The Michigan Daily -
GIBSON SMACKS 600-FOOT HOMER
Thursday, June 16, 1983 - Page 15
Tiger slugger is back on track
DETROIT (AP) - When Kirk Gibson to be part of Tiger Stadium legend. Af- "IT'S LIKE trying to stop an 18- he's hitting," Anderson s
is hot - as he is now - he's in a class ter hitting a monumental drive in the wheeler on wet pavement," was the doesn't have to put every h
almost by himself - a whole new 4th over the right field stands and way Gibson described himself. The of- seats. With his great speed,
dimension as a player. across the street - only the 14th ball to ficial scorer credited him with a double, plus just being on the base.
"I've been swinging the bat better the clear roof at that point - he barreled said he went to third on a throw to the ever ignore him out there."
last few weeks," the Detroit Tigers around the bases two innings later for plate which nailed Lou Whitaker and
slugger says. "I can't explain why I had what appeared to be an inside-the-park scored on Gedman's error.
such an awful first six weeks. It hurt, it home run. Gibson, obviously, is no ordinary
really hurt. The fans were on me." That play ended with Gibson plowing ballplayer. Until his senior year at
THE FANS not only got off his case, into umpire Larry Barnett, who in turn, Michigan State, he was not a baseball
but he's given them a lot to cheer about bowled over Red Sox catcher Rich player at all. He was an All-American
lately. Gedman, sending Barnett to the wide receiver on the Spartans' football
His double treat Tuesday night is sure hospital for observation team. At 6-foot-3 and slimmed down to
aid. "He
ball in the
he's a big
You can't
Homers stop
Sox, 4-2
From wire reports
DETROIT - Kirk Gibson had a
two-run triple and Chet Lemon and
Lance Parrish hit solo homers to back
the combined five-hit pitching of Dave
Rozema and Aurelio Lopez as the
Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox
4-2 last night.
Rozema improved to 4-0 and
remained unbeaten since 1981 by
allowing four hits in seven innings.
Lopez, who has appeared in five of
Rozema's six starts, went the last two
innings to earn his 10th save.
BOSTON LED 2-0 until the fifth when
Trammell and Lou Whitaker began the
inning with singles and advanced on
Enos Cabell's groundout. Gibson then
ripped a triple down the third-base line
to tie the score. Gibson has driven in 14
runs in his last 12 games and-Whitaker
has an 11-game hitting streak.
With the game tied 2-2 in the sixth in-
ning, Lemon sent a 1-0 pitch from Bost
on starter Dennis Eckersley, 4-4, into
the lower left-field seats.
Lemon's seventh homer of the year,
all of which have come in Tiger
Stadium, gave Detroit a 3-2 lead and
Lance Parrish provided an extra
margin when he led off the eighth with
his fifth homer of the year.
The Red Sox got a second-inning run
when Wade Boggs was safe on a
fielder's-choice grounder and came
around on singles by Carl Yastrzemski
and Ed Jurak. Boggs' triple and Yastr-
zemski's sacrifice fly in the fourth
made it2-0.
215 pounds, Gibson is an athlete of in-
credible raw talent.
Gibson's early-season slump dropped
his batting average to well below .200.
He was striking out and looking bad
doing it. The Tigers sank into last place
in the American League East.
HOWEVER, on May 25, with the
team won-loss record a woeful 17-22,
Gibson hit his first homer - an inside-
the-park job at Toronto - and suddenly
things began to happen for the Tigers.
Detroit has been 15-5 since then and the
Tigers have climbed back into the thick
of the race.
During the stretch, Gibson hit in 11 of
15 games, going 17 for 53 for a .321
average that has pulled his season bat-
ting average up to .236 and climbing. He
now has hit four home runs and driven
in 25 run, including 12 in his last 11
games.
"It's always hard to predict why it
happens when a team comes out of a
slump," Gibson said. "Right now,
everybody is making good contact."
Manager Sparky Anderson is hopeful
Gibson can continue to make good con-
tact.
"Gibby can help us an awful lot when
Gibson
... look out, he's hot
Stanley H. Kaplan...
Over 40 Years of Experience
is Your Best Teacher
apFF " .
Lopez
... picks up 10th save
Hair Styling
With A Flair
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