Summer sucks for college sports. Especially when your baseball team is sitting at home during the
CWS (which begins tomorrow by the way), again.
For those that don't know, I spent a few years growing up in
Bellevue, just south of Omaha. Was there from '84-'89 and from '94-'96 (before heading to Starkville).
During that time, the CWS was always my favorite yearly event. We'd sit out in the left field bleachers at Rosenblatt Stadium with our general admission tickets, scope out the college girls, and have a grand ole time. I was at most of the '85 CWS, although I don't remember much of it.
Back in '86 or '87, I got to meet Rafael Palmeiro after an Iowa Cubs-Omaha Royals game, courtesy of some wonderful family friends (who steered me to State by the way).
During my time at State, from '96-'00, the team made it back "home" twice. And those were great experiences. Going home from State for the summer and having the baseball team follow me north. That was great stuff. I remember in '98 meeting Rusty Thom's mom. She came out to the outfield late in the game against USC to thank all of the idiots in left field that cheered on her son during the past two College World Series. I remember the girls with the "We Love Rusty" t-shirts and the never ending chants, "Rusty, Rusty, Rusty!"
My favorite story from '98 was Thoms running out in the first inning of State's first game in the CWS that year, against Florida, and throwing gum into the stands. He had a couple pockets full and after tossing them up he told the crowd not to worry, that he would have more stuff for them later. Then, in his first at bat, he hits a jack into the left field bleachers. When he came back out to the field, he ran along the wall and said, "I told you I'd have more for you!" That was pretty sweet.
I miss those good times. They seemed to happen a lot between 1996 and 2000. Bowl games, the SEC Championship game, two College World Series appearances, and of course the Final Four.
Since I left school, it seems every program but basketball has really struggled. The great experiences have happened less and less for State fans. And that's depressing.
In happier news...
Polk got a verbal from one of the best pitchers in the southeast, Parkview Baptist's Forrest Moore,
Mr. Baseball in the state of Louisiana in 2006.
Let's all just hope that Moore doesn't decide to go pro after his senior year.
Papelbon is about the only thing associated with Mississippi State that has been succesful this year. The fact that he plays for a team with a history of choking that is even more glorious, though not any more remarkable, than State, is just a good old fashioned twist of fate.
