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University Daily Kansan
By ED HOWARD
What is wrong with KU baseball? A school as big as the University finds means to support football, basketball, and track, but cuts down on baseball, the nation's No.1 sport, tennis, golf, and swimming.
As far as we can tell, only one Jayhawker baseball player receives a full athletic scholarship. But maybe that is the wrong approach. Maybe baseball games aren't won on scholarships alone.
Maybe baseball games aren't won on the field.
If that is the case, why all the de-emphasis, or rather, lack of emphasis on the national pastime, a game which is begun on sand lots by fourth and fifth graders? Why cannot a school as successful as Kansas in football and basketball, the chief revenue sports of any big school, put out a little money to have even a half-way decent place for its baseball team to play?
Kansas, at present, hires a seasonal baseball coach, one that doubles in football season as an assistant coach. Granted that a baseball coaching job seems like little or no work, except for four months of the year, but at the same time, the football and basketball coaches are not under stress and strain much longer than that. And a full-time baseball coach could be a valuable asset to KU public relations, as are other coaches during the off-season.
as are other coaches during the offseason.
Perhaps Kansas' poor teams have been caused by a lack of incentive, brought about by a borrowed diamond which is "loaned" by the football team, poor dressing room facilities, (they use the dressing rooms in the stadium), or poor student interest, which is brought about by a mixture of lousy stands and losing teams.
brought about by a mixture of factors. Oklahoma, on the other hand, which won the NCAA baseball championship in 1951, has a modern plant, consisting of their own field, grandstands, concrete dugouts for both teams, and generally all-around decent playing facilities.
A survey by this reporter brings out the fact that since 1948, Kansas baseballlers have only twice won more Big Seven games than they have lost, in 1952 when they won 8 and lost 6, and in 1949 when they won the pennant for the first time since 1923. Red Hogan coached the team that gave the Jayhawkers their first baseball title in 26 years. That is a long, long time without tasting the sweetness gained by winning a league title.
Why is it that both Nebraska and Missouri, which won the Big Seven flag last year, come up with winners most of the time, while their "cousins on the Kaw" try to fight off the doldrums of losing? Both the Cornhuskers and the Tigers have approximately the same weather conditions as Kansas. They don't get any more time to whip a team into shape nor any more warm weather than does Kansas. Team morale and team facilities play a big part in winning in any sport.
While this year's aggregation has shown signs of brilliance, lack of morale has been evident in the way they sometimes play. This reporter feels that a little more support, mainly by the University in the form of a better diamond and new non-splintering benches for both teams and and the viewers, would do wonders toward bringing about better Jayhawker baseball teams.
Rickey to Give Viewpoints On Major League Coverage
Washington—U.L.P. Branch Rickey, the "father of baseball's farm system," was scheduled to testify today before a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on baseball's request for permission to restrict the television and broadcasting of major league games. thus driving in the sources of fu-
As such, Rickey was expected to be able to give the committee a valuable opinion on what effect unlimited broadcasting and televising of major-league games has in minor league areas.
Rickey, now general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is the man who organized the first big chain of minor-league farm teams while he was head of the St. Louis Cardinals and another big chain while head of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
EXPERT WATCH
Baseball's top brass have testified that unlimited operation of these media has wrecked the attendance at minor-league games. Only 19 minor-league teams were said to have shown a profit last season, a situation which has forced many teams to go out of existence,
thus drying up the sources of future talent.
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In addition to Rickey, other wit-
nesses today were expected to include George A. Medinger, vicepresident of the Cleveland Indians.
13th Dual Win Goal of Kansas
A 26-man Kansas track team will go to Des Moines tomorrow to try for its 13th consecutive dual meet triumph at the expense of the Drake Bulldogs.
The Jayhawkter thinclads, accompanied by their coaches, will leave Kansas City by plane tomorrow morning, and return via the same route after the meet.
It is an enviable record that coach Bill Easton's team will lay on the line tomorrow. It includes not only a string of 12 dual meet victories, stretching over two seasons, but also a clean sweep of every Big Seven track event this past year.
The Jayhawk cindermen won the Big Seven two-mile team race, and the Big Seven cross country in fall outdoor competition. On the indoor boards, they swept their dual competition and won the Big Seven indoor carnival in Kansas City going away.
Add all this to the Kansas sweep of both the indoor and outdoor Big Seven meets last season, its outstanding showing in the Kansas, Texas, and Drake Relays the past two seasons, and it is easy to see why the Jayhawk track team is ranked near the top nationally.
Although Drake has a wellbalanced track team with several good individual stars, it is very doubtful if they will have the overall power to break the Jayhawker reign.
After meeting Drake tomorrow, the Kansas team returns home to meet Missouri here. May 16, then will go to Ames the following Saturday for the defense of seven outdoor crown at the Big Seven meet.
Major Standings
AMERICAN LEAGUE
| | W. | L. | Pct. | G.B. |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| New York | 13 | 6 | .684 | |
| Cleveland | 10 | 6 | .625 | $1\frac{1}{4}$ |
| Boston | 10 | 8 | .556 | $2\frac{1}{9}$ |
| Chicago | 11 | 4 | .556 | $2\frac{1}{9}$ |
| St. Louis | 10 | 9 | .526 | 3 |
| Philadelphia | 10 | 9 | .526 | 3 |
| Washington | 7 | 13 | .350 | $6\frac{1}{9}$ |
| Detroit | 5 | 16 | .258 | 9 |
THURSDAY'S RESULTS (No games scheduled)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NATIONAL LEAGUE
W. 1. L. Pct. G.B.
Philadelphia 12 12 .570
Brooklyn 12 8 .667
St. Louis 12 6 .667
Milwaukee 8 10 .571
Pittsburgh 8 10 .444
New York 7 11 .389
Chicago 5 9 .357
Cincinnati 3 10 .231 7
THURSDAY REPEAT
Chicago, postponed,
St. Louis at Brooklyn, postponed
Cincinnati at Philadelphia, postponed
Wilmington at Pittsburgh, postponed
should be examined today, Call for appointment. Any lens or Prescription duplicated. LAWRENCE OPTICAL CO.
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On 45's
"The Moulin Rouge Theme"
by
Mantovani
Percy Faith
and
Bell's
Fuentes, Wilson Bout on TV Tonight
925 Mass.
New York —(U,P)— Ramon Fuentes, the welterweight champion of California, was a 13-10 favorite today to make a successful eastern debut tonight in a 10-round, nationally-televised bout against Aaron Wilson at St. Nicholas Arena.
Angeles fighter has not fought as tough a brand of opposition as has 26-year-old Wilson of Englewood, N.J., who has met big-namers like Ray Robinson, Kid Gavilan, Johnny Bratton, and Robert Villemain. Wilson has won 23 of 35.
Fuentes, hopeful of graduating into the top ranks of weltweiger contenders, carries an impressive record into the ring of 20 victories in 21 professional fights, including eight knockouts.
However, the 25-year-old Los
so in his most recent fight, Wilson lost a close decision to Bratton, the former welter champion. In his last appearance at St. Nicholas, he lost another close one to Randy Sandy.
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