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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Sport crabbers could return to South Coast today ... Jackson County proposes marijuana grow restrictions ... Medford begins accepting license applications for dispensaries ... Sport crabbers could return to South Coast today ... Jackson County proposes marijuana grow restrictions ... Medford begins accepting license applications for dispensaries ... Padre GM returns to lend hand By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN MailTribune.com By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN Posted Oct. 11, 1997 at 2:00 AM Updated Jan 12, 2011 at 1:21 PM By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN Posted Oct. 11, 1997 at 2:00 AM Updated Jan 12, 2011 at 1:21 PM » Social News When times are tough, San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers sayshe can feel former Medford High football coach Fred Spiegelberg by his side. In spirit. I have a piece of Spieg with me, says Towers. I canfeel him around me. I can see his face. Towers, 35, who recently completed his second season as the second-youngestgeneral manager in major league baseball, was the featured speaker on Fridayat the weekly meeting of the Medford Linebackers at Rogue Valley CountryClub. He was also in town to play in the Medford Linebackers/Asante HealthSystems Golf Tournament, a fund-raiser for local high school sports. Towers helped guide the Padres to the 1996 National League Western Divisiontitle, and was a strong candidate to be named baseball's executive of theyear. He was edged out by Texas Rangers general manager Doug Melvin. Just winning the division, drawing over 2,000,000 people and havingseveral of our players honored for great seasons was enough for me,says Towers. If I had a bonus in my contract, I would have been madI didn't get executive of the year. But since I didn't, it was fine. In 1996, San Diego third baseman Ken Caminiti was named National Leaguemost valuable player and Tony Gwynn won his seventh batting title. In addition,San Diego manager Bruce Bochy was named National League manager of the year. I share in those awards, and it was very rewarding to see thoseguys honored. It says I did something right, too. Towers, an all-state pitcher in baseball in addition to playing cornerbackfor the Black Tornado, was a 1980 graduate of Medford High. Two of his closestfriends on the 1979 football team were Barry Spiegelberg, son of the headcoach, and receiver Lenny Griggs. The three played together in Friday's golf tournament. All three agreedthat Towers was an appropriate speaker for a fund-raising golf tournamentfor local youth in Spiegelberg's memory. Kevin and my dad were very close, says Barry Spiegelberg.He was over at our house constantly. My dad practically adopted him. He was right there for him. Towers repaid his coach with effort and by making big plays. Three ofhis biggest plays came in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs when heintercepted three passes against Churchill of Eugene. Three interceptions in a playoff game has to be a record,says Barry Spiegelberg. It was really neat to see that happen. Andit helped us win, obviously. Towers, 35, entertained a large gathering of Medford Linebackers andgolfers with humorous stories prior to playing in the tournament on Fridayafternoon. I moved here when I was a freshman in high school, says Towers.When my mom told me were moving to Medford, she said it would be abig deal for me because they played such good football here. I was from California, and I had never heard of the place. I said,`Yeah, right,' when she said they were good in football. A few weeks later, Towers went to his first football practice. I saw a bunch of big guys pounding on each other, he says.I said to myself, `These guys are good.' I knew I had better stepup if I was ever going to play for these guys. An all-state pitcher for Medford High, Towers made a name for himselfin baseball. But Spiegelberg wanted him to be a football player, too. They were close and dad wanted him out there, says BarrySpiegelberg. He started out as a third-team cornerback his senioryear and he was starting by the middle of the season. The Black Tornado stormed into the state semifinals in 1979 and lostan emotional 13-12 game to eventual state champion Corvallis at SpiegelbergStadium. I remember warming up for that game in awe, says Towers.The place was packed, and there were people sitting on the rooftopsin the background of the stadium to get a better look. There was a realenergy in the air. The Black Tornado was denied the victory when Corvallis fullback JimSolberg ran 80 yards to the Medford 1-yard line in the fourth quarter. TheSpartans scored one play later when center Tony Hansen recovered a Solbergfumble in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. The Black Tornado drove desperately back, but was denied an apparenttouchdown when Corvallis cornerback Harold Reynolds bumped Medford receiverLenny Griggs in the air as the two players battled for the football. The ball was slightly underthrown and Griggs had to wait. It was clearly going to be a touchdown, says Spiegelberg.Lenny was four steps beyond Reynolds. Says Griggs: That play still sort of haunts me. I think about thatgame a lot because I was open and because I separated my shoulder for thethird time on that play. Towers says he vividly remembers the game. It was the only high school football game that I lost, hesays. I remember B.G. (Gould) stood in the end zone after the gamewith all of us and led us in a prayer. Today'sSports Index, By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN MailTribune.com By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN Posted Oct. 11, 1997 at 2:00 AM Updated Jan 12, 2011 at 1:21 PM » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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