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News Article Contents
(October 2005)
Olympian Challenges All-Comers
San Diego Union Tribune (April 2004)
Viewer Favorite! *****
The Media Can't Win Against "The Passion."
La Prensa San Diego (February 2005)
Wright's Serves Food Right: Hormone-Free
La Prensa San Diego (February 2005)
Ancient water supply may save us from future droughts
La Prensa San Diego (February 2005)
Big Wheel Keeps on Turning for Ex-Charger Whelihan
JDHawk.com Exclusive (January 2005)
Viewer Favorite! *****
The Groz-- PC friendly, but intellectually dishonest
La Prensa San Diego (December 2004)
CV cheerleaders win national championship
The Star-News (April 2003)
Viewer Favorite! *****
Miracle On Third Ave?
The Ranch (November 2003)
Viewer Favorite! *****
A Journey of 30 Thousand
Houses Begins with a Single Home
The Lake (July 2004)
Viewer Favorite! *****
US Navy invades EastLake
The Lake (January 2004)
Magnuson plays Solloto
-- a Star Rising?
The Ranch (January 2004)
The new Bad Boy is
coming
The Lake (January 2004)
Daydreams
The Lake (January 2004)
Meet your neighbor Shelia
Burrell
The Ranch (December 2003)
John Dí Acquisto, the
man who lived his dream.
The Ranch (August 2003)
Lolita's Opens in Sunbow
The Ranch (August 2003)
Greeter Guards -- What
do they do?
The Lake (July 2003)
Bliss-ball
The Ranch (June 2003)
The Heritage Center has
brought the exotic to Otay Ranch.
The Star-News (June 2003)
The Chula Vista Yacht
Club's Juniors Sailing Program
The Star-News (May 2003)
Trolley victim re-visited
The Ranch (June 2003)
GEM
The Lake (July 2003)
EastLake mourns loss
of South Bay Icon
Unpublished
Sars inspires local inventor
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Published in the July Edition of The Lake
US Navy invades EastLake
by J.D. Hawk
No, the Eastlake High School baseball players are not on steroids. But the bigger
US Navy baseball players, now practicing on the Titans' field, may cause some confusion
with their similar blue and gray uniforms.
The Navy is now regularly practicing on the Eastlake High School baseball field after
local great John D'Acquisto, former San Francisco Giant and San Diego Padre, was
hired to help the Navy's pitching game. (D'Acquisto is also the pitching coach for
The Titans.) D'Acquisto said that he was stressing the mechanics of the game and
in the process of doing a complete overhaul. "They are all throwing strikes
now. When I first got to them they were walking eight or nine guys per time out."
The Navy players have been polite guest, cleaning up the field after their practices
and taking care of all the equipment while training . "It's worked out pretty
good for them," D'Acquisto said. " They have been pretty competitive at
a very high level of baseball."
But just how good is "high level"? The US Navy recently beat the LA Dodgers
scout team. Not only beat them, but swept the whole series -- a Navy first in their
15-year history. And several US Navy players said they have been approached by both
the Dodgers and Padres scouting staff. Not only is their skill level "high",
but The confidence of this year's team is at an all-time high as well. "These
guys are competing with and doing rather well, so it's quite a wake-up call to them
that they can compete at this level. And it's an honor for me to coach them,"
said D'Acquisto.
Second baseman Ray Judy played for the LA Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds minor league
teams. Catcher Jeff Wisinski and Center fielder Quincy Scott have been particularly
watched by the scouts, according to D'Acquisto, and still others are being watched
to see how they mature. "There's an opportunity for these guys to pursue a professional
career in baseball later on."
And even if they don't ever make it to the major leagues, there's still the glamour
of being part of the elite Navy Baseball team. They recently had the opportunity
to be featured on the national television series JAG, in an episode called The Boast
(aired Nov. 21, 2003). The plot involved a Navy All-Star baseball pitcher charged
with assault after he hits a Marine batter with a bean ball pitch. 2002 Cy Young
winner Barry Zito, Oakland Athletics’ guest stars.
But its not all fun and games for the Navy baseball team. They must endure a rigorous
traveling schedule that takes them all around the southwest United States. And far
from the desirable field and weather of Eastlake High, they also play in places with
blistering heat of 110 degrees plus, like Lake Havasu in early June. And the work
schedule demands a minimum 50 hours a week. "We're at games, we practice, we
work weekends," asst. coach and first baseman Eric Lally said. "We haven't
had a day off in two weeks."
But that doesn't seem to bother Lally or anyone else on the team. They all know that
the Navy has more stressful assignments they could be doing otherwise. "At one
time or another, we have been to the Persian Gulf," coach Lt. Tim Brender said.
"It's inevitable that you're going to go."
Outfielder James Long was doing counter drug operations before getting on the team
and right fielder Ian Martin said he was searching for water mines while deployed
to the Persian Gulf. Martin had been riding in a small 24 ft. boat, 500 yards away
from land, during his searches. He was told that there might be an attempt to blow
up an offshore pipeline. Though initially nervous, Martin said he was happy because
he was allowed to wear night-vision goggles. "We were right there in the mix
of it I guess you could say."
And a reason why he should be on edge when on missions like that were evident. A
scary moment occurred when an Australian naval ship that was also working in the
area didn't recognize Matin's boat and headed straight for them with their bow looking
like it might ram them. They shined their spotlights on the small boat and Martin
eagerly pointed and shined his own spotlight at the boat's American flag. "There's
always a chance something might happen when you do something like that," Matin
said.
But how does the Navy feel about playing baseball during a time of war? Lt. Commander
Terrence R. Allvord, Vice President/Director of Recruiting/Media Relations, explains
that it's a both an important morale booster -- as the annual Navy VS Marine game
-- and a chance for the Navy to "...develop permanent relationships within the
community."
Allvord also wanted to emphasize that "Players and staff alike fully understand
our scope of responsibility far exceeds the games won or lost on the field."
And that responsibility includes bringing awareness to soldiers fighting abroad.
Though the Navy plays a variety of teams, they officially belong to the Western Baseball
Association (www.woodbatbaseball.org). The league is composed of both four-year colleges
and jr. colleges players, some of the top players in the United States. Only wood
bats are used in WBA, as opposed to the metal bats used at the college level.
Baseball fans can watch the 15th Annual Navy/Marine Corps All-Star Baseball Game
on Aug. 1 at PETCO Park immediately following the Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
game.
Contact J.D. Hawk |
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