Beijing Blog: The Final Curtain

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Final Curtain

Well, The XXIX Olympiad is finally over. It was one of the greatest Olympic Games ever. From the Opening Ceremonies to the final USA Gold these Olympics were nothing short of spectacular. Michael Phelps’s Gold rush and the Chinese athletic dominance are but some of the memorable moments. My schedule was very hectic during the games: preparing for the next opponent, strategizing with my manager Jim Lefebvre, and debriefing our games with our Chinese staff. We started off with 3 day games in a row and that was very taxing, not to mention the double overtime and the rain postponed games really threw a wrench into our plans.

It is hard to believe that after spending seven months with each other, day by day, I may never see any of them again. It was a very sobering thought as we said our goodbyes. After an emotional and tearfilled goodbye with the China Baseball Team it was now time to take a break and enjoy my time with my family. It will go down as one of the greatest experiences in my life.

Now that I have had time to reflect I will break down our performances at the Olympics. I have broken it down into three categories and they will follow in order after this post.
On a scale of one to ten, I would consider our performances a perfect ten. Let me explain.

About Steve Ontiveros

During the summer, after his senior year, Steve attended an area-scouting combine held by the Cincinnati Reds. He was so impressive that he was asked to attend a second camp, where he threw before all of the scouts. It was during this performance that he impressed the head coach of the University of Michigan. Steve signed a letter of intent that day to play baseball at Michigan.
Steve went on to study sports medicine at the University of Michigan. It was here that he took pre-med courses in Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics, Kinesiology, and Exercise Physiology.
Steve became the cornerstone of the pitching staff at the University of Michigan posting the most wins, strikeouts, ERA, innings pitched and appearances record. In his first two years at the University of Michigan, his teams won two Big Ten titles and played in the College World Series. During Steve's junior year, he was the Oakland A's first selection of the 1982 June Amateur Draft.
Steve's professional career started during the summer of 1982 and endured until the end of the 2001 season. He played for five Major League clubs: Oakland (six years), Philadelphia (three years), Anaheim (two years), and parts of two seasons with Seattle and Boston.

Career Highlights

A sensational rookie campaign where he was eight of eight in save opportunities and posted a 1.93 ERA, good for second in the league. Being selected as American League Pitcher of the Month in June 1987, posting a 5-0 record and a 0.66 ERA. It was his first month as starting pitcher after 100 appearances in relief. A member of the 1988 Oakland World Series team that fell to the Dodger's in four games. Being used as a pinch runner in pivotal games by manager Tony La Russa. Winning the American League ERA Title with a 2.65 ERA besting Roger Clemens (2.87). Being selected to the 1995 American League All-Star Game. Carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning, finishing with a one-hit shutout over the N.Y. Yankees. During his career, Steve was highly skilled in the Art of Pitching, mastering seven different pitches and was gifted with the ability to teach these pitches. Throughout Steve's career, he has effectively utilized his skills in pitching, hitting, and fielding to become a valuable resource and mentor at Line Drives and to the baseball community at large.

Beijing Blog

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Final Curtain

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About Steve Ontiveros

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