SPORTS
SUPPLEMENT
LL
lflir
E tt
SECTION
FOUR
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN. SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1941
Wolverine
Eight Top Starters
Lost To Wolverine'
Nine Next Season,
Seek
Successor
To
Harmon
s
Crisler Succeeds Yost
As Director Of Athletics
All Positions Will Suffer
From Draft, Grduation;
Replacements Are Low
Loss Of Wakefield
Will Be Keenly Felt
By GENE GRIBBROEK
Michigan's baseball team will be
the defending champion in next
spring's title chase, but it will take
a young miracle by Coach Ray Fisher
to do it successfully.vFor the club
that won ten of twelve games last
season and ran away with the crown
is gone.
If Fisher whips together a real
contender by the time the Confer-
ence race starts, he will have re-
placed no less than eight of the top
men on last year's squad. Three-
fourths of his brilliant infield was
lost by graduation, three of his
starting hurlers graduated and the
other is rumored to be heading for
the Army, and his most dangerous
hitter accepted a nice bonus and
joined the pro ranks.
Wakefield Loss Hurts
That last one really hurts. Big
Dick Wakefield blossomed out as a
sophomore to become the best stick-
er the Big Ten has seen in many
years. He was a little too good,
though, and now he has some $45,000
in his kick and works for the Detroit
Tigers organization. He would have
been a great help out in right field
for the next two years, if a line drive
didn't kill him first.
But Fisher, who loves a good
pitcher, is probably just as upset
about what happened to his hurling
staff. He did a masterful job with
some shaky prospects last spring,
and turned out a honey. His four
starters won 24 out of, 32 games for
a .750 percentage. But they're all
gone, too.
Mickey Stoddard, righthander, and
southpaws Mase Gould and Neil Muir
all finally produced after three years
of coming on, but they only gave
him one season. Cliff Wise, the
right-handed sophomore sensation
who shared the chief starting as-
signments with Stoddard, will spend
next spring in the armed forces.
Les Veigel, relief hurler, also gradu-
ated.
Infield Loses Three
The infield took almost as bad a
beating, with everybody graduating
except the third baseman, Bud
Chamberlain. Captain Bill Steppon,
a flash around second base, signed
with Springfield of the Eastern
League; shortstop Mike Sofiak, Step-
pon's partner for four years around
the keystone sack, is with Lansing of
the Michigan State League, and first
baseman George Ruehle is in the
Army.
This leaves catcher George Harms,
captain-elect Chamberlain, and out-
fielders Don Holman and Davey Ne-
son as a nucleus for the title de-
fenders." There's a lot of quality
here, but there 'aren't enough of
them.
The catching department is well
taken care of. Harms is one of the
best receivers Fisher ever had, and
hit for .330 last season. Warren Jes-
sop will again provide capable re-
serve strength here.dChamberlain
has become a very good third base-
man, and he and Harms should lead
the club at the plate. In Holman and
Nelson, Fisher has two gardeners
who sparkle defensively and can de-
liver acceptably at bat.
Pitchers Are Problem
With this set-up, the mound corps
will again be Fisher's big headache.
He has two right-handed reserve
pitchers returning, Gus Sharemet
and Paul Goldsmith. Sharemet
showed a lot of speed and a wealth
of stuff last spring, and if he can
acquire control will probably be the
number one starter. Goldsmith has
two things to worry about-and in-
jured throwing arm and the draft.
The rest of the staff, though, will
have to come from the freshman
squad. Of the frosh, Irvkng Boim,
Harry Caswell and Bill R1awleigh, all
..cr-h 'hntarc a -amn4r . non
Graduation
Claims Three
Star Mermen
Sad news lies in wait for Michigan
swimming fans. The Wolverine tank
crew, Big Ten and National Inter-
collegiate titleholders, won't be the
same water powerhouse next year.
Coach Matt Mann's natators will go
into action this coming campaign
minus the services of many of their
outstanding stars of the past three
years. Graduation and the army
will take their toll of the greatest
collegiate swimming aggregation in
Maize and Blue history,.1
Foremost among the Wolverine
stars lost through graduation stands
Charley Barker, selected by coaches
the nation over as the best swimmer
in the country. Big Ten 50 and 100
yard champ and National Collegiate
50 yard titlist, Barker's loss will be
keenly felt. Last year Barker swam
the fastest 50 yard race .in the land,
covering the distance in the phenom-
enal time of 23 seconds flat.
Another titleholder who will be lost
to the team by the graduation axe
will be Jim Welsh, holder of the
Western Conference 220 and 440
and the National Collegiate 220
crowns. He is regarded as one of the
nation's best distance men.
And the man who 1s second only to
the greatest of them all, Adolf Kief-
er, will no longer fill a Wolverine
suit. For Frannie Heydt, backstroke
ace who holds the Big Ten and Na-
tional Collegeiate 150-yard back-
(Continued on Page 4)
1- P.blAustern
PO0TPI
IN BUT A FEW short months the sto
be forgotten. Only the musty littl
remember the names and deeds of last
themselves will soon forget their hour
their successes and failures. But wh
about the real Frank Merriwells and,
1940-41 Wolverines, last year's greate
and Richard C. Wakefield.
-F
Tom Harmon: the greatest nan
football. He's more than just an all
est athlete who ever dug his cleats
gridiron. He's a legend to the thous
come football heros and his records
university athletes for years to corn
We didn't hear much about Harm
1938. Everybody was talking about I
field runner from Kiski Prep-and tha
camp
was t
who s
ed toe
4.~of tr
sopho
point
great
44 .piled
Qi
called
junio
verine
throu
son e
, : <t o u c h
a trip
versio
but o
Tom Harmon punth
Then came the most glorious ye.
Harmon gained another 1,000 yards t
down passes among the 43 he comple
t /1Fm n r I R 1one al f --a -- f
"HURRY UP" YOST "FRITZ" CRISLER
* * * *
Supplerhenting one of the greatestcession the Coliseum was purchased,
athletic plants anywhere in the world, the stadium built, Palmer Field com-
'apleted, and finally in 1929 the Sports
Michigan has a coaching staff that Building was finished.
is envied throughout the nation. Successor to retiring Director Yost
Headed for the past 20 years by Field- is Herbert O. "Fritz" Crisler, who
ing H. Yost, Michigan's "grand old came here in 1938 with a record
of winning performances. With an
man," this group of men has built inexperienced squad as a nucleus
up an enviable reputation for char- he has brought forth teams which,
acter-building and good sportsman- in the last three years, have won 19,
ship. tied one and lost four games. Crisler
Coming to Ann Arbor in 1901, Yost was aso an honor student during his
began a career that has endeared him undergraduate days at Chicago Uni-
to the hearts of every loyal sports versity. Previous to coming here, he
enthusiast. Taking a football team of coached teams at Chicago, Minnesota
indifferent ability, "Hurry-Up" and Princeton.
whipped up the first of the immortal Assistant to Crisler
Point-A-Minute elevens that were to Assstt to Crisfed
sky-rocket Michigan to the top of the Assistant to Crisler and backfield
sports world. During the years that coach, is Earl Martineau, who came
followed Yost continued to bring out here from Princeton along with his
teams that dominated the football boss. "Marty" was All-American at
scene. Minnesota in 1923. In that same year
Began Expansion he was also awarded the Western
In 1921, when Yost became Director Conference medal for proficiency in
of Athletics, he began a program of scholarship and athletics.
expansion that has continued to the Clarence Munn, in charge of line-
present. He started in lifting the face men, was, like Martineau, an All-
of the campus by building the Field American from Minnesota and also
House, which was the first structure won the Western Conference medal
of its kind in 1923. Then in rapid suc- for combined athletic and scholar-
ship excellence.
Welly Weber, fullback here in 1925-
26, has the all-important job of
grooming hopeful freshman football
S candidates for the step to varsity
competition.
Basketball Coach
) U RI Michigan's only three-time All-
American, Bennie Oosterbaan is head
__ __ basketball coach. Also serving in the
capacity of end coach on the football
staff, he is one of the few men to re-
ry of Michigan sports in 1940-41 will ceive nine varsity awards while at
e men who keep the record books will Michigan.
year's stalwarts and even the athletes Ken Doherty continued in the foot-
s of toil, their joys and unhappiness, steps of his predecessors, Steve Fa'-
enever men of sports gather to talk rell and Charlie Hoyt, by retaining
Jack Armstrongs they'll speak of two both the indoor and outdoor track
st college stars-Thomas D. Harmon crowns in his first year as head coach
of the cindermen in 1940. Ken was
national decathlon champion in 1928-
(Continued on Page 3)
ne in the history of inter-collegiate
-time, All-American, he's the great-
into the soft turf of an American M ichtLgan Takes
ands of small boys who want to be-g
will serve as goals for thousands of Three i g Ten
e. TreBgT n
on when we first came to Michigan in Cs
Paul Kromer, the shifty little broken
it's the way it was during most of the
aign. The Hoosier Hammer proved he Thirteen Western Conference team
he harder runner but it was Kromer championships were divided among,
cored the points and Kromer's educat- six Conference members in the school
that so often kept the Wolverines out year of 1940-41, with Illinois, Indi-
ouble. When they concluded their ana and Michigan each winning
more season Kromer had tallied 37 three titles.
s to Harmon's 18-a far cry from the Minnesota, with a major win in
scoring record the Gary Flash com- football, won two titles and Chicago
during his next two years at Michigan. and Wisconsin each one, the Badgers
THEN things happened. Kromer was in basketball and Chicago in fencing.
njured and Harmon was suddenly Indiana's three titles all were scored
I upon for double duty. During his under track coach Billy Hayes, in
cross-co rtry and outdoor and indoor
r year he threw practically every Wol- track. Illinois, winner of the Con-
pass, 94, gained almost 1,000 yards ference golf title, previously had
gh rushing and by the time the sea- claimed titles in gymnasium and in
nded, made 102 points and threw six hockey. Michigan's wins were scored
down passes. But Harmon still wasn't in baseball, swimming and tehnis.
le-threat man. He had made 15 con- Michigan, competing in 10 cham-
ns and had kicked off several times pionships, added three second places
ther men had been chosen for the and a tie for a second. Iowa also had
ng assignments. three seconds and Minnesota two.
Northwestern had two ties for second
ar that any college athlete ever had. places.
hrough rushing, hurled seven touch- Conference team champions for
ted, made 18 conversions and punted 1940-41:
aC f a4 ad -. v -. - a Baseball-Michiran
Team To Get
Veterans' Aid
In Basketball
Added Height Will Make
Michigan Big Contender
In Conference Title Race
Captain Cartmill
To Head Quintet
When next November rolls around,
the basketball court will be laid down
in the Field House and Coach Ben-
nie Oosterbaan will start looking for
a quintet on which to base his cham-
pionship hopes for the 1941-42 sea-
son.
Right now the Wolverine cage
mentor has his hopes in the back of
his head. Before he could turn out
a squad that could cop the Big Ten
conference title, he will have to plug
holes left by graduation, but Michi-
gan looks good enough to finish
higher than sixth as they did the
past year.
Four Lettermen
Next season Oosterbaan has four
lettermen returning. They include
Captain-elect Bill Cartmill, Jim
Mandler, Leo Doyle and Mel Comin.
The biggest thorn in Bennie's side is
the fact thatxhe doesn't have an ex-
perienced guard coming back.
Of the four men returning, only
Cartmill and Mandler saw much ac-
tion in last year's canpaign. How-
ever, the Maize and Blue squad will
boast of more height than they have
in recent years. Big Jim ranges six
feet four inches while Doyle and
Comin are shorter by only two inches.
Cartmill tops six foot by one inch.
The coaching staff was worried
about Cartmill's draft status, but at
the present it looks like he. will be
deferred. , His position is not defin-
ite yet, however. Bill is expected to
hold down one of the forward spots.
He is a capable leader and a fine
shot from any position on the floor.
Mandler Returns
Mandler is slated to see plenty of
action at center since he held that
spot all during the 1940-1941 season.
Jim's height allows him to handle
the ball off the backboard where his
ball hawking saved the Wolverines
many points last year. On the of-
fense Jim is a great threat, especially
On pivot plays and push shots from
the foul circle.
Oosterbaan lost three good players
by graduation when George Ruehle,
Herb Brogan and Mike Sofiak
were handed their sheepskins. At for-
ward, Mike led the Michigan squad
to several victories single-handed by
his sparky play. He was the favorite
of the home fans as his antics on the
hardwoods kept the spirit of the
team up throughout the year. His
tnoes will be hard to fill since he
was the leading scorer of the team
besides being a star ball handler.
Guards Graduate
Ex-captain Brogan and Ruehle
played the guard spots during the
past year and their graduation leaves
tnese positions wide open. Herb and
George teamed up to turn in some
(Continued on Page 2)
Typical Milchigai
Is Forecast
By SAM GREENBERG
Their four-year reign as Western
Conference track champions stopped
by Indiana last year, the Michigan
thinclads have but one ambition in
1942-to regain their ascendency. And
despite their reverses last season, the
outlook for the coming campaign is
bright.
Next year's team will be almost a
typical Wolverine track' squad. There
will be a shortage of sure first place
inners but there willbe a more than
adequate supply of capable perform-
ers distributed throughout all of the
events with a high enough quality to
put Michigan in the thick of the
Conference race.
Forecasting the coming season,
Coach Ken Doherty declared yester-
day that "if we can overcome the
dearth of outstandinr men which
Captain Westfall,
Wistert, Kolesar
Will Head Line-u
Ceithaml, Rogers, Ingalls, Kelto To Start;
Nine Possibilities For Halfback Posts;
Pregulman, Franks Are Leading Sophs
By A. P. BLAUSTEIN
(T1he Daiiy City Editor)
For the first time in three years, Coach Henry O. "Fritz" Crisler will
send a Wolverine grid team into action without the great Thomas Dudley
Harmon in the tailback slot. And upon Crisler's success or failure in finding
a successor to the Hoosier Hammer rests Michigan's hopes for another
championship football season.
But no matter how things turn out in the "hunt for halfbacks," the Maize
and Blue will have one of the most out standing squads in the country. Two
stellar performers will see service at the quarter and fullback posts and the
1941 line has all the characteristics of another "seven pieces of granite.
Nine halfbacks, four of whom are veterans of only one season of frosh
ball, will compete for the posts vacated by Harmon and Paul Kromer and
it's anybody's guess which two Crisler will choose for the opening tilt with
Michigan State on Sept. 27.
Outstanding members of the squad will definitely le the Wolverines'
three potential All-Americans-captain and fullback Pob Westfall, tackle
-Whitey Wistert and guard Bob Kole-
sar. And all three are going to be
* counted upon heavily to make up'for
Grdri d uture the loss of Harmon, Kromer, Forest
Evashevski, Ed Frutig, Ralph Fritz
Lo ks Bri ht and Milo Sukup via the grauation
route.
TO W s t fa l l Westfall, who is known to Univer-
j l -sity grid fans as "Bullet Bob," is one
By BOB WEST'FALL of the best line plungers in the game
(Footba Captain) and was second only to Harmon last
When the football season drew to year in building up Michigan's "yards
a close last November, there was gained by rushing" total. Wistert,
a murmur circulating among the whose brother was another Wolver-
a folrs ofrootbg agtheIine All-American, and Kolesar, for-
staunch followers of football as to mer Cleveland high school sensation,
Michigan's chances during the com- both tip the scales well above the
ing year. Since then the murmur has 200-pound mark and have demon-
steadily grown in volume to a rumble strated exceptional ability on both
and now that the season is almost the offense and defense.
upon us to a roar. Other Starters
Everywhere loyal Wolverines are Other deflnite starters will be
wondering about the success of the George Ceithaml at quarterback, Bob
1941 team. It has been argued time. Ingalls at center, Reuben Kelto at
and time again that tackle and Joe Rogers at end. Cei-
Michigan's future.' thaml was understudy to last year's
on the gridiron ap- Captain Evashevski and can be de-
pears dismal be- pended upon to capably perform the
cause of the loss: triple duties of a quarterback under
through graduation: Crisler's system---call the signals,
of Evie, Harmon, '_...block and back up the line.
Frutig, Fritz, Sukup Ingalls, one of the few gridders to
and Kroer. iv \ " play ball with glasses, is a veteran
TostisI consie performer who has shown himself
reasoning I can only capable in backing up the line under
condescend - but Michigan's 6-2-2-1 defense setup. Ro-
can meekly add that gers, who shared the flank duties with
other schools have B Frutig last season, will probably be
also lost some fine Bob Westfall among the top pass-snatchers in the
athletes and men Wetsern Conference, whle.Kelto, who
This might sound as though I have has already won two letters, is a
acquired a pessimistic attitude but seasoned veteran with more than av-
the converse is true .-in reality I am erage ability.
quite hopeful about the coming sea-
son. Hopeful to the extent of know- Fraumann at End
ing that those participating this year The most probable choice to play
are all fellows with a deep respect opposite Rogers is Harlin Fraumann,
for their coaches and a sincere love also known as Whitey, who will be a
for Michigan and the game of foot- senior this year. .Whitey saw a lot
ball. And these feelings are essential of action during the 1940 campaign
in the building of morale. and should get the nod over sopho-
It is impossible to predict Michi- more Jack Petoskey and juniors Jack
gan's success at this time. The team Karwales and Phil Sharpe.
will have a high morale but nothing Two sophomores who seem destined
will really be known of its ability for stardom-Merv Pregulman and
until the season starts. Julius Franks-will compete with let-
terman Bill Melzow for the second
guard position. At the present time
Pregulman, winner of the Chicago
T / AlumniTrophy for improvement last
For Next Season spring, seems to be the No. 1 candi-
date.
Reserves for the outer line posts
<salso seem adequate. At center Crisler
T has letterman Ted Kennedy return-
ing while at tackle he has veterans
Bob "Flop" Flora and big Rudy Sen-
gel as well as several lesser candi-
dates. Among the new crop of fresh-
man the Wolverines have found a
substitute for Westfall in Don Boor
and with Bob Zimmerman back the
fullback position should be well taken
care of.
No Replacements
As yet no replacements have been
'' : ;discovered for Ceithaml but it is like-
ly that one of the halfback hopefuls
will be shifted before the season is
very, old.
The five veterans among the half-
:ack candidates are Norm Call, Cliff
Wise, little Davy Nelson, Elmer Ma-
dar and H-al "Tinnv" n .krd. whiAt
fi
n'
x
t .
r
i
a