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I PAIIIIETT   K I VA`_A   When thinking   the tutelage of Madison.
I P|_AY[|] M   _!_   ~ about professional Although jeff likes to joke that
I UK F|]|]M 23*    athletes who are UK he and his former UK teammates could
I l98l]-83_ _: °   men, Cliff Hagan, Dan Issel, have been track stars after all the quarter-
  . KY Sam Bowie, Kenny Walker and mile sprints Madison made them run, jeff
``—, T   I Rex Chapman immediately credits his former college coach EIS 3 major
'“*`°»·`N come to mind. All of these influence in his development asapitcher. ·
have one thing in common — basketball. “Coach Madison taught me the impor-
However, many lail to realize that former UK tance of not overthrowing,”jeff said. “One of
baseball player jeff Parrett came within two the things that can mess up a pitcher is that
games of being the first UK man to pitch in one out of every 10 times, I’m able to throw
E the World Series. the ball as hard as I can. And then the next
I jeff, who pitched for baseball coach Keith nine times, I can’t throw it that hard,
I Madison`s Wildcats from 1980 through 1983, although I try to; so I tend to overthrow. The
I had his linest season in professional baseball important thing to realize is that the ball may
I this past year. l·le led the American League be reacting differently than the way I perceive
I with nine relief wins, while being the most it to feel. He taught me to pitch my best no
I consistent middle reliever on the Oakland matter how I felt on a given day.”
,#\thleties, the American League West division jeff enjoyed pitching at UK, but he also
champions. This year he`s playing for the enjoyed the fun ofbeing in college.
I expansion (Zolorado Rockies. “You've got boundless energy when you’re
I _|el`l`was raised in Lexington, and attended in college because you’re in the prime of
I Lafayette High School, where his heroes were your life,” jeff fondly remembers. “You can
I Pete Rose, Tony Perez and other members of stay up until 3 a.m. studying, wake up at five,
  the (Iincinnati Reds teams that dominated and not feel a thing. Living in Kiiwan Tower I
»   baseball in the l97()s. was a lot offun.”
I .—\t that time._]el`l`could only dream he would Although jeff pitched for UK for four
I someday play major league baseball. But it was years, his funniest memory at UK on the base-
I at l'li that jeff blossomed as a pitcher under ball field involved umpiring, not pitching.
l ,,i,,. , ,,   , , ,7,, ,
  BY RUB MISEY
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I 43 Keritttrkx .\|mmms Summer 1993
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