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Show The Forum Major League Baseball Kicks Off 2003 Season Page7 April 9, 2003 Phillies opening series against the Florida Marlins. Jeff Kent, Todd Fichter Staff Writer conwho signed a two-ye, Houston-Astrostract with the hit a home run in his first ar Major League Baseball is back. The regular season started March 30 with the Texas Rangers playing the defending World Series Champion, Anaheim Angels. There were a lot of big name players in the league who began a new chapter in their careers by starting on another roster. teams opening-da- y Tom Glavine, who had played for the Atlanta Braves for the last 16 years, was signed by the New York Mets in the Unfortunately for Glavine, he was rocked by the Chicago Cubs, pitching only three innings while giving up five runs on eight hits. Jim Thome, who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies during the batted .636 ), with three walks, in the off-seaso-n. off-seaso- (7-11- n, at-b-at to help the Astros win their opening day game against the Colorado Rockies. In addition to players signing with other clubs this off-seaso-n, a few well-know- n . Tampa Bay, Fla. to manage the Devil Rays. On April 4, Sammy Sosa became the 18th Major League baseball player to reach the age. Rodriquez eclipsed that mark by 79 days. The big injury of week one was the dislocated shoulder suffered by New York Yankee 500 home run plateau. He started his season stuck at 499 and in earnest to eclipse the 500 mark. He got his wish in his fourth game of the season, when he took a shortstop, Derek Jeter. Jeter slid headfirst into third base just as Toronto Blue Jay catcher Ken Huckaby slid into the bag to make the tag. They suffered a violent collision that left Jeter lying on the turf for 15 minutes before being carted off the field. He will be out for upwards of managers signed contracts with other clubs for the 2003 season. Dusty Baker, formerly of the San Francisco Giants, helped his new ball club to an opening day win over the pitch from Cincinnati Reds reliever, Scott Sullivan, over the right field fence. 1- -2 Texas Ranger superstar, 4-- 162-gam- 40-year-- weeks. 6 The big Alex Rodriquez also reached a eye-open- of the er 4-- first week is the surprising start to the season for perennial Mets, and their new manager. the Kansas City Anaheim Angels Ramon Ortiz. Art Howe. Taking Bakers Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates. place in San Francisco is Felipe Rodriquez became the fastest The Royals became the first Alou, former manager of the player in Major League Baseball history to reach the team in Major League history Montreal Expos. Lou Pinella to start a season 0 after a 100-lo- ss 300 home run plateau. The left the Seattle Mariners, an season the year before. The record was previously held by ly organization that he Pirates are off to an undefeated turned around in the Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx, start as well. Of course, it is ten seasons he spent with the " who had achieved the mark ludicrous to think that these when he was also 27 years of club, for sunnier skies in career milestone in his second game of the season against the cellar-d- wellers, surprising starts will last for the e duration of a season, but nonetheless, it is nice to see. Finally, the feel good story of the week, and an early season favorite for comeback player of the year, David Cone. Cone has been out of baseball since the 2001 season, when he retired from the New York Yankees, after helping them win four World Series titles. The Cone pitched five scoreless innings against the Montreal Expos, leading the Mets to a 0 victory. It was " Cones first appearance at Shea Stadium since 1992 when he first pitched for the Mets. os 5-- single-handed- Leader as Points Leaves Star Basketball Jason Long Contributing Writer At 66 tall and a cut 215 pounds, Matt Sparrow definitely looks like a basketball player. But when asked who Matt Sparrow is, he proudly says with a smirk on his face, Im a lover, a fighter and a rider. Matt married his wife, bucking-hors- e Erica, in August of 2002 and will be expecting their first child this September. Erica is the daughter of former Ute Tom great and NBA Chambers, whom Matt could supposedly beat in a game of if it werent for All-St- ar H-O-R-- Chambers behind-the-bac- k left-hande- d, trick-sho- t! Athleticism runs in the Sparrow family, too. His younger brother, Nic, plays for Weber State as a junior while his even younger brother, Ty, will play football for Snow College after returning from an LDS mission in Taejon, Korea. Matt looks to his father, Ben, as his hero and inspira- tion and credits his fathers blue-collworking style with instilling his competitive drive, both on and off the court. Matt says he hopes the stream of athletics will continue in his own family because he feels it is one way he could help do the same for his children. The North Ogden native ar to Sparrow, We would win and son of Ben and Jill with you here. Agricola will be the first to Connor was right; in admit that he would have made a better football player, Sparrows three seasons as Griffin, Westminster has been as that was his first ambition when he received a scholarship in the NAIA National Tournament all three years to play football at his homecompiling a 63-3- 0 record and town school Weber State two Frontier Conference reguUniversity. After a red shirt lar season championships. year at Weber State, in which he also played meaningful During that span, Sparrow has averaged 13.3 points and 5.3 minutes for the basketball 54 team, Sparrow left the country , rebounds while shooting to serve an LDS mission in percent from the field and started in 78 games out of a Seoul, Korea. possible 93. Sparrow retuned to Utah Sparrow just finished his to discover his football coach senior season at Westminster, a at Weber had moved a couple season in which he started out hours north and now was the slowly in the scoring column. head coach at Utah State Moreover, while adjusting to a University in Logan, Utah. new style of offense, the Sparrow was offered another Griffins still won games with scholarship, this time to play Matt as their leader. And, by just football. Sparrow spent the end of the year Sparrow the year practicing at safety went on a tear in the conferbut moved to wide receiver ence part of the schedule to where he found considerable lead Westminster to a 1 2 playing time until an unfortunate shoulder injury ended his conference record and their second Frontier title in three football career. With football out of the years. As for the Frontier picture and still three years of Conference Player of the Year, college eligibility remaining, Sparrows basketball career at Sparrow found himself taking an unexpected turn during the Westminster ended this past summer of 2000. He received month as the Griffins lost to Barber-Scoti- a College, N.C., a call from Westminster in the first round of the NAIA Athletic Director and Head National Tournament by a Coach Tommy Connor who -- 2-- had learned of Matts ability from one of Sparrows former high school teammates, Mitch Montgomery. Connors quote recently this past week with . Honorable NAIA Mention status. All-Ameri- Sparrow will graduate this spring with a degree in International Business and plans to move to some small country town like Logan, Utah, or even somewhere in Idaho. Sparrow and his wife both like the idea of starting their family in a town where their children can grow up and know everyone. Im a country boy, and Erica is a country girl, he explains. Matt plans on using his brain rather than his brawn to make a living, citing joining the FBI as a Korean linguist and doing intelligence work for North Korea all-ti- me (1,221), field goal three-poi- nt percentage (42.6) and total rebounds (487). Sparrow also finishes his career in the top five of six other individual statistical categories on list. Westminsters After all of these individual accolades, Matt most looks forward to reflecting on his career at Westminster and remembering his teammates, coaches and winning, c all-ti- me as a possible career. t5 5 mm 5 5? iSV 1 IUTT VtCeJe tiMb !V uHlImrijihRlii5' I ? I score of 59-4- 8. scored a game-hig- Sparrow h 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds in his final game as a Griffin. Sparrow was honored most Sparrow leaves Westminster as the schools leader in the modern era, since basketballs reinstatement in 1999, in total points scored I I T I JjiilM1 'S! !tel s |