Former Texas star finds
radio duties stressful
By TOM VINT
AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, NE — Keith Moreland remembers the last time Texas played South
Carolina in the College World Series.
Moreland, a member of the 1975 Texas team that beat South Carolina
5-1, is one of the Longhorns Sports Network's radio voices.
"I'm more nervous now than I ever was as a player," Moreland said
before the first pitch of Texas' 12-6 victory Saturday. "That was
something special. I've told our kids to absorb everything they can
absorb because they'll remember it the rest of their lives."
Moreland, who played 12 years in the majors, played in Omaha in 1973,
'74 and '75. He led the tournament in hitting the next year and still
holds the CWS record for career hits with 23 and made the
all-tournament team in 1973 at third base.
"I've been waiting for somebody to break it," he said of his record.
"There have been a lot of great players come through here."
In Moreland's first year with the Longhorns, his team lost to eventual
champion Southern California in the first round, but battled back in
the loser's bracket until Arizona State beat Texas 6-5 in the
semifinals.
In 1974, Texas again lost to USC in the first round, but battled back
to Game 12 again, only to lose to the champion Trojans 5-3.
"USC had a tendency to send a lot of teams home during those years
under coach (Rod) Dedeaux," he said. "When we came here in '73 and
'74, we thought we could play with anybody in the country."
In 1975, Texas overcame a second-round loss to Arizona State, battled
back through the losers' bracket to beat South Carolina twice — 17-6
for the Gamecocks' first loss of the tournament in the semifinals,
then 5-1 for the title.
"That was something special, something I will never forget," said
Moreland, who was a member of the Philadelphia's 1980 World Series
team.
"I've played in the World Series, the big one, and walked away from it
with a ring and that's the only thing that would compare to it ...
that and walking down the tunnel of a Texas-OU football game when I
played football. That rates right there."
Shining stars
Huston Street, who set a CWS record with four saves, led five Texas
players on the all-tournament team.
Longhorns second baseman Tim Moss, third baseman Omar Quintanilla,
outfielder Dustin Majewski and pitcher Justin Simmons joined Street on
the team, which is selected by the media.
Runner-up South Carolina had catcher Landon Powell and outfielder
Justin Harris named to the team.
Others selected were Clemson first baseman Michael Johnson, Georgia
Tech shortstop Victor Menocal, Stanford outfielder Sam Fuld and Notre
Dame outfielder Steve Stanley was picked as the designated hitter.
Longhorn passion
One thing coach Augie Garrido learned about Texas is the passion fans
have when it comes to Longhorns sports.
Garrido says the thing about passion is that it results in either love
or hate.
"There's no indifference," he said.
He said the best advice he received in learning how to deal with that
passion came from the wife of former Texas football coaching great,
Darrel Royal. He said she told him to not read his e-mails. None of
them.
When reminded he also would miss the good ones, he joked: "I already
have enough self-esteem. It's just a matter of how long I hold on to
it."
Church fundraiser
The College World Series brings a lot of tourists to the Omaha area,
and one small church just a few blocks south of Rosenblatt Stadium has
special reason to enjoy the tournament.
St. Rose Catholic Church offers its 200-space parking lot for CWS
fans. At $5 per game, half what the city asks for stadium parking, the
St. Rose spaces are full throughout the CWS.
The parish raised a record $13,000 last year and figured that total
would be surpassed this season.
One of those directing traffic has been 81-year-old Kathryn Weathers.
She has been attending the church for 55 years and helping with
parking lot duty at the CWS the last 10.
Showing up
This year's College World Series broke a number of tournament
attendance records, thanks to home-state Nebraska qualifying for a
second year and expanded seating in the bleachers.
The title game Saturday drew 24,089, bringing the 14-game total to a
record 223,762. The tournament average of 22,376 also was a record.
In the 53-year history of the event in Omaha, 5,153,985 fans have
attended the CWS.
Copyright 2002
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bonesville.net
contributed to this report.
