Volleyball vs. Ohio State Friday, 7:30 p.m. The Varsity Arena SPORTS Hockey Blue vs. White Friday, 7:30 p.m. Yost Arena The Michigan Daily Wednesday, October 4, 1989 Page 9 c National League Playoffs CB Giants should shut the s port" \\ .2; Believe it or not the Cubs fans up "IT9 NO the Cubs may win by Douglas Donaldson e : \ , \ ,\\u \ r ,; \a; by Dan Zoch uauy aports luontrinutor 111 11 -- N" IN" Nl- N. I I N -- I I N I'll - N, VNW N- , - %- , -1 1 Uaily Sports LContributor Here it is, one last time: The Chicago Cubs are N.L. East Champs for 1989. Enough said. However, the San Francisco Giants, champions of the Western Division, will win the National League pennant. They've been in first place since June, and are poised for the club's first World Series appearance since 1962. The Giants boast the league's best offensive threat in Kevin Mitchell. Mitchell led the league in HRs, RBIs, and slugging percentage. He can also claim the year's best defensive play, a bare-handed snag referred to as "The Catch II" by local 49ers fans. Mitchell's only competition for league MVP honors is teammate Will Clark. Although he lost the batting title, his .333 mark makes him the first Giant to hit over .320 since Hall-of-Famer Willie McCovey in 1969. San Francisco is not a mere two-man show, however. Giant manager Roger Craig has compared his '89 team to the 1984 Detroit Tigers (on which he served as pitching coach), in that they have a different hero every night. The supporting cast includes Matt Williams, Brett Butler, and Terry Kennedy. Not all of them are stars in their own right, but under Craig's leadership, they helped the Giants to a division title. WITH CRAIG, father of the split-fingered fastball, in the dugout, you know that pitching will be key to the Giants' success. Rick Reuschel won 17 games, and Scott Garrelts, who made the successful transition from the bullpen, won 14, while compiling a league-leading ERA of 2.28. All in all, the Giants can rest easy knowing the World Series awaits them. Although Chicago has far exceeded anyone's expectations, it's obvious that the jig is up. It's better this way, trust me. Do we really want the Cubs in the World Series? Think about it. Right Guard commercials with Mitch Williams. Don Zimmer's dieting tips. Harry Caray, who looks like Larry "Bud" Melman with a microphone, leading us in a rousing chorus of "Amazing Grace?" No, no. This is all wrong. Chicago will lose the pennant in six games. They have to. Whatever happened to tradition? If we let the Cubs win, then what? Next thing you k:now, the Harlem Globetrotters will drop a basketball game. Not to worry, however. It just won't happen. The Giants are too tough. All you Cub lovers can just pack away your "Wild Thing" 45s, and find something more productive to do. I hear the Bears are doing well. Ooh, look! The A's, Blue Jays, and Giants have all made it to the playoffs. Who cares? The heavy favorite wins again. How exciting, But wait a minute, who's that rounding off the winner's list? The Chicago Cubs? The team that hasn't won a Series since Ronald Reagan's birth date, seventy years before Star Wars came out? Nah, must be a dream. But, hey, if it's a neat dream, why bother waking up? Might as well enjoy it while it lasts, because with the Cubbies it doesn't last very long. A real life underdog team, the Cubs overcame the Mets, the Expos, the Cardinals, and Sports Illustrated, which thought they'd finish fifth, no less. But, honestly, do they really have a shot at beating Kevin Mitchell and Co.? Probably not. But maybe, just maybe..... If the playoffs were played on paper, the Cubs would most likely, well, they might win. The team average is .260, vastly better than the paltry .248 posted by the Giants. The Giants may have more power with Mitchell and Will Clark, but they lack consistency throughout the lineup. The Cubs have five players hitting over .280, and the Giants, well, they have only three. PITCHING MAY BE more of a toss-up. The Giants have a 3.27 Earn- ed Run Average compared to the Cubs' 3.44 ERA. The Cubs starting pitch- ing staff, which amassed 52 wins, has just three pitchers, while the Giants', which also garnered 52 victories, have four. This bodes well for the Cubs in the playoffs where a three-man rotation is preferable since it allows the team ace, Greg "Mad Dog" Maddux to throw in the first, fourth, and seventh game of the series, if necessary. Okay, reality check. The Giants are older, more experienced, better known, and the odds-on heavy favorite going into the playoffs. Ah, who cares? So what if Rick Reuschel is 17-7- he's a has-been. He just keeps winning because hitters feel sorry for him. Kevin Mitchell? Forget about him, he ran out of steam ages ago. (When? Uh, yesterday. Trust me.) And Will Clark? What can one man do against the Arsenal of the Midwest? Hopefully, d~ot much. And the Cubs? Who do they have to crush the Giants? Why Ryne Sandberg! Mark 'Amazing' Grace! Andre Dawson! Jerome Walton! Dwight Smith! Lloyd McLendon! Domingo Ramos! Domingo Ramos!?? The Cubs are sending guys like Domingo Ramos against the Giants and they expect to win? Probably not. But maybe, just maybe..... I I Left-hander Scott Garrelts (left) will start Game I of the National League Championship Series for the Giants. Greg Maddux will start for Chicago. NL CS Schedule Game 1 - today, 8:24 pm San Francisco at Chicago Game 2 - Thurs., Oct. 5, 8:35 pm San Francisco at Chicago Game 3 - Sat., Oct.7, 8:20 pm Chicago at San Francisco Game 4 - Sun., Oct. 8, 8:20 pm Chicago at San Francisco Game 5 - Mon., Oct. 9, 3:06 pm* Chicago at San Francisco Game 6-- Wed., Oct 11, 3:06 pm* San Francisco at Chicago Game 7 - Thurs., Oct. 12, 8:35 pm* San Francisco at Chicago All times are Eastern Standard *-if necessary 1. Wisconsin at Michigan 2. Notre Dame at Stanford 3. Cincy at Miami (Fla.) 4. K-State vs. Nebraska 5. Missouri at Colorado 6. Virginia at Clemson 7. Arkansas at TCU 8. Va. Tech at West Va. 9. Pittsburgh at Temple 1O.Washington at USC 11. Georgia at Tennessee 12. Alabama at U-Miss. 13. Baylor at Houston 14. Mid. Tenn. at N.C. St. 15. Okla. State at Okla. 16. Fla. State at Syracuse 17. Wash. State at Oregon 18. Colgate at Yale 19. Olivet at Alma 20. The Rock at Shippensburg Loo for # 'o V 4.,6 I 1 Kk 1*4 .4. ,~s~ I*44 K ride pksohsfaerpt.i. . . E U{ . At- TeRacnt Epress stersnalong. was rumored that Ryan would reveal 1"his picks for the week. "I was lean- oing one way," Ryan said, when dis- . . . . . . . . . burg or Slippery Rock? Associated Prs riddes, too cussing his theories for this week's number one match-up: Slippery Rock at Shippensburg. Although you might not have a blazing fastball, you, too, can play Griddes. Get your picks into 420 Maynard by Friday. TIME IS RUNNING OUT! 11 Z 1 TO FIND AN APARTMENT Some Efficiencies, 1 -bedrooms, & 2-bedrooms still available. Most include parking, heat, hot water, dishwashers, laundry, and garbage disposals. DON'T WASTE ANOTHER MINUTE! f 10 o" F Michigan Daily, The I coupon page is finally here! Don't miss out! I in1 LUady s Call Prime Student housing *761 -8OOO* 616 Church Street -v J Half Off fter 100 REGISTER NOW! Aerobic Dance Ballroom Dance Bartending Bridge Massage Pool Are Satre heatrc Theat e Thea' ;e Thr- ce anc Danc .ct Dan pact Dr o ~~mp .pc ac Impact Danc Pact Oct .e tmpact Dance 1. Impact "ct Atre Impact Dance Th. Impact tDnicDance Teatre Impact Dance Tt Impac +rDance e .mpact Dance Theatre Impact Dance The..e Impac 'nce Theatre Impact Dance Theatre Impact Dance Theatre Impc- -o Theatre Impact Dance Theatre Impact Dance Theatre Imp Notre Impact Dance Theatre Impact Dance Theatre Imp ~e imn' e Impact Dance Theatre Imp mpact Dance Theatre Imp pact Dance Theatre Imr pact Dance Theatre Imp \-)act Dance Theatre Im act Dance Theatre In :ct /D - e Theatre Ir pnc Dace e mac DnceThale pact DancThar atpcma e Thtcein /Impact:DDnr - Copies After your first 100 copies of a single sheet original, the rest are Half Price!