Fernandez Likes This Change-Up

Her love for softball is so strong, even as she begins her 13th year on the U.S. national team, that Lisa Fernandez wouldn’t need a new challenge to motivate her during the Olympic trials this week in Chula Vista.

But the challenge is there, nonetheless.

Fernandez, who compiled an earned-run average of 0.47 and struck out 52 batters in 29 2/3 innings three years ago at the Sydney Olympics, is still adjusting to post-Sydney rule changes that moved the rubber back three feet to 43 feet from home plate, changed the ball from white to optic yellow and moved the fences back 20 feet to 220 feet to create gaps in the outfield. The changes, a tacit nod to pitchers’ dominance in leading the U.S. to gold medals at Atlanta and Sydney, were devised to promote scoring, especially by teams from countries still developing softball programs.

“You’re going to see some action,” Fernandez said. “It’s going to bring some people up to another level.”

Although her ERA is likely to zoom and she expects her strikeout average to fall from the teens to “maybe four or five a game,” the Long Beach resident welcomes the changes, saying they’ll benefit the game and push her to improve.

At 32, she has a rich life that includes two gold medals, a volunteer coaching job at UCLA -- her alma mater -- enough endorsements and speaking engagements to keep her solvent, a supportive family and a year-old marriage to special education teacher Mike Lujan. Perhaps it’s because she doesn’t have to prove anything that she wants to, and she won’t rest until she has exhausted her potential and done all she can to promote softball throughout the world

“I see 2004 as an opportunity to give everything I have, and if that’s the end, that’s the end,” Fernandez said Tuesday, as she and 45 other Athens hopefuls gathered at the Olympic Training Center to begin scrimmaging today. An 18-player roster -- three of the chosen will later be designated alternates -- will be announced Monday.

“I feel I’ve accomplished a lot in the game, and if there’s nothing for me to prove, that will be the time I’ll walk away,” she added. “The mound changes have given me a chance to elevate my game. I’ve elevated my game defensively when I play third because the ball is coming at you differently. The challenge has been elevated as a hitter because you’re no longer swinging at a pingpong ball....

“As your life changes and you have other commitments, you realize how much time there is left and how much time you want to spend with your family. I still have the vigor to play, but when that dies down, I pray to God, ‘Let me know. Let me feel full, that I’ve accomplished a lot.’ ”

Much of her enthusiasm stems from her belief that she and teammates Laura Berg of Santa Fe Springs, Leah O’Brien-Amico of Chino Hills and Lori Harrigan of Las Vegas must fill the leadership role so long and ably held by Dot Richardson, who retired to pursue her medical career. Those four are the only holdovers from the Atlanta team; they and Crystl Bustos of Canyon Country and Stacey Nuveman of La Verne are the only players from the triumphant Sydney squad invited to Chula Vista.

“I’m fortunate to say I played with her and looked up to her to learn what it takes to be a first-class athlete,” Fernandez said of Richardson. “When you’re an Olympic athlete and you wear the red, white and blue, you want to make the little boys and girls who watch you proud. I learned that from Dot Richardson.

“No one can replace her. We’ve all kind of tackled the task of trying to do what she did. I’m more of an on-the-field presence. Laura Berg is a strong presence off the field. We all bring something different.”

They’ll all have to be at their best. Competition from the rest of the world has gotten better -- the U.S. team’s 112-game winning streak ended at Sydney, and it lost three times before rallying from the brink of elimination to win the gold -- but competition within the U.S. is even tighter.

“I’m excited because this is an opportunity to see what the future is of USA Softball, not only for 2004 but the youngsters who will play in 2008,” Fernandez said. “It’s an opportunity to see just how wide our talent goes. We’ve always said we could take an A team and a B team from the U.S. and finish 1-2.... It’s going to be a great experience.”