joy, August 12, 1977
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page tieven
P,
+nv . _uut1,17 H iHGNDIYPg ise
Arroyo fights hard luck tag
By PAUL CAMPBELL
Special To The Daily
p)ETROIT - It took Fernando
:ayo seven years of proving
asef in the minors before he
his chance with the Detroit
ers. If there is one quality
1970 tenth round draft pick
developed, it's patience.
BUT ARROYO is having to
:1 on every ounce of that pa-
lace to deal with the disap-
tinting realities of his first full
tleague season.
it hasn't been disappointing
ecause of an injury, a la Fid-
ch. Arroyo has been depend-
y healthy all summer. Nor
:s it been disappointing be-
!se he didn't live up to ex-
lations, a la Roberts and
hie. Arroyo has done more
an anyone but himself ex-
eted.
What has made 1977 tough to
allow for the friendly 25-year-
righty from Sacramento,
hfornia, is his 6-11 won-loss
ard. He's pitched well enough
have those numbers reversed,
It has suffered from a dearth
support-on the field and at
e plate - from the regulars
at play behind him.
"This isn't as much fun as
thought it would be," Arroyo
aid before a recent game at
iger Stadium. "After all the
ears in the minors and in
lexico, making the team in
he spring was a great boost."
Arroyo started in the bullpen,
°nce he had made a dozen
earances in his only other
stint with the parent club late in
the 1975 season. But manager
Ralph Honk was impressed by
Arroyo's control and decided to
give him a chance to start.
"Fernando was our most con-
sistent long reliever in April and
May," Houk recalled. "He'd
also started a couple of times
last time he was up, and we
needed fresh arms."
THINGS WENT well. On June
15, Arroyo pitched his first ma-
jor league shutout, a 9-0 five-
hit conquest of Toronto. It
raised his record to 5-3 and low-
ered his ERA to 2.83, tenth in
the AL. Not bad for a man who
at one time was forced to won-
der if the Tigers had any plans
for him.
"I was surprised when I was
sent back to Evansville last
year," said Arroyo. "I had
pitched really well in the Mexi-
can Pacific League during the
winter, hut I don't think they
(the 'Tigers) even knew I was
pitching."
Life at the top quickly became
a little less pleasant, however.
In his next start, Arroyo was
sailing along until the fifth in-
ning against Cleveland. Then
two close plays at the plate went
against him. Before he knew it,
"It gets frustrating
sometimes. I feel like
I'm doing my job but
not getting anything
for it."
-Fernando A rroyo
the Indians had scored four
times on only two hits. Arroyo
was yanked by Houk.
His next start was also
against Cleveland. A r r o y o
gave up only five hits in a
complete game e f to r t. His
teammates, however, c o u 1 d
score only twice. Result-a 4-2
loss.
Things got worse. In his next
eight starts, Arroyo was vic-
timized by costly errors, close
p 1 a y s, and teammates that
scored an average of 2.3 runs
per game behind him. When it
was over, his record had dipped
to 5-9. His ERA had risen, but
by less than hilf a point.
ARROYO FNINLLY broke the
jinx in C'hicaguon ,uly 27 with
a fine one-ritn effort. But he has
los: twice sitce then, and the
4-1 defeat that Texas pinned
him with lst Saturday followed
the bad luck pittern. All four
runs were untearned.
"I try not to think about it,'
Arroyo said of his troubles in
creasing the W portion of his
record. "But I need some luck.
"Hey, I know that I'm not
a great pitcher. I don't over-
power batters, but I keep the
ball down and get them to hit
it into the ground. I think I've
become a good major league
starter."
Arroyo hopes to salvage at
least a .500 year and expects
that his luck will change. He's
signed through 1978, and says
that he's happy in Detroit. '
"I'm just biding my time,"
Arroyo said. "I'm part of a good
young team and I plan to stay
here."
NIGHT EDITOR:
DONALD MacLACHLAN
A's BO RANKS SECOND:
Paterno: Winningest coach
I R M I N G H A M, Ala.
- Joe Paterno of Penn
ate continues to lead in win-
ig percentage and Paul Bry-
t of Alabama still tops the
ai victories list among all
live college football coaches.
P A T E R N O, SINCE
ting over the Nittany Lions
seasons ago, has an .812 per-
rtage on a 101-23-1 record.
lant, who also served as
ad coach at Maryland, Ken-
ky' and Texas A&M prior
taking over at Alabama in
8, has 262 victories.
The records were compiled
Scoop Hudgins of the South-
i Conference office.
tO SCHEMBECHLER of
Ohigan has regained second
ace on the percentage list
ir Arizona State's Frank
sh. Michigan's 10-2. mark in
i raised Schembechler's ov-
all mark to 116-28-6 for .793,
lie ASU's 4-7 dropped Coach
thu's record to 155-46-1 for
1, The Sun Devils' 12-0
aik in 1975 had pushed Kush
t Schembechler.
Second on the total victories
Top 10 coaches
Yrs. W L T Pet.
0 Paterno
hon State 11 101 23 1 .812
SCHEMBEcHLER
co G.5.s 16 28 6 .703
k Kush +
:z. state 18 155 46 1 .770
"(!Y Hayes
state 31 2a es s .705
rHByant
Alams 312012 75 10 .705
Devine
tlre Dame 18 136 47 8 .733
en Cozza
te 11 77 33 1 .718
Salloy
°irailo 0 61 25 0, .709
hie McClndon
tDooley
rha 13098433.0GP
tabulation behind Bryant is
Ohio State's Woody Hayes with
222. Hayes is fourth in percen-
tage with a .7652 record and
Bryant is fifth at .7649.
T H E RETIREMENTS of
Dairell Royal of Texas, Frank
Broyles of Arkansas and Jim
Parker of Clemons pushed
three new ,coaches into the Top
Twenty list.
Bill Mallory of Colorado
State jumped to eighth with a
.709 mark and Joe Yukica of
Boston College joined the Top
Twenty in the 18th spot with a
.62i percentage.
The appearance of Bill Doo-
ley of Mississippi State in the
Too 20 marks the first time in
20 years it has been compiled
that brothers were listed. Vince
Dooley of Georgia is 10th with
a .688 record and Bill is 20th
at .549.
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