........ 152 Scoreboard Baseball 153 pitched well on occasion, but tended to be erratic on occasion. As will by John Doherty at shortstop, and Timothy Donohue replaced Nor- be noted in the scoring statistics, a majority of the games were more bert Lang at third base. Philip Gravelle, another freshman, went to slug-fests than air-tight pitching duels. second base. The batting average of the team for the season was .304: Bill Arth In a thirteen-game schedule, St. John's won ten games and lost .500 in five games; John Callahan .464; Joseph "Unser Joe" Keller three for second place in the conference. One of the losses was to the .375; Bob Burkhard .341; Lee Wagner and Ralph Eisenzimmer .333; University of Minnesota by a score of 7-4. This game was Vedie Rimsl's Eugene McCarthy .222; Simon Super .214; Norbert Lang .187; and first college experience on the mound and was in every sense of the Merle Rouillard .111. word a remarkable achievement. On Memorial Day, the last outing for the year, St. John's split a If excuses for a good team are ever appropriate (which is doubtful), double-header with Gustavus Adolphus on the Gustie field. Rimsl won they were for the 1934 Johnnies. The first of five losses was to the the first game 4-2, but St. John's lost the second by a score of 8-1. University of Minnesota, Big Ten champions for this year, by a score Prior to this defeat St. John's had won four straight games and, except of 8-3. Two games were lost to the College of St. Thomas, which that for this loss, would have won the MIAC championship. year swept unbeaten to the MIAC championship behind its great LINE-UP SCORES pitcher John Rigney. Rigney was practically unbeatable in college ball. John Doherty '35 ss SJU Opponents Re went directly from the campus of St. Thomas to the ball park of John Callahan '37 c 4 U. of Minn. 7 Robert Burkhard '35 cf 4 Avon 3 the Chicago White Sox and immediately began his brilliant pitching William Blenker . '36 If 6 St. Cl. Eagles 1 career in the major leagues. Timothy Donohue '38 3b 1 St. Olaf 3 Joseph Keller '37 rf 8 St. Thomas 7 LINE- UP Stars-Bill Arth, John Callahan, Philip Gravelle '37 2b 12 St. Cloud T.C. 9 Ralph Eisenzimmer '34 ss Joe Keller Eugene McCarthy '35 Ib 10 St. Thomas 9 John Callahan '37 c Vedie Himsl '37 P 10 Hamline 5 Robert Burkhard '35 cf SCORES Austin McCarthy '38 p 11 St. Cloud T.C. 5 Bill Arth '34 Ib SJU Opponent John Marrinan '35 P 10 Little Falls 0 Joseph Keller '37 rf 18 St. Joseph 6 Hugh Gilmore '35 p 5 St. Cl. Eagles 0 Quiren Klasen '36 If 3 U. of Minnesota 8 Lee Wagner '36 c 4 Gustavus 0 Norbert Lang '37 3b 12 St. Cl. Eagles 11 Quiren Klasen '35 of 1 Gustavus 7 John Doherty '35 2b 12 St. Cl. Eagles 11 Leo Klasen '36 ss Loren Henkemeyer '34 p 6 St. Cloud T.C. 5 RECORD of 2 Eugene Roeder '36 of Si Ryan '34 St. Thomas 6 Coach-Fr. Dunstan Tucker Overall: 10 wins 3 losses John Marrinan '35 p 5 St. Olaf 6 Captain-Callahan Conference: 4 wins 2 losses Kenneth Bloms '34 p 9 Hamline 2 Conference-2nd place Simon Super '34 of 11 St. Cloud T.C. 8 Stars-Himsl, Blenker, Doherty, Eugene McCarthy '35 Ib 16 Gustavus 11 Burkhard, Callahan Marvin Frejlak '34 p 7 St. Thomas 15 Hugh Gilmore '34 P - 1936- Merle Rouillard '36 of RECORD Coach-Fr. Dunstan Tucker Overall: 7 wins 5 losses Captain-Robert Burkhard Conference: 2 wins 3 losses The sudden popularity of baseball that had followed the 1934 and 1935 seasons was manifested again in 1936 when several highly tal- ented candidates tried out for the 1936 team. Prominent among them - 1935 - were Ernie Sowada, a left-handed speed and curve ball artist who The one single element lacking in the 1934 team was a strong complemented the right handers, Rimsl and McCarthy, to give St. pitching staff made up of at least three first string pitchers. That un- John's the perfect pitching staff. It was and is still considered the usual commodity in college baseball in the 1930's appeared miraculous- strongest pitching trio in St. John's baseball history. After graduation, ly on the St. John's campus with the arrival of Avitus "Vedie" Rimsl Himsl was signed by the Cleveland Indians and is now an executive and Austin McCarthy, brother of Eugene McCarthy. There were sev- in the Chicago Cubs' organization. Ernie Sowada, following his gradu- eral infield changes that were necessitated by the departure of 1934 ation, pitched several years with the Minneapolis Millers until the out- lettermen, but they were quickly filled by new men with equal abilities. break of World War II, during which he served as a Navy officer in Eugene McCarthy went to first base, Ralph Eisenzimmer was replaced the military service. Austin McCarthy, even as a freshman, was con- I T 154 I Scoreboard Baseball 155 sidered by the Detroit scouting staff the best pitching prospect in the In order to generate power at the plate, it was a matter of using state. Ironically, both Ernie and Austin are now exercising their tal- one of the pitchers in the outfield for every game, at the same time not ents in the medical profession. risking the danger of hurting their pitching arms. A fairly elaborate The 1936 team won the first St. John's baseball championship since system of relays by the infielders was devised to enable the pitchers 1919 with a record of eight victories and one loss in the conference. to play without loss of team defensive power. The improvisation The only other loss was to the University of Minnesota by a score of worked. Himsl over the season hit at a .500 average with three home- 4-2 in a game pitched by Hims!. runs and two doubles; Ernie Sowada batted .500 with three triples; The season was not without its theatrics, especially in the final McCarthy batted .400 with one homerun. game at Gustavus Adolphus which decided the championship. With Highlight of the season was Sowada's pitching feat in defeating the score tied at 2-2 in the 10th inning, team captain Lee Wagner drove I the University of Minnesota by a score of 5-3. In this game Philip a Gustavus pitch over the left field wall to break the tie. This was "Gabby" Gravelle glowed with triumph when on a relay Himsl to followed by a single by Bill Blenker and a steal of second. A double by Gravelle from left field, the latter threw out a runner at the plate try- Linus "Skeets" Ebnet scored Blenker with the winning run. ing to score from second on a single. Himsl set a strikeout record for LINE-UP SCORES St. John's of 20 strikeouts in one game (over Augsburg), one short of Timothy Donohue '38 ss SJU Opponent the MIAC record of 21 set by John Rigney when pitching for St. Joseph Keller '36 rf 12 St. Joseph 1 Thomas in 1934. Sowada's strikeout record was 19. Lee Wagner '36 rf 8 Avon 0 Bill Blenker '38 cf 10 St. Olaf 1 In a schedule of 16 games St. John's won 14 and lost two, one of Linus Ebnet '38 2b 7 St. Cloud T.C. 2 Bernard Meinz '38 Ib 13 St. Thomas 1 these to Gustavus with whom St. John's shared the championship. QuirenKlasen '36 If 0 Gustavus 2 Philip Gravelle '36 3b 1 LINE-UP SCORES U. of Minn. 2 Philip Gravelle '37 3b SJU Opponent John Callahan '37 c 6 Albanv 5 John Callahan '37 c 2 St. Cloud T.C. 0 VedieRimsl '38 p, If 21 Augsburg 1 Austin McCarthy '38 p 10 St. CI. Semipros2 Ernest Sowada '39 p, rf 13 Ramline 0 Linus Ebnet '38 ss 10 Ramline 3 Austin McCarthy '38 p, of 10 St. Thomas 2 Bernard Meinz '39 Ib 12 Augsburg 0 Leo Klasen '36 ss 20 Augsburg 3 Edward Callahan '39 rf 1 St. Cloud T.C. 2 EugeneRoeder '36 If 13 Ramline 1 Leo Winkler '38 cf 5 U. of Minn. 3 Joseph Achatz '39 Ib 4 Gustavus 2 John Rughes '36 c Conrad Winter '40 2b 12 St. Olaf 11 Coach-Fr. Dunstan Tucker Vedie Rimsl '37 p, of 5 Ramline 4 RECORD Ernest Sowada '39 p, of 4 St. Olaf 1 Captain-Wagner Overall: 14 wins 3 losses Joseph Keller '37 rf, cf 16 St. Thomas 2 Stars-Blenker, Keller, Wagner, Conference: 8 wins 1 loss QuirenKlasen '36 of 4 Gustavus 3 Ebnet, Rimsl, Callahan, Conference-1st place, championship Leo Klasen '37 ss 11 St. CloudT.C. 1 McCarthy Gerald Sheehy '40 cf 13 Augsburg 0 John Kehoe '40 p 1 Reformatory 0 - 1937- Leo Koch (?) p 4 St. Thomas 1 Joseph Achatz '39 Ib 0 Gustavus 1 The story of the 1937 baseball season to repeat the 1936 champion- Coach-Fr. Dunstan Tucker RECORD ! Captain-Rimsl Overall: 14wins 2 losses ship is one of those that stir the memories of alumni when they recall Stars-J. Callahan,McCarthy, Conference: 9 wins 1 loss the three great pitchers, Himsl, Sawada, and McCarthy, who by some Rimsl, Sowada Conference-1st place r Co-championshipwith Gustavus happy chance happened to be on the same team during their college Pitchers' records-Rimsl 6-1, years.