Sunday Notebook

By Jeff Welsch
Sports Editor

At first sensing and then finally inviting the inevitable, Allen Throop spent his final few days saying good-bye to his favorite son, his favorite daughter and his favorite wife.

On Monday, he reluctantly but peacefully said good-bye to his favorite life.

Allen, whose periodic Venture stories took our readers to extraordinary places in the American West, died at age 59 after a brief but noble struggle with that cruelest of diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

I didn't know Allen long, but I certainly knew him long enough.

I appreciated him early for his ability to paint vivid pictures of such places as Yellowstone National Park, the northern Rockies and Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge.

I appreciated him late for his unwavering spirit and determination to squeeze every ounce of opportunity from the creeping tentacles of his body's limitations.

I appreciate him now for showing me how to die with dignity, grace and even humor.

And I'll always smile at the way he somehow wove "my favorite wife," Janet, into his stories about hiking, cycling and, in his final months, wheelchair riding in his beloved outdoors.

It always seemed unfair to me that someone so vibrant, so adventurous and so connected to the world around him would suffer such a fate.

Yet if Allen thought such thoughts, it was darkness shown inward.

He saw himself on the same track as everyone else, except that the fates had pushed the fast-forward button on his life.

To Allen, it only meant that every moment was just that much more precious.

Last summer, when friends and family gathered for a "wake" at one of his favorite places, Beazell Memorial Forest near Wren, Allen listened to one glowing story after another and then, through twinkling eyes, quipped, "when I'm gone you can say what you really think."

Well, suffice it to say nothing has changed except that the eyes, spirit and dignity have evolved from the physical to the spiritual.

He's still our favorite Allen Throop.

Big opportunity?

News that 6-foot-11 former high school All-American David Padgett is leaving Kansas after one year presents some intriguing possibilities for OSU fans, if only for bar-stool maybes and what-ifs.

Padgett, who hails from Reno, Nev., will have his choice of schools, but it isn't inconceivable that OSU could be in the picture.

For starters, Padgett's grandfather, Jim, played for Oregon State in the early 1950s. In addition, Beaver coach Jay John and Padgett's father, Pete, are good friends.

Pete Padgett actually pointed John in the direction of 6-9 Kyle Jeffers and 7-2 Liam Hughes, two of the few players that were a handful for David in high school.

Now, Padgett can have his pick of schools, and he chose Kansas to play for Roy Williams, who left soon after for North Carolina. Thing is, the Jayhawks weren't too pleased about Williams' departure, and they likely won't be as cooperative in releasing Padgett from his scholarship to compete for a rival elite program.

There's more: One reason Padgett left Kansas was because he was playing the post, and he prefers the "four", or power forward, position. That just happens to be OSU's weakest link.

Hmmm.

Also in the recruiting game, keep an eye on Jesuit High point guard Josh Tarver, who is high on OSU's list.

No-no for Forsch

The most memorable professional moment for a former OSU baseball player took place 25 years ago this month.

Ken Forsch, who pitched for the Beavers in 1967-68, no-hit the Atlanta Braves 6-0 on April 7, 1979. At the time the earliest no-hitter in major league history.

"In the seventh inning, I smelled it," Forsch said afterward. "I figured that my rhythm was going so well there was no way they were going to get a hit.

"It was the most thrilling moment of my life."

It remained the earliest no-hitter until Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers beat him by a day in 2001.

Ironically, Forsch nearly missed the start, his first of the season, because of an insect bite that caused swelling to his right arm and left him ill.

The gem also gave Forsch another piece of baseball history. His brother, Bob, pitched a no-hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals a year earlier, making them the first siblings to accomplish the feat.

After retiring with the California Angels in 1986, Forsch remained in southern California. He was assistant general manager for the Angels until this season.

Short stuff

• Former OSU assistant women's basketball coach Jennifer Young has been released as head coach at Cal-Riverside after seven seasons.

• Greg Howes, 27, who played soccer for Oregon State and the Willamette Valley Firebirds, is a virtual shoo-in for Most Valuable Player of the Major Indoor Soccer League, thanks to a standout season with the Milwaukee Wave. Howe had 85 points and 57 goals, both league highs.

• One-time Corvallis High baseball standout Kevin Gregg is off to a strong start with the Anaheim Angels. Gregg has appeared in four games, allowing two hits and striking out five in five innings for the American League West favorites.

• Albany resident Kirk Rose will represent the United States next month in the world triathlon championships in Portugal.

• Ex-Beaver baseball player Matt Bailie (1995-98) will join the Schaumberg (Ill.) Flyers of the independent Northern League on May 1. He is serving as junior varsity baseball coach at Aloha High School.

• Former Oregon State running back Steven Jackson appeared on Fox's "Best Dam Sports Show Period" on Wednesday night. Jackson is projected to be a first-round NFL draft choice and is thought to be headed to Denver.

• One-time OSU baseball player Tom Kissner is the Northwest Area Scouting Supervisor for the Philadelphia Phillies and lives in Edmonds, Wash. He scouts western Canada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Hawaii.

Trivia

Can't resist this one: Who is the only Major League Baseball player in history to wear his birthday on the back of his jersey top?

Ironmen

Corvallis has produced an extraordinary number of ultra-athletes in recent years, especially triathletes.

Chances are that four locals — Nathan Smith, Michael Tasman, Bill Fleck and Jess Hickerson — will be among the 100 qualifiers for what's considered the eighth most challenging sporting event in the world.

All four have been there. They'll attempt to qualify for this year's event when they compete in the Idaho Ironman on June 26 in Coeur d'Alene.

The Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and 26.2-mile run. Competitors start at 7 a.m. and must finish by midnight.

Trivia answer

Carlos May, who played for the Chicago White Sox in the 1970s.

May wore No. 17.

His birthday: May 17.

Get it?