SPORTS -,,p . * . q 4 The Michigan Doily Wednesday, March 17, 1982 Page F ~eebian #4i0 By LARRYFREED Detroit fans loyal.. . ... but unrewarded IT'S THAT TIME of year again-when the crack of the bat is heard and everybody is waiting breathlessly for those two delightful words that signal the start of spring-Play Ball! That phrase will also send millions of Detroiters into a frenzy, proclaiming that this is the year their beloved Tigers will climb out of the middle of the pack and make a stake for the treacherous American League East title. They indeed have all the tools to be a legitimate con- tender. That is if you aren't used to including pitching as necessary to nail down victories. But never fear, the Tigers have the next Mickey Mantle in centerfielder Kirk Gibson. Of course, when you think back a few years they were saying the same thing about Bobby Murcer. Does that make Gibson the next Murcer? Anyway, as I was telling Ray Meyer the other day, it's alright to be optimistic about your hometown teams as long as they give you something to cheer about once in a while. And when you're from Chicago, optimism is about the only thing you have. In fact, the only thing we've had to cheer about is the Chicago Sting, and hell, I would have written this column about them except I don't know how to spell any of their names. Needless to say this is enough to make any Chicagoan cynical about his hometown team's success, And that's why I have to give Detroiters so much credit for their intense optimism and loyalty. And this blind, er loyal optimism is nowhere more evident than in the town's supportfor the Tigers. This fan enthusiasm has led one computer study to calculate that the Tigers are the most profitable team in the majors, worth a reported 35 million dollars- not too bad for a fifth place squad. Why do these fans keep showing up at Tiger Stadium? Thousands of words have already been written on the greatness of the Detroit fans, so I won't waste my breath on that topic anymore. Let's instead take an all-too-brief look at this year's edition of the Tigers. If nothing else, it will give me a chance to redeem myself for last week's series of Freedian Slips about the NCAA tournament. Pitching-As someone once said, baseball is 90 per- cent pitching. However, in the Tigers' case, pitching is about 10 percent of their game. And although it all totals up to 100 percent on paper, it only adds up to a fourth place finish for manager Sparky Anderson. To have any realistic shot at the top, the Tigers must trade for a reliever, because Kevin Saucier and com- pany simply can't do the job. Although the Tigers also need a solid fourth starter, they might be able to get by with Jack Morris, Milt Wilcox, Dan Petry, and darkhorse Dave Rozema. Hitting-The Tigers have plenty of it, leading with Gibson, but he only had a great second season, not an entire one. Gibson might not be another Murcer, but he certainly isn't Mantle either. Look for a solid .295 average with 30 homers and 90 runs batted in, but nothing more. The rest of the line-up is solid from top to bottom, maybe a little too solid. With the acquisition of Chet Lemon (who should play his natural centerfield spot), Larry Herndon, and Jerry Turner, the Bengals now have a surplus on the bench, which can only lead to disgruntled players. A trade would help re teve some of the tension, not to mention the pitchers, but Anderson has already ruled out the possibility. Where does all that leave the Tigers? As stated earlier probably no better than fourth, but anything is possible, just ask coach Ray. In any case, Detroit fans will remain loyal and patient-maybe a bit too patient. M swimmers set By KARL WHEATLEY The Michigan women's swim team will face tough competition as the AIAW national swimming championships get under way today in Austin, Texas. A major part of the competition will be the Texas Longhorn squad, which is both the host of the meet, and the defending national champions. Although some teams wil be competing in the NCAA swimming championships in- stead of in the AIAW meet this year, Michigan head coach Stu Isaac ais not discouning the caliber of the competition. "It's going to be a real competitive meet," said Isaac. "There is nothing second-rate about either the pool or the competition We're going to be in a real battle for anywhere from second to ninth place." EVEN WITH "the loss of several teams to the NCAA the Wolverines will have to several teams that beat them last year if they are going to finish that high. But the Michigan tankers may have the talent to do just that. Among the Wolverines who qualified for the trip to the nationals are All-Americans Sue Cahill, Melinda Copp, Denise Stuntzner, diver Vicki Kimball, relay All-Americans Carolyn Clymer and Sue Collins, as well as freshman breastroke ace Tami Paumier. Other tankers who will compete are Chris Hodson, Leslie Berckstein, Muffy Macken zie, and freshman diver Diane Dudeck Two of the reasons that Michigan could finish as high as second are Cahill and Palmier. Cahill has the best time in the nation this year in the 400-yeard individual medly (IM) at 4:20.87, and is seeded second in both the 400-yard IM and the 500-yard freestyle. Paumier's time of 2:18.03 in the 200-yard breaststroke is the second-best time in the nation this year, and she is forAIAW seeded second in the 200-yard breaststroke, third in the 50-yard breaststroke, and fifth in thelo0-yard breaststroke. COPP WILL swim the three backstroke and the 200-yard and 400-yard IM events for the Wolverines, and is seeded third in the 200-yard backstroke, and fourth in the 200- yard IM. Kimball will compete for Michigan off the one-meter board, while both Kimball and finals R. Dudeck will be in the three-meter event: Both are excellent divers, but Michigafn veteran diving coach Dick Kimball is t&A perienced to be making any predictions. "What diving boils down to is how you Or, form under the pressure," said Kimball; "We have all the best divers in the country here, except for three or four, and that up- cludes several past national champions. n We'll just try to get them into the top 16 And see where we can go from there." Although the individual swimming and diving events are very important to the t Isaac is determined not to let the relays=: shut out of the scoring as they were year. "Relays should be a real key," sid Isaac. "Our relays just didn't put it together last year, and that really hurt O' Our goal is for both our medley real* finish in the top six, and for our freest relays to get into the top eight." While Isaac and his squad are getting ready to finish up their season in this four- day event, Isaac's recruiting efforts are already paying off. Michigan got a coma imitment yesterday from Kay Lundy oftLa Jolla, Califo'nia, a national finalist in the 400-yard IM, who is also strong in the 900- yard butterfly and distance freestyle even- ts. Lundy reportedly signed a letter of in- tent to go to Michigan yesterday evening. Cahill and Paumier ... Wolverine tankers in Texas Michigan batsmen lose, 4-2 Special to the Daily EDINBURG, Texas - Michigan's baseball team dropped its third consecutive game yesterday, losing to Morningside by a score of 4-2. The Wolverines blew an early 2-0 lead when they gave up four runs in the top of the ninth. Bill Shuta (1-1), the third Michigan pitcher of the game, began the ninth by loading the bases on a walk, a hit batsman and a misplayed bunt. The sophomore righthander retired the next batter on an infield out, allowing one run to score, before reloading the bases on yet another walk. IT LOOKED like Shuta and the Wolverines would escape with the victory anyway, as the next batter struck out and Shuta quickly blew two strikes past Morningside's Paul DeBay. But DeBay hung tough, fouling one pitch in and out of Michigan catcher John Young's glove before singling to right to score the tying and winning runs. It was the second hit of the game for DeBay, who earlier broke up a no-hitter by Wolverine pitchers Jeff Hayward and Tim Karazim with a sixth-inning single. Morningside added an insurance run when Michigan cen- terfielder Greg Schulte lost Dave McCaulley's fly ball in the sun and it dropped in for a hit. Michigan drew first blood in the game when Schulte led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch by Morningside starter Royce Schultz and scored on a two-out double by Jim Paciorek. THE SECOND Michigan run came in the third inning. Schule walked, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dave Stober and scored on a single to center by Chris Sabo. The Wolverines threatened to score in every other inning - except the seventh - but could not take advantage of their opportunities. They blundered an excellent chance in the six- th when Jeff Jacobson missed a bunt on a suicide squeeze play and Jeff Minick was an easy target at the plate. With the loss, Michigan's record drops to 3-3. The Wolverines play Kansas this afternoon as the Pan American Citrus Tournament continues. Morningside raised its record to 1-1. The winning pitcher was Bob Larson. Late risers Morningside .....:............................ ..0 004 MICHIGAN ...........................101 000 0 Schultz, Larson (5) and McCaulley J. Hayward, Karazim (5), Shuta (7) and Young WP- Larson (10) LP- Shuta (1-1) R H 'I 2 ' 9 1 '' Michigan third baseman Chris Sabo had an RBI yesterday's game against Morningside but it was enough. The Wolverines lost to Morningside, 4-2. single in not quite Jim Paciorek, the Wolverines' senior right fielder, drove in a run yesterday with a first-inning double. Paciorek is shown here in last year's NCAA regional playoffs at Fisher Stadium. Women thinclads earn honors By JIM DWORMAN Although no winners wore Michigan uniforms last weekend at the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics .for Women (AIAW) indoor track cham- pionships, five Wolverines did receive All-American honors as four of the five Michigan entries placed in the top six. The two-mile relay team had Michigan's best finish of the meet, as Dawn Woodruff, Melanie Weaver, Lisa Larsen and Sue Frederick crossed the line in a school-record 8:53.1 to place fourth. WEAVER AND Frederick also ear- ned All-American status for their per- formances in the two-mile and 1,000- yard runs, respectively. Weaver finished fifth in the two-mile in 10:08.3, while Frederick completed the 1,000 in 2:30.74 for a sixth-place finish. High jumper Joanna Bullard was the final Wolverine All-American, as she cleared the bar at 5'11/4" to place fifth and break her own Michigan record. Coach Francie Goodridge was pleased with her team's performance. "It's difficult to come back and get up for big meet after the Big Ten's," said the first-year coach. "But we did. I knew they were all ready." The only Wolverine qualifier who is not All-American is Lorrie Thornton. The long jumper failed to make the finals in the event. The women's track team will begin its outdoor season April 3 at Western Michigan. BILLBOARD On Sunday, March 21, the co-rec doubles badminton tournament will be held at the CCRB main gym from 6:00- 10:00 p.m. All-campus and co-rec pad- dleball entries are due Monday, March 22 by 4:30 p.m. at theIMSB main office: The co-rec paddleball tournament will be held from 6:30-10:00 p.m. at the IM- SB on Tuesday, March 23 (meet the tournament director at court one). SCORES NBA Detroit 114, San Diego 110 Indiana 109, Seattle 96 San Antonio 114, New York 91 Boston 98, Washington 94 Rent a Car from liwI RESORT HOTEL & COUNTRY CLUB SUMMER EMPLOYMENT IPPERSINK MANOR-LARGE RESORT HOTEL IN SOUTHEASTERN SCONSIN HAS OPENINGS FOR APPROXIMATELY 150 STUDENTS .,.. Waiters-Waitresses-Bus Persons-Housekeepers- Bellhops-Kitchen-Bar Set-up-Janitors- Econo - Car We rent to 1 9 YR.-,OLD SWDEANS Choose from small economical cars to vans. 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