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Show OREM TIMES Page 9 COMMUNITY SPORTS, PEOPLE AND OUTDOOR FUN Thursday, August 2, 2007 welcome back, Ooirdli Gronkowski won't let injuries slow him down Neil K. Warner NORTH COUNTY Flashback: The year is 2006 and after just 13 games in which he hit .282 with the Orem Owlz, Gordie Gronkowski re-injured his surgically repaired back. So let's recap. Gronkowski was a 23-year-old first basemen base-men who had a gimpy back and he was a 49th-round draft pick. Nice knowing you. Good-bye Gronkowski. Maybe for some, but not for Gordie. Not for a guy who takes his rehab like it was a final exam. Perhaps it could have been the end, had he not crammed for the final for not just three hours one day, but for three hours every ev-ery day for months. Present day: Wednesday night, Gronkowski delivered deliv-ered a pinch-hit single to help the Owlz rally and beat Great Falls 7-6, to raise his average to .414 on the year, which is tops in the Pioneer League (100 at-bats or more). Gronkowski also has 11 doubles, four home runs and a league-high 32 RBI. Apparently Gronkowski isn't ready to wave good-bye to the game. "In the back of my head, I really didn't know (if I would be released). I gave it everything every-thing I had. I didn't want to leave myself thinking that what if I did this or what if I It is still a good time to refinance, whether you're buying, refinancing or . consolidating. ;';:I)EKr Gm US ASK FOR BUDJ0LLEY nd 7-31-07. Itkl 75920 HA -i'lf''' FOREST RIVER TOYHAULER Sandpiper T21SP Slecpi 8. generator, 30 gal fuel Motion. 106 gallon water. AC, microwave, duel electric queen beds. r iy KjjL Copy i -"T v II , Orem first baseman Gordie Gronkowski (46) fields a throw in time Jovanny Rosario arrives too late on June 21. did that. It worked out great. You don't ever want to leave doubts in your mind where you didn't work as hard as you could have and the next thing you know you get hurt again. You don't want that in the back of your minds. I went at it hard every day. They saw my work ethic and they know how I work. I give it everything I have everyday so they realized that and gave me anything chance and I'm thankful for that." Although at 23 years old, Gronkowski would be considered con-sidered a old man on many minor league teams, however that doesn't affect the way he Financial TODAY! 22H0AN 378 E. 720 S. Orem iwt C&&8F3.&. . A goes about his business. "Funny thing is I actually feel younger, though," he said. "Last year I didn't feel the greatest and now I'm feeling healthier. Now I can play and give it everything I have cause my body feels younger. I'm glad they kept me around and gave me another an-other chance." There are a few things you may not know about Gronkowski, who in his short time in Orem seems to have become a fan favorite. On Tuesday night some fans made him a sign with a bulls-eye bulls-eye on fence in left field. As a sophomore in college RATES ARE INCREDIBLY LOW! ACT NOW! GR0Uft; c Ktvrc'iilional vIik1is n ' i COACHMEN 3150SS Freelander High gloss ttt ititwH. Rnstom Ride RH dr assist susp. Inlds 37 moo wow man ottw Dronds. qimn Ma wl-onwna. 100 aMc lest ol storoge. 1 f"- V II MARIO RUIZNorth County for the out as Ogden's he ruptured a lower disk in his back. He re-injured his back after just 13 games in Orem last year and spent the remainder of the season rehabbing his back. He still does rehab exercises to prevent pre-vent another back injury. And he's remarkably cordial even after a loss, he really is happy to be here. "Last year Kotch (Orem manager Tom Kotchman) took a chance on me, the Angels An-gels took a chance on me and I actually did hurt my back," Gronkowski said. "From there they may have thought See GORDIE, Page 10 Many Levels of V rut '-'" v-V Former UVSC star Price returns to Utah, play for Neil K. Warner NORTH COUN1Y Former Utah Valley State College guard Ronnie Price was back in Orem in June talking talk-ing about how much he likes Utah and the fans who have followed his career. He's about to like them a lot more because Price is the newest member of the Utah Jazz. Utah Jazz senior vice president presi-dent of basketball operations, Kevin O'Connor, confirmed that the Jazz have agreed to terms with Price, a free agent guard. Utah's team policy is not to release terms of contracts. When reached for a comment com-ment on Thursday, O'Connor said he couldn't commem until un-til after Price had passed his physical which he was scheduled sched-uled to take on Thursday. Price, a 6-foot-2 guard, who has played both guard positions, posi-tions, appeared in 87 games over two seasons with Sacramento, Sacra-mento, averaging 2.9 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.7 assists in 8.2 minutes per game. Price played in 58 games (one start) for the Kings in 2006-07, and averaged 3.3 points, 1.2 rebounds re-bounds and 0.8 assists in 9.7 minutes per game. Price scored a career-high 16 points against the Jazz in November of last year, one of seven double-digit scoring performances by Price last season. Price, 24, was originally signed by the Kings as un-drafted un-drafted free agent following the 2005 NBA Draft. As a senior, se-nior, he averaged 24.3 points per game as UVSC played its first year of Division I basketball. When he joined the Kings, he became the wil Heritage Care Skilled Nursing Rehabilitation Long Term Care Assisted Living Level 1 Respite Care Hospice Integrated Secured Unit Care to Vo Only 45 minutes from Provo, Soldier Summit Estates combines substantial value with accessibility to the Wasatch front's metropolitan valleys. Regardless of youf motive be it securing a tag-term investment, strengthening family ties, constructirl sound inheritance inheri-tance plan, or all of the above-Soldier Summit Estates is the perfect place tcrachieve your objectrves Define your legacy and lifestyle at Soldier Summit Estates! 6-15 acre recreational estates . J I I HVil - -l-.lJ- l I r unoeryruunu Uuirues eiecuK., pnonc I state-oi-the-art watef system restrictive covenants archrtectural review committee well-maintained roads year-round access Jazz FILENorth County Ronnie Price (24), playing for UVSC drives past North Idaho College's Rob Sullivan for a basket during at February 2003 game. Price has joined the Utah Jazz. first player in NBA history to enter the NBA directly from UVSC, and only the second UVSC alumnus to make the NBA, joining Travis Hansen. Price averaged 19.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists as-sists in 89 career games (all starts) at Utah Valley State College. At Sacramento, Price was the third string point guard behind Mike Bibby and Jason Hart. The Jazz signed Hart See PRICE, Page 10 Center 350 East 300 North American Fork, Utah 84003 801-756-5293 es Needs soldiersummitcom ,,t.-.:,r oavidCurmgharri 0 1 MDUHTAIR ESTATES |