The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 13
Tigers remove
SPujols' 1nterim
Slabel, fire two
DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Tigers named Luis
Pujols manager for the rest of the season and fired two
coaches yesterday, one day after firing manager Phil
Garner and general manager Randy Smith.
Detroit also offered former Montreal manager
Felipe Alou a three-year deal to spend at least one year
as Pujols' bench coach, with an option to be a special
assistant for two years.
New club president Dave Dombrowski, who
assumed general manager duties on Monday, has
orchestrated the two-day shake-up in the hopes of
reviving a franchise that hasn't had a winning season
since 1993 and opened the season with six straight
losses.
Alou, who was fired last season, worked with both
Pujols and Dombrowski in Montreal. Dombrowski
was an Expos executive from 1986-91, one year
before Alou was promoted to manager.
"It would take a book to describe everything I've
learned from Felipe," said Pujols, who was on Alou's
staff from 1993-2000. "I just finished talking to him,
and he's still 50-50. I hope it works out for him, and
the organization, but he's older and smarter than me.
So, he's got to make the choice."
The 66-year-old Alou, reached at his Florida home
last night, said he's considering the offer.
"It's 50-50;" he said. "I'm a man that spent 29 years
with one organization in Montreal, so loyalty and com-
mitment mean a lot to me. I was offered the manager's
position in Boston, but that was for only one year.
"Detroit is offering me a three-year offer, but Luis
has just a one-year contract, so it is kind of a paradox
for me. And it puts me in an uncomfortable and
unique position because there may be no better place
for me than Detroit.
"Luis is my friend, that is almost like a son. And I've
known the GM since we rode buses together in the
minor leagues. I just don't know what I want to do, and
I don't know when I will decide what I'm going to do."
Pujols was named interim manager on Monday
afternoon and had a long phone interview with Dom-
browski after the Tigers-White Sox game was post-
poned due to rain.
Pujols is Detroit's fourth manager since Sparky
Anderson's 17-season tenure ended in 1995. The
Dominican Republic native is the Tigers' first minor-
ity manager.
"We had talked about managers, and we had some
LM9NOTES
Olson named most
outstanding wrestler
The Michigan wrestling team
named Otto Olson its most out-
standing player for the second year
in a row on Saturday. The sixth-year
senior, who won
his second Big
Ten title and fin-
ished fifth at the
NCAA Champi-
onships on his
way to a 40-2
record this sea-
son, received the
Cliff Keen Award
at the wrestling
banquet. Olson
The Steve Fraser Award, given to
a the player who best displays men-
tal toughness, was presented to sen-
ior captain Andy Hrovat.
Hrovat battled a severe back
injury throughout the season, but
still earned All-America honors
with a 15th-place finish at NCAAs.
Michigan also recognized Kyle
Smith as the most improved
wrestler. He was presented with the
Jeff Reese Award.
Pat Owen was given the 11 th
Man Award.
Ryan Bertin received two honors,
the Most Outstanding Freshman
Award and the Dr. Donahue Award
for Academic Excellence.
Bertin, who plans to apply to
Michigan's Business School, boasts
the highest GPA on the team, with a
3.90.
-from Staff reports
Stickers will face stiff
competition next year
The Michigan field hockey team
will not have an easy route when it
attempts to defend its NCAA Cham-
pionship next season. The 2002
schedule, which coach Marcia
Pankratz released yesterday, has the
Wolverines meeting seven oppo-
nents who competed in the 16-team
2001 NCAA Tournament
After hosting the U.S. National
team in an Aug. 24 exhibition,
Michigan will open the regular sea-
son in Chapel Hill, N.C., when it
takes on North Carolina and Wake
Forest Aug. 31-Sept. 1. The Wolver-
ines eliminated the Tar Heels last
season on their way to winning the
national title, and the Demon Dea-
cons joined them in the Final Four.
Michigan will play its home open-
er against Central Michigan on Sept.
8, and its first Big Ten match will be
at home against Ohio State on Sept.
27.
The Buckeyes won the Big Ten
regular season and tournament
championships last year.
The Wolverines hope to be head-
ing to Columbus in November to
make a fourth straight appearance in
the NCAA Tournament.
Senior midfielder Krista Meckley
and junior defender Stephanie John-
son will lead the Wolverines in their
title-defense next season.
They were named the 2002 co-
captains at the team's annual ban-
quet on Saturday.
The 2001 Wolverines received
their national championship rings
at the ceremony, and awards were
presented.
The team voted the Player's Play-
er Award, given to the athlete who
best exemplifies a Michigan field
hockey player, to senior Ali
Balmer.
Sophomore April Fronzoni was
given the Brian Fishman Award for
her hard work, passion and pursuit
of excellence.
-from Staff reports
Second varsity eight
honored by Big Ten
For the first time in its three years
of rowing in the Big Ten, Michigan
received conference Boat of the
Week honors yesterday. The award
went to the Wolverines' second Var-
sity eight.
Last Saturday in East Lansing,
the boat beat Michigan State for its
13th consecutive win.
The Wolverines turned in a time
of 7:19.90, almost 14 seconds better
than the Spartans.
-from Staff reports
Luis Pujols (center), who replaced Phil Garner on Monday, will manage the Tigers for the remainder of the
season. Detroit continued its shake-up yesterday, firing its pitching and first base coaches.
names, but we felt that the person that gave us the best
opportunity to win, was Luis," Dombrowski said. "He
knows the players, and he has the best knowledge of
our organization."
Pujols spent last season, his first in the Tigers'
organization, as manager at Double-A Erie following
his stint in Montreal. The 46-year-old was a major-
league catcher in Houston (1977-83) - with Garner
as a teammate - Kansas City (1984) and Texas
(1985).
"I think I'm prepared for the challenge," Pujols said.
"I've spent a lot of years in baseball, and I managed in
Double-A last year. I know that's not the majors, but
with all my years in the game, I think I'm ready."
Pitcher Nate Cornejo, who played for Pujols in Erie
last season, agreed.
"I think everybody will be really happy with Luis,
as long as he is here, and I think he'll do a good
job," Cornejo said. "He's just a players' manager,
everybody likes him. He's relaxed, he brings a little
comedy and he's kind of a funny guy. And he's also
a great baseball guy."
Dombrowski, who joined the Tigers in November
after serving as a Florida Marlins' executive from
1991-2001, fired pitching coach Dan Warthen and
third base coach Doug Mansolino yesterday as part of
a major shake-up on the coaching staff.
Steve McCatty was promoted to pitching coach
from a similar position at Double-A Erie. Juan
Samuel, who was Detroit's first base coach, shifts to
third, and hitting coach Merv Rettenmund kept his job.
Rafael Landestoy is the new first base coach, after
working with the organization as a roving infield
instructor. Jeff Jones is now the bullpen coach, after
being the Triple-A Toledo pitching coach.
On Monday, Dombrowski also fired bullpen coach
Ed Ott and special assistant Randy Johnson.
After an 0-6 start, the dismissal of Garner tied the
quickest firing of a manager who started the season
since 1900, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Bal-
timore fired Cal Ripken Sr. in 1988 after the Orioles
lost six games en route to an 0-21 start.
Cancer-free captain lifts Habs into playoffs
Football ticket deadline
MONTREAL (AP) - Montreal
Canadiens captain Saku Koivu was
greeted with a lengthy ovation last
night as he resumed his playing career
seven months after being diagnosed
with abdominal cancer.
The Canadiens capped an emotional
night, beating the Ottawa Senators 4-3
to clinch their first playoff berth in four
seasons.
A sold-out Molson Centre crowd of
21,273 greeted the 27-year-old Finn
with a standing ovation that lasted eight
minutes - from the time he stepped on
the ice until the opening faceoff.
Koivu, who underwent aggressive
chemotherapy treatments to combat
the disease, was given his first stand-
ing ovation of the night when his
arrival on the ice for warmups brought
the 8,000 or so fans on hand out of
their seats.
Four minutes before the Canadiens
took the ice for the game, the crowd
chanted "Saku! Saku! Saku!" The
cheers grew as the video scoreboard
showed the Canadiens preparing to
leave their dressing room, and the
sound of their applause rose to a
crescendo as the last player - Koivu
- took the ice.
Even members of the Senators
looked on and tapped their sticks on the
ice as Koivu took his first few turns
around the ice.
Ottawa backup goalie Jani Hurme
clapped his trapper and blocker togeth-
er as he stood on the ice in front of the
Senators' bench.
A sustained ovation that lasted nearly
five minutes began when Koivu was
introduced as a member of the Canadi-
ens' starting lineup.
The crowd staved off public address
announcer Pierre Lacroix's first two
attempts to introduce the Canadian
national anthem and continued cheer-
ing once it had begun.
Koivu took a 22-second shift to
begin the game and played a total of
3:08 while taking part in four shifts
during the first period.
The deadline for season ticket applications for
the 2002 Michigan football season is today.
Next year, a student ID must be presented upon
entering Michigan Stadium with a student tick-
et. Student tickets can be validated for unre-
stricted use by paying the difference between
student and public prices.
Where: Applications should be turned in to the
Michigan Ticket Office. They can be found there
or at www.mgoblue.com.
Cost: Student season ticket prices have raised
to $135 from last year's $110.
DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily
Michigan coach Uoyd Carr
L
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