The Michigan Daily-Saturday, April 1, 1978-Page 9

IMPROVING TIGERS PICKED FOR THIRD

Fat-cat

Yanks will

feast

By BILL THOMPSON
In the American League East, the
club owner's checkbook has become
more important than the lineup card,
and some players pay more attention to
their stockbrokers than 'their
managers.
Yet the leading practitioners of
bankbook baseball are also the
probable division leaders and they con-
sider it well Worth the price.
The New York Yankees remained ac-
tive in baseball's free agent market in
the off-season, luring relief stars Rich
Gossage and Rawley Eastwick. They
join AL Cy Young Award winner
Sparky Lyle in baseball's best bullpen
as the Yankees should successfully
defend their East Division title.
The bullpen aces will support a well-

paid but crippled starting/ corps which
includes big names like Catfish Hunter,
Don Gullett, Andy Messersmith and
last year's stopper, Ron Guidry.
The pitchers should be supplied with
plenty of runs, however, as quarreling
sluggers Reggie Jackson (.286, 32 HR)
and Thurman Munson(.306) lead the
Yankee offense. Gr'aig Nettles (37 HR)
and Chris Chambliss will provide ad-
ditional power in driving in. speedbur-
ners Mickey Rivers (.306) and Willie
Randolph.
Scoring runs shouldn't be a problem
with Boston either, a team which
bashed home runs at a record-setting
pace last season. Jim Rice, George
Scott and Butch Hobson each reached
the 30-homer mark, and Carl Yastr-
zemski and Carlton Fisk clouted 28 and

26 respectively.
.Outfielders Fred Lynn, Dwight
Evans, and Bernie Carbo lend more
sock to the Boston attack with Rick
Burleson (.293) and newly acquired
Jerry Remy forming a sharp double
play combination.
The Boston offensive achievements
appear even greater when it is con-
Billy's bloopers
in AL East
1. New York
2. Boston
3. Detroit
4. Baltimore
5. Milwaukee
6. Cleveland
7. Toronto
sidered that none came off Red Sox pit-
ching.
Although last year's sorry staff will
be aided by free agent acquisition Mike
Torrez and former Indian Dennis
Eckersley it will not be enough to vault
the Red Sox past New York. J
Detroit will also fall short of the top
despite the protestations of the
traditional legion of Tiger fans who
assure us that this year, finally, the
Tigers will be a contender.
They have some cause for optimism.
Mark Fidrych; Dave Rozema, and Jim

Slaton should be a formidable starting
rotation and they will be backed by a
capable offense. Jason Thompson (31
HR), Ron LeFlore (.325), Rusty Staub,
Steve Kemp and possibly Tim Corcoran
and newcomer Lance Parrish wield
dangerous bats.
Promising performances by the
rookie double play combination of Lou
Whitaker and Alan Tram mell and the
club's exhibition winning spree are also
hopeful signs. However, the Tigers
should gain little more than one spot in
the standings and a few games in the
win column.
The Tigers' gain should come at the
expense of Baltimore. The Orioles were
a surprise last year, tying Boston for
second through the efforts of Ken
Singleton (.328, 24 HR), Al Bum bry
(.317), Lee May (27 HIR) and Rookie of
ISCORES I

onAL
the Year Eddie Murray (.283, 27 HR).
Pitching sensation Jim Palmer con-
tributed his traditional 20 victories. He
and a number of young pitchers will be
counted upon to come through this
season, since the Orioles lost 14-game-
winner Ross Grimsley and Dick Drago
in the free agent draft.
The re-entry draft has been a fruitful
process for the Milwaukee Brewers
who added Larry Hisle (.302, 28 HIR) to
last season's free agent prize, Sal Ban-
do. Hard-hitting Cecil Cooper, Don
Money, Sixot Lezcano and former Tiger
Ben Oglivie all cracked the 20-homerun
mark in '77 and give the Brewers a
lineup with punch. But a pitiful pitching
staff will keep Milwaukee in the second
division.
The Cleveland Indians will try to
rebuild after last year's disaster, which
saw the Indians end the season in fifth
place. Their prospects are bleak as the
offense is led by a lone power hitter,

East
Andre Thornton (28 HR), and a horde of
hobbled singles hitters.
The restructured pitching'staff will
be led by relievers Jim Kern, who
saved 18 games, and Don Hood (3.00
ERA). Wayne Garland, Rick Wise,
Rick Waits and possibly Hood will vie
for starting jobs.
Enthusiastic Canadian fans will con-
tinue to pack Exhibition Stadium to see
the Toronto Blue Jays but they will see
little improvement on the field. Yc*ng
bright spots such as Bob Bailor (.310)
and Roy Howell (.302) will try to boost
the Jays, but their work is cut out for
them in this tough division.
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Track debut put off
for stricken striders

By ALAN FANGER
While most of us are laughing over
today's April Fools jokes, Red Sim-
mons is mulling over a March disaster.
A week ago, his .Michigan women's
track team was anxiously awaiting the
opening of the outdoor season today at
the Western Michigan Invitational.
THEN ALL OF a sudden, the roof
caved in.
It all started last weekend when shot
putter and discus thrower Abby Currier
returned home with strep throat. A slow
recovery will keep her out of action
today. Darlynda Key, star in the long
jump and 440 indoors, fell victim to the
same illness later in the week. Count
another out for today.
Then Mary Frey, the fine distance
runner, came down with a virus which
is still undetermined. And to top
everything off, pillar-of-success Pam
Moore is out indefinitely with a hip
pointer.
That leaves Christina Smith as the
only healthy runner with substantial
competitive experience. And with that
in mind, Simmons chose to withdraw
from today's meet.
"It would be silly for Tina to run
alone against all that competition,"
said Simmons. "If she wants to run by
herself, however, she can."
THE PERSONNEL situation for next
Saturday's meet at Champaign may not
e much 'brighter. "We have no idea
how long Pam is going to be out;" Sim-
mans said. "It's also not fair to run the
others right after they've recovered,
since they'll be quite weak."
So it boils down to starting the out-
door season at least a week, and
possibly two weeks, late. This is quite a
blow to a first-year team, although
Simmons sees only good things for the
future.
"Next year we'll be able to cope with
something like this. We have some

talented walk-ons running for us next
year, along with a couple of outstanding
recruits. Right now, however, we'll
have to wait until everyone's healthy
again."
Red Simmons and his women's track
squad hope that time is not too far off.

N BA
Chicago 17, Detroit 107
C'leveland 12 Washingtoni 10,
Sari Antonio 120. Boston 17
Exhibition Baseball
St. Louis :, DetroitI s
Oakland 9, Seattle 7
San Francisco H, Milwaukee 7
Roston6, ontrea2I 3
(Cincinnati 5, Chicago 3
BaItin,(,re 3. Kansas (Cite

" That leases accurately reflect the
legal rights of tenants
" That tenants get complete information
about their rights and duties.
on ousing proposals
Paid for by the Coalition for Better Housing/Ballot Question Comittee, Greg Hesterberg, Treasurer


©1978 Jos Schlitz Brewing Co- Milwaukee, Wis

YO TOO0 1

BE

OF BEER

Or, There's a Little Siglinda Steinfuller in All of Us.
Fellow Beer Persons,
Have you ever thought of becoming a Dean of Beer like me, Siglinda
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If you answered "YES" to either of these questions, ou have
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Now, to further your education, take one average beer mug
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Which can only be found at the best pubs in town
But then, where else would we Deans
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Oe t S tONiGHT
toie
o(ihc Love that Failed
by).Jcan Anouilh
University Shwcase
ProductiOnls
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Tkets at Trueblood Box Offie 68 p m

Power Center Sat., Apr. 8,
Fri, Apr.7, Spm. special children'smat. 3p.m
Sat. Apr. SpmSp.
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by Dylan Thomas
FEATURING
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Guest ArtistIn-Residence
WED. SAT.

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