(Columbia Daily Tribune, April 12, 1954)
The Missouri Tigers made it two in a row over the University of Arkansas at Rollins field Saturday, winning 12-6, but it wasn't quite as easy as the 18-0 shellacking they handed the Razorbacks on Friday.
The Bengals used three pitchers in Saturday's contest and never had a comfortable lead until they came up with four runs in the seventh off Bob Mitchell, who had replaced starter Edsel Nix.
Southpaw Ed Cook pitched the first two innings for the Tigers, was touched for two runs in the second, and might have been in worse trouble had it not been for a double play on Nix' liner to Jerry Schoonmaker in center.
The Tigers had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning on an error, Todd Sickel's single, and outfield fly, a walk to Jerry Schoonmaker and a single by Buddy Cox.
Lamar McHan drew a walk off Cook to start the Razorback second and advanced on a balk. Lyle Wilkerson singled to right, scoring McHan, and Billy Bowden followed with another single. Cook then fanned Bill Irby, but walked Jim Buffington and Joe Thomason to force another run. Nix then whacked a drive to center field and Thomason set sail for third. Jerry Schoonmaker made the catch and sent a throw toward the plate that Cook cut off and nailed Thomason trying to get back to second.
Missouri quickly got those two back in their second when Sam Sayers, batting for Cook, lofted a home run over the right field fence after George Gleason had walked.
Bert Beckmann, who replaced Cook, held the Razorbacks scoreless in the third and the Tigers made it 5-2 in their half when Bob Schoonmaker was safe on Buffington's low throw, stole second and scored on Gleason's liner to center that bounced over Frank Long's head for two bases.
Arkansas retaliated with one in the fourth on a walk to Wilkerson and singles by Bowden and Thomason. An error, a stolen base and Bob Schoonmaker's ground single through short produced another Missouri run in the fifth. Beckmann disappeared after the sixth and Norman Stewart came on to pitch for the Tigers in the seventh and served up a home run pitch to Long after getting Nix on a soft tap to the mound.
The Tigers' four-run outburst in the seventh came as a result of Jerry Schoonmaker's infield hit, Cox's double, a fielder's choice, an error and Dick Dickinson's two-bagger with the bases loaded.
The Razorbacks got two in the eighth on a walk and doubles by Bowden and Thomason, but the Tigers bounced back with a pair when Jerry Schoonmaker homered after Bob Musgrave had walked.
After Stewart retired the first two Arkansas hitters in the ninth, Wilkerson shot a single past third, but was out trying for second to end the game.
Slaughter Breaks Into Tears When Informed of Trade
Enos Slaughter - the old war horse - broke into tears yesterday when he learned he had been traded to the world champion New York Yankees.
He shook his head in disbelief, saying:
"This is the biggest shock of my life. Something I never expected to happen. I've given my life to this organization, and they let you go when they think you're getting old.
"What gets me is that they let you go before you're finished. I've still got some good years of baseball in me."
He wiped his eyes with a handkerchief while telling the newsmen he plans to leave tomorrow night to join the Yankees in Washington for the season opener Tuesday.
"I'll be there for the opening game," Slaughter said, "and I'll give Casey Stengel 100 percent - just as I've given every ball club I've played for."
Slaughter barely could talk, his usually husky voice wavered and broke.
"I've always hustled for the Cardinals," he said. "And I'll say that if a lot of other fellows would hustle more it would be a helluva lot better ball club."
Cardinal manager Eddie Stanky, his arm around Slaughter, wore a long face as he talked about the old war horse's departure after being in a Cardinal uniform since 1938.
It's one of those tough things managers have to face, said Stanky. "If there's any bright side to this," he added, "a champion baseball player is going to a champion baseball club."
No comments:
Post a Comment