33 Candidates Out for Tiger Baseball Squad

(Columbia Daily Tribune, February 11, 1954)

Thirty-three candidates for the University of Missouri baseball squad heard Coach John Simmons outline training rules and plans for the coming season yesterday at a meeting in Rothwell gymnasium.

The Tigers lost eight lettermen from last year's team, which finished third in the Big Seven conference. Hardest hit were the pitching and catching departments, with Bert Beckman, a right-handed hurler, the only batteryman returning.

Herb Gellman, who divided the catching duties with Moe Mohesky, was lost through graduation and Mohesky is in military service. George Gleason, a numeral winner from last year's freshman squad, is a top candidate for the catching job, along with Lloyd Elmore, now a member of the basketball team.

Gone from the pitching staff are Don Boenker, John Jenkins, and John Willingham, who were Simmons' three starters in 1953.

Besides Beckmann, the eight returning lettermen include infielders Bob Schoonmaker, Dick Dickinson and Buddy Cox, and outfielders Jerry Schoonmaker, Leroy Wynn, Jim Doerr and Vic Swenholt.

Yesterday's turnout included eight pitchers, three catchers, 11 infielders and 11 outfielders. The squad will begin practice Monday evening in Brewer Field house.



``We had a lot of different personalities on the team, but we all seemed to get along well together,'' [George] Gleason said.

Gleason had come to MU from a seminary in Kansas City. He carried 20 credit hours a semester to graduate a year ahead of schedule. ``I can always recall showing up with $28.35 for 18 hours of tuition,'' Gleason said.
(Columbia Daily Tribune, May 15, 1994)



College Baseball Ready for Fight Against "Raids"

HAMILTON, N.Y., Feb. 18 (UP) - College baseball's long fight against raiding by the major leagues has another round coming in July.

Rebuffed again last month when they tried to effect a "no raiding" agreement, the college officials say they're ready for an all out fight if the major leagues turn them down again at the major league meetings in July.

Due to the excitement over players' pensions at the Jan. 30 meeting of the American and National leagues, the major leaguers' actions on the collegians' latest proposal escaped notice.

The National League voted 5-3 against the resolution, which called for professional baseball to refrain from signing or negotiating with college players once they had commenced their sophomore year. The American League tabled it until July.