1950

Emil Hudak responded to the notice in a recent issue asking alumni to share their memories of Dartmouth athletics in our time. He sent clippings, photos, comments, etc. and so, thanks to Emil, I'm pleased to pass on to you the following.

Under coach Eddie Jeremiah, we won the 1948 Ivy League baseball title and Emil particularly remembers one incident in the game against Penn. The Penn third baseman had made three consecutive errors, giving us three runs, when Eddie raced onto the field with Rog Frechette's pads and helmet and yelled to the guy, "Here put these on before you get killed!"

In the January 1950 basketball game against Cornell with no time showing on the clock, one Emill Hudak literally threw the ball at the basket from mid-court. It swished and we won the game, 48-47.

The 1949 upset win against Holy Cross and the immortal Bob Cousy the previous year's NCAA basketball champions, was important enough to land Dartmouth and captain Ed Leede '49 on the front page of the Boston Globe. Interestingly, Doggie Julian was the Holy Cross coach and he took over at Hanover two years later. Among other fond memories, erstwhile pitcher Hudak remembers Dartmouth's winning the 1948 Ivy League championship. We do, too!

My own athletic experiences were a bit more mundane. High school teammate EricMiller and I reported for the first day of freshman football practice, and the coach ordered, "All you guys who were all-state, raise your hands." About half the hands went up." "OK, captains of your high school teams?" Almost all the hands were raised. I turned to Rick and asked, "My God, what are we doing here?" I did get into a few games and the most memorable was playing in Harvard Stadium. Incidentally, weighing in at close to 150 1bs., Miller was much bigger than I. Too small for varsity football, in our sophomore year I decided to try soccer, at the urging of my "friend" Bob Tredwell In the first week of practice, I kicked the ball at the same time Bobby Merriam '49 did and that resulted in a broken ankle, the sole injury in my long athletic career. Now, 50 years later, that ankle is full of arthritis and scar tissue, and I wear a brace. Thanks, buddy.

Take heart, you Northerners, spring's not far away.

2 Central Green, Winchester, MA 01890;

Park Taylor '50 gets in the game, p. 42