Key Player
f
While the baseball team plays ball, Scott Jeffer does some playing of his own.
JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER
N
obody wants to make a
career out of playing in
baseball's minor
leagues. Except for
Scott Jeffer, a 22-year-old Uni-
versity of Michigan graduate.
Before a baseball player steps
into the batter's box, Mr. Jeffer
steps up to his keyboard, located
in a small, crowded room in the
press box. He sounds the charge
or entertains the crowd with a
popular or sometimes not-so-pop-
ular song. Occasionally, he plays
a verse of "Hava Nagila" on the
keyboard. He has been playing
by ear since he was a child.
Mr. Jeffer said he likes the at-
mosphere at Ned Skeldon Stadi-
um, home to the Toledo Mud
Hens — the Detroit Tigers' mi-
nor league team.
He likes the people he works
with and, most important, he
likes the work he does.
"I used to think I would want
to be in the majors, but I could
easily stay here for a while," said
Mr. Jeffer, a native of Great
Neck, N.Y. "Ultimately, rd like
to work for the Mets, the team I
grew up with. Then I can be clos-
er to home."
r
Calendar
U-M graduate
Scott Jeffer
only tapes.
He sent one of these tapes to
the Chicago Bulls, and it was
played during their basketball
games.
Mr. Jeffer would like to even-
tually sell his music to other sta-
diums as a "side business."
"I think there is a big market
out there," he said. "There are
more than 100 minor league
teams in hockey, baseball, foot-
ball, etc."
During the winter, when the
team is not playing, Mr. Jeffer
and the rest of the staff are still
working.
"The off-season is still a busy
time," he said. "From the second
the season ends until the day it
begins we are planning and sell-
ing for next season." ❑
Sunday, May 29
LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER
—
The Rebbitzin's Tish, a singles'
study group, will host its last ses-
sion of the year. Call 577-0109.
Sunday, June 5
—
Hill& of Metro Detroit will present
its first BBQ Extravaganza at the
Southfield Civic Center parks. Call
577-3459.
Tuesday, June 7
—
Young Adult Division Telethon
Night for Days of Decision. 6-9:30
p.m. dinner. Call 642-4260.
Monday, June 13
—
Young Adult Division Annual Meet-
ing at the Detroit institute of Arts at
7:30 p.m. Dinner reception. Call
642-4260, ext. 239.
Do you have an item for our
young adult! singles calen-
dar? Send it to Jennifer
Finer at The Jewish News
27676 Franklin Rd.
Southfield, MI 48034
events, maybe on a month-
ly or bi-monthly basis. That
would give young adults an
opportunity to see every-
one. These types of events
are a good place to social-
ize with people of the same
cultural and religious back-
ground."
No Stars In Her Eyes
Fame realities in check, Michelle Rott heads for New York
Thursday, June 2
What is the
Detroit social
scene like?
Steve Rotenberg, 32,
Farmington Hills
"I'd like to see more
May 29 -June 13
Oakland University's Jewish Stu-
dent Organization will go rollerblad-
ing in Kensington Metro Park at 10
a.m. Call 353-4831 or 370-2882.
L
Mr. Jeffer, who received a de-
gree in sports management at U-
M, came to Toledo after
graduation when his college in-
ternship with the Mud Hens
turned into a full-time job.
Organist is not Mr. Jeffer's
only title. He is actually the mar-
keting and entertainment direc-
tor for the team. Today, Mr.
Jeffer is one of two supervisors
of the team's internship program.
He also is responsible for the
music and game entertainment,
statistics and corporate sales.
He can point out a few of the
many billboards in the outfield
that he sold to clients.
"I'm always thinking of ways
to get advertising dollars," said
Mr. Jeffer, who watched as the
Mud Hens drew 285,000 fans last
season. "I try to tie in what the
company does to the promotion."
During one of his promotions for
a paint company, every fan re-
ceived a painter's cap with the
company's logo.
Until recently, stage fright and
the notion that the organ should
slowly be reintroduced to the sta-
dium have kept him from play-
ing his music live. He used to use
••
s a show business
baby, she should have
known better. Mi-
chelle Rott was 3
years old when she started
singing one-hit wonder Debby
Boone's "You Light Up My
Life" between her parents'
band sets.
Her folks, now living in
Farmington Hills, were known
as the Sheldon Rott and Vicki
Carroll Orchestra, and they
were favorites among the wed-
ding and bar mitzvah crowd.
Mr. Rott sells real estate
now. But his almost 20-year-
old daughter still loves the
classics.
"My mother was on 'Ed Sul-
livan' with Jimmy Durante.
You know who that is, don't
you?" Ms. Rott said. "Dad did
promotions for the Beatles. I
guess it was a natural for me."
Ms. Rott recalls meeting
Rosemary Clooney at the now-
defunct George Burns Theatre
Marci Cherny, 25,
West Bloomfield
like a pro's: national-anthem
singer for Pistons' and Tigers'
games, musical voiceovers, or-
chestra flutist at 1986 presi-
dential inauguration, youth
choir director for Adat Shalom
Synagogue and director of mu-
sic for Tamarack Camps.
Now add student of the
American Musical and Dra-
matic Academy in New York.
Ms. Rott leaves for school fol-
lowing what may be her final
Detroit appearance for awhile
— in the Adat Shalom Syna-
gogue choir during High Holi-
day services.
Michelle Rott Broadway-bound.
"I just graduated from East-
ern Michigan University and
thought about going to law
in Livonia as one of her most school next. I struggled with it
thrilling moments."She told me and I worry about not making
to make the decision, finalize it," Ms. Rott said. "But there's
it and never look back," Ms. a line from the movie With
Rott said.
Honors with Joe Pesci. I wrote
That's exactly what she's it down: 'Winners forget they're
doing.
in a race. They just love to run.'
Her resume already reads Understand?" ❑
"It's difficult. You see the
same people who always
seem to go to events with
their group of friends with-
out trying to meet other
people. It seems like there
are nice young Jewish peo-
ple out there, but people
don't connect for some rea-
son."
Estee Lipenholtz, 28,
Southfield
What social scene?
PHOTOS BY DANIEL LIPPETT