HI NOTES: Dialed In Catcher, Selfless Recruit, A Look Back at '54

1954 Mizzou Baseball team

MIZZOU BASEBALL HISTORY

♦ A MUST READ story: Doerr reflects on 1954 Championship team (The Maneater)

Starter Jim Doerr, who will turn 81 in a few weeks, still holds on to memories from that team. He’s spent his retirement on Sunset Drive behind a white fence at his home. Inside, lighthouses adorn end tables and cuckoo clocks chirp every hour.

Doerr, donned in a bright green sweater with yellow pants, arranges a simple display on one of his couches. He’s collected a few framed photos, an autographed bat and some worn articles printed on computer paper. A fat, jewel-incrusted ring emblazoned with an “M” is wedged on his finger.

During that 1954 season, Doerr was a senior and the everyday left fielder. It was his first starting role on the team. Jim eases himself into an armchair and as he begins to talk, it becomes apparent that baseball, as Jim remembers it, wasn’t like it is today...

To learn more about the 1954 National Champion Tigers, check out SimmonsField.com's 50th anniversarry game-by-game review of that season.

GAME DAY

♦ Be sure to check out Sam Nasci's Mizzou Matchup preview of today's Mizzou-Illinois game.

Tuesday's #Illini starter at Busch Stadium vs. #Mizzou will be Rob McDonnell (@bigbob428): youtu.be/M2t14sSg0dY
— Illinois Baseball (@IlliniBaseball) April 1, 2013

♦ Illinois meets Missouri in the fourth annual Battle at Busch (Daily Illini)

“It’s a lot of fun for us as players,” center fielder Justin Parr said. “You know you’re going to get a competitive ball game against Missouri. It kind of makes it more competitive just because you’re kind of on that bigger stage.”

It’s not as big as the basketball games in St. Louis, and neither team’s fans get no where near filling the 44,000 seat stadium to capacity. If years past are any indication, then both teams will be about equal in fan support — even though Missouri is closer in distance.

The Illini haven’t beaten the Tigers since the two teams began playing at Busch, going 0-2 against them with the game being rained out in 2011. Missouri has won six in a row against Illinois and has never lost at Busch Stadium. The Tigers come into the game losers of six of their last eight games. This game concludes a five-game break from Big Ten play for Illinois....

♦ Catcher's voice keeps Missouri pitchers dialed in (Columbia Missourian)

“He just keeps me focused and the energy that he brings every pitch is unmatched,” Graves said. “I’ve never seen it before. We all kind of tease him a little bit about it, but it definitely keeps me locked in and focused.”

But what is it that Kelly is jawing about that has his teammates so psyched up?

“He says ‘stay with me’ about 942 times a game,” Graves said. “I’m not kidding. If you guys heard it, you’d be like all right, we get it, we’re staying with you. It’s just small things like that, just subtle reminders to keep focused, keep attacking and basically not to change anything.”...

♦ Not baseball, but every once in a while MU Softball grabs my attention.

MIZZOU BASEBALL RECRUITING

♦ About time we’ve got baseball and softball to talk about (Daily Herald)

Prairie Ridge outfielder Jordan Getzelman, who will play baseball at Missouri next year, is called "one of the best high school baseball players in the state" by his coach, Glen Pecoraro.

I've always been a firm believer in making sure all 9 starters can lay down a bunt when necessary. Getzelman proved my point when he laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt in top of the sixth inning of a scoreless game with nobody out against St. Charles East last Thursday.

The Wolves eventually pushed across the game's first run and went on to win, 7-3.

"I have no hesitation bunting with him because he's got a chance to beat out any bunt with his speed," said Pecoraro. "He's a selfless kid."...