JANE LEE
Sports Editor
For just a minute I’d like to bring you back to the good ol’ days of preschool. Unfortunately, I cannot say it’s nap time, but I’ve got the next best thing — story time.
On May 24, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a gold telegraph key while sitting at his desk in the White House.
This was not just any ordinary key, however. What happened next would forever change the game of baseball.
The pressing of the key would light up a signal lamp indicating someone to throw a switch — a switch that would transform night to day and light up all 632 Mazda lamps on the eight light towers at the Cincinnati Reds’ Crosley Field.
And so the first Major League night game was played.
Fast forward to today, and every team in the majors plays dozens of games under the lights every season. The same cannot be said for college baseball stadiums, however.
Don’t be mistaken. Hundreds of college night games take place every year — just not at Pepperdine’s Eddy D. Field Stadium.
This is the same arena that has been tabbed as the most beautiful collegiate stadium in the country, yet our Waves cannot play under the bright lights.
Just under a month ago, Pepperdine hosted Long Beach State for its first regular-season home game. The Waves jumped out to a 7-0 lead before squandering seven runs to let the 49ers tie it at seven, but that was how the game would end as it was called due to darkness before we could bat in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The fact that it was called due to darkness makes it sound like Pepperdine students really do have a curfew.
Lights would not only allow for games to be played beyond the time of the sun setting on the ocean. They would bring in more fans to fill the 2,000-seat stadium.
Next time you go to a game, take a look around. You have your visiting team’s cheering section of about 20. Then there’s the section of scouts seated under the press box — half of whom probably leave early to eagerly get back to their bosses with news of a future Cy Young winner in Pepperdine’s Barry Enright.
Next to the scouts are scattered fans that usually number around 100 before you reach the group of players’ parents and girlfriends.
The missing fans are, surprisingly, neither at the beach nor in the library. They are in class because it is 2 p.m. on a Tuesday or Friday.
It’s easy to say we need more fans at the baseball games, but we can’t blame a student for not showing up because they had a history test, nor can we blame a Malibu family because the parents had work until 5 p.m.
Logic only tells us to move the games to a more convenient time of 6 p.m. Our Waves would get the proper cheering they deserve, the increased fan base would thrill our community relations department and, hey, the games would be over by 9 p.m. — a reasonable curfew time, right?
Besides, it’s a perfect way to spend a Friday night, and it’s not like you can argue that Malibu has plenty of other entertainment venues to offer.
From the team’s standpoint, lights would allow our Waves to stay in classes. Head Coach Steve Rodriguez has always promoted the importance of success both on the field and in the classroom, but a player’s education is affected when practices and games interfere with class time.
As of next year, college teams will not allowed to be a host site for an NCAA Regional unless their stadium has lights. Last season marked a program first for Pepperdine as it was awarded as a host site, but now the NCAA must cross the nation’s most picturesque stadium off their list of potential hosts.
It’s a shame, really. Even Ray Kinsella made sure his Field of Dreams had lights — and think of his budget compared to that of Pepperdine.
Adding lights to Eddy D. Field Stadium is a win-win situation for all involved. The aura of a baseball night game is incredible, and don’t tell me you can’t picture President Benton pulling that light switch with a big grin on his face.
03-01-2007
