Sports
Page 12 Thursday, August 5, 1982 The Michigan Daily
TuningU
Batsmen playing ball in Cape Cod
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By RANDY BERGER
Special to the Daily
ORLEANS, Mass.- When one thinks
of Cape Cod one epvisions white sandy
beaches, sailboats, old New England
cottages and beautiful sunsets. In this
strip of paradise one would hardly
imagine that people would have time to
even care about baseball. However,
three Michigan baseball players are
finding out that the Cape Cod summer
baseball league is serious business to
the local natives and the countless
vacationers who flock here every
summer.
While enjoying the luxuries that only
Cape Cod can offer, Rich Bair, Jeff
Jacobson and Chris Sabo are tuning up
their game in hope of finding a few
reasons for Michigan's collapse in this
year's Big Ten playoffs.
FOR THE three Wolverines, the
league has been like an extended spring
training. They can experiment with
their game, face top notch pitching, and
stay in baseball shape.
"When I came up here I just wanted
to get more playing experience and also
to he able to compare myself with
players from other colleges," said
Sabo, who along with Bair and Jacob-
son start for the Orleans Cardinals.
It seems that the consensus for the
three Wolverines has been to work
more on their hitting than on fielding.
"IN THE summer, fielding tends to
slump," stated Jacobson, who was the
only Wolverine selected to play for the
Cape League All Star team at Shea
Stadium against the Atlantic Coast
baseball league. "I've been concen-
trating on hitting-especially on bat
speed."
"This is more of a hitters' league,"
added Bair, who has played part-time
at catcher and designated hitter. "You
see more breaking balls but the pit-
chers really don't challenge the batter.
as much as in the Big Ten."
Since players from all over the coun-
try are thrown together for just three
months, the intensity and team concept
is not as high here as during the regular
season, but this works to the players'
advantage, considering all the
recreational distractions of the area.
"IT'S DEFINITELY more relaxed
here," said Bair. "The coaches don't do
much coaching. They just let you play
and gain experience."
"It's tough to get a team concept
because we don't practice much
together," added second baseman
Jacobson. "That's why the fall prac-
tices are so important at Michigan. It's
when we develop the idea of working
together as a team. The Cape league is
more individualistic and plus all the
teams are pretty even so a good season
would be to just finish above .500."
Although the team incentives may
not be as strong, each player must keep
his competitive edge because the
league has its fill of talented
ballplayers. Even without the benefit of
hitting statistics and batting averages,
a few top name college athletes still
stick out. Terry Steinback of Min-
nesota, Russ Mormen of World Series
runner-up Wichita State, and Mike
Yastrzemski (son of Boston Red Sox
Carl Yastrzemski) of Florida State are
just a sampling of the talent dispersed
in the eight-team league.m s
"ON THE whole the competition is
not as consistent as the Big Ten,"
stated Bair. "There are some select
players but the teams aren't as strong as
the teams we play at school."
With such future pro prospects at
their disposal, it is no wonder that the
Cape Cod natives are avid supporters of
the league. Since the players live with a
local family and work during the day at
various jobs in the town, there is a close
tie between the fans and the players.
"Although we may not be as serious
about winning as at Michigan, we do
feel a little responsibility to win
because the community is so involved,"
Sabo
.'more playing experience'
commented third baseman Sabo,
"They may not be as vocal as Michigan
fans, but they take the league
seriously."
IN FACT, over the years Michigan
has built a solid reputation among the
fans and coaches. This year's trio of
Wolverines isn't the first to wear
Michigan colors in the Cape. Last year
Greg Schulte played for the same
Orleans Cardinals and the year before
Mark Clinton pitched for Falmouth.
Thus by coming here the three
Bair
... 'a hitters' league'
Michigan players have been able to
gain valuable exposure, experience and
most of all to get ready for next season.
As far as this past season's disappoin-
tment, the players feel the key was a
lack of clutch hitting at the right time.
"We had better personnel and played
better baseball but then in the Big Ten
playoffs we just fell flat," stated Bair.
"IT WAS SO disappointing because
we were highly ranked all year but we
just didn't have enough big players who
could get the big hit," added Sabo. "We
all went into a slump at the same time."
Looking forward to next year, the
Michigan trio contends that many gaps
have to be filled by incoming freshmen.
"We lost a lot through the draft and
we have gaps at short and centerfield,"
said Jacobson. "However, we still have
a lot of experience coming back. I think
we'll be good."
Michigan fans can be sure that at
least three players will be more than
ready for next year.
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Jacobson
.. .'league is individualistic'
Whings
name
Po lan 0
coach
DETROIT (AP)- Nick Polano, an assistant coach of the
Buffalo Sabres, was named coach of the Detroit Red Wings
yesterday, a National Hockey League team with 12 coaches
in the past 15 years.
The 41-year-old Polano said at a news conference that he
wants to instill a winning attitude in Detroit.
"A TEAM THAT hates to lose will win a lot of games,"
Polano said of a club that was 21-47-12 last season, second-
worst in the NHL. The Colorado Rockies were the only team
with a worse record.
Polano said he observed last season that in two out of three
games in which Buffalo played the Red Wings, "the Red
Wings had a chance to win, but they just gave up.
"I know we don't have a lot of talent, but if the players give
110 percent, I'll be in their corner.
"WE'RE GOING to gain some ground the first year."
Detroit General Manager Jimmy Devellano said Polano
will get a three-year contract.
The Wings have been under new ownership since June. The
Norris family, owners for the club's 50 years in the league,
sold the franchise to Mike Ilitch, a Detroit pizza franchise
owner.
Berenson named assistant coach
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)- Red Berenson, former coach of
the National Hockey League St. Louis Blues and a Michigan
graduate, was named assistant coach of the Buffalo Sabres
yesterday.
Berenson succeeds Nick Polano, who was named head
coach and assistant general manager of the Detroit Red
Wings.
Berenson was a center during a 17-year NHL career. After
a stint as assistant coach, Berenson became head coach at St.
Louis in the midst of the 1979-80 season and led the team to its
best mark in history in 1980-81 before being replaced as coach
early in the 1981-82 season.
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