I I «
i i
Page 14 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1981
Sports
‘Bat boys' brighten baseball games
Diamond Darlings chosen for 1982
By FRANK L. CHRISTLIEB
Battalion Staff
Members of the Texas A&M
University baseball team have
enough to think about during their
games. And although they don’t
need any help on the field of play,
there’s a group of students which
makes sure that little matters like
picking up bats, supplying
umpires with baseballs, selling
programs to spectators and chas
ing out-of-play foul balls don’t
occupy the Aggies’ minds while
they’re playing.
The Texas A&M Diamond
Darlings have been in existence
since the mid-1960’s, when Aggie
coach Tom Chandler and his wife
Willowdean created the group to
help with stadium activities. Since
that time, the Diamond Darlings
bave voluntarily carried out for
.the Aggies several of the chores
normally given to baseball’s bat
boys, stadium ushers and conces
sionaires.
Last week, the 1982 Diamond
Darlings squad of 15 members and
two alternates was chosen from a
group of 44 applicants, with the
selection process being held on
two separate days. The group’s
sponsor for the 1982 season is Jan
Fambro, former gymnastics coach
at Texas A&M and current office
manager for promotions in the
University Sports Information
Office.
The Texas A&M students
chosen as new Diamond Darlings
for the upcoming season are Carri
Baker, Julie Blincow, Janet Bur-
nam, Linda Graves, Elaine John
son, Margaret Kidd, Kim Madera,
Lucy Schrickel, Linda Short, Suzy
Smith and Joanne Wolken. Three
women from the 1981 14-member
squad were once again chosen to
the group: Sue Luehr, Karen Migl
and Peri Smith. The two alter
nates, who will fill in if any
Diamond Darlings cannot attend
games, are Dana Lynn Beard and
Jennifer Schwind.
The selection process began
several weeks ago, when signups
for the group opened. Fambro
asked those interested to fill out
applications, which required
background information and a
statement explaining why the ap
plicants wanted to become mem
bers of the squad. The signups
closed Oct. 9, giving Fambro a
group of 44 applicants from which
only 15 would be chosen.
Last Tuesday, the Diamond
Darlings prospects attended what
had been scheduled as a lengthy
intrasquad scrimmage of the
Aggie baseball team. During this
scrimmage, the women were to
perform duties which would be re
quired of them as Diamond Darl
ings. These duties mostly in
volved dugout chores of stacking
bats and picking up foul balls,
although under game conditions,
the squad must also sell programs
and supply soft drinks to media
representatives in the Olsen Field
press box.
However, rainy weather put
the field in lake-like condition,
canceling the planned 2V2 hour
scrimmage. But the day’s plans
hadn’t been disrupted com
pletely.
Instead of holding the scrim
mage, the 45 members of the
baseball squad sat in the stands
watching, listening and writing as
the 44 applicants stood below and
introduced themselves to the
team. Each player wrote down his
10 top preferences, and 21 finalists
were chosen from the tabulated
picks. The returnees from last sea
son’s squad automatically made
the finals, but they were on their
own from that point on in the
selection process.
Thursday, the finalists met in
the Letterman’s Lounge in G.
Rollie White Coliseum, where
they nervously awaited their turns
in the final stage of the tryouts. A
five-member panel held a five- or
10-minute interview with each
finalist. The group consisted of
catcher Joey Szekely and pitcher
Robert Slavens of the Aggie base
ball team, as well as Fambro, for
mer Texas A&M first baseman
Rodney Hodde and Assistant
Athletic Director for Promotions
Alan Jones.
After every applicant had left, a
short decision session was held by
the panel and the squad was
chosen.
V6ef
ACTION
tvitfl
WANT
ADS
While waiting for their turns in
the interview room, the finalists
gave different reasons for trying
out for the Diamond Darlings.
Most said that joining the squad
provided a chance to make new
friends, while others said they
wanted to support the Aggie base
ball team.
Peri Smith, who made the
group for the second year in a row,
said: “It’s like you get really close
to the team ... like you’re brothers
and sisters.’’
A liking for the sport of baseball
also prompted her desire to join
the Diamond Darlings, Smith
said.
First-year Diamond Darling
Elaine Johnson said that growing
up in a sports atmosphere in which
most of her family actively partici
pated in athletics caused her to
develop an interest in sports. She
said that by joining the Diamond
Darlings, she could support a
sport that she enjoys.
Sophomore pre-dentistry major
Joanne Wolken said she applied
because she wanted “to support
the team more than just (by) going
to games.” She added that the
Diamond Darlings can perform
their duties well without interfer
ing with the players’ involvement
in the games.
“It’s easy for us to back them in
the proper way and not get on
their nerves,” Wolken said.
Animal science/pre-veterinary
medicine major Jennifer Schwind
agreed that the Diamond Darl
ings’ purpose isn’t to hinder, but
to help the players by assisting in
dugout duties and stadium chores.
“You know when you’re in the
dugout and they’re losing, that
they don’t want to be bothered, ”
she said.
Interview panel members Hod
de and Slavens said the choosing
was difficult because this year’s
applicants made up one of the
most select groups in recent sea
sons’ tryouts. Hodde, the Aggies’
average, RBI, home run and hit
leader in 1981, said the panel con
sidered looks, personality and
ability to get along with others
while interviewing the finalists.
While the Texas Aggiebasfj y 0 |.
team continues fall workouts
the way to the Feb. 23 opei
date of the 1982 season,
Diamond Darlings also prq
for their stadium debut.
Hopes are high for both te:
as the baseball squad tries to
prove its 1981 record of 35-1
and the Diamond Darlings ti
continues to carry out its dufei
Olsen Field.
r
32 Pi
Y* QUINELLA
FOREIGNER
including:
Alien/Going To Shangri-La/Homesick
Quinella/Higher
INCLUDES
URGENT/JUKE BOX HERO/NIGHT LIFE
WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU
ALBUMS OR TAPES
e*
HI INFIDELITY
including:
Follow My Heart/Keep On Loving You
Don t Let Him Go/In Your Letter
SONGS IN THE ATTIC
including:
Say Goodbye To Hollywood
I've Loved These Days/Captain Jack
Summer, Highland Falls/Miami 2017
BLUE OYSTER CULT
IKKOi UNKNOWNOKIfilN
including:
Burnin'For You
Heavy Metal: The Black And Silver
Sole Survivor/Joan Crawford
Veteran Of The Psychic Wars
OZZY OSBOURNE
BLIZZARD OFOZZ
DON’T MISS OUT!!
GET ’EM NOW,
>, 22 TOP i
Includes I Wanna Drive You Home
It’s So Hard/Tube Snake Boogie
Pearl Necklace
ON
SALE!!
RICKIE
LEE
JONES
Pirates
JOURNEY
ESCFIPE
including:
Who's Crying Now/Stone In Love
Don't Stop Believin'/Dead Or Alive
Keep On Runnin'
liK'ludcs:
We Belong Together
Skelehms
Woody And Duieli
On Tlie Slow
Tiiiiii To 1’eking
Tr.iees 01 Ule „
Western Slo|H'S -V
DAN
FOGELBERG
THE
INNOCENT AGE
including:
Same Old Lang Syne
Lost In The Sun
Leader Of The Band
Ghosts
Run For The Roses
Hard To Say
r'il:: filli
Breakin’
Away
Includes
We re In This
Love Together
Our Love
Teach Me Tonight
Closer To Your Love
STEVIE NICKS
^ Bella Donna
STOP DRAGGIN'
MY HEART AROUND
11: i
The Album
Includes Arthur’s Theme
(Best That You Can Do) - Christopher Cross
Fool Me Again-Nicolette Larson ij®i
Its Only Love - Stephen Bishop ‘W
Give the gift
of music.
ALBUM OR TAPE
11
99
HI" 1 ‘ r : ttt cn & ]
( HFA P TR %* '
e-.'
n <;;th a ,:
-v RfQpS
I TRLISV
Name Brands Plus Discount
696-8883 Texas Avenue Southwest Parkway
The:
wha
leak
L
WAS
ong sil<
erRobe
sition ti
sale of
Arabia,
igan
Rea
Mexico
giniaD
pr
Tb.
sebed’
for im
Th
and in
sewer
Risen
MacA
Streel
Tv
V;
di
Texa
ring
“He
4efi n
ielh [
HMulUj]
Vanr
Mess
( v ice p
Jicepi
“ e 'ha
Van
1,1 adv;
The