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players) just treat you dif-
ferently. They treat you as
part of the team. They give
you a hard time in a sarcastic
way, but in the long run they
always help you out whenever
you need them. They're
always willing to go out and
do appearances. Sometimes a
couple of players will come up
to me and say, 'When can I do
another appearance? Go to a
hospital or something like
that.' "
Berlin played youth
baseball in Southfield but his
hockey "career" began and
ended when he attended a
hockey camp at age 12. The
other boys "were skating
rings around me," he recalls.
Berlin worked in the Miami
Dolphins' ticket office while
attending St. Thomas. After
his graduation he received an
internship at the University
of Tulsa, where he worked for
eight months as assistant
sports information director.
"That was hands-on ex-
perience," he recalls. "I did all
non-revenue sports and work-
ed on the football and basket-
ball programs. That was pro-
bably the best experience
because I met some great peo-
ple."
Berlin's next job put him in
contact with his home town,

►

"I'd Ike to stay
through a Stanley
Cup."

although he remained in the
South. He worked in 1985 for
the Nashville Sounds AAA
baseball team, which was the
Tigers' top farm team.
"When you're in the minor
leagues you do everything,"
he says. "Sell advertising, sell
season tickets. You pull the
tarp on when it rains. You
pull the tarp off when it's sun-
ny outside — that can go on
five times a day sometimes —
you take tickets, you tear
tickets, you do whatever is
needed to get the game go-
ing." He also handled some
less physical PR duties, in-
cluding press releases, media
relations and some
broadcasting.
At Nashville, Berlin met
current Tigers Mike Hen-
neman, Matt Nokes and Jeff
Robinson.
The next year he moved to
Wichita as director of
stadium operations and
media relations for the Pilots,
San Diego's AA farm club.
"That was exciting because
we won the Texas League
championship," he says.
Berlin calls_ histwo years in
pro baseball "a good learning
experience because you do
everything from the ground
up." However, minor league
life has its rough spots.

"You're going on 12-game
home stands," says Berlin,
"and that means you'e work-
ing from maybe 8 a.m. to mid-
night for 12 straight days .. .
it wears on you. I figured that
I had enough of living in the
minor leagues. I wanted a
change."
Berlin landed a job as a
sports writer with the Palm
Beach Post, which he kept for
six weeks before he heard
from old friend Gregory. "He
called me and told me to come
back home and I came back
home," says Berlin. "It
couldn't have been a better
time because the team was
getting ready for the playoffs
and I was able to enjoy the
playoffs."
Berlin also worked, with
Gregory, for the Detroit Drive
in its first Arena Football
League season. He will do.
that again if the team plays
this year.
Berlin, a B'nai B'rith
member, bowls in the M.C.
Zeiger league on Monday
nights, if the Wings are not
playing, and plays in the
B'nai B'rith softball league.
Although the Wings again
lead the Norris Division, it is
a tough year to be a Wings'
PR man. Several players have
had off-ice problems which
must be explained to the
public.
"The phone's always ring-
ing," says Berlin, with media
people from around the
league asking, "'What's the
status of Probert? What's the
status of Klima?' .. .
"We just have to take a
stand with management's
stand. Whatever manage :
ment says, that's what we
say."
Still, Berlin hopes to re-
main with the Wings. "I'd
like to stay through a Stanley
Cup, hopefully, and see what
happens. I think that we have
a shot at a Stanley Cup in the
next five years or so with the
organization here."
Looking back on his career,
he is pleased with his success
rate so far.
"When I started my sports
administration program I
said that I'd give this career
until age 30. I guess I've done
pretty well because I've work-
ed my way up through the
minors. I used to be in the
minors and dread it. People
used to say, 'It's going to pay
off one day.' And I guess it did
pay off because I was able to
make it to the majors in
hockey.
"So right now I'm happy
with what I'm doing because
I finally made it to the ma-
jors. And if I were 30 years old
today I'd probably continue
because I'm happy with what
I'm doing." ❑

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