A14
T HE C OAST NEWS
SPORTS
OCT. 10, 2014 Contact us at sports@coastnewsgroup.com with story ideas, photos or suggestions
K.C.’s run brings back some royal memories for Black
sports talk jay paris
VOLLEYBALL GREATS More than 50 indoor and beach, nationally and internationally recognized champs, primarily from the 1970s and 1980s, had a ball Sept. 28, hosted by ArtBeat artist Patty Waite and her volleyball standout husband Stu Waite. The group included Dennis Hare and George Stepanof, recent inductees of the new Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame; Jack Henn, coach of the 1973 Division I National Champion SDSU team, who also participated in the 1968 Olympics; Frank Kingery, 1966 member of the World Championship in Czechoslovakia; Duncan McFarland, MVP of SDSU’s 1973 championship team; and Mark Warner, indoor coach of the year for SDSU’s 1995 women’s team, which won the school’s first Western Athletic Conference Championship. Warner was also a 12-time USVBA All American player and masters division MVP at the USA Volleyball National Championship. Courtesy photo
All-female skateboard event comes to YMCA ENCINITAS — Top female skateboarders will put their skills on display as EXPOSURE: A women’s benefit event, returns for a third year to the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA, 200 Saxony Road. The Nov. 8 event has the mission of promoting and progressing women’s skating as well as raising awareness for domestic violence. The event runs from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and admission is free for spectators. To register for the free clinics, skate competitions, visit exposureskate.org.
The day is highlighted by professional and amateur competitions such as the Urban Remedy Bowl Bash and the PTA Vert Competition. In addition, attendees can participate in free, all-ages/abilities Learn-to-Skate with XS and Sambazon Yoga clinics. EXPOSURE also features a vendor village, an autograph-signing session, opportunity drawings and a silent auction. Past skaters have included Lizzie Armanto, Allysha Bergado, Amelia Brodka, Karen Jonz, Mimi Knoop, Julz Lynn, Gaby Ponce, Al-
ana Smith and Nora Vasconcellos. Recently renovated, the 37,000-square-foot skate park is home to the 2003 X Games vert ramp and has seen its fair share of pros come through, including locals Tony Hawk and Shaun White. History was made at EXPOSURE 2012 as Alana Smith, the youngest-ever X Games medalist, became the first female to land a McTwist (inverted 540 spin) in competition. Lizzie Armanto is a two-time Pro Vert winner and will be gunning for a three-peat this year. On the amateur side, Arianna Carmona has been topping the vert and bowl fields in 2012 and 2013. She’ll be moving up to the Pro division this year. EXPOSURE will once
again partner with and donate a portion of its proceeds to Carol’s House, a shelter for survivors of domestic violence run by Community Resource Center in Encinitas. “With a large gap in government funding for domestic violence programs in San Diego this year, we couldn’t be more appreciative and thankful for the event,” said Paul B. Thompson, chief executive officer of Community Resource Center. Pro skater Mike McGill, inventor of the McTwist, has committed to judging this year, along with Aaron Astorga, Adrian Demain and Jean Rusen. As always, Dave Duncan will be calling all of the action. New this year, EXPOSURE will collaborate with Tony Hawk’s RIDE Channel to produce a video recap of the event.
P H O T O G R A P H Y
He was rockin’ a nifty mustache, sporting sunglasses and his hair color matched his last name. Bud Black was rolling through Kansas City’s streets, back then, and my what a long way from Rancho Santa Fe. “I remember the parade because the turnout was so great,’’ Black said from his RSF home. “That and we had a minimal amount of sleep.’’ There’s a buzz in the baseball playoffs thanks to the Kansas City Royals as they open Friday against the Orioles in the American League Championship Series. Not since 1985 did the postseason include the Royals, the same year of their only world title. A peek at Royals games in K.C. come with an appreciation of an exuberant fan base going bonkers. “It’s been nearly 30 years,’’ Black said. “That is a great sports town that is very loyal to its teams.’’ Black knows. As a 28-year-old lefthander he started on opening day and 32 other games for the ‘85 Royals, following up his 17-12 season with a 10-15 mark. Bret Saberhagen was at the top of the rotation, one of four pitchers, including Black, throwing 200 innings. Saberhagen was the Cy Young Award winner — Dan Quisenberry, a force as the closer. In ‘85 the Royals were the first team to trail 0-2 and win the World Series. Before that they rallied from a 1-3 deficit for the AL title against the Blue Jays. That squad oozed with camaraderie and there’s no doubt something special happens whenever KC-85 gets together. “Anybody will tell you whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, when you win a world championship that bond that is created, that forms, it never leaves,’’
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Bud Black sporting a nifty mustache during his days with the Kansas City Roylas. Courtesy photo
Black said. “If you’re a pretty close-knit group as it is, that bond is even stronger. To this day, when we see each other, it’s like time has never passed.’’ Black said clocks stop when ex-teammate George Brett enters any room, the team’s leader then and now. “His presence is like a Joe Montana or a Wayne Gretzky,’’ Black said of the Brett, a Hall of Famer. Brett remained with the Royals as Black’s playing career took him to Cleveland, Toronto, San Francisco and back to Cleveland, ending there in 1995. As a skipper, Black recently got word he’ll return for his ninth season with the Padres. Black longs for the day when the Padres concoct the winning recipe of the current Royals: solid pitching, good defense, situational hitting and savvy base running. It’s not only how K.C. does it on the field, but off it as well. “The Royals have done a nice job out of the draft,’’ Black said, before rattling off numerous core players. “A lot of their guys are homegrown. “They don’t have a really high-priced player, although they did spend a little money on (James) Shields, a frontline pitcher. But their situation is not unlike ours as far having the younger players produce and theirs have done that. In a division that has star power, the Royals’ model is something that is very similar to what we can do.” Fresh Padres general manager A.J. Preller is bent on getting there. A busy offseason includes rebuilding an offensively deprived roster that negates strong pitching and defense. Preller has one decision behind him in bringing back Black — a good move. If Preller’s keen, maybe the future gets so bright Black reaches for those shades, circa 1985. Black is all in on that. The mustache? Not so much. Contact Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter at jparis_sports.