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55 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, May 9, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 16, 2004 MONTE McABEE MEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL, 1976 By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Monte McAbee has both a highlight and a regret from his playing days in the mid-1970s. The highlight was leading the Medford Mustangs to the American Legion baseball state championship the summer after his senior year, the program’s first state title. The regret is not having done similarly the spring before. "When you’re playing for your dad, you hope to do a little better," says McAbee, whose father, Jim, was a longtime Medford High baseball coach. Injuries to key players hindered the Black Tornado. But with them healthy in the summer, the group defeated Corvallis 3-0 in a best-of-five championship series and advanced as far as the Northwest Regional, where McAbee hit for the cycle in one game. So, how was it playing high school ball for his father? Advertisement "Since he’ll read this," laughs Monte McAbee, "I’ll say he was fair. But he made sure I did my share of the grunt work when I was a junior." Monte McAbee is now a Redding, Calif., health-care representative for Pfizer Inc., a pharmaceutical company. He lives there with his wife of 14 years, Melissa, and sons, Patrick, 16, and Matthew, 13. His daughter, Sydney, 18, is a senior at Crater High. McAbee studied finance and marketing while starring on the San Diego State baseball team that included Tony Gwynn. After a four-year pro career in which he climbed as high as Class AA, he put his education to work. "I enjoy the health-care business," says McAbee. "I find it interesting. It’s ever-changing and evolving, and it gives me a chance to give something back and help people in need. I’ve found it rewarding in that way." McAbee played two years of varsity football, basketball and baseball at Medford. He was an all-conference linebacker and an all-state center fielder as a senior, when the Tornado lost a season-ending doubleheader to Klamath Falls that cost it a trip to the playoffs. At San Diego State, he started for four years under coach Jim Dietz and played with future big-leaguers Gwynn, Bud Black, Bobby Meacham, Chris Jones and Al Newman. "I could hit, that’s the only reason I was around," says McAbee. He was twice named to the all-Western Athletic Conference team and was the Aztecs’ MVP as a senior, beating out even Gwynn. "Tony played basketball, so he missed about 20-25 games," says McAbee. "But every year he’d still come out and hit about .400." In McAbee’s junior season, the Aztecs were 55-18-1 and lost in the NCAA regionals. In pro ball, he played three years for Oakland, beginning his career with the Class A team in Medford, and one season with the Chicago White Sox. "That was a good time," he says. "I played a few Triple-A games and a couple of big league spring games, just to get a taste of what I wasn’t going to be doing." Nevertheless, he didn’t come away empty-handed. "Anybody who plays sports knows that just being competitive helps in anything you do in life," says McAbee. "You learn a lot of values, like not quitting, the team concept and how it takes more than one person to succeed, that sort of thing. It gives you a level head, baseball especially. You don’t get too high or too low because tomorrow’s another day." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times