Hard-hitting Sooner
All-Big Eight outfielder Mike Swenton will be on hand this weekend when the Jayhawks venture to Norman to meet the Sooners in KU's conference opener. Swenton sported a .329 average last year as a sophomore and topped OU in RBI's with 39.
Shannon aching to rejoin Cardinals
ST. LOUIS (UPI)—Yesterday was the first day of the baseball season for the St. Louis Cardinals, but Mike Shannon was flat on his back in a hospital.
The Cardinals won their opener with the Montreal Expos in Montreal, but Shannon was 1,000 miles away from third base in Jarry Park.
Shannon's ailment is a kidney condition called gomerulo nephritis. It's the kind of ailment that flattens a strapping 6-foot-3 200-pound baseball player who is still the picture of health.
Shannon has been in the hospital for more than two weeks and has at least another week of seemingly interminable tests. He'd like to move about, but the doctors have told him to remain quiet. They've explained that his condition could be worsened by exercise.
"I'm going to whip this," says Shannon with the same Irish stubbornness that helped him to switch from the outfield to third base a few years ago as suggested by St. Louis manager Red Schoendienst. Many said the swapping of positions was silly, but Mike fielded grounders all winter at Fairgrounds Park in St. Louis and then helped the Cardinals to the next two National League pennants.
Confusion on Future
Even the doting of the nurses at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis is little consolation for the handsome athlete beset with confusion about his future.
"It's become a game of checkers now," he said. "They take some tests and give me some medicine, then more tests and more medicine. The doctors still haven't nailed it down, and so I'll just have to wait some more to find out how bad it is."
Dr. Stan London, the Cardinals' team physician, had indicated that Shannon would be out of baseball until at least July. Since the hospital tests began, the doctors have concerned themselves only with Shannon's health, not his baseball career. Mike waits impatiently.
"I want to get back as quickly as I can," he said. "But they tell me I need rest and relaxation. So I just have to be quiet and let
10 KANSAN Apr. 9 1970
the doctors and the laboratories do the work."
Mail Deluge
Shannon has spent some of his time by answering fan mail. He has been deluged by it since that day in spring training when his ailment was announced and Mike began packing his suitcases for the long trip home.
"People have been just wonderful to me," he said. "They've been sending me letters and telling me they're praying for me, and some have included mass cards. Let me tell you that those prayers are very much appreciated."
Schoendienst acknowledges that the Cardinals are having a problem in manning third base. Really the problem is being analyzed and tested and diagnosed at Jewish Hospital. A clean bill of health for Shannon would be the healthiest development for the Cardinals.
Offense tops Poke practice
STILLWATER (UPI) — Oklahoma State University footballers hammered their footway through a two-ring scrimmage session before the camera Wednesday as the four offensive units produced nine touchdowns.
"There was good hitting," Coach Floyd Gass claimed. "It's too early to display good techniques, but we'll have to concentrate on techniques before our next scrimmage."
The two top offensive and defensive units used one half of Lewis field and the reserves staked out the other end. Numerous players shuffled between the various units.
Junior college quarterback Tony Pounds hit 8 or 17 passes for 124 yards and a 40-yard scoring screen pass to newcomer James Williams. Johnny Ballard hit five of 13 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown including a 15-yard toss to Bucky Utter.
Assault controversy goes on
Flanker Alan Oliver caught four passes for 60 yards and yearling Pryor Nunn rushed for 50 yards on 13 carries from the fullback position. He caught four aerials for 35 yards.
Hockey trial continues
OTTAWA (UPI) — A sports broadcaster testified Wednesday that St. Louis Blues forward Wayne Maki "speared" Boston Bruins defenseman Ted Green during their fight at an exhibition hockey game here Sept. 21.
Fraser Cameron, a sports commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., took the witness stand on the second day of Green's trial on a charge of common assault. If convicted by Judge Michael Fitzpatrick, Green would become the first National Hockey League player ever found guilty of a criminal offense on the ice during a game.
Cameron's testimony was the first so far in the trial to support the defense contention that Maki
poked Green with his stick before the two players began a stick-swinging battle. Green suffered a fractured skull in the fight and has missed the entire season because of his injuries.
Under further questioning from Crown Prosecutor John Cassells, Cameron said that "Maki appeared to get free and then brought his blade up into Green." He said he "believed" Maki's stick hit Green's body.
The newsman said the players collided in the Boston end while chasing the puck in the 13th minute of the first period.
"Green did everything he could to keep Maki out of play," Cameron said. "He tied Maki up, their arms were tangled and Green held Maki against the boards. Green made a motion of his arms towards Maki's head, and then Maki got loose and made a spearing motion with his stick."
Cameron also backed up earlier testimony by game officials that Green got in a solid swing at Maki before the St. Louis player ended the fight with a "tomahawk type swing" that fractured Green's skull. The newsman said Maki's blow seemed the more powerful of the two stick swings.
"In my estimation, Maki's blow was the harder blow," Cameron said.
Drago pitches Royals past A's to even series
KANSAS CITY (UPI) — Dick Drago pitched a four-hit shutout and Ed Kirkpatrick singled in a fourth-inning run Wednesday night to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 2-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Although the A's stranded seven runners, none of them got past second against Drago as he posted his third major league shutout.
The Royals' first run was scored in the fourth inning when Amos Otis singled, went to second on an infield out and scored on Kirkpatrick's single to right.
They added their other run in the eighth when Bob Oliver opened with a double, went to third on an infield out and scored on Luis Alcaraz' suicide squeeze
bunt.
Alcaraz, credited with a sacrifice, was tossed out by first baseman Don Mincher, who didn't have a play at the plate and threw to second baseman Dick Green at first.
Oakland starter and loser Jim Hunter went the first six innings before being lifted for a pinchhitter. Hunter gave up five hits and struck out eight. Diego Segui finished up for the losers.
The A's stranded two runners in the second and fourth innings. Both times Hunter ended the threat, grounding out in the second and striking out in the fourth.
The victory evened the series at one win apiece as the A's took the season's opener from the Royals, 6-4, Tuesday afternoon.
GRADUATES
Make your first step towards the future with the Peace Corps. Begin your 27 month experience this summer in one of several hundred training programs for 50 different countries. In demand are graduating seniors in Business, Economics, Engineering, Education, and Liberal Arts graduates with special skills in agriculture, mechanics, carpentry, or masonry. 100 KU applicants are needed now.
For applications call Mario Karr: VI 2-5917 or see Dean Coan, 226 Strong