14A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 13, 2000 ROCKETS Continued from Page IA single and a Toledo two-base throw- ing error, the clean-up hitter was stranded at third by the next three batters. Finally, there was Rich Hill's pitching. The southpaw freshman had the talent to shut down the Rockets - he struck out eight bat- ters. If only he had pitched within his capabilities, maybe Toledo wouldn't have gotten the eight walks that fed their scoring innings. "He's got great stuff, but he still has to fight overthrowing. I think he has a tendency to try to strike guys out instead of letting them hit his pitch," Zahn said. But the fact remains that Michigan didn't make the big plays that could have elevated them over the hump against Toledo. And they do enter into this weekend's Ohio State series in the Big Ten cellar, three games out of a playoff spot. And with a record of 3-9 in con- ference and 10-19-1 overall, the Wolverines find themselves teeter- ing between a team dreaming of "what could be" and a team remi- niscing about "what could have been." The inside scoop Even though the Wolverines outhit Toledo yesterday in their 8-5 loss to the Rockets, hitting, fielding and pitching mistakes fortold Michigan's fate. Here's the breakdown: My blind date: The future looks good Hits 'N~igan 9 Toledo 6 Left on base Toledo 6 Leadoffwalks Michigan 0 edo Michigan 8 Watks ToeTo 8 Michigan 6 Runs Tedo 8 Michigan 5 DETROIT - Last night I went on a blind date to the park, and though our first moments together were awkward, we gazed into each other's eyes and worked through the unfamiliar territory. A close friend told me she would take my breath away, this sparkling young lass who dresses in the latest trends, yet shows an important respect for tradition. I Her name: Comerica Park, the new home of the Detroit Tigers. My friend was right -this ball- park is spectacular. Her ground-level box seats and her Tiger statues sur- rounding the park welcome in even non-baseball fans. y. JACOB WHEELER Behind the Wheel Opera House - another building stuck in the middle of a city that once was great, and could be great again. This ballpark could bring it all back: Motown, winning baseball and the temp- tation for suburban Detroiters to claim the city as their home once again - not Grosse Pointe, not Dearborn. Watch, if the Tigers win a pennant anytime soon, Detroit's population might top one million once again, if only so suburbanites all over Southeast Michigan can equate their mailing address with success. Personally, I'm a sucker for beautiful ballparks. At the first sight of green grass, I fall in love as easily as a 13-year old boy on summer vacation. So the minute I ventured down into the box seats, and laid eyes on my evening's companion, I was sold. Only problem is, I still have feelings for my last love, Tiger Stadium. I grew up with an intimate knowledge of her every quality - good and bad. The posts holding up her upper deck blocked the view of those sitting behind them - the blue and orange coating Tiger Stadium's seats were gaudy. But I cherished the imperfections because I knew they would reappear every spring. A ballpark has a way of preserving sacred memories within her baselines, whether they happened 75 years ago or just the other night, in the nightcap of a - - . doubleheader. And Tiger Stadium held plenty of memories for me. I was fortunate enough to attend the second-to-last game there last September, a blowout victory over Kansas City. After the final out I descended from the press box down toward the field for one last look at her brown and green topography. All of a sudden a surge of emotion swept over me, as paralyzing as a 100-mile-per-h fastball. It hadn't dawned on me until that moment, but I had wandered down to the handicapped accessible area down the third base line. This was where my father and I sat six years ago with his" grandfather - a 94-year old manWhd loved baseball more than anything in the world , yet who was confined to a wheelchair on that day. Grandpa Brondyke died a month later on his birthday, with his soul at rest af having said goodbye to baseball. My father - the man who taught methe game - laid him in the coffin in July with a baseball in his right hand. My great-grandpa will live forever, down the third base line in Tiger Stadium. And last night, I conveyedthfs to Comerica Park when we first net She doesn't hold any sacred memories for me yet. But if she stands for 100 years, she might. -Jacob Wheeler can be reached via email atjwheeler(a umich.eir. I EL i Susanne Mentzer Her spacious outfield and brick walls behind the bleachers at the power alleys should please the purists, in time. Most importantly, its absence of upper bleachers invites the eye to peer out at Detroit - a city in dire need of atten- tion. In straightaway center field, beyond the team's five World Series champi- onship banners, the downtown Detroit Athletic Club monopolizes the eye. Next door, in right-center field, is the Detroit Sharon Isbin Thursday, April 13, 8 p.m. Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre _ . . ...,.. Free & Easy. Australian Chamber Orchestra Friday, April 14, 8 p.m. Rackham Auditorium (2 words you won't hear coming out of her mouth.) J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion Sunday, April 16, 4 p.m. Hill Auditorium TM *1 University Musical Society - 764.2538 www.CollegianClassifieds.com Classifieds for your campus, on the web. Totally free. m m