Field Hockey
vs. Eastern Michigan
Saturday, 4 p.m.
Ferry Field
The Michigan Daily
SPORTS
Thursday, September 19, 1985
Women's Golf
Lady Northern Invitational
Friday, 8:30 a.m.
U-M Golf Course
Page 7
Onto' the bigs:
Former Wolverine Steve Ontiveros
getting saves and raves in Oakland
By ADAM OCHLIS
Six years ago, Steven Ontiveros was
an unwanted, aspiring collegiate
baseball player. Nowadays, the for-
mer University of Michigan pitcher
and current member of the Oakland
statistics alone. Such is not the case
for the former Wolverine righthander.
Ontiveros is having himself a
phenomenal rookie season. With 64.2
innings pitched, allowing only 35 hits,
15 walks and an astounding 1.67 ear-
ned run average, Onto, as he has been
called ever since his days in Ann Ar-
bor, is in contention for the American
League Rookie of the Year award.
"I'M PRETTY happy with the way
things have turned out," he said
modestly. Pitching in middle and
more recently short, late-inning
relief, Ontiveros (1-2, 7 saves) has be-
come the set-up man for Oakland's
premier reliever, Jay Howell (who
leads the team with 25 saves). It's a
job the 6-1, 185 pounder has learned to
accept,
A's is wanted by the twenty five
other major league ball clubs.
It is often said 'that you cannot
judge a player's performance by his
"I know what my job is, and that's
to set Jay up," said the Portage, In-
diana native. "When he can't finish, I
can."
ONTO'S FINE showing has not gone
unnoticed.
"He's been outstanding for us,"
said Jackie Moore, the A's manager.
"He started out in a coma (with the
aura of the big leagues), but he's
come along brilliantly."
The 24-year-old righthander claims
that concentration is a big aspect of
his game.
"If I worry about who's hitting or
the field conditions than I wouldn't do
as well," he said.
MOORE agrees wholeheartedly.
"He realizes he has a job to do and
he goes out and does it. We knew he
had a great arm, and now he's
proving us all right."
Ontiveros's story is truly one dreams
are made of. Not even recruited as a
high school senior, Ontiveros wound
up at Michigan by pure luck.
WITH NO commitment to college
baseball, Ontiveros tried out for a
professional team with the hope of
latching on to a minor league
oranization. Current Michigan
baseball coach Bud Middaugh, who
arrived at Michigan the same year
Ontiveros did (1980) explains what
transpired.
"I actually went to see another
player and Steve caught my atten-
tion," said Middaugh. "He looked
real good and we ended up seeing him
at some other camps and decided to
go after him."
The rest is history.
IN HIS three years at Michigan On-
tiveros rewrote the record books while
both starting and relieving.He com-
piled 21 career wins (third on
Michigan's all-time list), hurled 216.2
innings (fifth) and appeared in more
games (56) than any other player in
Wolverine history.
Onto says he is indebted to
Michigan and Middaugh for his
current success. "All my hard work I
to believe that that is why I have a low
walk (bases-on-balls) total."
Middaugh, when told of his former
player's comments, was obviously
moved.
"WELL, I'M honored to think that
he credits his time at Michigan for his
present success. He's overcome a lot
of adversity (including arm troubles
early in his career), and he's worked
hard for everything he's achieved.
Currently working strictly in a
relief role, Ontiveros hopes to maybe
become a starter in the near future.
"I started and relieved in college,
and also in the minors. But preferably
I would like to start," he explained.
"My makeup is better suited for a,
starting role because I have four good
pitches," including an excellent curve
ball which he used at Michigan, ac-
cording to Middaugh.
THE TOUGHEST hitters Ontiveros
has ever faced? It should come .as no
surprise to hear the names Don Mat-
tingly, Eddie Murray and George
Brett as those who give Onto the most
trouble.
When his pro baseball career comes
to an end, which probably won't be for
a while, Ontiveros would like to come
back to Ann Arbor and take some
correspondent courses in order to
graduate with a medical science
degree (to which he has already ear-
ned credit) before going into sports
medicine.
But for now, the soon-to-be ex-
bachelor ("I could be leaving the
bachelor ranks within a year," he
said) has a long future ahead of him
with the Oakland A's or any other
team that can get their hands on him.
It's a far cry from 1979.
IN
Ontireros
...A's middle man
put in now, I have to owe to my years
at Michigan. I went there not knowing
what I could do and for three years
coach stressed the mechanics. I've got
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Sports Information
Steve Ontiveros, shown here in his Wolverine days, has been a pleasant
surprise for Oakland, allowing only 35 hits in his first 64.2 innings of big
league action.
GRIDDE PICKS
We kid the sororities. But we kid
because we love, and we mean that
from the bottom of our hearts. To
prove it, today's Griddes will be a
public service to budding Greeks.
These, we feel, are phrases to be
avoided in your rush conversations:
"Well, I don't really have a
nickname, but in the dorm they call.
me sleazeball."
"This is a big night for me. My
bbyfriend gets out of prison
tomorrow."
And possibly worst of all, "Do I play
Griddes? No, what's Griddes?"
Believe me ladies, as a sorority
member, you will be expected to play
Griddes. Winning a full-tray Sicialian
or a Chicago stuffed pizza, or a whole
submarine sandwich from Pizza Ex-
press located at Dooley's and a
Dooley's guest pass good for two is an
unmatchable status symbol. Bring
your picks to the Student Pulications
Building, 420 Maynard (second floor),
before midnight Friday.
1. MICHIGAN at South Carolina
(pick total points)
2. Navy at Indiana
3. Northern Illinois at Iowa
4. Montana at Minnesota
5. Illinois at Nebraska
6. Michigan State at Notre Dame
7. Ball State at Purdue
8. Nevada-Las Vegas at Wisconsin
9. Ohio State at Colorado
10. Boston College at Pitt
11. Georgia at Clemson
12. Washington at Houston
13. Southern Mississippi versus
Mississippi State at Jackson
14. Stanford at Oregon
15. Arizona at California
16. West Virginia at Maryland
17. East Carolina at Penn State
18. New Hampshire at Boston University
19. Livingston at Austin Peay
20. DAILY LIBELS at Lamecocks
--NUMBER
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