FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1949
Baseball Team Schedules
Intra-Squaci Contests
Intra-squad games have been the order of the day for Coach
Joe Bedenlc's Lion baseballers the past week. The Blue and White
diamondmen open their 1949 slate against Temple April 13.
"Wednesday was the fifth day that we've used the diamond
for practice games, and as a consequence our hitting is starting
to improve slightly," said Coach Bedenk.
Bedenk still rates the catching
position as a toss-up among
Clarence Buss, John Kurty and
Dick Ford.
With three of the five return
ing lettermen seeking to retain
their infield positions of last year,
the infield, with the exception of
third base, is fairly well set. Vet
erans Dick Wertz, first base; Gene
Solomon, second base, and Cap
tain Hal Hackman at short, head
the aspirants for those berths,
but the hot corner spot looms as
a battle - royal bet we en Red
Mayer and Bill Tegtmeyer.
John Shaffer ran k s behind
Wertz at first, while basketballer
The Nittany
Houck—'Fair-Haired Boy'
By GEORGE VADASZ
Twenty-seven years ago in a small hotel room in Philadelphia,
Hugo Bezdek, then athletic director at Penn State, talked Leo Houck
into hanging up his gloves and coming to the campus to teach the
students the art of self defense.
That day, when Leo accepted to come to the Nittany Valley,
marked the end of a thrilling chapter of ring exploits which stretch
ed from 1902 to 1922 and covered 250 fights in every weight division.
He fought 12 world champions and, although never given a shot at
the middleweight championship, he was considered the "uncrowned
champion."
Houck's boxing fortunes date back to the early part of this
century. He fought his first fight at the age of 14. It was a four-round
draw for which he received a silver dollar and a pair of boxing
gloves. But that was only the beginning.
He was then off on a leather swinging trail in which he met the
cream of the crop for the next 20 years. He met all corners from
coast to coast, from Halifax to Havana, from Lancaster to London
and Paris.
Although he was never an official champ himself, he defeated
middleweight George Chip four times before Chip became champion.
After being crowned middleweight king, Chip refused Houck a crack
at the title. Leo went on to tag Johnny Wilson twice before he be
came champ. Wilson likewise snubbed Houck. Houck also met Gene
Tunney twice for non-title matches.
Leo put the world's best in their place. He outboxed the sluggers
and outpunched the boxers. One of his opponenti once said . that he
bad the flutter of a butterfly and
the sting of a bumble bee.
"The fair haired boy from Lan
caster," as he was known to most
pugilistic fans, "posessed one of
the greatest pistons ever to be
put on the port side of a right
handed boxer," said Harry Pegg,
editor of The Veteran Boxer.
Houck is never downhearted in
defeat nor is he ever ungentle
manly. He is always watching out
for the safety of the contestants.
As the "father" of collegiate box
ing Houck has helped set up the
rules which now govern all col
legiate bouts.
He has also developed the pres
ent 12-ounce glove that is used in
collegiate fisticuffing. He says he
often looks back to the first fights
in his 'teens' and the beatings he
took. He vowed that he would
make sure the present genera
tion had it better.
Leo's favorite phrase and advice at ring side is: "Keep your left
working in his face and follow through with your right when you
see an opening, Fred."
He has the habit of calling everyone "Fred" and when he says
"Fred" around the ring about six managers and about the same
number of boxers turn around to see what the genial doctor wants.
One can easily pick out varsity boxers on campus for they will in
variably call all their friends "Fred."
Many coaches and other boxing fans give most of the credit for
the success of collegiate boxing to Houck. College boxing is here to
stay despite the many attempts by a few to eliminate the sport from
American college campuses, he says.
Leo has consistently been a producer of champions. Only once
in 25 years of title tournaments has he failed to turn out at least one
individual champion, the barren year being 1945. As the only college
coach who has entered teams in every one of the Eastern Intercol
legiate Boxing Tourneys, the veteran Houck owns the distinction of
producing more individual champions than any other coach in ac
tive service.
—Sweaters, Blankets, Etc.—
With Special Wool Soap
State College LAUNDERETTE
Joe Tocci and Harry Little are
still potential second sackers.
Jerry Vesling and Bill Ondick are
after the shortstop post.
Hen Albright, Stan Laganosky,
Pete Gorinski and Steve Vargo
head the outfield candidates. Al
bright and Laganosky have been
playing left and center field, re
spectively, in regular practice
skirmishes.
Lettermen Cy Miller and Al
Tkac top the pitching list. Tkac
was the Lions' right fielder in
1948, but Bedenk has switched
him to the mound for the current
campaign.
FOUGHT AT 14
FLUTTER, STING
HABIT
WE
ASH and DRY
OOLENS
Tfit DAtI,Y COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANTA
Realm
!Between Lions--
Continued from page foto
some of the psychology that
went into the upset is a tribute
to Lawther's ahllity as a leader
and as a coach. John was be
hind (press) stories that told
of the gloom in the T•inn ca-nn
and the glory of a West Vi--
ainia c0m00r , .4 of noth
ing but All-Arnerthlns.
"The West Virginia boys read
the naners and probably were
reading clippings most of the
game. Meanwhile. a State team
inspired as only Lawther could
insnire, was running its way to
victory. . . ."
From Virginia
Forgive us if we revert to
this year's Penn State-Virginia
boxing meet to r'uote snoracii
call,' from the Cavalier Daily,
Virginia student organ.
Fnns will recall the Johnny
Benglian-Al Hollingsworth ED3A
bout in which Benglian was the
continual aggressor but lost the
decision. The Cavalier's account
of the previous dual-meet bout
between the two presents a strik
ing parallel with the EIBA fray.
The one difference is that, in the
dual meet at Charlottesville,
Benglian floored his man twice,
but still lost the fight. We quote:
". . . The surprise decision of
the night followed as . . . Hol
lingsworth won over previously
undefeated . . . Benglian. Hol
lingsworth was floored during
the second and third rounds of
the bout. However, Referee Al
Mann of Duke University ad
mitted after the bouts that Hol
lingsworth slipped the first
time and further stated that he
definitely outboxed his Yankee
opponent. . . .
. The partisan Virginia
At Young Men's Shop
In 5 New Spring Shades—
Dark Brown, Cocoa, Tan,
Grey, Blue
THE YOUNG MEN'S SHOP
Lacrosse Squad 'Shaping Up
Pretty Well' --- Coach Thiel
Despite the fact that three varsity lacrosse regulars will be
unable to join the Lions' squad before April 2, Coach Nick Thiel
expressed satisfaction with recent scrimmages yesterday and an
nounced that the squad is "shaping up pretty well."
Absent because of out-of-town practice teaching commitments
are lettermen Ernie Baer, Barrie Bragg and Rocco lannetta, the
entirety of Penn State's alternate
,
Most recent lacrossers whose
efforts have thrown them into the
Practice ses:;ion limelight are Bob
Pee, 6 foot 1-inch 175-pound de
fenseman, who has been looking
impressive; . Tom Smith, veteran
varsity defenseman, an r i Gene
McNamara, a member of last
year's jayvee corps, fighting for
a close-attack job.
According to Thiel, two foot
ball players John Finley, of
Paxtang, and Smith, Rockville
Centre, L. I.—have already dem
onstrated their right to open the
season in the starting lineup
against Penn, April 13.
While hardy competition for
Coach Gross Cites
Cagers' Needs
Elmer Gross, head Lion basket
ball coach, urged yesterday that
all athletes who have had some
experience with the hardwood
game plan to try for varsity berths
next fall.
Gross layed special emphasis on
football players reporting, stating
that what the Lions need next
year are big, rugged ballplayers.
crowd shouted its disapproval of
the decision. . . . The referee's
card was brought back twice to
double-check the verdict in the
130 match. . . ."
Outstandin
GABARDINE
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Two-ply all wool Gabardine Slacks made
to sell for $14.95. We picked up SO pair
of manufacturer's closeout in five beauti-
ful shades.
Finest gabardine money can buy.
'9.95
127 S. Allen St.
first string positions is still being
waged, early progress indicates
that Finley, Captain }lodges
Nestor, of Sharpsburg, and Bob
Lou is, of Philadelphia, will
handle the mid-field posts, with
Smith, Dean Kissell, of Johns
town and John Szadziewicz, of
Worcester, Mass., on defense.
John Nehoda, of Easton, ap
pears to have the upper hand
around the goal, while August
Thomas, of Harrisburg, Johnny
Lux, of Philipsburg and Eddie
Belfield, of Swarthmore, are the
prospective starters on attack.
Last year Penn State began its
lacrosse season at a hot clip, cop
ping its first five contests consec
utively, to wind up the campaign
with six wins in nine outings.
However, this year, with Penn,
Weflitern Maryland, Washington
and Lee, Virginia and Loyola
packing plenty of power, the
Thielmen will have to play heads
up ball to even approach the 1948
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