Tuesday, April 23, 1996
UCLA head coach retaliates after Glaus beaning goes
unpunished
By Yoni Tamler
Daily Bruin Staff
"We hit (Arizona State center fielder Mikel Moreno) on purpose
and that was the first time in 26 years of coaching that I’ve ever
told a pitcher to do that," were the words of UCLA head coach Gary
Adams on Sunday evening.
Adams, a notoriously gentle man in the often irascible world of
coaching, admitted to beckoning Pete Zamora to bean leadoff batter
Moreno in the first inning of Sunday’s 16-9 victory over the Sun
Devils in response to the NCAA’s haphazard approach towards
previous misconduct of the same nature.
The misconduct in question involves Ryan Bradley, the ASU
pitcher who beaned Troy Glaus in the back for the second time this
season on Saturday. Bradley received a four-game suspension after
the first incident for the allegedly premeditated head shot which
caused Glaus a debilitating concussion. However, for his
transgressions in ASU’s 8-4 victory on Saturday, Bradley got off
scot-free.
"The penalties against Bradley weren’t harsh enough," Adams
said. "I don’t think he should have been able to play against us
after what he did last time."
As anticipated, Zamora was ejected immediately following his
fastball that snared Moreno in the leg. Zamora, UCLA’s No. 2
starter, will serve a four-game suspension per NCAA policy. Having
made his point, Adams too was sent to the showers and must miss at
least one game before the NCAA reviews the incident.
For Adams, that’s three games too few.
"The coach should be suspended as long as the player," Adams
told the Los Angeles Times. "The NCAA should suspend me for four
games. I dare them to do it … the throwing at batters will never
cease until you punish the coach. That’s how you stop it."
Adams was obviously referring to the league’s leniency for
Arizona State head coach Pat Murphy, who may or may not have
targeted Glaus, the current Six-Pac Player of the Week, on two
separate occasions.
"I don’t have anything to say to Murphy," Adams said. "I don’t
know if they encourage that stuff, but I know they allow it."
On the bright side, the Bruins defeated the Sun Devils twice in
the three-game series, while making a statement to ASU and other
teams that they refuse to be bullied with unsportsmanlike play.
* * *
Following a rash of scheduling conflicts and rain-outs, the
Bruins (25-17 overall, 16-8 Six-Pac) have scheduled an impromptu
game today against Westmont College (18-15) today at 6 p.m. at
Jackie Robinson Stadium.
In addition, Wednesday’s 7 p.m. game against Loyola Marymount
will now be the second game of a doubleheader for the Bruins, who
will take on Cal State Dominguez Hills in a seven-inning contest
beginning at 3 p.m.
ANDREW SCHOLER/Daily Bruin
Coach Gary Adams argues with the umpire during Saturday’s
game.