Manager’S Son Stays Positive Despite Move

A demotion may be just the ticket to ease Matt Howe’s transition into professional baseball.

Howe, a second-year pro player, entered the Northwest League in 1998 with much to prove. He was playing for Southern Oregon after being drafted by the Oakland A’s, the major league club managed by Howe’s father, Art.

Howe hit .278 with five home runs for the Timberjacks last year.

“I’m sure I put a little more pressure to perform on myself,” Howe said. “Especially with my name, I felt I had to prove myself to everyone.”

Timberjacks manager Greg Sparks, who once played at the Triple-A level with his father as manager, was well qualified to offer advice to Howe.

“I told him the pressure will be at a higher level and that players would treat him differently,” Sparks said. “But it was something he would have to block out; to just go out and play his own game, which he does.”

Howe earned a promotion to Class A Visalia, Calif., this season, but struggled and was sent back down. He entered this week’s five-game series with Spokane with seven homers and a .299 average.

“You can take (a demotion) both ways,” Howe said. “If they send you down for you to play every day, that means they like you and want you to develop. That’s the position I take.”

Managers endure bumpy road

The Chicago Cubs sent Alan Regier, their field coordinator of player development, to Eugene this week to manage the Emeralds while Danny Sheaffer served a four-game suspension for bumping an umpire.

Eugene was 2-2 under Regier, a former coach at Chabot (Calif.) Junior College and the University of California.

“That was outstanding,” Regier said after a 3-2 win last Monday over Everett. “It brought back a lot of memories from coaching in college. This was better because it was pro ball.”

Sheaffer bumped Tim Strike after the umpire ruled that Eugene catcher Chris Curry dropped a third strike, allowing Salem-Keizer’s Micah Halst to reach first base. Sheaffer appealed the suspension, then dropped the appeal.

“I don’t regret the incident because the comments (Strike) made were as unprofessional as I’ve heard in my 19-year career,” Sheaffer said. “It was a situation where I probably should have let it go, and I didn’t.”

Halfway home to homer record

Yakima outfielder Lamont Matthews is on pace to break the league record for home runs.

Matthews hit his 14th on Thursday, which was the Bears’ 39th game out of 78. Matthews had connected for four homers in five games after Thursday’s blast.

Willie Darkis of Central Oregon hit 25 homers in 1980.

Keeping his sights set

Eugene designated hitter Jim Deschaine is batting close to .300, but just playing is good enough for him.

Deschaine was a sophomore at Brandeis (Mass.) University in April 1998 when his career nearly ended. He was beaned in the face by a catcher’s throw while stealing third base. He was unconscious for 10 minutes.

Specialists at the Eye and Ear Institute of Boston treated Deschaine with a goal to make his life normal. Baseball wasn’t part of the formula.

“The doctors were pretty skeptical as to whether I would play again,” Deschaine said. “Their only goal was to get me to see single vision at straight gaze. If I looked up or down, they expected it to go double vision.”

Deschaine fooled them all and returned to Brandeis for his junior season. He set or tied six school batting records.

Glassey finally shatters

Yakima catcher Josh Glassey, who hadn’t broken a bone in his life, suffered a fracture July 24 when he fouled the ball off his right foot.

Glassey, who hit .211 in 22 games, will wear a removable boot-style cast for at least four weeks.

Let me show you how, Jord

Jordan Zimmerman, on a rehab assignment from the Seattle Mariners, pitched a shaky two-thirds of an inning during Everett’s 16-3 loss to Spokane on July 24. Zimmerman allowed three hits and two earned runs.

AquaSox designated hitter Mike Abate followed Zimmerman and pitched the eighth. He walked one, struck out one, and coaxed a double-play grounder.

We’ll get back to you soon, kid

Pitcher Adam Springston recently signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was assigned to Yakima.

Springston was shipped to Medford, Ore., two weeks ago, when Yakima was playing Southern Oregon. He didn’t have time to put on a uniform when the Dodgers called to say his new assignment was Great Falls, Mont., of the rookie Pioneer League.

Last Wednesday, the Dodgers told him to rush to Yakima, where bullpen injuries had hurt the Bears. Springston arrived just before game time, warmed up quickly in the bullpen then never received the call to enter.