Knocking it around on a few sports items on my mind …

Dwight “The Godfather” Jaynes has returned to the Portland sports media scene.

On Thursday, Jaynes joined Chad Doing as co-host of “Rip City Drive” on Rip City Radio (620 AM). It’s the first time the pair has worked together on radio for 12 years and the first time “The Godfather” has been gainfully employed since NBC Sports Northwest left the air a year ago.

On Thursday’s debut show, Jaynes said he is “coming full circle” with the return to radio.

“Radio is where I started,” he told listeners. “Before I was reading the newspaper as a kid, I was listening to late-night radio. As I got older, I listened to Armed Forces radio on a shortwave radio my Dad gave me.”

As a professional, though, Jaynes’ start was on the print side. In 1974, he gained employment at the Oregon Journal, beginning a celebrated newspaper sportswriting career that spanned more than three decades. He hosted a radio talk show for a couple of years before serving an eight-year stint with The Portland Tribune that ended in 2008. Since then, Jaynes has been on the electronic side, working in both radio and TV.

Tune him in on Rip City Radio and he’ll offer his opinion. That much, I can guarantee you.

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Finally, more than two years after his death, relatives were able to have a memorial service for Harry Glickman.

The Trail Blazers’ patriarch died on June 10, 2020, at age 96. His service was twice postponed due to the Covid pandemic. It was finally held on July 8 at Congregation Beth Israel with a crowd of about 325 people in attendance. Among the speakers were members of his family, Senator Ron Wyden, former Blazer guard Terry Porter and ex-Buckaroos hockey player Tommy McVie.

Later that day, the Blazers hosted a reception at Moda Center, attended by at least 200.

“It was kind of a reunion,” says Marshall Glickman, Harry’s son. “I saw people I haven’t seen for years. It was really nice that so many people who knew my Dad were there to pay tribute to him.”

I knew Harry from the time I was a little kid. He was friends with my father, John, who at the time was sports information director at Oregon State. During that era, Harry was the ultimate sports promoter in the state, starting with boxing, then morphing into NFL, NHL and NBA exhibitions and other shows. He brought the hockey Buckaroos to town in 1960 and the Blazers a decade later. You could argue there has been no more important person in the history of sports in our state than Harry. He even wrote a book entitled “Promoter Ain’t a Dirty Word.”

“The title is better than the book,” quips Marshall. Well, I liked the book.

And I liked Harry. A straight shooter all the way. He held respect for the media and was always cooperative with interview requests. If you called him, he either answered the phone or got back to you promptly.

I went to lunch with him a number of times after his retirement in 1994, often with Dwight Jaynes. I always enjoyed chatting with him. He was forthcoming with opinions, too, and usually they weren’t off the record. Paul Allen didn’t appreciate some of the things he said about him in one of my columns for the Portland Tribune, but Harry was right on with his assessment.

https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/127501-the-original-trail-blazer

I’m not sure we’ll ever have another Harry Glickman running a pro sports team in Portland. That’s a shame.

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Oregon State came out pretty well in the recent major league draft.

Eight players off the 2022 club were chosen — pitchers Cooper Hjerpe, Will Frisch, Jake Pfennigs and DJ Carpenter, outfielders Jacob Melton, Justin Boyd and Wade Meckler and catcher Gavin Logan. All have signed pro contracts or are expected to.

The one player from that group I’d like to have seen return for 2023 is Frisch, the redshirt sophomore who lost all of last season to Tommy John elbow surgery. The 6-foot, 220-pound right-hander was first-team All-Pac-12 and a Freshman All-American in 2021, going 3-0 with a 2.38 ERA in 56 2/3 innings while making six starts and 20 appearances. It would have been fun to have him experience a full season as a starter in Beaver togs.

Maybe the best news is that Ben Ferrer — splendid out of the bullpen in his first year in an OSU uniform — went undrafted and will be back, perhaps as a starter in 2023. The 5-11, 210-pound set-up man was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection this past season, going 4-0 with a 1.72 ERA, 78 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings and a .176 opponents’ batting average. Compare the numbers to those of All-America closer Kevin Gunderson from the 2006 NCAA championship season — 3-2 with a 2.36 ERA, 45 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings and 20 saves. Gundy was sensational. You can put Ferrer in that category, too.

Also back will be TJ Wheeler, the slugging utility player who came to OSU last year after swatting 21 homers at Yavapi CC in Prescott, Ariz., the previous season. Wheeler suffered an eye injury early in the season and played in only 17 games. He is playing catcher this summer for the Senators in the Mavericks League in Salem, hitting .348 in his first seven games

“TJ is confident again, and he’s been working out like crazy and hitting a couple of times a day,” assistant coach Ryan Gipson says. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do for us next season.”

Bad news for Beaver fans, though, in that third baseman Matthew Gretler will not return for what would have been his senior season in eligibility. Gretler, who played most of last season with a torn UCL in his left thumb. It would have been great to see him come back for a healthy senior season, but he has graduated and has chosen to move on.

Of the 21 players signed to letters of intent for next season, it appears the Beavers will lose only two, both pitchers — Tyler Gough of Perris, Calif., a ninth-round pick by Seattle, and Geo Rivera of Walters State CC in Morristown, Tenn., a 19th-round pick by Cleveland. Both are expected to sign.

The other signee who was drafted has indicated to the OSU coaching staff he is coming to Corvallis — and he’s a big “get.” Gavin Turley is a 6-2, 190-pound outfielder from Chandler, Ariz., who was taken in the 19th round by his home-state Diamondbacks. Perfect Game ranked him as the 16th-best high school player in the country, and the fifth-best outfielder, in ’22.

“Gavin is a five-tool player,” Gipson says. “Can’t wait to start working with him.”

Another player who has Beaver coaches doing backward flips is Nelson Keljo, a 6-4, 215-pound left-handed pitcher and a three-sport star at Portland’s Jesuit High. Keljo, with a fastball that already tops out at 95 mph, ranked 301st among the top prospects in the MLB draft by Prospects Live. Keljo told scouts he was headed for Corvallis — and he is already pitching for the West Coast League Knights this summer. He has a 5.22 ERA in 10 1/3 innings over five games, 5.22 ERA .

“A left-handed arm and a big talent,” Gipson says “Our goal is to get him rolling early for us.”

The Beavers are bringing in three high school shortstops — Dallas Macias, 6-foot, 190 from Parker, Colo.; Ely Kennel, 5-11, 170 from Corvallis’ Santiam Christian, and Brandon Forrester, 5-9, 145 from Sacramento.

Macias hit .522 as a senior at Regis Jesuit High. Perfect Game ranks him as the top shortstop out of Colorado.

“Get used to that name,” Gipson says. “He is strong and athletic, and there’s some big-time hit to him.”

Kennel, a left-handed batter, hit .547 with 11 home runs and 29 stolen bases in 33 games as a prep senior. This summer, he is hitting .243 with five homers and 26 RBIs in 31 games for the Knights.

“He runs well and already hits for some power,” Gipson says. “He is a kid who has a chance to play right away.”

Forrester, a switch-hitter who hit .384 as a high school senior, is the brother of OSU slugging first baseman Garret Forrester. The Beavers listed Garret this season at 6-foot and 205. If he is that small, I’ll eat a plate of worms. I’m guessing 6-2, 225.

“Brandon is a completely different player than his brother,” Gipson says. “Brandon is a table-setter; Garret is a table-clearer. Brandon is athletic, can run and is a good fielder.”

Oregon State is bringing in two outfielders of note — Canon Reeder, 6-foot, 170 out of Bend who is ranked by Perfect Game as the best prep outfielder in the state, and Ruben Cedillo, 5-9, 195 out of Central High who helped Linn-Benton CC to its first NWAC championship since 1991 this past spring. Cedillo hit .297 with 27 stolen bases in 49 games with the Roadrunners.

“Ruben is a well-rounded player with the right mentality and great work ethic,” says Gipson, who served four seasons (2015-18) as Linn-Benton’s head coach. “He could work himself into being an early contributor.”

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Pac-12 media thinks enough of Oregon State to rank the Beavers fifth in the football preseason poll.

A month in, we’ll see if the scribes know what they’re talking about.

OSU opens at home on Sept. 3 against always-tough Boise State. The Broncos were 7-5 last season, with their Arizona Bowl matchup with Central Michigan canceled due to Covid.

Next up is a road duel with Fresno State. The Bulldogs were 10-3 last season, beating UTEP 31-24 in the New Mexico Bowl. One of their losses was 31-24 at Oregon, a game in which they led the Ducks midway through the final period.

Most people would pencil in a Sept. 17 Providence Park contest against Montana State as a win. It definitely won’t be a gimme; the Bobcats were 12-3 last season. They lost 38-10 to North Dakota State in the FCS Championship game last January under extenuating circumstances. Starting quarterback Tommy Mellott was hurt on the Bobcats’ opening drive and did not see the field again.

Next is a home game against Southern Cal, with new coach Lincoln Riley at the helm. Think the Trojans will remember their 45-27 roasting by the Beavers in the LA Coliseum last season?

If the Orange go 2-2 through that land mine of a month, they’ll be OK. Anything better would be more than encouraging.

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Oregon, meanwhile, opens against defending national champion Georgia in a highly anticipated Sept. 3 showdown that is already sold out at 75,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. I’d like to think the Ducks can cover an early 18-point spread by Caesars Sportsbook, but we’ll see.

Oregon’s next game is at home against Eastern Washington, a perennial FCS power that was 10-3 last season, losing to Montana in the second round of the playoffs.

After that it’s Brigham Young, another 10-3 team a year ago, including a 35-31 win over USC. Then the Pac-12 opener against Washington State at Pullman. The Ducks have won the last three meetings, but the Cougars prevailed in the previous four and are always tough, especially at home.

The Ducks expect to go 3-1 the first month. A 4-0 start would, of course, mean national title contention.

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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.

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