Fernandomania No Hit Here

Obviously Fernando Dominguez is not a person who takes pride in his alma mater and its athletic program.

As an alum of Cal State Northridge I cannot understand how some of the most successful men’s sports in recent history could be dropped.

Dominguez mentions [poor] Northridge attendance. He should consider the sports that were cut as opposed to other Northridge sports. Northridge had tremendous difficulty building fan loyalty among its student population as a Division II school in a Division I town. Since jumping to Division I, support has been getting better. The success of sports like baseball and volleyball helped. Comparing Northridge attendance to more established Division I programs is unfair.

Comparisons to major league baseball also are unfair. Baseball is the national pastime. Northridge is a growing local sports program.

Baseball’s strike was ugly, but those are small wounds on a large beast that can--and do--heal. A wound like this is directed at fragile Northridge school pride. Cutting programs that students do take pride in contradicts all of the efforts made a few years ago to save the football program from extinction. They should be building on those programs, not exterminating them.

I am deeply angered by the university’s actions. The storm may die down but, in spite of what Dominguez thinks, the damage done will always be remembered.

DAVID BARBEE

Northridge

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Now that Fernando Dominguez has reported that [former Chatsworth High pitcher] Derek Wallace struck out four batters in one inning, can we expect a feature story on when the three-outs rule was changed?

WAYNE C. IRWIN

Northridge

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Editor’s note: Wallace did, indeed, strike out four batters in an inning. One of the batters reached base on a third-strike passed ball. But Wallace still got credit for the strikeout.