Outside Oberlin

Forget the NCAA’s, the Masters has the Real Drama

By Jacob Kramer-Duffield

We have yet again successfully traversed the sports wasteland that is the month of February, and spring is bustin’ out all over the sports world. Spring training games have begun and another great, upset-filled NCAA basketball tournament is in full swing. An already-exciting NHL season was made even more thrilling with the un-retirement and re-ascendance of Pittsburgh Penguins star Mario Lemieux (who has 28 goals and 29 assists in only 33 games), and very few of those damn warm-weather teams are going to make the playoffs. The NFL free-agency lottery season and the culling of beloved veterans is in full swing, and a few interesting trades and late-season signings might even add some spice to the NBA. 
But I’m not here today to talk about the major sports. I’m here to talk about an event that won’t even take place for another three weeks, but that already promises to be a classic. About an event in a sport which, sadly, most Oberlin students regard as “a good walk spoiled” or worse. I’m here to talk about the Masters.

This much is true: for a real sports fan or a real dramatist, there is nothing quite like Sunday’s back nine at Augusta National. Anyone who says that golf is inherently unexciting has never seen those nine holes of play, which without fail, year after year, produce more drama than nearly any event, sporting or otherwise. 
Those nine holes can produce triumphs of amazing and unprecedented skill, as in 1997 when Tiger Woods broke nearly every Masters record, running away to a 12-stroke victory. They can be heart-wrenching beyond all belief, as in 1996 when Greg Norman headed into Sunday with a five-stroke lead over Nick Faldo but self-destructed in the way only he can, shooting a 78 to Faldo’s 67, losing by five strokes. They can be tense and down to the wire, as in 1998 when Mark O’Meara’s 20-foot birdie on 18 secured his one-stroke victory and avoided a three-way playoff –– on the very same day when Jack Nicklaus, in one final day of greatness, shot a 68 to finish in a tie for sixth, not to mention Nicklaus’ victory in 1986 at age 45 after a final-round 65 and final-nine 30. 

Every year is a thousand stories more compelling than the year before, from the amateur who makes the cut, or leads on Thursday, to the veteran on a five-year slump who suddenly finds his stroke on a beautiful weekend in Georgia, to the old pro with one last day of glory in him (or in Nicklaus’ case, about three or four).
Every human emotion is expressed to nearly its highest degree for that one weekend, and at about 20 times that degree over those last nine holes. And that’s just for schmoes like us, sitting at home. What it’s like for the golfers themselves I can’t imagine.

So why will this year’s edition be especially amazing? For one thing, it seems Tiger Woods is human again (for the time being, at least). Woods’ 2000 season defied all reason. It was a season where he not only broke every sort of money record, in winning nine tournaments but also won three of the four majors (excepting only the Masters) and the World Golf Championships (by 11 strokes). So far in 2001, he’s gone winless in five tournaments, and his putts aren’t falling. He self-destructed on the 18th hole two Sundays ago while tied for the lead in Dubai, double-bogeying and handing the tourney to Thomas Bjorn. It’s bad to root against someone, especially someone as supernaturally talented and unprecedented as Woods, but it’s good that he isn’t going to keep up that invincibility act for another year. He’s in 18th place on the money list, behind such notables as (stay with me here) Garrett Willis, Kevin Sutherland and, of course, the current money leader: Joe Durant. 

Durant is a great story. He’s already won twice this year, at the Bob Hope Chrysler Open and the Genuity Championships, after having won only once (at the 1998 Western Open) since turning pro in 1987. In college he was a three-time NAIA All-American and medalist at 1987 NAIA Championship, but it took him until the 1992 Q-school to earn his Tour card. He lost it the next year after making just three of 18 cuts, and spent the next three years on the Nike Tour, winning the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic in 1996 and getting onto the 1997 Tour. He kept his exemption, with three top-10 finished that year, and a win the next before struggling in 1999 with injuries that caused him to make only 13 out of 26 cuts and fall to 157th on the money list. He came roaring back last year with five top-10 finishes and now, lo and behold, finds himself at the top of the Tour.

In winning the Bob Hope this year, he also set a PGA Tour scoring record with a 36-under 324 –– and at the same time set the 36, 54 and 72-hole scoring records for the tournament, and the PGA Tour scoring record of 29-under for 72 holes. Not bad for a second victory on tour. Not bad for a 5’10”, 170-lb. journeyman.

Durant is hardly the only hot golfer out there, though. Jesper Parnevik, he of the ultra-tight pants and volcano-sand diet, has already assured himself of a fourth straight year with a victory on the Tour, winning last Sunday at the Honda Classic despite shooting a 72 Sunday and bogeying the last hole. Parnevik, now 36 and a veteran of only five years on the American tour, has twice suffered meltdowns at majors –– he led going into the final round of the 1997 British Open only to surrender that lead to Justin Leonard, and led by two strokes going into the final hole of the 1994 British Open, only to bogey and watch Nick Price finish eagle-par-birdie for the victory. Parnevik has also struggled at the Masters in the past, finishing tied for 21st in 1997 and tied for 31st in 1998, the only two cuts he made. But betting against a hot player at the Masters is folly.
Which brings us to Davis Love III. Long saddled with the “best player never to win a major” albatross, he finally ditched that bird at the 1997 PGA Championship after several excruciating near-misses, including a one-stroke loss to Ben Crenshaw at the 1995 Masters. However, entering this season he had won just once (the 1998 MCI Classic) since that major victory. He finished third on the money list in 1999 and set a new record for earnings without a victory, including a second-place finish and Sunday 71 at the Masters. There was talk: had Davis lost that killer instinct? 

Um, no. Love has stormed out of the gates in 2001, winning the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in spectacular fashion by shooting a final-round 63 to recover from seven shots behind, shooting eight-under on the first seven holes. The guy he beat? Somebody named Singh. Who happens to be the, uh, defending champion at the Masters. Hmmm. Love has finished in the top 10 five times this year –– in six events. Yeah, I wouldn’t bet against him, either. 

I will admit that even as big a golf fan as I am, there have been some particularly lazy Sunday afternoons when I found myself dozing off in front of the tube. Greater Greensboro Open, yeah, maybe, and even Doral once or twice. But never the Masters. As exciting as these next several weeks of college basketball are going to be, the real drama will be in April at Augusta.

It’s Spring and Once Again Time to Play Ball

By Nick Stillman

Major League Baseball has its share of critics these days as salaries escalate to the point where money has become merely a status symbol and a salary cap remains nowhere in sight. Still, umpires have vowed to begin calling high strikes, which should keep pitchers’ chins up a bit more than they have been in recent memory, and the game is as popular as it ever has been in my lifetime.

This year should be especially intriguing, since the Yankees’ and Braves’ dynasties will be vulnerable and young teams like the A’s and Marlins are significantly improved and may make playoff runs. Let’s get to the divisional breakdowns.

A.L. East: The Yankees are still the team to beat until someone else proves otherwise. And with this year’s new balanced schedules, the rest of the division will have plenty of shots to dethrone the Bombers. The Yankees’ starting pitching should be much improved with the addition of Mike Mussina from Baltimore. Although Mussina’s wins were down last year on a miserable Baltimore team, his ERA remained in the top five in the A.L.. Andy Pettite is always strong, but Roger Clemens is getting old and was inconsistent last year, as was Orlando Hernandez. The offense is aging and, with the exception of Bernie Williams, contains no serious power threats.

The Red Sox are the best bet to dethrone them — if they can resolve a plethora of uncertainties. The rotation should blow last year’s away. Pedro Martinez is the best pitcher anyone has seen since Sandy Koufax and will remain so if he can stay healthy. Ramon Martinez, Pete Schourek and Jeff Fassero — last year’s duds — are gone, replaced by Hideo Nomo, Frank Castillo and David Cone. Nomo is a damn good pitcher who’s been on bad teams most of his career and Castillo was great last year when he was healthy. If Cone proves last year’s 4-14 season was a fluke, he could be the off-season’s best bargain. If not, the youngster Tomo Okha will step in. If Nomar Garciaparra’s wrist isn’t a problem and Manny Ramirez hits like he always does, the Sox could be scary, but those are a lot of if’s.

The rest of the division, especially Baltimore and Tampa Bay, don’t have much of a chance to compete. Toronto has threatened to be a contender two years in a row, but after their disastrous trade of David Wells to the White Sox for an unhealthy Mike Sirotka, they’re left without an ace and will have to depend on the unreliable youngsters Kelvim Escobar and Chris Carpenter. The offense is murderous, especially Carlos Delagado, but good pitching always beats good hitting. 

A.L. Central: Like last year, this should be a dogfight between Chicago and Cleveland and like last year, Chicago should win. Still, they have a number of questions with the rotation. James Baldwin, Jim Parque and Cal Eldred will have to come close to replicating last year’s performances for Chicago to have a shot. Frank Thomas is grumbling about his contract, but is still a nightmare for pitchers, as is fellow killer Magglio Ordonez.

If Cleveland could ever get some consistent starters, they would destroy teams. The offense is comically powerful, with young slugger Russell Branyon projected to hit eighth. Juan Gonzalez, if he can prove that last year was an aberration, is an able replacement for Ramirez and Ellis Burks will be a solid addition. On the mound, Dave Burba has proven himself as one of the A.L.’s steadiest, but Bartolo Colon continues to be inconsistent, Chuck Finley is aging and two spots are unresolved with the season just around the corner.

A.L. West: Oakland is the team that is scaring the hell out the rest of the A.L. — for good reason. Tim Hudson is one of the best pitchers in the league, Barry Zito could become the best young pitcher in the league next to Hudson and Gil Heredia and Omar Oliveras round out the bottom of a staff that’s going to be intimidating during a three-game series. Offensively, they added Johnny Damon to the already-imposing lineup featuring Jason Giambi. The A’s are a good bet to represent the A.L. in the World Series this year.

Texas and Seattle will be their stiffest competition in the West. Texas gained Alex Rodriguez, Andres Galarraga and Ken Caminiti but still doesn’t have any starters that can win more than 12-14 games. Although Seattle lost Rodriguez to their division rivals, their rotation could be the best in the league, highlighted by young guns Freddy Garcia, Aaron Sele and Gil Meche.

N.L. East: Like with the Yankees, the Braves are the targets of the rest of the league until they prove they’re regular season mortals. The staff — usually outstanding — is questionable this year. Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine can still out-finesse any hitter, but John Smoltz missed all last year and Kevin Milwood wasn’t close to the pitcher he was two years ago. Still, last year John Rocker showed he’s still got the stuff that makes him one of the scariest closers in baseball and the offense (despite the loss of Galarraga) is potent, led by 22-year-old speedster Rafael Furcal.

The Mets will need great starting pitching from some unlikely guys — Steve Tracshel and Glendon Rusch — to make up for the loss of Mike Hampton. If Mike Piazza’s health is a question, they have no chance. The Marlins, if they play like Oakland did last year, might be this year’s upstart club who surprises everyone. They have three great young pitchers, led by Ryan Dempster and if they get some offense from guys like Charles Johnson and Cliff Floyd, they could be very dangerous. I’ll go out on a limb and pick them for the wild card spot.

N.L. Central: The Cardinals should waltz through this division on their way to the World Series. The starters, especially if Rick Ankiel’s disastrously wild playoff performances last year were just a case of 21-year-old nerves, are nasty. Darryl Kile, Ankiel, new addition Dustin Hermanson, Andy Benes and Garrett Stephenson can all bury you when they’re on. Mark McGwire says he’s healthy, Jim Edmonds is coming off an MVP-type season and finally likes where he’s playing and Fernando Vina won’t let this team slump for more than a couple games. The rest of the division should be scared.
Cincinatti is the only team with any sort of chance to compete but even if Ken Griffey Jr. surges throughout the entire season, the rotation is too unstable.

N.L. West: This is the weirdest division in baseball this year, mostly because every team except one — San Diego — has a shot. For the Rockies, a lot depends on how Denny Neagle pitches. He wasn’t impressive for the Yankees last year, but if he rebounds, he’s the second of a partially devastating triumvirate, along with Hampton and Pedro Astacio. The offense won’t be a problem. Come on, this is Colorado.

It would be shocking if the Giants played as well as they did last year, especially since they’re counting on notoriously inconsistent Livan Hernandez as their top starter. Arizona has great pitching, led by Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, but their lineup is filled with dinosaurs who would all have to have great years if they expect to generate enough runs to stay in games. It seems futile to even mention the Dodgers as a contender since they seem to fade from sight 20 games into the season every year.
Remember when the Twins went to the World Series and when Montreal once had the best record in baseball? Well, those days are over until the players can agree to a salary cap. Low-payroll teams just have to settle for finishing over .500 as a triumph instead of going all the way. But enough pessimism — when students return from spring break ESPN will gloriously have the small market of Oberlin baseballaholics cornered once again. Predictions for the Series? I always like an underdog — Oakland over St. Louis.