How do you play baseball without a third base?

ROGER CARLSON

Community college sports took a pretty big hit a few days ago with

the announced cutbacks in schedules, but I must admit, I’m not

especially surprised. Money is the bottom line, and sports in the

world of academia, often takes a backseat unless it’s paying its way.

And when it comes to paying its way, it’s pretty hard to find any

sport on the community college level which can lure paying customers

to even approach breaking even. But I don’t think that was ever the

idea for JC programs. The key, I believe, was in terms of

participation.

The decision by the Commission on Athletics on the state level for

community colleges to cut back was apparently made 10 months ago, but

just now we are learning of the ramifications, which just now is in

the middle of the process of trimming a lot of the basics.

Supposedly it’s on a one-year trial period. Which sounds a lot

like “temporary taxes.”

And, they’ll be making more decisions in a few days about the

future.

In football, the preseason scrimmage has been deleted. They had an

“in-house” scrimmage this past fall, but going up against a

legitimate foe was done away with, apparently to accommodate a week’s

extension in the playoffs.

Am I missing something here? For the last 50 years I have been led

to believe the scrimmage was something important.

The baseball schedules have been cut to something like 36 games,

instead of 44. Softball schedules are trimmed by 30%. All other

sports schedules by 15%.

The playoffs appear to be the real victims in all this. In many

instances they have been more than halved. It is designed to cut down

on expenses, as in officials and travel.

All of this seems pretty grim, and making matters worse is the

prospect of the future, which could well produce further cutbacks,

such as size of squads, or the sport itself.

It happens from time to time on the college level, such as

football at Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State, even baseball

at UC Irvine for a decade before they were able to get it back a

couple of years ago.

Whether it’s the college, or community college level, unless the

sport is paying its way as in football or basketball, athletics

commands a respect only from those willing to give it the respect it

deserves.

Others in the decision-making process, have their own viewpoints

and are quick to put sports on the kill list of priorities.

Unfortunately, on the JC level, breaking even in any sport is not

an option. And, I would presume, sports is not the only item

undergoing trims.

It’s a dilemma that has been there since the glory days of the

‘60s, and before.

When Dick Tucker and his Pirates were filling LeBard Stadium they

were the toast of the town. But this was long before television and

pro sports would flood fans’ options.

In those days we had the Los Angeles Dons, the Hollywood Stars,

destruction derby and wrestling, featuring Wild Red Berry and

Gorgeous George, as well as the mainstream of USC and UCLA, the JCs

and preps, and Santa Anita.

Today, first-class programs are virtually ignored by media, who

have the built-in power to make and break.

Their only concern is what works for them. But that’s another

story.

Filling OCC’s stadium now comes only when perhaps Edison and

Fountain Valley square off in Sunset League high school football, or,

when Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar make an appearance in the

Battle of the Bay. Or a CIF final is staged. And there’s not a Pirate

to be found.

So the squeeze has been on for some time.

Considering the lack of attendance in most every sport, nothing

appears sacred, nor do any of these sports programs appear to have

the basic loyalty which is needed to sustain them during continued

hard times.

The demand for classes isn’t going to go away and as the meltdown

of funds throughout the state continues, one can only wonder where

the downward spiral will go before it bottoms out.

The values of athletics are undeniable. Yet, when it comes to

pushing and shoving, well, wrestling and gymnastics were part of the

casualty lists long ago. One can only wonder what will be next.

Community college sports may never be money-makers, so I guess

they’re fair game.

But neither are basket-weaving classes. And that’s the rub, and

the question is just how do they stop the bleeding?

The one thing I’m sure of is that my knowledge of the overall

complexities of the funding issue on a scale of 1-to-100 is about is

about a 5. By the same token, I believe some of those in the big room

at the top have an appreciation for sports which rate, well, about

the same ... 5.

The Commission on Athletics will meet again on Feb. 18 to consider

the future.

I’m not sure there’s a lot anyone can do about making an impact on

their decisions. Orange Coast has Gene Farrell as its president, and

Fred Hokanson as its athletic director, and that’s about as good as

it’s going to get. But one vote is one vote.

So let me see if I’ve got this right.

Orange Coast this fall will be featuring a stadium complete with

an all-weather synthetic turf which will rival anything in the nation

on any level, with a flat surface and great drainage, usable for

football or soccer, yet it is within a system which is too broke to

afford a preseason scrimmage.

Even the baseball facility is in the planning for the synthetic

turf around the aprons of the field, yet the schedule has been cut by

eight games, most likely canceling two weekend tournaments.

I can live without two weekend tournaments, but as for the

playoffs, that’s entirely another story.

The baseball playoffs are the whole idea for playing the schedule.

And really, two-out-of-three is pretty basic. Two-round regionals

within a single-game format on the JC level are not right. Then

you’re on to a single-game state semifinal and single-game state

final?

The game itself is being altered. You can’t just take away third

base.

The rub may be the Title IX issue which dictates equality.

The theory, I suppose, is that what’s good for softball is good

for baseball, despite the fact they are two different sports, played

on different stages with different rules and with non-exchangeable

equipment.

Those issues aside, will there be further cuts? It would seem

unacceptable, but don’t count on it.

Sudden thought: What ever happened to the Lotto money?

* ROGER CARLSON is the former sports editor for the Daily Pilot.

His column appears on Sundays. He can be reached by e-mail at

rogeranddorothea@ msn.com.