The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 11, 1989 - Page 9
'89
Michigan baseball season
is in
full swing
Blue takes on Ferris today
BY JAY MOSES
Yeah, I know, it's been ridiculously cold outside.
I But with the Michigan baseball team, things are start-
ing to heat up.
The team made it over its biggest early-season
hump by taking two of three from Big Ten rival Min-
nesota. The Wolverines are likely to be at a season-
high level of confidence after getting the best of the
defending conference champs.
Today, the Wolverines (20-8) return home to take
on cross-state foe Ferris State University, weather
permitting.
Michigan may not need that confidence. The Bull-
dogs, who are the third Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference team that Michigan has faced this
year, sport a 2-13 record.
"We're struggling," assistant coach Tom Baldwin
admitted, "but the last few eight or ten games we've
been right there."
Ferris State's main troubles have come at the plate,
where they have not lived up to potential.
"We're still not hitting the ball like we're capable
of," Baldwin said.
What offensive production the Bulldogs have had
has come primarily from a few individuals, led by ju-
nior third baseman Larry Martin.
On the mound, Ferris State is paced by senior Matt
Malczewski and Rob VanWormer, who was 7-1 last
year and had a perfect conference record.
Last year, the Wolverines swept the doubleheader
between the two teams, but the games were closer than
would be expected. Michigan won the first game, 5-4
in 8 innings, and the nightcap, 4-3.
"We're always in the game with them," Baldwin
said.
The one thing the Wolverines can bet on is that no
matter how great the disparity in talent, Ferris State
will be giving it all they have.
"Our guys get up for them," Baldwin said. "They
almost feel like they have nothing to lose.When we
play a team of that caliber, we step up our game a lit-
tle bit."
'M' takes two of three from Minnesota
BY DAVID HYMAN
Pitching was one thing Michigan baseball coach Bud Middaugh was
concerned with entering this season, but he need not worry after this
weekend's performance.
On Sunday, Michigan defeated defending Big Ten champions Minnesota,
3-0, 5-1, but yesterday, it was the Gophers day to turn in the solid pitching.
The Wolverines (20-8) received back-to-back two-hitters from junior
righthander Mike Grimes (2-0, 0.00 ERA in Big Ten play) and lefty junior
Ross Powell (2-0, 0.64 ERA) in Sunday's sweep of the Gophers (11-9-1).
In the first game, Grimes registered four strikeouts, pitching one-two-
three innings in five of the seven innings, retiring 20 of the last 21 batters
(one over the minimum)-in a row after allowing a leadoff infield single
which was questionable, as was the second infield hit.
Designated hitter Kourtney Thompson provided all the runs the
Wolverines needed in the first game when he hit a led off the second inning
with a home run, his third career roundtripper in the friendly confines of the
Metro(Homer)dome.
In Sunday's nightcap, Powell threw seven strikeouts and received all the
runs he needed for the victory in the seventh when the score was tied 1-1.
Thompson hit a one out double with a rocket off the top of the wall in
right field, missing his second home run of the day by inches. Gopher
bullpen ace John Lowery then relieved starter Shane Kangas and
intentionally walked pinch-hitter Doug Kaiser.
Second baseman Matt Morse hit a roller to third and a poor throw pulled
John Monson off first base and Morse collided with Monson. This allowed
Thompson to score as the ball ended up in right field.
Catcher Mike Matheny then singled to score Kaiser and centerfielder Jim
Durham tripled to score Morse and Matheny to push the Wolverines to a 5-1
lead.
However, Michigan did not receive the pitching it received on Sunday,
Monday afternoon. Tim Lata took his first career loss (9-1) in Minnesota's
6-3 victory.
What did the Wolverines in was the third inning with Michigan leading
1-0, Gopher leadoff hitter Vince Palyan tripled and scored on shortstop Brent
Gates single.
Lata was relieved by Russ Brock who gave up consecutive singles to Jay
Anderson and Monson. Brock then drew the count to 3-2 on Greg Johnson
and was relieved by Jason Pfaff.
Pfaff threw a strike but gave up a double to Steve Clavert and a single to
Brian Hartman as the Gophers took a 6-1 lead which they would never
relinquish for starter Eric Porter (2-2).
ROBIN LOZNAK/Daily
Michigan pitcher Eric Persinger got the win against Wayne State on Tuesday. He
pitched 4 2/3 innings, gining up only one hit and one walk while striking out four.
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BY DAVID HYMAN
New York Rangers general
manager and present coach Phil
Esposito, who changes his players
as often as he changes his underwear,
was at it again this past April 1st,
and this was no April Fools.
The spotlight was placed on
Esposito after, in a surprise move,
he fired coach Michel Bergeron with
two games to go in the regular
season. This was the same coach
who Esposito obtained from the
Quebec Nordiques for a No. 1 draft
pick and $100,000.
Wait a minute! Let me get this
straight. He traded for a coach!
That's unheard of. But remember,
Phil Esposito is no ordinary GM.
Since Esposito was appointed in
June of 1986, the Rangers have had
a hard time retaining players. This
high turnover rate is not due to a
slumping economy or hard times for
the NHL, but rather Esposito's
wheeling and dealing.
THE RANGERS have
M participated in close to 45
transactions since Esposito took
over in the attempt to bring a
championship home to Madison
Square Garden. The city has been in
dire straits for almost a half-century.
We're talking 1939-40. This is
the year written in big numbers
across the most recent banner
fhanging from the Garden rafters.
Stanley Cup Champions -
1939-1940 - New York Rangers.
This is no ordinary slump or
drought. It's a famine.
The last time the Rangers came
close to winning the Cup was in
1979, when the Montreal Canadiens
defeated them in the finals in five
games.
FANS IN the Big Apple are
getting restless, waiting for the year
when the. Cup will return to the
Garden, and Esposito has taken
matters into his own hands to bring
back Lord Stanley.
Bergeron's firing came as a
surprise, as the Rangers were in first
place most of the season until a
recent slump in March pulled them
to a third place finish in the Patrick
Division with a 37-35-8 record.
Bergeron was rated as one of the
top coaches in the league, especially
come playoff time. He was able to
distinguish what other teams were
planning to do, but his opportunity
to show his coaching genius was
taken away.
The GM had taken away what
Bergeron had worked with all season,
even though his mix of players
changed daily, making it tough to
keep team chemistry.
ESPOSITO fired Bergeron in a
desperation move as he needed to
propel his team past the Pittsburgh
Penguins in the opening round of
this year's playoffs, which began
last Wednesday.
The fans at the Garden vented
their dismay at Esposito's latest
move by booing him in their regular
season finale against the New York
Islanders.
Losing the first two playoff
games in Pittsburgh did not help his
cause. Before the series began,
Esposito said the Rangers didn't plan
on coming back to New York being
two games down.
Well, Esposito was in for a
surprise. The Rangers indeed returned
home two games down, two losses
away from elimination.
FIGURING the home ice would
be to his advantage, Esposito
remained calm, But instead he saw
his team lose the the next two
games to fall to the Penguins in a
clean sweep as the fans chanted, "We
want Bergeron!"
The time has come for Gulf+
Western, the owners of the Garden,
the Rangers and the New York
Knicks, to wheel and deal Esposito.
He has overstayed his welcome in
New York and the fans deserve
someone in charge who will restore
in them the belief that their team
may drink from the Cup in the near
future.
He would be welcomed in the
Boston Garden though, where the
lights will continue to shine on
him, as he can look to the rafters and
see a more recent banner hanging -
his No. 7 jersey.
The mail came yesterday. Bills, ads, and my
favorite - another letter from the the dean of
American League managers - George "Sparky"
Anderson. Here is the unedited version of his letter:
Hey Mikey,
I sit here in the clubhouse Sunday
afternoon. I'm smokin' my pipe.
Now I tell you, there is no way to,
relieve the glum of a dark, snowy,
Sunday afternoon than to get out the
old peace pipe and lite her up.
Now our game today was
cancelled because of snow. I know
Bob Probert's season was cancelled
because of snow, so I consider
myself fortunate that we only had to
delay our team's season one day.
The guy - this Probert fella -
is unfortunate. He gets a little cloud
formation in his britches, it starts
precipitating, the authorities find out
about it, and this guy's out of a job.
I just don't understand it.
Talk about surprises, oh, those
grandkids, man-o-man, do they everS
plop up faster than a pumpkin in a
field of corn. Seems like last week I was changing the
kid's diapers. Then there's my five-year old. This kid
came to me and said, "Gramps, can I have a beer?"
NOW I might be gettin' up there, but I consider
myself a liberated man. I chuckled and told him to
grab one out of the refrigerator. I figure at age five a
kid should be able to handle his own. Next thing I
Sparky bats around a
few ideas with writer
know, he hands me the baby's bottle - with the beer
in it for the little one. Kids these days.
Remember how I told you last year that this was
the best team I ever had? Remember how I told you
that the year before too? Guess
what? This little Motor City is
going to be crowing for this year's
Tigers.
Course they could be crowing for
my scalp, but that ain't gonna
matter to me. I tell ya, this is gonna
be quite a year. Now we got another
one of my rookie phenoms, this
Lovullo kid at first base. Hey, you
heard from Chris Pittaro lately?
Let me tell ya something else,
Whitaker ain't gonna take second
from nobody. Hell, he took first
place from us last year when he got
hurt discoing out there with them
leg splits. But not this year. He
gonna be a beuwty.
I've seen you at the racetrack
before, but this Pete Rose thing,
irky holy guacamole. You know, I
managed little Petey and I'll tell you
one thing: we were always bettin' him that he could
dive head first. He did, but we'd win. He never was
much good at gambling.
Listen, I gotta run out and get some pipe cleaners.
Good talkin' to you again. Maybe sometime we can
actually talk sports. Your Pal,
P.S. Wish that Steve Fisher guy good luck. Sparky
a
Men's lacrosse faces MSU
FROM STAFF REPORTS
The Michigan men's lacrosse club, in its 25th year here at Michigan, is
in the midst of its season. So far, the team sports a perfect 12-0 record.
The team is coached by Bob DiGiovanni, who played varsity lacrosse at
Cornell and founded the club here at Michigan.
The Wolverines face one of their toughest challenges of the season, when
} they play Michigan State Wednesday at Detroit Country Day High School.
The Spartans are a varsity team.
"We've played well all season long," DiGiovanni said. "But we're going
to have to play even better if we want to beat Michigan State."
The leading scorers for the team are law student Mike Bazany, and juniors
Mike Kennedy and Mike Carr. The goalie is Rob DiGiovanni, who is the
coach's son.
This weekend is the Big Ten club tournament, which Purdue won last
year. The only remaining home game for the Wolverines is against Dayton,
April 19 at 7:30 on the Tartan Turf.
APistons outshoot Bullets
Landover, MD (AP) - Bill Laimbeer scored 27 points and Vinnie
Johnson and Joe Dumars each added 21 Monday night as the Detroit Pistons
trounced the Washington Bullets, 124-100.
Laimbeer also had 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who have won four
straight and 21 of their last 23 contests. Detroit opened a three-game lead
over second-place Cleveland in the NBA's Central Division.
Washington lost at home for the second time in as many days after
winning five straight overall and 15 in a row at the Capital Centre.
Detroit dominated the game except for the opening minutes. The Pistons
Corner of State and Hill
994-4040
WE DELIVER!!
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