Page 10- The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 13, 1989 The art of pitching by Andrea Nelson BY PETER ZELLEN A private pitching clinic of sorts was held recently for this writer's benefit. I wanted to know more about the art of pitching in fast-pitch softball, the brand played by the team at Michigan. People seem to have the wrong idea about pitching in softball. Most know the game as slow-pitch or beer ball.' The game that the Steels Sports team plays. You know, those 300-pound guys who launch lob pitches over a 250-foot fence. This game is quite different. It involves quite a bit of learned skills as well as natural ability. The logical choice to head this clinic was Andrea Nelson, the ace of the Michigan softball staff. So far this season, Nelson has compiled a 16-3 record with an 0.85 ERA. The right-handed sophomore has tossed eight shutouts and even has a save. In 131 2/3 innings this year, Nelson has surrendered only 85 hits and has 65 strikeouts. Although the ball is thrown underhand, it is a more natural mot- ion than the overhanded, or even sidearm motion used in baseball. Nelson uses a windmill style in pitching; her arm completes a full circle before releasing the ball. When she goes through her motion, with both feet on the pitch- ing rubber, a chain of events starts. When she first starts to lift her arm, Nelson begins to step forward with her left leg. "The legs have a lot to do with it," Nelson said. "You push off on them and get more power." Then, at the same time her arm completes the circle and it reaches her body, Nelson plants her left foot and releases the ball. All three of these happen at the same time to put some mustard on the throw. "Pitching in softball is more biomechanical than in baseball," said catcher MaryAnn Daviera, who caught Nelson in this clinic, as well as during the season. "You get your whole body into it." "Andrea can get up to 61 mph on her pitch and will consistently throw 58-59 mph," assistant coach Carol Bruggerman said. Throwing underhanded is quite an achievement . Also consider that the lack of speed compared to baseball is negated by the fact that the mound is only 43 feet away from the plate as opposed to the 60-feet-six-inches in Yankee Stadium. Her pitches range in speed from 50 mph to her top speed of 61. She throws five or six different pitches with varying speeds. She throws a fastball, rise, drop, curve, a slow drop (which is the equivalent of the baseball pitch that looks like it "dropped off a table") and even a knuckleball. The action on these pitches is explained by their name but the way in which they're thrown is entirely different. "In baseball you throw more with your wrist," Daviera said. "In Sugar Ray Robinson dead at the age of 67 CULVER CITY, Calif. - (AP) Sugar Ray Robinson, whose name and style spawned a generation of imitators, died Wednesday. Robinson is remembered as the original "Sugar Ray," the best fighter pound-for-pound who ever lived. Robinson, who held both the world welterweight and middleweight titles, died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and hypertension at the age at the age of 67. He retired from boxing in 1965 with a record of 175-19-6, including 110 knockouts. He won the vacant world welterweight title in 1946, with a 15- round decision over Tom-my Bell and never lost a fight to a welterweight the rest of his career. "Generations of fighters copied his style, including Muhammad Ali," said Archie Moore, former light heavyweight champion and a friend for nearly 50 years. "Ali got a lot of his style from Robinson... We'll all miss him. I z: ; ' C i .a: I I ALEXANDRA BREZ/Daily Andrea Nelson demonstrates her fine pitching form in a game against Ohio State last weekend. Nelson has been outstanding this year as she has recorded 16 wins with an ERA of 0.85 thus far. know I'll miss him." Robinson won the middleweight title when he stopped Jake LaMotta in the 13th round in 1951, in Chi- cago. When he met LaMotta, his re- cord already was 119-1-2. Perhaps his most memorable rivalry was with Gene Fullmer, whom lie beat only once in four meetings. He lost the middleweight title to Fullmer in January of 1957, in a 15-round decision, then regained it on May 1 in Chicago with one of the most famous one-punch knock- outs in boxing history, ending that fight in the fifth round. Sugar Ray Robinson was the man, along with Joe Louis. Those two opened the doors for the rest of us. Those are the two people everyone talks about. - Boxer Larry Holmes m softball you have to use your whole arm." Instead of breaking your wrist down to throw a curve in baseball, the pitcher has to whip her arm across her body for the sideways motion. The clinic ended and the rest of the team was coming on the field for their afternoon practice. But as this writer walked off the field, the sound that kept being heard was the whipping noise of Andrea Nelson coming in with another fastball "I always admired him and appreciated the fact that he gave me the chance to win the champ-ionship," said Fullmer. "He was a classy fighter." Former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, reached by telephone in Philadelphia, described Robinson as "the greatest little fighter that I've known." "Sugar Ray Robinson was the man, along with Joe Louis. Those two guys opened the door for the rest of us. Anytime you get into a con- versation about old-time greats, those are the two people everyone talks 4 Ik I L ° fl Michigan Ensian 420 Maynard St., 9-5 Mon.-Fri. I! U about." traditional, sophisticated, contemporary, informal... g We feature gowns as shown in Modern Bride and Brides Magazine and all the latest styles. BRI)ES SHOWCAS The Wedding Professionals...since 1969 3360 Washtenaw Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 M-Th 10-8:30 Fri. & Sat. 10-6 971-6455 THE BUS STOPS HERE rI. Spartans Continued from page 9 lead off the inning and then Cooper reached with Tholl advancing to second on a failed fielder's choice. With one out, Allard hit the ball to the shortstop who overthrew thirdbase trying to throw out Tholl. Tholl scampered home for the first run. Sarah Dyksterhouse then singled to center and went to second on an error by the centerfielder. Catcher MaryAnn Daviera singled to score Allard and Dyksterhouse to give Michigan a 4-0 lead. Singles by Bridget Fitzpatrick, Nan Payne, and another by Tholl led to three more runs as the Wolverines amassed a 7-0 lead. WANTED Any Quantity Used Michigan Bell "CASHCARDS" Paying $1 for Blue Cards $3 for Yellow Cards Prompt Payment A. Rendon P. O. Box 323 Massapequa Park, NY 11762 4 4 Thursday April13 Thursday Saturday April 13-1 Thursday Sunday April 13-: Friday April 14 Saturday April 15 The University of Michigan SCHOOL OF MUSIC Film-Africa Come Back: Popular Music of West Africa, presented by guest lecturer John Chernoff. Rackham West Conference Room, 7:30 p.m. FREE - Dance BFA/MFA Concert Tickets $4, 3501 Dance Bldg; phone 763-5460 15 Dance Building Studio A, 8 p.m. The $5 Revue- Joan Morris, Director. Musical Theatre Students in a 70-minute review, a benefit for the U-M Balcom-Morris Musical Theatre Fund. Tickets $5 at MI League Ticket Office; phone 764-0540 The Arena (Frieze Building), 11 p.m. - Musical Theatre-Dragons, by Sheldon Harnick. Brent Wagner, director. 16 Tickets $7 and $10, general admission; $5, students with ID, at MI League Ticket Office; phone 764-0450. Power Center, Thursday- Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. Opera Workshop- Jay Lesenger, director. Arias and ensembles from a variety of operas. McIntosh Theatre, 8 p.m. FREE Early Music COncert- Edward Parmentier, Harpsichord and organ. Music of Bach, Buxtehude, and Bull. Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, 8 p.m. FREE Gamelan Ensemble-Music and Dance of Java. Rene Lysloff, director, guest dancer Peggy Choy. The music, a mixture of court and village; the dance, a refined male mask dance of the adven- tures of Panji, a mythic wandering king. Rackham, 8 p.m. FREE Symphony Band/Concert Band- Donald Schleicher and Willaim Wiedrich, con- ductors; Donald Sinta, guest saxophone soloist. Schuman, New England Triptych; Grainger, The Power of Love; Bernstein, Profanation for Band; J.S. Bach, Toccata and Fugue in d minor; Bruch, Kol Nidrei; Copland, "Finale" from the Third Symphony. Hill 8 p.m. FREE Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble- Abe Torchinsky, director. McIntosh Theatre, 4 p.m. FREE CLASSIFIED ADSI Call 764-0557 DREST INSTITUTE THE MICHIGAN STUDENTS ASSEMBLY i{ I . . { i Ij . _ I . t - I - , 4 STUDENT RIGHTS COMMITTEE ::iii: l presents PART I of the CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES SERIES A FORUM: "IS RACIST SPEECH FREE SPEECH?" THURSDAY APRIL 13, 1989 7:30 p.m. 4 If your dream is a career in clinical psychology, we cAn make it real. We're an accredited graduate school that makes effective professional psychologists. Our DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY program will turn you into a well- rounded, effective practitioner. We'll finely hone your clinical skills through 800 hours of training and a one- year internship. Our five-trimester MASTER OF ARTS IN PSYCHOLOGY program will build a strong background in theory and skills for Psy.D studies. If you want more information about our programs or campuses, call or write: Forest Institute of Professional Psychology