Oregon daily emerald., May 31, 1946, Section One, Page 10, Image 10

By ART LITCHMAN
CO-SPORTS EDITOR
This is el foldo, men.
Probably won’t be able to find this in the columns for the
ads—but this is the one that pays the freight.
Coach Hobby Hobson will be out after number five next
year with nractically the same nine. Rumor has Bob Santee on
his way to USC for an engineering course.
Outside of that one possible loss, the Ducks will be back
intact. The club fell on its ear in three out of four games with
the Beavers but all the boasting the Corvallis lads do about
this won’t take the pennant off the Oregon dressing room wall.
Next year Oregon could stand help*behind the plate. Dick
Rodiger turned in a fine job, but catching an entire season is
rough work.
If Spike Johnson’s arm doesn’t come around, help can be
used at the initial sack. Johnson led the league in runs
batted in, but his weakness on defense was costly in several
games.
With Walt Lo/.oski at short, either Rannie Smith or A1
Cohen can learn to take over the duties at third. Jim Norvell and
Tony Crish will be back in the outfield. One spot open there.
Hal Saltzman, a seven-game winner this season, will get
help from John Day, a lefty back from the 1943 club. Dick
Lehl and Homer Bropst may come along to give the Ducks
a powerful hurling staff.
Saltzman has two more years of eligibility left, but will only
use one—his credits have piled up and he will be graduated
before he can use the other year.
TRACKSTERS MAY BE TOUGH
If Colonel Bill Hayward falls heir to somebody who can run
farther than 880 yards in a creditable time and some field event
men, Oregon’s track team will be a power to reckon with.
The performance at Seattle was more than the other squads
in the loop figured on and the Ducks came very, very close to
pulling the biggest upset in the history of the event.
Colonel Bill has the amazing knack of making something
out of what looks like nothing.
Un non-Uregon track—Koy cocnran, a Deuer-rnan
average quarter miler who ran under Indiana colors while
in college turned jet-propelled in the invitational meet held
in the Los Angeles Coliseum last Saturday. Cochran, run
ning anchor for the LA AC, made up 30 yards on the USC
man and was clocked in 45.8.
Figure a running start, the possible error on the part of the
timer and it still adds up to three-tenths of a second under the
world’s record for jhe 440.
This is el fotdo dos.
Last issue of the Emerald this season, last Emerald Litch
3iuui does Duck Tracks—period.
Bernie Hammcrbeck takes over come September and this
nose goes to work on a grindstone that has a payoff slot.
TRIVIA FROM THE MAJORS
FOR THE BIRDS . . . The American league DiMaggios
keep a “robbery book.” Dom and joe keep track of the number
■ of times each robs the other of a base hit when the Red Sox
play the Yanks. Dom is leading at the present, 32 to 21 . . .
Detroit is really shaking up the 1945 world’s champions.
Rudy York went before the season started. Now Pinky Hig
gins, last of the 1940 championship infield has been sold
to the Red Sox, Barney McCoskey went to Philadelphia
for George Kell and Billy Hitchcock was purchased by
Washington . . .
I litchcock cost the Tigers $40,000 and two players four years
ngo and the Detroit club certainly didn't get that much in use
or cash for him.
Mickey Harris, usually called “Himself," is a retiring sort
■of a soul. When asked what he had on the ball. Harris replied.
***21 don’t have a- thing except a fast ball that scorches their
whiskers when they crowd the plate, a hell of a curve and a
damn good change of pace.”
That’ s it men.
Before Going Home
Be Sure that
The Plumbing in Your Room has
Been Taken Care of.
Expert Service at
GODLOVE THE PLUMBERS
31 Seventh H.
Cindermen Stage Comeback;
Place Third in Division Finals
It looked as if Oregon track and
field squad was hitting a low
season up to the Northern Division
meet—the team had lost every dual
meet in conference competition
and fell to Oregon State 6-2 in a
pre-season relay meet held on Hay
ward field. The team, represented
by 13 men, redeemed itself for the
poor showing during the spring by
just missing the conference cham
pionship 9/10 of a point short of
the winning OSC team.
The reason for the remarkable
showing at Seattle was fairly ob
vious to the track men and their
followers—Oregon had individual
stars capable of copping firsts in
any meet, dual or championship
competition; but Oregon didn’t
have the strength to back up these
few power men for needed seconds
and thirds in dual meets.
Colonel Bill Hayward, track
coach, bemoaned all season that
this year’s squad was the weakest
he had ever coached and the other
schools believed his story until the
big meet. Bill was sincere in his
statement for this team was the
weakest that Oregon has ever put
out. Nevertheless, Jake Leicht, Bill
Beifuss, Bill Kydd, Andy Swan,
Walt McClure, Wynn Wright, Carl
Maxey, and Tom Garrity were good
enough to add up 31 1-10 in the
championship event.
The Ducks started the season
dismally, against a supposedly
weak Oregon State team. Doc
Swan, State’s track coach had com
plained that he had a weak team
and everyone was at a loss as to
who was right, Hayward or Swan.
DUCK NINE STRONG
(Continued from page nine)
merits later the shutout was gone
and when Lyle Pettyjohn singled
to left-center with runners on
second and third with two out the
game was gone for the Huskies,
6 to 5.
Then the Ducks started on the
grueling Inland Empire trip. Idaho
went down 19 to 1 on opening day
but broke the Webfoot winning
streak the next day.
The Oregons split with Wash
ington State and then swept the
two-game series at Seattle to come
home with a 10 and two record.
Oregon State won the first two
games to creep up to one game
back and the Ducks won the pen
nant with a 5 to 3 victory in the
third game of the series. Oregon
State won the fourth game, 9 to 5.
Coach Hobson started the season
with three lettermen, Hal Saltz
man, Bob Santee and Tony Crish.
Spike Johnson was another letter
winner, but from Oregon State.
Walt Kirsch, a second edition of
his brother Don, held down the
second sack and Rannie Smith and
Walt Lozoski shared the short
patch.
Jim Norvell opened the season at
third base and then moved to center
field when Lozoski was shifted to
the infield. When Lozoski moved to
short Rannie Smith, Bass Dyer and
A1 Cohen shared the duties at third.
Early in the season Santee
moved from the infield to left field
to replace the light hitting Don
Dibble. Lozoski, Kirsch, John
Jones and Norvell all played the
middle garden. Tony Crish was a
fixture in right all season.
Dick Rodiger was the number
one catcher all season and only
was out of action in the Oregon
State series when injuries forced
his withdrawal in the late innings
of two games.
Hal Saltzman topped all the
pitchers with seven wins. Dick
Lehl and Lyle Pettyjohn split the
other four wins. Homer Bropst
worked in a number of games, but
was not credited with a win.
Bill Long, a converted outfielder,
and A1 paulson, who came up from
the junior varsity in tire final game
of the season, were the other Ore
gon moundsmen.
The 6-2 drubbing proved that Swan
was idly ranting about his squad.
Oregon didn’t perform as bad as
the score indicated, losing the
shuttle relay by a fluke.
Turning to outside competition,
Hayward’s men were hosts to Port
land and Willamette universities in
the next meet. Oregon was in a
class by itself, garnering a hundred
points more than either the Pilots
or the Bearcats.
Bill Beifuss hit an unexpected
early season form by clearing the
high jump bar at 6’5”! Bill hasn’t
equaled that mark since, his next
best jump being 6’3”.
Washington took the Ducks to
camp May 4th on Hayward field to
the tune of 75-55. The Huskies
were highly favored to win hands
down, but the Duck crew surprised
the Washington coach. Hec Ed
mundson, by copping six of the 15
firsts and taking all places in the
javelin.
Jake Leicht continued his speedy
record by winning both the hundred
and 220 in this meet, taking second
in the scoring honors for the day.
The Huskies distance runner, Don
Wold, led all thinclads by earning
12 points.
An almost hostile reception
greet the Ducks in their first away
from-home trip when they jour
neyed to Pullman, Washington for
a' dual meet with the WSC team.
The Cougars contested several
events, argued on legality of Bill
Kydd’s javelin, gave winning Ore
gon runners seconds, and tried
“fancy dan” tactics in the starting
of the sprint races. Oregon dropped
the meet, but won nearly every
event that the Cougars had tried
to swing by foul means. Final
score was WSC 76, U of O 55.
Oregon wasn’t the only team ac
corded such treatment, as Univer
sity of Washington's squad was
handed the same treatment when
they hit Pullman. When the^
Cougars entered the Division meet,
they again tried to add to their
previous unsavory reputation—but
only received glares and belly
laughs from contestants and of
ficials alike.
In the annual Oregon-OSC meet
held on Bell field May 16th the
Beavers outdistanced the Ducks in
the final events to win 80-51. The
Ducks picked up points in the
sprints and hurdles but lost out
when the discus, shot and distance
runs were held.
Top performers for the 1946
track and field team were Jake
Leicht, Bill Beifuss and Bill Kydd.
Leicht was unbeatable all year in
the sprints. Beifuss was tied just
once, and Kydd won every time
out.
The outlook for Oregon’s team
next year is good, at least it is
better than this year’s. But like
football, every other team in tfrrf
conference is going to be betted
Oregon loses only Kydd this year
and will have all the other top per
formers back. Some of the boys
who didn’t show up too well this
year are bound to improve and
have the service incurred kinks
out of their legs.
Oregon will probably have many
high school runners added to the
fold to aid in point garnering, if
the freshmen eligibility rule is not
enforced.
The only events Oregon will have
to worry about are the field events
and the distance runs where we
have been weak this year—and
might again be in the same boat
next spring. If Bill Hayward has
anything to say about it, Oregon
isn’t going to be weak there
either! v
Treat Your Graduation Guests
—To An Enjoyable Meal—
Breakfast — Luncheon — Dinner
In Pleasant Surroundings
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