Page 12-Wednesday, June 6, 1979-The Michigan Daily Draft Bigo! Leach, Howe and Perry chosen By GEOFF LARCOM With WireServiceReports Jackpot! Michigan's baseball team hit major league paydirt yesterday, when three Wolverine players were picked in the first round of pro baseball's free agent draft. Rick Leach, the part-time center- fielder, part-time quarterback over the past four years, was tabbed by the Detroit Tigers as their first Dick. going 13th in the very first round. Three choices later junior lefthander Steve Howe was chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers as their first pick, and they continued the first-round Blue on- slaught by taking another Wolverine hurler, Steve Perry, for their 25th pick, on a choice obtained from the New York Yankees. And while both Perry and Howe are almost sure bets to sign with the Dodgers, the Tigers' choice of Leach marks the beginning of an important but enjoyable decision-making period for the multisport star. "I guess the Tigers were a little more interested in me than I thought they were. I had no inkling they were going to draft me," said Leach, who was chosen during May in the pro football draft in the fifth round by the Denver Broncos. "It indicates the Tigers are pretty serious about a baseball career for me." Leach, who if he ends up playing baseball, "would like to get started as soon as possible," talked with Tiger personnel director Bill Lajoie last night to discuss his plans. For their part, the Tigers appear quite confident of Leach's major league potential. "He's a pretty good hitter and a good competitor," said Tiger scout Jack Tighe, who indicated the club was projecting Leach to reach the majors in 1981. "He's always played spring football, so it's been hard to evaluate his progress,' Lajoie said. "But we felt he made much more progress this spring after not playing spring football. He had a much better all-around season. "He's shown us he can hit and he doesn't have too many rough edges." While at Michigan, Leach smoothed his way to a .349 career batting average in 149 games. Leach's overall mark was .315 last year, while the lefthanded swinger batted over four hundred for the second straight year in conference play, after winning the title last year. Like Leach, Howe and Perry were both expected to go high in the draft, yet Perry was still completely sur- prised he went so early - and to the Dodgers, to boot. "I only talked to the Dodgers once last week. Buta lot of other clubs called me and expressed an interest, including Milwaukee and Cincinnati," said Perry. The fireballing righthander, who at6- 5, 215 pounds, is an intimidating presence on the hill, will probably report to a Dodger farm club next week. A year ago, after his junior cam- paign, Perry was also approached by the Tigers, but instead chose to remain in school to finish out his collegiate diamond career, while putting the finishing touches on his B.G.S. degree. Perry now is glad he made that decision. "Last year was not as good as it could have been. I got hurt, and this year I think I matured some," Perry said. The extra year also gave Perry one more year of Blue coach Moby Benedict's tutelage. Perry says that his coach's emphasis on the game's fun- damentals should be a boon during his days with the Dodgers, who traditionally preach fundamental baseball to their younger players. Along with Perry, Howe will meet Friday with a local Dodger represen- tative to begin threshing out contract details. Howe says he will definitely leave Michigan next year if he gets what he wants. Perry provided a less ambiguous comment regarding his fellow hurler's future. "He's going for sure," Perry said. Just like his teammate, Howe was delighted with his selection by the Dodgers, and also with the positive publicity the three selections provided his alma mater. "I'm not surprised by three Michigan players going in the first round, it just shows the type of talent we have," said Howe, who owns a bevy of Michigan pitching records, including most wins in one season (11). "Los Angeles rec- cently lost its top lefthander (Doug Rau), so I hope we'll both get a chance to see if we can put out." As could be expected, the atmosphere in the Michigan athletic office was jubilant. Phone calls from well wishers drifted in to the sports information department, where Perry's parents, Will and Pat, both work. A happy Pat Perry sat at her desk and summed it all up concisely: "It's been quite a day," she said with a grin. Chambers first pick in pro draft Albert Cambers, a high school first baseman-outfielder from Harrisburg, Pa., was selected yesterday by the Seattle Mariners to open the 15th an- nual free agent baseball draft. Chambers, 18, a left-handed batter and thrower, stands 6-4 and tips the scales at 210. Hal Keller, director of player development for the Mariners, calls Chambers "the best high school bat since Jeff Burroughs was the nation's top pick in 1969." The Detroit Tigers, meanwhile, followed their opening pick of Michigan outfielder Rick Leach with the first- round selection of Chris Baker, an out- fielder from Livonia Franklin High School. Other state players selected included Mike Kwiecinski, a shortstop out of Warren Cousino High School, by the Montreal Expos and Pat Sheridan, an Eastern Michigan flycatcher, who was tabbed by the Kansas City Royals in the third round. uaiiy eMooby U'' """ U LEACH SWINGS, it's a line drive, headed for deep right field in Tiger Stadium ... Wishful thinking? Could be. But yesterday's selection of Leach by the Tigers in the first round of the free agent draft made such an image much more than just wishful thinking. Along with the departing outfield star, pitching teammates Steve Perry (graduated) and junior Steve Howe were both picked in the first round, each by the Los Angeles Dodgers. BOYD ON RECRUITING MISSI Kent State aide repla took the head coaching position at IN ces Boyce recruiting bandwagon in Columbus. ~ By ALAN FANGER Imagine Michigan basketball coach Johnny Orr mailing "Mission Im- possible" orders to a prospective assistant. His deep, drawling voice would say something akin to, "Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is to strengthen our recruiting base, especially in Ohio. You must also seek and secure a big center and a quick backcourt man, for that is what this team needs most." Although Mike Boyd wasn't offered the Michigan assistantship on tape, the Kent State University assistant was agreeable to the task. And that task has already begun-Boyd is currently traversing the Midwest in search of those "magical" cagers. BOYD SUCCEEDS Jim Boyce, who Eastern Michigan. "I'm excited about the job," said Boyd, who played his collegiate ball at Northern Michigan before turning in six years at Kent. "I've always felt that a basketball program is only as good as the recruiting. And one thing I can do is recruit." "Looking at Michigan overall, I think that what we need most is size and quickness. This will be an especially big year because (Phil) Hubbard is playing his last season, and we'll be signing four or five recruits on for next year." And the coaching staff hopes that Boyd can break Ohio State's tight grip on instate superstars like swingman Clark Kellogg and center Granville Waiters. Both cagers had strongly con- sidered signing with the Wolverines before they joined Eldon Miller's "WHEN YOU'RE one of the top players in your own state, there's a lot of pressure to stay in that state," Boyd said. "There's pressure from parents, and people in your hometown. "Waiters was a big surprise. It looked like he was going to Michigan, but then he went the other way. He was a tough loss." Although he will be logging a good share of travel time, Boyd plans to be in Ann Arbor for some Wolverine home games, most likely the televised con- tests. Actually, Boyd steps into the job with one particularly impressive creden- tial-he was Kent's interim head coach for the last half of the 1977-78 season, 'taking over after Rex Hughes had been fired.