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Sunday, June 1, 2008
Views From The Dugout
Central Indiana, IN
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The voicemail greeting on Pat O'Neil's cell phone is O'Neil asking a question that has plagued mankind for years: "Who let the 'Dogs out?" The eighth-year Brownsburg baseball coach bleeds purple now, but early on it was the orange of LaPorte High School, his alma mater. A Slicer from the Class of 1975, O'Neil played for and later coached under legendary coach Ken Schreiber, who in 38 seasons won an astounding 1,010 games and seven Indiana state baseball titles. O'Neil's baseball résumé isn't anything to sneeze at, either, as coach 'O' led Brownsburg to the Class 4A championship in 2005 and a pair of runner-up finishes prior to that. With the 2008 postseason under way, HSSTM's Mike Beas interviewed O'Neil for a quick session of chatter-up.
Beas: You are baseball royalty in the sense you played at LaPorte (Class of 1975) under legendary coach Ken Schreiber. Describe that experience.
O'Neil: It's a blessing in disguise. Schreib lived and died with fundamentals and he was hard on you. It was like a job. Like any other teenager, you sometimes questioned that, but I was fortunate enough to come back to LaPorte and be an assistant for seven years (1983-90) and we won two state championships.
Beas: Your brother, Chip, now the coach at South Bend Clay, was coach at South Bend St. Joseph’s when you got your start as an assistant 27 years ago. Any sibling rivalry or disagreements in the dugout?
O'Neil: No. He did tell me to keep it quiet a couple of times because I would get on the umpires. I'm proud of him. Chip just won his 500th career game. We both played for Schreib, and his and my demeanors are the same.
Beas: Prior to coming to Brownsburg, you scouted three years for the Tampa Bay Rays. How does that experience help with your current job?
O'Neil: It gave me a better feel for what a kid has to do to get better and I try to incorporate that into our program. It's a year-round thing, but I love Brownsburg and the high school because it gives 100 percent to the baseball program and all programs.
Beas: Who are the current high school coaches or Major League Baseball (MLB) managers you enjoy watching?
O'Neil: MLB managers I enjoy are Lou Pinella and Bobby Cox. Even though they are older, they are still doing things with passion, are always in the game and have high baseball IQ's. High school coaches are Ken Schreiber, my brother Chip and Terry Gobert at Jasper.
Beas: And during the summer months, we can find you rooting for…
O'Neil: The Chicago Cubs. Growing up in LaPorte, it was easy to keep track of them back in the days of Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins, etc.
Beas: What exactly is your coaching philosophy and how has it changed over the course of time due to the personnel or you, dare I say, mellowing out?
O'Neil: I believe the program comes first. You stick by your rules and regulations and you make your players realize that baseball is important. Success breeds success and the younger kids see that. You give 100 percent to the program and to each other and you have a good chance for success.
Beas: Former Bulldogs are everywhere, with Lance Lynn at the University of Mississippi, Drew Storen at Stanford, T.J. Baumet at Ball State and so on. How hard is it to keep tabs on what these guys are doing?
O'Neil: Every year it's exciting. I'll jump in the car and go see these guys play. I look at everyone's schedule and if we have a day off and I can go see one of them play, I'll do that. I told Drew that California is a little far away, but I told him that if Stanford gets to Omaha (for the College World Series beginning June 14), I'll be there. He said, 'Coach, I think we have a chance.'
Beas: What do you most appreciate about these current Bulldogs you’re coaching, a team led by seniors Zach Harrison and Mark Conover, as well as junior catcher Tucker Barnhardt?
O'Neil: Coming into this season we had only three full-time starters back. But the players on this team are hard workers with great chemistry. I like their baseball IQ and they play with enthusiasm and do things the right way.
Beas: Describe the importance of the home team – in your case wife, Sue, and daughters Maureen, 25, and Katie, 21.
O’Neil: Being married 27 years, Sue understands what coaching is all about. The benefits of having a great coach's wife like Sue is the stability you have knowing of the support she provides. Having someone to talk things out pertaining to the game, players, parents and school gives me a chance to hear another opinion and suggestions. Knowing she's at the game, even more so now with both Maureen and Katie out on their own, brings a sense of positive support. And of course, the late meals, scheduling of events, laundry are organized quite well. And my two daughters, they'll show up for a game and surprise me. They'll show up with a big smile and a hug and that means a lot.
Beas: This is Indiana, so, finally, I must ask you where you were inside Conseco Fieldhouse when Gordon Hayward’s last-second shit beat Marion for the Class 4A basketball title this past winter?
O’Neil: On the side, even with the basket and about halfway up. Prior to the play happening, about five people seated near me asked, ‘Coach, what would you do’ and I said, ‘You’ve got two 6-foot-8 players down there, so just throw it to one of those two.’ When the pass was made and it looked like Marion had intercepted it, it was like, ‘Ahhhh!’ I’m sure some people missed the shot. It was just pure excitement for the kids and for the coaches. I was jumping on anyone and everyone. I think I almost flipped (former BHS baseball assistant) Scott Garrard over my shoulder and caught him before his head hit the ground. Everyone survived. My back hurt for a few days, but it was worth it.
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