(Columbia Daily Tribune, Wednesday, June 16, 1954)
OMAHA, June 16 - The University of Missouri and Rollins college world series at 8 o'clock tonight after a 24-hour delay because of rain.
The game was postponed last night after day-long rains left the playing field at Omaha's Municipal stadium too wet and slick for play.
The postponement was considered a break for Missouri, Bug Seven champions, giving the Tiger pitching staff a day of rest. Rollins had a day off Monday.
Both coaches, however, indicated they would go along with their mound choices announced before last night's scheduled contest.
That means it will be Ed Cook for Missouri and little Art Brophy for the Florida college. Both are sophomore lefthanders.
Cook has one win in series play, a five-hit 8 to 1 victory over Massachusetts, while Brophy also has posted one victory during the tournament.
Brophy, a 150-pounder from Midford, Mass., dealt the Missourians their only loss when he turned them back, 4-1, with only six hits.
Brophy won eight games without a loss during the Tars regular season while Cook, of Granite City, Ill., had a 4-1 record.
The postponement has inconvenienced at least one Tiger player, First Baseman Bob Schoonmaker, who was scheduled to depart immediately after last night's contest on a journey that would lead to New York City and marriage.
Schoonmaker had planned to hurry to his home in Lebanon, Mo., to join his fiancee, Miss Beverly Jean Enstrom, for the trip to New York where the couple will exchange vows on a nationwide television show Monday.
The rains, however, have forced a change in the first baseman's travel schedule.
The prospective bridegroom and his Tiger teammates reached the tournament finals with victories over Lafayette, Massachusetts, Oklahoma A&M and Michigan State, while suffering their lone loss at the hands of Rollins.
The little Florida school gained the finals by defeating A&M, Michigan State and Missouri. The Tars also dropped a contest to State.
The Columbia Quarterback club is planning a "Welcome Home" celebration for the Missouri Tigers who have reached the finals of the NCAA college baseball world series at Omaha. The ceremonies will start at Radio Station KFRU on Highway 40 and include a parade through Columbia that will end at Brewer field house.
Warren Dalton, Quarterback club president, said the rally will be held the afternoon following the championship game between Missouri and Rollins college.
The club has made arrangements to learn when the team arrives at Macon and KFRU will broadcast bulletins at five-minute intervals from that time until the Tigers reach Columbia.
Mahlon Aldridge, KFRU manager, will interview members of the Missouri team and coaching staff at the radio station before a parade starts Westward on Highway 40 to West Boulevard, south to Broadway, East to College Avenue, South to Rollins Street and West to the field house.
Dalton said M.U. cheerleaders will be on hand for the celebration, and a band will lead the parade. Players and coaches will ride in new convertibles, he added.
Vice presidents of the Quarterback club, who are on a committee to plan the welcome, include Tom McHarg, Sherman Kelly, Earl Proctor and Bill Knight.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Cook Allows Only Six Hits; Cox Homers
(Columbia Daily Tribune, Thursday, June 17, 1954)
OMAHA, June 17 - The University of Missouri won the NCAA college baseball world series championship last night by beating Rollins college, 4 to 1, behind the six-hit pitching of sophomore lefthander, Ed Cook.
The Tigers also got six hits off a pair of Rollins lefthanders, Bill Cary and Art Brophy, but one of those blows was a long home run into the left field stands by Buddy Cox, Missouri's smooth-fielding second baseman, that proved to be the decisive run.
The win was Cook's second of the series and reversed a 4-1 decision that Rollins won over Missouri in the second round of the double elimination tournament.
All of the hits off the Missourian came in the first five innings. He struck out eight and walked only one.
Brophy, on the other hand, gave up three passes in the six innings he worked and two of them led to insurance runs for the Tigers.
Cary was a surprise starter on the mound for the Tars, but he gave way to Brophy as a pinch hitter in the third inning after the Tigers had jumped off to a two-run lead.
Missouri scored in the first frame when Todd Sickel, third baseman, beat out a bunt, went to second when an attempted double play failed and rode home on Jerry Schoonmaker's slashing single to left.
Cox slammed his homer over the 72-foot mark in the next inning, and while Cary stayed around till the end of the frame, Brophy showed up as a pinch hitter in the Tars' third.
Brophy, who had beaten the Missourians in the earlier game, lined a double down the first base line, but to no avail as Cook retired the side.
The double and Cox' homer were the only extra-base blows in the contest.
Rollins, the smallest school to reach the tourney, got its lone run in the fourth when Bob Machardy, first baseman, singled, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a single by Shortstop Nick Vancho.
The Tigers got that counter back in the bottom half of the inning as Bob Schoonmaker, first baseman, and Cox walked and Emil Kammer looped a single into left field scoring Schoonmaker.
Kammer, a pitcher, plays left field for Missouri when he's not on the mound.
Sickel, who beat out two bunts for hits, walked to open the Missouri fifth as the Tigers tallied their final marker. He was sacrificed to second by Bob Musgrave, right fielder, and brought home on a single by Catcher George Gleason.
The Tars failed to threaten in the last three innings as Cook set them down in order.
OMAHA, June 17 - The University of Missouri won the NCAA college baseball world series championship last night by beating Rollins college, 4 to 1, behind the six-hit pitching of sophomore lefthander, Ed Cook.
The Tigers also got six hits off a pair of Rollins lefthanders, Bill Cary and Art Brophy, but one of those blows was a long home run into the left field stands by Buddy Cox, Missouri's smooth-fielding second baseman, that proved to be the decisive run.
The win was Cook's second of the series and reversed a 4-1 decision that Rollins won over Missouri in the second round of the double elimination tournament.
All of the hits off the Missourian came in the first five innings. He struck out eight and walked only one.
Brophy, on the other hand, gave up three passes in the six innings he worked and two of them led to insurance runs for the Tigers.
Cary was a surprise starter on the mound for the Tars, but he gave way to Brophy as a pinch hitter in the third inning after the Tigers had jumped off to a two-run lead.
Missouri scored in the first frame when Todd Sickel, third baseman, beat out a bunt, went to second when an attempted double play failed and rode home on Jerry Schoonmaker's slashing single to left.
Cox slammed his homer over the 72-foot mark in the next inning, and while Cary stayed around till the end of the frame, Brophy showed up as a pinch hitter in the Tars' third.
Brophy, who had beaten the Missourians in the earlier game, lined a double down the first base line, but to no avail as Cook retired the side.
The double and Cox' homer were the only extra-base blows in the contest.
Rollins, the smallest school to reach the tourney, got its lone run in the fourth when Bob Machardy, first baseman, singled, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a single by Shortstop Nick Vancho.
The Tigers got that counter back in the bottom half of the inning as Bob Schoonmaker, first baseman, and Cox walked and Emil Kammer looped a single into left field scoring Schoonmaker.
Kammer, a pitcher, plays left field for Missouri when he's not on the mound.
Sickel, who beat out two bunts for hits, walked to open the Missouri fifth as the Tigers tallied their final marker. He was sacrificed to second by Bob Musgrave, right fielder, and brought home on a single by Catcher George Gleason.
The Tars failed to threaten in the last three innings as Cook set them down in order.
Looking back, perhaps the 1954 Tigers were not the best team . . .
. . . in the College World Series. Perhaps other teams were more talented, had more superstars, had won more titles and had more impressive records. But the Tigers stuck together and came up big.
``I don't think there's any doubt about it,'' Cox said. ``They had better talent like Michigan State, but they just didn't get it all done at the same time we did. Hell, you're looking at me as a .260 hitter - I was better than that - but hell, I couldn't hit my ass with both hands and I go up and lead the World Series in hitting.
``The blind hog found an acre, that was how it went. Muskie was hitting .340 and Jerry a .400 hitter, and they don't pee a drop. Sickel and (George) Gleason hit right behind me in the Series, and we weren't the best players on the team by any means. What I'm trying to say is that somebody picked somebody up every time somebody went down.''
(Columbia Missourian, March 14, 1994)
``I don't think there's any doubt about it,'' Cox said. ``They had better talent like Michigan State, but they just didn't get it all done at the same time we did. Hell, you're looking at me as a .260 hitter - I was better than that - but hell, I couldn't hit my ass with both hands and I go up and lead the World Series in hitting.
``The blind hog found an acre, that was how it went. Muskie was hitting .340 and Jerry a .400 hitter, and they don't pee a drop. Sickel and (George) Gleason hit right behind me in the Series, and we weren't the best players on the team by any means. What I'm trying to say is that somebody picked somebody up every time somebody went down.''
(Columbia Missourian, March 14, 1994)
"When we went back in 1954, . .
. . . I know (team member) Bob Schoonmaker and I talked and said, 'Boy, it would sure be nice to win this game and say we're No. 1 in the country,'" team captain Dick Dickinson said. "We went in figuring we have as good a chance as anyone."
(Columbia Missourian, December 31, 1999)
(Columbia Missourian, December 31, 1999)
After beating Michigan State 4-3, the Tigers played Rollins again,. . .
. . . this time for the championship. With Cook throwing a six-hitter and Cox homering, Missouri won 4-1 on June 16, a Wednesday night.
``We had a big pile in the middle of the field that night,'' Gleason, who was voted Missouri's MVP for the event by his teammates. Michigan State catcher Tom Yewcic received the CWS Most Valuable Player.
(Columbia Daily Tribune, May 14, 1994)
``We had a big pile in the middle of the field that night,'' Gleason, who was voted Missouri's MVP for the event by his teammates. Michigan State catcher Tom Yewcic received the CWS Most Valuable Player.
(Columbia Daily Tribune, May 14, 1994)
As in 1952, the season came down to one game.
Win and be the champions; lose and go home dejected. The Tigers were facing Rollins College again, and Brophy was scheduled to start. But in a curious move, Rollins coach Joe Justice penciled in Bill Cary as his starter. In so doing, Justice penciled the end for Rollins.
Cary allowed three hits and two runs in only two innings before Brophy entered the game. But those two runs were all Missouri would need. Rollins scored one run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Tigers stormed back and scored single runs off Brophy in the fourth and fifth innings.
Ed Cook sailed smoothly after Rollins scored its lone run, perhaps helped in part by a little mind game that occurred before the first pitch.
``The very first pitch he threw warming up went all the way to the backstop on the fly,'' Beckman recalled. ``Hi Simmons, he just kind of stroked his chin and said, `Oh boy, here we go.' Evidently that helped get the other team kind of tight, too, because they saw that pitch go to the backstop and they didn't dig in on Eddie.''
Cook finished the day with a complete-game six-hitter for the 4-1 victory and the championship that had proven so elusive just two years earlier. He also struck out eight batters, even more impressive since he didn't know he'd be pitching until the morning of the game. A day of rain afforded the starters an extra day of rest, and Simmons could have chosen any one of his pitchers for the big game.
(Columbia Missourian, March 14, 1994)
Cary allowed three hits and two runs in only two innings before Brophy entered the game. But those two runs were all Missouri would need. Rollins scored one run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Tigers stormed back and scored single runs off Brophy in the fourth and fifth innings.
Ed Cook sailed smoothly after Rollins scored its lone run, perhaps helped in part by a little mind game that occurred before the first pitch.
``The very first pitch he threw warming up went all the way to the backstop on the fly,'' Beckman recalled. ``Hi Simmons, he just kind of stroked his chin and said, `Oh boy, here we go.' Evidently that helped get the other team kind of tight, too, because they saw that pitch go to the backstop and they didn't dig in on Eddie.''
Cook finished the day with a complete-game six-hitter for the 4-1 victory and the championship that had proven so elusive just two years earlier. He also struck out eight batters, even more impressive since he didn't know he'd be pitching until the morning of the game. A day of rain afforded the starters an extra day of rest, and Simmons could have chosen any one of his pitchers for the big game.
(Columbia Missourian, March 14, 1994)
Box Score: Chapionship Game
(Columbia Daily Tribune, 6/17/54)
ROLLINS AB R H O A
Finegan, c 4 0 1 3 0
Talbot, 2b 4 0 0 5 2
Butler, cf 4 0 0 3 0
Helms, 3b 4 0 0 1 2
MacHardy, 1b 3 1 1 8 1
Smith, rf 3 0 1 1 0
a- Doran 1 0 0 0 0
Vancho, ss 3 0 1 1 4
Robinson, lf 3 0 0 2 0
Cary, p 0 0 0 0 0
Brophy, p 3 0 2 0 1
Totals................................... 32 0 6 24 10
MISSOURI
AB R H O A
Dickinson, ss 5 0 0 1 2
Sickel, 3b 3 2 2 1 1
Musgrave, rf 2 0 0 3 0
J. Schoonmaker, cf 4 0 1 3 0
Gleason, c 4 0 1 8 0
B. Schoonmaker, 1b 3 1 0 5 0
Cox, 2b 1 1 1 4 1
Kammer, lf 3 0 1 2 0
Cook, p 4 0 0 0 1
Totals................................... 29 4 6 27 5
a - Flied out for Smith in 9th
Rollins...........................000 100 000 - 1
Missouri.........................110 110 00x - 4
E - McHardy, Robinson, Cox. RBI - Vancho, J. Schoonmaker, Gleason, Cox, Kammer. 2B - Brophy. HR - Cox. SB - Finnegan, Cox. S - Musgrave 2. Left - Rollins 5, Missouri 9. BB - Brophy 6, Cook 1. SO - Brophy 3, Cook 3. HO - Cary 3 in 2; Brophy 3 in 6. R-ER - Cary 2-2, Brophy 2-2, Cook 1-1. PB - Gleason. Loser - Cary.
ROLLINS AB R H O A
Finegan, c 4 0 1 3 0
Talbot, 2b 4 0 0 5 2
Butler, cf 4 0 0 3 0
Helms, 3b 4 0 0 1 2
MacHardy, 1b 3 1 1 8 1
Smith, rf 3 0 1 1 0
a- Doran 1 0 0 0 0
Vancho, ss 3 0 1 1 4
Robinson, lf 3 0 0 2 0
Cary, p 0 0 0 0 0
Brophy, p 3 0 2 0 1
Totals................................... 32 0 6 24 10
MISSOURI
AB R H O A
Dickinson, ss 5 0 0 1 2
Sickel, 3b 3 2 2 1 1
Musgrave, rf 2 0 0 3 0
J. Schoonmaker, cf 4 0 1 3 0
Gleason, c 4 0 1 8 0
B. Schoonmaker, 1b 3 1 0 5 0
Cox, 2b 1 1 1 4 1
Kammer, lf 3 0 1 2 0
Cook, p 4 0 0 0 1
Totals................................... 29 4 6 27 5
a - Flied out for Smith in 9th
Rollins...........................000 100 000 - 1
Missouri.........................110 110 00x - 4
E - McHardy, Robinson, Cox. RBI - Vancho, J. Schoonmaker, Gleason, Cox, Kammer. 2B - Brophy. HR - Cox. SB - Finnegan, Cox. S - Musgrave 2. Left - Rollins 5, Missouri 9. BB - Brophy 6, Cook 1. SO - Brophy 3, Cook 3. HO - Cary 3 in 2; Brophy 3 in 6. R-ER - Cary 2-2, Brophy 2-2, Cook 1-1. PB - Gleason. Loser - Cary.
Jerry Schoonmaker Named 1955 Team Captain
(Columbia Daily Tribune, June 17, 1954)
Jerry Schoonmaker, Missouri's centerfielder, was elected captain of the 1955 Tiger baseball team by his teammates last night. The 22-year old junior from Lebanon was chosen as the Missourians returned by bus to the hotel from Omaha's Municipal stadium where the Tigers had won the first national sports crown ever garnered by an M.U. athletic team.
Jerry's older brother, Bob Schoonmaker, wasn't around for the election, however. He had been rushed by police patrol car from the field to the airport to catch a plane for New York City, where he is to marry Miss Beverly Jean Enstrom of Lebanon on a nationwide television show Monday. He had to be there at 7 o'clock this morning.
Bob was saved from leaving the Tiger-Rollins game early when it was concluded before a 10:20 o'clock deadline for his departure. Missouri Coach John (Hi) Simmons had arranged for the plane trip after a 24-hour delay because of rain had forced Schoonmaker to cancel plans to go to New York via Lebanon where he was to have picked up Miss Enstrom.
Bob was asked to say a few words before he left, and the pressure on him was evident as he confided: "I'm on my way to New York - I think I'm supposed to be married."
Catcher George Gleason was named by his teammates as the Tigers' Most Valuable player and received a trophy from the Omaha Rotarians, who sponsored Missouri. The Tigers also received team trophies from the NCAA and a beverage company, and each individual player received an engraved plaque and a gold engraved tie clasp.
Buddy Cox, second baseman, led Missouri hitters with a .412 average for the series. Todd Sickel, third baseman, was second with .381. Cox also stole five bases.
The Missouri-Rollins game drew 7,810 fans to bring the tourney total to 35,000 - a 2,000 increase over last year and the highest figure for the five years the NCAA meet has been held in Omaha.
There were loud wails of protest from the press box when Tom "Yewk", Michigan State catcher, was announced as the tournament’s most valuable player. As one writer remarked, “If he was so valuable, why wasn’t his team in the finals?”
Another called it a SOP to the Big Ten. “After all,” said another, “it was Yewk’s rock that gave Missouri a victory on Monday.”
Jerry Schoonmaker, Missouri's centerfielder, was elected captain of the 1955 Tiger baseball team by his teammates last night. The 22-year old junior from Lebanon was chosen as the Missourians returned by bus to the hotel from Omaha's Municipal stadium where the Tigers had won the first national sports crown ever garnered by an M.U. athletic team.
Jerry's older brother, Bob Schoonmaker, wasn't around for the election, however. He had been rushed by police patrol car from the field to the airport to catch a plane for New York City, where he is to marry Miss Beverly Jean Enstrom of Lebanon on a nationwide television show Monday. He had to be there at 7 o'clock this morning.
Bob was saved from leaving the Tiger-Rollins game early when it was concluded before a 10:20 o'clock deadline for his departure. Missouri Coach John (Hi) Simmons had arranged for the plane trip after a 24-hour delay because of rain had forced Schoonmaker to cancel plans to go to New York via Lebanon where he was to have picked up Miss Enstrom.
Bob was asked to say a few words before he left, and the pressure on him was evident as he confided: "I'm on my way to New York - I think I'm supposed to be married."
Catcher George Gleason was named by his teammates as the Tigers' Most Valuable player and received a trophy from the Omaha Rotarians, who sponsored Missouri. The Tigers also received team trophies from the NCAA and a beverage company, and each individual player received an engraved plaque and a gold engraved tie clasp.
Buddy Cox, second baseman, led Missouri hitters with a .412 average for the series. Todd Sickel, third baseman, was second with .381. Cox also stole five bases.
The Missouri-Rollins game drew 7,810 fans to bring the tourney total to 35,000 - a 2,000 increase over last year and the highest figure for the five years the NCAA meet has been held in Omaha.
There were loud wails of protest from the press box when Tom "Yewk", Michigan State catcher, was announced as the tournament’s most valuable player. As one writer remarked, “If he was so valuable, why wasn’t his team in the finals?”
Another called it a SOP to the Big Ten. “After all,” said another, “it was Yewk’s rock that gave Missouri a victory on Monday.”
As the sun rose June 16 in Omaha, Neb. . . .
. . . three young men woke wondering which would be chosen for the ultimate honor of his life. The morning routine was pretty typical, but tension hung in the air. After all, the stakes were high on the biggest day of 20 young men's lives.
Soon, coach John 'Hi' Simmons resolved the situation by naming 19-year-old sophomore lefthander Ed Cook to take the mound and pitch for the Missouri Tigers in the national championship game. The night before, Simmons had held a team meeting and refused to name the next day's pitcher. It was a psychological ploy so the players could have a worry-free night, he said. ''We had another meeting the day of the game and he told me then I was going to start,'' Cook said. ''All of the guys rallied around me. It was the confidence factor - no one said 'Oh my God, Cook's pitching.' That wasn't the case at all.''
(Columbia Missourian, March 13, 1994)
Soon, coach John 'Hi' Simmons resolved the situation by naming 19-year-old sophomore lefthander Ed Cook to take the mound and pitch for the Missouri Tigers in the national championship game. The night before, Simmons had held a team meeting and refused to name the next day's pitcher. It was a psychological ploy so the players could have a worry-free night, he said. ''We had another meeting the day of the game and he told me then I was going to start,'' Cook said. ''All of the guys rallied around me. It was the confidence factor - no one said 'Oh my God, Cook's pitching.' That wasn't the case at all.''
(Columbia Missourian, March 13, 1994)
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