Fedora, Jordan, & UNC

A hat tip to Claude Webb for pointing out this story earlier today.

Rufus Bailey was a professor in North Carolina before he headed west in 1858 to take over the presidency of Austin College.  His 4 year tenure was a challenging one.  The Civil War forced Bailey to temporarily close the college, and poor health eventually forced his resignation.  He passed in 1863, just before the death of the school's most famous trustee Sam Houston.  Administrators at UT, A&M, TCU, SMU, Rice, Tech, Trinity, and Southwestern certainly didn't struggle as much as Bailey in 1861.  Those schools did not exist. :)

Maybe it's preferable for Roos to depart for the Tar Heel state instead.


Expectations were high for the 1981-82 UNC Tar Heels basketball team.  Already at 3-0, they took to the court at Carmichael Arena against South Florida and demolished the Bulls 75-39.  It was over by halftime.  Freshman Michael Jordan had 16 points, and let the bench get some game time in the second half.  The date was December 12, 1981.

It was a pretty good day for freshman receiver Larry Fedora and the Austin College Kangaroos as well. ;)

The Tar Heels kept rolling all the way through the NCAA tournament, advancing to the finals with a 31-2 record against Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas.  Down 1 with 17 seconds, Jordan mailed a jumper to give UNC the lead for good.  That shot, and the Tar Heel championship that it secured, propelled Jordan into global basketball stardom.



I bet ol' Larry Fedora was watching.  He was probably in Baker or Luckett Hall, marveling at yet another epic national championship ending that year.  What was he thinking?  I'll tell you what he was not thinking.  He was not thinking........."I'm gonna team up with that guy on a Carolina court in a few decades."  Funny how life's many long and winding roads meet up in unexpected places.

Jordan finished his career at UNC in 1984 as an NCAA All-American.  Ditto Fedora, whose last season in 1984 catching footballs earned him NAIA D2 All-American recognition.  Their paths since have taken them through multiple cities, sports, and professions.  But those paths crossed this week.

Jordan "Jumpman" brand of athletic gear has been the official gear of UNC basketball, and now it will do the same for UNC football.  The deal was announced at the halftime of what is likely the best rivalry in college basketball:  Duke vs. UNC.  The Chapel Hill hero had enthusiastic words for the tremendous turnaround Fedora has overseen for Tar Heel fans on the gridiron.




Great job Coach, and thanks for making us proud to be Roos.  We're all just a little bit more Tar Heel born and Tar Heel bred.

"Roo"nlight Graham

On a trip back to Boston in 1993, I stopped by the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa.  The film deals with many topics I love…. sport, loss, youth, fatherhood, even writing.  I highly recommend a visit.  People should visit, Ray, people should most definitely visit.  ;)

Another season of baseball is nearly here.  You’ve likely seen photos of ballplayers being shared on Facebook.  Politics is important, but can be exhausting.  We all need escapism, and baseball can provide.  Stratford HS baseball kicks off another season today, and Coach Jason Willis offered to give me a ballplayer to post as others are doing.  I asked him to give me an old timer and that I would try to link to Austin College.  Jason gave me a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox.  

This is the Roo Tale of Eddie Cicotte.

Chapter 1:  If you build it, he will come

Cicotte made his major league debut with Detroit in 1905, and was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1912.  At Chicago, he became a star.  He led the AL in winning percentage in 1916 and won 28 games in 1917.  That same year, he tossed a no-hitter against the St. Louis Browns.  And in 1919, he was close to notching 30 wins.

30 wins was a big deal.  The salary owner Charles Comiskey paid Cicotte was $6,000, but Cicotte had a contract bonus of $10,000 if he were to hit that magic number of wins.  Legend has it that as the regular season came to a close, and with Cicotte sitting on 29 wins, Comiskey benched his star pitcher for nearly a week to avoid having to pay the bonus.  Cicotte was furious.  So were the rest of his teammates.

The 1919 White Sox advanced to the World Series, but Cicotte, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and six others threw it in exchange for cash payments.  The “Black Sox” scandal is the stuff of baseball lore, and it might never have happened if not for the injustice and greed of owners like Comiskey.  Cicotte and the other members of the Eight Men Out were banned from baseball for life.

Cicotte had a teammate, however briefly, during the 1919 season.  Austin College Kangaroo Charlie Robertson graduated in 1919, and was immediately signed by the White Sox.  He pitched in a few games at Comiskey that year, before being sent to the minor league club in Minneapolis.  From there, he watched the scandal unfold.

Read the Roo Tale of Charlie Robertson's perfect game 

Chapter 2:  Ease his Pain

Robertson also never lost touch with AC.  During the offseason, he’d return to Sherman to assist with football and winter baseball.  He was back in the winter of 1922 to prepare Roo baseball for another season.  See the team photo in front of Luckett Hall.  Robertson is wearing his Minneapolis uniform, top row, far left.

Just a few months after this photo was taken, Robertson would be nationally famous.  On April 30, 1922, he threw a perfect game against Ty Cobb and Detroit at Tiger Stadium.  The feat would not be repeated until Don Larsen’s gem in the 1956 World Series.  There were a number of fine Roo ball players in 1922, all pictured in the photo.  But one of them has a special story.  Wally Dashiell.

The Black Sox scandal players are immortalized in the movie Field of Dreams, and Eddie Cicotte is one.  Played by actor Steve Eastin, Cicotte is the pitcher who faces Doc “Moonlight” Graham at the plate.  Cicotte gives Graham a brushback pitch and puts him on the ground in one scene.  Graham’s transgression?  “He winked at me”, says Cicotte.

Steve Eastin as Eddie Cicotte in "Field of Dreams."

Frank Whaley as Moonlight Graham in "Field of Dreams."

A good portion of the movie focuses on Moonlight Graham.  In 1905, this rookie was called up to the New York Giants for one game.  He was inserted into the lineup in the ninth inning, but never made it past the on deck circle.  The game ended, and Graham was sent down to the minors for the rest of his career.  He never got to bat.  In the movie, Graham’s dream is to face a big league pitcher.

After the brushback, Graham hits a long fly ball off of Cicotte to right field.  The runner at third tags, and scores.  This is actually a significant event in the movie.  A sacrifice does not count as an at-bat in the record books.  This is done to ensure that the batter is neither rewarded for an out nor penalized for an RBI.  In this way, Graham achieves his dream of facing a major league pitcher without disturbing the sacred record books with an official at-bat.  His contribution to the team is silent.

Chapter 3:  Go the Distance

Wallace Dashiell graduated from Austin College in 1922, and like Robertson was also signed by Comiskey and the White Sox.  Imagine his excitement.  This Roo was headed to Chicago, to play alongside his former Roo coach, perfect game hurler, and now teammate.  Dashiell spent 1923 in the minors, but was called up to Chicago to start the 1924 season.  He watched Robertson pitch on a few outings, and patiently waited to get the call. 

It came on April 20, 1924.

Dashiell was inserted at shortstop halfway through the game.  His first two plate appearances were both strikeouts.  The White Sox 8^th inning began with the Cleveland Indians up 4-1.  But a rally was about to get underway at Comiskey, and Dashiell would be a part of it.

Chicago closed the gap to 4-3, and had men on 1^st and 2^nd.  Dashiell was called to sacrifice, and he delivered.  The runners advanced, and would later score on a hit and squeeze play.  Chicago won 5-4, and Dashiell was a contributor.  As he left Comiskey that afternoon, his fellow Roo teammate Robertson probably slapped him on the back and muttered “fine job.”

Dashiell would never play in the majors again. 

His career major league statistics:  3 plate appearances, 2 at-bats, 1 sacrifice hit, 0 hits/walks.  One game.

He was Austin College’s Moonlight Graham.

After a few days, Dashiell was sent back down to the minors, where he began a successful 15 year playing career.  He transitioned to manager in the 1930s and 1940s, and guided the Pensacola Flyers to numerous minor league pennants.

Chapter 4:  Wanna Have a Catch?

Don Larsen’s 1956 perfect game renewed interest in Charlie Robertson’s feat for the White Sox.  Robertson eventually retired to Texas, and passed in 1984.  It’s unknown whether Robertson & Dasheill…..the two Roos of Luckett Hall & Comiskey…….remained close.

In real life, “Moonlight” Graham became a doctor and a pillar of the Chisholm, MN community.  In a similar vein, Dashiell and family found a home in Pensacola.  He managed the Flyers for many years, ran a small business, and was a beloved member of the city when he passed in 1972.  Just this past year, the mayor of Pensacola declared August 22, 2016 as “Wally & Virginia Dashiell” day.

Like Shoeless Joe Jackson, Cicotte never played baseball in the majors again after the 1919 scandal.  He went to work for Ford Motor Company, and was a Michigan strawberry farmer in retirement.  He passed in 1965.

But just like the film, both Cicotte and Dashiell both probably had days where they dreamed of a field in Iowa to face off one last time.  Cicotte, to continue what might have been.  And Dashiell, what never was. 

“Man, I did love this game.  I’d have played for food money………. shoot, I’d have played for nothing.” – Shoeless Joe Jackson

 “We just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought, well, there'll be other days. I didn't realize that that was the only day.” – Moonlight Graham

“Wanna Have a Catch?” – Ray Kinsella

Good luck this season to Stratford HS.  Go get 'em Coach Willis.

Photo taken by Marc Parrish of a father & son at the Field of Dreams – September 1993

Dell Morgan, Rice Baseball, & The Smell

This post is inspired by Bill Leonard.

In two weeks, pitchers & catchers will report and Rice baseball will kick off another season. The Owls open up against the Longhorns in Austin, before returning home to Reckling Park in Houston.

Reckling Park is named after an all-star Rice infielder from the early 1950s named Tommy Reckling. The park is one of the most beautiful venues in all of college baseball.

During his tenure at Rice, Reckling played for Manager Dell Morgan..............an Austin College Kangaroo. See photo of the 1953 Rice Owls, featuring Reckling & Morgan.

Not surprisingly, the Park is named for Reckling in part due to his generosity. Tommy Reckling took his degree from Rice and made considerable sums in the corporate world. His longest stint was as an executive officer for..........the Anderson Clayton company.

Yes, Reckling Park was funded in part by profits from the mayonnaise / mustard gas / Thousand Island smell that disrupted Roo practices and games for decades. The very least Rice baseball could do would be to offer some Roo ticket discounts.............in appreciation for Dell Morgan's efforts and all of our Roo nausea.

Roo BBQ & Texas Rangers

They’re all gone.

All of those unbelievable streaks of World Series futility are no more. Since 2004, the Red Sox, White Sox, and……unbelievably……the Chicago Cubs have all won titles. The Cleveland Indians have the longest streak today, having last won in 1948.

But at least the Indians have a title. What organization owns the longest streak without ever having won at all? Well, it’s our very own Texas Rangers. Since its founding in 1961, the Rangers have competed in 56 seasons without a championship. Pitchers and catchers report next week for season #57.

Texas has been oh so close, and recently too. The Rangers have made the post season 4 times in the last 7 years, and have advanced to the World Series twice. And 2011. Oh dear lord, 2011.
Taking a page straight out of the Red Sox and 1986, the Rangers were up 3 games to 2 against the St. Louis Cardinals with a one run 10th inning lead. 2 outs. 2 strikes. One pitch away from bringing the state of Texas its first World Series Championship. Just one more whiff…….from one more batter……………


The Rangers founding year of 1961 was also the last year of Dell Morgan’s tenure at Rice University. This Austin College Kangaroo had managed Rice baseball since 1953, and amazingly was the fourth (!!!) Kangaroo coach to be associated with Rice Owls baseball. Morgan died tragically in a car accident in 1962; after his passing, Rice University established the Dell Morgan award in his honor. This award is given to the outstanding Rice baseball player every year.

Interestingly enough, the outstanding Austin College baseball player award is given in the name Cecil Grigg, who, like Morgan, was both a former Austin College sports star and Rice baseball skipper. Past winners of the Cecil Grigg award include Tony Bitros and Kelly Carver, among others.
Wayne Graham’s Rice Owls have enjoyed two decades of remarkable success, and this run began in the late 90s with the help of another Texas son. New Braunfels native Lance Berkman came to Rice, and helped lead the Owls to their first ever College World Series appearance. For his success, Berkman was twice awarded the Dell Morgan award. Berkman later contributed to Houston’s first WS appearance, and also played for the Rangers.

But that’s not how Ranger fans remember this Roo Coach award winner.

One strike against Berkman, and the Rangers were champs. That strike never came. Berkman ripped a single to right, tying the game. St. Louis won it in the 11th, and took Game #7 the next day. The Rangers are still looking for that missing piece of the puzzle to finally, finally bring home the title to Arlington.

And maybe we’ve got it Roo fans.



Lockhart Smokehouse will open up a third restaurant in 2018, within the venue of the new Rangers stadium. This BBQ joint is owned and operated by Roos Jeff Bergus and Jill Grobowsky Bergus, and the new ballpark location will be the third in the DFW area. That’s right………………Roo BBQ, the official BBQ of the Texas Rangers.

This, my friends, is the missing piece of the puzzle. Go ahead and hire Theo Epstein too if you want Rangers, that would just be gravy. The drought is gonna end and end soon, and I plan to wash that drought down with an Arlington beer at Lockhart Smokehouse.

Somebody go invite Berkman to join us.

http://www.tmbbq.com/texas-rangers-announce-a-bbq-signing/

https://www.facebook.com/MikeLeslieWFAA/videos/1520239427989556/?pnref=story 

Roo Coaches Are Educators First

AC and an All-Texas Super Bowl

“An all-Texas Super Bowl? His will be done.” – Hank Hill




In Texas, football is king. Friday Night Lights talent at the high school level power teams across the nation. In any given year, you can expect to find multiple Texas universities in the top 25. And we take it for granted that the Dallas Cowboys should bring home the Vince Lombardi trophy. But an All-Texas Super Bowl? That would be a sight to behold. It would be the equivalent of a Subway Series in New York (which has happened) or a UNC/Duke NCAA title game in basketball (which has not).

The possibility has not gotten much press in 2017, in part because of the NFC dominance of the Cowboys and the AFC South mediocrity of the Texans. But don’t look now. The Texans are division champs and have a playoff win under their belt. Both teams are in the playoffs together for the first time in nearly a quarter century. And fittingly, the Super Bowl will take place in Houston, Texas this year.

I know what you are thinking. A professional football title game in Texas featuring two teams from Texas. Wouldn’t that be a first? I got news for you. It would not be a first. It has happened before.

And Austin College is involved.

The last time Dallas & Houston were in the playoffs together was in the early 90s. In 1991, both teams advanced to the divisional round but were just a bit too young. 1992 was supposed to be the year. But the Bills wrecked the party in the wildcard round with an historic comeback win in Buffalo. In 1993, the Cowboys were Super Bowl champions once again. But the Oilers fell in the divisional round to a down-but-not-out Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Still painful to watch.  The Bills come back and deny Texas a Cowboys-Oilers matchup.

The best opportunities actually came during the Cowboy-Oiler glory years of the late 70s.

Dallas was on its way back to the Super Bowl in 1978, and Houston almost joined them. But Pittsburgh shut down the Oilers in the AFC championship. Both teams fell in the 1979 playoffs to Super Bowl participants. Dallas lost to Vince Ferragamo and the Rams in the divisional round. The call of a game tying Mike Renfro TD catch late in the third quarter against Pittsburgh was botched, and the Oilers never recovered in the AFC championship game rematch against Pittsburgh.

Renfro's TD is denied and Houston loses in the AFC championship game for a second straight year.

Houston traded for Ken Stabler in 1980 as a final piece of the puzzle. But even this 1968 Cotton Bowl buddy of 1981 AC Roo Russ Roden couldn’t get the Oilers past the Wildcard round. Dallas fell in the NFC championship game anyway.

1981 Roo Russ Roden gives Ken Stabler some pointers at the 1968 'Bama-A&M Cotton Bowl.

Even one of the most famous games in Cowboy football history is involved.

The Oilers and Cowboys advanced to their respective league title games in 1967, where both came up short. Dallas did so in dramatic fashion, losing to Green Bay in the Ice Bowl. With wind chills around -36F, Bart Starr’s QB sneak with seconds remaining sent the Cowboys back home. Vince Lombardi and his crew would move on to Super Bowl II, where they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cowboys and Packers face off tomorrow, nearly 50 years after their famous frigid meeting. Go Cowboys! #FinishTheFight.



Lombardi was nothing more than an assistant coach at Army when Odessa native Gene Babb arrived in Sherman in 1953. First year Coach Joe Spencer began to play him almost immediately, to great effect. The Sherman Democrat would write frequently about Babb’s “bull-like running” for the Roos over the next 4 years. Babb led the Roos to 3 winning seasons in independent, non-conference play, the highlight of which was an upset of East Texas State……AC’s first victory over the school since the days of Pete Cawthon.

The professional scouts began to show up in Sherman. The Eagles were interested, as were the Lions. But the 49ers drafted Babb first in 1957. According to Babb, “I sat there in the corner of Hughey Gym and signed a contract for $6,000 for my first season……..all the money in the world.”

Roo Gene Babb scores a TD for the 49ers against the Baltimore Colts on December 8, 1957 in San Francisco.   One year later the Colts would win the NFL championship in "The Greatest Game Ever Played".




Y.A. Tittle and Gene Babb lead San Francisco to a 35-31 victory over Bobby Layne and the Detroit Lions in 1957.

Babb played in the NFL for 7 seasons and 3 teams. The 49ers used him as a running back, as did his second team……….a new 1960 expansion squad in Dallas coached by a young Tom Landry. But Houston needed a linebacker in 1962, and converted Babb to the defensive side after acquiring. One Oilers assistant coach probably had some influence in the decision to acquire Babb; Joe Spencer had moved on from AC and was in charge of Houston’s offensive line in 1962.

The George Blanda-led Oilers were two time defending AFL champions in 1962, and with Babb backing the defensive line advanced all the way to the AFL title game for a third year in a row. Waiting for them in the championship game? The Dallas Texans.

Hank Stram’s squad had a hall of fame quarterback in Len Dawson, and were looking to dethrone the defending champs. Just as in 2017, the title game took place in Houston……..at UH’s Jeppensen Stadium (since rebuilt as TDECU Stadium). It was a professional football championship game in Texas between two Texas teams. Curt Gowdy called the game, and Jack Buck was on the sidelines. Among their topics of discussion was recently approved financing by the city of Houston for some new “domed” stadium.

The Texans started strong, and held a 17-0 lead at the half. But Babb and the Oilers defense shut down Dawson in the second half, and Houston tied the score late at 17-17. Just like the famous 1958 NFL championship game, this contest would be decided in overtime. But unlike 1958, the 1962 AFL title game would need two extra periods.

From the 4th quarter into the 6th, Babb and the Oilers would continue to bend but not break. But eventually the Texan attack became too much. A long Dallas drive led to a championship clinching field goal. Stram and Dallas celebrated. Babb and Houston left the field in disappointment. Texas was the center of the football universe. See Gene Babb highlights from the 1962 title game in the video found in the comments below.


Change has been a constant since that 1962 game. The Dallas Texans left for Kansas City. The AFL and NFL merged. The Oilers departed for Tennessee. And the Houston Texans arrived in their absence. A Dallas or Houston team has been in the playoffs for 39 of 51 years since the inception of the Super Bowl, and both teams have been in the playoffs for 9 years. And yet, since 1962, an All-Texas title game has remained elusive.

We know the odds. Even with home field advantage, the Cowboys have much work to do. And their path is easier than Houston’s. The Texans route back home to Houston will require tremendous upsets in Foxboro & Pittsburgh or Kansas City.

But as of the time of this writing, Hank Hill’s fondest wish still exists. If an Austin College Kangaroo can live the dream of signing with the NFL in Hughey Gymnasium, then surely we can at some point experience the dream of an All-Texas Super Bowl. Ideally in Texas in the year 2017. But if not, at some future date in our lifetimes. His will be done.

Clemson and AC from 1896 to 1981

Founded in the 19^th century, this southern school began to officially participate in collegiate football in the year 1896.  After 86 years of competition, this college finally secured its one and only national championship in 1981.  To date, it remains the only national championship for the school.

The Austin College Kangaroos?  You bet.

But not just AC.  The same paragraph applies to the Clemson Tigers. 

 

This week, Clemson celebrates the 35^th anniversary of its national championship clinching victory over 1981 AC Coach Larry Kramer’s Nebraska Cornhuskers.  I bet ol’ Larry was watching that game with disappointment, comforted only by another game played just 20 days earlier.

Clemson football glory came early with the hiring of Coach John Heisman in 1900.  Heisman led the Tigers to three SIAA (an SEC precursor) championships, and his .833 winning percentage remains the best in school history.  Heisman’s success in the Palmetto state was the first of many tenures for the iconic coach.

The 1896 Austin College Kangaroos (left) and the 1896 Clemson Tigers (right).

In 1924, Rice University was dedicated to turning its fortunes around and lured Heisman to Houston.  The former Clemson coach responded quickly in his first season by defeating the rival Texas Longhorns 19-6 at home.  But pride goeth before a fall.  The next week, Heisman’s Owls fell at home……to Pete Cawthon’s Austin College Kangaroos.

Former Clemson Coach John Heisman, before his loss to Austin College in 1924.

Jess Neely was a star half-back in 1924 at Rhodes College, a future 2017 SAA Conference rival of Austin College (and also the next challenge for Austin College President Marjorie Hass.  Good luck Marjorie, we will miss you!).  Neely was hired to coach the Clemson Tigers in 1931, leading them to an appearance in the 1940 Cotton Bowl. 

 

At that same time, Rice’s fortunes were waning once again.  And just as before, they looked for help from a former Clemson coach.  Neely came from Clemson to Rice in 1940 and presided over what can only be described as “Rice’s glory years”.   Over the quarter century that followed, Neely’s Owls won 4 Southwest Conference championships and played .500 football with the arch rival Longhorns.

But Neely had help.

Austin College Kangaroo star Cecil Grigg had played against the Longhorns in 1912, and had coached his alma mater in Sherman in 1931 at the time of Neely’s hire at Clemson.  By the time Neely arrived in 1940 at Rice, Grigg was already there………..as a Rice offensive assistant coach.  Neely remained head coach of the Owls for an amazing 26 years, and Grigg was at his side every step of the way.

Former Austin College coach Cecil Grigg (far left) and former Clemson coach Jess Neely (far right) lead Rice during the Owl glory years.

Back at Clemson, Neely was replaced by Frank Howard.  You may have heard, the guy had a “rock”.

Like the 1981 National Champion Kangaroos, Danny Ford’s Tigers were unranked at the beginning of the season and ended the campaign with the best record in school history.  The 1981 championship is a part of Clemson lore.  But don’t take my word for it.  Ask any Clemson fan.  For example, Frank & Rebecca Adams.

Your humble author and my wife Dianne traveled throughout China with Clemson alumni and Greenville, SC natives Frank & Rebecca, as we all experienced the journey of a lifetime and brought our daughters home.  While in places like Beijing & Guangzhou, we became more familiar with the passion that is Clemson Tiger football.  On Monday, Frank & Rebecca will be glued to the game.

Clemson has a daunting task.  We are all familiar with the work of Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.  Alabama has won 4 national championships in 7 years, and is heavily favored in Monday’s championship game.  Most certainly would be reluctant to pick against arguably the best college football program in the nation’s history.  Surely the Tide will prevail.

And yet, I still can’t shake that feeling.

Maybe it’s because of the 35^th Roo/Tiger anniversary.  Maybe it’s because of Heisman & Cawthon.  Maybe it’s because of Neely & Grigg.  Maybe it is because Roo Pete Cawthon was an Athletic Director at Alabama, and Tiger Coaches Frank Howard, Danny Ford and Dabo Swinney all played for Alabama.  Maybe it is because all reigns must end, just as USC learned on a warm night in Pasadena in 2006.

Or maybe it’s as simple as wanting my Clemson friends to experience a national title.  Whatever the reason, this Roo will be pulling for a Tiger win and joy for Frank, Rebecca and others in South Carolina. 

 

Go Tigers, Go Roos, and Go 1981.

Louis Calder Stadium in Sherman, TX.  Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC. 

National Champions:  The 1981 Austin College Kangaroos & The 1981 Clemson Tigers.

The Dallas Morning News reports on the future NCAA D1 & NAIA D2 National Champions.