The Jeremiah Britt Era has begun at shortstop for the Northern Michigan University baseball team. Britt, the freshman shortstop from Lapeer, MI turned more than a few heads at a winter workout recently at Beef-A-Roo Field. Britt credits his brilliance to his summer workout regimen at a trailer park in Poughipsie, NY.

"There were a lot of ruffians about," Britt remembers. "They threw rocks at me and I tried to keep the rocks in front of me and throw them at a guy standing off to my left with a large glove. It really helped me prepare for life as an infielder."

Manager Rob Preseau believes Britt will contribute immediately. "We ran into some difficult luck with the loss of Kevin Trenkle and the decision by Jason Paul to turn pro," he said. "But Jeremiah can fill a major hole in the infield." His training habits have turned a few heads on the team. He generally stays up until dawn to test his mind and his own limits of tiredness. He also tests his mind by frightening waitresses at local eating establishments.

Physically, he trains to the point of breaking. He runs more than 5 miles a day and spends an hour every other day in the weight room. He also takes extra fielding practice each weekend at the Aircobra Avenue ball field between Liberator St. and Vigilante St. in Sawyer.

"We recruited him mainly as a utility man and potential outfielder, but his abilities at shortstop are improving constantly," Preseau said. Britt and the rest of the 'Cats begin preseason drills in less than a month at Beef-A-Roo Field.

Baseball team officials have learned that a new book about the team's 2001 season is currently in production. The book, written by former Michigan Tech Pitcher and internet businessman Jude "eBay" Lee, is titled "The Derisive Season; the 2001 Campaign for the Northern Michigan University Baseball Team."

Advance copies of Lee's work show the book to be critical of some of the attitudes held by certain Wildcat players. "It is clear that Jude "eBay" Lee is no friend of this team," Manager Rob Preseau said. Excerpts of the book specifically point to the early season brawl between NMU players and Trinity College players that started when catcher Dave Vincent claimed one player threw like a girl.

Lee also discusses the "Bates Situation" at great length, claiming that the team expressed nothing but smugness when confronted by their teammate's crimes. In a press release to promote the book, Lee states "The jeering, smug attitude these athletes take sullies the game of baseball. I try to call them out on it. When I first faced that team, I could not believe they acted like that."

"We are pretty unbelievable," second baseman Eric Ingles responded. "I think he's just upset that we beat Tech so often." Many players refuted several of Lee's claims, such as a banner in the Wildcat locker room stating "Good Sports are Whiners" and that catcher Jody Davis taunted opposing hitters with chants of "You'll Strike out!" during C. W. Mayher's no hitter last season.

"(First baseman) Ken (Kwarciany) did tell one guy to enjoy first base because he wasn't going any further," Justin Young admitted. "But I don't see anything wrong with that. He was just stating a fact." All players said they would not let the book affect their performance on the field, and that if Lee thought that was poor sportsmanship, he should just wait to see the 2002 'Cats.

The "Bad Boys" of Baseball will begin practice February 10th.