Page 8--Sunday, April 2, 1978-The Michigan Daily
Exhibition baseball

NATIONAL LEAGUE
w
San Francisco .. ......... 16
Chicago .................... 13
Philadelphia ............... 12
Cincinati ................. 12
Atlanta ................ 11
San Diego .................. 12
Montreal .. .............. 11
Houston. ............. 9
Los Angeles ............. 9
New York ................. 10
St. Louis ... ................. 9
Pittsburgh ................ 5
Yesterday's Results
Boston 8, Detroit 3
Cincinnati 10. Pittsburgh 2
Kansas'City 3, Atlanta 0
Philadelphia 9, St. Louis 8
New York Mets 5. Chicago White Sox
Montreal 8, Toronto 6

L Pct.
7 .696
9 .591
9 .571
10 .545
10 .524
12 .500
11 .500
10 .474
10 .474
12 .454
13 .409
.18 .217

AMERICAN LEAGUE
W
Detroit.......... .....16
Minnesota ................. 14
Texas ...................... 13
Boston ..................... 14
Baltimore...............12
California .................. 12
Chicago................. 13
Seattle .....................11
Kansas City ............... 10
Cleveland...................9
New York ................. 7
Milwaukee .................. 8
Oakland ..................... 8
Toronto ......................7

HEALTHY FIDRYCH KEY TO SEASON:
36'78 Tigers rely on

86
8 .6

youth

t

8 .619
9 .609
8 .600
9 .571
11 .541
12 .478
11 .476
12 .429
12 .368
14 .364
14 .364
16 .304

Houston 8, Texas i
San Francisco 13.Oakland i
o 4 Chicago (ohbs 7. Milwaukee 5
Cleveland 13, Seattle 3
(Late games not included)

By BOB MILLER
With an All-Star at first base, center
field, designated hitter and on the pit-
ching mound, the 1978 version of the
Detroit Tigers might just be the most
satisfying team that Ralph Houk ever
managed.
That might sound odd considering
that Houk piloted the New York
Yankees to a World Championship in
1961 and had stars like Mickey Mantle,
Roger Mais and Whitey Ford on his
roster.
But the Tigers have some stars of
their own, and Houk has been around
long enough to see them develop into
what could be a contending team in a
short amount of time.
This happened because the Detroit
management vowed to clear out all the
graybeards on the Tigers and trade
them in for some young cubs that could
be freshly trained.
The metamorphosis began in 1974
when a well publicized ex-convict made
the rapid adjustment from Double "A"
ball to the parent club. Ron LeFlore
then proceeded to show that the Tigers
didn't waste their time with him by hit-
ting a respectable .261 with 29 stolen
bases that fall.
LeFlore swiped over 50 bases the next
year, then raised his average over .300
the following two campaigns,
culminating with the honor of starting
the 1976 All-Star game.
LeFlore should be just as good offen-
sively in 1978 as he was the last two
years as the Tigers' lead off man.
However, he has had his problems on
defense, and playing in the vast
acreage of center field, LeFlore's glove
might scare people more than his bat
does.
The change for the better continued
in 1976 with a curly-haired moppet on
the mound with an uncanny ability to "
keep the ball low, and a veteran with
one of the best minds for hitting in the
major leagues.
The Tigers knew when they got Rusty
Staub from the Mets for Mickey Lolich,
that they were getting a good deal.
Staub has done nothing to dispute that.
His credentials over the two years he
has played for Detroit are a solid .280
average, 20 home runs and 90 runs bat-
ted in per year.
As designated hitter, Staub, like
LeFlore, will measure up to his advan-
ce billing as an important cog in the
machinery of the team.

Mark Fidrych was a broken piece
that has been mended. But how well is
uncertain. "The Bird" has blazed the
ball around'this spring to the tune of a 4-
1 exhibition record and, as usual, a low
ERA. Fidrych will be a question
mark to the success of the team. He has
to prove himself all over again, and if
he does, 20 victories are not out of his
reach this year.
Big years will also be expected of fir-
st baseman Jason Thompson and left
fielder Steve Kemp, both of whom
stayed away from training camp when
it opened on March 1. That problem was
settled for the time being, and Houk has
indicated there were no hard feelings
by all involved.
Thompson shined last year with over
30 homers and 100 RBI's. Kemp socked
18 round trippers and chipped in with 88

RBI's. Together, they pose as a power-
ful 1-2 punch in the lineup.
But, it will be the untested and newer
members of the squad that will decide
the eventual fate of Detroit's season.
At second base, the Tigers got rid of
an attitude problem in Tito Fuentes.
But they also lost a .309 hitter. In his
place is Steve Dillard, ex of the Red
Sox.
Another vacated position is shortstop.
Mark Wagner is expected to take over
that job. But Dillard and Wagner have
to keep an eye out for the boffo keystone
combination of Alan Trammel and Lou
Whitaker.
Dillard is reputed to be a better
fielder than hitter, but so far in spring
training, he has come through with a
respectable batting average. Likewise,
Wagner's offensive prowess was non-

existant for Detroit last year, but he has
held his average over .300 for most of
the exhibition season.
Trammel and Whitaker will see a lot
of action this year, but because of their
inexperience, they probably won't be
starting, unless, they take the job away
from Wagner and Dillard, respectively.,
The new look pitching corps features
veterans Jim Slaton and Jack
Billingham as first year Tigers along
with Dave Rozema in his sophomore
season. If they can keep the oppositon
from scoring too many runs, Detroit's
offense should award these three with a
healthy sum of victories.
The overall indication is that the 1978
Detroit Tigers will be interesting, and
make things interesting for the rest of
the American League.

AP Photo
BOSTON RED SOX catcher Carlton Fisk (left) beats Detroit's Lance Parrish to the plate in the sixth inning of a game bet-
ween Boston and Detroit played yesterday at Lakeland. Fisk scored on a double by Lynn, one of four hits allowed by pitcher
Mark Fidrych in the inning. With the Sox leading 5-3, John Hiller relieved Fidrych and was able to keep Boston from scoring,
but Steve Foucault gave up three runs in the ninth to give the Sox an 8-3 victory. The loss is Fidrych's first of the exhibition
season and leaves the Tigers with a record of 16-8.

" That leases accurately reflect the
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* That tenants get complete information
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on housing proposals
Vote YES A &B.
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Bucks begin training;
frosh QB Schlichter
makes Woody drool

SE! and Elections
Will e Held the second week of/April
We urge all undergraduate and graduate students
at the School of Education to make sure that candi-
dates from their division run for office or that they
themselves file for candidacy. Please file for can-
didacy at the SEI office, SEB between the hours
of 12 and 4 p.m. before APRIL 7, 1978.
For further information, Call 763-1244
Room 1234 SAB.

COLUMBUS (AP) - Ohio State
opened its spring football practice
yesterday with Rod Gerald retaining
his starting quarterback job - at least
for the present.
"Rod will be our quarterback until
someone beats him out," Coach Woody
Hayes said with a smile.
What has Hayes smiling as he begins
his 28th year at the Buckeye helm is a 6-
foot-3, 188-pound high school football
standout named Art Schlichter, who
won't even get his high school diploma
from Miami Trace High School until
Ohio State's 30 spring practices are
over.

BUT THE Buckeye
hoping Schlichter,

coaching staff is
who won The

Associated Press Class AAA back of the
year honors as quarterback for Miami
'Trace last year, will be an offensive key
as a freshman this fall:
Gerald's quarterbacking led Ohio
State to a 9-3 season last year and an
unprecedented sixth straight Big Ten
title, shared with the Michigan
Wolverines.
But Schlichter's high school creden-
tials are so impressive that Gerald may
be forced to wide receiver, a postion he
has considered himself. The senior
from Dallas realizes any prospects he
has for a pro football career will be at
wide receiver and not quarterback.
SCHLICHTER accounted for more
than 6,000 total yards during his high
school career and was all-state in both
football and basketball in his senior
year.
He chose Ohio State over Penn State
when deciding among the national
college football powers that sought his
talents, and ironically the Buckeyes
open against the Nittany Lions Sept. 16
in Columbus.
. In all, Hayes will have 24 freshmen
reporting this fall. "We'd have liked to
have gotten a couple more linemen, but
overall, it's a pretty fine group," said
Hayes, who turned 65 on Valentine's
Day. Mandatory retirement age at Ohio
State is 70.
THE'BUCKEYES will be rebounding
from a crushing 36-6 Sugar Bowl defeat
by Alabama that blurred an otherwise
bright season. Losses to Oklahoma and
Michigan marred the year.
Tailback Ron Springs, tight ends
Jimmy Moore and Bill Jaco, right
guard Ken Fritz and right tackle Joe
Robinson also return from the 1977
squad.
The team will drill Mondays,
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
thvimch Mau Fcexeent for Satirciv

I U

PIRGIM WORKS
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leading.

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leases are mis-

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