Lloyd Whitfield, The Teco Echo, May 11, 1951
Baseball has come a long way at East Carolina in the past twenty years according to the records available in the TECO ECHO office. Then on the other hand there has not been too much progress. Attendance has not mounted, the team record has not been better than those of the thirties, but we would venture to say that the caliber of ball has improved. Methods of obtaining ball players and scheduling games has been the biggest improvement of note.
If a baseball team was fielded at East Carolina in 1932, no data could be found concerning it. The college annual and the newspaper had no information on intercollegiate athletics, but the athletic program stresses intramurals among the girls. No news about boys’ athletics could be found.
However, in 1932, Dr. Rebarker, dean of co-eds at East Carolina, appealed for help in order that the college could further intercollegiate spring athletics. He proposed that the students forego the privilege of another scheduled entertainment and give $200 to the furthering of baseball.
We believe that this motion was carried, and East Carolina, then primarily a girls’ school, had a boys’ athletic team for probably the first time. The 1932 squad was under the guidance of Coach R.C. Neal.
Information concerning the strength of this squad, its record and the like could not be found in the files, as a matter of fact the newspaper did not have a sports editor at that time.
No Financial Aid In ’33
Again in 1933 the college fielded an intercollegiate baseball team and things began to shape up a little. They played two games each with High Point, Atlantic Christian, Presbyterian Junior college. The local Teachers (for that was the name of the athletic teams at that time) played each club on a home and away basis and won four and lost four.
The baseball diamond was along side the lake in the arboretum, and the Coach for the 1933 season was Kenneth C. Beatty, a Greenville man who had no financial help whatsoever in fielding a ball club that played .500 ball.
When the 1934 campaign rolled around Coach Beatty was still at the head of intercollegiate athletics and coached a baseball team that had such standouts as Preston Dunn, a pitcher from Ayden, Baxter Ridenhour and Clifford Bostic.
Coach Beatty dropped Campbell from the schedule that year and as a replacement scheduled Oak Ridge. The Teachers came out of that season with three victories against no defeats. There were 16 players on the squad that year which is amazing because of the mounting interest.
Dr. Frank Takes Over
In 1934 things went asunder for a while when Coach Beatty resigned, and with him went one of the most outstanding sports personalities on this campus in years.
With the resignation of Beatty, Dr. A.D. Frank, a member of the history department, was asked to take over the job as baseball coach and the friendly professor took over double duties as coach.
The Teachers lost the opener of the season to Guilford college 7 to 4 with Preston Dunn hurling a seven hitter for the locals. The first taste of victory under Dr. Frank came in a contest with Fort Bragg.
The college then began to take a wide interest in athletics, and decided that a nickname should be chosen for the East Carolina athletic team. It seems that Teachers was just not a fitting name, so the athletic council and students submitted the name “Pirates” in hopes that this would be a fitting name to the terrorizing defeats that would be handed out.
Mathis Appointed Coach
In 1935 Doc Mathis was appointed head coach at the college, and under this able and ambitious director, athletics were on the upgrade. Mathis graduated from Davidson where he starred in football and was good enough to earn a berth at the guard position on the All-state team.
With Mathis at the reins of athletics at East Carolina there was a noted increase of interest in baseball here. The biggest and most ambitious schedule tackled yet was undertaken. The Pirates played Guilford, High Point, William & Mary, Louisburg, Chatham Mills, Oak Ridge and Atlantic Christian. Mathis’ nine won seven games, tied one, and lost seven games in that year. There were 84 runs scored for the Bucs while the opposition was pushing 92 across the plate.
In that year the Buccaneer nine had such heavy sluggers around as Runt Bost, who led the batters with 29 hits in 63 turns at bat for a .460 average. Durward Stowe, another baseball immortal here, batted .417 while Crack Rogerson led the pitchers with six wins and one loss.
With the completion of the 1935 season, Mathis finished his first year of collegiate coaching and did a great job. He produced several professional players in his initial year. Mathis himself played for Erwin of the Tobacco State league along with Durward Stowe.
Farley Takes Over As Coach
In 1936 Bo Farley, a man who has been a popular sports figure in North Carolina ever since he entered Duke, took over the coaching duties for the Pirates. While at Duke the friendly athlete starred in three sports and holds the all-time batting average at Duke.
This is the year that saw Bill Holland begin his brilliant pitching career here. Holland is one of the best pitchers that this school has ever turned out of its athletic department. In his first year of collegiate competition the hustling hurler fanned 104 men in 84 innings. He was also second in batting with a .351 average. During the summer he signed a contract with Greenville which then played semi-pro ball.
Under Farley the series of athletic events with the Norfolk Naval teams was begun and have continued down through the years. In one contest on the local field that year the stands caught fire and the game was halted momentarily.
St. Louis Signs Tharrington
In 1937 the Buc coach began turning out top-flight athletes and the St. Louis Cardinals got a glimpse of Duke Tharrington. After a look at the hustler they offered him a pro contract which he accepted. Durward Stowe, one of the all-time greats at East Carolina, signed with Greenville in that year.
During the 1937 campaign Farley was coaching the high school team in Greenville and the college team also. The result was that a game was scheduled against the high schoolers with Farley coaching both teams. The Pirates emerged victorious in that contest 4-2. It would be interesting to discover the type of strategy that Coach Farley used in that contest.
Eight Pirate players batted over .300 in that year with Floyd Hinton leading sluggers with 22 hits in 57 appearances at the plate for a .386 percentage. Holland led the hurlers as usual with a six-and-one record. He slipped the third strike past 85 battters in 63 frames.
In 1938 $2,000 was appropriated for athletics at the college and the sports minded student body got busy and passed a resolution to pay $1.50 a quarter for an athletic fee. This proposal was drawn up by the TECO ECHO and printed on the first page with the advocation of such a move.
Schedule 24 Games In ’38
With the appropriation of $2,000 and a student athletic fee the college brought a schedule of 24 games to the baseball team, a task yet to be undertaken. This was perhaps the best ball club that has ever played under the name of East Carolina and produced some of the greatest baseball stars to ever wear a Pirate uniform.
There were such intersectional foes on the schedule as Ohio Wesleyan university and Danville Military institute.After winning nine straight battles without a taste of defeat, the Farleymen dropped a close one to the professional New Bern Bears.However, on the previous day, the Pirates had humiliated the professional Bruins by winning a 3 to 1 victory over them before some 2,500 fans. It was the immortal Bill Holland who pitched the Bucs to their surprise win over the pros, allowing only two hits.
In that glorious 1938 campaign the Pirates, still under the excellent guidance of Bo Farley, won 17 and dropped only three games.This was one of the most outstanding records in the state and a record which has never been equaled by an East Carolina nine. They scored 128 runs to the opponents’ 62.
Two Pirate batters soared way over the .400 mark in batting. Les Ridenhour and Earl Smith batted .415 and .411 respectively.
Holland Signs With Senators
In 1939, Holland, the greatest hurler to ever come out of East Carolina signed a professional contract with the Washington Senators. Outstanding in sports that year was the establishment of the cherished Bohunk trophy.The idea was presented by Jack Daniels, then sports editor of the TECO ECHO, and wholeheartedly accepted by the student bodies of East Carolina and Atlantic Christian.
The Buccaneers’ arch rivals won the first presentation ofthe old oaken bucket when they defeated the local tennis team. The baseball team had hopes of bringing the trophy back to its originator, East Carolina, but the locals lost the game 12-9 and the Bohunk spent its initial year within the dingy walls of Atlantic Christian.
A schedule of 23 games was arranged in ’39 and the series with Wilson Teachers college of Washington, D.C. was begun. The Bucs finished the season with seven wins, one tie and seven loses.
Two of the most outstanding hitters in the history of the college performed this year and finished the season with amazing batting averages. Smitty Smith led the pack with an incredible batting average of .531 while Bill Shelton came in secon with a .426 percentage.The team average was .300.
Chadwick Wanted A Chance
During the 1940 campaign Coach Farley was in need of a pinch hitter and he asked a benchwarmer, Vance Chadwick, if he could hit the ball.Chadwick replied, “Just give a chance, Coach, and I’ll blast that ball over the rightfield fence.”With a red face but a cynical grin the would-be slugger walked to the plate amid a roar from the stands.The first pitch hit Chadwick on the shoulder and he was forced to take first base, but he still thinks he would have hit a homerun if given a chance.
The ’40 opened with Elon, the pre-season favorites to win all laurels. The Bucs defeated Atlantic Christian in that year to win the Bohunk trophy, 5-2, but lost it in a return engagement.
During the last three years there appeared to be a wider interest in tennis than any other spring sport including baseball.The tennis matches were widely publicized and gained good support from the fans while the baseball squad was just getting by.
Then came the 1941 season which saw a new coach take over the coaching duties — a man who probably did more for athletics in such a crucial period than any this college has seen.He was John Christenbury — a man loved by all and a coach who had the respect of his players.
Due to the outbreak of World War II Christenbury was able to schedule only 12 games for the local diamond aggregation in ’41, the year which saw Jim Johnson, who was later to become a coach at his alma mater, begin his brilliant athletic career at East Carolina.
Intercollegiate Sports Begin Decline
It was in 1942 when the U.S. government was drafting all young college boys that baseball as well as other sports began to decline. Many colleges dropped the most popular of all spring sports and Coach Christenbury could only draw up a 14-game schedule which saw only three college teams listed. The rest of the teams on the card were service teams which were loaded with professional material.
A contest was scheduled against the Norfolk Naval station on a home and away basis. The Naval station had such big time names as Bob Feller, Sam Chapman, Freddie Hutchinson, Ace Parker and Jim Carlin. The contest to be played here saw Bob Feller slated to pitch against the local Pirates; however, the outcome of the contest could not be found in the records.
Charles Futrell was captain of the 1942 edition of the Pirates and Norman Mayo of Kinston was the club’s leading batter with a .406 mark while Futrell had a .404 average, Incidentally, Mayo’s fabulous hitting streak of 28 consecutive games was broken this year.
Also, a desire to enter the NS conference was expressed this year by officials and by TECO ECHO Sports Editor Jimmy Gianakos. The team finished the season with a record of seven wins compared with seven losses.
Christenbury Called to Service
During the 1943 season Coach John Christenbury was called to the Naval Reserve and intercollegiate sports were dropped at East Carolina because of the world manpower situation at that time.
However, Christenbury had done a magnificent job at East Carolina.He had set up programs that were not to be easily forgotten.The popular young mentor had one of the most effective, well-balanced and activated intramural programs this college had seen in years. He had archery, field hockey, badminton, and many other sports being participated in by all students.
In 1944 there were still no intercollegiate sports at the college but there was a tragic accident off the coast of California which killed John Christenbury, the man who had done so much for East Carolina.Coach Christenbury was killed in an explosion of two Navy ammunition ships.
The situation was the same in 1945, and the college could not carry on a spring sport’s program, but they did manage to get an intercollegiate basketball team. Smitty Smith, a graduate of the college, was named as coach.
A renaissance occurred in 1946 under the leadership of Jim Johnson. He was named coach for the 1946 campaign, and he gathered the first baseball team East Carolina had had in five years.This green squad was led by Joe Williams and Otis Powell. Powell had played third base in 1937 and had a batting average of .315.Charlie Bill Moye, the boy who was destined to become the greatest basketball player this college has turned out, came along this year and played the diamond sport.
In the first season since 1942 the local Buccaneers won seven and lost four of an 11 game schedule. During this season the Veterans club began its great scholarship movement for athletes at East Carolina by holding a dance in the Wright building to raise money for athletic scholarships.
Jorgenson Directs Athletics
The 1947 sports year saw Dr. N.M. Jorgenson named as full-time director of athletics at East Carolina and the college was definitely on the upgrade.Coach Johnson was relieved of his duties as baseball mentor, but continued as football coach. John Cameron was named as head baseball coach and practice sessions got underway with 50 candidates on hand. He was stocked with veterans such as Charlie Bill Moye, Larry James, James Hudson and Garland Little. Also, in ’47 George Wood, now coaching at Vanceboro, entered school here and saw action as a catcher. Another newcomer was Vernon Jones who roamed the outer gardens when he was not on the mound.
An incomplete schedule of 14 games was listed, and the Pirates opened the season by losing to Guilford, 3-2. In that thrilling but heartbreaking loss Garland Little, Vernon Jones and Jesse Murphy teamed to pitch a no hitter, but lost the scrap on five walks and five errors afield.
Also, this was the year that saw ablond-headed youth from Vandermeer begin his great career on the mound for East Carolina.It was Bob McCotter, a lefthanded transfer from Oak Ridge.He won a permanent place in the hearts of local fans when he pitched a 1-0 shutout over the Pirate’s bitter rivals, Atlantic Christian.That game was McCotter’s initial appearance in collegiate competition and it provided the Bucs with their first win of the season.
North State Extends Invitation
Another important note of 1948 was the local athletic teams were invited into the North State conference and were unanimously accepted by the loop members. The college was brought into the conference on the condition that they abide by conference rulings, and after a year we would become a permanent member if approved by the league.
The year 1948 saw another change in the East Carolina coaching staff. Coach Jim Johnson took over the baseball coaching succeeding John Cameron. Practice sessions got underway with 40 proteges on hand.There were such outstanding players around in that year as Ab Williams, Ben Hayes, Ben Hester, Jesse Boyd and Sam Stell.Stell has been acclaimed as the best outfielder to ever play under the name of East Carolina.He signed a pro contract with the St. Louis Browns, along with another Pirate who turned pro with Wilmington, N.C. of the Class D. Tobacco State League.
The situation was pretty much the same then as it is now, except they had no scoreboard. The attendance problem was the same as it is now. The students would leave the game early in order to get in the chow line for supper.
Perhaps the most thrilling situation of the 1948 season came one afternoon when the Bucs were playing an undefeated ACC team for the Bohunk trophy. It was a closely played contest and as in every athletic event between the two schools tension was high.The undefeated Bulldog team tasted defeat for the first time that day when the Pirates tallied a run in the home half of the ninth on a ground rule.The final score was 7-6, but that game was replayed many times afterwards.
It ended in a riot when the umpires ruled that East Carolina had won and students from both schools swarmed the field. There was quite a mixup for about thirty minutes, but the final score still read 7-6 in our favor and the Bohunk trophy still lay in peaceful rest here.
Boyd and Wallace Leading Hitters
Fenner Boyd and Jack Wallace had the best batting averages for the Pirates with .345 and .312 respectively.Roger Thrift was declared ineligible for conference play midway the season because he had played ball at the University of North Carolina. When he was forced to quit he had 11 hits for 16 trips to the plate for a .688 average.
The 1949 season saw still another change in the coaching staff with the resignation of Coach Johnson being accepted and Jack Boone making his first appearance here as baseball coach and assistant football coach. It was also announced that North Carolina’s most outstanding high school football coach, Bill Dole, would take over the football reins here.
Boone began his initial practice for baseball with 30 men present, including eight lettermen.Boone’s squad boasted such stars as Phil Regan who led the batters with a hefty .500 average. Jack Wallace was back for his second year and Ben Hester and Vernon Jones helped form the nucleus of the club.A newcomer Haywood Kelly transferred from Campbell and did a wonderful job at first base for the Pirates.
That year’s edition of the Pirates had eight men hitting well over the .300 mark.Elon won the conference championship with an unblemished record of eight wins while the locals finished eighth with two wins and six losses.
Played 24 Games in ’50
Next came the 1950 season which saw the Bucs schedule 24 contests and field a rather mediocre club.They would beat the best and then lose to a weak team the next day. On one occasion the Pirates of ’50 won two doubleheaders in two days.
There were such familiar faces on the squad as Jack Wallace, Fred Soles, Sonny Russell, Bob Bailey, Billy Smith and Martin Byrd. Also there were two of the team’s standouts, Bob McCotter and Vernon Jones around to throw that ball. McCotter was a portside while Jones was a righthander and played the outfield when he was not on the mound.Jones was named to the All-conference team for that year.
The team of ’50 played a contest with the professional Greenville Robins of this city and behind the effective pitching of strong arm McCotter defeated the Robins, 5-3.Vernon Jones and Fred Soles led the batters for the season with .362 and .360 respectively. Elon once again won the conference championship and the Bucs jumped into fourth place.
This year Boone was about the same crew around the infield that he had last year, but he has a new group of inexperienced hurlers. Martin Byrd and Dick Hobbs are the only veterans on the mound staff, but they have received a lot of help from Jimmy Byrd, high school all-stater and Jim Piner.
The 1951 season was another one of those that saw the Bucs lose to the league’s worst one day and then the next game defeat the top club. They spent most of the season in the first division and could have copped the title if disaster had not struck in one week when they fell apart and lost two in a row to Atlantic Christian and Catawba.The loss to ACC carried the Bohunk trophy back to Wilson where it will rest in agony until basketball season.
The top batter of the season was an old mainstay, Jack Wallace. He tore the league apart collecting an amazing batting average of .439 and led the team in RBI’s.A couple of new faces were seen in the infield in limited action and they really hit that ball.W.C. Sanderson and Jack Hoskins belted the ball at .563 and .375 respectively.
Jim Piner, a newcomer to the mound, led the hurlers, suffering only two defeats, one of those coming in a relief role against Elon. Jimmy Byrd was the next best on the mound. His best performance came when he knocked off the top of the loop on a masterful three-hitter. It marked the first itme in three years the Pirates had won a baseball game from the conference champs.
With a record of 10 wins and 10 losses the 1951 Pirates closed out their season in high spirits. They also wrote the final chapter in a twenty year history of East Carolina baseball teams.
Yes, it took twenty years to build the baseball team up to its present standing. They are now playing in a stadium of their own on the campus, whereas five years ago they were playing out at Guy Smith Stadium.They have not won any conference titles, but they have knocked off several of the contenders and dampened their hopes of taking the crown.
The next twenty years should be even bigger and better than the past twenty with the changing of the college’s name and the expected increase in enrollments. The local college should make steady progress in the baseball world and who knows maybe someday the national intercollegiate champion will be East Carolina.