Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 17, 2001, Winnipeg, Manitoba Win Mim is 2001 sports c3 Ken Violiotti free press Abou Mechek 67 helps hold off Rush during the coaches Are raving about his conditioning and work ethic and see him winning a but of look at him now 0lines Abou Mechek shed put on looks like starter bomber by Gary Lawless most sports fans have had moments of minor revulsion while watching tons saucy talk show off the but Blue bombers head coach Dave Ritchie had a real scare this Winter when he caught an episode featuring one of his offensive lineman Mike i saw him Abou Mechek on on that Michael Landsberg whats it off the and i of my he looked like he was 400 pounds and he had no Ritchie said yesterday after putting his club through their seventh Day of training but he must have walked off that program and started lifting weights with a he has super Defini Tion Hes Hes Hes really taking care of his body like he wants to play for a Long if he keeps working like he i see him win Ning a Abou Mechek would have to smile at those probably at the fat Guy he admits to being powered in the of season by lebanese delicacies like falafel and lots of but the winning position Well that would have the 25yearold willing to dance on his newly healed left the left leg is at the heart of what Abou Mechek called a very Long off the Toronto native of lebanese heritage broke his leg in week 10 last in the Middle of his first season As a starter in the i got Hurt right said the Affa ble while pointing to an area about 20 Yards from his Posi Tion on a sideline probably around the i was pulling had to make a Quick Cut and i turned on my left foot it i didst think it was i was Gonna ice it and come Back out for the second the Doc came just touched i almost went through the youre out for the take your uniform Glutton sessions unable to Abou Mechek hit the weights heavy he probably was a Little Liberal with the Friday night Glutton sessions he regularly sits in on in the Toronto area with a few other i got real then that probably too so i Cut Back and now in the Fine specimen you see right laughs the economics and theology student out of the University of Western if the leg want enough motivation for Abou Mechek during the offset he had the misfortune of working out at the same gym As one of the cols most feared what i used As a motivating Factor i let up two sacks last against the Argos Johnny and he works out at the same gym As i do in 4 Days until Winnipeg at Montreal when june fact Alou ettes running Back Eric a two time Hec Crighton Winner As Canadas top University football will be playing for his fourth team in Only three Cal Lapointe has already suited up with Toronto and now so All i had to do was look across the Hes 1 on my hit i think Hes the Best lineman in the league in looking to Battle to be the you gotta beat the coaching changes have a Way of making depth charts flexible and bombers new offensive line Mike had Abou Mechek open Camp in a backup but Gibson says that no longer the i really like his work said he played last Here and got i came up Here and thought he was a Good athlete but did it really know How Good a football player he Hes working Hes trying to do the things we want him to and if we were were Gonna play hed definitely be a the work according to has really stood out in the last few he Abou Mechek never asks to come i pushed him hard the last couple of Days and he Hast asked to come were Down a few Guys with injuries and so he Hast had a Chance to rest sometimes you get that player who looks Over at can i come out but this kid Hast done it and in really Happy about Back in the trenches defensive line Man Julian Graham returned to prac Tice yesterday after missing several Days with a strained injuries offensive guard Eddie Blake offensive guard Brett Macneil knee and line Backer Terrence Miles defensive Back Marcus Washington ankle and linebacker Marcus Wiggins Miles and Wiggins will not practise today while Macneil and Washington Are so Long now guest coaches Mike Gray and Kirk Hoza got a fond Farewell with a chill still in the air around at the begin Ning of yesterdays first Gray and Hoza were corralled by a mob of taped to the goalposts and doused with thanks for comin you meant a lot the 3 my rows Bat takes a Day off swat King goes 04 fish still sink re Hawks by Paul Wiecek Gold eyes 7 its the same question everywhere you go in the Northern league these from Duluth to Paul to Here in everyone wants to know the same thing whats up with Brian Myrow this year that the million Dollar int it Myrow chuckled Here yesterday prior to the second of a three game series Between the Winnipeg Gold eyes and the rival Fargo i wish i knew what Myrow and seemingly every one else wants to know is How a Guy who has languished in relative obscurity for the past two seasons with the fish has suddenly emerged As the most dangerous offensive threat in the entire Northern my rows Bat was unusually quiet last going but then his club didst need any More pop As the fish jumped All Over Fargo starter Brian Gillow for five runs through three innings on their to a 72 the fish starter Rafael Gross threw a five hit Complete game Gem to improve his record to first baseman Luis Ortiz had three including his first Homer As a while do Mike Meggers added his eighth Homer of the a two run shot in the the Gold eyes 148 play Fargo 166 in the rubber game of the series this impressive leaving last night my rows sea son numbers Are impressive a league leading nine homers tied with Sioux Falls Jermaine dominating the league in Al important on base percent age at Hes almost 100 Points better than and running away with the rib race with 35 eight ahead of the next but the biggest Monument to what Myrow has accomplished already this season might just be How Seldom this year weve heard the name of his Long time predecessor at second perhaps youve heard of him some Guy named Brian the most valuable and most popu Lar Gold Eye for six the fish thought so much of duvas work at Sec Ond base that there actually retiring old number 5 during a july big shoes for Myrow to in other Hes had a lot of pressure on him coming in and taking duvas says Gold eyes manager Hal but Hes done a great Job for we knew he could but i dont think anyone expected that would include a 24year old education Grad from fort who spends his Winters supervising the room at his local High school where All the suspended kids spend their its not As bad As it says there still just who turned about 15 pounds of fat into muscle Over the Winter and is using a slightly heavier Bat this Hopes his lofty numbers might yet trans late into a spot somewhere in a big league it would be the first real look with an organization for who was signed by the Gold eyes in 1999 straight out of Louisiana id like to think if i keep playing the Way i ill get a he but its still so Early in the i could go into a slump and everyone will forget about the Start of the if Hes going to he will have to work on his he entered yes Ken Gigliotti Winnipeg free press Myrow left Hopes exploits on offence Lead to a shot with Ter Days game leading the team in errors with and Lanier spent batting practice with his Young protege going Over the Art of positioning in the Hes still got to get used to playing there every says but in not Hes going to make some it will it just wont happen but then again hard work May take 940th draft to the big when major league baseball compiled its list of eligible draft age Dave parkers profile read like this Large fastball sinks when from Remote needs pro competes in world level there it is that Remote area reference to a Pittsburgh hockey reporter once there Are people even from Remote hockey outposts like its although its not annoying at All to David Parker of Sisler High school in he didst care if they said he was from the All that mattered was that Dave parkers name was called on draft the 940th selection in the 2001 major league baseball Parker is a 220pound right hander who has All the raw the second Winnipeg Ger to be taken in the draft 17yearold Brian Sabourin of the Bon vital Black sox was taken 579th by Parker is not a complicated in a he throws fans and this baseball fans can wander out to can West global buy a ticket and watch Parker Start the first game of a at 2 parkers North Winnipeg pirates will meet the defending Cham Pion Elmwood giants in a Winnipeg senior league at 5 the pirates will play the Steinbach for the game 1 will provide the most it will feature a kid who has All the raw Fie just needs somebody to turn the eggs and sugar into the important thing for me is just to work hard and have a Good summer playing with team said Park a member of our National youth pro if i have a Good summer and show people i can really throw hard and have command of my then maybe ill get a shot with the dodgers at Spring training next Parker is an interesting he had some problems Early in his even a scrape with the but according to George manager of the the fire Baller has changed his Hes really a great Young Smith you wont get any smart ass from Hes polite and respect Ful its All no sir at least with me Hes a Good and Hes a Good i have a four seam fastball and a two Seamer that dives Down on right handed he in working a 126 that the Way they All throw pm in the big leagues and that one of the things dodgers scout Jim Chapman said hed like me to work even though Hes been clocked at 90 93 on the he understands that hitting is about timing and pitch ing is about disrupting that i know i have to work on my mechanics and my he i know that i cant always rely on my especially against profession Al but i know that if i work really hard and have a Good ill have a Good Chance to get Down to Spring i feel my Arm is now i just have to do the Parker started pitching when he was Hes had some solid coaching during his but always mentions Dave Konowalchuk and Doug Stokes when he talks about the Guys who helped him Doug was probably my Best he he really helped me a lot in a lot of different if nothing Stokes planted the hard work Parker knows that if he Doest do More work than everyone hell never get to Spring training in Vero let alone the clubhouse at dodger Parker is also of another kid from around these parts who was selected in the 26th round of the 1994 major league that kid was never supposed to make it if i work hard and listen to my i know ill get a he i know this int going to happen in prepared to put in the work and take All the time that Neces this is what i want to Dave parkers chances of Ever reaching the major leagues Are fright fully of Corey who spent five years battling it out at every level of the was never supposed to reach the big leagues Koskie ripped his 14th double of the year during a game at legendary Wrigley Field in Good things will come to those who Are prepared to work one helluva lot harder than everybody else 0 ;