CSUN'S BURRILL LEARNS A HARD LESSON; PLAYER CUT FROM TEAM AFTER NAGGING INJURY AND MISCOMMUNICATION WITH COACH.Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer In the end, Cal State Northridge and Brady Burrill weren't as good a fit as Burrill thought. A standout catcher at Valencia High, Burrill signed to play for the Matadors last year, only to be cut in the fall. He's cheerful about it now and harbors no grudges toward Northridge coach Mike Batesole. ``What happened was miscommunication mis·com·mu·ni·ca·tion n. 1. Lack of clear or adequate communication. 2. An unclear or inadequate communication. and bad luck,'' Burrill said. ``He didn't think I was fit for his team, and I didn't, either.'' Burrill had his role in the miscommunication. Since late September, he complained about having shin splints Shin Splints Definition Shin splints refer to the sharp pains that occur down the front of the lower leg. They are a common complaint, particularly among runners and other athletes. . He visited three doctors, only to be told there was nothing wrong. Yet Burrill's pain grew worse. Stamina Stamina Staying power, endurance. Mentioned in: Tai Chi never was his strongest point, but it appeared he wasn't giving his all during running and catching drills. Yet he hid from Batesole how much pain he was in. Batesole said he knew Burrill was in pain and suggested Burrill rest. When that didn't help Burrill, the coach had to talk the player out of quitting. ``A lot of freshmen aren't sure of what they're getting into in college,'' Batesole said. ``I hoped that was what it was.'' But for the next two weeks, into October, Batesole didn't see any improvement. In his mind, Burrill had quit. So outside the weight room in late October, Batesole told him it was over. ``We invested a lot in him,'' the coach said. ``He was going to come in and back up (Jeremy) Sickles. He was the freshman we signed to take over the program.'' Burrill didn't tell Batesole the extent of his pain. But he knew he wasn't playing to his capabilities. He calls the parting ``mutual.'' After being cut, Burrill had a bone scan Bone scan An x-ray study in which patients are given an intravenous injection of a small amount of a radioactive material that travels in the blood. When it reaches the bones, it can be detected by x ray to make a picture of their internal structure. performed on his left shin. The scan revealed a stress fracture stress fracture n. A fatigue fracture of bone caused by repeated application of a heavy load, such as the constant pounding on a surface by runners, gymnasts, and dancers. . Burrill never has told Batesole about the real nature of his injury. When Batesole was informed last week, he said it made no difference; Burrill will never play at Northridge. Yet Burrill remains on scholarship. Batesole said as long as he stays at Northridge and works toward a degree, the school will pay for his tuition and books. However, the urge to play again runs strong in Burrill. His brother, Casey, was a standout at USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. . ``I grew up with college baseball College baseball is baseball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. Compared to American football and basketball in the United States, college competition plays a less significant contribution to cultivating ,'' he said. ``My brother is 10 years older than me. I watched him play at SC. I had a blast. We traveled with Casey's team all the time. ``You can take the man out of baseball, but you can't take baseball out of the man.'' He has been looking at Michigan State, where his parent attended, and UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. . College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. also has called, but Burrill likely will pass on the JC route because he knows his chances of playing after college are slim. So Burrill is at a crossroads. Free education or baseball? Whichever he chooses, Burrill surely will learn from this experience. ``I'm guilty. I was not up front with him (Batesole),'' he said, ``but I also didn't think it would turn out like this.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (Ran in SAC Edition only) BURRILL |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion