PAGt TWELVE The Scorebook PENN STATE'S GIFT TO BASEBALL Tucked away in the annals of baseball history is the name and legend of John Montgomery Ward, former Penn State athlete who is credited by many historians with having thrown the first curve ball. It was in 1875 on the lawn in front of Old- Main that Ward proved to former Penn State professor William A. Buckhout that a baseball could be curved. Ward set up stakes and then curved the baseball between the posts. But this was only the start for Monty Ward. His contributions to baseball were numerous. In an article in Sport Life magazine in August, 1952, Hy Turkin wrote that Ward was "undoubtedly the greatest all-around baseball hero of the 19th century." that year by whiffing 271 batters. Ward was a rare combination of pitcher, infielder, outfielder, manager, and pioneer in the days when baseball was struggling for survival. He broke into organized baseball in 1878 with Provi dence of the National League. Ward won 158 games and lost 102 in seven years as a pitcher before his arm gave out. That's an average of close to 23 wins a season in the days when most teams played less than 100 games a campaign! Monty won 22 and lost 13 in his freshman campaign. The following season he hit peak, copping 44 of the 55 games won by the pennant-winning Provi dence squad. THE PERFECT GAME One of the greatest feats in the annals of the sport was Ward's perfect game in 1879. Ward did not allow any runner to reach first base—a performance which has been unmatched in the National League for 75 years. He also won the NL strikeout championship In 1883 Ward was traded to the New York Giants, and two years later he retired from the mound and played full time at short. Ward was one of the finest shortstops in the game, and he became the first to perfect the short-to-second doubleplay combination which today is as much a part of the game as the leather-lunged fans. Those were the days when players jealously guarded their secrets. However, in 1888 Ward became the first prominent player to write a book on how to play baseball. Ward batted .371 in 1887 and played a leading role as the Giants swept to two straight championships. In 1888 the Giants faced the St. Louis Browns, winners of the American Association crown for the fourth consecutive season, for the title. New York copped the honors by winning six of 10 games. The Official En cyclopedia of Baseball of Turkin and S. C. Thompson states that "Ward was such a superb all-around player that one newspaper man wrote that the Browns would have won the series if Ward had shortstopped for them instead." A year later Ward paced the Giants to their second straight title by baiting .417 against Brooklyn. MANAGERIAL DAYS A third league, the Players' League, was organized in 1890, and Ward took over as manager of the Brooklyn team, guiding his team to second place. The following year the Players' League was disbanded and Monty took over the helm of the Brooklyn entry in the National League. Brooklyn finished sixth that season and third the following year. Ward played most of the games at second base and shortstop, and duplicated his feat of 1887 by batting .371 in 1890. In 1893 Ward was back with the Giants, this time as manager-secondbaseman, a job he held for two years. Ward pulled the Giants from eighth to fifth in the 12-team circuit and the next season finished second to the fabled Baltimore Orioles. Ward climaxed his baseball career by winning the first Temple Cup Series in 1894. A Pittsburgh sports-lover,'William C. Temple, donated an expensive cup as a prize for the winner of a post-season series between the NL champ and runner-up. The Giants defeated Ned Hanlon's Orioles in four straight games. PENN STATE'S DAVEY CROCKETT Monty's five-year record as a manager shows 388 wins and 299 losses—a .566 percentage. He became a successful attorney following his baseball career. Ward died on March 4, 1925,—0ne day after his 65th birthday. Although he is not yet enshrined in baseball's Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y., Ward has been tagged as one of the "most likely to be elected" in future years. It is hard to match his record. His throwing of the first curve ball is questioned by many base ball historians, but he did much to forward the success of the pitch. His perfection of the short-to-second doubleplay; his per fect game of 1879; and his willingness to impart the "tricks of the trade" to others are milestones in the history of the game. John Montgomery was a pioneer in the development of base ball. He was truly Penn State's Davey Crockett in the baseball world. By HERM WEISKOPF Assistant Sports Editor THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA Penn State lacrosse coach Nick Thiel will start a scrappy but inexperienced team when his stickmen encounter Adelphi College in the season's opener at Garden City, L. 1., Thursday, Six seniors, three juniors, and one sophomore are slated for starting roles as the ladrciiiiie team meets three opponents within four days, beginning with Adelphi and ending with New Hampshire and Hofstra. Leading the defense for the Lions will be Herb HarikaWa, Bob Bullock, and Everett Weidner. Bullock is a juitior. Thiel said defense has been good and is improving with every practice, but he Reichler Picks Giants to Win NEW YORK, March 31 (N)---I pick the New York Giants, a well balanced, strong and confident club, to win their second straight National League pennant but only after a terrific, hand-to-hand, three-cornered battle With the Milwaukee Braves and the Brook lyn Dodgers. These three clubs figure to dominate the rest of the National League with the youth-studded St. Louis Cardinals squeezing in to the first division in another three-team fight with Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Despite obvious improveinent that should give their backers hope for the future, the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates cannot hope to improve their 7-8 finishes of a year ago. The Braves and Dodgers un doubtedly are stronger than they were last year when injuries ren dered such key men as Milwau kee's Bobby Thompson and Brooklyn's Roy Campanella hors de combat for lengthy spells. The writer picks the order of finish this way: New York, Milwaukee, Brook lyn, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Phila delphia, Chicago, Pittsburgh. Greeks Take WRA Titles Sigma Sigma Sigma copped the Women's Recreation Association in,ramural basketball champion ship :ast night but lost to Delta Deli. in the final round of the bowling intramurals. Eileen Johnson scored 22 points as Tri Sig, winner of League IV, defeated Thompson 3 and 4, 42-32 for the title. Barbara Drum tallied 11 points for Thompson, League I titlist. Barbara Gooding's 169 points in the final round helped Tri Delt, League 111 champion, edge Tri Sig, 599-568, for th e bowling championship. In the first round of boWling playoffs, Tri Delt defeated Wom en's Building, winner of League IV. Tri Sig, who took4the League I title, defeated Alpha Omicron Pi ii the second rounti. The AO- Pi's were winners of League 11. He Caught Lots of Fish;- Big One Didn't Get Away FORT ERIE, Ont., March 31 (R) —A JlO-pound sturgeon, 6 feet long, was caught in Lake Erie to day. Bill Berry, part-time commer cial fisherman, tool: it on a steel night line with minnow bait. He landed it after a three-hour strug gle. Ontario Lands and Forests De partment officials said in Toronto the fish equalled in weight a 7- foot, 6 inch sturgeon caught by Frank LaPointe in Lake Super ior's Batchawana Bay in 1922. La- Pointe's fish holds the great lakes record for sturgeon. About two-thirds of Berry's fish was dressed for sale. At the cur rent Fort Erie retail price of 60 cents a pound, it would bring $124. Inexperienced Face Adelphi 3y JOE REICHLER ........; . .. t , 04 • •••..j '. 1 :!`. ''''•• .. • %. c : 'r.. ;•• zi e : • /I:' . . ..... . s .. :•ii .i. i .... .' I:'', said team lacks reserves, especial ly in the midfield. Thiel said shooting has not im proved and passing is poor. The inclement weather had some ef fect on the bad showing, he said, but it was due mostly to inexperi ence. Another one of Thiel's fore most problems is the team's in ability to pick up ground balls. He said this could be due to the green squad but added that this problem usually improves as the season progresses. Theil will rely on seniors Jim Hay, Dick Klien George Bickle haupt, and sophomore , Ken Chest nut for his attack. Junior Bob Hamel, who was runnerup, in the scoring column last year with 21 goals, will probably be the num ber one offensive threat for the Lions. in trying to overcome the team's inexperience, Thiel is plan ning to outrun and outlast • his first three opponents: "We will use three mid-field units to pf e vent any of the boys from be coming too exhausted," he said. Adelphi will probably be the easiest of the three road oppon ents for the lacrossemen. Cotich Claude Ruggian's charges wound up with a poor 1-7 record, with the only win being against Lafay ette, 8-4. Theil said if his team loses the Adelphi contest, "look for a long and cold spring." '- In New Hampshire the Nit tanies will be encountering Et, co champion. But the sticitmen from Durham lost eight starters Via graduation and Coach Barr Shive ly is in the process of rebuilding his whole team. Only two start- Tennis Squad Preps For April Opener Despite stiff winds and inclement weather, tennis coach Shaun Fogg has begun preparations for the 'Lions' first net encounter, April 16, against the University of Pennsylvania. The Quakets are the only newcomer to the Lions' , card this spring. Fogg has a quintet of five lettermen returning, a veteran wild sat out last season, and a trio of sophomores—all of whom will bolster the Lions' squad and could very well break into the starting lineup Top Men Missing Absent from last year's squad, which brought hothe a 9-2 record, will be the number one and two men—Dick Robinson and Lew Landon. The loss of Jack Ray will also hurt Fogg who feels that his chief problem mill lie in locating repldcements for these men. "I can visualize that we'll win more than we lose," Fogg said. "But we won't be as strong as last year. although we should be stronger than many of the teams we meet." Returning to form a nucleus will be the number three man of last year's squad, Bill Ziegler, Chris Christiansen, Doug Zuker, Ed Seiling, Dean Mullen and John Clarey. Clarey sat out last sea son aft lr performing the previous year. Fogg rates sophomore Joe Eber ly, a local product as a good bet for future hopes. Jim Quinn and Al Williams are the other sopho mores who will vie for a starting position against the Quakers of Pennsylvania. The Lions have been working For Rent WHITE DINNER JACKETS We now have in stock .Pinner Jackets and all the accessories for that big weekend. With IFC and all those houseparties coming up, you want to look formal yet feel casual. No waiting, we have the stock on hand. Dinner Jackets can be RENT ED any time. PENNSHIRE Promising Sophomore FRIDAY. APRIL 1. 1955 Stickmen Thursday 12 Teams Win V-Baii Games Six independent and six fra ternity teams gained victories lit the intramural volleyball tourna ment Wednesday night at Rec reation Hall. Four of the independent con tests resulted in forfeits, with the Irvin Aces defeating the High balls, the ,Pioneers winning over the Pershing Rifles, the Monsters doWning the Patricians and Wet zel's beating Dorm 29. In other independent action, the Saloon ers overwhelmed the Duces,, 15-1, 15-5, and Dorm 12 stopped the Six Warriors, 15-5, 15-13. In the fraternity action, Sigma Chi's A team edged Triangle in two out of three contests, 14-16, 15-7, 15-2; the Tau Kappa Epsi lon A squad downed Sigrria.-Fis A aggregation, 15-10, 15-4; Phi Gamma Delta's A 'unit took , the measure of Phi Mu Delta, 15-7, 3-15, 15-13;. Sigma Phi Epsilon's A team humbled 'Alpha Phi Del ta, 15-5, 15-1; Lambda Chi Al pha's B squad nipped Theta Kap pa Phi's B team, 7-15,15-7, 15-2; and in the evening's finale, Pi Kappa Phi's B team defeated Aca cia's B squad, 14-16, 15-4, 15-5. ers—Will Johnston arid Al Git ruri—will return to the lineup. Hofstra will probably be the toughest tilt, with the poikiible ex ception Of the Navy . game, for the stickmen in the entire sched ule. But Thiel isn't counting his boys out yet, for as he Pitt it "any team can .be UPset." out for approgimitel3r three weeks; however, rain maid high winds have thrown a Wet Minket over proceedings.- The 1955 schedule: Atitil 16, Pennsylvania; ,19, '.at Maryland; 20, at Navy; 26, at Bucknell; 30, at' Lehigh. May 7, Georgetown; 13, Cat negie Tech; 14; Syracuse; 18, at Juniata; 21, Colgate; 25, SuCk nell; 28, Pittsburgh. Polio Vaccine intended Only for Select Groups NEW YOUK, March,3l (I3)—The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis insisted today that its Salk polio vaccine shOUld be given only to organized units of ,firit an_ -I second grade pupils, free of charge. The foundation stilted spedial sPleguards from local communi ties if Wig other plan is folltntred. HAVE A BALL at the IFC - PanHol Ball Compliments of the Chuck Wagon
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