The Mail-Journal, Volume 21, Number 16, Milford, Kosciusko County, 2 May 1984 — Page 8

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — W/ed., May 2, 1984

Sports

Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of summer sports features on Chicago baseball teams and personalities. By MARK WEINSTEIN Sports Writer Twelve years ago, Eddie Brinkman was the backbone that sent the Detrojt Tigers into the American League Championship series with the Oaklahd A’s. Now, after a brilliant 15-year playing career, and six years as a coach in both the major and minor leagues, Brinkman has found a home with the Chicago White Sox. Brinkman came to Detroit in 1970 from the Washington Senators with three other players for former Cy Young Award winner Dennis McLain. That trade helped propel the Tigers to the championship level two years later. In 1972, Brinkman gave Tiger fans something to cheer about, besides a championship season. In that season he set five major league fielding records in helping Detroit experience a rebirth. The list of impressive feats includes fewest errors (7), most consecutive errorless games (72), highest fielding percentage in 150 or more games ( 990), and most consecutive errorless chances (331). All this work enabled Brinkman to win a Gold Glove. Realizing his value, the White Sox tabbed Brinkman to become their fielding coach.“l had a

Lady Warriors split NLC, finale, record now 7-2-1

By TOM CH ARLES Sports Editor The Lady Warriors track team piled up 51 points at Warsaw on Tuesday night, but it was not enough to keep the host Tigers from grabbing the NLC title. Led by Tracy Long’s two first places, the Tigers scored a meethigh 72 points. Rochester was a distant third with 14 points. The victory gave coach Vivian Eidemiller's squad a perfect 7-0 record in the conference, and improved Warsaw’s overall mark to 9-2. The Lady Warriors finished at 4-2-1 in the conference, and are currently 7-2-1 overall. Warsaw’s Long a n.d Rochester’s Hill were the outstanding individuals in the meet. Hill took the 1,600 meters and 800 meters with little challenge. Long continued to dominate the local hurdling picture by winning both the 100-meter and 300-meter lows. Senior Jill Patty and sophomore Jeanine Gunn were the only Wawasee winners in the meet. Patty soared 16-114, a season high, to win the long jump. Gunn, who has been bothered with shin splints, cleared 4-10 to win the high jump Sandy Payne, Carla Clouse. Marcia Sorensen. Sheila Kleinrichert and both Wawasee relay teamXtallied second-place finishes. " Goshen / North Wood Last Thursday, the Lady Warriors breezed by Goshen and North Wood in a conference triangular meet at Goshen..* Wawasee tallied 68’3 points, Goshen had 39 and North Wood scored 29'3. The meet ’s outcome was never in doubt as Wawasee grabbed seven blue ribbons Jill Patty grabbed two of those firsts, winning the long jump over teammate Jeanine Gunn and nipping Northwood’s Angie Pletcner for first in the 100-meter dash. Stef Swihart took over the top hurdling role in the absence of Sandy Payne and responded with a first in the 100-meter lows and a

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ISWA STATE QUALIFIERS — Thirteen local wrestlers will be participating in the Indiana State Wrestling Association state meet this Saturday in Indianapolis. Pictured above are some of the state hopefuls. In the front row are Brent Baker. David Antu. Brian Baker, Joey Salazar and Mike Yoder. In back are Jeff Dunithan. Jeff Welborn. Lance Lanta. Josh Lanta and Terry Schrock. Not present for the photo were Brad Gerstner, Tom Mangas and Garrett Ponciroli. In ISWA action at Warren Central High School last weekend, Jeff Dunithan and Gary < Gerencser placed first. Brad TravioUa and Jeff Welborn placed second and Tom Mangas placed third. Elsewhere on the local wrestling scene, the Lakeland Youth Center wrestling program held a tournament on Monday night. Dave Baumgartner organized the event. Travis Hector. Tony Ganshorn, Mike McCroy. Jarrod Prace. Chris Ganshorn, Corey Gamber, Brent Baker. Mark McKenzie. Chad Dippon. Mike Yoder. Jesse Deaton and Jeremy Door placed first in the tourney.

Brinkman brings defensive attitude to Tigers and Sox

second in the 300-meter lows. Carla Clouse was sharp in the 1,600 meters. The senior distance runner easily outran Goshen’s Kim Gentry to finish first in a time of 5:44.7, good enough to qualify her for sectionals. Patty, Gunn, and Belinda Whitridge combined for first, second and fourth in the long jump. Gunn had one leap of 17-4, but fell backwards upon landing and had to settle for admeasured distance of 15-8. Gunn also cleared 5-2 in the high jump — the highest she has jumped this season. However, she placed third behind Goshen’s Tracy Streit and Juli Morris. Other Wawasee winners were the 400-meter relay team, Marcia Sorensen in the discus and Belinda Whitridge in the 200-meter dash. Whitridge’s time of 28.1 was a personal best. , Warsaw/Rochester 100-Meter Hurdles — Long (W >, Payne (Waw), Whitridge (Waw), Williams (R). 16.3 100 Meters — Russo (W>, Jeffries (W), Patty (Waw), Mitchell (Waw). 12.9 1,600 Meters — Hill (R), C. Clouse (Waw), Bair (W). Groves (W). 5:32.3 400 Meters — Potts (W), Stouder (W). Lange (Waw), A. . Clouse (Waw). 62.7 400-Meter Relay — Warsaw, Wawasee (Payne. Welborn, Gunn, Patty). 53.6 300-Meter Hurdles — Long (W), Payne (Waw), Williams (R), May (W). 49.2 800 Meters — Hill (RT, Kleinrichert (Waw), Routson (Waw), Bolinger (W). 2:26.2 1200 Meters — Russo (W), Whitridge (Waw). May (W). Mitchell (Waw). 27.8 1,600-Meter Relay — Warsaw, Wawasee (C. Clouse. A. Clouse. Gunn. Lange). 4:27.0 High Jump — GUnn (Waw), Ritchie (W), Sand (W), Kroft (R). 4-10 Long Jump — Patty (Waw), Sand (W). Paul (W>. Kintzel(W). 16-11 >2 Discus — Sand (W), Kintzel

chance two years ago to come over here,” said Brinkman during pre-game workouts before the Sox tangled with Boston on April 28. “It was an opportunity to get back into the major leagues, so I came.” Prior to the 1983-84 campaign with the Sox, Rrinkman toured the minor leagues in the Tigers’ organization. He spent single seasons at Lakeland, the Tigers’ rookie league; and Montgomery, before moving up to the parent club in 1979. But his reunion with the Tigers lasted just one year as Spqrky Anderson brought in a new coaching staff and Brinkman was sent back to Lakeland. After a year with the San Diego Padres, Brinkman returned to Montgomery for another season — his last before moving to the White Sox. “The big leagues is where it’s at,” said Brinkman of his reason for joining the Sox November 1, 1982. “They gave me the chance to get back in the majors and I jumped at it.” In Chicago, Brinkman was handed the task of improving the White Sox’s dismal infiejd defense. Prior to his transition to the Western Division club, the Sox ranked 13th in defense. But after one season, the “South Siders” ranked third among the 14 American League teams. Still, the entire turnaround cannot totally be directed towards Brinkman. The gifted shortstop has worked hard on fundamentals with the Sox, but the positive attitude of the players has assisted the process.

(W), Hilker (Waw), Brumbaugh (Waw). 122-9 / Shot Put — Lackey- (W), Sorensen (Waw), Speicher (Waw), Harter (Waw). 35-6 Goshen/NorthWood 100-Meter Hurdles — Swihart (W), Henschen (N), Whitridge (W), Cherniak (G). 17.3 100 Meters — Patty (W). Pletcher (N), Mitchell (W), Morin (NL 13.4 1,600 Meters — C. Clouse (W), Gentry (G), Stiver (W), Vitaniemi (W). 5:44.7 400-Meter Relay — Wawasee (Mitchell, Welborn, Gunn, Patty), North Wood. 53.3 400 Meters — Pletcher (N), Lange (W), Miracle (G), Jones (N). 63.4 300-Meter Hurdles Henschen (N), Swihart (W), Morris (G), White (G). 50.3 800 Meters — Whetstone (N), Kleinrichert (W), Grise (G). 2:27.8 200 Meters — Whitridge (W). Morin (N), Yoder (G), Mitchell (W). 28.1 1,600-Meter Relay — Goshen, Wawasee. 4:29.8 High Jump — Streit (G), Morris (G), Gunn (W), tie Kleinrichert (W), Swanson (N), Tokarcik (N). 5-4 Long Jump — Patty (W), Gunn (W), McNeal (G), Whitridge (W). 16-6'2 Discus — Sorensen (W), Zeiger (G). Ankney (G), Brumbaugh (W). 100-10'2 Shot Put — Kauffman (G). Speicher (W). Sorensen (W), Whittern (G). 36-4 Sox Facts In 1971, White Sox pitcher Wilbur Wood made 14 starts with only two days rest. In those 14 contests. Wood won eight, lost four and did not figure in two decisions. He tossed 11 complete games in the 14-game stretch, compiling an ERA of 1.86 in the process. While seeing duty out of the bullpen. Wood established a White Sox record for game appearances during a season.

“The players here have a desire to improve,” said Brinkman. “I think they realized this, and worked hard on defense." Coincidentally, the former Gold Glove winner has had his hand in helping another major league team, Detroit. The Tigers haven’t been a bad defensive club, but a team that needed a positive influence. In his five years of coaching future Tigers, Brinkman has helped solidify Detroit up the middle. This has never been more evident than this year. Presently the Tigers rank first in defense in the American League, with Alan Trammell leading the Tigers, just as Brinkman did in his years. “Detroit is a very fine ball club, they have always had the talent and are just putting it together this year,” stated Brinkman. “And I would like to think that I had a little something to do with their fast start. I coached Trammell at Montgomery where he was already a good ball player. He just needed time to play.” Brinkman’s influence has also been felt in Chicago, where the White Sox claimed the division title in 1983. In that season, the Sox improved their defensive standing from 13th to third in the league and look for better days this year. But even with that improvement the Sox have struggled in the early going this season. “We have a very good ball club, we have just started slowly,” stated Brinkman. “I think it is a

■ ‘V. v * y • dr *■ • AQPI L JjnL a V * ■ z I ' W ( MM -.ifh / Ma V • u.- I 9 1 i l I **.' ■ ■ * ' EARTHBOUND — Senior Jill Patty, Wawasee’s standout long jumper, prepares to hit the sand during a recent meet. Patty has been a top notch long jumper throughout her career at Wawasee, advancing to the state meet in her sophomore season. Thus far this seson she has been one of the team s leading scorers in the long jump, 100-meter dash and sprint relay. (Photo by Tom Charles)

Golfers improve to 8-2

By MARK WEINSTEIN Sports Writer Wawasee’s sixth-rated golf squad raised its record to 8-2 on t the season and 4-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference as it defeated Concord and Rochester in a triangular meet Tuesday, May 1. Depth was the key to the latest Warrior victory as the Warriors and Minutemen tied after 18 holes of action. The triumph was awarded to Wawasee on the basis of its fifth player’s score. Steve Dunithan shot a 42-49-91/ compared to a 52-43-95 for Concords' Heath Morgan. “I really think that our playing and practicing in bad weather made the difference against Concord,’’ said head coach Rudy Cesco,, "We had a match in the wind storm Monday, and there were high winds again Tuesday. I think we were able to adjust to those conditions quicker than Concord.” Bryan Beaty tied as medalist in the match with Concord’s John Woodworth. Both shot an 80, with Beaty balancing his score for the day with a 41-39. Keith Burbank shot an outstanding 38 on the. front nine, but fell off on the back side with a 45 to end the afternoon with a 83. David Schacht tripped in with an 89 while Kim Zurcher finished with a 90. „ Still, perhaps the most impressive match of the season came last Saturday when the Warriors hosted their own invitational. With 15 teams present.

combination of our lack of hitting, plus playing I some teams that are really hot. Detroit took six straight over us by doing everything right.” Still, the White Sox have shown signs lately of crashing out of their early slump. Ron Kittle’s two home runs against Boston April 29 helped ignite Chicago’s enthusiasm. Consequently, the Sox have won three straight games. ' I “Fans sometimes think the players don’t really care what happens," said White Sox manager Tony Laßussa, concerning the slow start. “But that is not so. Most of the time they try to do too much. In this game you need to keep a little relaxation, so we try to have fun before the ball game.” Whether or not the Sox have turned around the sluggish beginning, there are positive signs coming out of Comiskey Park these days. Chicago has one of the finest pitching staffs in | the game today, a bright manager running the team, and a coach who thrives on defense — Eddie Brinkman. He wasn’t a power hitter when he played for Washington, Detroit, St. Louis, Texas or the New York Yankees, but he did sparkle in the field. This type of influence can only bring positive results from the Sox players in the future. As long as Brinkman wears the Sox’s red, white and blue uniform, the Western Division Champions should contend for the divisional crown. Defense is the name of the game, and with Brinkman, defense will be a White Sox trademark.

Wawasee found themselves in outstanding company. That didn't intimidate the state ranked golfers. Wawasee took the invitational for the second time in three years, and because of the victory, held on to its sixth-rated status in the state polls. “I think with the loss we had last week, our winning the invitational is the reason why we are still number six,” said Cesco. “There’s more importantce placed on tourneys’ like this compared to dual meets.” The Warriors, possibly for the first time this season played exceptionally well as a unit. Beaty and Schacht tied each other for honors as they shot an identical 37-39-76. Depth also showed its importance in the invitational as Wawasee held solid fourth and • fifth place positions. Kim Zurcher, Dunithan and Burbank all shot an 81 to provide the hosts with the victory “I was really proud of the way the guys played,” said Cesco. ‘‘Beaty and Schacht both had nice, games, but the bottom players shot 81s which really won the match for us. In other matches during the past week, Wawasee defeated Manchester and South Bend Riley. But sandwiched between the wins, the Warriors dropped a heartbreaker to South Bend Clay. Against Riley, Wawasee battled high winds to record a 341-345 win. “This was a good match for us, because we had to learn how to adjust to different playing con-

ditions,” said Cesco. “The wind was taking the ball all over the course, but we adjusted and came out on top.” Steve Dunithan. led the Warriors with an 82 while Beaty added an 83, Schacht closed out with an 87 and Zurcher chipped in with an 89. i * After a 158-165 victory at Manchester, which saw Dunithan score a 38 and Zurcher and Burbank add a 39. the Warriors went against South Bend Clay and Elkhart Memorial. Even though the Warriors didn’t have one of their better days, they only lost by a single stroke to Clay, 336-331. Beaty continued to play in the mid-70’s as he shot a 76, but the closest Warriors after that was Zurcher’s 83. Brian Keim finished third with an 85 as Schacht added an 87 and Dunithan rounded out the scores with a 97. Mark Kreitzman led Clay with a 77. “That was a disappointing loss for us,” insisted Cesco. “We didn’t play that well, and when that happens, it is hard to be happy.” The Warriors take their impressive record and state ranking into Wednesday’s match at Northridge. The date with the Raiders will also be the 1984 debut of senior Jeff Atwood. Wawasee returns to South Shore golf course Thursday at 4 p.m as it hosts Huntington North and Central Noble before traveling to the Homestead and Central Noble invitational Saturday.

< I ■! m I*£ WWJ FORMER GOLD GLOVE SHORTSTOP — Eddie Brinkman, who became known as an outstanding defensive shortstop for the Detroit Tigers in the 1970's now serves as an infield coach for the Chicago White Sox.. Pictured above, Brinkman throws batting practice to the Sox players prior to their game with Boston April 28. (Photo by Mark Weinstein)

Wind halts Relays, changed to May 12

By TOM CHARLES Sports Editor Monday’s strong winds blew Wawasee’s high jump pit over a fence, brought down public address system speakers on the football field and forced cancellation of the Warrior Relays for the first timp ih four years.' The Relays have been rescheduled for Saturday, May 12 at 1 p.m. With the exception of Columbia City, all of the participating schools will send teams to the rescheduled meet. The Warriors, 4-5 overall, are searching for their third consecutive Relays crown. The only other team to win the meet is Plymouth; which took the inaugural championship in 1981. Whitko was the runner-up to Wawasee in 1983. The Wildcats, led by some strong individuals, figure to be a top contender to dethrone the Warriors. But North Wood, fresh from a strong showing in the Goshen Relays, will also be a tough team to beat. The Panthers downed Wawasee by 12 points in a triangular meet on April 24. “Whitko has some real good individuals,’’ Wawasee coach Jerry Minton noted. “Plymouth, Manchester and North Wood all have good teams this year. I think it should be a real dogfight for the title.’’ 4 Tippe Invitational In action last weekend, the freshmen and sophomore members of Wawasee’s team travelled to Tippecanoe Valley for an invitational meet. Steve Sturgill and Tim Mangas provided the Warriors with their lone wins of the day. Sturgill heaved the shot 44-11 to win that event. Mangas zipped through 100 meters in 11.7 seconds for his blue ribbon. Todd McCullough cleared 11-6 to place second in the pole vault. The Warriors’ 400-meter relay

Tuesday bowlers hold banquet

Members of the Tuesday Afternoon Ladies Bowling League held a spring banquet to elect officers and present awards on Tuesday, April 24. Sandra Sawyer was elected to the position of league vice presi--4 (tent. Linda Jones was chosen as the new secretary-treasurer. Lucy White, president, opened the meeting by reading minutes from the fall banquet. She announced that the 1984 fall meeting will be held on August 21 at 7 p.m. Hostesses for the day were members of Lil’s Anchor Bar team. The tables were decorated with spring flowers. Each member received a decorative jar filled with candy. Team Awards Mastercraft was presented with the team championship • i 1

team of Mangas, Rich Karst, Jeremy Corson and Steve Rozow was clocked in 48.0 seconds. That result was good enough for second place. Sophomore Steve Galegor, who has been battling injury for the first part of the season, finished third in both hurdle races. He was clocked in 42.2 seconds for the 300-meter lows, and in 17.7 seconds for the 110-meter highs. There were no overall team standings available for the meet. Warsaw/Concord Last Friday the Warriors finished third behind Warsaw and Concord in a conference triangular meet at Warsaw. The Tigers scored 964 points, Concord had 334 and Wawasee totaled 29. “We didn’t really have any outstanding performances," said Minton. “But I thought we should have beaten Concord.’’ Mike Goodspeed and Mike Ballinger were the only Warrior winners. Despite a relatively slow time of 15.5 seconds, Goodspeed captured first place in the high hurdles. Ballinger won the 3,200 meters in 10:14.6. Wawasee pole vaulter Brad LeCount broke a pole during the meet, but managed to place second with a leap of 12-0. Dick Doll placed third and McCullough was fourth in the event. Brian Popenfoose continued to improve in the 300-meter low hurdles. He placed second in the race with a time of 41.5 seconds. Concord Relays The Warriors host Plymouth tonight (Wednesday) at 5 p.m. The next big meet on Wawasee’s schedule is the Concord Relays on Friday, May 4. The Warriors will be competing in Class A along with favorites Goshen, Concord, East Noble and four other schools. Field events get. underway at 5:30 p.m. and running events will begin at 7 p.m.

award. Members of the winning team were Betty Kline, Joan Gray, Lori Welty, Delight Craig, Eloise Carlson and Ginny Lomont. Other teams which received awards were Todd’s, highscratch series; Teghtmeyer, high scratch game; Lil’s Anchor, high game handicap; and Dewart Lake Marina, high series handicap. Individual Awards Individual awards were presented to Sue Wolferman, high scratch game, high scratch series and WIBC high series award; Ilene Kalisik, high game handicap; Glaydes Hayner, high series handicap; and Lil Cook, WIBC achievement award. Anyone interested in joining the league should contact Mrs. White or Linda Jones.