LOCAL WATCH: YOUTHFUL AS EVER YOUNT BRINGS SAME ENERGY TO COACHING JOB AT ARIZONA.Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer PHOENIX - One day it's going to hit Robin Yount No, not the glory of his Hall of Fame career, the two MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. trophies or the statue of him that stands in front of the new ballpark in Milwaukee. One day, Yount is going to get hit by a batting helmet. That's the life of a first-base coach. They take one for the team when they take one off the shins as a frustrated player races by after making the final out of the inning. ``I'm kind of waiting for it, but they just won't do it,'' said a grinning Yount, now in his second season with the Arizona Diamondbacks This article is about the baseball team. For other uses, see Diamondback. The Arizona Diamondbacks (also referred to as the D-backs) are a Major League Baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the West Division of the National League. . ``These guys are so polite. I know I always threw my helmet at the first-base coach. It never was my fault. It always was someone else's.'' It was that fire as a player that prompted the Diamondbacks to call Yount two years ago when coach Chris Speier They have plenty of veteran players to show youngsters how it is done. But for 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Yount was the maestro of the intangible, that rare blend of leadership, on-field vision and a ferocious desire to win. He rarely thought about a career in coaching or managing when he was a player. What Yount didn't realize was that he already was. ``There was only one guy who went all out on every play, every day his entire career,'' George Brett said during his acceptance speech in 1999 when the two were enshrined at Cooperstown. ``That was Robin Yount.'' So maybe it is no surprise to see Yount, now 47, running around the infield at Bank One Ballpark four hours before game time with more energy than players half his age. Hitting fungoes, throwing batting practice, working with infielders, trying to give players the edge he learned watching brothers Jim and Larry growing up in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . ``If there was just one thing I could say he brings to the table, it would be humility,'' Arizona third baseman third baseman n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker Craig Counsell Craig John Counsell (born August 21, 1970 in South Bend, Indiana) is a Major League Baseball infielder who plays for the Milwaukee Brewers. He has also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, and Los Angeles Dodgers. said. ``Here is a guy with more game than anyone in our clubhouse and you would never know it. I think there is a great message there for everyone.'' It has been 30 years since Yount graduated from Taft High in Woodland Hills. He reached the big leagues seven months after his 18th birthday. He won two MVP awards, first as a shortstop in 1982, then as a center fielder in 1989. Yount batted .414 in his only World Series appearance and was the third- fastest player to reach 3,000 hits, surpassed only by Ty Cobb Perhaps just as impressive: between 1978 and 1991, he never spent a day on the disabled list. His boundless energy spread to a lifelong passion for off-road racing Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles (including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and buggies) compete in races through off-road environments. North America Off-road racing began in the early 20th century. that was nurtured in the cornfields that now are Warner Center. He was a scratch golfer and a fisherman. Somewhere in between, Yount and his wife, Michelle, raised four children in the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley Paradise Valley may refer to:
Yount was busy after retiring in 1994. His only connection to the game was as a spring-training instructor in Arizona with the Brewers for several years. He was home to see his son Dustin play high school baseball and get drafted two years ago by the Baltimore Orioles This article is about the contemporary American major league baseball team. For other uses, see Baltimore Oriole (disambiguation). The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. . ``I think for any dad that is a dream come true,'' Yount said. ``I had been gone a long time, and it was important that I was there to see that.'' He occasionally went to Diamondbacks games but rarely stayed until the end. It became increasingly difficult to watch without being a part of the action. ``I miss it, I still do,'' Yount said. ``There was no substitute. It was so hard to sit in the stands. You can't help but put yourself in the game. I have many other interests outside the game, but the bottom line is, this is what I do best. It's what I know the most about. It's hard to walk away from that.'' But at home, Yount still had a 14-year-old daughter, Jenna, who was becoming a championship figure skater. He was committed to the 5 a.m. rides to the rink and seeing her through high school. He figured one day he'd go back to the Brewers in some capacity. Then the phone rang. It was the Diamondbacks, who played just 15 minutes from home. Bob Melvin Robert Paul Melvin (born October 28, 1961, in Palo Alto, California) is a former Major League Baseball catcher and the current manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Baseball career , the former bench coach for Arizona and now the manager of the Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Mariners have played in Safeco Field. , knew Yount from their days in Milwaukee under Phil Garner Yount said if the offer had come from places like Atlanta or Boston, he would not have accepted. He was expecting his wife to protest. She turned out to be his biggest supporter. ``I was very surprised,'' he said. ``But she said, `You have to take this. Who knows when another opportunity is going to come around?' '' At first, Yount was startled star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. by the daily grind. But his work with Junior Spivey, who blossomed last year at age 27, was a great reward. Counsell was a veteran of World Series championships with Florida and Arizona. He had distinguished himself as a scrappy leader who came up big in the clutch. He was sort of a Yount-Lite. The two had a history dating to Milwaukee, where Counsell grew up the son of the Brewers' community-relations director. Yount gave a 14-year-old Counsell one of his gloves to start high school. Yount hit him ground balls on the infield at old County Stadium. You don't have to ask Counsell why a statue of Yount was built in front of the new Miller Park. But when asked his favorite Yount moment, Counsell paused. ``It was simply watching him run to first base,'' Counsell said. ``He ran so hard every time. Now when I come out of the box, I'm looking right at him. How can you not do your best? ``No, we're never going to throw helmets at that man.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Hall of Famer and current Arizona Diamondbacks first-base coach Robin Yount won two MVP awards during his career with Milwaukee. Ted S. Warren/Associated Press (2) Robin Yount remains hugely popular in Milwaukee, where he played his entire career for the Brewers. Morry Gash/Associated Press |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion