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Friday, April 22, 1977
University Daily Kansan
Four Temple boys made the big time
Bv GARY BEDORE
Sports Writer
Usually anyone with an office decorates his desk and walls with pictures of his wife and kids. However, one wall in KU baseball coach Floyd Flemming's room is blanked out by four persons he refers to as family, but who don't meet the birth requirement.
They are the four Jayhawks who made it to the major leagues after wearing KU's crimson and blue uniform under Tromble.
Ball Allison, Chuck Dobson, Larry Miller and Steve Renko all have represented KU in the pros, and Temple is proud of his boys.
"All four were tremendous competitors." Temple said recently. "They all had the competitive desire and the hard work they took the field, it was all business."
OF THE FOUR FORCES, two still are involved in baseball. Renko pitches for the Chicago Cubs, and Dabson is a coach for the Pittsburgh farm club of the California Angels. Miller's whereabouts are unknown. Allison is vice president of the Minnesota Minn.
Allison played 13 years in the majors for the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins and hit 256 home runs in his career. He had a career batting average of .255 and played on the 1965 Twins American League pennant team.
ALLISON PLAYED for KU in 1953 and 1954 and signed a pro contract after his sophomore year. He said in a recent telephone interview that playing under coach Temple formed a foundation for his career.
"Floyd is a stickler for fundamentals, and from that standpoint, he was invaluable to me." Allison said. "He gave me the opportunity to play every day, and I was lucky enough to do well and impress some pro scouts."
In the pro ranks, Allison said one of his greatest thrills had to do with KU.
"In 1960 it was the Washington Senators first game of the season and President Eisenhower was there throwing out the first ball," he said. "All the players were standing around ready to catch it, and to do and behold, I caught it."
"I went up to get Eisenhower to sign it and he told 'Bob.艾合利,' I followed your career at the University of Kansas. 'I couldn't believe the President of the United States knew I played at kU. Kuttened me, and I will never forget it.'
ALLISON SAID the hardest ball he ever hit in his life was in a KU-Akanas game at Fayetteville, Ark. Temple said he remembered the hit well.
"He hit the ball so hard, that before it stopped rolling, I bet it went 160 feet," Temple said. "It went through a housing barn and never stopped rolling."
The other three KU players to make the pros were pitchers. Renko and
Dobson both pitched for KU in 1963 and 1984. During those years the Jayhawks had a record of 31-21.
Renko was a three-sport athlete at KU, and Dobson said it was tough playing second fiddle to Renko. He said that the press played up Renko so much that his own lack of publicity was a major factor in him turning to turn pre-after his sophomore year.
"AS RODNEY Dangerfield says, 'I didn't get no respect,' Dubson said recently. The press was building up attention. And the news, more headlines meant more money.
"It got so bad, that in Colorado, I pitched both games of a double-bheader and won the first game, and游戏厅 finally took me out in the sixth innings. I came home expecting a hero's welcome, but he read, "Renk Hunt, Hawk's Twits 5"
Dobson said there was no mention of his pitching in the story. He said he didn't leave KU embittered and was indebted to Temple.
"I have a lot of respect for Floyd," he said. "He helped me physically and emotionally, and I thank him for teaching me about the name."
DOBSON SAID that the turning point in his career occurred when Temple took him to a summer league in Nebraska after his freshman year at KU.
After the summer, Dobson returned to win six games and strike out 90 batters. These statistics put Dobson second on an all-time single-season strikeout list and strike outs. Renko is on the all-time single-season strike out list with 75. Renko's O E R. K. is the best for Renko.
Dobson compiled a 74-89 major league record for the Kansas City A's, Oakland A's and California Angels. Renko his career with Montreal and Chicago.
MILLER, a lefthander, played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1964 and for the New York Mets in 1965-66. He compiled a 14-1 record in the pros.
Larry had an air about him," Temple said. "You might use the word flaky, but he was a good pitcher and outfielder for his. His major league career was spotted, but anybody who pitches in the pros for four years had to have talent."
Temple said he still kept in contact with them all except Miller, who seems to have disappeared.
KU has been criticized for not turning out more professional baseball players. Allison said that the cold Kansas weather made it harder to attend schools in climate climate.
But Dobson couldn't explain the lack of pro players.
"The Midwest has never been one for developing major league players," he said. "In recent years, there has been only a trickling from the area."
Student co-chairmen make the Relavs look simple
To most people it looks simple enough. Print up a program, tell the athletes to fill out the entry form, set up the hurdles and high jump equipment and dump some sand in the long jump pit. With that done, declare the Kansas Relays organized and ready.
Not exactly. It's behind-the-scenes paperwork, processing and organization efforts at the FCA.
Coach Bitt Tommins, his staff, Relays Chairman Edwin "Doc" Eibel and the two student co-chairman do the behind-descenks work that few realize goes on. This year's student co-chairman are Lowry Schmidt, senior and Dave Willford, Clatehe senior.
JONES AND WILLIFORD work directly with Timmons, Elbel and the Relays committee, handling the processing of team sheets and sheet sheets and publicity for the Relays.
"We start about the middle of the fall semester by sending out letters to all the teams and individuals about this year's Relays," Jones said.
"The Relays committee is made up of students, who are picked as freshmen to serve," Williford explained. "Based upon a merit rating, you serve again each year. We two seniors are picked for coachin' with members and the previous year's chairman."
The committee then receives the entries back from the teams, which are processed into a report file. The report file is
Jones and Willford spend about 20 hours a week working on the Relays, gradually increasing their work load to 40 hours or more beginning in April.
"It comes to where we spend almost every minute of every day on the Relays." Jones said. "Wednesday, Thursday and Friday," he continued, "will be entries until two or three in the morning."
The weekend of the Relays, Jones and Williford are busy with organization and work.
"We're kind of overseers on the meet
and make sure things go smoothly."
Williams
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