SPORTS
The Michigan Daily Friday, May 31, 1985 Page 11
Ssary . heart
Last of a two-part series. Added e wise-guy from the top
By DAVE ARETHA Hey buddy you don't ave to worry
Detroit Tiger President Jim Cam- about getting up here. The only thing
pbell recently closed the Tiger you have to worry about is getting
Stadium bleachers because the fans down. Ah ha ha ha!
were getting a little too rowdy. If he
were in charge of the Left Field THANKFULLY, he was only kid-
Lounge at Mississippi State's Dudy ding. Crabtree said everyone was
Noble Field, however, he probably treated as a guest.
would have called in the National "But to get to the keg," said Bill
Guard. Striebeck, a square-jawed man ap-
Hundreds of Bulldog fanatics proaching middle age, "you have to
' gathered on the sloped land behind go through him." (He pointed to Mr. -
left field last Friday evening for a T.)
good old-fashioned 'Dawg-rootin' par- The keg was shoved into a corner,
ty when MSU hosted the second game along with a cooler, a barbeque and
of the South I Regional. most of the fifteen or so lucky 'Dawgs
who occupied Crabtree's bed.
NOT ONLY did 'Dawg fans smuggle
in bottles of beer, whiskey and vodka, "THAT'S homemade brew too,"
but they crammed in pickup trucks, said Striebeck. "That ain't store
vans, campers and virtually any par- bought. That's good ol' corn beer." -
tying vehicle they could rustle up. Besides being blessed with good ol' >a
The beds of the trucks carried corn beer and ribs on the grill, Crab-
coolers of Coors and Jack Daniels, tree and his friends occupied "the
and contained barbeques covered best seat in the house."
with steaks, burgers and crawdads. "It's like Dodger Stadium or
The tops of the vans and campers somewhere," Striebeck said. "You
carried cushions and two-by-fours to get a full view of the whole field."
construct the ultimate 'Dawg-viewing
seats. Little kids, college students and IT WAS a seat fit for a king-or at
even little old ladies made the hard least for a president.
climb up to the camper seats. Folks in "Mike (Mr. T) invited President
Starkville, Mississippi will do just Reagan this weekend, and Reagan
about anything to get a good view of was coming," said a slightly sloshed Mississippi State Sports Information Photo
their 'Dawgs. Striebeck. "Believe me, he was MsispiSaeSot nomto ht
The best Bulldog vehicle of all, coming to this seat, but he had to go to Mississippi State baseball fans just love their 'Dawgs. On any given night; it's time to party at the Left Field
t though, was the Crabtree Roofing California for the weekend. Reagan Lounge of Dudy Noble Field. Alcohol, steaks, burgers and even a handy helpin' of crawdads are the usual fare.
Truck in left-center field. The bed of was gonna be here, though.
the white pickup had the ability to rise "He's missing a hell of a damn game "Come on, 'Dawgs!" were screamed repeatedly. ballgame. Some say it's the bleachers
three stories, and on this special too." "They better score something." Down below college students at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Others
evening it was extended to its limit. "LET'S go 'DAWGS!" thrusted triumphant fists into the air, argue that it's the box seats at Fen-
A GUY IN the back interrupted MSU's John Scott responded with a little boys leaped with joy, and little way Park in Boston.
A MIDDLE-AGED man dressed in Striebeck with a shout of "G0000 noisy double to right-center. Catcher old ladies hugged their maroon-clad But the best seat in baseball just
worn denim clothes and a generic DAWGS!" Roark McDonald chugged into score husbands. may be the bed of a roofing truck at
baseball cap inched his way down the "Have you ever heard of the term from first base. Baseball fans often argue about the Dudy Noble Field in Starkville,
truck's aluminum ladder. It was Den- LM?" resumed Striebeck. "What'bout'dem'Dawgs?" best place in America to watch a Mississippi.
nis Crabtree, the owner of the highest LM? "How 'bout 'dem'Dawgs?"
perch in Starkville. "LM." He pointed to a true Bulldog "Wa-OOOOH!, wa-OOOOH!"
"Against our arch-rival, Ole Miss, fan sitting in the corner, whose eyes THE BED shook with jubilation.
we had 35 people in the back of that were transfixed on the 0-0 game. But one of Crabtree's guests, trying to
truck," Crabtree said with an authen- "This man is from LM. Lower keep things in perspective, just shook
tic Southern accent shared by all of Mississippi. Way down around the his head.
Starkville. "We've got a keg of beer, Louisiana border. This man has "These people go crazy for
we barbeque and we root for the driven 400 miles to come and watch a baseball," said Mike Cotton in
Bulldogs. We barbeque ribs, steaks, ballgame." disbelief. "Look at the stands, man."
chicken, anything." He painted to another 'Dawg sup- Indeed, Dudy Noble Field was sr
Accompanying Crabtree was a porter on the other side of the bed. shaking as much as the roofing truck. sySCOUNT MUFFLERS
gargantuous, red-skinned man whom "There's another LM man," he And Left Field Lounge was rocking AMERICAN AND FOREIGN CAR SPECIALIST
Crabtree called "the bouncer." His said. "Come from miles just to watch even more.
name was actually Mike Teasely-or a ballgame." "THEY SAY the worst position to
Mr T for short play in the SEC (Southeastern Con-
THE MSU fans were surely some of ference) is left field at Mississippi FROM AS a FITS MANY
the most rabid in the country-and State," Cotton said. "You do not want instaled by LOW AS.- SMALL CARS
"WE'RE GONNA barbeque the this was only college baseball. What to be there because you get taunted Traned 9 * PARTICIPATING
Michigan Wolverines in the Regional would happen. if Mississippi got a You get down around that foul pole specialists DEALERS
Tournament," barked Mr. T. "Aaa- major league team? and it gets serious." Rtailed Feaiuiing
OOOOH!" Striebeck paused. He couldn't Somebody recently calculated the
''You're tlkin' some stuff now," believe thefoolish question.'"We area batting averages of the visiting left
added Crabtree. "Say, you want to go major league team," he said, as fielders over the st ten years. It "
up there and take a look?" straight-faced as a man standing in came out to .160. YPSILANTI
One couldn't refuse. Yankee Stadium. "We had one left fielder turn around 2600 Washtenaw Avenue (1'/r Mi . of US 23)......................572-9177
THE ONLY drawback to the adven- Now, however, the Bulldogs were and flip us off," Cotton said. TAYLOR
ture was trying to climb a 25-rung having trouble handling the West MOMENTS later, MSU's Will Clark 14250 s. Telegraph Rd. (1 Bik. N. of Eureka Rd.)....................9464-470
ladder that was about as sturdy as Virginia Mountaineers who had skied a flyball to right. It was Individually Owned a Operated
Rapunzel'shair. moved ahead, 1-0. Striebeck, Mr. T deep-realdeep IN AND OUT IN 30 MINUTES IN MOST CASES
"Don't worry, that ladder ain't andtheresttriedtosparkarally. "IT'SGONE!"someoneshouted. O N DAILY AND SAT.-6 PM U
going nowhere," assured Crabtree. The bed shook even more than copygat O 1985 Meineke
"jit'sa Bulldog ladder, it'lljsold.'" . " "LET'Sgo,'Dawgsl" before. "Wa-hooo'"s and "ya-hoo"'s

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