On Rutschman and Kwan, the Lillards, Cam Neely, Chris Miller and an injury list for college football

Adley Rutschman, runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year with Baltimore, had the fourth-best WAR season for a rookie in MLB history

This, that and a little more about sporting subjects on my mind …

► ◄

Steven Kwan, third in AL Rookie of the Year voting, also won a Gold Glove for the Cleveland Guardians

Northwest baseball fans were understandably excited to see Seattle Mariners’ centerfielder Julio Rodriguez snare the American League Rookie of the Year award.

Oregon State faithful, though, were hoping either Adley Rutschman or Steven Kwan could sneak in ahead of Julio.

Rutschman, catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, finished second in the balloting and Kwan, leftfielder for the Cleveland Guardians, placed third.

“That makes me super proud,” says Pat Casey, the coach of the 2018 College World Series championship club that featured Rutschman and Kwan. “I doubt that has ever happened before — two guys from the same school going 2-3 in the voting.

“It makes me feel so good for them to go out and have that kind of success, and also to know what kind of guys they are. It speaks volumes about the program.”

After joining Baltimore in late May, Rutschman hit .254 with a .362 on-base percentage, 35 doubles and 13 homers in 113 games. He was credited with excellent defense behind the plate and achieved the fourth-highest WAR (wins above replacement, 5.2) by an MLB rookie catcher, behind only Carlton Fisk, Mike Piazza and Thurman Munson and just ahead of Johnny Bench.

Kwan hit .298 with a .373 on-base percentage, 25 doubles, seven triples, six homers, 89 runs scored and 19 stolen bases in 147 games. Kwan won a Gold Glove for stellar defensive play, had the most hits ever by a Cleveland rookie (168), the most runs scored (89) among AL rookies and the second-best strikeout ratio (9.4 percent) in the MLB. He was also second in WAR (5.5) among AL rookies.

In the run-up to the award’s announcement last week, MLB Network did interviews with all three finalists. It was an opportunity for Rutschman and Kwan to flaunt their alma mater. 

Rutschman: “It doesn’t feel like too long ago that Steven and I were playing on the same team competing for a national championship. A couple of years have gone by and now we’re in the same boat again. It all comes full circle. You go back to the memories you had together … it’s a really special thing to be a part of. The community in Corvallis is very tight and super supportive of Oregon State Athletics. I know they appreciate this as well. It’s cool to be a part of.”

Kwan: “I went to a Beaver (football) game this past weekend and got to see Adley. We had a quick chat about it. It’s cool Oregon State is getting some love. I’m super biased, and my yearbook is stapled open, but I think we had one of the best college teams (ever) in baseball. We had Nick Madrigal, Trevor Larnach, Cadyn Grenier, Drew Rasmussen. … We had dogs day in and day out. I love those guys. They’re my brothers. Jus being able to mention Oregon State gives me joy. I hope the Beavs are going to keep a-pushin’.”

► ◄

Houston Lillard

Damian Lillard’s older brother is still in Portland, but he is no longer coaching football at Jefferson High.

Houston Lillard is devoting full-time to his job executive director of “The Lillard Foundation.” He is in charge of “Team Lillard,” a youth team that competes in Northwest 7 on 7 football competition.

Houston, 36, is a former quarterback at Southeast Missouri State who played five years of professional indoor football.

“We use sports to bridge the gap and help kids figure out how to carry themselves and how to get to college,” he says.

Houston has been running “Team Lillard” since 2016 and has worked with such talent as Samori Toure (Nebraska, Green Bay Packers), Braden Lenzy (Notre Dame), Daniel Green (Kansas State) and Trey Lowe, Anthony Gould and Jaydon Grant (Oregon State).

The elder Lillard is also involved in personal training, “mainly quarterbacks,” he says.

► ◄

Speaking of Damian Lillard, ex-Blazer Brian Grant gives him much credit for the team’s quick early start.

And he says it all might not have happened had not Portland traded CJ McCollum to New Orleans.

“(The Blazers’) chemistry is really good,” says Grant, who lives in West Linn. “I attribute that to Damian, and I’m not sure it could have happened with CJ still here. They were both great players, and they had so much respect for each other, but it was just too hard.

“CJ is doing fine down in New Orleans and Dame is doing his thing, embracing all his teammates. You can see the guys reacting to his leadership.”

► ◄

The Winterhawks will make Cam Neely, now president of the Boston Bruins, their first player to have his jersey number retired

In the 46-year history of their franchise, the Winterhawks have never retired the jersey number of a player.

But they’re about to.

Cam Neely, who played for the Western Hockey League club for only a season and a half (1982-83) before embarking on a Hall of Fame NHL career, is about to be honored with retirement of the No. 21 he wore while with the Hawks.

Since 2010, Neely has been president of the Boston Bruins. Portland officials are working to set up a date in March in which Neely can be on hand for the ceremony. If it doesn’t work, they’ll push the date back a year.

Neely, now 57, was perhaps the most important member of the 1982-83 Memorial Cup champions. The aggressive right winger scored 56 goals and 120 points in the regular season, then added nine goals and 11 assists in 14 playoff games. I covered the inaugural Winterhawks of 1976-77 for The Oregon Journal and have seen nearly every player come through the organization. Neely is on a short list of those players I considered most fun to watch.

Neely stepped right into the Vancouver Canucks lineup after 19 games with the Winterhawks in 1983-84. He played three seasons in Vancouver and then 10 NHL seasons with the Bruins before a knee injury ended his career at age 31. Neely, who scored 395 goals in 726 regular-season games and 57 goals in 93 postseason clashes, was a five-time NHL All-Star and was four times named to the All-NHL second team.

Neely’s No. 8 is retired by the Bruins; he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005. Only 10 players in NHL history have a better goals-per-game average for a career. Yes, the guy has cred.

The Neely Cup, an annual event in which the team’s players and prospects participate in fitness testing, on-ice sessions and intrasquad games, is named in his honor of him.

► ◄

Chris Miller is at least temporarily out of coaching, living in Eugene and working for Lund Development Solutions and the Eugene Mission (courtesy Chris Miller)

Chris Miller has been playing or coaching football forever. Now the former Oregon and NFL quarterback is away from the game and living in Eugene.

“It’s been my first free fall since 1981,” says Miller, 57, who played 10 seasons with the Falcons, Rams and Broncos. He didn’t mean freefall, but he kind of did.

“Very enjoyable,” he says of his time away from coaching. “I went to a Chargers game with Mark Herbert (Justin’s dad). We played high school ball together (at Sheldon). I went to an Arkansas-BYU game and have watched several Oregon games and high school games a bunch. It’s been kind of fun to just be a fan.”

Miller was quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals from 2009-11 and had a short stint as an offensive coordinator in the XFL, but he made his reputation as a coach in these parts at the high school level. Miller coached at South Eugene from 2001-06 and again in 2013. He had great success at West Linn from 2014-21, getting to the state finals in 2015 and winning a state title the next year.

Family circumstances changed his career course. He moved to Eugene in September in part to help care for his parents, who are in their ‘80s and early ‘90s.

“I’m living five minutes away from them,” says Miller, who is doing philanthropy work for Lund Development Solutions and also serving as donor and community relations for the Eugene Mission.

“I’m involved in the men’s and women’s life program (at Eugene Mission), trying to help people get things in order after coming off the streets,” he says. “I’m doing some of the Lord’s work and some feel-good work. I’m working with five ladies, which is kind of fun after being in a male testosterone world for so many years.”

Miller still has a hand in the football world training quarterbacks, including former Lakeridge High star Eric Dungy, now signed in the XFL. Will he return to coaching at some point?

“For now, I’m committed to Lund Development and the Eugene Mission,” Miller says. “It’s been nice to return the favor to my parents by looking after them after all they did for me. I’ll probably get involved with something — not as a head coach, but an assistant or consultant.”

► ◄

It’s time for FBS teams to be required to file an “injury list” in the week prior to games, as the NFL has done for years.

Some college coaches hide injuries so as to not tip off the opposition as it puts together its game plan for the upcoming game. I’m not convinced it makes much difference, if any at all. A substitute filling a position isn’t going to change the look or plan of a team’s offense or defense. The skill level might not be the same, but the offensive or defensive plan is unlikely to be affected. I think it’s more than some coaches want total control over everything.

The NFL’s biggest reason for an injury list is gambling. The NFL wants to avoid any situation that makes it looks like inside information about a player’s health was delivered from a representative of the team.

People bet money on college games, too. Big money. Gamblers are always looking for a little skinny on injured players so as to post a smarter bet. That can be eliminated with a mandatory injury report late in the week before game day.

If you don’t think college athletics has become a business, Google “NIL.”

College teams need an injury list, just like the pros. Sorry, Chip Kelly.

► ◄

Going through a list in “Basketball Maniac’s Almanac,” I saw an item that was of great interest.

Eight of the top 36 coaches who have coached 1,000 NBA career regular-season games worked in Portland during their careers.

The list, with numbers carrying through the 2021-22 season, includes Lenny Wilkens (first, 2,487 games), Rick Adelman (10th, 1,791), Jack Ramsay (12th, 1,647), Rick Carlisle (tied for 15th, 1,607), Nate McMillan (19th, 1,369), Mike Dunleavy (21st, 1,329), Mike D’Antoni (26th, 1,199) and Terry Stotts (36th, 1,003). Wilkins, Adelman, Ramsay, McMillan, Dunleavy and Stotts were head coaches. Carlisle was an assistant for P.J. Carlesimo from 1994-97. D’Antoni was an assistant for Dunleavy in 2000-01.

Also: Portland native Erik Spoelstra began the season in 29th place with 1,113 games. “Spo” will move up considerably before he is through.

► ◄

Readers: what are your thoughts? I would love to hear them in the comments below. On the comments entry screen, only your name is required, your email address and website are optional, and may be left blank.

Follow me on Twitter.

Like me on Facebook.

Find me on Instagram.

Be sure to sign up for my emails.