Happy belated 20th birthday, Baum Stadium. You were my second home for 14 years, when I began covering Arkansas baseball games home and away in 1999.
You're still young and vibrant and without a doubt the No. 1 college baseball facility in America. I know the next generation of fans will enjoy you as much as we have.
'THIS. ... IS. ... BASEBALL!'
We can not begin to discuss Baum Stadium without mentioning Larry Shank, who served as the Razorbacks' public address announcer from 1990 until he died of cancer in 2007. Heads swirled toward the press box during the seventh-inning stretch when Shank stood on the balcony and sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," and finished with his tag line "This. ... is. ... BASEBALL!"
Cheers followed, whether the Razorbacks were losing or the temperature stood at "38 baseball degrees" as Shank might've described it that day.
Sundays were special at Baum Stadium because the games began with Shank singing the National Anthem. Where others try to jazz it up or put their own spin on the National Anthem, Shank stood straight as an arrow and sang it the traditional way, like it's supposed to be.
"Singing on Sundays, that was something we always counted on," former Arkansas catcher Brady Toops said. "Every single time it was perfect. He was such a staple."
SHOCKERS SHOCKED
I'll coach my team, you coach yours.
That's basically what Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said after former Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson criticized the way Arkansas used (overused?) pitcher Charley Boyce.
Boyce is the reason Arkansas beat Wichita State twice to win the Fayetteville Regional in 2004. In two days, Boyce threw 203 pitches in 14 1/3 innings and won 4-3 to finish off the Shockers.
"Maybe it won't hurt his career at all, I don't know, but we would never do that," Stephenson said in the press conference afterward. "That's the difference in philosophy here I suppose."
Boyce said at the time and reaffirmed in an interview two years ago he wanted the ball, and didn't mind the extra work.
DREAM SEASON OVER
And then, poof, it was over.
That was my lede from May 1999 when Arkansas lost twice on the same day and was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. The day began with a 9-8 defeat in 10 innings to Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) and ended hours later in a 12-4 loss to Clemson.
If Brady Toops' grand slam drove Razorback fans to delirium, then the home run by Matt Cepicky drove them to despair. SMS was trailing 8-7 with two outs in the ninth when Cepicky hit a changeup on a 1-2 count from reliever Rodney Nye for a home run to tie the game. Southwest Missouri State then won the game in the 10th and sent the SEC champions into the losers' bracket, where they were badly beaten.
Arkansas finished 42-23 that year after being selected to host an NCAA regional tournament for the first time.
'KING KONG' KUHN
I didn't like college baseball during the "gorilla" era when balls flew out of stadiums, such as in the 1998 national championship game when Southern Cal beat Arizona State 21-14. The bats were still lively in 2010 when Collin Kuhn hit a grand slam to give Arkansas a 17-16 win over Kentucky at Baum Stadium on Easter Sunday.
Kuhn, 6-foot, 195 pounds, hit 16 home runs for an Arkansas team that set a record for home runs. Against Kentucky, Kuhn reached out and hit the ball one-handed into the bullpen, prompting the Arkansas players in that area to rush onto the field and join in the celebration.
The following year, when the NCAA modified the bats, Kuhn managed seven home runs. He then hit seven home runs while playing less than two years in the minors.
Big difference.
Most fans may not agree, but I'll take a 4-2 ballgame over a 14-12 slugfest any day.
STOP THE PRESSES
So, you want to enjoy the carefree life of a sports writer and get into the games for free? Then learn how to write or, more accurately, rewrite on deadline.
I began pecking out a game story with ease at Baum Stadium in 2008 with South Carolina leading Arkansas 9-3 in the middle innings. But everything changed and panic set in after Arkansas staged a comeback and won the game, 12-11, on a pinch-hit grand slam by Jacob House in the ninth inning.
Suddenly, the small clock in the press box towered over reporters on deadline like Big Ben. Call the office, then delete, delete, delete paragraphs. Rush down to the field for quotes, which was made even more difficult because of postgame fireworks with the lights turned off.
Rush back through the crowd in the dark, rewrite the first few paragraphs, call the office again, send the page.
A lot of people can write beautifully while typing at a casual pace. But deadline writing, that's the real test.
BUMMER AT BAUM
Arkansas hasn't always used large crowds at Baum Stadium to its advantage.
Arkansas went 14-15 in SEC play in 2009 and ended the regular season at home by getting swept 7-5, 9-3, and 16-3 by Ole Miss. When all looked bleak, the Razorbacks won two games in the SEC Tournament then caught fire in the NCAA Tournament.
Arkansas beat Oklahoma twice to win the NCAA regional at Norman, Okla., when Razorback fans nearly outnumbered Sooner fans. Arkansas then won two consecutive at Florida State in the Super Regional and advanced to the College World Series, where the Razorbacks finished tied for third.
So, you see? There still may be hope for this year's team.
Sports on 04/17/2016