Champions rank above MLB trivia
However, the same might be said whenever the Red Sox play - with or without reference to the World Series, since Keith Champion is in his second year as a Boston scout and assistant to General Manager Theo Epstein.
And, when it comes to Champions (yep, that's with a capital C), whenever Boston opposes the Chicago White Sox, there's another champion 'er Champion to consider in the form of Kirk Champion, the minor league pitching coordinator for the White Sox.How good are the Champions? They're good enough for these natives of Granite City to own World Series rings thanks to four-game sweeps by the White Sox in 2005 and Red Sox in 2007.
In addition, their recognition goes beyond baseball trivia linked to their Dad, Conrad "Babe" Champion, the 75-year-old retired baseball coach/teacher at Granite City High School, who previously scouted for the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals.
For Keith Champion, 48, who scouted 12 seasons for the Chicago Cubs prior to joining Boston, tribute comes in the form of his quote in the March issue of Sports Illustrated when he predicted what Manager Lou Pinella has done with the Cubs' bullpen.
Of 25-year-old right-hander Carlos Marmol, who continues to average more than a strikeout and less than a hit allowed per inning this season, Keith Champion was quoted as saying: "He's got the arm strength, the breaking ball, and I think he has the mentality to be a closer."
Quoted in SI's baseball preview, Keith said he saw Marmol as a setup man for either 34-year-old Bob Howry or 31-year-old Kerry Wood as closers and added: "He (Marmol) can be the guy down the road, but I think you have to give it to the veteran first."
Even if Pinella was not aware of Keith's appraisal, a rejuvenated Wood, who missed most of 2005 and 2006 and part of 2007 due to arm woes, has stirred Cubs' hopes for their first World Series title since 1908.
A catcher in high school, Keith Champion played at Southwest Mo. St. and later played and managed in the Cardinals and San Diego minor league organizations before joining the Cubs for whom his duties eventually included being involved in trade decisions...
For 50-year-old Kirk Champion, the free agent draft that begins tomorrow in Orlando, Fla., may have additional significance since even though the White Sox have just a first-round (No. 8) pick in the first two rounds, there's no question Chicago is aware of Highland High School pitcher Jake Odorizzi.
Featured here Jan. 2 after being ranked among the leading prep players nationally by Baseball America, Odorizzi consistently threw fastballs in the 90 mile per hour range and notched a one-hitter during a recent game at Waterloo where Kirk Champion was among a flock of scouts in attendance.
A pitcher in high school, Kirk never played professionally but was a pitching coach at his alma mater Southwest Mo. St. and also at SIU-Carbondale before serving as the head coach at Rend Lake College for four seasons.
In his 20th season with the White Sox, Kirk has a resume' that includes being a minor league coach at South Bend, Ind., in the Class A Midwest League in 1989 when he replaced current White Sox major league pitching coach Don Cooper.
In 1994, Kirk was the pitching coach at Class AA Birmingham, Ala., during basketball great Michael Jordan's attempt at baseball. Additional coaching duties included his being a part of the 1999 Class AAA World Series, the 2000 MLB All-Star Futures Game, the 2001 Team USA play in the World Cup in Taiwan, and the 2006 Team USA Olympic qualifying team in Cuba.
More trivia? In 1948 when Granite City defeated New Athens for the state high school baseball title, Babe Champion was a first baseman-outfielder for the champions (that's a with a lowercase C) while future major leaguer Whitey Herzog roamed the outfield for the runner-up.
EXTRA INNINGS: In 1954, when Belleville Township won the state baseball title, among the leading players was outfielder Bill Ihlanfeldt, who died at age 71 on March 21 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
An outstanding baseball and football player and wrestler in high school and at Illinois Wesleyan University, he later earned a M.A. and Ph.D. in counseling and educational psychology at Northwestern U. At Northwestern, he began a 33-year career in higher education in the admissions department before rising to the position of dean of admissions and financial aid and vice president of institutional relations.
"Bill was a great competitor and leader," said Bob Kaiser of Belleville, who had been a football and wrestling teammate of Ihlanfeldt in high school. In 1953 and '54 Ihlanfeldt competed in the state wrestling finals. He also played for the Belleville Senior American Legion Hilgards baseball team from 1951-53 and for the Belleville Edwards of the St. Clair County League.
He is survived by his wife Jeannine and family...
Tomorrow, at the Whitey Herzog Legion Field in Belleville, a ceremony and monument dedication recognizing the late Bob Groom is scheduled to be held prior to the Hilgards' 7 p.m. game vs. Dupo.
The Hilgards' first manager, former Major League pitcher Groom managed from 1938-44 and led teams to state titles in '38 and '39.
E-mail: voellinger01@aol.com
