A Grip on Sports: It’s a busy day when another Indians’ legend from the past leaves us, more local players decide to change schools and Hall of Fames announce inductees

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Davey Lopes. Transfers. Hall of Fames. Maybe my memory isn’t what it used to be, but all still reside in a little corner of it. And all seemed worth touching on this fine Thursday – already? – morning.

•••••••

• We’ll start with the death of Lopes, who passed through Spokane as a young man. I didn’t run into him, literally, until he was an adult. In a Los Angeles Dodgers’ uniform, the one he should have worn his entire career. But did not.

Lopes was part of a couple of Hall of Fame-caliber groups: The 1970 Spokane Indians, which is still regarded in most circles as the greatest minor league team ever; and the Dodger infield which began playing together in 1973 and didn’t quit until Lopes was surprisingly traded in 1981.

Lots of my Spokane friends remember when Lopes roamed the outfield at then-Indians Stadium. He wasn’t a seemingly transcendent star like Bobby Valentine. Nor did he have the local connection of third baseman Ron Cey, a WSU alum. But he was a part of the 94-52 Indians whose accomplishments still burn brightly around the Inland Northwest. Though the number of eyewitnesses, sadly, grow shorter with each passing summer.

Those who saw Lopes with the Dodgers are more numerous and, thanks to the World Series appearances in 1974, 1977, 1978 and their win in 1981, probably still includes millions. It was in his time in Los Angeles when our paths crossed.

In 1979 the Dodgers were not good. Injuries had decimated a bullpen that had helped them to the back-to-back World Series losses against the Yankees. Desperate, they had called up a young relief pitcher from Albuquerque – there the organization had moved its Triple-A affiliation in 1972 – named Dave Patterson. He would appear in 36 games. More importantly, he had pitched his freshman season at UC Irvine, where another freshman, me, had been his teammate. I used that connection to wrangle a story assignment from the OC Register, where I worked part-time.

Next thing you know, I was sitting in the Dodger dugout pregame, holding a shoebox-sized tape recorder and talking with a former teammate. Patterson wanted to show me something in the clubhouse. I picked up everything I had to carry, including a reporter’s notebook that was giving me problems, and followed him up the ramp. And, just before the clubhouse door, dropped said notebook.

I bent over to pick it up and, in my hurry to keep up with Patterson, I raised up without looking. The top of my head made contact with Lopes, just coming out of the clubhouse. In a spot I would rather not describe. He grunted. So did I. My apologizes followed the second baseman down the ramp as he shuffled off to take batting practice.

My most vivid memory of that incident? Patterson’s laughter. Or my embarrassment.

• Speaking of being a bit red-faced, I’m guessing anyone who has to cover a college basketball team this week is exhibiting a bit of that, more due to exertion than embarrassment. After all, every college hoop beat writer at every school has had to hustle to cover the goings (lots) and comings (few this early in the process) attending the transfer portal’s opening.

As I wander around the knowledge factory known as the Interweb, the number of schools that are being hit by a half-dozen or more portal entries is astounding. It’s more the rule than the exception.

In our area there are the Washington State and Idaho men’s programs already. Gonzaga is close. The entire Big Sky conference seems to have more schools than not.

It’s a sea change in the sport. With a tide that is raising the cruise lines of the Power Five schools and forcing everyone else to bail out their canoes.

• A couple of our local universities announced their yearly (or so) athletic Hall of Fame inductees this week. Washington State and Eastern Washington will honor teams, players and coaches. It’s a big deal. As it should be.

But one name headed to Eastern’s Hall stood out to me. No, not quarterback Erik Meyer, who seemed like a lock when he graduated in 2005. Or even his partner in his assault on Big Sky defenses back then, receiver Eric Kimble. No, it was basketball coach Steve Aggers, who left Cheney for Loyola Marymount a year before Meyer walked on campus.

Aggers’ selection for Eastern’s honor seems to reflect more on the state of the school’s basketball program at the time – and down the road – than it does on his five-year tenure. If it didn’t, then his 51-82 overall mark certainly doesn’t seem Hall of Fame worthy in any regard.

OK, Aggers was handed a tough hand. Maybe the toughest. A school with fewer resources than almost all of its peers, Eastern was 34-98 under Aggers’ predecessor John Wade. It was a five-year stretch of futility that stretched to seven as Aggers went 10-42 his first two seasons. His third year was different, though. The Eagles won 16 games, the high-water mark of his tenure. By the fifth season, when it finished 15-10 overall, Aggers’ team was Big Sky regular season champs, posting a 12-4 mark.

I’m not sure any those numbers, especially his overall record, screams Hall of Fame. But, to his credit, Aggers had pointed the Eagles in the right direction. His successor, Ray Giacoletti, took over a program on firmer footing. And in four years guided EWU to its first NCAA Division I tournament.

If the turnaround is what earned Aggers the honor, fine. It was an accomplishment that deserves celebrating. Especially at EWU.

After all, Aggers’ teams were 41-40 his final three years. It was in the middle of a stretch from 1990, when Eastern was 18-11 under Bob Hofman, until 2015, when Jim Hayford guided the Eagles back to the NCAA tourney, EWU posted seven winning seasons out of 24 chances.

Two were under Aggers, four under Giacoletti – who, from some reason, has yet to be inducted – and one under Mike Burns.

•••

WSU: Did we mention how many schools have been decimated by portal defections this season? Decimated isn’t the right word for the Cougars. Too light. Ten players are in the portal meaning, as Greg Woods points out, David Riley and his staff will have to almost completely rebuild the roster this offseason. … On a happier, for the Cougars at least, transfer note, Greg has this story on former UI football player Matyus McLain, who left money on the table and decided to stay closer to home. … Both instances illustrate well what Jon Wilner is talking about in this column about WSU’s choice at athletic director. A larger pot of NIL money is the No. 1 reason behind Jon Haarlow’s hiring. It will be how his tenure is judged. … We also mentioned Hall of Fames above. Washington State announced its 2025 group. No questions here about that one. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Oregon State’s roster is similar to Washington State’s. Both will need refilling. … Oregon is feeling the same type of pain. … So is Arizona State. … Oregon’s biggest loss may be Arizona’s gain. … Colorado State’s recruiting class Is earning high marks. … The Colorado women lost a couple more players. The Buffs are in a rebuilding offseason as well. … UCLA celebrated its NCAA title yesterday and it was quite a party.

• In football news, Washington’s receiving corps need to fill some big shoes. … Oregon’s program has more than a passing resemblance to Gonzaga’s basketball program. … The Ducks are in the middle of spring practice. They and Oregon State have their spring games scheduled an hour apart. John Canzano wonders which school will reveal more. … Colorado is encouraging competition by not naming starters. … Utah is welcoming back a key playmaker from injury. … Cal’s quarterback is happy to be in a pro-style offense. … UCLA’s practice philosophy emphasizes fun. … Boise State leans towards intensity. … The Arizona secondary is showing out in the spring.

Gonzaga: More transfer items to pass along. (Tired of it yet?) Gonzaga needs players too. And Theo Lawson takes a look at a few the Zags might target, including a couple who almost picked them coming out of high school. … Theo also is keeping track of the Pac-12 schools and their losses and additions. We’ll link it in the GU section at times and in the WSU section at other times. Trying to keep you guessing. … The Athletic ranks the best players in the portal. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Santa Clara freshman Allen Graves is not transferring. He’s leaving though. For the NBA draft process.

Preps: Dave Nichols has a roundup of Wednesday’s competitions.

EWU: We’ve covered a part of the Eagles’ Hall of Fame class in some detail above. Here is the rest of it. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, more players are leaving Montana’s men’s program. … Weber State has lost nine players. … As we’ve said recently, recruiting never stops for Montana State’s football program. … Portland State’s defense is in the spotlight.

Indians: Dave also had his eyes on Spokane’s game in Hillsboro. The Indians fell behind early and could not rally, losing 4-1. … We linked above Lopes obituary from the L.A. Times. And we do it again here in case you missed it. And one from another L.A. newspaper.

Mariners: The M’s worst start in years, especially at the plate, is eating away at all the goodwill built up at the end of last season. It’s even causing consternation in Matt Calkins’ mind. The 3-0 loss Wednesday in Texas was galling too. … The TV schedule is going to get better.

Kraken: Ron Francis is out as president of hockey operations. … One of the team’s players is up for an NHL award.  

Sounders: The quarterfinals of the the CONCACAF Champions Cup did not start well for Seattle. The Sounders ended up being shut out on the road against Tigres UANL.

Storm: Just who may Seattle take in the draft? The Storm have two choices. … The team lost one of its mainstays on the broadcast crew to Portland. And added a replacement who played at Idaho and worked at KXLY.

Golf: The Masters is underway. The most well-known course in golf. And a new rivalry. Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. Let’s see what happens. … Stories like this always seem fun but immaterial. The past is not the present.

•••       

• Lopes was one of those Dodger players who spanned a stretch that included my youth but also contained my first forays into covering MLB games. It was weird and exhilarating and filled with anxiety all at the same time. Until later …