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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1946)
By FRED BECKWITH CO-SPORTS EDITOR We’re up from the southlands after a week's breather front stuff like book lamin’ and such. Collegiate baseball activity is the big noise around the San. Francisco Hay area. Ball clubs from Stanford, California, Santa Clara, San Francisco and St. Marys are already swinging into action. Out Berkeley way, where the enrollment is an estimated 16,000, they've already set up a junior varsity organization. Professional baseball opened in the city by the Golden Gate, and at last report the S. F. Seals were astride the top rung in the Pacific Coast baseball league. TOO TALL, THAT’S ALL The Golden Bears of California are moaning about their poor showing in the recent NCAA basketball tournament, staged in Kansas City and New York City. The Bears, who bowed to the champion crew from the Oklahoma Agricultural school, com plained of the terrific height advantage sported by one Bob Kurland, Aggie center. Kurland, all seven feet of him, played under the handicap of a bad cold, and still potted some 29 points. The Bears could not cope with the skyscraper kid, and sug gested that something be done about these beanpole wonders. We see where George Mikan, De Paul’s famous all-American has signed a professional basketball contract which works like this: $6 for every field goal and $3 for every free throw. Mikan bags 20 points on an average night, so you figure out the dollars and cents angle from there. The University of Southern California is bidding for another national track crown. Already performing for the Trojan thincladsare Ihibie Kern, a 47 seconds flat quarter-miler, and Poland Sink, clocked in 4:19 for early- spring ipile workouts. To top this off, the Trojans are loaded with high and broad jumpers, discus and shot-put men, let alone pole vault and jave lin artists. Jack Weirhauser, who was one of the crack performers on the 1937 Stanford track-and-field team, has now taken over the coaching reigns for the Indians in track this year. He’s working with a squad that includes 48 freshmen, and does not anticipate too much. INELIGIBLE Already showing his wares in the spring football workouts at the University of California is Louie Jurkovich, brother of the famous Jim, Louie is built oil the same structural designs as Jim, and great things are expected of him at Cal. California is moaning the inelcgibilitv status of one Grover Klemmer, one of the co-holders of the world’s quarter-mile mark at 46.4. Klem mer, incidentally, played only one year of varsity football at C alifornia, but in that lone season he displayed plentv of grid iron savvy. Ilis record at Great Lakes Naval training station eras outstanding. Holding down the tailback slot in mid-season, 1 lennner led the Bluejacket mates to a resounding triumph over the supposedly powerful Notre Dame eleven. But Klemmer is inelcgible for further pig*kip duty, and that fact is bemoaned l*\ the various rival coaches up and down these Pacific slopes. California's offensive football tricks will probable be handled l.\ Billy Reinhardt, returning veteran, who lettered in '42. A challenge in print: The Emerald sports staff, having con cluded a highly successful basketball season, now goes on record to challenge the Oregon State Barometer staff to a softball match. The local scribblers are still in the reorganization stages, hut on the strength of their casaba season, they feel confident of administering another trimming to the lowly Corvallis scribes.. WOTTA LINEUP! Too late tn publicize was the story of the Kmerald-Phi Delt basketball game. We might say, (in small letters) that the Phi Dells emerged victorious. But before vou veil "1 told va so!" let’s review the lineup of that fabulous quintet that opposed t ie Sport staffers last term: Man Rasmussen, varsitv forward; Walt Kirsch, |\ guard; Ken Hays, varsin center; Eddie Sal si rom, captain of the championship intramural team. Do vou think that's enough talent? Okay, hold your breath on this one: The Phi Delts, not confident of a win with all that talent, ac t - tally roped in the famous Oregon all-American, Laddie Gale. I\o comment. C fur crew lost by some 11 points, but if ever a moral ■ victory was warranted, the sports staffers earned it. So Bull and I join ranks to thank the following gang for placing ball for us this past term: Carl Cluff. Bob Reed. Duke Dennison, Bill Mc Lennan, Larry l.au. Chuck Taylor. Kenny Hume. Walt Yoder, klilt Sparks, Luke Basilari, Kd Allen, Marty Pond, Dave Van 7andt. George Huggins, Bob Caviness and Pete Miller. A few professional baseball predictions before we bow out this morning: American League—New York Yankees: National League—St. Louis Cards: Pacific Coast League—Los Angeles Angels. Baseballers Shape Up For Thursday Opener _ "IRON MIKE" i Mike Mikulak Resumes Job Recently discharged from the army military service as a lieuten ant colonel, “Iron Mike” Mikulak will resume his position on the Oregon coachifig staff when the gridders report for spring practice April 6. Mikulak is expected on the cam pus within the next several days aftei vacationing at Carmel, Cali fornia. Mike was backfield coach at the University prior to entering the service and only recently de cided to return to coaching after considering plans to enter private business. This announcement was made recently by Anse Cornell, Univer sity athletic manager, after a long distance telephone conversation with Mikulak. In addition to Mikulak, head coach G. A. “Tex” Oliver will be assisted by line coach Vaughn Cor ley and freshman coach John War ren during the spring drill sessions. Track Outlook Dull; Field:Men Lacking With the annual Oregon-Oregon State relays less than two weeks away, the Webfoot harriers are turning to the last stage of con ditioning before actual competi tion. Monday marked the start of this workout for the forty-odd trackmen that will don the lemon and green colors under the coach ing of Colonel Bill Hayward. Now that spring registration is under way many more potential track sters will be on hand to bolster an otherwise weak and inexperienced squad. Returning from the '41 team are three lettermen capable of lead ing the Ducks to a higher place in the Northwest standings. These men are: Jake Leicht, a 9.6 100 yard sprinter; Bill Beifuss, a high leaping high jumper; and Chuck Elliott, a 46 plus shot putter. The Beavers will feel the effect of these men in the different re lay teams that Oregon will field against them on the Hayward Field oval April 13. Competing for the Orange squad are Bob Stevens, Bob Reiman, and Bill Blackledge, all lettermen in the field department. Little can be told of outstand ing thin-clads for the U of O be cause only one running of time trials has been made so far. Sev eral fine runners have shown up in practice short distance races, but they still are working on form and style in their running. Two frosh that show particular prom ise are Walt McClure in the dis tance and Frank Holms in the sprints. Until time trials are held again, 'MiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiinniiiniiiiiJiiiiiiiHiiiiinnfniiiitiimiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ | A Tout’s! | Report | By LARRY LAU Man O' War, the greatest horse ever to come out of Kentucky, known as "Big Red” to his thous ands of devoted fans, celebrated his 29tli birthday March 20. Not the sleek, trim, heel-flasher he was back in 1920, Man O’ War weighs 1300 pounds now, which is, as the caretaker puts it, “slightly over weignt.” Owner Riddle bought Man O’ War for $5000 when he was a year ling and has several times since been offered a million dollars for him. “Big Red” won 20 out of 21 races, was never beaten as a three year old, and never ran a race on a Kentucky track! He won $250,000 back in the days when the purses were considerably smaller than they are today, and was retired to stud at four! Silver Threads Among “Big Red’s” step is a little slow er, and he is greying around the muzzle, but despite his years he is still active, and daily romps and cavorts about to great delight of the people who flock to the farm at Lexington, Ky., to see him. Nearly a million and a half visitors have signed the register at the barn. Race tracks on the West coast are slated to be just as numerous as bad grades in Psych, in the near future. Eesides the proposed track in Puente, Calif., an application has been filed with the state racing commission for another million dollar oval to be located at Oak land, Calif. Portland Meadows, in the meanwhile, seems to be a thing that people merely whisper and shrug about. Tsk, Tsk! Big Red's Chilian The old adage that “blood will tell,” becomes more true day by day. South of the border, Plucky Flag, a granddaughter of Man O' War has deftly annexed three of the biggest purses offered at the Mexico City oval, the latest being the Derby Mexicano, which, inci dentally, was worth $20,000 in good old American sheckles. We’d like to see this blue-blooaed babe tackle some sterner competition before writing any further rave notices as it is ditficult to forget how the previous Mexican flash, Gay Dal ton, fizzled, out when he tried Hollywood Park out for size. Two Kentucky Derby eligibles In Earnest and Billy Bumps, moved themselves into contention with impressive victories at Tropical Park last Thursday. Abe Hirschberg's $55,000 pur chase, Occupy, will have another chance soon to match his stride with Armed, who beat him a length and a half in their last meeting. It must be noted that Mr. Hirsch berg is not reknown for throwing 55 grand away on a plug. It has been estimated that there is sMghtiy over $80 wagered for every attending turf fan at the track. In other words, for every two dollar bettor nevously clutch ing two crumpled bills, there is an “operator'' who is waiting his turn at the $100 window! the entire team will work on keep ing muscles in shape and final workouts preparing for the relays. All men intending to turn out for track should see Coach Hay ward before this week is over and make arrangements for practice periods in preparation for future qualifying trials. Soggy Field Slows Nine Initial Sets Howe field was still a little soggy from recent rains as Coach Howard “Hobby” Hobson led out his 40-odd baseball potentials for the Duck’s initial diamond warm up of the 1946 season. Faced with rounding a team in to shape in a limited time, Hobson called the first practice session for Friday afternoon. Taking advan tage of the spring sun, he held lim bering up sessions Saturday and Monday afternoons. Post-war First The first edition of Webfoot baseball nines since the diamond sport was dropped in 1943 will face its first competition Thursday afternoon here against Pacific Uni versity. In the few days left be fore that double header with Pa cific, the Ducks are slated for much batting and fielding practice, and inter-squad games. In order to give the Oregon nine the maximum of ex perience before the Northern Division schedule begins, Coach Hobson has arranged fourteen pre-conference tilts. Following the twin-bill Thurs day against Pacific, Oregon plays host to Willamette Uni versity here Friday afternoon in another double header. Saturday the Ducks trek to Salem for a return game with Willamette. Double-Header April 9 brings the Salem Sena tors of the Western International league to the University for two games. The following day Oregon faces the Pacific University nine again in a twin bill scheduled for Forest Grove. April 12 and 13 the Webfoots and the Portland Pilots play a home-and-home series with the opening pair of encounters scheduled for Howe field. Monday afternoon Hobson split his squad in order to give more attention to individual training. Barney Koch, who will coach the Freshman squad has taken over the duties of assistant baseball coach and handled one half of the spht squad in the Monday sessions. Ski Club to Race Staters at Hoodoo Arch rivals tangle this weekend on the snowy slopes of South San tiam Pass as the University of Oregon Ski club meets the Suski club of Oregon State in a series of downhill and slalome tracings at Hoodoo Bowl. Members of the local club will meet tonight in Oregon hall at 7:30 to discuss plans for the trip. The University Ski club will sponsor the meet. Plans are for the races to start at 11 a.m. Sun day, and will continue throughout the day. SPORTS STAFF THIS ISSUE Co-sports editors: Fred Beckwith Leonard Turnbull Staff Writers: Carl Cluff Tommy Wright Dave Goss Mary Ann Hansen Larry Lau Jeanne Simmonds