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Show DAILY Thursday, July 31, 2008 HERALD B5 TOM KOTCHMAN 1,500 WINS Kotchman "What?" "Those were the numbers you wore when you played for me. Of course I remember you." Stories like those go on like the miles he's traveled by bus i Continued from Bl there was a "Nobody Night," a promotion designed to set the record for professional baseball's lowest attendance (zero). Fans were locked out of the game until the fifth inning when the game became official But of all the weird and wacky minor league promo- tions, of all the funny, memorable and forgettable attempts to draw fans, the Orem Owlz have one to top them alL Tonight at Brent Brown Ballpark, the Orem Owlz will host "1,500th win night." Let's see anyone top that. The Owlz host Idaho Falls at 7 p.m. and will be honoring manager Tom Kotchman for his 1,500th minor league win. They will be showing video clips from many of his former players and giving away "Tom Kotchman 1,500 wins" mini bats. That's no typo. Fifteen hundred minor league wins. Actually, he won No. 1,500 on June 27 with a win at Ogden, but the team waited until today for the promotion. You can't have a 1,500-wi- n night until you win 1,500 games. It's safe to say, the Owlz could have moved up the date of the promotion by about a month. To get an idea of how remarkable this achievement is; consider this: Last year Lenn Sakata won his 527th career California League game, passing Greg Mahlberg to become the most victorious manager in histhe minor league's tory of the League. Kotchman has nearly three times as many minor league wins. "Those 1,500 wins, the majority of those are over (rookie ball)," said Owlz pitching coach Zeke Zimmerman. "So if he would have been there in full seasons, what would that number be?' Good question. How many wins would he have if he mane season all aged for an those years? If you take Kotchman's winning percentage of .532 and add the additional wins he would pick up in a longer season, he would have roughly 35 more 5-- 3 over the years. "I think the players know I care. I tell them that they will see three things this year," to see constructive criticism, which they might say is yelling, but it's going to be in the dugout or in the locker room. It's not going to be in the newspaper. It's the only way you're going to get better. "You're going to see me laugh with you and kid around with you, and you're going to see me cry at some point. I don't know when you're going to see all three, a lot of it depends on you guys. A lot of it depends on what's going on in my life. I'm a human being, too. I'll never lie to you. When you leave here, you'll have a business card so you'll have access to me with my cell number and If you want to text me, yes, I've figured that out." So it comes as no surprise that when asked to comment on his 1,500th win, players didn't hesitate to congratulate him. "I can't say enough about what he's done for me. His record speaks for itself," said Salt Lake BeesTeam USA inf ielder Matt Brown. "He's a great teacher of the game. The man knows how to win. He knows how to teach. He's the best manager I've played under. You can't beat him. He finds a way to win. That's what I like," said Owlz outfielder Trevor Pippin. And finally, this from his son Casey. "He'll probably tell you that just means he's been doing it for too long. It's cool that he's been around long enough to do it," he said. "He's been fortunate to get 1,500 wins. But more important to him is when kids first get out of high school or junior college, college and try to be winners in the game of life more than the 1.500 wins. That's more what he teaches is guys becoming men on and off the field." J i - f I - - i I X. i. FILE PHOTOSDaily Herald right meets with Idaho Falls Chukars coach Brian Rupp and game umpires before the start of the AngelslChukars game at Miller Field on July 29, 2004. BELOW: Kotchman and pitching coach Zeke Zimmerman pose for a photo at the 2006 Owlz media day. Prowo Angels coach Tom Kotchman, second from Tom Kotchman's year-by-ye- ar 4 minor league record 1970 California Auburn Red 1004 League Stars New Pioneer 1087 3002 Edmonton Trappers Pacific Coast League Bristol Tigers Appalachian Provo Angels 1095 Pioneer League 2003 1088 Edmonton Trappers Pacific Coast League Provo Angels 199S Pioneer Macon Peaches Boise Hawks South Atlantic League Northwest 2004 Edmonton Trappers Pacific Coast League Red Sox Provo Angels 1007 Pioneer 2006 1090 Boise Hawks Northwest ""'.J . I ,V f , 1084 California 37-3- 8 League Championship. Perhaps what's so impressive about Kotchman is that after 30 years in baseball, he doesn't need to be here. He doesn't need the bus rides to Great Falls, Mont. The three months away from home. (2,763). What does Kotchman think There are other ways to of this math? make a living. With his experi"You've got to have the ence, he could be with the big players. You've to have pitch- club. He could be in a front office. He could be anywhere, but ing. If you don't have it, you he chooses to stay in Orem. can only teach so much. You can only get a guy so much Ironically, one reason why he stays in Orem is so he can better," Kotchman said. "You're dependent on so many be closer to his family. The things. No. 1 you're dependent Seminole, Fla., resident, mane to on scouts to sign players. If ages from and scouts the rest you don't sign good players st mid-Jun- of the year. If he were managing a Major League team, he'd be gone from February through the end of September. "I was in Triple A Edmonton for three years. My last year there, my son was six and my daughter was three and I saw them three weeks in seventh months," Kotchman said. "I'm pretty good in geography and Edmonton is closer to Russia than it is Florida. It just wasn't conducive to raising a family. I've seen a lot of my friends that are big league coaches and are big league managers that I've managed against me in the minor leagues and stuff like that, that's fine, but maybe I've got something they don't have. It all starts with family. I think the emphasis in society is so wrong. Family is first." His wife Susan is a Susan e and Lucci (actress) an elementary school principal in Florida. His daughter Christal is a senior at College of Charleston, where she's playing softball, and his son Casey was traded this week from the L.A. Angels to the Atlanta Braves. Susan and Christal made a visit to Orem last week, a rare treat for Kotchman, who usually spends his summers solo. Even though he is in Orem, he's look-alik- Boise Hawks Northwest League 200S Boise Hawks Northwest 50 26 Redwood Pioneers with good makeup and good attitudes, it don't matter who is here. No. 2 is your coaching staff. Zeke's been with me forever. The key to anything, whether baseball or softball, is pitching. There you go, you've got a guy with that much experience who is willing to stay at this level." Whatever the reasons, it's been working for Kotchman. Since he's been managing at the Rookie A level (1990), the only losing season he's had was last year when the Owlz went overall, and last year the Owlz came back to win the Pioneer , 1901 v. WS'- -- Orem Owlz Pioneer League 38 38 1998 League Winter Haven Red Sox Florida State League - League Orem Owlz Pioneer League 1000 Boise Hawks Northwest League League 2007 1002 Boise Hawks 1986 Northwest League Orem Owlz 2000 Pioneer Redwood Pioneers Boise Hawks California Northwest League 2008 Boise Hawks Northwest League League 1903 1086 League Boise Hawks Northwest League Florida State League 1983 League League 1980 1082 Haven League Boise Hawks Northwest League 1081 Winter League Boise Hawks Northwest League League 1080 half-seaso- wins per year, which translates to 1,041 more wins for his career, including the 26 wins the Owlz have this year. That's more than Walter Alston, more than Leo Durocher, Joe Torre, Bobby Cox or Tony LaRussa. If you buy that math, it would put him as the manager in baseball history behind just Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw Kotchman said. "You're going 1 League Palm Springs Angels Orem Owlz Pioneer League 2001 Provo Angels never far from his family. On Tuesday, Kotchman was trying to get some sleep on a bus ride to Ogden when his cell phone rang. It was Casey. He had just been traded and had to talk to his father. "A long time ago, he put his selfish ambitions and desires aside to become a coach in the family big leagues to keep-hiintact because he didn't want to miss out on the memories of his kids growing up," Casey said. "As a kid, you have to be eternally grateful for that, that you have a family member that puts his dreamsambitions aside. One thing that he's always told me is that at some point, the cheering stops. Baseball's going to be done with and what do you have after that? You have your family." Kotchman could retire and watch his son. He could do a lot of other things, but he chooses to teach. It is often said those who can't do, teach. s (thru Wednesday) In Kotchman's case, there better to do than to teach. He keeps coming back to where baseball begins. Where it's fresh. Where he can have an impact. His wake over the years impacted hundreds of players, including former Mountain View High School outfielder Casey Child, who played for Kotchman in 1997 when he managed the Boise Hawks. Kotchman says Child is like a second son. When Child drops by to see Kotchman, he opens the clubhouse door and invites him to speak to the team or take a few cuts during batting practice. That is not an abnormality. One of Kotchman's former players named John Donati, who played for Kotchman in Boise in 1994, stopped by to see him a few weeks ago. "Do you remember me?" Donati asked. " 14 or 25," Kotchman said. is nothing I Ogden , 6, Orem 4: At Ogden, Nick Buss homered in the bottom of the 13th inning to send the Ogden Raptors home with a win over Orem on Wednesday night. Owlz pitcher Cephas Howard picked up the loss after not recording a single out in the 13th. Elian Herrera led off the inning with a single to left, and Buss followed with his third homer of the year. Jonathan Runnels picked up the win on the mound for Ogden. Orem had a chance to win it in the ninth, but couldn't execute. With one out, Luis Jimenez was hit by a pitch and stole second, but the next two batters struck out to end the threat. Second baseman Ivan led the Owlz with three hits. Roberto Lopez finished with a pair of hits, including a home run to send his batting Con-trer- average to .416. NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Packers frustrated as Favre saga continues Bob McGinn and Tom Silverstein MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL GREEN BAY, Wis. The Green Bay Packers, driven to the brink of desperation in their ongoing spat with Brett Favre, have discussed internally the possibility of trading the quarterback within the NFC North Division. A source close to the situation told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday that the Packers were considering seeking a deal with one of their division rivals, most probably the Minnesota Vikings or Chicago Bears, if backed into a corner by the NFL and public sentiment. On Monday, general manager Ted Thompson said flatly that the Packers would not trade Favre within the division. But having no prospects of trading Favre anywhere else and under increasing pressure from Commissioner Roger Goodell, the Packers are considering doing almost the unthinkable: not only trading Favre, but also to the Vikings, FRONT ROW JUMP Lloyd a team that will be their opponent Sept. 8 on opening night at Lambeau Field. An NFL source said he un- derstood from the Packers that trading within the NFC North would be a last resort. They still hope to persuade Favre to be amenable to what the team regards as realistic trade possibilities with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets. Although it has appeared to be quiet on the trading front in the last week, a deal with either team is far from dead. The Packers have had ongoing talks with both teams as recently as this week. However, Favre has frustrated the Packers by refusing to speak with officials from the Buccaneers or Jets. That makes it almost impossible for the deal to materialize. The Packers remain adamant about not releasing Favre. With Goodell expected to act on Favre's request for reinstatement as soon as Thursday, the Packers clearly don't want him in Green Bay ind are running out of options. And as much as rail against the evils of the preseason world, I'm as guilty as everyone else. I Continued from Bl team plays 24 games during the 31 days like the Boston Red Sox did this year, the entire month is still a mere 14.8 perrun through the gamut of the cent of the regular season. college and professional footThe only event of any real ball and basketball seasons throughout the rest of the year. importance is the MLB game, which does affect Personally, I throw in the the home-fiel- d advantage of Olympics, hockey, internathe World Series, but nothing tional soccer and some golf else that happens in Jury really and tennis to the list of excitd matters. ing events equivalent to turns and loops on the August isn't all that much amusement park ride, but oth- better as far as actual contests, only saved this year by the 2008 ers might prefer to compare baseball or other sports. Olympics in Beijing. The rest is a dull monotony of waiting for But I can't imagine how as a see can important baseball games truly really July anyone and for the very end of the great sports month. month, when college football It's dominated by Major games roll around and revive League Baseball, but even if a so deliciously unbearable, followed by the screaming a lost man in a desert finding tiny pools of hot dirty water, still drink it up. Because can't wait. Like I I AU-St- high-banke- the true excitement of sports. But July and early August have become a haven for one part of the athletic universe that has no physical actuality but everyone loves anyway: Dreaming. I A football team can be anything to anybody a na- tional champion or an winless disgrace. I Preseason football rankings and analysis can be lauded or scoffed at from the national perspective to the local conference of interest. I Football practices while interesting to see how they're run and important to the preparing of the team itself are mere shadows that rarely give any definite indication of what will happen against real opponents. Even the one bit of useful information that comes from practice injury reports are often vague and misleading On Wednesday, Packers President Mark Murphy met with James "Bus" Cook, Favre's agent, at Cook's law office in Hattiesburg, Miss., for about eight hours. The source said a central reason why Murphy went to Hattiesburg in the first place was that Goodell put heavy pressure on him to make the trip. WTMJ-T- in Milwaukee re- for the next 10 years in order to remain retired. According to a source familiar with both sides, this was not the first time that the two sides had discussed a financial arrangement that would tie Favre to the organization for years to come. It is thought that the discussions began as early as a few months ago. It remains unclear whether the offer was made shortly after Favre retired or when he ported that during the meeting, Murphy presented Favre and Cook with an offer in which the Packers would compensate began expressing a desire to Favre in the area of $20 million play football again. but can be seen both optimistically or pessimistically. I The football blogosphere can ramble and chatter, rant and lecture, bemoan and stir up, when it's really all sound and fury, signifying nothing until the teams actually set foot on the field on game day. I Fantasy teams are constructed and evaluated with each component going under the microscope and images of domination filling our minds. I find most of it to be a complete waste of time and often counterproductive. How many teams and players would've been better off if they'd been n before left off the the season began? But we can't avoid it and it seems like we can't get enough of it. Practice reports are scru hype-wago- tinized, preseason information is voraciously devoured and hours are spent arguing the same questions with friends in person and online. And as much as I rail against the evils of the preseason world, I'm as guilty as everyone else. Like a lost man in a desert finding tiny pools of hot dirty water, I still drink it up. Because can't wait. I can't wait for the slow summer days to end and the fall rush to come. I can't wait to see games that actually matter. I can't wait for that wild descent to set the adrenaline 1 to surging after the dragging climb of July and early August. I jared Lloyd can be reached at jlloydheraldextra.com. |