Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2019)
SPORTS Saturday, August 3, 2019 East Oregonian B3 Seahawks’ Dissly trying for rapid recovery from knee injury sive coordinator Brian Schot- tenheimer said. “You got George Fant there, you got (Dissly) coming back, Nick Vannett scored a lot of touch- downs for us, Ed Dickson, that veteran leadership that he brings is awesome. It’s a really good group, so again we think that’s its very flexible.” Another option is Jacob Hollister, who was acquired in a trade with New England and has the ability to play off the line and create matchup advantages. The preseason will be an important test for Dissly. While he hasn’t had any dis- comfort in the knee during his first week of activity, Dis- sly is trying not to get ahead of himself. “I’ve been going every day, putting pads on. It’s been feeling really good and I’m excited to see the next day and what it has to offer,” Dis- sly said. By TIM BOOTH Associated Press RENTON, Wash. — Will Dissly spent Thanksgiving with his family in Montana last year for what he guesses was the first time since 2013. The Seattle Seahawks tight end would rather have been on the field with his teammates. But Dissly, who missed several other Thanksgiv- ing celebrations while play- ing in college, was in the initial stages of recovering from surgery for a torn patel- lar tendon. The chance to be at home was a much-needed break after going from wrap- ping up his career with the Washington Huskies, to pre- paring for the NFL draft, to beginning his pro career. “I was in a straight-leg brace for six weeks and it was a good opportunity to go and spend time with them, spend Thanksgiving with the fam- ily and kind of just heal and rest. If I’m here I would just want to do more and more, and I think rest and recovery is important,” he said. “It was almost like a mini vacation.” Once he returned to Seat- tle, however, he turned his entire focus to recovering from the injury that derailed his promising rookie season. Seattle’s fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft had quickly developed into a contributor when he went down in Week 4 against Arizona. Ten months later, Dissly is going through full team NOTES AP Photo/Elaine Thompson Seattle Seahawks tight end Will Dissly runs at an NFL football training camp on Thursday in Renton, Wash. drills in training camp and feeling optimism that he will be ready by the start of the season. “I think anytime you go down and you’re kind of removed from the spotlight a little bit, it really puts you in a humbling state,” Dissly said. “I really tried to self-reflect, kind of figure out what got me here. That’s work ethic, that’s my family. Dedication to the game, love for game. That’s just something you don’t lose.” Dissly is part of a posi- tion group that is vital to the success of Seattle’s offense. With the Seahawks returning to a run-first mentality a year ago, the need for tight ends that can block on the edge became even more import- ant. It’s why drafting Dissly was critical — he was argu- ably the best blocking tight end in last year’s draft. When Dissly went down, Seattle had to adjust. Ed Dickson and Nick Vannett were solid at the position, but the Seahawks regularly turned to using offensive tackle George Fant as a sixth lineman lined up at tight end. Seattle still intends to use Fant in that role, but Dissly’s return would be a boost. “There’s a lot of really good pieces there. I don’t know if it’s going to be one guy, I think it could be a little more by committee,” offen- QB Russell Wilson was absent from practice Fri- day. Wilson’s grandfather, Dr. Harrison B. Wilson, died Sunday and his memo- rial services were Friday and Saturday in Virginia. It’s the first training camp or regu- lar season practice Wilson is believed to have missed in his career. ... DE Ezekiel Ansah was in a helmet and shoulder pads for the early portions of practice for the first time Friday as he con- tinues to recover from off- season shoulder surgery. Hank Aaron still fighting for more diversity in baseball ing his wife, Billye, by his side. “After it was over with, my wife and I ... prayed and thanked the Lord for bless- ing me with that moment,” he said. Royster was in the Dodg- ers’ dugout when Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th homer on April 8, 1974. Royster said he was so happy, By CHARLES ODUM Associated Press ATLANTA, Ga. — When Brian Hunter and other for- mer major league players were in the presence of Hank Aaron, they acted like teen- agers, standing, pointing and trying to get pictures when he entered the room. Someone whispered, “there he is.” The vibe in the room quickly changed upon Aar- on’s arrival at an Atlanta restaurant Friday to talk with 44 high school players, mostly African-Americans. The visit was part of Aaron’s ongoing efforts for more diversity in baseball. Hunter, who has been coaching some of the play- ers, said that the 85-year-old Hall of Famer has that effect on baseball players of all ages. The high school play- ers in attendance had a simi- lar impact on Aaron. “It fills my heart, really makes me feel very proud,” Aaron said. The players were selected to participate in the inaugu- ral Hank Aaron Invitational exhibition game at SunTrust Park on Saturday. The event, formerly called the Elite Development Invitational, was renamed for Aaron last year. Aaron has lobbied for efforts to encourage more young black athletes to choose baseball and he sup- ports this diversity initiative by Major League Baseball. AP Photo/Steve Schaefer Hank Aaron answers questions from the crowd during the Hank Aaron Invitational at SunTrust Park in Atlanta on Friday. On Friday, the play- ers were taken on a civil rights tour of Atlanta that included the home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the King Center and King’s for- mer church, Ebenezer Bap- tist. Former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, 87, joined Aaron for a question-and-an- swer session with the teens. The high school sopho- mores, juniors and seniors were coached by Hunter, the former first baseman with the Atlanta Braves and other teams, and other former play- ers, including Marquis Gris- som, Tom Gordon, Marvin Freeman, Michael Tucker, Jerry Royster and Ty Waller, in Vero Beach, Florida. The top 44 — Aaron’s uniform number — were selected from a field of 250 players ages 13 to 18. The program is designed to encourage teens from diverse backgrounds to remain in the game. Hunter quickly confirmed “I’m a fan” of Aaron “and all our guys.” Aaron answered questions about the pressures of being a black player when he began his career in 1954 and how he dealt with racism. Sitting in a wheelchair, Aaron told the teens about his childhood in Mobile, Ala- bama. He said he was told by his mother to crawl under his bed to avoid the Ku Klux Klan outside his home. He also talked about the final days of his home run chase in 1974, when team- mates were afraid to sit too close to him in the dugout due to threats that he would be shot before breaking Babe Ruth’s career record. “The last four or five days were probably the toughest days of my baseball career,” Aaron said, adding he took comfort from having his mother and father alive to see him break the record and hav- history in a hardcover book $29.95 $44.95 plus tax & shipping offer expires 10/16/19 The East Oregonian is pleased to announce an all-new hardcover coffee-table book: “Umatilla County Memories: A Pictorial History of the mid-1800s through 1939.” We are thrilled to include photos of Umatilla County from our readers, in addition to photos carefully selected from local partners from the mid-1800s to 1939. Pre- order your 136-page commemorative book now and save $15.00 off the $44.95 retail price. Order online and save with flat-rate shipping Umatilla.PictorialBook.com Pre-order by mail now (discount expires 10/16/19). Select an option: ☐ Ship my order to me ☐ I’ll pick up my order $29.95 plus $6.95 shipping and handling per book. $29.95 per book. Pick up order at the East Oregonian Order will be shipped to the address below off ice (211 SE Byers Avenue, Pendleton) after 11/22/19. after 11/18/19. Quantity: ___ x $36.90 = $______ total Quantity: ___ x $29.95 = $______ total Payment method: ☐ Check/Money Order Credit card orders can be placed online: Umatilla.PictorialBook.com Name Renata Anderson, MA Pam Wagenaar, Send form and payment to: East Oregonian 211 SE Byers Avenue Pendleton, OR 97801 or call 800-522-0255 Address Administrative Assistant 2237 SW Court, Pendleton 541-276-5053 www.renataanderson.com used performance-enhancing drugs. Aaron said “the saddest part” of his career was never winning the Triple Crown, always falling short of leading the National League in hom- ers, RBIs or batting average. “I wanted to do that so bad,” Aaron said, turning to Young and adding “Andy, I still dream about it right now.” Umatilla County We Hear You! You deserve total audiological care. Professional. Experienced. Local. even though the homer at old Atlanta-Fulton County Sta- dium was against his team, “I jumped up so high I hit my head on the top of the dugout.” Aaron finished his career with 755 homers. The record was broken in 2007 by Barry Bonds, who finished with 762 but has failed to land enough votes to enter the Hall of Fame due to allegations he City State Phone E-mail From the archives of Athena Public Library, City of Echo, Milton-Freewater Area Historical Society, Pendleton Round-up, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute and Umatilla County Historical Society Zip
