DON McCORMACK
Paying another Sunday morning visit to the variety store...
Manny’s the man
The new guy always seems like a breath air, almost without exception.
Many times, it’s not really anything better, just different.
However, after seven seasons of Eric Wedge as the manager of the Indians, everyone who comes into contact with new Tribe bench boss Manny Acta comes away raving about the man’s personality, sense of humor and enthusiasm.
A former local guy got to see that first-hand last week at the Tribe’s spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz.
Joe Golembiowski, whose daughter, Sophie, was the starting point guard on the regional-qualifying Jefferson basketball team of legendary coach Rod Holmes in the 1999-2000 season, sent along a glowing report of the new guy in charge of the Wahoos’ onfield fortunes.
“We attended the opening day spring training game between the Indians and Reds,” Joe, a former Andover resident who now resides in Phoenix, said. “It was my 12-year-old daughter Lexi’s first ever professional game.
“She was able to get lots of autographs and pictures and the weather was great.”
So far, so good, but the story gets better.
“When the game was over, we waited as the teams left the field and the reporters conducted their interviews,” Joe said. “As Manny Acta walked by, I told him it was Lexi’s first ever baseball game.”
But wait, there’s more.
“He stopped and asked, ‘Your first baseball game? Come over here, sweetheart!’” he said. “He then picked her up and sat her on the fence. He talked to her and posed so we could get pictures.
“What a great experience for her and what a class act by a guy that I am sure was ready to get to the clubhouse with his players.”
Acta’s giving of a few minutes of his time left an impression on Golembiowski.
“I was never an Eric Wedge fan,” he said. “And none of us know what kind of manager Manny will be.
“But I know he has fans in our family and we wish him nothing but the best.”
He added one final caveat.
“Hopefully, Indians ownership will give him the players and the tools he needs to put a winner on the field,” he said. “Go Tribe!”
Stating its case
Officials in the state’s capital city are putting together a package in an attempt to lure the Ohio High School Athletic Association state football championship games there.
Columbus will be presenting a bid to play all six state title games in storied Ohio Stadium. The city’s most recent bid to host the championship clashes proposed that the games be contests in Crew Stadium and at Dublin Coffman High School.
The OHSAA didn’t bite and awarded the game to Canton/Massillon, where they have been played since 1991. From 1993 through 1997, the games were held in Massillon alone.
The bidding process is for the right to host the championship games in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Other cities that have expressed interest in hosting the contests include the current hosts, Canton/Massillon, along with Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron/Kent and Bowling Green.
Hosting state championship games would be nothing new for Ohio Stadium. The home of the Buckeyes saw all of the state title contests from 1983-89 held there. They were played in Akron/Massillon in 1990 before moving along to Canton/Massillon in 1991.
Bids are due by April 16 and presentations are slated to be made April 26.
Fields of...
The new playing surfaces at Lakeside Gymnasium and Falcon Pride Stadium installed in the past couple of years are beautiful to the eye, easy on the maintenance budget and fun for the players to have at it on.
However, a study by an NFL panel should cast at least a bit of worry.
The league’s Injury and Safety Panel is presented its study Friday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in New Orleans.
The research looked at NFL games from 2002-08. It found that the rate of anterior cruciate ligament injuries was 88 percent higher in games played on FieldTurf than those on grass.
Panel chairman Dr. Elliott Hershman, a Jets team orthopedist, says more research is needed to determine whether outside factors contribute to the discrepancy, such as the type of shoe players wear on artificial turf.
Time flies
Wasn’t it just yesterday that Brian Giles was a young, up-and-coming reserve outfielder for the 1997 American League champion Indians?
Apparently, no.
The former Indian told the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday he was hanging up his cleats, and said his best of times as a major leaguer were spent wearing a navy cap with Chief Wahoo’s smiling face on it — specifically, the 1997 World Series against the Florida Mercenaries...er, Marlins.
“That’s what you play for,” Giles said of that series the Indians lost to the Florida Marlins after Jose Mesa couldn’t close the door in the bottom of the ninth inning. “I always talked to my brother (former major leaguer Marcus) about coming up, and our No. 1 goal was getting to the big leagues. Our No. 2 thing would be to win a world championship.
“Getting to experience the World Series was pretty special.”
In one of John Hart’s worst deals during his tenure as general manager of the Indians, he sent Giles to the Pirates in exchange for Ricardo Rincon, a southpaw relief pitcher who never amounted to anything but a matchup guy against lefties for the Indians, with whom he spent four seasons, from 1999-2002.
Meanwhile, Giles’ 15-year major-league career ends with a .291 batting average, 287 home runs and 1,078 RBI in 1,847 games. He made two All-Star teams and also played for the San Diego Padres in addition to the Indians and Pirates.
Giles, now 39, knew he was in for an uphill battle this spring. His right knee issues began in 2007, and he had microfracture surgery on the knee the following offseason.
“Obviously. I want to play and feel I can play, but physically, I’m not able to do what I expect myself to do,” he said.
He said he will take a step back and take time to evaluate things.
“I’ve been doing this, including minor leagues, for 22-23 years now,” Giles said. “What do I do now? I’ll try to get a really good tan. I’ll just hang out with my girls and figure it out, I guess. You really don’t know what to do.
“But I really have no regrets.”
Brownies
For what it’s worth, don’t be surprised if Mike Holmgren pulls off a major trade either leading up to or on draft day.
Armed with a load of selections in the upcoming draft, the new Browns president appears to have plenty of ammunition.
The Browns have their first pick (the seventh overall choice), one in the second round, two in the third round, one in the fourth round, four in the fifth round and two in the sixth round.
The team sent its seventh-round pick to Detroit as part of the trade that sent defensive lineman Corey Williams to the Detroit Lions.
The write stuff
This gem from Dwight Perry, columnist for the Seattle Times:
Drivers in the annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race are now getting tested for drugs.
One positive side effect already in evidence: a lot less yellow snow.
Wanna snuggle?
Headline at Fark.com, after the Cavaliers established a Guinness World Record for most fleece blankets by giving 20,562 Snuggies to fans before a game last week at Quicken Loans Arena:
“Forget 2012, the world is over.”
Quick hitters
From the “are you kidding?” department:
n Football players at Texas A&M-Commerce; took 2,000 copies of the campus’ newspaper two weeks ago because of an article about teammates getting arrested on drug charges. The school’s head football coach, Guy Morriss, said he told police officers he was “proud of his players for doing that.”
n University of Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn pleaded guilty last week to disorderly conduct for allegedly punching a taxi driver who had the temerity to honk his horn at him last year. Clayborn was fined $100 and an assault charge was dropped.
n The Jets have reportedly advanced newly acquired cornerback Antonio Cromartie $500,000 to clear up his paternity issues. Cromartie, just 25, reportedly has already fathered seven kids by six women. Who does he think he is... Shawn Kemp?
n The University of Oregon has the ugliest uniforms in major-college football. However, perhaps the Ducks should begin to be outfitted in stripes... horizontal ones. Six Oregon football players — including star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and 1,500-yard rusher LaMichael James — have been arrested and/or charged with crimes since Jan. 24.
A three-hour tour
Did you hear there are plans to make a movie based on the old television show, “Gilligan’s Island?”
Word is, producers have reached out to Steve “Skipper” Urchek to play the role played so lovingly in the popular show by Alan Hale.
And finally...
I was saddened to learn of the death of the star of one of the great sports movies of all-time last week.
OK, it wasn’t completely a sports movie, but it had a good deal of football in it.
Corey Haim died at age 38 on Wednesday. He is best known as having major roles in such films as 1987’s “The Lost Boys” and to the current generation, “The Two Coreys,” with former co-star Corey Feldman in 2007 on A&E.;
However, my favorite role played by Haim was in the title character of the 1986 flick, “Lucas,” a heartwarming tale of a geeky 14-year-old kid who longs for the beautiful girl (played by Kerri Green — whatever happened to her, anyway?) and takes an incredibly foolish step onto the gridiron in an attempt to win her affections.
In addition to Haim and Green, “Lucas” also featured Charlie Sheen, Winona Ryder, Jeremy Piven and Courtney Thorne-Smith.
I, too, enjoy “The Lost Boys” (especially the soundtrack), but am also a fan of other movies that featured Haim, including 1985’s “Silver Bullet,” 1988’s “License to Drive” and 1989’s “Dream a Little Dream.” (Of course, Meredith Salinger was the real star in that one, at least according to these eyes).
Haim reportedly battled substance abuse through his entire career and his death at age 38 was said to be from an accidental overdose.
Thanks for the distractions your films provided, Corey.
RIP.
McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.
