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Topic: Official NCAA Tournament Thread: Indiana
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Pataskala
6/5/2017 1:34 PM
Old Zone wrote:expand_more
As I watched Ohio get outclassed at bat, in the field and on the mound, I found myself pondering this question: How did Bob Wren bring together such talents as Mike Schmidt, Jim French, Steve Swisher, Tom Murphy, Rich McKinney and his others who saw action in the majors? Who dominated the MAC?
Don't know a ton about the others, but Wren didn't bring Schmidt to Athens. The architecture program did. Schmidt was initially a walk-on.
Not to deny the greatness of Bob Wren, but that is correct. I recall an interview long ago on the Tim McCarver Show where Schmidt said he wanted to play basketball at Ohio but wasn't allowed because of an injury, then met a bunch of guys on the baseball team playing pick up basketball and they encouraged him to "try out."
His early life was full of twists and turns. He had surgery on both knees due to HS football injuries, and to play basketball his knees were wrapped in tape until they chafed. He made Ohio's freshman basketball team but insurance requirements forced him off. He started baseball as a switch-hitter, but Wren talked him out of batting lefty. The Orioles showed interest, but he would've been behind Brooks Robinson for about five years. The Phils latched onto him after seeing him vs BG (my cousin, Doug Bair, was their ace pitcher). He was about to undergo another knee surgery when the surgeon decided he didn't need it. That may have saved his career. Instead, the Phils rehabbed him.

http://www.daytoncitypaper.com/on-your-marc-214 /
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Mike Johnson
6/6/2017 9:20 AM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
Thanks, DXer. That explains the discrepancies between Mike's memory and mine. Mike apparently was remembering that games in an earlier tournament in the 1960s were played in Athens, and I was remembering where the 1970 tournament was actually played. I had forgotten that it had originally been scheduled for Athens. Now that you mention that fact, I do recall that what you state is correct. As I often say, my memory is perfect as I never forget anything, but I sometimes have retrieval problems. ;-)
Here is why I remember so clearly Ohio hosting that first-round NCAA tournament in the 60s. The start time for the first game was 1 p.m. That's when I had an exam scheduled. I went to the prof - the late Russ Baird - and asked if I could begin the exam 20 or 30 minutes early so as to minimize missing innings. He said no. I must then have set some kind of record for taking his exam because I missed only an inning or two of the game.

Now fast forward 30 or so years. I was in Athens to guest lecture. In between classes I settled into a faculty lounge to sip coffee. In walked Russ. I introduced myself. Then I recounted the above story. Added I, "If a student today came to you with the same request, what would you say?"

Answered Russ, "I'd let him start the exam early. I've mellowed."
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UpSan Bobcat
6/6/2017 10:47 AM
Kentucky ended up winning the bracket. They lost to NC State 5-4 but won three straight, beating Indiana 14-9 and then NC State 8-6 and 10-5.
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BillyTheCat
6/6/2017 3:05 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
As I watched Ohio get outclassed at bat, in the field and on the mound, I found myself pondering this question: How did Bob Wren bring together such talents as Mike Schmidt, Jim French, Steve Swisher, Tom Murphy, Rich McKinney and his others who saw action in the majors? Who dominated the MAC?
The "Grey Eagle" (as Wren was sometimes called) was a really great recruiter. At one time, as I recall, he ranked third among active coaches with the number of former players in pro ball -- and several of these were in the majors at the same time. When one establishes that kind of reputation it feeds on itself and recruiting becomes easier because you've got that kind of reputation. In my youth I was fortunate to see coaches like Wren, Hess and Snyder. All were OHIO graduates and had national respect in the coaching field in their respective sports.

Coach Wren also recruited quite a few Junior College players back in that day. Made a living out of Miami Dade Junior College.
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BillyTheCat
6/6/2017 3:11 PM
Mike Johnson wrote:expand_more
Hmm . . . am I reading this correctly that this game will be at UK's home stadium? I wonder when they started playing the first few rounds at home fields. I remember the year OHIO went to the CWS, the first round games were played in Columbus at Jet Stadium (later Clipper Stadium). I remember attending a game there against a B!0 team and one against Notre Dame. Seems a lot fairer to me.
When I was an Ohio student, the Bobcats got to host a first-rounder that included Ohio State, Bradley and, if I am recalling correctly, Detroit. That of course was BEFORE the '70s.
One of us, Mike, has a memory problem. In my case, though, my wife corroborates my memory. She remembers attending the games at Jet Stadium against a B10 team and Notre Dame. This was the CWS year -- 1970.
Carl, I'm not disputing what you saw and where; rather I was noting that the 4-team tournament played in Athens that I saw was played in the 60s while I was a student.
OCF, your memory is only half bad. The Cats did play in old Jets park, but they did not play any Big10 teams. They beat ND once and Southern Illinois twice to make it out of the District IV tournament. Only Big10 team their was Minnesota, but OHIO did not play them.
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OhioCatFan
6/6/2017 4:37 PM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Hmm . . . am I reading this correctly that this game will be at UK's home stadium? I wonder when they started playing the first few rounds at home fields. I remember the year OHIO went to the CWS, the first round games were played in Columbus at Jet Stadium (later Clipper Stadium). I remember attending a game there against a B!0 team and one against Notre Dame. Seems a lot fairer to me.
When I was an Ohio student, the Bobcats got to host a first-rounder that included Ohio State, Bradley and, if I am recalling correctly, Detroit. That of course was BEFORE the '70s.
One of us, Mike, has a memory problem. In my case, though, my wife corroborates my memory. She remembers attending the games at Jet Stadium against a B10 team and Notre Dame. This was the CWS year -- 1970.
Carl, I'm not disputing what you saw and where; rather I was noting that the 4-team tournament played in Athens that I saw was played in the 60s while I was a student.
OCF, your memory is only half bad. The Cats did play in old Jets park, but they did not play any Big10 teams. They beat ND once and Southern Illinois twice to make it out of the District IV tournament. Only Big10 team their was Minnesota, but OHIO did not play them.


Now that you refresh my memory, that sounds right. I think why I was recalling a B10 team is that I probably watched Minnesota play someone else -- maybe SIU. My mother was a Minnesota grad so I'm always kind of partial to them, except when they are playing OHIO.
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