Joe Cook (L) (Photo: LA Time)
Cambodian baseball playersOctober 6, 2009
John Perra
Editor: John Feffer
Foreign Policy In Focus (www.fpif.org)
But for the last seven years, Joe Cook, a Cambodian refugee, has been teaching the game in his homeland, building Cambodia's first ball field. Last year, he even managed to put together a national team. In March, they finally won their first game, playing a short series against a team from Vietnam. Considering the violent history the two countries share, just playing the game was an accomplishment beyond any scorecard.
Becoming Joe Cook
For Joe Cook, playing games came to an abrupt end in August 1975. He was Jouret Puk then, the son of a high-ranking Cambodian official who commanded nearly 3,000 troops. "My little sister and I were playing behind our house," Cook remembers. "All of a sudden we saw people dressed in black and red marching toward us. We were scared and we hid behind a tree." Those people were the Khmer Rouge and they invaded his village, burning homes to the ground. "They got us all in one place," he recalls, "then they forced us to march to a camp," he says. Cook's father was killed, and his family was split up and forced into labor camps. Cook's youngest sisters were among the 2 million executed by Pol Pot's regime. In 1978, Cook, then eight, escaped his camp with his mother and oldest brother, trying to reach the Thai border.
For a week, they made their way barefoot. "It was only 18 miles to the border but it turned into 80 because we had to keep moving back and forth, criss-cross because landmines were everywhere. So were the Khmer Rouge, and the Vietnamese who had just invaded." The three refugees had only a small cup of rice between them, so to survive they ate crickets, grass, leaves, and tree bark. "I can remember catching frogs and eating them alive," Cook says. The pools of water they came across were polluted with the dead bodies of pigs, cows, and people. "I tried to brush the blood back to drink," he recalls, "It was so thick and bitter." Bodies lined the roads and when they ran into other people escaping from the camps, they would barter for food.
Finally, they made it to the Thai border and then to a series of refugee camps. In the Philippines, they found a sponsor through the U.S. embassy and arrived in Chattanooga, Tennessee in May 1983. "We couldn't even pronounce Tennessee. And we thought America must be near France because you had to take a plane to both of them," he says.
In America
There, everything was new. "I thought it was like a dream," Cook says, "A stove, a toilet, a TV. It was fascinating." And then there was the game he saw being played near his home.
"All I knew was that it was some kind of sport," he says. It was baseball. "I watched them behind a fence," he recalls, "I saw them having fun. I saw happy faces. As a kid in Cambodia, there was never happiness. But I knew in baseball is happiness. I kept going back every day. Finally I got the guts to go onto the field."
Through a combination of limited English and gestures, he made it clear to the coach that he wanted to play too. "When he gave me a glove so I could play catch, it felt like he had given me the whole uniform. I was like the other kids," he recalls. It was the start of a deep passion.
Baseball was also a way to assimilate. He became "Joe Cook," a chef in a Japanese steakhouse in Alabama, listening to Atlanta Braves baseball on the radio in his kitchen. He married and had two children.
In 2002, Cook's older sister Chamty, who he thought had perished, called from Cambodia. After years of brutality in the labor camps, she had been released in 1990 and used the Internet to track down members of her family. Cook agreed to reunite with her in Cambodia.
As a way of honoring him, Chamty wanted to travel to the airport to meet him. But the transportation costs were more than she could afford. She made a difficult decision. So as not to lose her brother again, she sold her son to traffickers. "When I arrived and found out, I was devastated," Cook says, choking up, "She didn't understand that I could've met her anywhere. I never would've wanted her to do that." The first thing he did was buy back his nephew, Chea Theara, for $86.
Bringing Baseball Home
"He was so happy, so proud that his uncle had the ability to do that, he wanted to show me his town and also share his town with me," says Cook. Chea showed Cook his school in Baribo, a village in Kampong Chhang province about 68 miles west of Phnom Penh, and near it an open field. Cook thought it would make a good spot for a baseball diamond. "What's baseball?" Chea asked. "It's a crazy game that I love," Cook told him, "I'll come back and bring equipment and teach you."
And he did. Eventually he built Cambodia's first baseball field in Baribo and began instructing kids there in the fundamentals of the game. Soon he was feeding them, teaching them English, and establishing the national team that includes Chea on its roster.
For several years, Cambodia's government wanted to shut down baseball in Cambodia. It was too American for them, according to Cook. "They kept saying, 'how about soccer?'" he says.
Although also a product of Western influence when the French brought it to Cambodia in the 1930s, soccer has been a hugely popular sport in the country for decades. The skill of Cambodia's players was the envy of much of Southeast Asia until the Khmer Rouge all but put an end to the sport. It wasn't until the 1990s that Cambodian soccer began to regain its strength, with teams competing and winning in international tournaments.
Likewise, Pradal Serey, an ancient boxing style best known for its martial arts roots and kicking technique, has begun to reemerge as a national sport. It too was nearly lost to history when the Khmer Rouge banned traditional martial arts and executed its boxers.
But Cambodia has spent more than a decade now regaining its athletic prominence. It returned to the Olympics in 1996 after a 24-year absence and has participated in those games ever since.
Coming Around to Baseball
Despite the national focus on soccer, Cook kept baseball in Cambodia going, supporting the game out of his own pocket and getting some help with equipment and coaches from Major League Baseball. Then this year, the national team started winning, beating Vietnam in that friendly series and gaining professional bragging rights by besting Malaysia in May in an official game between the countries. A governor donated land for another field after that.
Cambodia's people are starting to come around to the game. Other baseball clubs and organizations have sprung up in the past few months, including one in the capital city of Phnom Penh. The organizer of that group is a young man in his earlier twenties who calls Cook "Bong," the Khmer word for "brother," a sign of respect. That pleases Cook and he laughs, "I am baseball's big brother." In reality, Cook is now president of the Cambodia Baseball Federation.
In August, Cook developed the first regional leagues within Cambodia. The Braves, representing the west, and the Royals, in the east, play each other nearly every day. "Someday I want to build a stadium here," says Cook. The image of a stadium leaves even him, baseball's true believer here, awestruck. "Can you imagine a baseball stadium in Cambodia?" he asks.
John Perra is a journalist, a contributor to Ancient Gonzo Wisdom: Interviews with Hunter S. Thompson (Da Capo 2009), and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
Heath Slocum drained a 21-foot par putt on the final hole to claim a one-shot win at The Barclays, the first of the US PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoff series
Heath Slocum hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during round two of The Barclays on August 28, 2009 at Liberty National in Jersey City, New Jersey. Slocum drained a 21-foot par putt on the final hole Sunday to claim a one-shot win at The Barclays, the first of the US PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoff series.
Slocum's effort denied a possible playoff that would have included world number one Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker - who is second on the FedEx Cup points list - as well as three-time major champions Ernie Els of South Africa and Padraig Harrington of Ireland.
Slocum shot a four-under 67 Sunday for a nine-under total of 275.
Woods and Harrington also carded 67s, while Els posted a five-under 66 and Stricker shot 69. Those four shared second on eight-under 276.
With the win, Slocum leapt from 124th on the FedEx Cup points list to third behind Woods and Stricker.
"That's what is unbelievable about this system," said Slocum, who earned 1.35 million dollars for his third US PGA Tour win.
"I was sweating it out last week not knowing if I'd even be here. I found out late Sunday and I came in with the attitude that I've got nothing to lose and I'll let it hang out and play the best I can."
Overnight co-leaders Paul Goydos and Steve Marino both struggled in the final round at Liberty National.
Goydos carded a 75 for a share of ninth place on 279, while Marino faltered with a 77 to finished tied for 15th.
Slocum birdied the second, then holed out for eagle on the fifth to seize a share of the lead. He got up and down for birdie on the par-five sixth, but gave a shot back to fall back into a tie for the lead with Marino with a bogey at seven.
Marino faded on the back nine, as Slocum parred five straight from the eighth - retaining a share of the lead all the while.
Meanwhile Els and Stricker joined the lead. Els's bogey-free round included a birdie on the third and two posted a bogey-free round that included a birdie on the third and two braces of back-to-back birdies - at seven and eight and 13 and 14.
After Els, Harrington was next in on eight-under. He birdied three in a row from the 12th to reach seven-under, the sank a 13-footer at 18.
Slocum got to nine-under with a four-footer at 13. Stricker was nine-under after a five-footer for birdie at 13, but bogeyed 15.
Stricker regained a share of the lead with a birdie at 16.
At 18, both Slocum and Stricker were in bunkers off the tee. Both got out onto the fairway, and Stricker put his next shot within 10 feet as Slocum put his 21 feet away.
Slocum made his putt to put the pressure on Stricker, who missed on the left edge.
"Obviously, when I hit the drive I was a little concerned," Slocum said. "I putted beautifully all week so if I just gave myself a chance, I felt like I can make one.
"It was beautiful," he said.
After a bogey at the fourth, Woods made his move with three birdies in four holes from the fifth.
At 14 he sank an 11-foot birdie attempt an 11-foot birdie attempt, then got within one of the lead with a three-footer at 16.
At 17, Woods saw a 20-foot birdie attempt slide right, and his seven-footer at the last missed left.
"I just misread that one," said Woods of his putt at 18. "That's the way it goes. I hit the ball well all week and to putt as poorly as I did all week and still have a chance on the last hole, says something about my ball-striking. Unfortunately I didn't make enough putts on these greens all week."
The top 100 on the points list move on now to the second playoff event, next week's Deutsche Bank Championship. Those knocked out this week included South Korea's K.J. Choi and former British Open champion Ben Curtis.
Juventus Brazilian midfielder Diego (R) celebrates with his teammates after scoring against AS Roma forward during their Italian Serie A football match at Rome's Olympic stadium. Juve won 3-1.Brazilian magician Diego teased and toyed with AS Roma as he inspired Juventus to a crucial 3-1 victory over their Serie A rivals in the Italian capital on Sunday.
The Turin giants went top of the table after the former Werder Bremen star's brace at the Stadio Olimpico secured a second consecutive win and condemned Roma to a second defeat in two games.
Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara paid tribute to his star player.
"He already showed last week the quality he has. Technically he is very good but he's also very useful in the defensive phase," said Ferrara.
"Of course we had some difficulties during the game but overall we played as we should and deserved to win.
"This win gives us confidence and confirms that we have great players here but I'm not reading anything into the six points at this time, even if we are doing well."
After a quiet opening the game quickly became a personal battle between the central figures on each side: Juve's attacking midfielder Diego and midfielder enforcer Daniele De Rossi of Roma.
And Roma coach Luciano Spalletti admitted not all his players have the same will to win as De Rossi.
"It's also my fault if the rest of the team does not have the same desire to fight," said Spalletti.
"De Rossi did but (Jeremy) Menez and (Francesco) Totti have different abilities. They lack a bit of fighting spirit."
Diego was at the centre of everything the visitors created and it was from his free-kick delivery that former Chelsea man Tiago forced the first save of the match from Julio Sergio on 23 minutes.
Moments later Diego scored a brilliant solo goal after Marco Cassetti inexplicably dithered on the halfway line, being robbed by the Brazilian playmaker who then held off John Arne Riise's desperate challenge before flicking the ball beyond Sergio with the outside of his right boot.
It was a deserved lead as Juve were the only side that looked capable of scoring but De Rossi changed all that in an opportunist moment on 35 minutes.
David Pizarro played a quick free-kick sideways and from 35 yards De Rossi smashed a shot into the top corner, taking Gianluigi Buffon and Juventus completely by surprise.
Sergio tipped another header from Tiago over the bar before Diego teed up countryman Amauri to bend a shot around the Roma goalkeeper only to see it cannon back off the post.
In first half stoppage time Roma should have gone in front as Menez benefitted from a lucky break in midfield to play Totti in one-on-one with Buffon.
Roma's talisman would have been expected to gobble up the opportunity a few years ago but he is a shadow of his former self and Buffon charged out to block his attempted chip.
Ten minutes into the second period Amauri had another great chance but Sergio stuck out a foot to deflect his close range shot over the bar.
Moments later Vincenzo Iaquinta beat a rash lunge from De Rossi and scampered away towards goal but Nicolas Burdisso chased back and did just enough to deflect the Juve striker's shot off target.
It was one-way traffic and moments after Sergio had beaten out an Amauri header, Diego latched onto a Iaquinta flick before teasing Philippe Mexes and shooting low and hard past the forlorn goalkeeper on 68 minutes.
Totti hammered a shot onto the post 11 minutes from time, but it was too little too late for sorry Roma and Felipe Melo sealed the win in stoppage time after bursting forward unopposed from 40 yards out until he shot home from just outside the area.
Elsewhere, Sampdoria went top of the table with a 3-1 home win over Udinese while Lazio and Genoa also maintained 100 percent records with respectively a 2-1 win at Chievo and a 1-0 succes at Atalanta.
Champions Inter Milan thrashed 10-man AC Milan 4-0 at the San Siro on Saturday.
Former Kentucky men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie was arrested early Thursday morning on a DUI charge, multiple media outlets in Kentucky are reporting.
Gillispie, who was driving a 2009 white Mercedes, was pulled over around 2:45 a.m. ET in Kentucky. He refused to take a breathalyzer or blood alcohol test, WLEX-TV in Lexington is reporting.
Gillispie, 50, reportedly told police that he and his passenger, Brian O'Connor, were returning from a golfing trip. O'Conner, 42, was reportedly charged with public intoxication.
It is the third time that Gillispie has been arrested on alcohol-related driving charges. However, in one case the charge was dismissed and in the other he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, reckless driving.
Gillispie sued the University of Kentucky Athletics Association in federal court in Dallas on May 27, claiming fraud and breach of contract. Gillispie claims the school never intended to sign him to a long-term deal. The school has denied the allegations. He is seeking at least $6 million -- about $1.5 million per year for four of the five years he says were left on his agreement.
The University of Kentucky countersued Gillispie, claiming it doesn't owe him pay because he never signed a contract.
UK's lawyers are asking the court to rule that the two-page memorandum of understanding Gillispie signed after his hiring in 2007 was not the equivalent of a full contract.
The athletics association has asked a federal judge in Texas either to dismiss Gillispie's lawsuit over his firing or to move the case to Kentucky. In a motion filed in federal court, the association's attorneys say the school has minimum contact with the state of Texas, giving the court there no jurisdiction to hear Gillispie's claims.
The association's attorneys also claim the University of Kentucky, not the athletics association, hired Gillispie and paid him.
Gillispie went 40-27 in two seasons with the Wildcats, including a 22-14 mark last season that tied for the second-most losses in the program's 106-year history. A stumble down the stretch left the Wildcats out of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville coach Rick Pitino said Wednesday a sex scandal involving a woman accused of trying to extort millions from him has been "pure hell" for his family, fuming that newly released video of her police interview revived her "total fabrication."
Pitino spoke at a hastily called news conference hours after Louisville police released audio and video recordings of phone calls and an interview with Karen Cunagin Sypher, the woman at the heart of the scandal. Pitino has told police that he had sex with her six years ago.
Sypher claims in the interview that Pitino sexually assaulted her, an allegation she brought to police after she was accused of trying to extort millions from the coach. She has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of extortion and lying to the FBI.
The coach lashed out at the media for again reporting on her accusations by airing clips of the interviews Wednesday. Prosecutors did not pursue charges against the coach.
"Everything that's been printed, everything that's been reported, everything that's been breaking in the news on the day Ted Kennedy died is 100 percent a lie, a lie," Pitino said. "All of this has been a lie, a total fabrication of the truth."
The married father of five, who's a Roman Catholic, said the scandal has taken a heavy toll on his wife and family.
"It has been pure hell for her and my family," he said.
"I admitted to you I made a mistake, and believe me I will suffer for that mistake," he added.
Pitino's remarks were his first public statements since a five-minute apology two weeks ago for an "indiscretion" with Sypher at a Louisville restaurant in 2003. Sypher later told Pitino she was pregnant, planned to have an abortion but did not have medical insurance. He told police he gave her $3,000, money his attorney Steve Pence said was for insurance, not an abortion.
Pitino didn't plan on publicly addressing the situation again, preferring to let the case go to trial when he says "the truth will come out." Pitino didn't discuss details of the case at the news conference and said that his lawyer had advised him against speaking out at all.
Instead, he opted to come forward on Wednesday after local television aired portions of Sypher's interview.
"Enough's enough, everybody is tired of it," Pitino said. "We need to get on with the important things in life like the economy and really some crucial things in life like basketball."
As his news conference was carried live on television in Louisville, at least one station split the screen with Pitino talking the left, and the police video of Sypher on the right.
The video released under the Kentucky Open Records Act shows Sypher sitting across a table from Louisville Police Sgt. Andy Abbott. A full transcript of the interview was released by police earlier this month.
Sypher wasn't accompanied by a lawyer at the time of the videotaped interview. An attorney who was later appointed to represent her, James Earhart, said before Pitino's remarks that the release of the police video has no bearing on the federal case.
Included in the release of audio and video by police were a series of telephone messages left for Sypher by Pitino. Most of the calls are brief, with him leaving his name and asking for a call back.
In one message, though, Pitino alludes to the "very unfortunate situation."
"It's not something I can decide on," he says on the message. "I think the best thing in all scenarios is to go through with it. But, that has to be your call because (inaudible) ... I'm a high profile person ... I can't really give you any advice on this..."
It's not clear from the recording, parts of which are inaudible, what decision he's referring to. Sgt. Robert Biven said the recordings were provided to police by Sypher.
In an interview with police that was not taped but was summarized in a police report, Pitino said the encounter with Sypher was consensual. Police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said Pitino's interview wasn't taped because his attorney accompanied him to the interview.
Federal prosecutors have asked U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson to order a psychological exam for Sypher, saying she may not be competent to understand the proceedings against her or assist in her own defense in the extortion case. Sypher's attorney had not responded to that request as of Wednesday.
Pitino has kept a low profile since his apology, focusing on preparing the Cardinals for the 2009-10 season. He was involved in individual workouts on Wednesday, and updates on the Twitter pages of several players indicated nothing except another series of grueling drills.
Pitino said Louisville would continue to be a Top 10 program despite the scandal.
"It has not hurt recruiting one bit. We will still bring in Top 10 players," he said.
Associated Press Writer Brett Barrouquere in Louisville contributed to this report.
