JUNE 10 • 2021 | 25

“
Ari [Klinger] threw strikes. 
That’s the single most import-
ant thing for a pitcher in 
freshman baseball,
” Rys said.
“He was very efficient with 
his pitches, and he was a bull-
dog. He finished every game 
he pitched, whether he started 
or relieved. I can remember 
only one ball hit hard off him 
all season.
”
Klinger was 2-2, but with 
an 0.99 ERA. He allowed only 
12 hits and three earned runs, 
struck out 25 and walked 11.
Landau is a hard thrower, 
Rys said.
“It was exciting watching 
Andre pitch,
” he said.
Landau’s best game on the 
mound was a one-hitter he 
threw in a 3-1 victory over 
Birmingham Seaholm. The 
only run he allowed to the 
Maples was unearned.
He went 4-1 for the season 
with a 2.81 ERA. He was the 
winning pitcher in half of 
West Bloomfield’s victories. 
He walked 17 and struck out 
38.
“Our games had a differ-
ent feel when Ari and Andre 
pitched,
” Rys said.
Landau moved behind the 
plate when Gross pitched 
and he used Gross’ catching 
equipment. 
 “
Andre threw a few runners 
out trying to steal. He has a 
gun for an arm,
” Rys said.
Gross became a part of the 
pitching rotation as the season 
wore on, Rys said, and was 
effective because he pitched 
to contact.He was 2-2 with a 
3.57 ERA. He walked eight 
and struck out 12.
He’s the son of Daniel 
Gross, cantor at Adat Shalom 
Synagogue in Farmington 
Hills.
Klinger played second base 
or third base when he wasn’t 
pitching. Landau also played 
at third base when he wasn’t 
on the mound. 

HEALTH

C

ontinuing a legacy 
of spotlighting men’s 
health needs and 
honoring prostate cancer 
survivors for Men’s Health 
Week, the MIU Men’s Health 
Foundation will host three 
events supporting those 
efforts. 
This year, the focus for the 
week is getting men back to 
the doctor and reinforcing 
the importance of regular 
checkups with so many peo-
ple delaying their regular pre-
ventative care in the past 15 
months because of COVID.
“The COVID pandemic 
had a significant impact 
across the globe, and there’s 
evidence that there’s over 20 
million screening opportuni-
ties missed this past year due 
to COVID,” said Dr. Michael 
Lutz, founder of the MIU 
Men’s Health Foundation. “It’s 
really important that we get 
all these men back into the 
fold and resume their prop-
er screening and healthcare 
opportunities,” Lutz said.
Kicking off Men’s Health 
Week will be the Cogs & 
Kegs event, bringing cyclists 
together for a group ride 
through Metro Detroit, start-
ing and ending at Griffin 
Claw in Birmingham on 
Monday, June 14. The event 
raises awareness for men’s 
health-related issues and 
recognizes first responders 
and the increased health risks 
their careers impose, espe-
cially during the pandemic. 
The 30-mile ride begins at 

6:30 p.m. and the 10-mile 
ride at 7 p.m. To join either 
ride, cyclists can register 
online for $30. Cyclists who 
register the day-of will pay 
$35. The event will begin 
with basic health screenings, 
including blood pressure 
and BMI assessments, and 
Kroger will be providing free 
COVID-19 vaccinations on 
site. 
The 13th annual Run for 
the Ribbon Gala is being 
reimagined this year at 
TopGolf in Auburn Hills on 
Thursday, June 17. Attendees 
can enjoy three hours of 
golf, dinner, beer and wine, 
live music and more. Tickets 
can be purchased online for 
$149 for an individual ticket 
or $900 for six tickets. All 
money raised will fund criti-
cal health assessments at the 
Men’s Health Event held in 
the fall to screen for prostate 
cancer and provide other vital 
tests.
Men’s Health Week will 
culminate with the Run 

for the Ribbon: Stroll for 
Survivorship on Father’s Day, 
Sunday, June 20. Held on 
Father’s Day at the Detroit 
Zoo since 2009, the Run for 
the Ribbon attracts more 
than 1,500 survivors and sup-
porters to run or walk each 
year in honor of loved ones 
in their journey of prostate 
cancer survivorship. The 
event this year will be held as 
a stroll through the zoo, start-
ing at 8 a.m. 
All stroll participants 
should register at www.
MIURunfortheRibbon.org. 
The entry fee is $30 and cov-
ers the stroll, a performance 
shirt, refreshments and 
admission to the Detroit Zoo 
on the day of the event. All 
money raised will fund criti-
cal health assessments at the 
Men’s Health Event held in 
the fall to screen for prostate 
cancer and provide other vital 
tests. 

For information, visit miumenshealth-

foundation.org/calendar.

Three fun events will remind men to resume doctor checkups.
Men’s Health Week

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

Dr. Lutz at a previous MIU event.

