Page 16 -The Michigan Daily-Friday, September 11, 1987
Summer a
So what if classes have started. Summer isn't over yet.
Forget what the calendar says. People who consider summer gone
after only three weeks of September probably lead boring lives and have
nothing better to do than put up storm windows in preparation for
winter. They can use the exercise anyway.
I don't care that football is starting. The quarterback situation in pro
football has gotten so bad that a Michigan quarterback was actually a
first-round draft pick by a good team. And unlike past Wolverine
quarterbacks such as Steve Smith and Rick Leach, Jim Harbaugh is
listed at his familiar position and not at defensive back or first base. He
might be starting before the season is over.
Forget college football too. What's 100,000 rabid fans and a
rnational-television audience? If Pope John Paul II won't move his trip
to Michigan up a week so that he can be at Michigan Stadium rooting
for Notre Dame, then I guess it can't be too important a game.
Finally, forget the Pontiac Silverdome. The pope would do well to
try a bleacher seat at a baseball game.
Back on top
A Tiger fan all my life, this summer has given me infinitely more
joy than any other, 1984 included.
0
nd baseball
many fans looking elsewhere for heroes. They didn't have to look f
as the Pistons and Red Wings each played their best in years, and ft
stayed away from the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. They should
have.
Unlike 1984, every Tiger win this season is surprising.
combination of outstanding performances from veteran Tigers, neu
acquired veterans, and rookies living far beyond fans' expectations f-
made this season enjoyable.
Trip to th pas t
While attending a game at Wrigley Field several weeks ago, I
reminded of just how much I like the unpredictable.
Entering the old park for the first time, I thought of all the pla}
and fans on all the summer afternoons in Chicago. I was surprised w
I found out that an old-timers game was to be played before the Ct
Astros game. I was beside myself when I learned that former Ti
Mark Fidrych was starting pitcher in the old-timers game.
Everything about Fidrych was unpredictable. Called up in 1976 t
Tiger team that lost 102 games the year before, Fidrych instal
became a celebrity. His always
the-knees pitches made him effec
D eli eryon the mound, and his alwa
unpredictable behavior made 1
loved across the country.
USH Fans waited for Fidrych's eN
move, whether it be talking to
baseball, chasing a bee around the infield, or meticulously smooth
the pitcher's mound. No one knew what he might do in any situation
will live on
U
I
In 1984 the Tigers were coming
off a fine year, and many experts R ush
picked them to win the division. It
quickly became apparent that
something special was happening in BY JEFF R
Detroit. Winning 35 of their first
40, the Tigers were perched on top of the American League East all
season, and winning the playoffs and the World Series seemed a given.
It didn't hurt that they played the worst National League champion in
years.
The season was fun because the Tigers were as close to perfection as
a team can be. People looked at the starting lineup and talked of how a
dynasty was being born. I could have enjoyed that - any real Detroit
fan would love to see the damn Yankee fans pay for New York's long
domination of the rest of the American League. But the Tigers soon
removed the dynasty label, stumbling through 1985 and then choking
late in 1986.
This season fans expected little of the Tigers. People tired of hearing
about the contract negotiations of Jack Morris and Lance Parrish. After
Parrish left for Philadelphia, fans worried about how the team could go
k on without its all-star catcher. Others worried about how Morris would
perform after a long, bitter battle with team management.
Injuries to pitchers Willie Hernandez and Dan Petry and the poor
performances in 1986 by outfielders Larry Herndon and Chet Lemon had
Pitching again
When Fidrych's name was called at Wrigley Field several weeks ago,
he bounded out to the playing field in the unimitable form I
remembered. Chills ran down my spine as I recalled exactly how I felt
when he was a young star for the Tigers and I was a third-grader with
aspirations of someday playing next to him. I remembered everything
about that summer 11 years ago.
It will get cold and rainy soon enough in Ann Arbor and Detroit and
Chicago, but that doesn't mean this summer has to end. Someday
someone will see Matt Nokes playing in an old-timers game, and that
person will remember what a fine rookie season Nokes had. Perhaps
that person also will remember something special about the summer of
1987. I know I will.
q
Dally rhoto by JUN MUNSUN
Detroit Tigers pitcher Willie Hernandez is not quite ready to play in
old-timer games.
Scoring
change
raises
Boggs '
average
BOSTON (AP) - A complaint
by Boston manager John McNamara
on Thursday prompted an official
scoring change involving American
League batting leader Wade Boggs
over a play in the Red Sox victory
over New York Wednesday night.
In the seventh inning, Boggs led
off with a grounder to third and
Yankees third baseman Mike
Pagliarulo was charged with an error
when the throw hit Boggs in the leg.
After the game, which the Red
Sox won, 5-3, McNamara told
official scorer Joe Giuliotti that
Boggs would have beaten the throw
if it didn't hit him.
Giulotti changed the scoring
Thursday and Boggs' average rose
from .361 to .363.
New York's Don Mattingly is
second to Boggs, and Detroit's Alan
Trammell is third. Mattingly is
hitting .334, and Trammell, .330.
NFL votes to continue season
in the event of player. strike
SCHAMBURG, ILL. (AP) -
National Football League owners
voted Thursday to continue the
season even if there is a strike, using
players whi have been cut or
"whatever players are available."
They also announced they had
been awarded a line of credit, reported
to be about $100 million, to keep
them going in the event of the
strike.
At the same time, however, Jack
Donlan, executive director of the
NFL Management Council, said the
owners would continue to take
whatever steps necessary to avoid a
strike. Players have set a Sept. 22
strike date.
DONLAN disclosed that he and
the management council's executive
committee met Thursday with Gene
Upshaw, executive director of the
NFL Players Association, and agreed
to resume negotiations on Saturday.
The meeting site is s t i l l
undetermined.
Donlan said Upshaw m e t
Wednesday night with NFL
;t com, at ,at
when ou
COPO
Prsetthsopo we've goa e
Mon~cer~s wJdein
frp easrlyapndy d rie .re t
f ss sf y s k
lookng 0 gebub o" b ~~ls
ourost ouoner
Pren nthsis copon sa e %te
Prices Good thru Saturday,
October10,1987
Commissioner Pete Rozelle and
"discussed a lengthy list of issues."
There have been just four and
one-half hours of negotiations since
Aug. 14 when talks broke off in a
dispute regarding job protection for
player representatives.
Donlan said 19 of the 28 teams
have already signed some players in
preparation for a strike, but he said
"that's not our top priority."
"Our top priority is reaching
agreement with the union," he said.
Some teams gave _players who
were cut a $1,000 retainer to be
available should they be needed in
the event of a strike.
A small number of roster players
have said they probably would play
even if their teammates struck -
among them San Francisco 49er
quarterback and New York Jets
running back Freeman McNeil.
The main issue continued to be6
free agency. The players want a
major change in the current system
of compensation; the owners are
prepared only to liberalize it.
CARRY FREE
OUT DELIVERY
MAIN CAMPUS 6PIZ'Zd NORTH CAMPUS
665-6005 995-9101
ORIGINAL SICILIAN TRAY
DEEP DISH SICILIAN One Coupon Per Person
PIZZA W/2 ITEMS &WilliamSt. Restaurant
2PEPSIS. 12"x 12" ue0 w5Cr Dine-In at
Cottage Inn Cate
EXPIRES: September 17, 1987
q
THE QUEST FOR UTOPIA
Jews in the Political World
v ";7f' {S1 "~ a'}-ar' :* ': ° : .: :J:.<. 2r %i r .i " "',:v'r"" ""S!'. ,h .s }: ". ,s ,< ;y.i t , . -;R' j R
..
; a
C --..s+r. n._w - -....- - ._. _. ..srrn.-.a .. . - _ ....w+ r. insnr.ras. .'ar+"i ®
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Q 7:30 PM Q RACKHAM LECTURE HALL Q ANN ARBOR
ED KOCH
MAYOR OF NEW YORK
4;16
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Q RACKHAM ASSEMBLY HALL Q ANN ARBOR L A SYMPOSIUM ON
JEWISH POLITICAL IDEAS & INSTITUTIONS
9:00 AM 10:30 AM 2:00 PM 3:30 PM
MEDIEVAL PERIOD IN ANTIQUITY EAST EUROPEAN POLITICS WEST EUROPEAN POLITICS
7:30 PM L MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 L RACKHAM AMPHITHEATER
.1FWC I NAM.R JAM PAJ JT1C~q
A