was on the road in Mon- treal doing play by play for the Philadelphia Flyers. He waited two days to tell Joyce in person — saying she was going to need to be a rock because he didn’t know what to expect — but right away he told Clement, who considers Emrick as close as a brother. Clement’s admiration for Emrick as a broadcaster rivals only that for Doc the human being. “When you listen to him on the air or see him on the air, he’s a real person,” Clement said. “He’s a real person with an unbeliev- able gift that he grew him- self to describe and to use the English language.” Ah yes, Emrick’s style. Hockey moves fast and all of its play-by-play announc- ers need to keep up. Doc loves his verbs — one fan famously counted 153 used in one game — and finding fun or interesting ways to describe the action. A pass isn’t just a pass to Emrick — the puck was squibbed, rifled, wanded, even soc- cered and the puck isn’t just stopped by a goaltender, it’s waffleboarded, gloved or sticked away. Goals usu- ally get a big “And he scor- rrrrrrrrrrres!” from Emrick to match the moment and his deep knowledge of the game allows him to get just as excited by the little things that can turn a game — a puck ringing off a post, an a oh-so-close pass, a jaw-dropping save. “Doc pushes himself to reinvent things and to be the best and to try new things and be different and yet not be a caricature,” Clement said. Never is he off the rails. No less an admirer than the late Frank DeFord described Emrick as “a connoisseur” whose eloquence is some- how the perfect balance for the frantic, scrambling nature of hockey. Baseball: Ashlee Hodgen Memorial Tournament to return for its fourth year Continued from Page B1 lee Hodgen Scholarship fund — an award given to selected Pendleton baseball and soft- ball athletes, and one student from Echo High School every year. “We want to keep her name alive,” Zander said. “She did a lot for Pendleton baseball.” This year is Mike Hod- gen’s 44th as an assistant coach for Hodgen Distribut- ing, and Zander’s 19th. Wes Armstrong is entering his fourth season as the team’s head coach. Several players on the Hodgen Distributing ros- ter are coming off a historic season on Pendleton’s var- sity team. The Bucks finished with an 18-9 overall record and a slew of accomplish- ments, including taking the top spot in the Intermoun- tain Conference and playing in the 5A state championship game in Keizer, where they Staff photo by Kathy Aney, File fell 11-4 to the Central Pan- Hodgen Distributing’s Kyle Field starts a slide into second base as the ball passes him during the first game of last year’s thers. It was their first title Ashlee Hodgen Memorial Tournament against Baker. game appearance since 1992. All-State: Players selected Continued from Page B2 Special District 5 selec- tion at pitcher and as an infielder. Corvar- rubia was a first-team outfielder. Henrichs finished the season with a 1.42 ERA, striking out 89 and walk- ing just 20 in 53 innings of work. His record was 10-0. He also hit .478, including 12 doubles and 29 RBIs. He also led the team with 25 stolen bases. Covarrubia, the Knights’ lead-off hitter, had a .364 batting aver- age. He drove in 15 runs, scored 33 runs, and had 21 stolen bases. The TigerScots sent four players to the series in 2014, and catcher Vince Roff was the last to go in 2016. Sater is a first-team all- league selection for Spe- cial District 7, and was named to the 2A/1A all- state third team. He hit .500, with 41 hits, 22 RBIs and 28 runs scored. He also had 12 stolen bases and just two errors. “He was a three-year starter for us,” W-M coach Corey Thacker said. “He worked his tail off to get where he’s at. I was more than happy with his leadership of the team this season.” And for those players, summer ball is a means to improve their game before the next varsity season rolls around. “For myself and most of my team, summer ball is a way to work on stuff that we didn’t get to polish (with the Bucks),” said Field, Pendle- ton’s sophomore third base- man. “I want to work on my pitching. I feel like that could be a strong suit of mine if I keep working at it.” Hodgen Distributing will kick off their season with a tournament game against the La Grande Legacy Legends on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Bob White Field. On Saturday, they’ll face Clark County’s Hammertime at 12:30 p.m., followed by a game against Hermiston at 8 p.m. From then on, the trav- eling tournament team will play a game every weekend until July 18. “We’ve got a lot of hard chargers out here,” Field said of his summer team. “These kids just want to play ball. That’s why they’re here.” SCOREBOARD NCAA DIVISION I BASEBALL REGIONALS GLANCE All Times PDT Double Elimination; x-if necessary At Monongalia County Ballpark Morgantown, W.Va. Friday, May 31 Duke 8, Texas A&M 5 West Virginia 6, Fordham 2 Saturday, June 1 Texas A&M 11, Fordham 2, Fordham eliminated Duke 4, West Virginia 0 Sunday, June 2 Texas A&M 11, West Virginia 10, WVU eliminated Duke 4, Texas A&M 1, Duke advances At Boshamer Stadium Chapel Hill, N.C. Friday, May 31 North Carolina 7, UNC Wilmington 6 Liberty 6, Tennessee 1 Saturday, June 1 Tennessee 10, UNC Wilmington 3, UNCW eliminated North Carolina 16, Liberty 1 Sunday, June 2 Tennessee 6, Liberty 5, 10 innings, Liberty eliminated North Carolina 5, Tennessee 2, UNC advances At Clarke-LeClair Stadium Greenville, N.C. Saturday, June 1 Campbell 5, N.C. State 4 Quinnipiac 5, East Carolina 4 Sunday, June 2 East Carolina 9, N.C. State 2, NCSU eliminated Campbell 9, Quinnipiac 8 East Carolina 13, Quinnipiac 2, Quinnip- iac eliminated Monday, June 3 East Carolina 10, Campbell 3 East Carolina 12, Campbell 3, East Caro- lina advances At Jim Patterson Stadium Louisville, Ky. Friday, May 31 Illinois State 8, Indiana 7 Louisville 5, UIC 3 Saturday, June 1 Indiana 9, UIC 5, UIC eliminated Illinois State 4, Louisville 2 Sunday, June 2 Louisville 9, Indiana 7, IU eliminated Louisville 11, Illinois State 2 Monday, June 3 Louisville 4, Illinois State 3, Louisville advances At Foley Field Athens, Ga. Friday, May 31 Florida State 13, FAU 7 Georgia 13, Mercer 3 Saturday, June 1 FAU 10, Mercer 6, Mercer eliminated Florida State 12, Georgia 3 Sunday, June 2 Georgia 13, FAU 0, FAU eliminated Florida State 10, Georgia 1, FSU advances At Russ Chandler Stadium Atlanta Friday, May 31 Auburn 16, Coastal Carolina 7 Georgia Tech 13, Florida A&M 2 Saturday, June 1 Coastal Carolina 9, Florida A&M 4, FAMU eliminated Auburn 6, Georgia Tech 5 Sunday, June 2 Georgia Tech 10, Coastal Carolina 8, CCU eliminated Auburn 4, Georgia Tech 1, Auburn advances At Hawkins Field Nashville, Tenn. Friday, May 31 Indiana State 6, McNeese 5 Vanderbilt 8, Ohio State 2 Saturday, June 1 Ohio State 9, McNeese 8, 13 innings, McNeese eliminated Vanderbilt 8, Indiana State 5 Sunday, June 2 Indiana State 10, Ohio State 5, OSU eliminated Vanderbilt 12, Indiana State 1, Vander- bilt advances At Dudy Noble Field Starkville, Miss. Friday, May 31 Mississippi State 11, Southern 6 Central Michigan 6, Miami 5 Saturday, June 1 Miami 12, Southern 2, SU eliminated Mississippi State 7, Central Michigan 2 Sunday, June 2 Miami 18, Central Michigan 3, Michigan eliminated Mississippi State 5, Miami 2, MSU advances At Swayze Field Oxford, Miss. Friday, May 31 Clemson 8, Illinois 4 Mississippi 16, Jacksonville State 2 Saturday, June 1 Jacksonville State 7, Illinois 5, Illinois eliminated Mississippi 6, Clemson 1 Sunday, June 2 Jacksonville State 9, Clemson 2, Clemson eliminated Mississippi 19, Jacksonville State 4, Ole Miss advances At Baum Stadium Fayetteville, Ark. Friday, May 31 Arkansas 11, CCSU 5 TCU 13, California 2 Saturday, June 1 CCSU 7, California 4, Cal eliminated Arkansas 3, TCU 1 Sunday, June 2 TCU 9, CCSU 5, CCSU eliminated Arkansas 6, TCU 0, Arkansas advances At Alex Box Stadium Baton Rouge, La. Friday, May 31 Southern Miss. 15, Arizona State 3 LSU 17, Stony Brook 3 Saturday, June 1 Arizona State 13, Stony Brook 5, SBU eliminated LSU 8, Southern Miss. 4 Sunday, June 2 Southern Miss. 13, Arizona State 12, ASU eliminated LSU 6, Southern Miss. 4, LSU advances At Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark Oklahoma City Friday, May 31 Nebraska 8, UConn 5 Oklahoma State 2, Harvard 0 Saturday, June 1 UConn 10, Harvard 2, Harvard eliminated Oklahoma State 6, Nebraska 5 Sunday, June 2 UConn 16, Nebraska 1, Nebraska eliminated UConn 5, Oklahoma State 2 Monday, June 3 Oklahoma State 3, UConn 1, OSU advances At Rip Griffin Park Lubbock, Texas Friday, May 31 Texas Tech 11, Army 2 Dallas Baptist 11, Florida 8 Saturday, June 1 Florida 13, Army 5, Army eliminated Texas Tech 3, Dallas Baptist 2 Sunday, June 2 Dallas Baptist 9, Florida 8, Florida eliminated Texas Tech 3, Dallas Baptist 0, Texas Tech advances At Goss Stadium Corvallis, Ore. Friday, May 31 Michigan 6, Creighton 0 Cincinnati 7, Oregon State 6 Saturday, June 1 Creighton 4, Oregon State 1, OSU eliminated Michigan 10, Cincinnati 4 Sunday, June 2 Creighton 6, Cincinnati 1, Cincinnati eliminated Creighton 11, Michigan 7 Monday, June 3 Michigan 17, Creighton 6, Michigan advances At Sunken Diamond Stanford, Calif. Friday, May 31 Stanford 11, Sacramento State 0 Fresno State 9, UC Santa Barbara 2 Saturday, June 1 Sacramento State 6, UC Santa Barbara 4, UCSB eliminated Fresno State 7, Stanford 2 Sunday, June 2 Stanford 12, Sacramento State 3, Sac State eliminated Stanford 8, Fresno State 6 Monday, June 3 Game 7 — Fresno State (40-15-1) vs. Stan- ford (44-12), 7 p.m. At Jackie Robinson Stadium Los Angeles Friday, May 31 Loyola Marymount 3, Baylor 1 UCLA 5, Omaha 2 Saturday, June 1 Baylor 24, Omaha 6, Omaha eliminated Loyola Marymount 3, UCLA 2 Sunday, June 2 UCLA 11, Baylor 6, Baylor eliminated UCLA 6, Loyola Marymount 1 Monday, June 3 Game 7 — Loyola Marymount (34-24) vs. UCLA (50-9), 7 p.m. AMERICAN LEAGUE All Times PDT East W L Pct GB New York 38 22 .633 — Tampa Bay 36 23 .610 1½ Boston 32 29 .525 6½ Toronto 23 38 .377 15½ Baltimore 19 41 .317 19 Central W L Pct GB Minnesota 40 20 .667 — Cleveland 31 30 .508 9½ Chicago 29 32 .475 11½ Detroit 23 35 .397 16 Kansas City 19 42 .311 21½ West W L Pct GB Houston 42 20 .677 — Texas 30 28 .517 10 Oakland 30 30 .500 11 Los Angeles 29 32 .475 12½ Seattle 25 39 .391 18 ——— Wednesday’s Games Washington 6, Chicago White Sox 4 Toronto 11, N.Y. Yankees 7 Cleveland 9, Minnesota 7 Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 0 Boston 8, Kansas City 0 Seattle 14, Houston 1 Thursday’s Games Tampa Bay (Stanek 0-1) at Detroit (Norris 2-4), 10:10 a.m. Boston (Weber 1-1) at Kansas City (Duffy 3-2), 10:15 a.m. Houston (Verlander 9-2) at Seattle (Milone 1-1), 12:40 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (Happ 5-3) at Toronto (Jack- son 0-3), 4:07 p.m. Minnesota (Berrios 7-2) at Cleveland (Bauer 4-5), 4:10 p.m. Baltimore (Cashner 6-2) at Texas (Jurado 2-2), 5:05 p.m. Oakland (Fiers 4-3) at L.A. Angels (Skaggs 4-5), 7:07 p.m. Friday’s Games Arizona at Toronto, 4:07 p.m. Minnesota at Detroit, 4:10 p.m. N.Y. Yankees at Cleveland, 4:10 p.m. Tampa Bay at Boston, 4:10 p.m. Oakland at Texas, 5:05 p.m. Baltimore at Houston, 5:10 p.m. Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 5:15 p.m. Seattle at L.A. Angels, 7:07 p.m. NATIONAL LEAGUE All Times PDT East Philadelphia Atlanta New York W 35 33 29 L 27 27 32 Pct .565 .550 .475 GB — 1 5½ Washington 28 33 .459 6½ Miami 23 36 .390 10½ Central W L Pct GB Chicago 33 26 .559 — Milwaukee 34 28 .548 ½ St. Louis 30 29 .508 3 Pittsburgh 28 31 .475 5 Cincinnati 28 32 .467 5½ West W L Pct GB Los Angeles 43 20 .683 — Colorado 31 28 .525 10 San Diego 31 31 .500 11½ Arizona 31 32 .492 12 San Francisco 25 35 .417 16½ ——— Wednesday’s Games Cincinnati at St. Louis, ppd. Washington 6, Chicago White Sox 4 Arizona 3, L.A. Dodgers 2, 11 innings Philadelphia 7, San Diego 5 N.Y. Mets 7, San Francisco 0 Miami 8, Milwaukee 3 Thursday’s Games San Francisco (Anderson 1-1) at N.Y. Mets (Wheeler 5-3), 9:10 a.m. Atlanta (Foltynewicz 1-4) at Pittsburgh (Archer 2-5), 9:35 a.m. Cincinnati (Mahle 2-5) at St. Louis (Mikolas 4-5), 10:15 a.m. Miami (Smith 3-3) at Milwaukee (Wood- ruff 7-1), 11:10 a.m. Colorado (Gray 5-4) at Chicago Cubs (Quintana 4-4), 11:20 a.m. Washington (Corbin 5-3) at San Diego (Lucchesi 4-3), 7:10 p.m. Friday’s Games St. Louis at Chicago Cubs, 11:20 a.m. Cincinnati at Philadelphia, 4:05 p.m. Arizona at Toronto, 4:07 p.m. Atlanta at Miami, 4:10 p.m. Colorado at N.Y. Mets, 4:10 p.m. Pittsburgh at Milwaukee, 5:10 p.m. Washington at San Diego, 7:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at San Francisco, 7:15 p.m. NBA PLAYOFF GLANCE FINALS (Best-of-7; x-if necessary) Wednesday, June 5: Toronto 123, Golden State 109 Friday, June 7: Toronto at Golden State, 6 p.m. Monday, June 10: Golden State at Toronto, 6 p.m. x-Thursday, June 13: Toronto at Golden State, 6 p.m. x-Sunday, June 16: Golden State at Toronto, 5 p.m. NHL PLAYOFF GLANCE STANLEY CUP FINALS (Best-of-7; x-if necessary) Boston 2, St. Louis 2 Monday, May 27: Boston 4, St. Louis 2 Wednesday, May 29: St. Louis 3, Bos- ton 2, OT Saturday, June 1: Boston 7, St. Louis 2 Monday, June 3: St. Louis 4, Boston 2 Thursday, June 6: St. Louis at Boston, 5 p.m. Sunday, June 9: Boston at St. Louis, 5 p.m. x-Wednesday, June 12: St. Louis at Bos- ton, 5 p.m.