The Michigan Daily-Thursday, July 27, 1978-Page 15
GEORGE HAS FUN IN BEERTOWN
'Bambi' keeps
MILWAUKEE (AP)-While The Best Team That
Mondey Can Buy no longer describes the dissension-
ridden New York Yankees, baseball's most sur-
prisingly successful team of the summer is one of its
most harmonious. Statistics tell only part of the
story of the Milwaukee Brewers, the expansion-
born erst-while whipping child of the American
League's other teams last season. High spirited and
hard nosed, the 1978 Brewers have hit more home
runs than any team in the majors except Boston,
and are challenging the Red Soc for first place in the
AL East.
"BOSTON HAS THE best club," Brewers
Manager George Bamberger says. "New York and
Baltimore will be heard from before it's all over.
"But I'll tell you this," he said. "These guys
believe they can win. And if they believe they can
win, I believe they can win."
George Irvin Bamberger, who will be 53 Aug. 1,
has a face lined by the cares of managing. His gray
hairline is receding and his sloping shape would
probably rumple a $350 suit.
WITH HIS NEW York accent, mangled
metaphors and butchered syntax, he looks and
sounds not unlike Archie Bunker.
But unlike the middle-aged meanie portrayed by
Carroll O'Connor in television's long-running hit,
Bamberger is more like an aging flower child.
Known to his cronies as "Jovial Geohjie" and
"Bambi," the man who developed 18 20-game win-
ners in 10 years as Baltimore pitching coach
preaches positivism, tells jokes all day, and related
as few his age do with the younger generation.
BAMBERGER EVOKED his first laugh in,
Milwaukee last winder when he took the Brewer job
and proceeded to predict his new team would play
r'
% F
6,,
Brewers rolling
maximum ability from each player and to mold a
team together," he said. "That's the manager's job,
* " &plus making lineups and that stuff, but usually the
ykflineups are cut and dried. It don't take no genius,
that's for sure.
"If you can't handle men, you're not worth a
damn," he said. "Anybody who's played baseball
any length of time knows baseball, but not many
know people. If you don't know people, you better
have coaches who do. Otherwise you're upa creek."
Bamberger's style of backslapping, barracks
humor and sensitivity to others' feelings is ap-
preciated by his players. One is Charlie Moore, the
Brewers' vastly improved catcher who let a run
score in a costly defeat by Boston last week when
a runner sneaked home from first basse while he
a w sargued a play with the plate umpire.
"IF THIS WAS last year, I could have been on the
bench for a week," Moore said after his homer and
two-run single had helped beat the Red Sox the next
is 18 games above the break- night. "But George isn't ike that. He was confident
urprised even Bamberger and I could do the job and he kept me in the lineup. I ap-
goals, Bamberger was asked preciated that. he doesn't kick you in the face when
uld be given to his managing? you're down."
ne of his typical torrents of "George is funny. I mean, he really cracks me
ile almost always appropriate up," said pitcher Lary Sorensen, who has
make a Marine drill instructor blossomed as a 12-game winner midway through his
third professional season.
of these managers talk about "When there's a problem on the mound, I get all
mart they are, but how many worked up," Sorensen said. "Then George comes
uring a game, really?" Bam- out and he comes up with some jokes. I crack up and
an't throw the ball or swing a then the tension is gone. He believes I can do the
e the players, you don't stand a job."
Bamberger pitched in only 10 major league
uccessful manager is to get the games in his 18-year playing career.
.500 baseball.
Now that the team
even mark and has s
long since bested its
how much credit shou
He replied with o
profanity which, whi
red in context, would
blush.
"I HEAR SOME t
how great and how s
things can you do d
berger said. "You c
bat. If you don't have
chance.
"I say that to be a s
Fre kagent MeCarter
' inksPiston contract
PONTIAC (AP) - Free agent
guard Andre McCarter has signed a
multi-year contract with the
Pistons, the National Basketball
Association team announced Wed-
nesday.
The agreement is a "make-or-
break" pact, meaning McCarter
must make the team before the con-
tract is valid.
The one-time UCLA star is
scheduled to report to Detroit's
veterans training camp Sept. 15 at
Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.
McCarter was drafted by the Kan-
sas City Kings of the NBA in the six-
th round in 1976 and played with
them for one season. They released
him in October, 1977.
"There are players that are win-
ners and players who play for
statistics. I feel McCarter is a
proven winner from his UCLA ex-
perience," said Pistons Coach Dick
Vitale.
"Andre did everything we asked of
him in the recent rookie free agent
camp and he went all out, like a
class performer."
McCarter, a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder,
is expected to help fill a void for an
additional quick, playmaking guard
to go along with Eric Money.
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Streak still blooming
BASEBALL'S HARD GUY tips his hat at Shea Stadium after he doubled to extend
his National League record hitting streak to 39 games. Meanwhile, in St. Louis,
Silvio Martinez stopped Jack Clark's hitting skein at 26 games as he two hit the
'Giants. See story on page 16;,, .-,. -