OAKLAND “”mdash; Eric Byrnes’ trademark grin melted into a
frown as he sprawled across a couch in the back of the
clubhouse.
The former Bruin and current Oakland A’s slugger spends
much of his time stomping around the baseball diamond like an
8-year-old on a sugar high, but for a rare moment, he is
serious.
Byrnes is angry that long-time UCLA baseball coach Gary Adams
will soon be out of a job. Like many Bruin alumni, he believes that
new athletic director Dan Guerrero had a hand in Adams’
decision to retire after next season.
“I am still pretty upset about it,” he said, pausing
to sweep his curly blond locks away from his eyes. “In a lot
of ways, Gary was UCLA to me. I hated to see a guy like that being
pushed out the door.”
Adams and Byrnes share a friendship that is built as much upon a
mutual respect for the sport of baseball as for one another.
Although Byrnes last donned a UCLA uniform in 1998, the pair still
talk frequently and follow each other’s careers closely.
When Byrnes first burst onto the collegiate scene as a
freshman, Adams quickly recognized his fierce work ethic, and
his admiration has only grown.
“Eric inspired me far more than I ever inspired
him,” Adams said. “Guys were in awe of his intensity.
He didn’t just slide into a base ““ he tackled it. And
if you were in his way, he tackled you.”
But while Adams was delighted with Byrnes’ enthusiasm, he
was less pleased with his approach at the plate. And the duo was
barely on speaking terms by the time Adams benched the future
major-leaguer midway through his sophomore year as a last-ditch
effort to force him to be more receptive.
“I had to put him on the bench because he needed to bunt
or hit the ball on the ground in order to take advantage of his
speed,” Adams said. “He was ticked off about being on
the bench, but what he didn’t realize was that I knew he
wouldn’t be there for very long. I wasn’t going to let
a potential All-American rot away there.”
Byrnes agrees that there was a communications breakdown, but at
the time he was not so rational.
Already an all-conference caliber performer with major league
aspirations, Byrnes confronted Adams after practice one day, and
threatened to leave UCLA if he wasn’t back in the lineup that
week.
The shouting match that ensued was one for the ages, but when it
was over, Byrnes was fully dedicated to the UCLA program once
again. He and Adams put the incident behind them, and their
friendship burgeoned.
“I grew to respect him more, and he grew to respect me
more,” Adams said. “Our bond grew stronger. When that
was over with, I had a fondness, respect and love for Eric that a
coach has for a player he admires.”
With the conflicts resolved, Byrnes was able to focus again on
what he did best ““ playing baseball. He helped lead the
Bruins to their first College World Series appearance under Adams
in 1997, and etched his name into the record books as UCLA’s
career leader in hitting (.326) and runs scored (235).
Currently, Byrnes is firmly entrenched in the leadoff spot of
the Oakland A’s batting order, and he credits Adams’
soothing influence as one of the major reasons for his success. He
still returns to Westwood every year for the baseball alumni game
and talks with his former coach whenever his hectic schedule allows
him time.
Adams, meanwhile, has followed Byrnes’ career with
particular interest. He was one of the first to call Byrnes after
the outfielder made his major league debut for the A’s in
August of 2000, and even convinced his family members to vote for
Byrnes over 100 times in the All-Star balloting this season.
Byrnes chuckles when he hears stories like that, but he knows he
is lucky to have played under a coach like Adams.
“Being around Gary has taught me a lot about baseball and
a lot about life,” Byrnes said. “It’s a shame
that the next generation of Bruins won’t have the chance to
experience that.”