Corner infielder Shea Hillenbrand, signed by the...
Corner infielder Shea Hillenbrand, signed by the Dodgers on Aug. 13, returned to his elementary school, Camino Grove in Arcadia, on Thursday to speak to the students there.
The visit was Hillenbrand’s idea and arranged by his agent, Daryl Buford, son of former major leaguer and USC football star Don Buford.
The message Hillenbrand delivered was that a young person can achieve his or her dream through hard work and dedication, even if there are some bumps along the way.
Hey kids: Do as I say, not as I did
“I was never the best athlete, and I was never the best student,” Hillenbrand said at a school assembly. “I had trouble paying attention.”
His first grade teacher, Julie Chacey, who still teaches at the school, verified that.
And Hillenbrand, 32, pointing at principal Brook Reynolds, said: “I’m glad you’re not the same principal who was here when I was. I made more than a few visits to the principal’s office.”
--
Trivia time
When Hillenbrand was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 29, 2003, who was the five-time All-Star he replaced at third base?
--
Farm team
Accompanying Hillenbrand to Camino Grove was his wife, Jessica, and their three adopted children.
During the off-season they live on a ranch in Gilbert, Ariz., which is not far from Mesa, where Hillenbrand went to high school.
On their ranch, the Hillenbrands have a quarter horse, three miniature horses, 30 tortoises, three rabbits and four schnauzers.
--
A real away game
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times, on today’s NHL season opener between the Kings and Ducks in London: “The puck starts there.”
--
Age-old joke
Sports Illustrated reports that the signing of 47-year-old kicker Morten Andersen by the Atlanta Falcons has resulted in all kinds of jokes, such as: “Morten cried during ‘Jurassic Park’ -- it brought back memories.”
--
Comic relief
Reader Bill Littlejohn, on Bill Murray’s spending time with the Chicago Cubs during batting practice Thursday: “Yeah, after 99 years without a championship, I guess the Cubs could use a Ghostbuster.”
--
Ouch
Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com, in ranking his top 10 most overrated athletes of all time, has the New Orleans Saints’ Reggie Bush at No. 5.
“He’s beginning to look a lot like Tony Mandarich,” wrote Freeman, referring to the offensive lineman the Green Bay Packers made the No. 2 pick in the 1989 draft who was generally considered the league’s biggest bust until Ryan Leaf came along.
Freeman, ranking David Beckham No. 1, wrote, “No one, but no one, comes even close.”
--
Leno lines
Jay Leno, on Michael Vick’s testing positive for marijuana: “Here’s the ironic part -- a drug-sniffing dog.”
Also from Leno, on Notre Dame’s 0-4 start: “It’s pretty bad. They can’t catch, they can’t run, they can’t score. Or, as we call that in L.A. -- the Dodgers.”
--
Trivia answer
Matt Williams.
--
And finally
It now appears that losing out in the Heisman Trophy voting to Bush may have provided extra incentive for Vince Young when he led Texas to victory over USC in the 2006 Bowl Championship Series title game.
“I was angry about that situation,” Young tells Scott Pelley in an interview that will air on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday night. “And I wanted to show the world that I was the real Heisman Trophy winner.”
Asked if he thinks he’s better than Bush, Young says, “I always feel like I’m better. Always.”
--
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
