The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 20, 1948, Page Page Seven, Image 7
-Diamon
Baseball Seasoi
Finds Coach T4
Returning To I
By JOE A
With spring just around t
turns to America's favorite s;
ing broken in, balls procured
All baseball-lovers seem restli
to actual play. The center of a
interested of the lot can be s
Ted Petoskey; new baseball c4
Coach Petoskey is no stranger
in baseball circles. Older brothers
remember him as an outstanding
baseball, football and basketball
player at Michigan. We remember
"'him through record books as a
reliable professional ball player in
'the sport he loves most-baseball.
With over a decade of profes
sional experience behind him, Pe
toskey can speak with authority
on the sport.
Not a Stranger
He is no stranger at Carolina,
either. Alumni recall that he took
command of the baseball team in
1939 when Coach Catfish Smith
went to Mississippi. Oddly enough,
this, his second sojourn at Caro
lina,. finds him stepping into the
same coach's shoes.
His stay at Carolina was the
most pleasant of his long years of
association with the game, Pe
toskey will tell you, and after a
tenure of three years as head
baseball coach and end football
coach, he left for Wofford where
he became head coach and athletic
director during the war.
What does Petoskey require of
his ball-players?
"The college player should learn
from scratch the fundamentals of
the game. That means plenty of
bunting, sound baserunning, heads
up fielding aud all-around alert
ness," he said.
We mentioned the woefully
weak pitching staff under Coach
Smith last year only to be re
minded that 28 likely looking
prospects reported for mound
duty this year!
Petoskey doesr'i. deinand per-i
fection-he'll tell you so. But he
does ask for hustle and an incen
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i Beginning
3d Petoskey
Familiar Role
IOLONY
ie corner thoughts and talk
*>rt-baseball. Gloves are be
and arms cautiously tested.
ss. Fireside chats give way
ttraction and one of the most
aen beaming broadly. This is
)ach at Carolina.
tive to learn-and he usually gets
it, too!
The former Columbia Red look
ed up quickly when asked the im
portance of batting averages.
"No need to stress the batting
averages of the ball players, just
keep your eye on the RBI column
--that's what pays off. Most of
the men will have their batting
averages on their shirt cuffs, any
how," was his quick retort.
But enough for Petoskey the
coach-he's more famous as a ball
player.
All-American
His achievements at Michigan
are now history! As an end for
the Wolverine grid team, he was
voted the best in the land-All
American-two years straight.
Not satisfied with mere football
distinction, Petoskey proved his
versatility by landing a berth on
the All-American basketball team
two years straight also!
All the while, his favorite sport
was still baseball. His play with
the Michigan nine four yeirs was
so outstanding that he was liter
ally swamped under with con
tracts from major league teams.
Played Pro Baseball
After his graduation in 1934, he
signed with ihe Cincinnati Reds
and reported to the Red training
camp in Florida.
Petoskey's stay with the Reds
was brief. As he says,
"I stayed up there only long
enough to get a cup of coffee and
He had several trIes with Cin
cinnati and traversed between
Wilmington (Pa.) of the intAr
State League and the majors'dur
ing 1934-1935.
In 1936 he finally settled down
with, the now-in-active, Durham
of the Piedmont League. The fol
kcwing two years he patrolled Lhe
gardens for the Toronto Maple
Leafg of the International League
--a double--A loop and one step
from the big time.
He was traded to Toledo of the
American Association in 1939,
where he remained a year. This
marked the end of his professional
ball-playing for several years fol'
the same year he accepted a coach
ing job at the University of South
Carolina.
Throughout his career, this well
liked ballplayer never often failed
to (lent the charmed .300 circle.
Hlis best year was during the tail
end of his playing career and d4r
ing the war when .he played and
managed the Birmingham Barons
of the Southern Association. He
hit .345! A figure near the top
of the league.
Former Columbia Red
Local fans will remember Pe
toskey as an outfielder with the
Columbia Reds of the Sally League
in its last year of operation be
fore the war (1942). He was a
bang-up team man for Earl Blue
own to g6t Laundry
iing Service?
ie Campus especially
convemience.
FOR STUDENTS
RSITY
[RY CLEANING
qICE
['he Canteen
)utside;
Sun Shining
As Lettermen,
Others Tryout
Carolina's baseball team began
out-of-door workouts Monday
with over 65 candidates reporting
to Coach Ted Petoskey and his
outfield assistant, Earl Dunham.
Because of the severe weather
the team had been forced to work
out in the field house until this
week.
Some familiar faces will be
missing from the squad this year,
Earl Dunham and Jack Couch be
ing the most notale. Dunham
was graduated this past year and
Couch is sticking to his studies
this spring.
* Dean Padgett, Red Wilson, C.
E. Driver, Quincy Crawford and
Marshall Kirkland failed to turn
out this year, also.
Petoskey will have several vet
erans from last year to build
around. His returniug pitchers
aro Cy Szakaesi, Bo Hagan,
Charlie Long, Henry Berlin and
John Sherer. Several frpshman
hurlers have looked very good in
doors-Shea and Ready In par
ticular.
If the 26 candidates can pro
duce four top notch hurlers with
several relief men to back them
up, Petoskey will be more than
satisfied,
The catching department is
well fortified with returning let
termen Mitchell Scott and Sonny
Way paving the way for some
nice looking prospects.
One newcomer, Freddie Bar
giacchi, who plays a sterling
shortstop, may cause a shift in
Petoskey's infield plans. At this
writing, he has Joe Johnson and
Will Harvin experienced at first
base; Red Andrews and Runt Wi
lis, last year's second basemen;
John Sykes at short and -Jim
Pinkerton fighting Keith Cribb
for the hot sorner.
At this stage, it appears that
Petoskey's biggest headache will
be in the outfield. . Harry Parone
ad LO1 Chii are the only
two '47 performers back in the
fold.
Petoskey would make no com
ment on his prospects for the
coming season. He didn't hesitate
to point out that all positions
are wide open as he has not had
the opportunity to see the men
in action.
and once again, and as usual, he
managed, to hit above .300.
After a short layoff, Ted came
back to the game last year. He
played semi-pro ball around Spar
tanburg for Ware Shoals regular
ly and for a mill team once a
wveek. He still gets around with
the best of them, too.
Petoskey liked Columbia. He
married a Columbia girl and has
two lively sons. The boys are the
picture of their father and the old
man expects them, some day, to
follow in his footsteps.
How does he like CarolI#.a?
Well, just listen in:,
"It's like coming back home,"
he mused. "I feel fortunate to be
back at Carolina. It's a fine school
and Columbia's a fine town. My
better half is more than pleased
-she's tickled to death."
How about the ball club? Do
the boys look okay?
"No comment," was the only
answer to these early season ques
tions.
Carolina cannot expect miracles
from> her new coach In his first
post-war year at the helm. He
will have to build from the bot
tom, become acquainted with his
material and beat the bushes for
new material before any real
progress can be realised.
However, it won't be long, may
be one or two years, before such
big baseball schools as Michigan
State and Duke will be hearing
from little Carolina and her new
coach-Ted Petoskey.
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Towering Al Adams. regular c
Conference last year, will be fac
Deran' Walters tonight.
Al helped pace the Gamecocks tl
day when he dropped in 11 points.
TENNIS PROSPE(
PRACTICE FOR 1
Twenty prospects for the C
Coach Hank Bartos Monday a
begin immediately.
Students, other than those
are notified that the two cour
will be reserved for the team
afternoon.
Among the 20 initial candidates
were Ben Turner, No. 1 last year,
Freddie Atkinson, No. 1 in 1946,
and Don Barton, Ben Kilgo, A. J.
Smith and Bill Tyson, all of whom
played last year.
The schedule is incomplete
but includes most of the state
teams, several conference teams
and an inter-sectional team. The
season is tentatively slated to be
gin with a road trip during spring
holidays.
Last season Carolina won seven
and lost seven.
r1114
hers Fac
g
F
ei
d4
at
to
p<
ti
fe
P(
til
enter who was all-State and all- 7
Ing Wake Forest's terrific center Ci
a 60-45 win over Newberry Mon
(Photo by Manning Harris). Gi
TS BEGIN
"OUGH SLATE
arolina tennis team met with
nd practices are scheduled to
seeking berths on the team,
ts adjoining McBryde College
between 2 and 4 p. m., each
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DEWS WILL BE HELD:
e Tougi
Wake Forest H
4aryland, Geor
iext; Birds Bef
Coach Frank Johnson and hi
ames within the final week
orest here to start things o
The Gamecocks broke even
irlier, and must do better t]
ieir position in the conferent
sired seeding in the confer
Seeking their tenth win in 18
arts, the Gamecocks will be out
beat the Deacons, whom they
at 65-60 Jan. 5. Sharpshoot
g Jack Gentry, who sank 23
oints that night, and center De
n1 Walters have led the Bap
;ts to-date.
Maryland, led by freshman Bill
anish, came.from behind to de
at the Birds 68-54 at College
irk. Georgia broke a 33-33 half
ne deadlock to trim the Birds
-57, while Carolina edged The
tadel 49-41. t
Lose to Furman
t
Furman ipset the favored s
imecooks. 50-38 to dim their e
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with their foUt opponents"
ian break even to maintain
,e race, as well as gain the*
nce tourney.
ourney hopes. Apparently catch
ng the Johnsonmen still in a
lump, the Hurricane blew as an
11 wind and stayed out front all
he way. Cy Szakacsi led the
firds with ten points.
Melvin Bell and Middie Hughes
>aced the winners and shared
coring honors with 14 each.
Scalped Indiana
Bouncing back from their two
osses, the Gamecocks trimmed
he Newberry Indians 60-45.
Steve Trewhella, Henry Mar
in and Al Adams combined to
ink 36 points and lead the Game
>cks. -
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