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Wake-Up Call: UF's McArthur looks to add new chapter

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McArthur batted .338 with three home runs and 41 RBIs – including a solo homer on Sunday night.

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 9, 2009

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The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

If life always followed a storybook script, University of Florida senior third baseman Brandon McArthur would today be preparing for a trip to the College World Series, the perfect exclamation point on a collegiate career that has included tragedy and triumph, despair and redemption.

If only it could happen that way.

Instead, McArthur, the former Armwood High School player, is grappling with the reality of everything ending so suddenly. The No. 8-ranked Gators (42-22) were eliminated at home on Sunday night by the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 7-6, in the NCAA Super Regionals at McKethan Stadium.

"It has been an unbelievable experience,'' McArthur said. "It's a tough way to go out, but I've had so much fun.''

McArthur's life might always be defined by the way his college career began. In 2003, as a freshman, a sucker punch from a 23-year-old former UF student outside a Gainesville bar nearly ended McArthur's life. He was in a weeklong coma and ultimately had to undergo three brain surgeries.

Even though his memory was affected and he had to relearn how to hit, McArthur made it all the way back to Gator baseball. This year, after the NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility (due to an injury in the opening game of 2007), McArthur said he wanted to relish everything about the season.

For the most part, his UF baseball career was a joy, especially in 2005, when the Gators made the College World Series and finished as runner-up to Texas.

Only the ending was sour.

McArthur batted .338 with three home runs and 41 RBIs – including a solo homer on Sunday night, when he went 2-for-4. McArthur, who played in 217 games at UF (eighth all-time at the school), batted .467 (21-for-45) in his last 14 games.

Six years ago, McArthur won the Saladino Award, which goes to the top senior baseball player in Hillsborough County. He was a fifth-round draft choice of the Minnesota Twins.

He took a pass on the cash. He chose college and a chance to play for the Gators.

So here comes another baseball draft, which begins tonight. McArthur said he's uncertain where life might take him now. Will another MLB organization give him an opportunity?

Does the storybook have room for such a finish?

More Gator aftermath

Gators freshman first baseman Preston Tucker (Plant) was 2-for-2 with three walks against Southern Miss. He had a homer, his 15th of the season, and improved his school-record RBIs total to 85, which leads all NCAA freshmen and sophomores. He batted .364 with a .628 slugging percentage.

Gators junior closer Billy Bullock (Riverview) was summoned in the eighth inning and uncharacteristically couldn't finish the job. He surrendered a two-run single that tied the game and a fielder's choice grounder that produced the winning run. Bullock (3-3, 2.64 ERA, 11 saves) has been mentioned as a potential first-rounder in tonight's draft.

Sunshine State shutout

For only the fifth time in the past 26 seasons, the state of Florida will not be represented at the College World Series.

The Florida State Seminoles and Florida Gators were swept at home in the NCAA Super Regionals. The Miami Hurricanes were beaten by Florida during the opening regional round.

Eleven times in that 26-season span, there were multiple Florida teams at the CWS (with all three state schools making the trip in 1996 and 1998).

Chase is on for Reutimann

David Reutimann of Zephyrhills, after his third-place finish in Sunday's Pocono 500, has moved up to 11th place in the Sprint Cup standings, making the cut-off for the Chase for the Championship (the top 12 points leaders qualify for the opportunity at the season's title).

Reutimann, who recently won the Coca-Cola 600, the most significant Sprint Cup victory of his career, said third place at Pocono felt "like a win here for me.''

"I think it was probably stellar compared to the runs we've had here in the past,'' Reutimann said. "This place has never really been all that kind to me. Matter of fact, this time last year, I was sitting parked in the middle of turn one and two, out of fuel and didn't even come back to the starting finishing line. I've been so terrible here in the past that it's really, really good to get out of here with a top-five finish.''

Reutimann will compete Sunday in the LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Davis still pitching well

Rays pitching prospect Wade Davis (Lake Wales) had six shutout innings for Triple-A Durham in Monday night's 3-2 victory against Pawtucket. Davis (6-3, 3.18 ERA) had seven strikeouts, giving him 20 in his last two starts.

Clippard's ERA is miniscule

Tyler Clippard (Mitchell), a reliever for Triple-A Syracuse in the Washington Nationals' organization, is 1-1 with a 1.04 ERA after 1 1/3 scoreless innings Monday night against Rochester. Clippard hasn't allowed an earned run since May 14 (10 straight appearances).

From USF player named All-Star manager

Former University of South Florida baseball catcher Kevin Boles, now manager of the Class A Greenville (S.C.) Drive in the Boston Red Sox system, will lead the South Atlantic League's Southern Division All-Star team in the June 23 game. Boles, whose father John was once manager of the Florida Marlins, has been a minor-league manager since 2000. He had a division-winning team in 2006 with the Fort Myers Miracle.

Brooks honored for charitable work

Former Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks received an "Unconquered Spirit Award'' on Sunday from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Brooks, honored for his charitable work in the Tampa Bay area, was presented with a heavy bronze replica of the 5,000-pound metal statue that rises nearly two stories high outside FSU's stadium. It shows Chief Osceola on his horse, Renegade, holding a feathered spear with a gas-powered flame at the end.

Brooks, who received the Walter Payton/NFL Man of the Year award following the 2000 regular season, established a charitable foundation that has sent groups of children on educational trips all over the world.

Morris 31st in NFL coach rankings

First-year Bucs coach Raheem Morris was 31st (out of 32) in NFL head coach rankings by RealScouts, a team of former NFL scouts assembled by The Sporting News Today.

"The players in Tampa Bay like him [Morris] a lot,'' the report said. "But he is a young coach (he turns 33 in September) with no head coaching experience. He might be in over his head.''

The top five coaches: 1. Bill Belichick, Patriots; 2. Tom Coughlin, Giants; 3. Andy Reid, Eagles; 4. Jeff Fisher, Titans; 5. Mike Tomlin, Steelers.

The bottom five coaches: 28. Jim Caldwell, Colts; 29. Todd Haley, Chiefs; 30. Tom Cable, Raiders; 31. Raheem Morris, Bucs; 32. Josh McDaniels, Broncos.

Spurrier: Garcia must improve

Monday's edition of The Sporting News Today featured a conversation with South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier. Much of the question-and-answer session was focused on Gamecocks sophomore-to-be quarterback Stephen Garcia (Jefferson), who is coming off a shaky start in the Outback Bowl, a 31-10 loss to Iowa.

Spurrier said Garcia, who participated in his first spring practice after being suspended from the previous two, "has got to be smarter. … He knows one more mistake and he's history.''

According to Spurrier, Garcia has completed 175 hours of community service and compiled a 2.9 grade-point average. "Everything they put on him, he has done,'' Spurrier said. "Some of our coaches said he'll never be able to do all of that. He's in good standing.''

On the field, Spurrier said Garcia simply needs to keep learning and progressing.

"He needs a lot of training,'' Spurrier said. "His habits from high school were so bad. Every play was a scramble play. In high school, you can get away with that. He has to learn the game, learn how to play. Make himself a thinker. His decision-making hasn't been the best, that's for sure.''

Lacey returns to the WNBA

Former USF women's basketball coach Trudi Lacey is a first-year assistant coach with the WNBA's Washington Mystics. Lacey was head coach and general manager of the Charlotte Sting from 2003-06.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to former Rays outfielder Randy Winn, who made the 2002 All-Star Game. Winn was traded that offseason to the Seattle Mariners for Antonio Perez (and the rights to sign Manager Lou Piniella). Today, Winn turns 35.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Monday's trivia question:

The Rays' first-round pick who appeared first in a Tampa Bay major-league game was pitcher Jason Standridge, who worked a third of an inning on July 29, 2001, at Texas. Standridge was the 31st overall selection in 1997.

Tuesday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

Which two Armwood High School baseball players have made it to the major leagues?

Check for the answer in Wednesday's Wake-Up Call.

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