Iso . IT's really hard to believe. Jeff Jacobson, an All-American second baseman last year and this year's Most Valuable Player on the Michigan baseball team, didn't receive first- team All-Big Ten honors. Chris Sabo, an outstanding third baseman and probably the Wolverines' best hitter, didn't make the team, either. Nor did Barry Larkin, Michigan shortstop and the MVP of last weekend's Big Ten Playoffs. Of course, none of these players won the con- ference batting championship. Fred Erdmann did, and that's one reason why the Wolverine senior - an unheralded player - made the honor squad while his better-known teammates didn't. Never mind that there happened to be better in- fielders in the Big Ten than outfielders. Erdmann knows that. "I guess the infield in the conference was pretty good," he said. "It worked out well that I played left field." Erdmann made first-team All-Big Ten because he deserved to. The Warren native accomplished what only two players in conference history ever managed - a .500 batting average. Erdmann hit that mark exac- tly, matching the average set by Purdue's Bill "Moose" Skowron in 1951. Only ex-Wolverine Bill Freehan's .585 average in 1961 tops Erdmann's. Freehan, it might be noted, went on to collect 1,591 hits in a Detroit Tiger uniform. Skowron had a similarly distinguished professional career. What makes the Wolverine outfielder's feat even more remarkable is that he, and not one of his teammates, performed it. While Sabo, Jacobson and Ken Hayward were among the Big Ten's best The Michigan Daily- Thursday. May 26, 1983 - Page 19 Once a benchwarmer... .. ."Boom-boom" swings big bat hitters last year, Erdmann sat on the Michigan ben- ch, stepping to the plate only for an occasional pinch hit. He didn't bat well enough to beat out Jim Paciorek in right field. He didn't field or run well enough to knock Greg Schulte or Dave Stober out of the other two outfield positions. "Fred just accepted his role the first three years," said Jacobson, Erdmann's roommate. "This year, he's finally gotten a chance to play every day and he's proven himself to be a fine ballplayer." Erdmann had to accept his role. With a .272 career batting average, limited speed and a below- average arm, he couldn't expect much else. But several months of hard work improved the ac- tuarial science major's fielding and throwing to the point..,. where Michigan coach Bud Middaugh wasn't afraid to use him in outfield. "I knew I could play well," the one- semester-away-from- graduating senior Erdmann said. "It was just a matter of going out and doing it." The 6-0, 185 pounder still doesn't run well. Mid- daugh regularly substitutes Dan Sygar for Er- dmann on the basepaths. He still isn't the best fielder. Sygar fills in there, too. Erdmann is, however, Michigan's best hitting outfielder. His overall batting average of .349 is fifth among Wolverine regulars. His eight doubles in- dicate Erdmann's penchant for driving the ball between opposing outfielders. That's why his tesmmates called him "Ysrdgap." "We used to call him 'Yardbird' because he hit the ball out of the park a lot," explained Jacobson, noting that "yard" is baseball sland for field, and that Erdmahn's hits used to fly like birds. "He always hit homers in the summer but never during the season. Even in batting practice, he'd rarely hit a home run. He'd always line the ball up the gap, so we changedhis name to 'Yardgap."' s Fortunately for Erdmann, the strange-sounding nickname didn't stick. Unfortunately, a worse one did. After hitting the first two homers of his collegiate career last month in a doubleheader against Ohio State, Erdmann was dubbed "Boom-boom" by Paul Chapman, play-by-play man for WAAM radio's broadcasts of Michigan baseball. Two more Er- dmann homers and 200 Mr. WAAM and Rodney (Derringer) repetitions of "Boom-boom" later and the moniker became part of regular Fisher Stadium lingo. "The WAAM man (Chapman) stuck him with the name and we all chuckle about it," said Jacobson. Erdmann himself blushes upon hearing the name. He knows it's a joke. He realizes that power hitting isn't an Erdmann forte. "Before, when he hit a home run in batting prac- tice, he'd talk about it for weeks," Jacobson said. "He'd say, 'Did you see that one hit the building?' Now, he doesn't talk about his hits any more." He doesn't have to. He's in the Big Ten record book. Stoll named co-player of year in Big Ten Collegiate Baseball Top Twenty From Staff and Wire Reports Michigan pitcher Rich Stoll and Min- nesota outfielder Tom Steinbach were selected by the Big Ten baseball coaches as the lesgue's 1983 players of the year, the conference announced Monday. Stoll compiled a 3-0 record in con- ference play this season, 8-2 overall. The righthander sat out two weeks of the Big Ten season before returning in last weekend's Big Ten playoffs to post a win and a save. Steinbach set the Big Ten record for home runs in a season with nine. All-Big Ten Baseball Team 1B - Joe Scime, Wisconsin 2B - Robby Cobb, Ohio State 3B- Terry Steinbach, Minnesota SS- Bill Piwnica, Minnesota C- RICH BAIR, MICHIGAN SCORES AmericanLeague Milwaukee7, Oakland 6 Seattle 2, Cleveland 1 NationalLeague SanFrancisco7, New York 6 Atlanta 6, Pittsburgh 0 LosAngeles6, Philadelphia 1 St. Louis 7, Cincinnati 2 Montreal2, San Diego0 The h E Wants You To Buy A Yearbook Stop BY THE Student, C - Jack Schlichting, Minnesota OF - FRED ERDMANN, MICHIGAN OF - Mike Verkuilen, Wisconsin OF - Andy Krause, Michigan State OF - Tom Steinbach, Minnesota DH - Scott Schuveiller, Minnesota P - RICH STOLL, MICHIGAN P - Marty Clary, Wisconsin 1. Texas....-............56-13 2. Brigham Young .........45-9 3. Stanford..............37-15-1 4. 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