8 Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

8 - Tuesday, January 10, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom

Larkin enters Hall of Fame

BySTEPHENJ. NESBITT
Daily Sports Editor
Barry Larkin is headed to Coo-
perstown.
The former Michigan baseball
player and longtime Cincinnati
Reds shortstop was voted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday
after being named on 86 percent
of the Baseball Writers' Asso-
ciation of America's ballots. The
threshold for a call to the hall is 75
percent.
Larkin, a Cincinnati native,
spent three years in Ann Arbor
with then-Michigan coach Bud
Middaugh before being drafted
by the Reds and returning home.
He spent a year and a half in the
minors before becoming Cincin-
nati's starting shortstop from
1986 to 2004.
The Reds thought so highly
of Larkin that they drafted him
in the second round in 1982. He
turned down their offer and a
$50,000 signing bonus to attend
Michigan.
He was a two-time All-Amer-
ican and led the Wolverines to
two College World Series appear-
ances in 1983 and 1984 - the last
time Michigan reached the finale.
Larkin was also named the Big
Ten Player of the Year in 1984 and
1985. After three years at Michi-
gan, Larkin was again drafted by
his hometown Reds - this time as
the fourth overall pick, the high-
est-ever Wolverine draftee - and
this time he answered the call. He
spent 19 seasons in Cincinnati,
collecting 2,340 hits, 198 home
runs and 960 RBI in his tenure
with the ballclub.
Larkin was a 12-time All-Star,
nine-time Silver Slugger winner,
three-time Gold Glove winner
and won the National League
Most Valuable Player award in
1995. His crowning achievement,
he contends, was winning the

ICE HOCKEY
Black-and-blue Wolverines
aim to get healthy for OSU

RUSTY KENNEDY/AP
Shortstop Barry Larkin celebrates after winning the 1990 World Series.

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By MATT SLOVIN become the Wolverines' first loss
Daily Sports Editor of the season.
"(Janecyk) surprised me,"
as been a scary couple of Berenson said. "It's a tough situ-
r Michigan hockey fans. ation to throw a guy in. If I'm
h-year senior netminder the starting goalie, I'd rather get
Hunwick took a puck to thrown in on the road than at
emask during the second home."
of the Wolverines' 4-2 Berenson cited friends and
er Lake Superior State on family in attendance as reasons
night. Hunwick, who was why a back-up netminder might
shaken, remained in the prefer the road atmosphere for a
or the duration of the peri- stint in net. But Janecyk seemed
re surrendering his duties unfazed by it all, pausing only
omore Adam Janecyk. momentarily to take it all in
le the specifics of the inju- before the shootout began.
e never confirmed, it was "It was kind of surreal to final-
enough to keep Hunwick ly be out there," Janecyk said.
Saturday's series finale "(Especially) with it being my
t the Lakers - a game game and everything."
an dropped in a shootout Janecyk texted his father
vell as Monday's practice immediately after being told he
1. would start Saturday night. Bob
Monday, Michigan coach Janecyk, a former NHL goal-
renson had good news for tender and current scout for the
questioning the goalten- Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hock-
tatus, as the Wolverines ey League, dropped his assign-
e for arguably the biggest ment and bolted for Yost.
nd of the season thus far For now, it seems Janecyk will
hey will face league-lead- return to his second-string role.
io State. When asked if the starting job
's feeling good," Berenson was something that might be in
ndicating the decision to the cards, Janecyk seemed tenta-

1990 World Series with the Reds.
In a promise to his grandmoth-
er, Larkin later returned to finish
his final year of school at Michi-
gan and earn his degree.
"I'm a graduate of the Univer-
sity of Michigan because I told my
grandmother that I would do that
and my mother made sure that I
did it," Larkin said in a teleconfer-
ence on Monday.
Larkin was bypassed in his first
two years of Hall of Fame eligibil-
ity, being named on 51.6 percent
of BBWAA ballots in 2010 and 62.1
percent in 2011. He joins former
Michigan players Charlie Geh-
ringer, Branch Rickey and George
Sisler in the Hall of Fame.
Larkin was already inducted
into the College Baseball Hall of
Fame in 2009, joining Michigan
alums Jim Abbott (2007), Rickey
(2009) and Sisler (2010). Lar-
kin's No. 16 Michigan jersey was
retired on May 1,2010.
When trying to describe his
credentials that gained him
admission into the Hall of ;Fame,

the ever-humble Larkin said he
never expected to receive the
necessary number of votes since
he didn't know if there was room
for an "amoeba man" or a "com-
plementary player" in the Hall
of Fame. In the end, the writers
voted Larkin in rather easily in his
third year of eligibility.
But that doesn't mean it was a
relaxing day. Larkin was told he'd
be called at 1:30 this afternoon if
he won. ESPN crews were at his
house filming the reaction. He
didn't geta call.
After pacing back and forth
between the kitchen and the liv-
ing room, Larkin turned off the
TV to focus on something else.
"I'd given up hope that it was
going to happen this year," he
said.
At 2:53, just seven minutes
before the official announcement
from the Hall of Fame, the phone
rang. He looked at the area code:
212. It was Jack O'Connell from
the BBWAA. Larkin was in the
Hall of Fame.

most goals scored with 10, fell to
the ice, where he lay face down.
Berenson noted that the deci-
sion to keep him out of practice
was also precautionary and that
Guptill "should be ready" come
Friday night's series opener in
Columbus. In Guptill's absence,
junior forward Jeff Rohrkem-
per held his place on Michigan's
most consistent line of late, which
includes Wohlberg and junior
forward Chris Brown.
Junior forward Lindsay
Sparks, who has been listed as
a healthy scratch in each of the
last five games, rode an exercise
bike while the team practiced.
He occasionally plays alongside
Rohrkemper in practice.
"His hip was bothering him,"
Berenson said. "He had to have an
injection. So we let him take the
day off. He'll be back tomorrow."
This allowed for some tinker-
ing of the lines at practice.
"Since Rohrkemper lost
(Sparks) ... we evened out the
lines," Berenson said. "(He was)
just filling in for Guptill."
NOTES: Monday, Wohlberg
was named CCHA Postgame
Offensive Player of the Week for
his efforts against the Lakers.
He racked up five points over the
weekend and tied Guptill as the
team's goal leader in the process.
... For the second time in the last
three weeks, Guptill was honored
as CCHA Gongshow Rookie of
the Week. Before his injury, Gup-
till notched two points on both
Friday and Saturday. ... Junior
forwardA.J. Treais took a puck
to the leftarm Monday and was
sidelined for the rest of practice.
Berenson expects to seeTreais
back in action Tuesday.

keep him off the ice was merely
precautionary. "He should skate
(Tuesday)."
Hunwick will be ready to face
the Buckeyes this weekend, he
said. Last weekend, fans got their
first meaningful look at Janecyk,
though he first appeared in a
game against Northern Michigan
in October after Hunwick was
ejected for throwing a punch.
But the man between the pipes
against Lake Superior State didn't
resemble the shaky youngster
who let atied game slip away and

tive.
"I couldn't tell you that," Jane-
cyk said. "I guess time will tell or
whatever."
GUPTILL ABSENT, TOO: Hun-
wick wasn't the only Wolverine
taking the start of the week to
heal.
Freshman forward Alex Gup-
till was on the receiving end of
a slashing penalty against Lake
Superior State on Saturday night.
Guptill, who's currently tied for
the team lead along with senior
forward David Wohlberg for


0

MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daily
Former Michigan star Cazzie Russell made an appearance at the new-look Crisler Center for Sunday's game.
Russell returns to 'The
House That Cazzie Built'

By LUKE PASCH Cazzie Built."
Daily Sports Editor Though Russell would never
-~ play on the hardwood that he
There was once a time when inspired - he was chosen as the
Michigan Stadium seated a mea- No. 1 overall pick in the 1966 NBA
ger 101,001 fans. Draft and was already playing
Back then, the Michigan bas- for the New York Knicks when it
ketball team played its home opened - his impact on the pro-
games at Yost Field House - gram was tremendous.
since converted to the ice arena "When Cazzie Russell's being
- which offered all the glamour recognized for what he did forthis
and charm of playing in what was program - because keep in mind
essentially a barn with a hard- we're talking about 'The House
wood floor. that Cazzie Built' - when I heard
But in 1964, a 6-foot-6 Chicago that he was being inducted to the
native named Cazzie Russell took college basketball Hall of Fame,
Ann Arbor by storm and forever we had to be there," said Athletic
changed the basketball culture at Director Dave Brandon on Sunday
Michigan. He set the program's of Russell's February 2011 induc-
single-season scoring record in tion. "He's an outstanding guy....
each of his three seasons with the Not just a terrific, iconic, legend-
Wolverines, earning All-Ameri- ary basketball player, but just a
can status twice and leading the wonderful man.
program to three Big Ten Cham- "I can't wait to reintroduce
pionships and two Final Four him today. I think people will get
appearances. a goosebump moment when they
Russell's collegiate resum6 see No. 33 hanging in the rafters
was nearly perfect, but the home and he's standing at center court."
of Michigan basketball was not. During a media break in the
With growing expectations for first half of Michigan's victory
the program came a growing fan over Wisconsin on Sunday after-
base, one that Yost Field House noon, the PA invited Russell onto
could no longer feasibly sustain. the court, where he led the crowd
On Dec. 2, 1967, the Athletic in a couple rounds of "The Vic-
Department opened the doors tors." It was a major step in Bran-
to the brand new Crisler Arena, don's initiative to reconnect with
dedicated to former Michigan former Michigan athletes.
football coach and long-time Ath- And when Russell came back,
letic Director Herbert "Fritz" he brought with him a wealth of
Crisler. The arena comfortably postseason experience at the col-
held 13,684 fans, and it justifi- lege and professional levels. He
ably became known as - at least won the Big Ten Championship
in Ann Arbor - "The House that every season he wore a maize and

blue uniform, and he led his 1965
team all the way to the NCAA
Championship, edging Vanderbilt
by two points in the Final Four
before losing to John Wooden's
UCLA in the title game.
With the Knicks, he won an
NBA title in the 1969-70 season,
playing an integral role filling in
for an injured Willis Reed and
becoming known as one of the
league's best sixth men.
For a program that's searching
for a return to national promi-
nence, Russell could serve as the
ultimate ambassador. Before the
contest with Wisconsin on Sun-
day, he had an opportunity to talk
to the team and impart his win-
ning wisdom.
"The formula to winning on a
consistent basis is to keep relying
and trusting in your teammates
- embrace what they bring to
the table," he said. "But don't let
anybody come in your house and
play harder than you play and beat
you."
Surely, the message of that
speech has a familiar tone for
Michigan fans who remember
former football coach Bo Schem-
bechler's famous emphasis on
"the team, the team, the team."
And though Crisler Arena
(recently renamed Crisler Center
with the opening of the adjacent
Player Development Center) is
currently undergoing a major ren-
ovation, the Michigan basketball
program and its fans seem enthu-
siastic about finally embracing its
colorful history.

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