Page 16-Saturday, July 12, 1980-The Michigan Daily
a Sports= N - mm m
WANGLER AT 75 PER CENT
Wangler strengthens knee
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BY MARK MIHANOVIC
Don't look now, Rich Hewlett, Steve
Smith, and the rest of you Michigan
quarterback candidates, but another
name is being added to the list. A
familiar one, at that.
John Wangler is back.
When the senior signal-caller was
carried off the field at the Gator Bowl
last December, many assumed that he
would never set foot on a football field
again. Not wearing shoulder pads and a
Maize-and-Blue jersey, at least. But
Wangler never doubted that he would
return.
"I DIDN'T think I'd end my career
like that," the tall, tanned Wangler said
ygsterday morning. "I never thought I
wouldn't be back."
It has been a long process, rebuilding
the right knee that received surgery on
December 31 to repair a torn ligament
and damaged cartilage. "I'd never had
anything quite thisserious before," he
said. "It's tough, because you can't
rush something like this. It's just
nature taking its course. A lot of people
asked me if it was worth it, but I never
really thought about it that way."
Wangler estimates that his right leg
is at about 75 per cent strength right
now. Helifts leg weights intensely three
times a week, runs up and down the
green hills of the University's golf cour-
se daily, swims three times a week, and
rides his bicycle, all to prepare his right
knee for August 22, the day the
Wolverine gridders begin preparation
for the season opener against North-
western.
ATHLETES WHO have been vic-
timized by serious injuries invariably
discover, however, that returning to top
physical form is only part of the
comeback. Wangler's mental state is
going to be at least as important when
contact drills start in the fall, and only
time will tell whether he will be able to
conquer all subconscious fear of rein-
jury.
"It's kind of scary right now 'cause
I've never really tested it," said the 6-3,
195-pounder from Royal Oak Shrine. "I
don't know how it will react under
playing conditions."
Wangler's return to 1979 form, which
saw him lead the Big Ten with a 62.3
completion percentage, would further
confuse an already jumbled quarter-
back situation for the Blue.
Sophomore Hewlett emerged from
spring practice drills as Bo Schem-
bechler's number one man, but the
coach also indicated that incoming
freshmen Smith, an All-american out of
Grand Blanc High School, and David
Hall and Greg Powell, both from Ohio,
will all be given good looks behind cen-
ter. B.J. Dickey, who Wangler battled
for the starting spot much of last
season, has been taken out of the pic-
ture by suspension.
NEITHER Schembechler nor any of
the other coaches have given Wangler
any idea where he stands. '.I guess
they're still kind of leery. They're not
really sure whether I'll be back at 100
per cent. Until I convince them that it
(the knee) is 100 per cent, they're not
going to be sure where I'll fit in."
And where does he expect to fit in?
"I EXPECT to be right there battling
for thespot."
If he handles that battle as well as he
has handled the battle back from knee
surgery, John Wangler's No. 5 might be
throwing footballs to Anthony Carter
and Co. on September 13 at Michigan
Stadium.
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Brett tallies three doubles;
Royals rap Tigers, 7-3
By The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - George Brett
hit a club record three doubles and
drove in two runs last night, powering
the Kansas City Royals to a 7-3 victory
over the Detroit Tigers in a game that
saw 11 extra-base hits.
Brett, who returned to the lineup
Thursday night after missing 26 games
with an ankle injury, fell one short of
the American League record with two-
base hits in his first three at-bats.
There were eight doubles and three
homers in the contest, with six of the
doubles and one homer by Kansas City
batters.
Brett's double in the first inning
scored Willie Wilson and Hal McRae as
the Royals mauled Jack Morris, 11-7,
who had won his last six starts. Brett
went to third on a groundout and scored
on a sacrifice fly by Willie Aikens.
Clint Hurdle then doubled and John
Wathan singled and Frank White
chased Morris with an RBI single to
give Kansas City a 4-0 lead.
Champ Summers led off the Detroit
second with a solo homer, then Wilson
knocked a Dan Schatzeder pitch over
the left-field wall leading off the Kansas
City second.
Alan Trammell led off the Tiger four-
th with his fifth home run, then the
Royals picked up a run in the bottom of
the inning on McRae's single, Brett's
double and Aikens' second sacrifice fly
of the game. Wathan doubled off Pat
Underwood in the fifth and eventually
scored on a groundout, and the Tigers
made it 7-3 in the sixth on Trammell's
single, a ground-out, a wild pitch and
Summers' sacrifice fly.
Kansas City's Dennis Leonard, 8-7,
pitched a six-hitter.
Toronto 6, Cleveland 3
TORONTO - Damaso Garcia drove
in three runs and Otto Velez belted a
two-run homer to lead the Toronto Blue
Jays to a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland
Indians.
Dave Steib, 8-6, scattered three hitsin
recording his 10th complete game of the
season. He struck out two and walked
three.
Velez, who had missed the last two
weeks because of bruised-ribs, hit his
13th homer of the season in the fifth off
Wayne Garland, 3-2. The homer
followed an Al Woods single and snap-
ped a 3-3 tie.
The Blue Jays took a 3-0 second-
inning lead when Roy Howell singled
and Barry Bonnell walked. Bob Bailor
loaded the bases with an infield single.
Garland then hit Bob Davis to force in
one run, and one out later, Garcia
singled home two more runs.
The Indians got two runs back in the
fourth. With one out, Toby Harrah
walked and went to third on Ron
Hassey's single. Jack Brohamer
followed with a sharp grounder that
Mayberry misplayed for a run-scoring
error. Manning's sacrifice fly scored
Hassey.
Cleveland tied the game in the fifth
when Miguel Dilone walked, stole
second, went to third on an error by
Steib on a pickoff try and came home on
Mike Hargrove's sacrifice fly.
After Velez's fifth-inning homer, the
Jays added a run in the sixth when
Davis doubled and scored on a triple by
Garcia.
St. Louis over Montreal
MONTREAL - Pinch-hitter Keith
Smith doubled home a pair of runs to
cap a four-run rally in the ninth inning
that carried the St. Louis Cardinals to a
5-3 victory over the Montreal Expos last
night.
Trailing 3-1, the Cardinals chased
Montreal starter Steve Rogers on suc-
cessive singles by George Hendricks
and Kennedy before reliever Woodie
Fryman, 3-4, yielded a single to pinch-
hitter Bobby Bonds to load the bases
with one out.
The Cardinals then scored one run on
Ken Oberkfell's fielder's choice groun-
der before Smith, who had been to the
plate only three times this season,
unloaded a double to left to score two
runs.
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AP Photo
Hopalong Garner
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Phil Garner rides high on the back of
New York Mets Elliott Maddox at second base last night. Maddox, moving
on a hit by teammate Doug Flynn, broke up the double play in the second
inning at New York's Shea Stadium.
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