The Keesler field news., June 24, 1942, Page 3, Image 3

About The Keesler field news. (Keesler Field, Miss.) 1941-19??

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Commandos Drop Games to Pensacola 6-3, 3-2
Spackman
Stars in
Twin Defeat
In a dramatic, thrill-packed
aeries, a hustling but crippled band
of Keesler Commandos dropped
both ends of a two-game *er;as to
the US Naval Air Station nine at
Pensacola, Fla., over the week*
end. The scores were 6-3 and 2-2.
The Commandos, defeated only
onoe in their previous 16 games,
battled gamely in both contests,
but couldn't put over the run?
that would hive turned defeats
Into victories. Their star find base
man, slugging Sgt. John Carey of
ttte 414th Technical School Squa
dron, was injured earlier in the
week and was unable to appear in
either game.
Keesler out-hit the Navai Air
Station team on Saturday, 13 to 8
Sunday's game was a pitching due!
between Sgt Pershing Mondorff of
Keesler's 400th Technical School
Squadron and Ensign Ben F.
Baumgartner. Each gave up only
tlx hits, but five stolen bases
turned the tide in favor of Pensa
cola after Keesler had taken a
first inning 2-0 lead.
With two out in the first, an
error and a walk put Commandos
on first and second. Pfc. Bob "Red”
Spackman of the AAR office
lined a single to left scoring the
first run of the game. Corp. Lionel
Brown of the 397th drilled a single
through the box, driving in the
second. A walk followed filling
the bases, but Pvt. Bert Shepard
of the 586th, subbing at first, fan
ned for the third out.
Sergeant Mondorff shut off the
Pensacola team for five innings,
limiting them to two singles. An
error, a stolen base, an infield
single and an infield out gave the
Naval Goslings a run in the sixth.
They tied the count in the seventh
on a single, a walk and a double
steal. In the last half of the ninth,
with one away. Aviation Machin
ist’s Mate 1st Class Larry Vidano.
who played a stellar game in left
field for the hdhne team, led off
With a walk and stole second on a
close play. Lt. Forrest Twogood,
former Cleveland Indian hurler.
came in as a pinch hitter and hit
to left center field to end the game.
There were no extra base blows
In either game as the field had been
slowed up by weather conditions.
Easily the series star was Private
Spackman who smashed out five
hits, four in a row in Sunday’s
game. In addition, the red-headed
third sacker scintillated at the hot
corner. Aviation Cadet Johnny
Lendo starred at short for the Pen
sacola nine.
Ensign Herman Franks, husky,
hard-hittmg former Brooklyn
Dodger catcher, was behind the
plate in Sunday’s game.
Each team used two huriers in
Saturday's encounter. Keesler had
msn on base in every inning ex
cept one, but never produced the
lung blow needed to drive in more
than one run at a time. Pfc. Eugene
Klofe, Keesler southpaw from the
DIAMONDS
ENGAGEMENT KINGS
BRIDAL SETS
WEDDING RINGS
Watches
BULOVA
ELGIN
GRUEN
NEWEST MODELS
—Sm Oar Window*—
Gem Jewelry Co.
!M W. Howard At*.
—Biloxi—
CONVENIENT TERMS
Keesler Boxers
To Participate
In Huge Benefit
i Plans are now under way to
i *ta*e a huge benefit outdoor box
j lag show some time next month, j
| it was nevealed this week by the
j Post AAR Office The show
probably will be held in Biloxi I
and a testing capacity of 10,000
I or more will be available
] According to preliminary plana,
half the revenue raised will be
turned o»er to the USO drive
| while the other half will go into!
I Keesler Field's welfare fund.
: Fighters from Keeaier and other
i near-by field* and camps are ex
| peeled to participate
A & R Prepares
For Track Meet
In preparation of Kttiler
' Field's first track meet, scheduled I
j for next month, the AAR office
is developing a new cinder track
around the baseball diamond
1 south of gate No. 2. Hurdles |
I have been purchased and other
1 equipment will be available.
i 59th Air Base Sq., was fast, but
I wild, waling five and hitlinR one
in less than three innings.
The Commandos play on their
I home diamond next week-end, fac
ing the 152nd Infantry nine of j
I Camp Shelby in two flames
SATURDAY'S GAME
Pensacola ab r hl'ona'aodo* ab r h
Owen 3b 5 1 OMendes ss 5 0 1
Osborn 2b 3 3 1 Bonder lb 3 1 3
Lendo ss 5 1 IMatthews cf 5 1 2
, Hershey lb 1 0 1 Russian If 5 1 2
Jones cf 4 0 OSp kman 3b 4 0 1
Vldano If 4 0 OBrown. rf S 0 0
Ray rf 3 0 1 Go* selin c 3 0 2
McGarry *40 1 Coble c 000
Mauser p 0 0 OShrpard lb 4 0 0
Sexton p 1 0 1 Klotz p 10 0
| * Hardin 1 1 1 Berry p * 0 2
‘Totals 31 8 8 Totals 38 3 13
• -Batted for Mauser In fourth.
Score by innings
Commando* 011 000 100 — 3
Pensacola 201 200 01* — 8
Summary Errors. Owen Lendo.
Bonder. Spackman, runs batted in,
Hershey 2. Lendo. Russian, Sparkman,
Brown; stolen bases. Owen. Bonder.
Spackman; double plavs, Osborn, to
Lendo to Hershey. Sexton to Lendo to
Hershey. Spackman to Bonder to Shep
ard; bases on balls, off Mauser 2. off
Sexton 2. off Klotz 5, off Berry 2.
strikeouts, by Sexton 2. by. Klotz 2
bv Berry 3. wild pitches. Mauser J.
Saxton 1: hit by pitcher, by Klotz
(Jones), by Berry iHershey); left on
bases, Pensacola 9. Commandos Ilf 2
runs. 4 hits off Mauser in 4 inning*
1 run, 9 hits off Sexton in 5 innings;
3 runs, 2 hits off Klotz in 2 2-3 in
nings, 3 runs 6 hits off Berry in 5 1-3
Innings: winning pitcher. Sexton: los
ing pitcher. Klotz. Umpire Thrdg
morton Time of game, 3 hours. 12
minutes.
SUNDAY'S GAME
Com'andos ab r h Prnsacola ab r h
Mendes. ss 5 0 0 Owen 3b 4 10
Bonder 2b 5 0 0 Boryto 2b 3 0 1
Matthew's cf 4 1 0 Lendo ss 4 0 1
Russian If 2 1 0 Jones cf 4 0 0
So'kman 3b 4 0 4 Hardin rf 4 1 2
Brown r< 10 1 Vldano If 2 l 0
Coble c 2 0 0 Nowak lb 3 0 0
Wilson c 0 0 0 Franks c 2 0 0
Shepard lb 3 0 0 B gartner p 3 0 1
Mondorff p 4 0 1 ••Twogooa 10 1
•Gossehn id 1 0 0
Totals 33 2 6 Totals 30 J 8
•—Batted for Shepard In 9th
••—Batted for Baumgartner .H 9th.
Score by innings:
Commandos 200 000 000 — 2
Pensacola 000 001 101 — 3
Summary: Errors. Owen 2. Franks.
Shepard; runs batted in, Lendo, Two
Sood, Brown. Sparkman: sacrifices. VI
ano. Brown; stolen bases. Owen
Franks. Hardin. Lendo. Vldano. Mat
thew’s: double play, Bonder to Mendes
to Shepard: bases on halls, off Baum
gartner 3. off Mondorff 2, strikeouts,
by Baumgartner 3. by Mondorff 5; hit
by pitcher, by Baumgartner (Coble);
left on bases, Pensacola 8, Commandos
9. Umpires. Henderson and Urquhart.
Time of game, 1 hour, 55 minutes,
SMOKE
Great Southern
CIGARS
r. P. CORSO. DM.
* ~ ' it *#£ -jJl
He's Safe • Pvt. Eddie Khlrni. center field itar of ( amp Shelby'* 55th Field Artillery baiebail
team, mlides into third baae in a recent tame here. He had hit a mingle. advanced on an infield out and
moved to third on a wild pitch by the ( oimmndn*’ Hurler. Pvt. Idberato J. Oral. The Keemler catcher.
Pvt. John "Gnome" Gomselin. made a belated throw to third marker, Pfc. Boh Sparkman, but the ball
warn in the dirt, and Private Sparkman unable to make a play. Render went on to win the game.
***•_ Photo py Army Air Foret* redhpicml Training Command
Commandos'
Average
Rises to .334
Keener Field’s slugging Com
mandos boosted their team batting
average six points last week,
reaching a season’s high mark of.
334.
Pfc. Robert “Red’’ Spackman, of
:he 309th Tech. Sc. Sq., retains nis
Learn batting leadership with 19
hits in 40 times at bat for a .475
average. Private Spackman leaJs
in runs scored with 17 and is tied
with Sgt. John Carey, of the
114th, in total hits with 19. Ser
geant Carey's 30 total bases and
ive doubles give him leadership
in those departments. He has
batted in 12 runs to tie for top
honors with Pvt. Malcolm Mat
thews, of the 585th.
Several new players are includ
ed in the averages for the first
time this weei while Pvt. Dale
Miller, third sacker, has been
transferred from the Field and is
no longer listed.
Sgt. Pershing Mondorff, of the
100th, leads the pitching staff
with three wins ahd iu. losses. He
ias registered 18 strikeouts, per
mitted seven walks and has been
rapped for 20 hits and only four
?arned runs in 27 1-3 innings.
Statistics do not include games
played this last week-end.
M*y«r* ah r h rbl Avr
Shoulder*, p 2 110 .500
Spademan, it 40 17 19 10 473
Hill, of 21 4 9 5 429
Carey, lb 4* 11 19 12 422
Mattnews. ct 33 10 13 12 794
Kloti p 13 3 ft 3 .3S5
Gray, of 19 7 7 & .70S
Browft, rf 23 8 9 5 .380
Mondorff. p-it 17 3 6 2 .332
Mendes s* 30 8 9 3 .300
Schleslger. c 24 5 7 7 .292
Russian, if-of 7 2 2 0 .28*
Bonder. 2b-3b 17 4 4 1 .234
Gos.'ehn. c 9 2 2 3 22L
Berry, p-of 9 3 2 0 222
Harrison, of 14 2 3 3 214
WlUon. u 10 2 2 3 .200
Oberman, e 2 1 0 0 000
Shroba. u 2 0 0 0 000
Melton p 1 0 0 0 000
H Enter to In men t ^
■ Rendezvous ill I |7 ^
I On^tto ^B«rh lllJ^
Biloxi Battery Co.
Bale* Servlet
I Farted St
Phone 14*
American Legion
Club
FOR ENLISTED MEN
Car. Howard A Luaeme
1 Cpatatra)
Biloxi
'On The Sports Line'
BY SGT. ROBERT O. FISHEL
Now that the planning for Keesler's first great football
season has entered the home stretch, the first important
, obstacle is being encountered. For the benefit of Army
[ Emergency Relief, two All-Star football teams are being
organized under the promotional direction of Ray McCarthy.
These two elevens will meet professional outfits in the East
and West for the benefit of the relief fund in September.
If one or more Keesler players should be drafted to play
on these star teams, the Commandos would be seriously
hampered during the August training period and in the first
month of the grid season. Few camps and fields in the coun
try will have as pretentious schedules as Keesler is preparing.
I With games such as the Pitt, Oklahoma and University of
j Mississippi, among others already signed, Keesler Field has
j assumed a moral responsibility to place its best team on the
field for each game.
Money raised by taking a cut of the gate receipts fot
games played away from home will Ik? used to improve ath
letic facilities at Keesler. In addition, the football prograrr
serves to boost morale for thousands of men here.
“We are cooperating fully in the Army’s all-out pro
gram for the relief organisation and the athletics pne
gram for morale. Our part in the national program Is
important and we require our full strength from early
August through the end of the season in December if we
are to fulfill our obligations.” ssys 1st Lt. A. M. Klurn,
Post Athletics Officer.
HERE AND THERE IN SPORTS — Sgt. John Carey,
slugging Commando first sacker and former pro pitcher and
infielder, hit 11 home runs with Grand Rapids last season. All
of the circuit clouts were hit in gimes that Sergeant Carey
won. When he hit a home run, hr won his game, when he
failed to hit a round-tripper, he lost Pvt. Joe Benna of the
58fHh Tech. Sc. Sq. is the new boxing Instructor at the Post
gvm, Rec. Hall 22. Private Benna was boxing coach at the
University of Purdue for three year*. He had previously been
a midwestern amateur star and wu first discovered by Bud
Taylor, former bantam champ.
OVER 1000
SOUVENIRS
and NOVELTIES
A ftomtnir or Gift for Bvtrf
Ornilon
BOB COLLINS NOVELTY
SHOP
4*1 Weat Bearh, lltlnal. Phone 411
BILOXI CAFE
“fleaneat Little Kitchen
In Town"
1074 Went Howard At*.
“Yon'll Meet Your Erlenda
Here"
! Welcome to OtUfpnrt |
Keealer Field Men: I
t Paris Cleaners %
| 1017 Uth St —Phone 770 $
306th to Send
Delegation
To Broadcast
A reserved section wilt be set
»»id« in Post Theatre No. 1 to
morrow night for a group of 300
soldiers of the 30flth Tech. Sc
Sq., who will attend Keesler
Field's "Free For All" broadcast
in a body.
Du to the impunstblli’.y of aeat
ng more than 1000 men in the
the are, arrangements will be
madt from time to time for va
rioui squadron groups to see and
hear the program which is broad
cast over radio station W'WL,, New
Or. <*ns from 7 to 7:30 every
Thuodajr evening
T— remainer of t;ie seats will
be tvaiiabie for other enlisted
perssnnel and for officers and
iheit families. Admission is fret.
The audience will be admitted
afte- 6:30 p.m. Doors will close
at *:30 p m.
The program tomorrow night
will deal with Army mail—both
hum.roue and sw.ous. and will
fea-are Pvt. Samuel Allen tenor,
and :he music of S. Sgt R. tael]
Sc on* an<i the Post Air Force
Dance Band.
FOE LOTS OF FI N I
BOZO’S PLACE
East Beach. Blknri
DANCING - SANDWICHES
COLD Berg
~ GIFTS
© fOE ALL OCCASIONS ||
E« Watches, Diamonds and ■
I Other Jewelry. f
■ thhta, Glassware 1
P and Silver. f;
Heavies
Stage
Slugfest
In a colorful heavyweight finale
to the weekly boxing ahow held
laat T'mrwtav night before ar.
enthuaUwttr cro >f more then
3000 aoldter-lx j fans, Pvt
Danny Maine of the 3»IHh Tech
Sc. Sq won a cloa*. but highly
popular deotwon ovar Pvt Vince
Nelson of the 3»$th in a three
round alugfeat, #
Both fighter* erere making
their tirat appearance m a Kecs
ler ring. The taaer. at 212
pound*, had a 20-pound edge on
Private Main*.
IT a.- t.t> b.nitf we;e ..icd
on this e»rd and on* new cham
pion was crowned Pvt Jim
Smith, of the <13ih. new I'uai
middleweight king, dethroned Pvt.
Bob Strieker, previoualy unde
1 feated hen- Pvt Orville M.
Cann. of the 397th, so I'ew.fully
defended hi* 1 grttwc.gtit :lie by
oulb.xing Pvt, Fra ok McKenna of
| th* 594th in a slow b. us
Pvt. Elwood Harris of the Med
ical Detachment whipped Pvt Bob
Down of the 303nl In a good wel
terweight scrap. Thu waa the
third and rubber match tie!ween
the two experienced 147 pound
er*. each having taken a previous
decision. Private Harris' neat ieit
| jab kept th* harder hitting Pri
vate I .own at bay during moat of
the fight.
WEBBER MINS ON TRO
Pvt. Nick Webber, of th* 413Bt.
dropped Pvt. Barney Thurman, of
| ih* 413th, with a right uppercut
near the end of th* first rewind.
|Th# lie!! aaved Private Thurman
a* th* count reached nine, but
| the bout waa stopped by the
referee. Private Webber waa be
hind on poinU when he floored
hi* light heavyweight opp nent.
Pvt. Tony Parnnello, of the
{413th, won on a TKO over Pvt,
! Raymond Van Horn, of the 4K> h,
In the second round.
I Pvt. Ed Roger.*, of the 309th
won hi* flyweight fight with Pvt
Woodrow i>avi* of the WMltli in a
wild slugging match. Pvt Jo*
Oatroaki, an MP, clearly won «
hard-hitting, bruiting welter
weight match from Pvt. Bob Pat.
toll of the 307th.
Pvt George Rrgitka won I
tight heavyweight fight with Pvt
Warren Prewitt. Both boyi hall
ed from Tennessee and from tin
same barrack* in the 400th Tech
Sc. Sq
MRKHTt.ER* STAGE SHOW
Pvt. lity (Disxy) Wcmstocl
die former Plttaburgb football ar
wreeUJng star from eh* SSTH
threw Sft. Steve Major of Ih* ,
A R staff In the opening featur
of a "llaged" wrestling exhibition
After 12 hour* of rehearsal*, tin
boys pul on a show that had thi
I fans alternately boo ng am
laughing in typical pro atyle.
SERVK E I I I It ID 11" ' S
i The Service Club, closed lest
week for floor reflnlehlng anrl ml
11' - • - Ml II
Oklahoma Meets
Keesler Gridders
Tii* UUvtmQ of Oklahoma has
been added So Keeeier Fi#Sd’a
"ma? >r i*«en»” grid achedul* for
l»42 and will meet Us* jocat Cons
nsaisdua sn No; maxi, okia., Dec
12. in I.t Ado M Klum. Pet
Sports
TARS
SOT STK5fN f MAJOR
< Photo hy Army Air Pnrro*
Tfchr»U'«l trilnini lomnuntfi
After seven years of wrestling,
Sgt. Steven f, Major hss lawn
thrown far tiis first time. And
it took more than 13 hours of re
hearsal and a little "staging" to
turn the trick last Thursday night
before Sergeant Major met j*vt.
U*y Welnstock of the 567th Tech,
Sc. Sq. in a feature grappling
event on the weekly box ng show
Steve Major ia 22, assigned to
the 396th Tech. Sc. Sq. and a
n-.emher of the Post AAR Stiff
where he serv e* as wreslling in ■
strurtor in addition to other du
ties He started amateur wrest
ling at high school in East S'
Louis, 111. In his senior year, he
won his first major championship
taking the state 133-pound crown
At Southern Illinois State
Tdirhem College In Cerhondale,
Sergeant Major won four consent
live wreetling championships in
the 145-pound division. At col
lege, he majored in physical edu
cation, participating In every com
, pelltlve sport at the school
In 1940. Sieve served ns rap
r tain and ahortatop of the college
bearhatl team Hia ring activities
were not confined to wrestling
Plough lie coached the sport dur
ing his undergraduate yearn. Hi
" waa an able welterweight boxer
an wcL as a iiaiulrw of lire n>u
■ team hia first two years at ffltnoh
' Stale.
’ He recently waa featured In a
PIC MAGAZINE spread, photo*
' graphed with hia “girl friend" on
' the college campus, ftefore his
graduation Inst year, Steve was
voted the outstanding student on
the rampua.
While he continuea to handle his
A A H duties St Keesler field.
Sergeant Major hopes eventually!
to attend officers' Candidate
School for, I’hyslcal Educators si j
Miami B< a< h. f s
BOXING NOTES
The first three in ■ series ol j
swards to be mud* to Keeiler I
soldiers who perforin outstanding
service in the field of athletics I
and recreation werr presented to
two boxers and an A A K man at
last Thursday's fight card.
Sgt. Lionel Well, A A K non
com for the 3()Bth Tech. Sc. Sq.,
received a "Certificate ol Recogni
tion” for "the fine Job he has done
in his squadron,” said 1st Lt. A.
M. Klum. Post Athletics Officer In
making the presentation.
"To two fine champions tor their I
splendid support of our boxing
program, we give these two certi
f I cates to fighters who are retir- i
ing after their bouta tonight. Both I
are graduating from the AM
school," Lieutenant Klum stated.
The awards went to Pvt, Orville
McCann, classy lightweight cham
pion from the 3#7th. and Pvt. Hob
Strieker, dethroned middleweight
monarch also from the 307th. Ad
ditional awards will be given out
as earned.
Two “big time" professional
bdxers hoVh been added to Keca
I ier's growing list at prominent
[ athlete*. Pvt. Phil Purr. 303rd
T»rh. Sc. Sq , hopes to resume box
' mg at Kee-icr. As a great welter -
l weight contender, Furr whipped
j Pritzie Zlvic, former 147-pound
I champion In a non-title bout and
has met most leading fighters in
| the country at his weight.
The other pro star U Pvt.
Pete Lello. the popular llght
u eight star who non hslla
from the 517th. Lello met
hard-punching Lew Jenktna
twice, winning on a KO before
Jenkins took the title, and los
ing in the same manner after
lew had won the crown. Both
star proa are working out reg- j
ularlr In the Post gymnasium
Thorough physical examinations,
including welghing-ln ceremonies,
will precede all Keesler fight pro
grams. In addition, a medical of
ficer will be detailed to the ring
side each Thursday night.
The AAR office has purchased
trunks, scales >nd other boxing
equipment to insure best possible
care for each fighter participating
Athletic* i.Wieer and Seam coach,
uitd yesterday
Though the Kessler schedule »
aearty filled, negotiations are now
under way with Auburn, the Uni
versity of Maryland, the ITmver
ilty of Alabama and the Univer
vtty of Arkansas,
ft TEAM. TOO
Lieutenant Kium aiao ia work
ing ton a schedule of home gamer
for the B team The Tuiane freah
men will come here for a B team
game Other contests will tie an
nounced later
The Commandos plan to fly to
my transport# hi
addition, the Au t or e Band may
make it- tt the
tram to a major game away from
home.
.Seventy-five practice uniform#
and 10 gime un:forma have been
purchased. Complete delivery la
reported early in July and prac
tice version* will get under way a
month later
tlAVI MOVIE*
Authorisation ha a been granted
the AAR Office to purchase * pe
nal equipment for the football
campaign Bermuda grass seed will
he oht#;ne<1 for the complete sod
ding of the playing and practice
gt d.r ns It * also for
voddtng the new baseball diamond
south »f gate No. 1. A motion pic
ture camera and 16-mm sound
projector will lie bought Movies
will be taken of ell C ommando
games and will be shown ail
thr ugh the eavon. Additional use
mil oe made of the camera. A
public address system for outdoor
use with complete amplifying
equipment will lie purchased for
all sports use
I
CORRECTION
Ms Miller , Plue an Ute Roach,
hr mistake »u put off limits.
This wm qalrktr corrected hr
Keetler Field authorities.
Mr plare 18 and hu beep IH%
and Holdlera are welcome!
MA MILUL
THE
-DECKn
UNDER THE STARS
Peitoriaf
DON RAGON
AND HI8 ORCHESTRA
tPnrmerlj Headed br
Anton Week! I
• ALICE RATE
• MARGARET KINO
• THE RAGTIMERS
NO COVER CHARGE
Minimum tl Pina Tax
8:3# to 1:1*
ATOP THC
Hotel Buena Vista
BILOXI ! 1
Wm Baacrvadoa Cal IBM