BASEBALL
This is the initial season for Coach Eddie Jeremiah in his dual role as hockey and baseball coach, the latter post being taken after the death of the late great Jeff Tesreau. Eddie started practice sessions in the cage and soon found that he had considerable seasoned material (some of it outstanding) in every position but the box. Several of last year's twirlers fell among his legacy, any one of whom might turn out to be a good but not a great college pitcher. In other words, there are no Ted Olsons or Chief Wonsons among the little group of tossers who will grace the mound for the Green this year. In this League, a team with an outstanding pitcher has a tremendous advantage, for the games are for the most part so spaced that one fireballer can operate in a considerable percentage of the games.
The spring trip saw the team drop four out of its five games—to Virginia (8-4); William and Mary (5-3); Maryland (7-4); and Navy (14-2). The sole triumph of the trip was against George Washington University (6-2). Nobody was greatly perturbed about this record, however, since the team had not been outdoors before they left Hanover and since furthermore the point of such efforts is not primarily to win games but rather to gain experience.
The tentative lineup that finally came out of these early trials (and started the Columbia game) is as follows: Behind the bat is the superb performer Art Young, the outstanding lineman for Coach Tuss McLaughry last fall, and perhaps even better as a diamond operative. Understudying him is big Hal Clayton, no mean performer in his own right and also a varsity catcher of parts. At first base is Jack Sayers, a fancy Dan on the field and one whose work with the willow was outstanding a couple of years ago. At second is Ed McNeil, playing his first season on the varsity and whose last baseball was played on the 1944 freshman team before the war. At short is Hank Durham, who played first last year and was one of the leading hitters in the League. Third base is held down by John Callagy, brother of little Bill Callagy the pitcher.
The outfield finds four or five capable operatives competing for the three openings. In center field is Joe Wierschem, who reputedly led the Big Nine in batting while playing at Wisconsin before the war. At left is burly Joe Quig, a pre-war stalwart back for his final season. At right field, Dave Barr currently has the nod, after starring in that position last year. Joe Donahue is battling hard for one of the positions, with his standing aided by his prewar experience in a Green uniform.
As intimated above, the pitching is still the great question mark, with prospects for a respectable but by no means a brilliant staff. Will Gray is perhaps the Number One hurler, starting (and finishing) the Columbia game. Bob Amirault turned in some good games as a freshman last year and may be in for a good season this year. Jim Doole performed brilliantly at times last year and should be in line for several good games again this year. Bill Callagy rounds out the group who will probably handle most of the pitching chores for the season. Others may flash before the middle of June, for it must be remembered that Coach Jeremiah has had little time to see some of his new charges in action.
The Columbia game, as noted, was an outstanding success as an opening effort for the Green, with the Dartmouth sluggers lambasting a parade of Columbia hurlers for a total of 11 runs and 13 hits to win handily by 11-2. Bespectacled Will Gray went the distance for the winners, giving up 9 hits and 5 walks in the process, but such was the power of the Dartmouth attack that he was in no serious danger at any time. Big gun for the Green offense was Artie Young, batting in the cleanup spot, who produced 3 hits, one of them a booming triple in the fourth inning. Joe Wierschem lived up to his advance booking by producing 2 hits, a feat equalled by Hank Durham, Joe Quig, and John Callagy. Dartmouth committed 5 errors against 6 for the Light Blue, with the bobbles of the Green having comparatively little effect upon the scoring, however, in contrast to those of Columbia. This team should be extremely powerful with the stick. With reasonable pitching, it should go places.
CAGEY COACH: Eddie Jeremiah '30, new baseball mentor, looks over his 1947 diamond hopefuls.
