Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 38

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SMITH Adjust Parking Brake Cable MOST AMERICAN CARS WITH THIS AD Insurance Agency 13247 DixRd. Soothgate, Michigan 15140 MIDDLEBELT ROAD 1 block South o(5 Mile 33775 FORD ROAD Between Venoy and Wayne Rd. 525-5188 522-7560 HOWS THE TIME Th -FOR REAL COOL SAVINGS With A New There was a song in a Mel Brooks movie that went: "Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst." This sort of sums up my attitude whenever a baseball season begins. No city has ever won a World Series with me living in it. Despite the success I have brought to the Tigers, Lions, Panthers, Pistons and Red Wings a gift to you, my children I doubt whether my mystical powers can levitate one of these teams to the top.

Hope so, but don't think so. Furthermore, I am not impressed by the predictions of a big, friendly monster named Bob Talbert, The Thing From Another Section, who has picked Detroit to win the pennant. I realize it is pretty rare for Mr. Talbert to pick Detroit to win the pennant. The only other times he did it were 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983.

You, too? DON'T GET me wrong. I'm behind the Tigers, 109 percent. (I hate it when coaches and players say they give 110 percent. There's no such thing as 110 percent.) They have a damn fine baseball team. But as far as winning the division is concerned, I'll believe it when I see it.

All I've seen so far is a good start. Before I do anything else, I'd like to clear up some popular misconceptions about the Tigers. There are things the average fans worry about that they shouldn't. Third base, for instance. Detroit's situation there is no more confused than Baltimore's was, and look what the Orioles did.

Another thing is Kirk Gibson. People keep talking like Gibson has to hit .290 or something to have a good season. The way he's cranking the ball this spring, Gibson is a good bet to hit 25 home runs, minimum. But instead of slapping the ball through the box the way he used to, Charley Lau style, Gibson has become a big-swinging, dead pull hitter. He might hit only .250 with this approach, Four very personal reasons why I pray our 1984 Tigers win the pennant: i 1.

1 fell in love with this place my first summer and fall here in '68. The Tigers won it all that season. Older, tjreder, that love affair needs some treavy-duty romancing right now like a second honeymoon to the World Series. Atlanta in October? 2. 1 want to see, hear, watch, record arid 'photograph Mike Downey eating his Words, especially the puns which do clog up a system.

A Tiger pennant is the only- thing that'll make him really and finally DO it in Detroit. It'll shut up my anti-Sparky An-deTSon friend I see every week in Chatham's produce department that is, after I pay him that banana split I pwe him because we didn't win it last year. I still owe my editor, Chip Visci, one- cost-no-problem dinner of his Choice from last season. Owing an editor two expensive meals is like adopting the critter. FOUR VERY practical reasons the Tigers will win the pennant: 1.

Lance Parrish, blessed by Doublet's ghost with all the right tools, is destined to have several No. 1-catcher-ifl-the-game years. It starts now. Don't ask how I know this, I just do. Rejoice! 2.

The Tigers can win it ALL in spite Of' Sparky. That's the best news. Think about it. Those great Cincinnati championship teams won it all in spite of this very same Sparky, who says these Tigers have more talent than those great Reds teams. 3.

Domestic bliss. Kirk Gibson and Dave Rozema are dating sisters, becoming homebodies. Milt and Wanda Wilcox Tare divorced and aren't going throligh that this season. Tom Monaghan. He's a whatever-it-takes fellow.

That'll help in the crunch of the pennant drive. And Tom, be a cheerleader, but back off with those prissy ears of yours, please! Don't inhibit these young Tigers, shy enough but as far as I'm concerned, that's all a 25-homer man needs to hit. Now, for some genuine concerns. 1. Base running.

As I have stated before, this is one bad base-path team. Not slow, just bad. Chet Lemon, who can hit, catch and throw with the best of them, has always been a reckless base runner. Alan Trammell, usually a careful one, already has been picked off once, as well as thrown out at home by a mile trying to score from second. This happens to the Tigers often enough that somebody must be messed up: The players or the coaches.

2. Bunting. Except for Tom Brook-ens and maybe Trammell, this team can't bunt a lick. Lou Whitaker and Gibson can drag bunt for hits, but when it comes to laying down a sacrifice, this team leads the universe in fouls and pops to the catcher. 3.

Defense. "Strong up the middle." You bet. Lemon, Trammell, Whitaker and Lance Parrish deserve Platinum Gloves. But there are four other positions out there (not counting the mound), at which Larry Herndon, Gibson, Howard Johnson and Darrell Evans are all suspect. Maybe Detroit's opponents won't all hit up the middle.

4. Starting pitching. Dan Petry is dependable, and the way his partner is going, Cy Young's descendants may have to someday try to win the Jack Morris Award. But as much as I like Milt Wilcox, he has never won more than 13 games. And as much as I admire Dave Rozema for beating his knee and booze problems, he hasn't won in dou-.

ble figures since 1977. Like a judge who is fond of the defendants, I still require proof. as they are. Baseball players talk that way. Always have, always will.

Baseball players on world championship teams, that is. FOUR VERY iffy qualifiers and the Tigers may well win it all: 1. "Career" seasons. In '83, Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell had their best seasons ever. We can't expect both to repeat as .300 hitters but one of them MUST have a close-to-a-repeat of last year if we want to fully repeat the '68 season.

2. Trades. Willie Hernan-daze us? Puns ain't so hard, Downey. Will Dar-rell Evans' caddy from 'Frisco, Dave Bergman, play better than the primo free agent? Have the Pine Bros, been replaced by Power Will replacements for Wilson, Wockenfuss, Cabell, Leach, Jones, falter, turning Sparky, Jim and Bill into the Three Stooges nyuk, nyuk, nyuk? 3. Luck.

Baltimore had no, absolutely N-0 bad luck last year to speak of chokingly. The Tigers? A little good, a little bad. Evened out. A team even in luck won't win it all. Luck includes the dinks that do drop in and injuries that don't occur.

This includes other teams beating themselves and the Tigers' big-play come-from-behind efforts coming naturally. 4. Latin American Policy. It's hard enough for the American players to understand Sparky. How will Casa Latino in the bullpen Puerto Rican Hernandez, Panamanian Juan Beren-guer, Mexican Aurelio Lopez understand him? He kept Cuban Barbaro Garbey to Final regular season prediction: The Tigers to win the American League East by 3'2 games over Baltimore.

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