The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, May 10, 1978-Page 15
HURONS TODAY, GONE TOMORROW
Benedict plays one game at a time
By GARY KICINSKI
"Playing them one at a time" is an
old cliche, but it is one that Michigan
baseball coach Moby Benedict adheres
to religiously.
That's why Benedict refuses to
speculate about the remainder of the
season, including any talk about win-
ning the conference or post-season
competition. Though his Wolverines are
comfortably camped in first place,
three games ahead of Michigan State
with six to play, Benedict refuses to
Lsports of
look further ahead than today's contest
against Eastern Michigan.
MICHIGAN, with an 11-1 record in
the Big Ten, and Michigan State (8-4)
have commonl opponents in the next two
weeks. Both teams play Northwestern
and Iowa this weekend, and face each
other in home-and-home single games
next weekend.
If Michigan were to split its final six
games, the Spartans would have to win
all six of theirs, including both games
the DAILY
against the Wolverines.
So it would appear that things are in
pretty good shape. But don't tell that to
the Michigan coach or let his players
know. "I don't want to hear about stuff
like that," Benedict said. "You guys in
the press look ahead too much. I don't
want to hear about what will happen if
we play .500 ball or .750 ball. All I want
to do is play them one at a time.
"Right now I'm concerned with
Eastern, and only with Eastern," he
added. "Then when the time comes, I'll
Fidrych practices: arm still hurts
DETROIT-Detroit Tiger pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych tested
his ailing arm for about seven minutes of half-speed pitching yesterday in
advance of the Detroit-California baseball game.
Tiger Manager Ralph Houk said the young right-hander had a little ten-
derness in his shoulder but nothing like the pain that hit him last week when
he threw a few pitches before the game at Seattle.
"He appeared somewhat improved and he probably will be throwing
some practice pitches again.
"But there is no way he will be ready to pitch in a regular game as soon
as he is off the 21-day disabled list," said Houk.
Fidrych was placed on the disabled list May 1 after a Los Angeles doctor
said he was suffering from a recurrence of the tendinitis that plagued him
last season.
The Tiger manager said that if Fidrych continues to have less pain in his
practice pitching, he will be given a chance to pitch in some simulated game
conditions and in batting practice, the same routine that was used when he
was on the injured list last season.
Asked why Fidrych was having so many injury problems, Houk said, "I
think he is one of those athletes who is so energetic that at times he throws
the ball harder than his body will allow him."
Houk also got encouraging words on right-hander Jack Morris who also
is troubled with tendinitis and is on the injured list.
"Jack threw at full speed in practice yesterday and he will be ready by
next week. But he will not be pitching right away," Houk said. "We will have
to work him into the pitching rotation." -AP
Davis crowned Rookie of the Year
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Forward Walter Davis of the Phoenix Suns was
named NBA Rookie of the Year yesterday.
Davis won the honor over Marques Johnson of the Milwaukee Bucks. Ber-
nard King of the New Jersey Nets, Jack Sikma of the Seattle Supersonics
and Norm Nixon of the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I tried to think about it as little as possible," Davis said of the battle
with Johnson for the honor. "Marques is a great player, and there are
probably three or four other guys who deserve the award as much as I do."
Davis averaged 24.2 points per game, the most by any NBA rookie since
Portland's Sidney Wicks averaged 24.5 in 1971-72.
He was the only rookie selected for the All-Star Game, in which he
scored 10 points in only 15 minutes and led all front court players in assists
with six.
Davis is the Suns' second rookie of the year in three seasons. Center
Alvan Adams won the honor in 1976.
Davis said he felt he could play in the NBA during the Suns' first
exhibition game.
"We played the Lakers, and we won and we did pretty good," he said. "I
got the idea that maybe I really belong here now."
Davis said that when he was chosen for the All-Star Game he began
having serious thoughts about being named rookie of the year.
"When I made the All-Star team, I though it would helpa great deal," he
said.
Through balloting of 66 league media representatives conducted at the
end of the season, Davis received 49 votes. Johnson finished second with
10i/4 votes, followed by King with 5i/4, Skima with 1 and Nixon with 1/4. The
fractional shares resulted when one voter split his ballot four ways.
In addition to his prolific scoring feats, which placed him ninth in the
league, Davis set a club record for field goal percentage with a mark of .526,
10th best in the NBA.
-AP
Homer surprised pitcher
Atlanta pitcher Tommy Boggs hit his first major league home run
against Houston's Joe Niekro last Friday night and found it hard to believe.
"I couldn't believe it because I hadn't even hita ball out in batting prac-
tice," he said. "I lost sight of the ball and then I saw it hit the padding. When
I realized it was out I almost tripped over first base. -AP
: Idon't know whatI hit. I closed my eyes" ..".
worry about Northwestern, and then I'll
worry about Iowa."
NORTHWESTERN and Iowa are far
from being pushovers, however, so
Benedict has indeed some reason to not
write up the season already.
"We're thinking positively right now
and just playing them one game at a
time, and you can quote me on that,"
Benedict said.
Today's doubleheader against the
Hurons, who are in first place in the
Mid-American Conference, starts at 2
p.m. at Fisher Stadium.
Michigan baseball
33 games
Hitting
AB H HR RBI AvG.
Leach..........5600 39 0 17 .390
Capoferi......... 81 27 4 is .333
Chapman .....97 2 5.289
Foassianes .... i.... 9 36 6 25 .2816
Ray ..................... 79 22 6 ii .278
wasilewski ............. 80 20 6 9 .250
Parker........ . 90 20 2 i6 .222
Anderson ... 117 25 i .214
Rerra...........si1 is i 16 .196
Cooperrider ............. 22 3 6 3 .136
McEldowney ............ 23 2 6 1 .087
TOTAL ................ 912 239 15 143 .262
OPPONENTS .......... 886 190 9 88 .214
Pitching
IP H ER W-L ERA
Thomas..................3 2 E 0- .
Clinton ................ 12.1 11 1 1-0 6.73
McGinnis-.......--.47 34 it 6-2 2.11
Howe ...........63.1 52 15 7-2 2.63
Bryant .......13.2 12 4 6-3 2.36
stennett ............... 41.2 36 16 3-2 3.46
Owens ................ 28.1 15 14 3-2 4.45
Perry... 26.1 28 15 2-6 5.13
TOTAL.........237.2 190 76 22-il 2.66
OPPONENTS......234 239 135 11-22 519
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Robby-2nd chance
Frank Robinson, the first black man-
ager in the major leagues, was named
manager of the minor league's
Rochester Red Wings Monday. Robin-
son managed the Cleveland Indians
from 1975-77 and was a coach for the
Baltimore Orioles this year.
Sugar Ray wins again
NEW YORK (AP) - Sugar Ray
Robinson, the man for whom the
"pound for pound" cliche was coined,
was voted the best boxer who ever lived
in balloting of the Boxing Writers of
America announced yesterday.
p
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