Charles Fischer

To each his/her own. We have had platypus fans from the beginning, and as one of the biggest "haters" of all that is orange at the moment--I was one of the biggest supporter of both schools for my entire life....up to a few months ago.. I grew up in Corvallis, and loved-to-hate-the-Ducks, as my father was a professor at OSU. But I went to Oregon, and thus began 37 years of cheering for both schools except for Civil War games. I even had season tickets for BOTH teams for a number of years. (Imagine that? Mr. FishDuck with season tickets to OSU games?) But this stealing of millions they did not earn, and the shameless attitude of their fans has really drawn a line in the sand for me. I will not support the Beavers in any way again, and will continue to actively make jokes at their expense. If you wish to continue to cheer for them--I respect that, but would suggest you do not expect that of others here. The Pig-2 are taking over 30 million total from Oregon Athletics, and it is unconscionable, yet they have no shame. Not the actions of winners, IMHO. And they will waste the money stolen, and still be a Group-of-5 team five years from now. (Bad management got them to this point, so why would that change?)

That was so well played...gotta have some fun as we go, and that was a dandy. Thanks Darren!

Nailed it. Precisely the result.

Yep, one of the few downsides of great success. And note this is not a move to a Mid-line P5, or a G5 team; this says a lot again about Dan Lanning finding the gem at Western Kentucky and attracting him to Eugene.

On a pay site--they unfortunately say that there is truth to him talking to them, and perhaps leaving. Not good...

I was not pleased with our pitching today, as giving up seven runs will lose games most of the time. But it was nice to see another team have a pitching collapse at the end of a game instead of OBD. Some superb hitting performances today, and we have an Oregon native who is really skyrocketing upward. (More on that later)

USC (11-15) took the series from Oregon State in Los Angeles, as today's Baseball game was rained out. The Trojans humbled the No. 2 in the nation, Beavers, (21-4) 2-1, and 17-4 to put Oregon State with three conference losses along with Oregon, but the Ducks have one more win from the extra game played, thus OBD is a half a game ahead of Oregon State in Pac-12 standings. (I will fully update that later as we are referencing the top of the standings, and this really helped OBD) Of course I will have the good taste to not celebrate the Beavs in misery... Good thing I never said I was noble.

You gotta see this slide into second by Jeffrey Heard, as it was so perfect. As the second baseman is reaching down to make the tag....Heard sweeps his left arm away in swim-move like defensive players do in football to get a sack. Heard's right arm slid into the bag to make him safe! The officials reviewed it on the replays, and confirmed he was amazingly safe. Not something you see very often... I did an article a year ago about Jeffrey Bassa using a superb swim-move for a sack in the Holiday Bowl....same technique!

EUGENE, Ore. — Another strong start on the mound, production throughout the lineup and some spectacular defense all added up to a 9-2 win for the Oregon baseball team over Seattle at PK Park on Friday night, clinching a series win for the Ducks entering Saturday’s finale. Grayson Grinsell (3-2) allowed one run over six innings while striking out nine, Springfield native Maddox Molony hit his first career homer as part of a three-hit night and Bryce Boettcher had yet another diving catch in center field for the Ducks. Oregon (18-7) has won seven of eight entering Saturday’s weekend finale scheduled for 12:05 p.m. Molony’s home run in the fifth put the Ducks ahead for good and sparked the first of two four-run innings by the UO baseball team. The other was in the eighth, in the midst of Ryan Featherston’s seven-out save, the first of his career. “There’s a lot (to like),” UO coach Mark Wasikowski said. “I thought we bunted well; I thought Maddox Molony played really well, hit his first career home run; Grayson gave us a good start; Ryan Featherston came in at the end and pitched very well. I thought it was pretty complete, in terms of offensively we were able to pull away at the end. I thought that was really good.” Molony is a graduate of Thurston High School in Springfield, whose grandfather played for the Ducks. An injury sidelined him for the beginning of the season, but he’s making up for lost time with his second three-hit day in a row Friday, and his first career home run. “I grew up watching these players at this stadium,” Molony said. “The fence was a little farther out; but hitting it in this uniform was really cool.” How It Happened: Following on the heels of solid starts from Michael Freund and RJ Gordon to open the series, Grinsell matched his career high by going six innings and struck out nine, one off his career best. Seattle led off the third with a double and a walk, but Grinsell allowed only a one-out RBI single to minimize the damage as his start set the tone for Oregon’s well-rounded performance. “Being a starter, there’s a standard set by Waz and (pitching coach Blake Hawksworth) to go out there and dominate, and that’s what we try to do,” Grinsell said. The UO offense had Grinsell’s back, knotting the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third. Carter Garate led off with a bunt single, moved up two bases on a walk and a single, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Bennett Thompson. After Grinsell stranded two runners in the top of the fifth, the Ducks gave him the lead. Molony led off the bottom of the inning by pulling his first career home run to left field for a 2-1 lead. It might have come earlier in the season if not for an injury, but Molony kept himself ready for when his time came. “It was just being there for my teammates, loving their success,” Molony said. “Like my buddy (and fellow freshman infielder) Ryan Cooney, I live with him, and seeing him succeed is like the best thing ever. … It keeps me locked in and keeps me ready to go, so when I get a chance it’s right there for me.” A one-out single by Thompson and a two-out base hit for Jeffery Heard put runners at the corners, and Anson Aroz brought both home with a double. After a walk, Drew Smith singled to plate Aroz for a 5-1 lead. The Redhawks added another run in the seventh, which Featherston closed out by coming in and getting out of a two-on, two-out situation. He then faced the minimum in the eighth when, with one on and one out, Boettcher made a diving catch in center field and threw to first to double off the runner and end the inning. Boettcher then came up in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded and nobody out, and made it 6-2 with a sacrifice fly. Thompson followed with a two-run triple, and he then scored on a single by Jacob Walsh. Featherston retired the side in order in the ninth to complete the save, and put a bow on a game in which pretty much everyone who saw the field contributed for the Ducks. “We talk a lot about just sticking to the process and taking everything one pitch at a time,” said Featherston, a freshman right-hander. “So I think not getting ahead of yourself and thinking, ‘Oh, I have to close this game out, I have to do this.’ It's just committing to this pitch and letting everything else take care of itself.” On Deck: The Ducks and Redhawks close out the series Saturday at 12:05 p.m.

I am out driving in traffic and have John Canzano on the radio, as he interviews an Oregon State media correspondent about the recent womens basketball game and upcoming contest. They both complained about the East-Coast media giving the Beavers no credit in advance, and they spoke of how the eastern media did not know anything about Oregon State. I'm nodding and saying, "no kidding," as I've seen quite a few examples of that among B1G media in their discussion of Oregon football. I mean c'mon...are you really surprised? It has always been this way--right? Then they went on a tangent of how, "Pac-12 departing members will have buyer remorse in a few years. We have to hold it together for their possible return, as they will not like the travel, the culture, etc." I shouted at the radio..."you are out of your mind!" "Didn't you just talk about how Oregon could be on the MOON for all the eastern media is concerned? You think you could approach even HALF of what the B1G is going to pay us, not to mention our massive jump in fans and viewership that will occur?" "Good gosh, the delusion runs deep!" Of course it was at this time that I glanced at the car next me at the red light, and noted them staring at the wacko shouting in his vehicle... (Good thing I never said I was noble) But I hear the Pig-2 have selected their new headquarters...

I am not asking for Mullens to be fired, because if he did one thing right, it was to hire Dan Lanning. But I do think he needs to answer for these massive blunders before he comes to the fans for more donations…

I was about to congratulate the athletes when… I thought of their fans. It’s a good thing that I’ve made it known that, “I never said I was Noble!”

Pretty incredible that Bryce Boettcher, the pride of Eugene, got hit three times by pitches! For that linebacker...truly it's water-off-a-Duck! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EUGENE, Ore. — Jeffery Heard drove in four runs early, while Mason Neville and Bennett Thompson combined for five RBI I the seventh and eighth innings to lead Oregon to a 10-2 nonconference win over Seattle at PK Park on Thursday night. Heard, who went 4-for-4 with four RBI, pushed Oregon (17-7) out to a 5-1 lead driving in runs in the first, second and sixth innings. Thompson gave Oregon some breathing room with a two-run double in the seventh and Neville put the game away with a three-run homer in the eighth inning. Five Oregon pitchers combined to hold the Redhawks (7-18) to just one earned run, with Oregon starter RJ Gordon (3-2) leading the way. The Ducks’ right-hander allowed just one run on five hits in 5.0 innings pitched with five strikeouts while earning the win. How It Happened: Oregon wasted no time getting on the board scoring three runs in the bottom of the first but it could have been worse for Seattle. Bryce Boettcher reached on a Redhawks’ throwing error to lead off the inning moving to second on the throwing error. He advanced to third on a Chase Meggers bunt hit before the Ducks loaded the bases on a Jacob Walsh walk. Heard followed with a two-RBI single scoring Boettcher and Meggers, before Walsh scored on a Neville single for a 3-0 lead. With the bases still loaded and no outs, Seattle minimized the damage when Redhawks starter Blake Smith got Drew Smith to ground into a 1-2-3 double play before fanning Carter Garate to end the inning. Oregon tacked on a run in the fourth. Freshman Maddox Molony singled to lead off the inning, moved to second on a Boettcher sacrifice bunt and to third on a Meggers ground out. Heard added his third RBI of the day on an infield single scoring Molony. Seattle cut the lead to three with a fourth-inning solo home run, but Oregon got the run back in the bottom of the sixth. After Boettcher led off the frame with an infield hit and moved to third on a ground out and stolen base, Heard drove in his fourth run of the game with two outs. Seattle got back within three with an unearned run in the seventh, before Oregon answered with two runs in its half of the inning. The Ducks loaded the bases on hit-by-pitches to Smith and Boettcher sandwiched around a Molony base hit. Thompson, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth, roped a double into the left-center gap putting the Ducks up by five. After Justin Cassella singled and Anson Aroz doubled to put runners at second and third, Neville launched a three-run shot over the wall in right field for an eight-run lead. Box Score Notes: Oregon went with an outfield of Neville (left), Boettcher (center) and Heard (right) to start the game, giving Cassella his first non-start of the season … Molony made his third start of the season at shortstop while Meggers got his fourth start at catcher … Heard’s four RBI set a new career high … Neville (2-for-5) matched his career high with four RBI … Molony (3-for-5, 2 R) had his first career multiple-hit game … Aroz went 3-for-4 with a run scored … Eight different Ducks scored a run, while eight also finished with at least one hit. On Deck: The Ducks and Seattle play the third game of the series Friday at 5:05 p.m. Oregon will look to clinch the series with a win. Quotes: Head Coach Mark Wasikowski On overall performance... “Good response to yesterday. Felt like the team responded well and I thought overall the pitching was solid. It was an optimistic day for sure.” On young players performance... “They had some poise. We’re asking these guys to get old, and they did. They made some pitches when they needed to. You see some things where you think it doesn’t look that great. You walk a guy, but then you get a double play ball on the next guy. Cole Stokes is as talented as they get. He’s young, we just need to continue to bring him along. He’s got a big future.” Bennett Thompson On persevering through tough at bats... “We have a saying that we believe the game knows. You just have to stay with hitting the ball hard. Instead of trying to chase results we’re trying to chase the process of things. We call it plus at bats. That’s what we care about more than the hits or the RBI and things like that. Little things like a hit-by-pitch or moving the runner over or just squaring up a ball, that’s what we’re chasing as an offense. We believe that if you can stay process oriented like that, then you’re going to be in a great spot. It’s frustrating not seeing the results come, but I’ve been trying my best to stick with the process of putting together good at bats and luckily was rewarded tonight.” On finding rhythm as a team... “We’re trying to find it. Obviously, we haven’t been performing as an offense as well as we think we could be the last couple of weeks. We have a lot of good players, so Coach Wasikowski is trying to find the right mix. I don’t know what that is, but whenever I get an opportunity I’m going to try to help out the team as best as I can.” RJ Gordon Thoughts on performance… “The first thing I think about is if we won or not, we did so I am happy about that. Overall, I wasn’t really happy with how I threw. I didn’t have my best stuff. Had one less day of rest, but I found a way to get outs and the win. Overall, I just thought I was ok.” Getting out of situations with guys in scoring position… “It’s part of pitching. As a pitcher all of your toughest pitches are going to be with guys on base and I stuck with executing my pitches and found my way out of it.” Jeffery Heard Thoughts after going 4-for-4… “I feel good about it. There are still some things I need to work on. I’ve been working with (Coach Jack) Marder a lot more and he’s been helping me out. I’ve kind of had a little rough stretch there, but it felt good to get back on the right side of things at the plate.” Attacking the opposite side of the field… “When I am going the other way, I’m seeing the ball better than I normally do. I guess the big thing I was trying to focus on was just seeing the ball a little longer, catch it deeper, and shorten my swing and that’s what worked for me today.”

The discussion in that article about the ADs strained relations with a couple of coaches, and may be why the WSU BBall coach went to the ’Furd? I love the thought of somebody like that running Husky athletics! Drive the good coaches away from there, too!

Bizarre looking kickoffs, but it could create some explosion plays, and it will be fun to watch the progress on this NFL change.

Thank you, but that was the official news article from GoDucks.com that I receive as credentialed media. I have to give attribution credit!

EUGENE, Ore. — The Ducks were strong at the start and strong at the finish, which allowed the UO baseball team to overcome some mid-game lapses and open a four-game series against Seattle with a 5-4 win in 10 innings on Wednesday at PK Park. Michael Freund made his first start for the Ducks and threw five scoreless innings, leaving with a 1-0 lead. After a weather delay of more than an hour, Seattle tied it in the eighth and hit a three-run homer in the top of the 10th. But the Ducks sent seven men to the plate in the bottom of the inning, with Drew Smith lashing a two-run single past the third baseman to give the Ducks a walk-off win. Freund’s first eight appearances of this season all were in relief, and none was as long as three innings. But he threw five strong frames Wednesday, and got to celebrate an Oregon victory by night’s end. “I trust our guys — we do a lot of high-pressure stuff in practice,” said Freund, a transfer from Umpqua Community College. “So you kind of have a feeling going into the last inning, we’re down three but it doesn’t really feel like we’re down three. We had good energy in the dugout, and it was just a good team win, for sure.” How It Happened: Freund allowed a leadoff single and a one-out double in the first, but he pitched out of that jam and allowed just two more baserunners the rest of his outing. The Ducks gave him the lead in the third, when Carter Garate singled with one out, reached third with two out and scored on a wild pitch. Ryan Featherston followed Freund with two scoreless innings of relief, but Seattle was able to get two runners on with one out in the eighth against Logan Mercado. That’s when a storm rolled past PK Park, delaying the game for an hour and 16 minutes. Bradley Mullan took over on the mound after the delay, and he got the second out of the inning before consecutive walks brought in the game-tying run. The Ducks were unable to capitalize on a leadoff single by Bennett Thompson in the bottom of the eighth and a one-out double by Smith in the ninth, which ended with Oregon hitting 1-for-10 to that point in the game with runners in scoring position. Mullan took the mound to start the 10th, which opened with a single, an error and a three-run home run. On came reliever Matthew Grabmann, who hit the first batter he faced and allowed a two-out walk before getting out of the inning with the Ducks still down 4-1. “Honestly, with this offense anything can happen,” Grabmann said. “I knew we were gonna win; we’ve come back from a lot worse. I’ve seen it, so it’s kind of just giving us a chance to win.” The bottom of the 10th opening with infield singles by Bryce Boettcher and Chase Meggers, and Anson Aroz made it 4-2 with a sharp single up the middle that deflected off the pitcher and past the shortstop. Meggers took third on the play, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Mason Neville. Down 4-3 with one out in the inning, the Ducks loaded the bases when Justin Cassella and Jacob Walsh were hit by pitches. To that point Aroz had the only hard-hit ball of the inning, but UO coach Mark Wasikowski had used a timeout during the frame to reiterate the message that, sometimes that’s all it takes. “That was one of our messages, was just, we don’t need a hero,” Wasikowski said. “Just give us a good at-bat. … We’re just trying to settle guys down to where they can function and operate like we see them when they have their emotions under control.” The Ducks may not have needed a hero, but Smith got to enjoy that role after driving a ball through the infield to score Aroz and then Cassella. The Ducks chased Smith into center field to celebrate the win. “That was awesome,” said Smith, who had a three-hit night. “It was my first college walk-off, so I was pretty excited to be able to enjoy that with my teammates. Walk-offs are always fun.” Notable: Walsh doubled in the second to move into a tie with Spencer Steer (2017-19) for seventh on the Oregon career doubles list with 36 … Boettcher batted in the leadoff spot for the first time in his career … The walk-off was the second in three games for Oregon … Grabmann picked up his first win since May 20 of last season at Utah. On Deck: The Ducks and Seattle play the second game of the series Thursday at 5:05 p.m.

Actually, this is pretty bad. It is going to mess us fans up—with what will happen. It seems that to satisfy all the major parties, all of the money earned from college football will have to be shared with the players, and there will not be funding for the other sports. It won’t be the end of college football, but it could be the end of Olympic sports, and my beloved college Baseball.

I know it is early, but it is very encouraging as both squads have won their first three Pac-12 series. Oregon State is rated No. 2 in the nation, but the Ducks have a chance to makes some noise on the Diamond. We play a four game OOC series this week at home against Seattle starting today at PK Park at 5:05 PM. To watch their games, go to GoDucks.com, then Baseball, then Schedule, and scroll down to the game and click on the Live-Stream. Considering the tough start in non-conference for the Lady Ducks, this is also encouraging. They begin a series at UCLA on Thursday at 7:00 PM. Let's go Ducks!

Why? There is nothing for Oregon to gain. Beavers will never get to next level...

Fun pondering, and thanks to Alex! Famous FishDuck Editor and devout Buckeye fan, Natalie Liebhaber, says to watch out for Purdue, as “they will rise to bite you on occasion.” The toughest game could be due to weather, as going to Wisconsin in mid-November is NOT what I wanted to see on the schedule. Almost like someone set it up that way? The problem is....they LIKE it!

That is a very real concern, getting 10 million from the Oregon legislature already when they are stealing their half of close to 300 million. You make another great point, in that in the end....the money stolen changes nothing for them. They are still a G-5 program... The Beavs and the MTW...

I suggest you read Post No. 3 of this thread. The offer from ESPN was low-ball. It all turned out for the best for Oregon, as now we are part of the Big-2 conferences and actually have someone looking out for our interests. But it still does not justify the stealing by the Pig-2…

The offending sentence was edited out before hardly anyone saw it, and what is left is fine. A safe way for everyone to post is simply to post your own opinion and that is it. Nothing in reference to others and their opinions, just state your own opinion, facts and relevant logic that applies. We want debate, we want to see all sides, and have very successfully done it now for a couple of years without taking obvious or oblique shots at each other. My thanks to you and everyone for understanding, Charles

So…the media revenue for LAST year was 37 million? And ESPN offered only 30 million for FUTURE years is all? Apple offered only 22 million? Everybody wanted to hose the Pac 12, and ignore actual value. Receiving 49 million a year for the next 10 years plus the revenue from all the bonuses that come with being in the Big Ten, is not just a wise business move, it was essential for our survival. Bastards.