2011 Ragin' Cajuns Baseball Record Book
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2011 Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball Record Book timeline historical 1903: Louisiana’s first baseball team takes the field 1916: Louisiana hosts the Cincinnati Reds 1939: Baseball returns to UL after 11-year hiatus feared, to be an April fool, did not take place until the 1902 second and was indeed the played on this campus as 1916 SLII organizes baseball team yet. The Reds and the Blues played and at the end of the Cajuns Play Reds, Again The following is an account of a baseball team seventh inning, the score stood 6-6, but at the end of the March 24, 1916: A year later, the Cincinnati Reds again being organized on the SLII campus as told by the ninth, the score stood 15-11 in favor of the Reds. Saturday travelled to Lafayette to take on the boys of SLII on Friday, March 1, 1902 edition of the Lafayette Gazette: Now evening the Blues expected to reinstate themselves in March 24. According to a promo poster, “the game called that the football season is over, the boys at the Industrial the good graces of their supporters, but we are sorry to at 1:30 p.m. promptly on institute campus...teams begin Institute are about to organize a baseball team: in fact, announce that they were badly beaten by the Reds again practice at 12:30.” The poster also declared that “such stars the necessary equipment in the shape of masks, stomach that afternoon. The score stood 15-26, and yet the Reds as Toney Herzog, Wingo, Groh, Mollwitz and Clark WILL protectors, bats and balls, have already been ordered, and did not play their last inning. POSITIVELY PARTICIPATE.” Cincinnati won 9-4. it will not be long ere the people of Lafayette and vicinity will have the pleasure of witnessing a match game 1909 1923 between these boys and a team from some neighboring Seven games highlight SLII schedule First 10-win Season town. It is needless to say that everyone wishes them Seven games were scheduled for the 1909 SLII success in this new field sport the same success that has 1923: With only 14 games on the 1923 slate, SLI went schedule; however, results are mostly unavailable. Only 10-3-1, the program’s first known 10-win season. characterized their every effort in the past to establish the three results have been found - all victories for SLII. supremacy of the Industrial teams, and hold on high the The following is an account of the baseball team colors which have not yet known defeat. as told by the April 5, 1909 edition of The Vermilion: 1927 An exciting game of base ball was played between our Great Flood Shortens Season 1903 team and the Broussard boys here last Saturday on 1927: The Great Flood of 1927 in the spring cut SLI’s Louisiana’s fields first team the Institute campus. Only three innings were played, baseball season short. Louisiana went 1-6 that season. In 1903, Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute darkness prevented any further playing. At the end of the However, no one knew that it would be the last baseball (SLII) fielded its school-sponsored baseball team. game, the score stood 6 to nothing in favor of S.L.I.I. season at SLI until 1939 as the school discontinued a However, local competition was scarce, but their is school-sponsored team. evidence that SLII played against neighboring towns. 1915 But, game day information is unavailable. Cajuns Play Cincinnati Reds 1939 One of the founding members of the baseball team, 1915: The National League’s Cincinnati Reds Baseball Returns Pothier Jean Voorhies, who was better known as P.J., came through Lafayette to play an exhibition game 1939: Baseball returned to the SLI campus. The 1939 was also a two-sport athlete. Voorhies, who is seated against the boys from SLII. Although an undated team featured such names as football All-American on the far right in the second row, also founded the account was found, no box score remains. The Reds Glynn Abel and future coach Raymond Didier. Alumni Association at UL. A century later, his great won 13-1. grandson, Pothier J. Voorhies, IV (also known as Sport “A large crowd was present on the Institute campus to Voorhies) was a member of Louisiana’s 2003 baseball see the game of ball between the Cincinnati Reds and the 1946 team. Institute team. Many people from a distance and from the Dark Debuts with the Boston Braves The following is an account of the baseball parish came in to take in the game. The day was pretty July 14, 1946: Former multi-sport star Alvin Dark team as told by the February 21, 1903 edition of cold but not enough to interfere with the game. The score becomes the first former UL athlete to make his Major The Advertiser: The inclement weather has interfered resulted 13 to 1. Considering the odds the boys were up League Baseball debut, appearing in the infield for the with the work of the baseball during the past two or against, this was fine. Boston Braves. He had only 13 at bats with the Braves three weeks; but now that several challenges have been The Reds, of course, are ball players. The way they and was later sent down to the minor leagues, where received practice will probably proceed in spite of the handled the ball, (and) quick...evidence of competence he was named Minor League Rookie of the Year. weather. showed they were right up to the job. The Institute boys Although there have been mentions of SLII playing were weak on batting and especially so in the last half 1948 games against local competition, local articles of the game, when left-handed Fittery began shooting Dark Named MLB Rookie of the Year recounting the games are not very informative as is in his swift curves. The boys’ strong point was their good 1948: After spending one season in the minor shown in the following recap of the baseball team 16 capable playing and Walter Billeaud, short stop, made leagues, Alvin Dark returned to the majors for his first as told by the April 4, 1903 edition of The Avatar: a feature catch that brought him a round of applause. full season with the Boston Braves. Dark batted .322 The game of baseball Wednesday evening was very Altogether, the game was very interesting and was strong with four home runs and 48 RBI on 175 hits (39 doubles interesting: good plays were made on both sides, which enough on the part of the boys to really make the Reds and six triples), earning Major League Baseball Rookie proves that we have excellent material for a good team. show something of their metal (sic) and give an idea of of the Year honors. Dark and Jackie Robinson are the While little is known about the early baseball what it takes to make a national player.” only players in MLB history to be named Rookie of the teams at SLII, it has been found the 1903 team did Year for the entire league. That same year, Dark also play intramurals. The following is a recap of one becomes the first former SLI star to play in the World such game as told by the April 11, 1903 edition Series. of The Attakapsian: The base-ball game, which was 1923: Louisiana’s first 10-win team 1944: Louisiana was led by five-sport star Alvin Dark 1946: UL scored record 24 runs vs. Louisiana College LOUISIANA BASEBALL www.ragincajuns.com 2011 Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball Record Book historical timeline 1949: Cajuns claim first Gulf States Conference title 1963: Three players earn first team All-GSC honors 1970: Swindler becomes first Cajun picked in MLB Draft 1949 1969 1978 Cajuns Claim First Gulf States Title Guidry Posts Best GSC Season Moore Field Opens 1949: Although their record is unknown, it is known 1969: Freshman pitcher Ron Guidry led then-USL to March 4, 1978: After nearly 70 seasons of playing on that the SLI Bulldogs won the Gulf States Conference a fourth-place finish in the Gulf States Conference, while campus, Louisiana moved off-campus to its brand new title in its second season in the league. It would be the the southpaw went 5-1 on the mound. Guidry earned home - Moore Field. New Orleans spoiled Moore Field’s first of five consecutive GSC titles. econd team All-Gulf States honors. Guidry finished his debut with a 7-1 victory. Four days later, the Cajuns freshman campaign with a 1.57 ERA, allowing just 10 would notch their first victory in the new facility - an earned runs on 36 hits in 56.1 innings while striking out 8-7 decision over Southern on March 8. 1951 50 batters. His 1969 season has been noted as one of Dark Named to NL All-Star Team the best performances by a pitcher in GSC history. 1951: During the New York Giants’ World Series run 1978 in 1951, Dark was named to his first NL All-Star team. Guidry Wins AL Cy Young Award He later played in the 1952 and 1954 games. 1970 1978: Ron Guidry posts arguably one of the best Cajuns Set GSC Record seasons by a left-handed pitcher in MLB history when 1970: Gulf States Conference Coach of the Year Bob he goes 25-3 with 1.74 ERA, leading the Yankees to 1955 Banna led Louisiana to the school’s best record since their second straight World Series title.