Cal State Bakersfield and Bakersfield College are winding down their athletic seasons as the school year is coming to a quick conclusion.

I would love to see both institutions set up a retired number system to honor the best of the best who have competed at both schools.

Cal State Bakersfield: How about Kebu Stewart (men's basketball, remains the most dominant player in the 35-year-plus history of the program). Tyrone Davis, who helped CSUB reach the heights of Div. II. Beau Redstone, the school's rebounding and scoring leader.

Other sports: How about Barb SantaCruz, a great softball player who was the key to the 1988, 1989 and 1990 Div. II national championship teams. Kristine Karr, the best pitcher to ever play at CSUB, would be another worthy choice.

Other CSUB athletes to consider: Jamie Simpson and Nicole Van Dyke (women's soccer), Joe Munoz, Jeremy Gunn, Arturo Juarequi and Josh Wicks (men's soccer), Christy Wieneke and Amy Wade (women's volleyball).

BC has a longer tradition, dating to pre-World War II. What number did George Culver wear while at BC? It should be retired. He pitched in the big leagues and has done so much for the program since his playing days ended.

How about some of the football players, such as David Turner? Thomas Peregrin? Any number of the great linemen and linebackers over the years. Dean Jones in basketball. Just putting the names out there from track and field.

You get the idea. Both programs have so much tradition, and it grows every year.

Feel free to respond to this with your own ideas for possible athletes to be honored by retiring their numbers.

Here we are, less than three weeks into the major league baseball season, and you're seeing talented youngsters losing at-bats to veterans on various major league teams.

The Dodgers? Juan Pierre has speed, period, and no other skills. Worst throwing arm in the majors. No plate discipline. But he's playing 3-4 days a week while Matt Kemp, who hit .340-plus last year with good power at 22 years old, sits. You'd think Joe Torre would know better.

Giants? A sub-.200 hitting first baseman in Rich Aurilia playing instead of a 24-year-old named Daniel Ortmeier. Ortmeier was given the chance to win the job in spring training and didn't hit. So Aurilia plays every day. Aurilia is 37 or 38 years old, probably in his last big league season because he can't hit. Let Ortmeier play. It's not like the Giants are going anywhere. Same thing with 2B Ray Durham playing several days a week ahead of rookie Velez. Crazy. You'd think Bruce Bochty would know better.

In Cincy, it's Dusty Baker naming Scott Hatteberg the starting 1B over rookie Joey Votto. Votto has torn up Triple-A pitching and hit decently late last season when called up. At least Votto seems to be wrestling at-bats from Hatteberg in recent games.

If veterans are producing, fine. But it they aren't, let the youngsters get the majority of playing time. How do you know if they'll develop into anything beyond the journeyman level otherwise?

Whatever your sport of choice, the first game of a season is special. Tonight the Blaze open their season, and the Texas Rangers  have placed several top prospects here, many who figure to eventually make it to the major leagues.

It's unfortunate that a prehistoric stadium and no real promotions of note keep the crowd numbers down. But the California League has alumni joining the majors every year. The Jam has former NBA players on its roster, and ex-NBA players come to town. But the majority of those players would be considered the fringe-level players.

The Cal League has up-and-coming players, players who will eventually be stars in the major leagues. The Blaze has a center fielder, Julio Borbon, who was a supplemental first-round pick last year who is already on the Texas Rangers' 40-man roster (no doubt from his agent's efforts when Borbon signed with the club). Tonight's starting pitcher Tommy Hunter was also a supplemental first-round pick, as was Beau Jones, another starter who was picked by and signed with Atlanta and was traded to the Rangers' organization last summer. Kasey Kiker, a 2006 first-round pick, will be assigned to the Blaze when he shakes off a sore shoulder.

Supplemental draft picks are awarded to teams that have lost free agents to other teams. Hunter, for instance, was a pick given to Texas after the Rangers lost infielder Mark DeRosa to free agency. DeRosa is now with the Cubs.

Speaking of Opening Day, I was at the Dodgers-Giants opener at Chavez Ravine on Monday. The Dodgers did a good job celebrating the team's 50th anniversary of the move to L.A. by bringing back many old-timers. The final player introduced was Sandy Koufax. Too bad Mike Piazza wasn't there. He was such an impact player with the Dodgers before his trade to Florida.

Enjoy the season.