TUESDAY, JULY , 194,
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
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Spoutwis
NEWS+VIEWS+f " MMINT
By BILE MULJL NDORE, Daily Sports Editor
E DETECTED no tang of autumn in the air yesterday afternoon as
Michigan's 1945 football campaign was duly inaugurated, but the fact
remains that the pigskin parade is here to stay for another year. For
the next five months King Football will occupy the center of the collegiate
athletics stage, even though in other fields the summer sports campaigns
have just gotten well underway.
At this stage of the game it would be rather risky for anyj
columnist to go out on a limb and discuss the prospects of any major3
eleven in anything but the most general terms. We well remember
last year when the experts were almost universally agreed that Michigan
would be hard put to stay above the .500 mark over the ten-game route.-
What happened after the season started is history. Coach H. O.
(Fritz) Crisler again came up with a top-flight team which won eight
of ten contests and lost the Conference championship by the proverbial
eyelash. Only a heartbreaking 18-14 defeat by Ohio State in the final'
game of the season prevented Michigan's retention of the Big Ten bauble.
AGAIN this year the experts are predicting dire things for Michigan's
football fortunes. And, on the face of it, they might well do so. The
Wolverines are faced with another murderous ten-game card which includes,
in addition to six Big Ten tilts, clashes with Army, Navy, Great Lakes, and
Michigan State.
Army and Navy ranked one-two in the nation last fall, and they are
both supposedly as strong or stronger again this year. Great Lakes is
always tough, and Michigan State seems definitely back on the right
road to football glory. All four games shape up as stern tests, to say the
least.
In the Conference, Michigan will meet Indiana, Northwestern,
Illinois, Minnesota, Purdue, and Ohio State, and there is not a breather
in the lot. Illinois shapes up as perhaps the most formidable outfit
in the Mid-West. Minnesota, with Bernie Bierman back at the helm,
cannot be regarded lightly, and Ohio State is never a soft touch. The
others may not be quite as strong, but it can be taken for granted that
any Conference school will field a better than average team.
So, on paper, the outlook isn't one to inspire unlimited confidence.
But we can't help remembering other years, and other teams which rose to
the heights Saturday after Saturday to mow down the opposition. And
we would almost be willing to bet that Michigan will do more than all
right again this season.
FOR ONE THING, the Wolverines will have the best coaching in the
country. Crisler is universally recognized as one of the best, if not
the best, in the business, and his able group of aides provides a balance
that puts the Michigan staff almost in a class by itself.
For another thing, there is that something called tradition and
spirit, which-intangible as it is-is, in our opinion, a mighty import-
ant asset to any football team. Michigan has a tradition for hard,
clean, sound football, and, what is more, for winning football. And
the spirit to go with that tradition is also there.
Then, of course, there are the unknown factors. No one can say, for
(instance, just what the current crop of freshmen will bring forth in the
way of talent. Add to that the possibilities inherent in Navy transfers,
breaks (both good and bad), injuries (to Michigan gridders and to those
at other schools), and a host of other equally intangible factors. Right
now, it all doesn't total up to very much, but it seems to us that it is a
little early to be selling the Michigan football team short.
BUY WAR BONDS,&STAMPSI
Gridders Bolstered
By Eight Lettermen
h-
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III
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In jury May Keep
Lazetich on. Shelf
tContinued from Page 1)
Warren Bentz; and lineman John
Weyers and Cecil Freihofer,
George Babe, George Hutter. Ward
Powers, and Frank Nakamura are
the four members of last fall's junior
varsity eleven who will be trying to
move up to the regular squad.
More Expected
weeks until Aug. 10, when the squad
will take a two-week layoff before re-
suming Aug. 27 to put on the finish-
ing touches for the curtain-raiser.
Practice is scheduled for five days a
week, beginning at 3:30 p. m. The
team will not work out July 4.
The Wolverines face one of the
toughest schedules in Michigan hi-
story in their hid to regain the West-
ern Conference championship lost
last year to Ohio State in the final
game of the season. The 10-game
card includes tilts with Army and
Navy. Great Lakes. and Mic~higan
H. 0. (FRITZ) CRISLER
starting his eighth season asj
head coach of Michigan football?
teamis.
. It
ColegeCa reer,
joins ~odgei's
Don Lund, Michigan's seventh nine
letter man, was signed by the Brook-
lyn Dodger baseball team last week,
just a few days after graduating from
the University.
Lund, a physical education major,
will be used primarily as a pinch hit-
ter, according to a recent announce-
ment by Dodger authorities. He had
also received other offers from major
league clubs, including a contract
from the Washington Senators.
A varsity man on the baseball
squad for the past three seasons,
Lund captained all three sports in
which he participated at Michigan.
He was co-captain of the football
eleven after the departure of Bob
Wiese in mid-season last year, and
also captained the basketball quintet
this year.gHe was elected captaintof
6his spring's baseball squad at the
dose of the '44 season.
±he former Detroit high school star
played in the outfield throughout his
college baseball career.
ATTENTION !!!
All students, .both men and
women, wishing Ao try out for the
Daily sports staff are asked to
come up to the Daily sports desk
at the Student Publications Build-
ing anytime between 3 p. in. and 5
p. im. today. Practical experience
in writing, newspaper desk work,
and page makeup are offered. No
previous newspaper experience is
required. First semester fresh-
men are not eligible to work on the
Daily, and all tryouts must have
eligibility cards.
Prospects are that several more State, as well as six Big Ten contests.
men will report Lo Head Coach H. O. Following the Sept. 15 opener, the
(Fritz) Crisler before drills proceed; Wolverines will be in action every
very far. One possibility is that Ray Saturday until Nov. 24 with the ex-
(Red) Louthen. star pitcher on the ception of the Oct. 20 date which will
Wolverine baseball team during the remain open.
past spring, may try out for a back- Michigan last won a Conference
field berth. Louthen formerly play- championship in 1943, winning all
ed football for Western Michigan. of its Big Ten games and losing only
Coach Crisler was highly pleased to Notre Dame outside the Big Ten.
with the large turnout but promised The 1943 title was Crisler's first as a
the assembled candidates nothing Wolverine coach, although his teams
but hard work and plenty of it in have been consistently in the run-
preparation for the season's opener, ning. Crisler came to Michigan in
Sept. 15, against Great Lakes. The 1938.
squad will report in uniform today
and intensive drilling is slated to
begin immediately.
Drills Run Six Weeks
siTheicurret suinmer pactice ses-
sion is scheduled to run for six
Major League
Standings
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Sept. 15-Great Lakes here
Sept. 22-Indiana, here
Sept. 29-Mich. State, here
Oct. 6-N'western, there
Oct. 13-Army, at N. Y.
Oct.
Oct.
20-Open date
27-Illinois, there
TEAMS W
Detroit ...........39
New York ........37
Chicago..........35
Boston...........3
Washington.. .32
St. Louis ........ 29,
Cleveland ........27
Philadelphia ......20
L
24
28
31
30
30
32
34
42
Pet.
.619
.569
.534
.524
.516
.475
.443
.323
GB
3%
5
6
6' 2
9
11
181
Nov. 3-Minnesota, here
Nov.
10-Navy, there
NoV. 17-Purdue, here
Nov.
24-Ohio StaIe, here
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
Chicago 11-1, New York 6-6.
St. Louis 7-3, Boston 1-2.
Washington at Cleveland, rain.
Only games scheduled.
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
TEAMS
Brooklyn ...
St. Louis ....
New York . .
Ch cago ...
Pittsburgh .
Boston .....
Cincinnati . .
Philadelphia
W
41
.36;
37
.. .. 33
.34,
.32.
.28,
... .19 4
11
25
29
31
28
31
31
33
52
Pet. GB
.621 ..,
.554 4?/
.544 5
.541 5%
.523 6%/
.508 712
.459 10z!,
.268 24%
Crisler, Muu Made
Grid Group Officials
Two members of the University of
Michigan football coaching staff have
been appointed to official positions in
the American Football Coaches Asso-
ciation for 1945.
Coach H. O. (Fritz) Crisler has
been named to membership on the
organization's forum committee while
Clarence Mun, line coach, has been
appointed official representative for
the. Fifth district comprising the
states of Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Wis-
consin, Minnesota and Michigan.
R
0
YESTERDAY'8 RESULTS
St. Louis at New York, rain.
Only game Scheduled.
BUY WAR BONDS - INVEST IN VICTORY
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