SPORTS
SUPPLEMENT
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"'ORTS
SUPPLEMENT
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1942
Grid
Squad Faces
Unpredictable
Seasot
Varsity Nine Eyes
Third Successive
'Fritzr Carries Or
a The Yost Tradition
Conference
Title
Return Of Wise Bolsters
Mound Staff; Robinson
Only Certainty At Short
Third Base Position
Remains- Question
By DES HOWARTH
Last season Michigan's rampaging
nine tied for the Big Ten conference
baseball title and won a total of 14
games in 21 starts. In the confer-
ence their record was 10 wins, t
losses. Whether Michigan car "-
as Big Ten champions any .e as
creditable a showing next season de-
pends upon many factors:
Will Coach Ray Fisher be able to
replace the remarkable Bud Cham-
berlain? Will Don Boor's knee bother
him to such an extent that he will
not be able to play? Will Cliff Wise
return to school? Will Bud Jessop
play or will studies take up too much
of his time? Will the Varsity find
another capable starting pitcher to
replace Pro Boim? Will Bob Sten-
berg's hitting improve? If these and
many other questions could be an-
swered, then some predictions might
be made about the Varsity's chances.
Without the answers we must just
make guesses.
iChamberlain's Loss Is Great
Undoubtedly, Michigan's biggest
loss of last year was the departing
from this institution of Francis
"Bud" Chamberlain, one of the best
ball players ever turned out at Ferry;
Field. Chamberlain was a great de-
fensive man, but his true value to his
club is recorded in the runs batted in1
column. With men on base Bud was
as dangerous as a can of warm T.N.T.
Chamberlain won many ball games
for the Varsity with his clubbing.
Coach Fisher has no seasoned player
to replace this super third-sacker.
Michigan's best bet is untried Bruce
Blanchard, a sophomore. Coaching
and experience may develop Blanch-
ard iito a fair third baseman, but'
it can hardly be expected that he
will be another Chamberlain.
At first baseMichigan seemed fairly
will set until Don Boor injured his
knee sliding into third. As yet the
knee still affects Don, but by next
Spring it may be healed completely
if not sooner. Too, Boor may receive
considerable competition from soph-
omore Bob Vernier.. Vernier has
looked good this summer but like Don
is weak at the stick. Improvement in
batting by Vernier may give him the
edge over Boor, but until then Boor
will probably play first for the Var-7
sity.J
Wise Expected Back
The expected return of Cliff Wise,1
football and baseball star will make
a great difference in Michigan's base-I
ball future. If Wise does come back1
to school the Maize and Blue oppon-l
ents are in for trouble. In his soph-
omore year Cliff led the Fisher
mound corps in victories, blazing his1
fast ball past all opposition. Then
Turn to Page 4, Col. 4
Swim Squad's
Chances Look
Good For '413
By GEORGE KOZLOFF
Michigan's swimming prospects
look brighter this year.
With Jack Patten and Jim Skinner
returning to form the nucleus of the
new squad, the freshman team of last
year will be called upon to form the
bulk of the Varsity. These great
swimmers already show evidence of
giving the Wolverines another cham-
pionship team.
All will not be clear sailing, how-
ever, because the swimming world
is seeing-the birth of another great
team at Ohio State. It won't be the
lack of material that will weaken
Michigan's chances for the swim-
ming titles but this new Buckeye
challenge which threatens to topple
the Wolverines from their pedestal
of Big Ten swimming supremacy.
OSU Tough
Mike Peppe, the Buckeye's mentor,
has already released a statement to
the effect that the OSU team is eye-
ing not only the Big Ten title but
the top meet of the intercollegiate
swimmers, the National AAU con-
test.
His crew will be built around the
young sophomore swimmer from
Hawaii, Nikoshi Nakama, who set the
swimming world talking by his per-
formances at the National AAU meet
last March. This sensational tanker
took the distance events while swim-
ming unattached. This boy, however,
is not a youngster in big time swim-
ming circles but a veteran, despite
his age. He has defeated some of the.
nation's finest swimmers.
The old Buckeye standbys will be
back with- the well-known names of
Frank Dempsey, Charley Batterman,
and Mark Follensbee returning for
one more year. Dempsey is the pres-
ent Big Ten diving champion wit$
Batterman pushing him in a close
second for sprin oard honors. Mark
is the newly elected captain and a
leading backstroker in collegiate
swimming.
Future Looks Bright
The future seasons also look bright
with another star entering Ohio
State this fall. This youngster is Bill
Smith, another Hawaiian, who is the
most sensational swimmer in the
world since Johnr* Weissmuller sur-
rendered his amateur standing for
the cinema. This "kid" broke prac-
tically every record in the book for
the free style events. This human
fish will be carrying the colors of the
Buckeyes within a year. So, with a
bright future for the Buckeyes, it
looks that much darker for the Wol-
verines.
But, the Maize and Blue has a few
tricks up its sleeves for the coming
season. Patten, the leading free
Turn to Page 2, Col. 4
HERBERT O. CRISLER1 FIELDING H. YOST
'Fritz 'Crisler Successful
As Director Of Athletics
By JO ANN PETERSON
Faced with a multitude of prob-
lems brought on by shortages in all
phases of athletics, Director of Ath-
letics, Herbert O. "Fritz" Crisler, has
handled his difficulties with such
success that his first year may cer-
tainly be chalked up on the credit
side of the line .
In the first place it was ardifficult
job for any man to take over the job
which had been held so long by
Michigan's "prand Old Man," Field-
ing H. Yost. Yost, during his reign
as Director of Athletics, carried on a
program of expansion which began
with the building of the field house,
PEM Class Is
Compulsory
Muscle Building
Is A Must For
CAO rft-
Men
By AL STEINMAN
There are many things that are
taken for granted by University of
Michigan students. Among these are
eight o'clock classes, women smoking
cigarettes on the steps of Angell Hall,
drinking at the Pretzel Bell, and pic-
nics in the Arboretum. The latest ac-
tivity to be placed in this category is
compulsory Physical Education for
all men.
Physical Education has been tag-
ged with various names by those who
participate in the 'program. Such ti-
tles as "Bone Crushing 31", and
"Backbreaking", have been used by
students as their way of making good
healthy fun of the new activity.
I asked a girl what her reaction
to P. E. M. was, and she said that it
was wonderful. She then explained
that her boy friend always had one
fault as far as she was concerned. He
was a jitterbug. Every time they went
dancing he jumped around too
much. "However, ever since he has
been taking P. E. M. he dances di-
vinely. He doesn't feel much like jit-
terbugging after exercising in the af-
ternoon. He now keeps telling the or-
chestra leader to play slow waltzes."
Continued on Page 2, Col. 5
and continued with the purchase of
the Coliseum, the building of the sta-
dium and numerous other achieve-
ments. Suffice it to say that during
the 20 years he headed the Athletic
Department, Mr. Yost had an on-
ward and upward attitude which was
of extreme value to Michigan ath-
letics.I
Heads P. E. M. Program
"Fritz" Crisler has followed solidly
in the footsteps of his predecessor
during his first year. Seeing the need
for a new program which would pre-
pare all men for the war emergency,
a new PEM training course in physi-
cal fitness has been in effect.
It is also true that the Michigan
teams this past year have maintained
their high standarts of performance.
The golf team captured the Big Ten
title, and the track, tennis and base-
ball teams all were ranked with the
leaders. The qualities of character
and good sportsmanship which have
always been a by-word in Michigan
athletics, have not been changed a
whit. Likewise, the boys who have
gone out for teams have been amply
rewarded for their effort, not only
by means of the satisfaction from
making the squad, or working with
the squad, but those who proved out-
standing have received varsity or re-
serve letters as indications of merit.
Not Always in Sports
The man who is behind the
smoothly running machine of Michi-
gan athletics is ,n athlete himself.
In high school he never showed any
marked interest in sports and conse-
quently participated in none. In the
University of Chicago during his
freshman year, Crisler was standing
on the sidelines watching varsity
practice. Coach Alonzo Stagg, Direc-
tor of Athletics at Chicago, was
Turn to Page 2, Col. 3
1941 'M' GRID SCORES
19 Michigan . .Michigan State 7
6 Michigan ...........Iowa 0
40 Michigan ...... Pittsburgh 0
14 Michigan . ..Northwestern 7
0 Michigan.......Minnesota 7
20 Michigan .........Illinois 0
28 Michigan ....... Columbia 0i
20 Michigan ..... .Ohio State 20
Team. To Get
Veterans Aid
hi Basketball
Seasoned Men Will Make
Michigan Big Contender
In Conference Title Race
'Big Jim' Mandler
To Head Quintet
By CLARK BAKER
After several years of battling the
other cellar occupants of the Big Ten
for the dubious honor of resting next
to Chicago, Michigan's basketball
prospects for 1942-4'3 are decidedly
on the upswing. With the Wolverines
again yearning for a breath of first
division air, perennial Co'nference
Kings had better beware.
Last year's record of the Maize and
Blue was one of their poorest, but it,
nevertheless, was not without its
bright spots. For instance, Jim
Mandler, six-foot four-inch center
and captain-elect for 1942-43, dump-
ed 164 points through the hoops of
Michigan's Conference opponents
last season to set a new Maize and
Blue scoring record. Furthermore,
the Big Ten coaches rated Mandler
number two pivot man in the Confer-
ence. And since the rangy center has
another year left, Coach Bennie Oos-
terbaan is banking on him to again
hold down the all-important pivot
post for the Wolverines.
Doyle-Comin Back
Teaming with Mandler will be two
other battle-scarred veterans who
have been in the thick of the action
for the past two campaigns, Leo
Doyle and Mel Comin. Doyle, who
plays guard, showed Maize and Blue
rooters some classy ball-handling
during the past season while Comin,
performing at forward, was right
there pitching baskets when the go-
ing got toughest.
Oosterbaan is hoping, too, to get
plenty of good basketball from his
sophomores of last season. Ralph
Gilbert is one first-year man who
had clinched a starting berth at for-
ward when old man ineligibility step-
ped in to deal him a knock-out blow
midway in the season. However, Gil-
bert is expected to be back there
again this winter dealing telling
blows to Wolverine oposition.
Bikoff Probable Starter
Another of the court mentor's
most promising men is Morrie Bikoff.
Morrie fails by a couple of inches to
hit the six-foot mark but what he
lacks in stretch, he makes up with
plenty to spare in spirit. Last year
Morrie was one of the most aggres-
sive members of the squad and his
inspired play made a big hit with
Wolverine fans and sparked more
than one Maize and Blue rally.
Other sophomore prospects for the
1941-42 season of whom Oosterbaan
is expecting much this winter are
Bill MacConnachie, Bob Shemky and
Wally Spreen. All three of these lads
showed their wares in action with
the 1941-42 quintet, and MacCon-
nachie held down a starting guard
post most of the year.
The Wolverines will be minus three
of last year's sparkplugs, Capt. Bill
C a r t mill, high-scoring forward,
Whitey Holman, who got scoring hot
in the latter part of the season, and
Buck Antle, Mandler's understudy
and later a starting forward.
Ceithaml To Lea(
'M' Eleven Agains
StrongOppositioi
Linemen Wistert, Kolesar, Pregulmai
Franks Return; Kuzma, White Hea
Halfbacks; Boor To Replace Westfa
Track Squad
Should Show"
Improvement
By WALT KLEE
Track Coach Ken Doherty said in
a recent interview, "This year's track
team is potentially good. We may not
win the Conference title, but I am
definitely looking forward to im-
provement over last season."
Last year's track season was not
one of the best in Michigan's history.
During the indoor season the Maize
and Blue took dual meets from the
highly favored Notre Dame outfit,
Ohio State, Pittsburgh, a triangular
meet between the Wolverines, Michi-
gan Normal, and Michigan State,
and finished fourth in the Confer-
ence Meet. Outdoors, the Michigan
Michigan Has Fourteen
All-American Gridders
When Bob Westfall was chosen
All-American last fall, he was the
fourteenth Michigan gridder to
receive that honor. Edliff 'Butch'
Slaughter was the first Maize and
Blue football player to be named
as he was selected the best guard
in the country in 1924. Others
named since then.include Bennie
Oosterbaan, Harry Newman,
Whitey Wistert, Ralph Heikkinen
and Tom Harmon,
thinclads defeated the Illini and lost
to Ohio State, finishing sixth in the
Conference. The thinclads' two mile
relay team took the Drake Relays
title and several other thinclads
placed in various events.
Hampered by Injuries
The cindermen were hampered all
year by injuries to key men. Captain
Bob Fife was of no use to the team'
all year because he was hurt in prac-
tice before the first dual meet. Dur-
ing the outdoor season, Bob Ufer,
quarter miler, and Frank McCarthy,
hurdler, were of little use because of
injuries to their legs.
The track mentor is not j 4st
thinking wishfully. There will be a
large group of veterans and a few
very promising freshmen on hand to
provide plenty of competition for
any and all comers.
Among the freshmen, the Hume
twins, Ross and Bob, are the out-
standing varsity material. Of them.
Coach Doherty said, "The fIumes
will make the team. They will be
very useful in picking up second and
third place points in any event they
run in. I have not yet decided whe-
Turn to Page 3, Col. 3
By JACK FLAGLER ,
Michigan's gridiron Wolverin
along with the rest of the Big Ti
will start their first football year
wartime next September 7 when c
ficial pre-season practice gets unc
way. The only forecast safe to ma
about the 1942 team is that they a
a question mark outfit, but tha
what they said about the club at t
start of the 1941 season, and Mict
gan went on to lose only one game.
The situation is comparable to. la
year in other respects. Five gre
players had been lost through grad
ation the year before, Tom Harmc
Forrest Evashevski, Milo Sukup,
Frutig, and Ralph Fritz. This year
find five '41 stars gone with th
diplomas. All-American and Capta
Bob Westfall, center Bob Ingal
tackle Reuben Kelto and ends Ha
lan Fraumann and Joe Rogers.
Plenty of Juniors and Seniors
What may be the deciding fact
for a championship year this seas
is a full supply of juniors and senio
all with plenty of experience. One
the main problems Coach Fritz Cr
ler had last year was a lack of r
serves who had seen enough acti
previously to warrant cool, hea
play in the tight spots. Now he 1
that experience in the form of su
backs as Tom Kuzma, Paul Whi
Don Robinson, and Don Boor, a
linemen like Merv Pregulman, Ju
Franks, and Jack Karwales. All the
boys, sophomores last year, s;
enough competition to polish the
up for regular and front line r
serve spots this coming year.
And according to all indicatio:
Crisler will need every bit of expi
ience and manpower he can get. 'I
Wolverines face one of the tough(
schedules in their history-ten gan
leading off with what amounts v
tually to an All Star team, the Gre
Lakes Naval Training Station. T
will be followed by the regular I
Ten schedule including bugab
Minnesota, and mighty opponents
between, such as Notre Dame a
the Iowa Naval Cadets.
Ceithaml Leads Squad
Leading the returning vetera
this year will be Captain Geoi
Ceithaml. George had the unenvia
job of replacing All-American. F
rest Evashevski at quarterback i
year and he came through so mt
to everyone's liking that he was
lected to lead the 1942 grid squ
Ceithaml is a great blocker and c
fensive player as well as one of t
shrewdest signal callers Crisler I
ever worked with.
In the line Fritz will have two
reliables, lettermen of twp ye
standing, Al Wistert at tackle E
Bob Kolesar at guard. The cen
spot, vacated by All-Star Bob Inga
was threatening to be the weak
Turn to Page 3, Col. 2
e Danr
THE
CRACKER
BARREL
By
Mik
0
0
* * *
* * *
Varsity Grid Stars In Benefits
THREE Wolverine grid stars will go into action this month for
the benefit of the USO and other war charities.
All-American Bob Westfall and Bob Ingalls are sure bets to
play on the All-Star team which will meet the Chicago
Bears Aug. 28. A poll is taken to choose the starting eleven but
the members of the squad itself are selected by the committee
in charge.
Flying Torn Harmon and Johnny- Kimbrough will play for
the All;Star Service team which will clash with the professional
Washington Redskins on Aug. 30.
IG BOB INGALLS holds some sort of a war record. The great
Michigan center has been rejected by six separate branches
of the nation's armed forces because of poor vision.
Two weeks ago he was ordered to report to Manhattan
Beach, the Coast Guard Training Center, for active duty. But
just before he boarded the train at Detroit he received notice
that it was all a mistake and that they didn't want him because
of his eyes.
O
Following Iowa as far as contributions are concerned comes
Minnesota with six. The Gopher lists include sly old Bernie
Bierman, head football coach and Frank McCormick, athletic
director and baseball coach.
Michigan's only coach who is reptesented in the military
world is Cliff Keen. The Wolverine wrestling mentor is now in
Georgia teaching the Naval officers the art of self defense.
Michigan football fans thought they would be through with
Bernie Bierman when he left Minneapolis for the Navy. But
they were sadly mistaken because Bierman is now head football
coach of the Iowa Naval Station team. This squad goes under
the name of the Seahawks and will meet the Wolverines this
fall. Fritz-that man's here again.
M ICHIGAN lost one of its leading athletes this summer when
it was announced that Irving Boim, number one pitcher
on the varsity baseball team, had withdrawn from school be-
cause of scholastic difficulties.
This came as a severe blow not only to the Wolverine nine
but also to the many sport fans who considered Boim Michi-
I
"jokey" people, because he himself was a very "jokey" guy.
And there is no doubt about that; Pro was a very "jokey" guy.
Whether it was in a hotel lobby or in the middle of a crucial
game he always had something funny to say.
Mostly his talk was about his gang back in Chicago, the
"South Side Boys."
Pro said "I love them like they were my very own."
The boys on the team learned to know every one of Pro's
gang as well as the big fellow did himself because of the con-
stant stories about the "South Side Boys."
There was Sam Finestein, alias Warren Lansing Shelby;
Nate Goldberg, alias Montang Sinclair; and last but not least,
Hymie Caplan, who went by the name of Wayne Dickey. When
Pro was asked why Hymie called himself Wayne Dickey, he
dogmatically answered: "The reason is obvious; he liked the
name Wayne and Dickey was his favorite catcher."
Finestein (Warren Lansing Shelby) was the one who got so
excited in a high school game when he socked a double that he
tried for third even though he didn't have a chance in the world
to make it and was tagged out.
* * *
Pro moaned and said, "My God, coach, you don't want
to faint away from hunger while I'm on the mound."
Few people knew it but Pro was active in a club in Chic
that helped train delinquent or underprivileged children.
was mighty proud of his social work in this organization
never failed to point out its motto-"Your best friend is y
mother." When asked why they chose it, Pro smilingly poir
out, "Who cares, it sounds nice, don't it?"
On road trips, Pro would never take with him anything
a toothbrush. When the boys cornered him one day and
manded a reason for his taking the toothbrush Boim answe
"It would look funny if I didn't have any baggage at all."
Despite his very trying efforts to be "jokey," Boim wor
hard on the diamond to make himself a better pitcher. He
always the first one out for practice and the last one to 1!
the locker room. He loved baseball and the fellows he pla
with. Above all, he wanted to make the "gang" back he
proud of their Pro. And he did. He improved as the sea
went along, and finished the schedule in fine fashion by limi
the star-studded Great Lakes nine to six hits.
* *
I