Monday, July 7, 2008 f
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Powers adapts to hectic schedule
By JILLIAN ROTHMAN
Daily Sports Writer
If you want to reach former
Michigan reliever Mike Powers this
summer, you best try him between
11 p.m. and midnight.
At all other times, Powers is busy
with the Kingsport (Tenn.) Mets,
a minor league rookie squad. The
New York Mets' affiliate team has
the righty doing 9 a.m. lifting, early-
afternoon conditioning and late-
afternoon team practices.
And all of this is before the usual
7 p.m. start time for nightgames.
"It's a good job, but it's definitely
a job," Powers said.
Despite the huge time com-
mitment required of him, Pow-
ers doesn't regret what he calls
the hardest decision he's ever had
to make - signing a 3-year minor
league contract with the Mets after
they drafted himin the 31st round of
last month's Major League Baseball
draft.
Powers redshirted his freshman
year, so he was eligible to return to
the Wolverines for a potential fifth
year next season. But after pitching
62.1 innings and striking out 62 bat-
ters this year, it was as good a time
as any to move on.
"I couldn't make a wrong deci-
sion," Powers said. "It was just
deciding whether I was ready to
leave school."
Fortunately for him, he didn't
have too much time to second-guess
his decision. Just two days after the
draft, Powers headed down to Flor-
ida with the other Mets draftpicks.
And four days after that, he found
himself caught up in Kingsport's
rigorous routine. But Powers has
not faltered one bit.
"Michigan prepared me for
everything we've been doing here,"
he said.
Besides the fundamental prepa-
ration Powers says his Wolverine
coaches gave him, he also received
opportunities to grow the confi-
dence he will need to be a profes-
sional pitcher.
One of these opportunities was
playing his new employer, the Mets,
in an exhibition game inFlorida last
February. Powers was called to the
mound in relief and pitched a 1-2-3
inning against the major leaguers.
"I'm always a little nervous, and
I question myself if I can get these
guys outor not,"he said. "ButI think
aboutwhenwe played the Mets, and
if I can get those guys out, I can get
the guys I'm facing here out."
Among the major league specta-
tors duringthe exhibition game was
Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey.
Pelfrey, the most recent Met starter
to rise from the minors, was more
than happy to dish out advice to a
new Met.
"Coaches in college are focused
on winning," Pelfrey said. "Coaches
in pro ball are focused on develop-
ing you and getting you ready to go
up to the next level."
Powers agreed and said he has
already experienced some of that.
"It's definitely a little more
relaxed as far as winning and los-
ing," Powers said. "The most impor-
tant part of the day is when we have
ANGELA CESERE/Daly
Former Michigan pitcher Michael Powers is working through the New York Mets' farm system.
practice."
Pelfrey also had some simple
words of wisdom for Powers:
"My best advice is never lose
track of why you are here and never
lose faith that one day you can make
it to the majors," Pelfrey said.
But Powers is not yet concerned
with making it to Citi Field.
"I think (the majors) is always in
the back of my mind," he said. "But
I'm just trying to have a good first
year. If I do move up that's great, but
I try to take it one outing at a time.
I just want to throw well whenever
they give me the ball"
So far Powers has done just that.
He has five strikeouts in just three
innings of relief for Kingsport.
Whether Powers will ever
become a major leaguer is anyone's
guess, but one thing is certain - he
will never get another experience
quite like minor league ball.
Pelfrey warned Powers of how
hard it can be.
"Travel was hard," he said.
"Food is never great and the hotel(s)
(aren't) either."
But. while the bus rides were
tiring and accommodations were
lousy, Pelfrey said the most pleas-
ant surprise was working with guys
who understood his dream.
"The overall experience is amaz-
ing," Powers said. "It'll be an amaz-
ing part of my life.
"Baseball is always the best
part."
Good thing he feels that way
because this summer he is going to
be playing alot of it.
Speedo steals spotlight at Olympic trials
By RYAN A. Podges
Daily Sports Writer
OMAHA - After setting a world
record and winning three events,
Michael Phelps was not answering
questions aboutN
his races or his NOTEBOOK
times during his
fourth press conference of the U.S.
Olympic swimming trials.
Instead, he was talking about his
swimsuit.
Phelps was one of many swim-
mers at the trials who wore Speedo's
new LZR Racer swimsuit. Since the
suit debuted in February, 46 world
records have been set by swimmers
wearingthe LZR. Speedo teamed up
with NASA to develop the suit which
is made mostly of a water resistant
and highly compressive lightweight
woven fabric. To make the suit even
more hydrodynamic, the seams are
welded, not sewn, creating a more
streamline shape that reduces drag.
The suit has become such a craze
that even swimmers with endorse-
ment deals from Speedo's competi-
tors want to wear the LZR Racer at
the Olympics. Nike has agreed tolet
their sponsored swimmers wear any
suit they want in competition. At the
Olympic trials, Speedo provided an
LZR Racer to any swimmer who
wanted one.
When asked what impact the suit
had on his world record-setting race
in the 400-meter individual medley,
Phelps said it definitely helped him.
"The suit really is amazing," he
said. "It does give you that extra
tenth or hundredth (of a second)
you need to break a record or win
a race. And I'm definitely confident
and comfortable wearing the fastest
suit in the world."
ON A QWEST: The trials are
being held in a temporary pool for
the second straight Olympic year.
The Qwest Centerbest known for
hosting Nebraska-Omaha hockey
and Creighton men's basketball,
was transformed into a natatorium
by adding a temporary pool, to host
the meet for the first time. A tem-
porary competition pool was also
constructed in a parking lotin Long
Beach, Calif. for the 2004 trials.
See SWIMMING, Page 12
Michael Phelps is just one of the many swimmers praising Speedo's new LZR Racer
swimsuit. Already 46 world records have been broken by swimmers wearing the suit.