Show Page12— The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday July 19 1998 Smilhfiold Dluo Sox roeord holder Blue Sox vet still shining at second base while coaching a new generation of athletes By Jeff Hunter sports writer Thorne family legend has it that Rick Thorne of the Smith-fiel- d Blue Sox embarked upon his lenethy career as a right-handthrowing batting second baseman at die urging of his mother Lynn A coach during the school year Thorne's father A1 supplemented his family’s income truck in the summer oM Rick’ Lynn as three-ye- ar land double playpait- ed “But she had no idea what side of the plate to stand me on" Rick says “so she stood me on the left side of the plate and ever since then I’ve batted left" Although Lynn doubts the authenticity of this little piece of Thorne lore — "I don't remember dong that but they say I did” she declares — it stillI perse veres down on the grass he stated swinging and h£s still swinging from the left side” A1 maintains “(Lynn) used to be concerned about that but I uid ‘You did him a favor He’s a step and a half closer to first base” ' Nearly three decades later Rick Thorne is a lot closer to Blue Sox immortality than he ever thought he would be A week ago Thome passed Kimber Hall as Southfield's all-tileader in runs scored by w coining home for the 709th time career The veteran in his is also second in career hits (804 through Friday's games) third in doubles (165) and eighth in batting average (398) But when it comes to putting tiie ball into play Thome has no 12-ye- ar equal In 2346 total (date appearances Thome hu stnick out a mere 104 times or about once every 23 at bats But that takes into account the early years when Thome might go down many 10 times a year In 1993 Thome hit a career-hig- h 465 while striking out on just three occasions And this season he went up to the plate u u SS 104 times before being rang up for die first time “When you watch him you know he hu control of the bat” longtime Blue Sox manager Richard Hansen uys of Thome “It seems like he can hit it where he wards it when he wants to" Smitiifield's top contact hitter for the better part of a decade Thome is the prototype No 2 batter putting the ball into play when called on to hitting behind the runner and with the pitch and deposit-- j it in the opposite field when desired I’ve never been a power hitter” Thome says "I’ve always just tried to make contact I try to put the ball in play and move runners oven That's my approach at the plate” With the possible exception of three year ago Of Thome's nine career homers with the Blue Sax six came in that wonderful summer of 95 “Maybe the wind wu Mowing out extra hard that year” he says then adds with a laugh “but it's been blowing in ever since” j c n V "tv - j Six-foot- -1 time either working out or on die basketball court Of course when you’re 32 and playing a young man's game with a kit of old kids conditioning is essential “I’ve noticed I’ve got older that when I start the season I’ve got to be in better shape to keep up with some of these younger guys” Thome says “But I've been lucky and haven’t had to deal with any major injuries like some guys have “Hopefully I can stay lucky and play a couple more years because I just enjoy the game But if J get to fbc point that I feel 20-ye- ar u ' :JA un Not that Thome isn’t physically capable of lifting ooe beyond the fence and a lean 180 S John WMtinHarald Journal In hit 12th season Smithflekl Blue Sox second baseman Rick Thome left p among tha career leaders in 10 diffaront categories 11 4 Anhfintf 'lii ’ps a j c : j ? iji I v f 1 m ! : I r ' i - i 8 John VMdnMinld Joumol In addtion to coaching basebal and baskatbal at Sky View High School Rick Thome also runs the too bol and meant to be ho says tot coach's pilch programs for Logan City It's basebal the way purest form ft ft Bom in Logan Thome wu reared “a coach's sou” When Rick wu young A1 coached just about everything at West Side High School in Dayton Idaho then moved north to groom football and basketball players at Pocatello High School Being around athletics and athletes every day made sure that young Rick who constructed his first pair of cleats at age four by gluing Legos to the bottom of his shoes followed in his father's footsteps That wu a great way to grow up” Thome says Td get done with school and go right over to the high school to watch my dad practice with his kids “I got involved early and Ijust enjoyed being around sports’’ A standout baseball and basketball player at Logan High School Thornehad offers to play hoops at a number of junior colleges in the region but elected to serve an LP5 fltisuoo then “copeback u ar u recruit “Stu said we need to get Rick Thome” Hansen recalls During his rookie season Thome rdayed shortstop hit an even 400 and ended up getting a scholarship to play baseball at Ricks College Following his two-yestint in Rexburg Idaho he drew the interest of the University of Utah but opted to petnm to£acheYalley and spend ar - I 4e Major! Lea quel Baseball B the rest of his baseball career with the Blue Sox In his 12 seasons in the Smith-fiel- d infield the Blue Sox have and won five state gone 383-14- 4 championships He’s seen greats like Hansen Hall and Jodi Allen play out their careers and helped bresdt in a whole lot of young talent Thome’s current double play partner Reggie Bingham served a Blue Sox bat boy and outfielder Kenny Clark ooce played Junior Jazz basketball under his tutelage “I hear a lot of jokes” Thome says “like ‘Man when you first started playing for the Blue Sox I wu in such and such grade’ but I don’t think the young guys treat me any different other than a few wisecracks hoe and there” The Blue Sox succeed year after year because Hansen require a firm commitment from his and see what happened” Unfortunately soon after returning fromnis two-yeassignment to South Korea he injured his back and wu out of action until baseball season rolled around But his coach at Logan High Stuart Howdl is also an assistant coach with the Blue Sox Smith-fiel- d legends Roger Hansen Don Tubet and Brad Pood were at the end of long careers that summer of '87 so Howell recalling Thorne's soft hands and solid bat approached Hansen with a new all p lft See THORNE an Page 13 J I fls'tw Dodgers rally past Cardinals The Associated Press By The Los Angeles Dodgers are starting to believe After falling behind by five runs early to the St Louis Cardinals Saturday Gary Sheffield and Matt Luke each hit two-ru-n homers in the eighth inning to give the Dodgers a 10-- 8 win at St Louis “The last couple of weeks we’ve been winning games like this when we haven't all year” Luke said “It’s really contagious We’re really feeling like we can overcome anything and we had that feeling today” Raul Mondesi and Tripp Cromer also homered for the Dodgers who tied a season high have been home runs Mondesi doubled with one out and Sheffield tied it with his 17th home ran Eric Karros singled and Luke followed with a home run into tiie Cardinals’ bullpen in right field Jeff Shaw pitched the eighth and ninth for his 23th save and second with the Dodgers Shaw struck out Mark McGwire with a runner on base to end die eighth Two years ago Shaw wu the setup man when Brantley raved 44 games for Cincinnati He felt bad watching Brantley who had shoulder surgery last summer “People don’t realize that it almost takes you a year (to recover) after the surgery that he had” Shaw said “He told (Cardinals manager) Tony (La Russa) just to with four homers “That’s a big team win right there” Dodgers manager Glenn pitch him whenever he wants Hoffman said “A lot of guys did their part to make it happen” Los Angeles which hu pulled because he needs the work I can understand that because when you're not sharp and you're in d back into contention die closer role it looks bad” moved over at 300 at “The days I don’t have anyThe Cardinals led 6 going thing it’s awful tough” Brantley into the eighth but the Dodgers said “The velocity has come came back against Jeff Brantley back in spurts but sometimes who blew his sixth save in like today it’s just not there” ) 20 chances Of the 28 hits BrantLa Russa also felt bad for wild-car- 49-4- 8 8-- (0-5- ley hu given up this season nine Brantley who XKAlV ) -- ? v-- 4 JaW 'ISv f wu booed i J V J s-'j- J Mark Guthrie pitched a (2-- 1) Cook finished off the three-hitttiie Mets recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time since er u May 1996 when they blanked San Francisco and San Diego The Phillies have been shut out five times this season four by the Mets Leiter is scoreless seventh to get tiie win Ray Lankford and newcomer 7-- 1 in his last eight Pat Kelly connected for runs for the Cardinals who led 7 2 after four innings After hitting two home runs the day before McGwire went He also drew his 100th walk includMondesi went ing his 22nd home run He scored thrre times and drove in two runs Mets 7 Phillies 0 -4 At New York Mike Piazza homered twice and A1 Leiter pitched six scoreleu innings in his first start since spending three weeks on the disabled list the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies Leiter (10-4- ) went on the disabled list on June 27 after he partially tore a tendon in his left knee u covering first base against the Yankees In his return he allowed two hits and struck out four - Piazza homered twice in game for the third time tins son and for the first time since joining the Mets in late May Astros 7 Giants 2 At Houston Ricky Gutiorez and Derek Bell hit home tuns and Sean APphoto! Tha SL Louis Cardinais' Brian Jordan steals second Dodger WHton Guerra drops the bal in the third inning as Los Angetesi Gutierrez led off the fifth inning out at third trying to stretch the'! scoreleu game Brewers 7 Brava 1 The Giants have lost seven of Steve Woodard dominated Atlanta on the mound and at the eight games since the break plate allowing only three hits in The Astros broke open the eight shutout innings and driving in game by scoring four times in the two runs for Milwaukee Atlanta Woodard (7-a eighth Bell and Carl Everett hit RBI doubles Gutierrez had a saccheered on by a conrifice fly and another ran scored tingent of family and friends on a wild pitch from his native Alabama retired San Francisco starter Danny the first 13 hitters before Ryan Darwin ) allowed only one Klesko doubled to the gap in runner to reach second base until Klesko wu Mike Matheny had a career-'-! high four hits including three-- i Bergman pitched seven strong with a home run breaking a hit into a triple All-St- ar 5) right-hand- er (tables Fernando Vina homered:! off Kevin Millwood (10-5- ) Padres 2 Reds 1 Joey Hamilton won a matchup of pitchers and (keg Vlmghn hit his thud homer m two nights far San Diego at Cincinnati The Padres a franchise-be- st 4 have won four in a row midsix of seven to open a 1 trade-rumor- ed 63-3- - season-high:- (6-7- Greg McMichael and Dennis loudly a- right-cent- See NL on Page 13 er Williams comes back lifts Yankees A-- ' i by die crowd of 44958 “He’s had a lot of success and is a very tough and caring guy” La Russa said “He knows what his responsibility is Any Cantinah fan isn’t even scratching the surface of what he’ll go through tonight" By The Associated Press seventh gave the Yankees a 4--1 lead Yankees manager Joe Tone did not Bernie Williams sidelined for of a sprained right knee homered and more than five weeks because u the New York singled twice kees beat the Toronto Blue Jays Saturday in Toronto Yan10-- 3 want to risk Williams' knee on SkyDome’s artificial turf and used the All-St- ar tiie center fielder designated hitter Hernandez gave up ooe earned ran and six hits He struck out seven and walked three u Williams scored three runs and ' drove in two Tim Raines hit a grand Juan Guzman who now e slam leads the AL in losses dropped his the Yankees stopped a losing streak — they have not third straight decision despite allowlost three in a row since the first ing just ooe earned nm on six hits in (4-1- 2) u two-gam- of the season Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez three games pitched seven strong innings New York took advantage of Toronto’s season-hig- h five errors and kept t! pace with the 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates tor the best record in major league history after 91 games (68-2Williams who missed 31 games AP photo wu activated from the disabled list Now York Yankees starting pitcher Orlando Hernandez before the game He went hurls a pilch against the Toronto Blue Jays Saturday with a walk and his scdo homer m the (4-- 2) ft' 3) six innings The Blue Jays’ errors led to three unearned runs New York got its first ran in the second when Scott Brosius’ liner to left field ticked off the glove of They Phillips and trickled to the wall for a two-hu- e error that scared Raines Carlos Delgado tied the game in tiie second with his 18 th homer Mike Stanley and Ed Sprague hit neiunsmti the Toronto ninth off Mariano Riven who had not allowed 1 a homer in 33 innings this season 2-- 3 Molitor drew a leadoff walk from! Mike Oquist (641) who retired the next two batters on groundouts before i being relieved by Mike Mohlet Indians 15 White Sox 9 At Chicago Brian Giles had five RBIs and Travis Fryman hit a single in the eighth inning tiie Cleveland Indians blew an eight-ru- n lead before regrouping to beat ! go-ahe- ad u Lawton grounded die Chicago White Sox 3--1 pitch down! three-h- it U game Hector Carrasco (3-- got one out in the eighth inning to pick up his secondstraight win in relief Rick Aguilera i: got four outs for his 21 st save Giles went hit his first career grand slam and set a career r-5 1) - u tiie Indians snapped high for RBIs a four-gam-e losing streak Cleveland hit five homers meimtim a two-ru-n drive by Jim Thome in die ninth Cleveland which led 0 after three innings broke a 9 tie with three runs in tiie eighth against strug8-- 9-- gling reliever Matt Karohner (2-- 4) Twins 4 Athletics 3 At Oakland Calif Matt Lawton’s second double of the game drove in Paul Molitor with the ran the Minnesota in the eighth inning Tains posted another comeback vic- u a the right-fiel-d line to score Molitor and give him his second straight!! go-ahe- ad tory besting the Oakland Athletics - Red Sox 9 Tigers 4 j At Detroit Mo Vaughn hit his 24th and 25th home runs farhuiim mg of ! Boston’s four two-ohomers ?a a seven-ru- n fourth inning Donnie Sadler hit his first major j league homer and Darren Lewis and Nomar Garciaparra also connected I AL-reco- rd ut ! ! for the Red Sox The four two-ohomers broke the AL record of three held by six teams J ut |