Fire still burns for Woodward


Former Northview star Chris Woodward, far right, looks to celebrate in the Major Leagues like this again.

When I think what former Northview High School baseball star Chris Woodward has had to endure this season and why he keeps coming back for more, my thoughts turn to Steve Carlton.
Carlton, arguably one of the top pitchers of all time, by his own admission, hung on to his life in the Major Leagues way too long. Carlton, after earning 313 victories in his first 20 seasons in the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies, was a dismal 16-37 during his final four seasons while being cut, released or having his contract not renewed during stops with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins.
A reporter asked Carlton, who truly had already cinched his spot in Cooperstown, why he continued to hang on with really nothing more to prove?
Carlton’s answer was quick and to the point: “The life,” he said, referring to what baseball gave him – a good salary and the life of five-star hotels and restaurants.
No one knows that more than Woodward, who after stops with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, is trying to work his way back to the Major Leagues.
But its been a long and winding road this season for Woodward, who hit just .199 for the Braves last season.
It started with the New York Yankees, who he signed a minor-league contract with before the season. He made it to the final cut in spring training before being released in March.
He signed another minor-league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies and played the first month of the season with the Lehigh (Pa.) Iron Pigs, hitting just .206 with an RBI in 19 games before being released on May 2.
But there is no giving up in Woodward, who again signed another minor-league deal two weeks ago, this time with the Milwaukee Brewers.
All signs are looking good as Woodward is off to a solid start for the Nashville Sounds. He is hitting .286 with an RBI in his first six games for the Pacific Coast League Triple-A team.
Here’s hoping Woodward can make it back to the cathedrals of Major League Baseball.

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Tucker gets the call, wins


Former Temple City star Ryan Tucker was impressive Sunday in his MLB debut.

If you back up your dream with work, it will eventually come true.
Just ask Ryan Tucker.
The former Temple City High School baseball star, who was compensation pick by the Florida Marlins in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, got his call to the Major League’s Saturday and passed with flying colors, winning his Major League debut in the Marlins’ 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
Tucker, who spent the first portion of the season going 4-2 for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats, limited the Reds to just two hits and one run with six strike outs in five innings. He also walked five.
“I was still a little nervous in the first two innings, but I did what I can to settle down and control the walks,” Tucker told MLB.com. “I just told myself to relax, take a deep breath and make pitches.
“I’m going to stay as long as they want me, and hopefully, I could keep giving them wins.”
Reports also indicate that Tucker’s stay with Florida may be a long one.
“He’s been dominating Double-A, and he’s improved his pitches,” manager Fredi Gonzalez told MLB.com. “He deserves to come up here and pitch in the big leagues.
“We’ll take it one day at a time, but I don’t foresee him being a spot starter or anything like that. I think we’re going to give him an opportunity to stick around.”

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Update: Miller, ASU win softball title


Arizona State softball players were all smiles after winning the Women’s College World Series.

Kristen Miller is No. 1.
Miller, a former Diamond Bar High School softball star, helped Arizona State win the school’s first softball national title earlier this week after sweeping Texas A&M in the championship series at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Miller was the team’s starting catcher and one of the Sun Devils top hitters.
Way to bring it home, Kristen.

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Brown continues season; Rasmussen’s ends


The NCAA’s Road to Omaha and the College World Series included two former area prep baseball stars this past weekend.
The Fullerton Regional not only featured a battle between local rivals Cal State Fullerton and UCLA, but also former local players Gary Brown of Diamond Bar and Rob Rasmussen of Pasadena Poly.
Fullerton, and Brown, had the last laugh, scoring a 5-4 victory Monday night to advance to this weekend’s NCAA Super Regionals.
Brown, who went 1 for 3 Monday, including 0 for 1 in a head-to-head battle against Rasmussen,  hit .353 during the regional and scored five runs with five stolen bases. Rasmussen, who had been hampered my injuries for much of the season, got the start in the pivotal game Monday night. He got the loss to finish 0-2 on the season after giving up six hits and three runs in the three innings.
The Bruins had their season end at the hand of the Titans for the second consecutive season. Fullerton swept a two-game series in the Super Regionals last season.
Fullerton, which has won four national titles, advances to host Stanford in the Super Regionals, beginning Friday.

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Miller goes for it all


The road to the softball College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla. has been long and winding for former Diamond High School star Kristen Miller.
But that won’t matter at all to Miller when she and her Arizona State teammates go for the collegiate softball crown, beginning Thursday.

The senior catcher, who began her collegiate career at nearby Long Beach State, has played a big part in the Sun Devils rise to the top, hitting a solid .329 with 16 home runs and 56 RBis. That followed last season’s break-through campaign when she hit 11 home runs with 26 RBIs and a .507 slugging percentage.
Miller, the younger sister of former Diamond Bar baseball player Dustin Miller who helped Cal State Fullerton to the College World Series in 2003, and her teammates open the Women’s College World Series against Alabama at 4 p.m. All games are on ESPN HD.
Here’s to bringing home the title for this former Valley star.

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Rasmussen back in action

5985-Rob Rasmussen.jpg

After an injury earlier in the season Pasadena Poly graduate Rob Rasmussen has returned to the UCLA lineup. Rasmussen has appeared in five games and is 0-0 with a 5.06 ERA. In 10 2/3 innings, he’s allowed 11 hits, six runs, all earned, seven walks and has struck out five. In Pac-10 play, he has a 5.40 ERA, in 5.0 innings. He’s allowed seven hits, three runs, four walks and has one strikeout.

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Look who’s in the Top 10 now….


How about Cal State SGV, er Fullerton.
The Cal State Fullerton baseball team, which has shown some San Gabriel Valley flavor for much of the past decade and beyond, has turned around what early appeared to be an average season and is suddenly on fire, rising from outside the Top 25 to inside the Top 10, dropping into the No. 8 slot in this week’s Baseball America ranks.
It looks to be like another Omaha summer for the Titans.
And again the Titans have some SGV roots to thank. In the past it was such former area players as PJ Pilitterre of Bishop Amat, Dustin Miller and Danny Dorn of Diamond Bar, Brett Pill of Covina, Sergio Pedroza of Northview and Wes Roemer of Glendora.
Now Gary Brown, of Diamond Bar, is bringing that 626 flavor to the 714, being a steady .285 hitter with a speed persona on the base paths with 16 steals in 19 attempts. Brown has also shown some power, hitting five home runs with 24 RBIs.
He will be action when Fullerton hosts San Diego State in a nonconference series this weekend before closing the regular season against rival Long Beach State at Blair Field in Long Beach.

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Aguilar, Cody and Me

This blog is usually about keeping up with the sporting careers of our past area prep stars. But in the wake of former area prep star Felipe Aguilar being named just the fourth football coach at Los Altos last week, I thought what better time than to discuss how in 2000 I picked Aguilar over Shaun Cody, who is now with the Detroit Lions, as this area’s football Player of the Year.
A variety of different people have asked me over the years how I could make such a decision when Cody had more upside potential for future greatness of the two.
But my view of Player of the Year, as does college football’s Heisman Trophy, is not all about what player has greater potential, but who had the better season that year and who is more valuable. That’s always been my criteria, and will continue to be.
It’s the same reason I didn’t didn’t select Charter Oak’s Chuck Tiffany first team all-area during his junior season. While he was clearly the player in the area with the most talent, he didn’t play enough due to injury that season, in my mind, to warrant first team all-area. But that’s an argument for another post.
Back to the topic.
Cody was clearly the most-talented player in the area in 2000. You knew he had the potential to be a collegiate All-American, and to eventually play in the NFL. But again, I’ve always judged it by what happens on the field, not potential or talent.
The Aguilar argument:  He had arguably the single-best season ever by a Valley quarterback, matching Pat Haden’s Valley record of 42 TD passes and coming within 67 yards shy of Mike Smith’s passing yardage mark. He also  marched  Los Altos back from playoff elimination, leading them on an 80-yard TD drive with less than two minutes to play in a 28-27 victory over  California in the divisional semifinals.
The Cody argument: From an athletic standpoint, the most talented player in the area in 2000. He would later become an All-American at USC and play for the Detroit Lions of the NFL. He was a sack machine at Los Altos, getting 33 his junior year and backing it up with 23 in 2000. He also was the top tight end in the area, and also showed is worth as bull-dozing fullback near the goal line. He also came up big in Los Altos’ victory over Charter Oak in the divisional finals.
The final decision: As far as I was concerned, there was no wrong decision here. Cody, like stated above, was clearly the most-talented player in the area, but matching a Valley record that was held by arguably one of the area’s all-time players, was hard to overlook, and in the end, I couldn’t. Also, Aguilar leading Los Altos on the drive in the semifinals ranks, on the high-school scale in my mind, right up there with John Elway’s “The Drive.” It’s what quarterbacks are expected to do, and when they do, they are rewarded. I did the same with Aguilar.
Final thoughts: I still have no regrets and stand by my decision to this day.
I’ve never heard any arguments from either player, so I will take that as approval.
Thoughts?

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Designated runner


Former Bishop Amat High School softball star Lauren Mirabal may have just one plate appearance for No. 4 ranked UCLA, but the freshman is still a key contributor for the Bruins in another way – on the base paths.
Mirabal, who has played in 28 of the team’s 46 games, is amazing 8 for 8 in steals and has scored 13 runs. The eight steals ties her for the team lead with Amanda Kamekona, a former Ayala star who transferred to Westwood from Cal State Fullerton.
Mirabal should be a key contributor this weekend when UCLA (41-5) concludes its home season with games against Arizona and No. 1 Arizona State. The Bruins face the Wildcats on Friday with encounters against the Sun Devils on Saturday and Sunday.

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Cory Lidle statue

All of the money in West Covina’s art fund went to a statue of Cory Lidle.

So far the fund has brought in $131,424.93 from six developers, according to McIssac. All of that money was spent on the statue of big-league pitcher Cory Lidle, a South Hills High School alumnus, who died in a small-plane crash in October 2006. The statue was installed at the city’s Big League Dreams project in October 2007.

That project, along with a $12,000 consultant fee, has left the city was a $11,600 deficit in the art fund, said McIssac. The balance has been made up by loans from the general fund.

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