Sports: July 7, 1999


Depth, if not dominance, for crew
Women's lightweight takes national title, men's heavyweight places second

East met west in the men's heavyweight division at the 97th Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta in Camden, New Jersey, and this year the West won. Undefeated California beat previously undefeated Princeton by rowing the fastest 2,000 meters ever in collegiate competition: 5:23.60, which eclipsed Princeton's record, set at the IRAs in 1996, by three seconds. "I said before this race that California might be the best crew that anyone's ever seen," Princeton coach Curtis Jordan said after the finals. "Today they proved it. They were awesome."

Princeton easily won its preliminary heat, but took third in the semifinals as the Tigers were trying to conserve energy for the finals. At the beginning of the finals, California pulled away from the pack while Princeton fell to the middle of the pack with three or four other boats. The Tigers, however, slowly chipped away at California's lead until with 100 meters left in the race they were within a few seats of the Golden Bears. But, perhaps exhausted by their effort, they could come no closer, and Cal won by a boat length to end Princeton's perfect season. Still, Jordan feels his crew has nothing to be ashamed of. "I'm so proud of our guys," he says. "They didn't have the power to go out with Cal, but they reacted really well."

The team did return with another trophy, however, as the Tigers won the Robert E. Mulcahy III award, given to the best combined men's and women's program at the IRAs. Princeton's effort was aided by the women's lightweight crew team, which dominated its competition. The women finished first, four seconds ahead of second-place Villanova, and shattered the old IRA record by 12.5 seconds. The men's lightweight crew, however, had a disappointing day. The Tigers entered the day undefeated and ranked first, yet finished sixth in the final, eight seconds behind champion Harvard.

Across the country in Sacramento, the women's open crew team finished fourth at the third annual NCAA Women's Rowing championships, five seconds behind NCAA champion Brown. California nosed out the Tigers at the finish line for third place by a mere 21 hundreths of a second.

 

 

Sports Shorts

Track: Two track-team members earned All-America honors at the NCAA track and field championships this spring. Sophomore Tora Harris took fifth in the high jump, leaping 7 feet, 4 1/4 inches. His jump broke Princeton's old record, held by Charles Forlidas '89, by three-fourths of an inch. Senior Rob Manning finished in 10th place in the javelin with a throw of 223 feet, 11 inches. Manning had set the school record two weeks earlier in the IC4A championships with a throw of 237 feet, 4 inches.

Seniors honored: Basketball player Brian Earl, football and baseball player Matt Evans, and hockey player Jeff Halpern shared the William Winston Roper Award, given annually to Prince-ton's outstanding male athlete. Earl is the Ivy League all-time leader in three-pointers (281) and played in more winning basketball games than any other player in Ivy League history. Evans holds every significant record for a power hitter in baseball and a punter in football, and was selected for six All-Ivy teams. Halpern was the Most Valuable Player of the 1998 ECAC tournament, which Princeton won in a huge upset, and he holds the Princeton record for goals in a season with 28.

Field-hockey player Kirsty Hale and fencer Caitlin Rich shared the C. Otto von Kienbusch Sportswoman of the Year Award. Hale holds both the Princeton and Ivy League records for career goals, assists, and points. Rich is the first woman in Princeton fencing history to be a three-time All-America, and she finished her career with 149 wins and only 24 losses.

Alex Sierk won the Class of 1916 cup, given annually to the varsity letterwinner who holds the highest academic standing. Sierk, the placekicker for the Tiger football team, compiled a 3.986 grade-point average in molecular biology. Next year, he will attend medical school at Washington University in St. Louis.

Fantasy baseball?
Mark Shapiro '89 helps build an Indian juggernaut

 

Shortly after graduating from Princeton, Mark Shapiro '89 was working in real-estate development in southern California. But Shapiro, who had been a center on Princeton's football team and whose father is prominent sports agent Ron Shapiro, soon realized that he was not destined for a career in real estate. "I started questioning what was in my heart," he says, "and I realized that I wanted to combine sport and business in a creative way."

For eight months, Shapiro (pronounced Shap-EYE-ro) contacted major-league teams, trying to find a job, until January 1992, when the Cleveland Indians hired him as an assistant in their baseball operations division. For the next seven years, he worked to strengthen the Indians' minor-league organization, serving as the director of minor-league operations for five years. Shapiro proved himself to be a capable and energetic manager, and under his direction the club introduced several new initiatives, including the Winter Development Program, a month-long, offseason regimen designed to improve minor-league players' transitions to the major leagues.

Last November, the Indians promoted Shapiro to be the team's vice-president of baseball operations and assistant general manager. These days, Shapiro works alongside general manager John Hart, one of the most respected personnel people in the game, in overseeing the Indians' player personnel decisions -- including trades, contract negotiations, and the draft. Shapiro also oversees both the Indians' scouting and player development departments.

Shapiro's work has been a key part of the Indians' renaissance after decades of on-field futility. "Without a doubt," he says, "coming into an environment that was down and somewhat distressed gave me more opportunity. I allied myself with people such as John Hart, Dick Jacobs (the team's owner), and Dan O'Dowd (former Indians executive), who shared my vision, shared my values, and then empowered me and gave me the opportunity to contribute. If there's one thing I think is most important in a job, it's finding people who will let you [do that]."

The Indians' plan has involved developing young talent, and then signing those players to fiscally responsible long-term deals. That strategy has paid off. In 1999 the Indians' lineup boasts a current or former All-Star at each everyday position, and the team's 26-9 start this year was the best in franchise history through 35 games. As the team attempts to make its third World Series appearance in five seasons, the Indians seem a virtual lock to win their fifth consecutive division title. While Shapiro appreciates the opportunity he gets to watch good baseball, he's also quick to note that baseball is a tough business. "The fun part of the job is watching the games," he says, "but you also often have to watch with a sense of purpose. You need to have an acumen in both the business and financial arenas along with an understanding of the on-field side of the game. This is an extremely competitive business, with very limited opportunities -- there are only 30 major-league teams in the world. But I feel very fortunate to work in this job, because I'm very passionate about my work and this team."

Several years ago, Shapiro took a trip to the Dominican Republic to watch a 17-year-old pitcher named Bartolo Colón make his first appearance in the Indians' organization. "His arm speed and the way the ball jumped out of his hand was something you couldn't forget," Shapiro says. Last offseason, with Colón now an emerging star and Shapiro working in the Indians' front office, the two met again. For Shapiro, who has been an integral part of developing the Indians' young talent, the moment was special. "It was very rewarding to have the chance to [negotiate] his first long-term contract," he says. Colón, and other players whom Shapiro has helped bring to the Indians -- such as Roberto Alomar -- seem to have the Tribe primed to contend for years to come. Although he is unassuming and reserved, Shapiro must be proud of the team he has helped to bring together.

-- John McMurray '95

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