The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 28, 1950, Page Page Seven, Image 7
Tom Price, Sports Editor
L. C. Tankersley Mordecat Persky
Jimmy Howle Rudy Thigpen
SG S
Rce -
GRADY GOOD GAMECOCK
Probably one of the best things that ever happened to
Baseball Coach Ted Petoskey was when a young pitcher
named Grady Thomas Faircloth transferred to Carolina from
South Georgia Junior College last September.
Last Saturday in Greenville, Grady shut out the Furman
-University Purple Hurricane 15-0 to notch his fourth vin
of the young baseball season against no defeats. He had
previously claimed victories over Mercer University, Duke
University, and The Citadel.
Grady, a junior majoring in physical education, is only
19 years old. His home town high school in Donalsonville,
Ga., didn't have a baseball team so he joined a semi-pro out
fit made up of men much older than himself. He was an in
fielder then and did all right in fast company despite his
15 years.
In 1947 an American Legion junior team was formed in
Donalsonville and Grady reported for the first day's prac
tice. Pitchers were scarce, so the coach stuck Grady on the
mound. He had a brilliant season and enrblled at South Geor
gia Junior College that fall. He compiled a record of six wins
and three losses in junior college baseball in 1948, and last
year hung up a perfect 4-0 record. He didn't pitch as much
last year as in 1948 because South Georgia scheduled only
15 games.
Last summer he hurled for a semi-pro team in a fast South
Georgia circuit and won five while losing two.
Grady's first few weeks under Petoskey weren't easy. The
Gamecock mentor had such- proven hurlers as Bill Camp,
Frank Sherer, and Harold "Bo" Hagan, and during the home
series with Michigan State and Duke, the only activity for
Grady Faircloth was in the Gamecock bull pen. He became
dis'couraged and even talked of quitting; but his chance was
to come.
In the second game of the BirdA' Easter holidays tour, Fair
cloth was the starting pitcher. The game was played at
Mercer University in Macon, Ga., and Grady, a South Geor
gia boy, was well known by many of the fans who were pres
ent. lie had played semiLpro ball with several members of the
Mercer team.'
Although the weather was frigid, with the thermometer
hovering around 35 degrees, and a stiff wind blew the cold
right through him, Grady Faircloth set the Bears down with
four hits over the first seven innings. He was rather wild,
walking eight, and four Gamecock errors kept him in trouble
throughout, but each time, he pitched out of danger and
stifled the Mercer bats. He was removed in favor of Frank
Sherer in the eighth inning, but received credit for a 12-7
victory.
Three days later, Grady p)itchedl three innings in relief
against the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. The weather was
hot and po was Grady; he threw a third strike past five
Navy batters.
The Gamecocks returned from Florida and immediately
traveled to t)urham, N. C., to meet Duke again. Grady got
the nod to hurl the first of the two-game series and spun
a seven hitter to win 8-6. Five of Duke's six runs were
unearned.
His next time out, Grady pitched a five-hit, 3-1 victory
over The Citadel in the seven-inning half of a doubleheader.
He would have had a shutout but for a Gamecock error.
He got his shutout four days later, however, as the Game
cocks took revenge on Furman for a seven-run ninth inning
that beat the Birds 12-11 the day before by pounding three
Hurricane hurlers for 21 hits and a 15-0 victory. Grady
showed that he has what it takes when Furman loaded the
bases with only one out in the sixth inning. The Gamecock
righthander bore down and fanned the next batter and
then forced the next to pop to first for the final out.
In the hitting department, Grady shows the influence of
his infielding days. Thus far he has collected six hits in
16 times at bat for an average of .375. He has two doubles
and seven runs batted in. In one game at Jacksonville,
Petoskey put him in the outfield and Grady responded by
rapping d'ut two hits in three plate appearances.
Grady will be only 20 years old when he graduates from
Carolina and he hopes to play professional baseball for a
few years before settling down to teaching physical educa
tion. He revealed that he was approached by a scout for one
of the major league farm systems last year, but on the advice
of his father, he decided to finish college before signing a
professional contract.
If Grady Faircloth continues his current winning ways,
Ted Petoskey will probably be eternally grateful that the
kid from South Georgia decided to finish his schooling.
Sykes Currently
Pacing Gamecock
Batting Derby
Through last Saturday's gathe
with Furman University in Green
ville, John Sykes was leading the
Carolina baseball team's bWting
race with an average of .877. The
senior shortstop was also the pace
setter in hits, 26; times at bat,
69; runs, 18; three-base hits, 2;
total bases, 35; and stolen bases,
9. Sykes and four teammates are
tied for the home run leadership
with one each.
First baseman John "Cy" Sza
kacsi has the most doubles, 3; the
most runs batted in, 19; and is tied
for the home run leadership. He
has hit safely in all but one of the
14 games in which he participated.
Catcher Gus Allen has struck
out the most, 12 times; while be
ing tied for the home run leader
ship. Third base7man Tom Clark
and Second sacker Jack Mitchell
each has two sacrifices to lead
that department; while Mitchell
has been hit the most by pitched
balls, 2; and Clark is tied for the
home run lead, and has drawn the
most bases on balls, 7.
After the Furman series, the
Gamecocks had five regulars bat
ting over the coveted .300 mark.
They were: Sykes .377, Leftfielder
Ashley Phillips .351, Szakacsi .328,
Clark .317, and Centerfielder Bob
by Rogers .310. Pitcher Grady
Faircloth is also in the charmed
circle with six hits in 16 trips fot
a .375 average.
In the pitching department Fair
cloth leads in victories with four;
in percentage with a-perfect 1.000;
in complete games, 3; is second in
earned run averages with 1.03; has
the only shutout registered thus
far; and has hit the most bat
ters, 3.
Dempsey Jones has one victory
and no losses to share the per:
centage leadership with Faircloth,
while Bill Camp and Faircloth each
has four decisions to lead that
department.
Camp has appeared in the most
games, 10; started the most games,
5; pitched the most Innings, 52;
allowed the most hits, 51; the most
bases on balls, 17; has the most
strikeouts, 32; and has allowed
the most earned runs, 10.
Frank Sherer has committed the
most balks, 2; and Harold "Bo"
Hagan has the best earned run
average, a perfect 0.00 for 12 in
nings, but he has thrown the most
wild pitches 4.
The Gamecock team has a record
of nine wins (through last Satur
day) and five losses, for a per
centage of .643. One game with
Duke was called at the end of 10
innings with the score tied at 5-9.
The overall earned run average of
the pitching staff is a phenomenal
1.75.
Sports quiz
George Trotter, Box 3968, was
so right wvhen he said that the
answver to last week's Sportsquiz
was Billy Sunday. For being in
the know, George is being sent two
free passes to the comfortable
Carolina Theatre where "Barri
cade" is nowv showing. Russell E.
Green also guessed the right an
swer, but he was a day late in
sending it in.
This week's mystery enan was
the only rookie pitcher in history
to win three games in a world
series. He was born in the Hoosier
state, but grew up in Missouri. He
pitched in professional baseball for
23 years, 16 of which were spent
with one major league club.
lie was considered washed up in
1917 and shunted off to the minors,
but a year and a half later he was
recalled and pitched seven more
seasons in the big time.
He won 194 games during his
major league career and probably
had better control than any other
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STEAKS
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Bird B
Complete averages through game
Player G AB R Hi
Sykes, s '15 69 18 24
FaIreloth, p-of 6 16 7 4
Phillips, of 15 57 12 24
Wilson, of (R) 8 35 12 12
Szakacsi, lb 14 61 6 24
Clark, 3b 15 63 13 20
Rogers, of 10 29 9 '9
Mitchell, 2b 14 48 5 12
Rhame, c 4 8 0 2
Jones, p-of 3 9 1 :
Scott, e * 6 23 5 a
Allen, c (*) 9 32 3 4
Kincaid, of 9 24 7 4
Chinnes, util. 9 25 4 4
Sherer, p 6 10 1
Camp, p 11 25 1
Radar, of 6 19 0
Hagan, p 3 4 0
Shea, lb 2 2 0
Dean,of (R) 1 2 0
Lattimore, p 1 1 0
Totals 15 562 104. 15
(*)-Out with fractured finger.
(R)-Released.
hurler in the history of the game.
He walked only 433 in 3,070 in
nings (482 games)-an average of
1.27 per nine innings. He holds
the record for pitching the.longest
games without issuing a base on
balls. A home run in the 21st in
ning beat him.
If you know the correct answer,
write it on a piece of paper and
address your entry to Gamecock
Sports, campus. First correct an
swer received wins the free passes.
40! Pa/t'&
An excellent student at Middlc
lege, Vermont, Paul found tir
the c.oveted All Sports TrOp
senior year. He graduated in J
His big plane education was toj
23 missions over the far-famed
flying (C-54 transports. After V
stayed on in the Far East until
1948-specializing in Air Intell
ONLY THE
atting
of Saturday, Apr11 22:
2B 3B HR SB RBI Pet.
2 2 1 9 7 .3771
2 0 0 3 7 .375
1 1 0 4 13 .351 1
2 1 1 2 5 843
3 1 1 0 19 .328
0 0 1 4 7 .817
1 0 0 2 4 .310
1 0 0 1 6 .250
0 0 0 0 2 .250.
0 0 0 0 1 .222
2 0 0 0 8 .217
0 0 1 0 4 .188
1 0 0 0 0 .167
0 0 0 1 3 .160
0 0 0 0 0 .1001
0 0 0 0 3 .080
0 0 0 0 1 .053
0 0 0 0 0 .000
0 0 0 0 0 .000
1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
0 0 0 0 0 .000
15 5 5 26 85 .270
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BEST CA N 1
Page aeffm
Pitching Averages
G IP H SO BB HB ER W L T Pet. BRA
Faircloth 5 35 29 22 13 3 4 4 0 0 1.000 1.03
Tones 1 7 7 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 1.000 L20
,amp 10 52 51 32 17 2 1022 1 .00 1.73
Sherer 6 291/3 32 18 6 0 9 2 2 0 .500 2.72
1agan 3 12 7 8 2 0 0 0 1 0 .000 0.00
Lattimore 1 11/3 4 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .000 6.75
.1382/3 130 102 38 5 27 9 5 1 .643 1.75
Balks-Sherer 2; Camp 1.
Wild Pitches-Hagan 4; Camp 3; Faircloth 3.
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