The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 216

SPORTS Page 1 6 Tuesday, July 1 1 2006 MINOR-LEAGUE BASEBALL Big Ten sports TV coverage moves into the future Ex-Iowa high school stars meet in triple-A matchup By KEITH FREEMAN SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER Las Vegas, Nev. At first glance, it appeared to be solely a duel between a pitcher and a hitter who were recently promoted from double-A to triple-A baseball. Pitcher Joel Hanrahan of Norwalk started 2006 with the Jacksonville Suns in the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization and catcher Jeff Clement of Marshalltown began with San Antonio in the Seattle Mariners' system. Now, Hanrahan is with the Las Vegas 51s and Clement plays for Tacoma in the Pacific Coast Continued from Page 14 into the pot next year? The bulk of it isn't coming from advertising. It's coming from your subscription fees, whether you're a Hawkeye fan or not.

Ready to ante up? "Our goal is the widest distribution possible," says Lou D'Ermilio, a spokesman with Fox Cable Networks, minority partner in The Big Ten Channel. "The majority of the games that were syndicated before are going to be on the channel or an alternative media platform." Broadband. Podcasts. If I fJr SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER which pits a representative from the Big Ten against the Big 12. The all-football channel is seen in roughly 40 million homes, but still isn't available via cable in Greater Des Moines.

If Mediacom thought the backlash from picking Fox Sports Midwest over Comcast Sports Chicago was bad, imagine an Insight.com matchup between Iowa and Oklahoma. Or Iowa State and Michigan. "Chronologically, that's even more pressing," says Phyllis Peters, senior communications manager at Mediacom, "than The Big Ten Channel." Like its instant replay model, the Big Ten's network concept nabs a wrinkle from the NFL and makes it better. And like instant replay, it could become standard within a few years. Studies show that 85 percent of American homes are wired for cable or satellite.

Which infomercial are you more likely to watch: The one with the juicer or the one with Nile Kinnick? "I would say what you're seeing from the Big Ten," says Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard, "is the future of television for sporting events that have that kind of support." And there's no turning back. Pollard fully expects the Big 12 to join the party soon. At this point, it can't afford not to. Register columnist Sean Keeler can be reached at (515) 284-8102 or skeelerdmreg.com. if, a Las Vegas 51s pitcher Joel the 51s in 2006 following two no-decisions and ended a benchmark night for Iowa high school baseball.

"I was really happy for him that he pitched really well," Clement said. "We would have liked to have gotten a win, but if we're going to lose a game, I was happy it was to a guy like him. He's a great guy who works hard and deserves everything he gets." Clement, who capped his Marshalltown career with a record 75 home runs, now is swinging one step from the game's highest level. In a win last Wednesday over Las Vegas, the USC standout hammered an eighth-inning grand slam his first triple-A homer. "I'm starting to get locked in," said Clement, whose 46 homers at USC are second only to the 54 by Mark McGwire.

"(Thursday night) was the best I felt at the plate." Clement was twice retired by Hanrahan in the game and didn't get a hit after the single, so it's hard to say whether Clement the third player chosen in the 2005 draft or Hanrahan fared better. I I I Grandma doesn't get hip, she's going to get shut out. Cost aside, The Big Ten Channel is pure marketing genius. There's 60 hours per year offered for each member school for "academic" purposes, which should please the faculties and regents. There's 170 Olympic" sports events, which should please the Title IX crowd.

And there's at least 35 football games and 105 regular-season men's basketball games per year, which should please the cable carriers looking to entice new subscribers. The TV game is all about leverage. Which is why the NFL, which practically prints its own money these days. has placed eight regular-season broadcasts this fall on its own network including Denver at Kansas City on Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving); Minnesota at Green Bay on Dec.

21; and Kansas City at Oakland on Dec. 23. And why the NFL Network also recently purchased the rights to the Insight.com Bowl, League. Hanrahan started Thursday night's game at Cashman Field and quickly got into a jam, with runners on first and second and one out in Clement the first inning and Clement was standing at home plate. Hanrahan realized that he was facing a fellow Iowa high school standout and the player who set the national high school home run record in 2002.

A scoreless game suddenly became a 1-0 Tacoma advantage when Clement singled and the memorable Iowa vs. Iowa duel ended. "I know all about him," Hanrahan said about Clement, whom he never faced in high school but played with on a fall league team. "That first inning was when I was settling in. I wasn't too happy with the pitch selection that I made, and he got a hit off me.

It seems to happen for most guys from Iowa, somehow." Clement's single provided Tacoma with its lone run of the first inning, but Las Vegas backed Hanrahan with five runs in its half of the first. Hanrahan ended up allowing only one other hit and another earned run over six innings. The effort, which also included four strikeouts and three walks, was good enough for Hanrahan's first victory with Hanrahan is from Norwalk. "Obviously, I wanted to win the battle," said Hanrahan, a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2000. "I don't know if they get more charged up, but whoever is on each side of (an all-Iowa) battle wants to win each time." Tacoma plays in Des Moines against the Iowa Cubs on Aug.

2-5. Las Vegas does not travel to Iowa this season. Clement was in the trainer's room for at least an hour after Thursday's game. San Antonio had placed him on the disabled list on May 2, and he has undergone surgery to repair torn meniscus in his left knee and for bone chip removal from his left elbow. "As of today, I'm not ready to be (in the majors)," he said.

Clement hit .288 for San Antonio and is batting .212 for Tacoma as of this weekend. Hanrahan was 7-2 with a 2.58 ERA for Jacksonville and is now 1-0 for Las Vegas. Both Clement and Hanrahan are trying to show that Iowa produces top-caliber talent. "We're all pushing for each other," Hanrahan said. The Register's Dan McCoot contributed to this article.

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