• Goags20172
    162
    Wanting a change of scenery this past weekend I took in CAL's Sunday game against the University of Spoiled Children at the Evans Museum of Pre- WWII baseball. Has anyone else noticed they don't have dugouts ? The players just stand the whole game behind the railing.

    Given recent events I think the USC joke is more apt than ever. Also their fans are whiny + privileged. I mocked them with "But it's noooottttttt faiiiiiiiirrrrrr !!!!" Each time CAL scored. I'm not even a CAL fan. I just hate visiting fans that don't know their place. Root for your team, otherwise shut up.

    CAL won 9- 8 in bizarre fashion. Their starter hurt himself warming up in the bullpen and didn't throw a pitch. It lead to a 4 hr+ game. The Bears went ahead 2- 1 on an RBI double that was called back after each manager bickered with the umpires. The runner who scored (the catcher) was thrown out for arguing. Making it weirder- I think the USC coach used to be at CAL. Two batters later the run scored anyway when the Trojans' s shortstop botched a grounder off the bat of Darrin Baker (Dusty Baker's famous son)

    The Golden Bears moved their DH to catcher + so pitchers had to bat. The next inning their relief pitcher Sean Sullivan had to bat. With a 2- 2 count and Andrew "Babe Ruth" Vaughn aboard he homered to left field. I checked to see if Sullivan was a two- way player. Nope. His HS batting average was .000 in 2 career at bats per Maxpreps. Four UC Berkeley homeruns and none were from Vaughn. New catcher Cole Elvis hit his first as well. When I said Elvis had left the building no one got it. Bunch of millennial morons...ugh.

    The whiniest USC fan left with his tail between his legs after 8. Fool. USC almost came all the way back in the 9th.

    It is a fact that the Aggies have not won at John Smith Field since 2016 and I think I know why. I believe that there is a curse on UCD when it visits. Nowhere other than Fullerton does the team implode more consistently than in the Hornets' ballpark. Apparently the curse extends to Aggie alumni coaching other teams. Tonight I watched San Jose State (which has a much better record than UC D)endure a near repeat of the 3/12 game. They lost 7- 2 and had only 1 hit. Just like UCD they scored 2 in the first + did diddly squat after that.

    How is this relevant ? The Spartans are coached by UCD alumnus Brad Sanfilippo. One of his assistants is none otherTyler La Torre.

    Now for a history lesson. It is quite random that these 2 would be on the same staff. They were not ever teammates. They didn't even play under the same coach, although they may have been recruited by the same one (Phil Swimley).

    Sanfilippo was perhaps the last full- time designated hitter I remember UCD having. I saw him play when I was a freshman in college. On senior day in 1998 they let him play center field.
    What a day that was. They played the continuation of previous game and a full game. Aggie pitching great Justin Reid pitched in both games that day and reserve first baseman Brandon Straw hit a walk- off double in game 2 and he was mobbed by teammates at 2nd after the run scored. It was Straw's last collegiate at- bat.

    Tyler La Torre was a Swiss Army knife for UCD from 2003- 2006. I'm pretty sure he played at least 1 game at every position other than CF and SS, but mostly caught and played the OF corners He even picked up a win and a save as a pitcher. He probably could've continued his pro career into his mid- 30's if he wanted to- very efficient use of a minor league roster space.

    Here's an interesting coincidence. SJSU used two players named Anders Davidson and Blake Perry in the game. Ironically they have no players named Adam. If you don't watch Comedy Central you won't get this reference.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.1k
    That's a really interesting post. I just saw that ESPN3 will be televising the Ags at UC Irvine on May 17 & 18. I hope they play well on national tv.
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