r

Astros soar t


BY MARTHA CRALL
The 1980 National League West race
will probably be a two-part affair: the
battle for first and the battle for last.
The Houston Astros, Cincinnat? Reds
d Los Angeles Dodgers will be
Wading the pack, while the Atlanta
Braves, San Diego ,/Padres and San
Francisco Giants tussle for the cellar
spot.
The Astros, who finished in second
place last year, one and a half games
behind the Reds with an~ 89-73 slate,
seem to have the edge this season.
UPI MANAGER of the Year, Bill
Virdon, has the luxury of one of the best
itching staffs in baseball. Nolan Ryan
ns an already solid pitching rotation,
having signed a $4 million contract.
Ryan brings with him a blazing fastball
which earned him his seventh con-
secutive American League strikeout
crown in 1979.
Ryan joins a pitching staff which was
second in the league with a 3.19 earned
run average Ind first with 19 shutouts
and 55 complete games. Flame-
throwing J. R. Richard set a National
League record for strikeouts for a
fhthander (313), while winning the
ERA crown (2.71). Meanwhile, veteran
Joe Niekro was chalking up 21 wins
(tied for the league lead with brother
Phil of Atlanta).
HOUSTON'S superior pitching staff,
along with defense and overall team
speed (they led the National League in
stolen bases with 190) will help to even
out their lack of offensive power. The
Astros finished dead last in runs scored
.ith 583 and home runs with 49 in 1979.

The Astros, in a move to solidify their
infield, obtained second-baseman Joe
Morgan. Joining him will be former
star center fielder Cesar Cede no at fir-
" st, Craig Reynolds at short and rangy
Enos Cabell (club leader in steals with
37) at third base.
A definite threat to retain their
divisional crown is Cincinnati. The
Reds, however, will count on premier
righthander, Tom Seaver (16-6, 3.14
ERA), to stabilize their shaky pitching
staff. The Reds do have good help from
their bullpen, however, in Tom Hume
(10 wins, 17 saves) and Doug Bair (11
wins, 16 saves).
AS IN THE past, the 'regulars' will be
the key for Cincinnati. Strong offensive
and defensive performances are expec-
ted from Johnny Bench, who will be
used either behind the plate or at first
base. The Reds' most pleasant surprise
last season was third baseman Ray
Knight, who made the Cincinnati fans
(and management) forget Pete Rose in
a hurry, as he came through with a .318
average, 10 home runs and 79 Runs Bat-
ted In.
George Foster is the sparkplug,
however, leading the Reds in 1979 with
30 home runs and 98 RBIs, despite sit-
ting out 41 games. If the pitching staff
comes through, the Reds will be around
the top again this season.
Tom LaSorda's blue-blooded
Dodgers were incurably anemic for the
first half of the season, making their
second half 43-26 record purely
academic, as they wound up-the season
a distant third with their worst record
in over a decade..

o0 top ii
THE ACQUISITION of free agent
hurlers Dave Goltz and Don Stanhouse
should greatly improve the Dodger pit-
ching situation. Goltz will join National
League Rookie of the Year Rick Sutclif-
fe (17-10, 3.46 ERA), Burt Hooton (11-
10, 2.97), veteran Don Sutton (12-5,
3.82), and left-hander Jerry Reuss (7-
14, 3.54), in the starting rotation.
Stanhouse (21 saves in 1979) will attem-
pt to bolster the Dodgers' questionable
bullpen.
C rail's Calls
1. Houston
2. Cincinnati
3. Los Angeles
4. Atlanta
5. San Diego
6. San Francisco
Iron-man Steve Garvey has played
672 consecutive games at first base for
the Dodgers and comes off his usual
banner season, batting .315 with 28
homeruns and 110 RBIs on 204 hits. The
ffee-agent pitching help should make
the difference this season for Los
Angeles and put them up with Houston
and Cincinnati in the West race.
Although the young Atlanta Braves
wound up in the cellar for the fourth
straight year, it is hoped ex-Yankee fir-

The Michigan Daily-Thursday, April 3, 1980-Page 11
n NL West

st-baseman Chris Chambliss will bring
power and needed leadership that will
help lift the Braves out of last place.
Atlanta will also be counting heavily on
team MVP Gary Mathews (.304
average, 27 homeruns, 90 RBIs and 192
hits in 1979).
THE BRAVES' starting pitching staff
revolves around 41-year-old wonder
Phil Niekro, who led the majors with
342 innings pitched, 23 complete games,
and starts (44) while striking out 208
hitters en route to a 21-20 record and
3.39 ERA last year. Al Hrabosky comes
to Atlanta from Kansas City to beef up
the bullpen that includes ace Gene Gar-
ber (25 saves). If their pitching holds
up, the better-balanced lineup of Atlan-
ta will help bring them out.of the cellar
this season.
First year' San Diego
manager Jerry Coleman is expected to
help unify the unhappy Padres, who
last year won only 29 of 80 road games.
Gold Glove rightfielder Dave Winfield
is the heart and soul of the team and
much of the Padres' problem is that he
can't do it all. Winfield led the team in
almost every offensive category last
season with a .308 average, 34
homeruns and a league-leading 118
RBIs on 184 hits and 97 runs scored.
Coleman got a big lift for his infield in
All-Star second baseman Dave Cash,
who hit .321 at Montreal and ex-Tiger
defensive standout Aurelio Rodriguez.
THE WEAK-HITTING Padres will
have their problems producing runs
with their lack of top-notch performers
and probably will be floundering near

the bottom in 1980.
San Francisco will join them near the
bottom of the pack.
Free agent and another ex-Tiger Milt,
May comes to the Bay to take over the
catching job. Rennie Stennett, a
lifetime .278 hitter, will nail down the
second base spot. The defense in the in-
field can use the help, too, with the
shortstops and third basemen com-
bining for 65 errors.
The Giants' pitching staff, vastly
overrated, came up short last year,
posting a dismal 4.16 ERA with only six
shutouts all season long.
Despite the free-agent additions, San
Francisco does not match up to the
contenders' levels in the Western
division, lacking in defense, overall
speed and quality pitching. At best,
they'll be in a battle for fourth place.

Paid Political Advertisement



KNOBLICH, REHBERGER WIN




Blue grapplers bow to Japanese, 10-3

VOTE
TONI BURTON
Councilwoman
2nd Ward

BY K. ANTHONY GLINKE
The young Michigan Wolverine
wrestling team got its first taste of in-
ternational competition last night as it
sted the Japanese World Cup team.
Over one hundred responded loudly to
the grapplers efforts in Crisler Arena,
buts it was all for naught as the,
Wolverines bowed 10-3 to their guests.
The dual meet was run under inter-
national freestyle rules. The wrestlers
are usedi to grappling under the
collegiate rules exclusive to the United
States. Freestyle rules emphasize
takedowns as opposed to the
redominant mat work of collegiate.
w Michigan swapped forfeits with the
Japanese in the 105.5 and 125.5 lb.
weight lasses. "We just didn't have
anyone that size," said junior Jim
Mathias, referring to the blue forfeit at
105.5. The Japanese forfeited 125.5
because the wrestler they were touring
with at that weight was injured ten days
ago at the freestyle World Cup in
Toledo.
"At 114.5, senior Bob Lence from
&rest Hills, New York, lost a close
a by a pin in the third period to
Japan's Koichi Kanno.
Lou Milani, a freshman from Far-
mington Hills, provided one of the
meet's most exciting throws but suc-

cumbed to his opponent's superior
stamina in losing 15-8 in the 136.5-lb.
weight class. The throw came in the fir-
st of two three-minute periods, but Koji
Sato, his adversary, managed to
squirm his way off the mat.
It was all Japan's Toshihiro
Yamaguchi's match at 149 lbs. as he
pinned sophomore sensation Mark
Pearson at 1:36 of the first period.
Nemir Nadhir of West Bloomfield by
way of Iraq provided one of the
evening's wildest matches at 163 in
tying with Japan's Hisao Taya 9-9. The
lean sophomore two-time state champ
from Detroit. Catholic Central led all of
the first period and most of the second,
but a disputed call late in the match
helped Taya tie it up.
The greatest throw of the evening
came at 180.5 by Bernie Knoblich
against Hiroaki Mochizuki.
The Manistee freshman half-tripped,
half-threw his Japanese foe in a five-
point scoring move. The' throw
achieved amplitude, a term peculiar to
freestyle, meaning the wrestler's hips
rose above his shoulders during the
motion of the throw, and landed him on
his back, good for bonus points. The
powerful Knoblich went on to dominate
and ultimately pin his opponent at 5:27
in the six-minute match. x

Under international rules, a pin coun-
ts the same as any sort of victory ear-
ning the winner one team point.
Senior Captain Bill Petoskey had the
toughest match of the night in Japan's
198-lb. player-coach-captain Katshuaru
Ito. The Ann Arbor native wrestled a
fine match but fell to the older, more
experienced Ito 6-4.
In the final two matches of the
evening, Michigan swapped pins with
the Japanese. Dean Rehberger of
Milwaukee pinned Japan's Hiroaki
Obayashikat 4;01 after leading through
all the match. Shinichi Matsutura
evened the score by pinning Big Ten
heavyweight champ Eric Klasson
midway through the second period. The
sophomore from Iowa City, Iowakept
pace through the first period, and was
actually leading at the time of his pin.
Throughout the meet, a discernible
air of camaraderie permeated itself.
The Japanese team arrived in Ann Ar-
bor on Monday, and worked out with the
Michigan wrestlers for the last two
days. Assistant Coach Joe Wells was
given the task of preparing the team
because of his special knowledge of
freestyle and international com-
petition.
When asked whether it was any
problem, motivating the team afterthe
long season which recently ended,
Wells replied, "Definitely not.
Everyone was very excited and looked
on it as a great opportunity." He con-
tinued, saying, "I think everyone
wrestled real well, although most of'our
men have little or no freestyle ex-
perience."
Through an interpreter, Japanese
team director Yukitaka Takiyama
echoed these sentiments. "U.S.
amateur wrestling is among the best in
the world, and touring here has always
been a great thrill and opportunity for
me and the players." Takiyama has
toured the U.S.; nine times previous,
although this is his first time in
Michigan.
The Japanese have wrestled at five

cities since Toledo, and have three
more dates on their tour. The Univer-
sity picked up the housing, and food tab
while the wrestlers paid for their own
transportation.
Both Wells and Takiyama expressed
the desire to engage in further inter-
national competition. "It's a good
chance to get some wrestling in bet-
ween seasons, and it's a great oppor-
tunity for cultural exchange between
the two teams."

Monday, April 7

"It's Time for a Change"
Paid for by The Committee
to Elect Toni Burton

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HAS SUMMER POSITIONS FOR Cabin Counselors,
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SPOR TS OF THE DAILY

Softball team splits

Special to the Daily -
The Michigan women's softball team,
behind the splendid pitching of Theresa
Gardocki, blanked Michigan St. 1-0 in
the first game of a doubleheader in
East Lansing yesterday. The
Wolverines then dropped the nightcap,
2-0.
Michigan assistant coach Carol
Elwell commented on the pitching per-
rmance, saying, "Gardocki looked
al good and Taal strong throughout
the whole game."
For a round-up of the Major League
.players' strike, see page 12.
DIANE HATCH scored the only run
of the opener with Tammy Sanders get-
ting the RBI.
Julie Zyjewski pitched well in defeat
for the Wolverines in the second game,
giving up just three hits and striking out
two.
The women take the field this after-
noon at 3 p.m. against Almna for their
first home appearance. Due to the con-
struction of the new athletic field house,
all home games for the Wolv rines will
be played at Veteran's Park a the cor-
ner of Jackson and Maple Roads.
Laxers whip DLC
As in the last home game with
Purdue, the Michigan Lacrosse club
dominated last night's game against
the Detroit Lacrosse club arid finished
with a score of 14-9.
WHILE THEIR skills were not up to
the Michigan team's level, DLC did
nanage to score a fair amount of goals.

Lodwick's assessment of the game
was that it was "A good game because
we got to play the entire team. It
wouldn't have been so close if we had
played our first team the entire game."
Starting goaltender Rico Silvera
played the first half and had seven
shots on goal of which two went in.
-KIM HANAFEE


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