GUM BALL
May 10, 2011 04:12 PM | General
West Virginia’s Jeremy Gum has a record even Rudi Stein would be envious of. Rudi Stein was the bespectacled, automatic out for the Bad News Bears who was frequently ordered by his beer-sipping coach Morris Buttermaker to step in front of pitches to keep innings alive.
The Bad News Bears, of course, was a surprisingly popular comedy starring Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal in the mid-1970s.
If you recall, eventually Rudi was able to get up enough courage to get in front of a 45 mph fastball to keep a big rally going in the championship game against the Yankees. I’m not sure what they call it today, but back in the day when Rudi was playing it was called “taking one for the team.”
Gum, a senior designated hitter for the Mountaineers, has taken 19 so far in 44 games for the Gold and Blue to establish a school record in that category.
Justin Parks held the previous mark by getting plunked 18 times in 55 games.
Nationally, Gum is currently tied with four others for fifth in the country in bean balls. Campbell’s Jimmy Brenneman has been drilled 30 times in 44 games to lead the country, while his Campbell teammate Alan Denman has been nailed 16 times.
And no, Morris Buttermaker is not Campbell’s hitting coach.
The Bad News Bears, of course, was a surprisingly popular comedy starring Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal in the mid-1970s.
If you recall, eventually Rudi was able to get up enough courage to get in front of a 45 mph fastball to keep a big rally going in the championship game against the Yankees. I’m not sure what they call it today, but back in the day when Rudi was playing it was called “taking one for the team.”
Gum, a senior designated hitter for the Mountaineers, has taken 19 so far in 44 games for the Gold and Blue to establish a school record in that category.
Justin Parks held the previous mark by getting plunked 18 times in 55 games.
Nationally, Gum is currently tied with four others for fifth in the country in bean balls. Campbell’s Jimmy Brenneman has been drilled 30 times in 44 games to lead the country, while his Campbell teammate Alan Denman has been nailed 16 times.
And no, Morris Buttermaker is not Campbell’s hitting coach.
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