By wpengine October 5, 2001
Sometimes when you’re really struggling to find an idea for a column, God strikes you with inspiration. Last night, God’s name was Barry Bonds. For the second time in the history of baseball, a man has hit 70 home runs in a season. I am fortunate enough to have lived in a time when I saw both men reach this seemingly insurmountable plateau amongst unparalleled media frenzy. But Barry Bonds’s ascension to this new baseball Nirvana — the land of 70 home runs — is not something to be taken for granted. Simply having seen the feat before, when Mark McGwire did it in 1998, makes it no less breathtaking in its reprise. Baseball’s past is not easily erased. New marks made in the record books hold a significance unparalleled in any other sport. Still, some of you may feel, as I did earlier this summer, slightly jaded by the whole Bonds home run race. We’ve seen more players hit 60 home runs in the last four years than we’ve seen do it in the previous 100+ years of organized baseball. Has it gotten too easy to hit home runs? Have juiced balls, smaller stadiums and bad pitchers led to the creation of a baseball that only scarcely resembles the baseball of old? When Babe Ruth hit 60, he out-homered several baseball teams by himself. Today, Bonds or McGwire’s greatest years combined would still fall well short of even the poorest home run hitting teams. In the end though, I feel the argument is moot. Different times breed different types of players and hence, different stats. Simply because we will see four or even five players hit 50 home runs this season does not make the statement of the home run any less dominating a message. It remains the ultimate expression of utter victory for the batter. Pitchers have the poetry of the strikeout, hitters the manifesto of the home run. The baseball of today is not the baseball of yesteryear. We see rule changes, park changes, player changes on a continual basis now. Still, this makes hitting 70 no less significant. When a player hits 70 home runs, he’s still scoring at least 70 runs for his team and that breeds winning. And despite unmatched offense in this new era, we still haven’t seen a .400 hitter in decades and no one has threatened DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak. Hitting a little white ball with a thin stick is no easier than it ever has been. You still have to get the bat in its way. The only thing that has detracted in the slightest from Bonds’s feat is the media, of which I am a card-carrying member. Those of us that create the newspapers, take the photos and write the stories are responsible for amplifying the importance of the home run. We have changed it from a simple run scoring device to the only significant part of a game. Today’s home run means no less than “the home runs of old,” as we like to believe. However, we tend to overglorify the process by making the home run the entire focus of the game, especially in the minute-long quips the media spoonfeeds the impatient sports fan. It is one swing of one at bat in one inning of a three hour long game. The home run is important, but it does not define victory. And yet, because the bomb is often the only highlight the viewer sees on SportsCenter or MSG Sportsdesk, it gains significance in the individual game, but loses importance in the scope of baseball as a whole. We, the media, tell you this or that is important, and we influence what you believe, what you look for, what you deem worthy. Is the home run less important than a win? We would sometimes like for you to believe so. Last night, when Rickey Henderson set the all-time runs record, he received little fanfare. Yes, much of that has to do with Bonds. Honestly though, is breaking the all-time career runs record any less important than hitting a 70th home run in a season? No, and if anything, it’s more important and impressive. Yet Henderson will receive little (comparative) coverage. We have made breaking a 70+ year old record less important than breaking a three year old one. Home runs have garnered inordinate importance to the game because we choose for it to be so. Is a home run that makes the game 10-2 any less important than a pitcher getting out of a bases loaded, no outs jam with the score 2-1? Of course not, but you can package a home run into an eight-second video clip; getting out of a jam takes longer. The jam never gets seen — the home run, Joe Schmoe’s 27th of the year, makes the highlight reel on a two play highlight. Why? Because it fits. Like I said at the top, what Barry has done this year is amazing, and I’m not trying to play down the man’s accomplishments. What he has done is remarkable. But remember, if his team doesn’t make the playoffs in the end, what he did this season really matters very little. But no one has to tell Barry that. He already knows it.Archived article by Charles Persons
By wpengine October 5, 2001
If ever there was a situation that might be able to ignite the football team to overcome its disappointing 0-2 start, it might come in the form of tomorrow’s 1 p.m. duel with Lehigh on Schoellkopf Field. The Red will have the chance to compete against a top 10 Division 1-AA program — a prospect that excites head coach Ted Pendergast and his troops. The matchup marks the opening of Cornell’s home campaign. Historically, the Red has played well against the Mountain Hawks on East Hill, sporting an 11-3-2 lifetime mark against Lehigh at home. Cornell will look to build on last weekend’s performance at Colgate, a dramatic turnaround from its abysmal effort in New Haven, Conn., the previous weekend. Despite falling to the Raiders, 35-32, the Red displayed a reinvigorated offensive effort, one that did not make the trip to start the season. “I saw areas of improvement,” Pendergast said. It’s important that we showed progress.” Pendergast’s preseason projections of a more versatile offense showed some validity last weekend as the running game, led by senior Evan Simmons, contributed 155 yards. Guided by senior quarterback Ricky Rahne, the aerial attack also showed signs of rejuvenation. Freshman Jon Kellner, thought to be a potential deep threat during the preseason, had an outstanding game, making six grabs for 116 yards. “We started to mold together,” said Rahne. And although junior Keith Ferguson was lost to injury during the contest, Pendergast said he will be back on the field tomorrow. “Keith will be fine,” Pendergast remarked. “He has the green light for [tomorrow].” Under the auspices of first-year head coach Pete Limbo, Lehigh has produced eye-boggling offensive numbers. The Mountain Hawks are a perennial force in the Patriot League, having enjoyed two unblemished regular seasons in the last three years. Although the squad returns only four starters from last year’s offense, the most integral component, quarterback Brant Hall, is back. Pendergast said that Hall is made of the same mold as Shaun King, of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whom he coaches while at Memphis. In three games, Hall is averaging 238 passing yards and a 61.4% completion rate. The Red’s defense will be looking to exploit the youth of the men in front of Hall as the entire offensive line has just one returning player in center Jeff Santacroce. On the other side of the ball, the visitors sport even more fresh faces. The defensive line presents no players with previous seasons experience in a Lehigh uniform. This may bode well for the Red’s desire to continue to push the running game. The most effective part of the Mountain Hawks’ defensive unit is the pass protection, led by strong safety Abdul Byron and cornerback Matt Salvaterra. In their last contest the Mountain Hawks showcased their formidable offense, pummeling Central Connecticut, 58-10. Hall used a quick strike offense to put points on the board rapidly. It took him just 92 seconds to make his first touchdown pass. He would throw four more on the day as Lehigh accumulated a rather sizeable 439 total yards in the game. Hall’s primary target Josh Snyder may become a thorn in the side of the Red’s secondary and controlling Snyder will no doubt be a large part of Pendergast’s defensive strategy. Lehigh’s true strength, though, may not lie in the hands of any individual but in its team speed. And speed, as Pendergast explained, isn’t something that can be practiced against. “It’s nothing near what they’re going to see tomorrow,” he said. There still are large holes in the Red’s run defense, a unit that allowed Colgate tailback Nate Thomas a career high 222 rushing yards last week. “We had a bunch of missed tackles,” Pendergast admitted. “We have to reteach tackling.” Nonetheless, the defense has showed signs of rapid improvement. Last week, senior George Paraskevopolous led Cornell with nine tackles, including two for losses, while junior Vinny Bates picked up five tackles. Fifth-year senior Phil Rigueur had a monstrous sack, for a loss of 13 yards of Colgate quarterback Tom McCune on a fourth down stop. Archived article by Gary Schueller