University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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H O 1 -9 Uncle Billy William J. Disch OTHER names may flare brilliantly across the sports horizon and then be forgotten, but one name is indelibly written into Longhorn athletic history. It is the name of William John Disch, winner of baseball championships, silver-haired builder of men. January 1, 1911, he came to the University. In 18 of the 21 springs which have come and gone since then, he has directed Longhorn baseball teams to conference championships. His second season saw the beginning of an 11-year diamond reign which was broken by Baylor in 1923. Taking up the victory thread again, the Longhorns marched on to seven more titles in a row. Last season the Texas Aggies broke the charm by nosing out the Dischmen in a ten-game campaign. Although a native of Missouri, Coach Disch received his education in Milwaukee. After leaving school he played professional baseball in the Western, Iowa, Iowa-South Dakota, and Texas Leagues. His first coaching job was at Sacred Heart College, Watertown, Wis. In 1900 he came to Austin as coach at St. Edwards University. After directing the Saints for ten and a half seasons, he joined the coaching staff of The University of Texas. Since the Southwest Conference was formed in 1915, Disch-coached teams have won 15 of 17 baseball titles. With the three won prior to 1915, this gives Coach Disch the unapproachable record of 18 championships in 21 sea- sons of competition, with the 1932 season adding either another title to the long string, or a fourth loss. Small wonder he is The Grand Old Man of Baseball to The University of Texas. Here ' s to many more cham- pionships for the Longhorns and Uncle Billy! L onl Sta erence statistics LEADING HITTERS Plaver AB R H Pet. BELL.A. M 36 16 18 .473 Veltman, A. M 34 18 14 .411 Porter, S.M.U 41 2 16 ..190 KiERSKY, Baylor 36 11 13 .361 Martinkus, Rice 39 5 14 .358 Hart, Rice 32 3 11 .343 Koch. Baylor 38 8 13 .342 Wilson, Baylor 41 10 14 .341 HiRSTINE, T. C. U 36 6 12 .333 Russell, Rice 33 5 11 .333 Pampell, A. M 42 15 4 .333 KOY. Texas 37 14 12 .324 LEADING FIELDERS Outfield — Williams, S. M. U.; Graber, S. M. U.; Koy and Sullivan, Texas (1.000). First Base — Pierce and Byerly, Baylor (1.000). Second Base— R. Johnson, S. M. U. (.972). Third Base— Clark, T. C. U. (.909). Shortstop — Ater, Texas (.957). Catcher— Shelley, Baylor (1.000). STEER HITTERS Player AB R H Pet WINTON 1 1 1 1-2?° Watson 3 1 ? fS McDowell 2 2 1 5U0 Koy 37 14 12 .324 Peeples 16 1 5 .312 Xter 36 8 11 .305 Baumgarten 37 7 1 1 .297 Williams , 35 .285 White 46 13 iZ . oU SULLIVAN-.; 39 8 10 .255 Lamm 42 5 10 .238 DelaFuente 17 1 4 .235 STEER PITCHERS Player W L In P. Pet DelaFuenik S 1 44 .833 Peeples 3 1 43 .750 WiNTON 3 FINAL STANDING Team W Texas A. M 9 Texas ° Baylor ' Rice 3 S. M. U f T. C.U 1 TEAM BATTING Team AB R Texas A. M 347 87 Tpvad 357 7i bX. ' .:.:::.: 35 79 Rice 359 46 T c ii 328 30 s.m ' .u ' . ' . .■.•.■.■.■::::: 346 24 TEAM FIELDING Team PO Texas 264 Baylor 270 Texas A. M 271 T. C. U 250 S. M. U 258 Rice 264 A 106 114 105 118 105 138 SEASON ' S RESULTS L 1 2 3 7 H 97 98 96 96 64 77 E 17 23 25 32 32 36 Pet. .900 .800 .700 .300 .200 .100 Pet. .279 .274 .270 .267 .195 .192 Pet. .954 .940 .933 .913 .911 .910 March 11 — New York Giants 14, Texas 4. March 17 — Chicago White Sox 9, Texas 4. March 23 — Houston 8, Texas 3. March 24 — Houston 6. Texas 8. March 30 — Northwestern 2. Texas 12. March 31 — Northwestern 1, Texas 11. April 4 — Montreal 12, Texas 10. April 8 — San Antonio 7. Texas 8. April 11— S.M. U.O.Texas 6. April 14 — Baylor 2. Texas 1. April 18— A. M. 0, Texas 8. April 21 — Rice 5, Texas 20. April 24— T. C. U. 3, Texas 7. May 1— T. C. U. 6, Texas 8. May 2— S. M. U. 0, Texas 7. May 7 — Baylor 1. Texas 5. May 15 — Rice 3, Texas 6. May 16— A. M. 8, Texas 6. Page 13!

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Front row: Williams, Peeples, Lamm, White, De la Fuente Second raw: Ate , Bloebaum, Baumgarten Sullivan lUBASEB A L L

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H U • eason of 1931 COACH Disfh and his Longhorns cliased that nine- teenth pennant right down to the tape last spring, but the Texas Aggies slipped Mike De la Fuente an 8-6 defeat at College Station in the final game of the season, thereby breaking a seven-year winning streak for Texas and bringing Aggieland its first baseball championship. The loss was the first of the conference season for Mike and the second for the Steers, Baylor having nosed out a 2-1 win earlier in the year. The Aggies finished with only one loss, that to Texas, and the Steers, with eight victories and two defeats, had to content themselves with second place. Baylor finished a close third with seven won and three lost. The 1931 conference schedule was sliced to ten games instead of the usual twenty. Over the entire season the Steers won twelve and lost six games for a .666 percentage. Two of the non-con- ference wins were from Texas League clubs, Houston and San Antonio, and two from Northwestern University. The Dischmen dropped early contests to the New York Giants, the Chicago White Sox, the Montreal Internation- als, and the Houston Buffaloes. The pitching of De la Fuente, the long-distance hitting of Outfielder Ernie Koy, and the sensational fielding of Captain-Elect Raymond Ater at shortstop featured the season. De la Fuente won five straight conference games before losing the championship go to A. M. and also turned in victories over Houston and Northwestern. Koy led the Steer stickmen through most of the season and tied for the conference leadership in home runs, besides field- ing faultlessly in center field. Ater ' s all-round work made him a unanimous all-conference choice for the second straight year. The 1931 Longhorns were led by Co-Captains Van Lamm and Minton White, first and second base respectively. Early G ames JOHN McGraw ' s New York Giants invaded Clark Field March 11 and handed the Longhorns a 14-4 walloping in the opening game of the season. Seventeen safe blows ofT De la Fuente, Peeples, and Tyson, including two Ernest Koy Ray Ater, Captain-Elect home runs and a double by Mel Ott, Giant outfielder, were poled out by the big-leaguers. Ernie Koy, with a double and two singles, and Dutch Baumgarten, with a brace of one-baggers, headed the Steer hitters. Schumacher, Walk- er, and Hubbell were the Giant moundsmen. The Chicago White Sox, imbued with genuine St. Patrick ' s Day spirit, smote the ball enthusiastically at Clark Field March 17, and the Steers dropped their second tilt, 9-4. The Dischmen put up a creditable game, but the Sox combined hits with Texas misplays in the fifth and seventh innings to win handily. Minton White was 1932 SQUAD Back row: Manager Edmonds, Ankenman, Homle, Koy, Sullivan, Baumgarten, Blanlon, Bloebaum. Vellman, Captain Ater, Watson, Coach Disch. Middle row: Lovelady, St ramler, Roberts, Magee, Fuqua, Vaugkan, Conner, Viebig, Tyson, Cole. From row: Mascot, Taylor, January, Lanier, Clewis, Leary, Stafford, Gregory, Mascots. Fog ' ' 33