Brian Mitchell (boxer)

Brian Mitchell (born 30 August 1961 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a former professional boxer.
Mitchell turned pro in 1981 and captured the WBA and Lineal Junior Lightweight Title in 1986 with a 10th-round KO over Alfredo Layne. He defended the title a record 12 times, and never lost a title fight. In 1991 he also captured the IBF Junior Lightweight Title with a decision win over Tony Lopez (who he'd previously fought to a draw). He retired after the fight, and came back briefly in 1994 for two local bouts, retiring completely in 1995 with a professional record of 45-1-3, avenging his loss and three draws in rematches and therefore being one of the few champions to beat everyone they faced.
Due to South Africa's apartheid policy during those times, the WBA ruled that Mitchell's title defences were not to be held in South Africa. Mitchell then became a true 'road warrior', defending his title 12 times abroad.
Mitchell was a busy fighter who relentlessly came forward, throwing a high number of punches to his opponent's head and body. Many of Mitchell's defences went the full distance of 15 rounds (7 defences out of 12), but his points victories were usually unanimous and clear-cut. Mitchell always entered his fights in peak physical condition, and it was usually this dedication that earned him his victories.
Beginnings.
Mitchell began his career in late 1981, winning his first three fights on points over four rounds in less than two months. By the end of November he had won five times, defeating Simon Zondo and then Mose Mthiyane on fourth-round knockouts.
He began 1982 with a two-round KO of Phanuel Mosoane, but then suffered a setback, losing over 10 rounds to Jacob Morake. It would prove to be the only loss of his career, and left Mitchell's record at six wins and one defeat.
He won his next two fights, one on points and one by knockout, but was then held to a draw over six rounds by Frank Khonkhobe. In October 1982, he met Khonkhobe in a rematch and won on a 10-round decision.
In March 1983 Mitchell won an eight-round decision from Jerome Gumede, earning him a South African junior-lightweight title shot at Chris Whiteboy. He made the most of his opportunity, knocking Whiteboy out in the ninth round to claim the title. Bashew Sibaca lasted 10 rounds as Mitchell defended his crown, but Graham Gcola lasted just two rounds.
Mitchell then met Jacob Morake, the only boxer to have beaten him in his young career. He won a points decision over 12 rounds. Fighting Frank Khonkhobe for the third time, Mitchell recorded a points victory. He finished 1983 with a first-round KO win over Blessing Ndlele.
Morake faced Mitchell for the third time in March 1984, and the champion again defended his South African title over 12 rounds. He then disposed of Carlos Miguel Rodriguez in four rounds, and won on points against Iland Matthews over six rounds. Nika Khumalo lasted only two rounds in his title challenge, and Mitchell then outpointed Aladin Stevens over eight rounds.
Mitchell opened 1985 with a three-round KO win over Nyungi Mtiya, and then posted two seventh-round knockout wins in succession, defeating Carlos Rodriguez and Vicente Jorge. He improved his record to 25 wins, one loss and one draw when he beat Job Sisanga on points over eight rounds.
In his next bout, in November 1985, he faced Jacob Morake for the fourth time. It proved to be a tragic fight. Mitchell won on a twelfth-round KO, but Morake had absorbed a terrible amount of punishment and later died of head injuries.
Mitchell returned to the ring in March 1986, knocking out Julio Ruiz in six rounds at Sun City. In June of the same year, he defended his South African junior-lightweight title against Bushy Mosoeu, winning on points over 12 rounds.
World title.
In September he was given a crack at Alfredo Layne's world junior lightweight title in Sun City, South Africa. Mitchell seized his chance, dropping the Panamanian champion three times in the tenth round to win the title by knock-out.
He next travelled to San Juan to tackle Jose Rivera, and after a tough battle emerged with a draw over 15 rounds. Less than two months later, he knocked out Aurelio Benitez in two rounds in a non-title bout. On 31 July, he faced Francisco Fernandez in Panama City and, with his excellent conditioning to the fore, knocked out the challenger in the fourteenth round.
Mitchell was next in action in Gravelines, France, where he defeated Daniel Londas on points. He finished the year in Capo d'Orlando, Italy, with a ninth-round knockout of Salvatore Curcetti.
Mitchell took on Jose Rivera for the second time in April 1988 in Madrid. He again defended his title over the distance. In a non-title match he decisioned Danilo Cabrera over 10 rounds, and then outpointed Jim McDonnell over 12 rounds to defend his title for the sixth time.
In 1989 Mitchell headed to Italy, where he knocked out Salvatore Bottiglieri in eight rounds. Fighting in Italy once more, he saw off the challenge of Jackie Beard, and then disposed of his namesake, Irving Mitchell, in seven rounds in the USA. In his final fight of 1989, Mitchell defeated Felipe Orozco on points in a non-title match.
The following year he faced Beard again, winning a 12-round points decision in Italy. He then defeated Frank Mitchell, also over the distance, to maintain his hold on the junior-lightweight title.
In 1991 Mitchell travelled to Sacramento to face local hero Tony "The Tiger" Lopez arguably the toughest foe of his career. In a hometown decision that shocked boxing experts, Lopez managed to draw with Mitchell. The South African boxer was stripped of his WBA crown for facing Lopez for the IBF title, and suddenly he found himself without a world title for the first time since 1986.
However, he again faced Lopez in Sacramento in September, and on that occasion made sure of victory with a convincing points win, claiming the IBF title in the process.
Mitchell retired from boxing after that fight, but came out of retirement for two more victories in 1994 and 1995 before permanently retiring from the ring.
He finished his career with 45 wins, a solitary loss and three draws. His 12 successful defences of the junior–lightweight title was only eclipsed by his countryman Vuyanyi "the beast" Bungu who achieved the record of thirteen successful defences.
In rankings based on the formula of "the man who beat the man", Mitchell was rated the world's best junior-lightweight boxer from 1986 to his retirement in 1991. He proved his toughness by making 12 title defences on the road, and he proved his ability time after time when fighting for the world title.
Many South Africans would consider him the country's greatest ever pugilist. Today, he is one of South Africa's foremost boxing trainers.
Mitchell was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009, and notwithstanding his exit from the amateur ranks in the early 80's, he was awarded honourary Springbok colours at a box–and-dine evening held at the Johannesburg City Hall in April 1989.


Kirk Dressendorfer

Kirk Richard Dressendorfer (born April 8, 1969) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Dressendorfer attended and played baseball at The University of Texas at Austin. The Oakland Athletics selected Dressendorfer in the 1990 MLB Draft, one of four starting pitchers the team selected in the first round.
Amateur career.
He graduated from Pearland High School and was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 34th round of the 1987 MLB Draft, but opted to attend The University of Texas at Austin. At UT he was a three-time All-American and All-SWC, posting a career record of 45-8, including a single-season record 15 complete games. In 1988, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Mets of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Kirk was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Professional career.
He was then selected by the Oakland Athletics in the first round (36th pick overall) of the 1990 MLB Draft. The Athletics possessed four first round draft picks - including supplementals - due to compensation for loss of free agents. The team took the unique choice to draft four different starting pitchers, Dressendorfer the last of cohort that included Todd Van Poppel, Donald Peters, and Dave Zancanaro. Media dubbed the group the 'Four Aces'. However, Dressendorfer joined Van Poppell as only two of the four to reach the major leagues. He started out in Southern Oregon before making his Major League Baseball debut with the Athletics on April 13, 1991 pitching to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners, and appear in his final MLB game on May 21, 1991. Over the next 6 years he bounced around the minor leagues, playing at times for Takoma, Modesto, Arizona, Huntsville, Edmonton and Albuquerque. After the 1997 season he retired.
Personal.
Dressendorfer was the Director of Baseball Operations & Outreach for the Round Rock Express, the AAA affiliate of the Houston Astros. He now is a Business Development Project Manager for the After Point of Sales Services organization within Dell Inc.


Cool Papa Bell

James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell (May 17, 1903 – March 7, 1991) was an American center fielder in Negro league baseball from 1922 to 1946. He is considered to have been one of the fastest men ever to play the game. Stories demonstrating Bell's speed are still widely circulated. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. He ranked 66th on a list of the greatest baseball players published by "The Sporting News" in 1999.
Early life.
Bell was born on May 17, 1903 in Starkville, Mississippi to Jonas Bell and Mary Nichols. The 1910 U.S. Census shows him as the fourth of seven children living with his widowed mother, Mary Nichols, in Sessums Township, just outside Starkville. His brother Fred Bell also played baseball. As a teenager, Bell worked at the creamery at Mississippi Agricultural & Mechanical College, now Mississippi State University, and at the school's agricultural experiment station.
At the age of 17, he moved to St. Louis to live with older brothers and attend high school. However, rather than attending night school as planned, Bell spent most of his time playing baseball in the neighborhood. He signed as a knuckleball pitcher with the Compton Hill Cubs, a black semipro baseball team, until the team broke up in August 1921. He played with Compton Hill on Sundays and holidays while he worked for a packing company during the week. For 1922, Bell moved to the East St. Louis Cubs, a semipro team that paid him $20 weekly to pitch on Sundays.
Baseball career.
Negro National League and East-West League.
Bell joined the St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League (NNL) as a pitcher in 1922. Bell earned his nickname in his first Negro league season; he was referred to as "Cool" after striking out standout player Oscar Charleston and added "Papa" to the nickname because it sounded better. At first, Bell made only occasional appearances in the outfield. By 1924, at the urging of manager Bill Gatewood, Bell began working on his defensive skills and appearing more in the outfield.
Bell ultimately made a permanent move to center field and stopped pitching. Before becoming an outfielder, Bell batted right-handed and threw left-handed. His transition to the outfield was aided by learning to bat as a switch hitter. When he batted left-handed, his baserunning speed was even more problematic for opponents because he was a couple of steps closer to first base. Biographer Shaun McCormack points out that Bell did not have a strong throwing arm. However, Bell's speed allowed him to play very shallow in the outfield and to still catch balls that were hit behind him.
Pitchers tried to avoid issuing walks to Bell, because he was often able to steal both second base and third base, scoring a run on the next play. Bell could also sometimes score a run if he was on first base and the batter got a base hit. Bell described the style of play on the occasions when the Negro league players faced white teams in exhibitions: "We played a different kind of baseball than the white teams. We played tricky baseball. We did things they didn't expect. We'd bunt and run in the first inning. Then when they would come in for a bunt we'd hit away. We always crossed them up. We'd run the bases hard and make the fielders throw too quick and make wild throws. We'd fake a steal home and rattle the pitcher into a balk."
Bell led the Stars to league titles in 1928, 1930, and 1931. While with the Stars, he played alongside close friend and shortstop Willie Wells and first baseman Mule Suttles. He moved to the Detroit Wolves of the East-West League when the NNL disbanded. The Wolves were owned by former Negro league star Cumberland Posey and they jumped to a first-place lead with a 29–13 win-loss record before the league disbanded. Attendance figures had remained too low in the wake of the Great Depression.
Bell bounced to the Kansas City Monarchs and the Mexican winter leagues until finding a home with the Pittsburgh Crawfords in the reorganized NNL. In Pittsburgh, he played with Ted Page and Jimmie Crutchfield to form what is considered by many to have been the best outfield in the Negro leagues. On the 1936 Crawfords team, Bell was one of six players who were subsequently inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Latin America.
Bell left the Crawfords in 1937 when owner Gus Greenlee defaulted on player salaries. Bell, Satchel Paige and other Crawfords players went to the Dominican Republic to play on a team assembled by dictator Rafael Trujillo. Trujillo felt that a baseball championship would strengthen his ruling power and he kept the players under armed supervision. Outside of Negro league players, the club featured Puerto Rican star Petrucho Cepeda, father of future Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda. They were led by Cuban manager Lázaro Salazar, who was later elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame.
While playing for Trujillo, the team members began to fear that losing might threaten their lives. Author Mark Ribowsky describes an experience with the team that was related to him by Crutchfield. After one loss, the players were said to have been met at the hotel by an Army officer who warned the team not to lose again, firing gunshots at the walls of the hotel courtyard. Bell was said to have been crying and wanting to leave the Dominican Republic. One of the Cubans on the team later denied any incidents involving gunfire, and Ribowsky points out that even Paige's detailed writings never mentioned actual gunfire.
Ultimately, the team won the league championship, finishing ahead of two other clubs by four games or less. The second-place team featured several Negro league players, Cuban star Luis Tiant, Sr. and manager Martin Dihigo, a future Hall of Famer. The third-place club was intentionally composed of mostly Dominican players and only two Negro leaguers were on its roster. Trujillo was disappointed that a $30,000 team of Americans had barely beaten the competition, so his league was disbanded the next year and no organized baseball was played in the Dominican Republic for 12 years.
Bell went to the Mexican League, which was integrated, between 1938 and 1941. He spent the first two seasons with the team in Tampico, hitting for batting averages of .356 and .354. He split the 1940 season between teams in Torreón and Veracruz. In that season, Bell became the first Mexican League player to win the Triple Crown, leading the league with a .437 batting average, 12 home runs, and 79 runs batted in. He finished that year with 167 hits and eight of his home runs were inside-the-park home runs. Veracruz won the pennant that year. He spent his last Mexican League season in Monterrey. His career Mexican League batting average was .367.
Return to the United States.
Bell came back to the United States in 1942 to play for the Chicago American Giants of the Negro American League. He joined the Homestead Grays in the NNL in 1943. The Grays won league championships in Bell's first two seasons. In an attempt at a third consecutive title in 1945, the Grays lost in the league's World Series. The 43-year-old hit .396 for the 1946 Grays. Bell became a player-manager for Negro league farm teams until 1950. He finished his Negro league career with a .341 batting average; he hit .391 in exhibitions against MLB players. Bell was a part-time scout for the St. Louis Browns from 1951 to 1954, when the team moved to Baltimore.
Though statistics were not meticulously maintained for most of Bell's career, it is clear that he was known as one of the best players in Negro league baseball. As Paige noted in his autobiography, "Maybe I'll Pitch Forever", "If schools had known Cool Papa was around and if Cool Papa had known reading real good, he'd have made the best track man you ever saw." Anecdotes about Bell's speed are still widely circulated; some are not easily believable, while others are thought to be true. Paige liked to refer to a story from one hotel at which he and Bell stayed. There was a short delay between flipping the light switch off and the lights actually going off due to faulty wiring, sufficient for Bell to jump into bed in the interim. Leaving out the explanatory details, Paige liked to say that Bell was so fast he could turn off the light and be under the covers before the room got dark. Legend also holds that Bell hit a ball up the middle of the field and that he was struck by the ball as he slid into second base.
In Ken Burns' "Baseball", Bell was described as being so fast that he once scored from first on a sacrifice bunt. In an exhibition game against white all-stars, Bell is said to have broken for second on a bunt and run with Paige at the plate. By the time the ball reached Paige, Bell was almost to second and seeing the third baseman had broken towards home to field the bunt, rounded the bag. The catcher, Roy Partee of the Boston Red Sox, ran to third to cover the bag and an anticipated return throw from first. To his surprise, Bell rounded third and brushed by him on the way home; pitcher Murry Dickson of the St. Louis Cardinals had not thought to cover home with the catcher moving up the line, and Bell scored standing up. Bell once circled the bases in 13.1 seconds on a soggy field in Chicago; he claimed that he had done it in as few as 12 seconds in dry conditions.
Teammate Ted Page commented on the clean off-the-field lifestyle that Bell lived. He said that Bell was "an even better man off the field than he was on it. He was honest. He was kind. He was a clean liver. In fact, in all of the years I've known him, I've never seen him smoke, take a drink or even say one cuss word."
Later life and legacy.
After Bell's playing and managing days were over, Bell lived in an old red-brick apartment in St. Louis. He worked as a scout for the St. Louis Browns for four years, then he served as a security officer and custodian at St. Louis City Hall until 1970. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. His Hall of Fame plaque highlights the fact that Bell's contemporaries regarded him as the fastest runner on the base paths. He was the fifth Negro league player inducted into the Hall of Fame. Negro league players Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Monte Irvin and Buck Leonard were inducted between 1971 and 1973.
Bell suffered a heart attack and he died at Saint Louis University Hospital on March 7, 1991; his wife Clara had died a few weeks earlier. In his honor, Dickson Street, on which he lived, was renamed James "Cool Papa" Bell Avenue. He was also inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Cool Papa Bell Drive is the road leading into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson, of which he is a member. The St. Louis Cardinals have recognized Bell's contributions by erecting a bronze statue of him outside Busch Stadium along with other Hall of Fame St. Louis baseball stars, including Stan Musial, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson.
References to Bell appeared in "Hanging Curve" by Troy Soos, a 1999 novel about the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. He was also noted in the 1994 movie "Cobb", in which Ty Cobb, played by Tommy Lee Jones, is chided for being a lesser player than Bell. His character makes a brief appearance in the 2009 feature film "The Perfect Game", encouraging and aiding the 1957 Little League World Series champion team from Monterrey, Mexico; the role is played by Lou Gossett Jr.
In 1999, Bell was ranked 66th on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, one of five players so honored who played all or most of his career in the Negro leagues, and was nominated for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
He is the subject of the song "Cool Papa Bell" on Paul Simon's 13th studio album "Stranger to Stranger".
He was named to the Washington Nationals Ring of Honor for his "significant contribution to the game of baseball in Washington, D.C" as part of the Homestead Grays on August 10, 2010.
On May 13th, 2021, Mississippi State University unveiled the Cool Papa Bell Plaza and mural honoring Bell's life and accomplishments at famed Dudy Noble Field.


Sammy Angott

Sammy Angott (January 17, 1915 – October 22, 1980) was born Salvatore Engotti in a Pittsburgh area town in Pennsylvania. He was known as a clever boxer who liked to follow up a clean punch by grabbing his opponent, causing him to be known as "The Clutch." In his career, Angott met the best fighters in the welterweight and lightweight divisions. These included Sugar Ray Robinson, Bob Montgomery, Beau Jack, Fritzie Zivic, Henry Armstrong, Redtop Davis, Sonny Boy West, and Ike Williams. His manager was Charlie Jones.
Angott retired with a record of 94 wins (23 KOs), 29 losses and 8 draws. He was knocked out just once in his career, by Beau Jack in 1946. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Angott as the #6 ranked lightweight of all-time.
Early career.
Taking the Kentucky Lightweight Championship.
Angott defeated Lew Massey at the Columbia Gymnasium in Louisville, Kentucky in a ten-round points decision on December 6, 1937. Massey took a serious beating and may have been near a knockout in the sixth and ninth, though there were no knockdowns in the bout. The Kentucky boxing commissioner ruled that Massey did not put in enough of an effort in the bout and moved for a temporary suspension. Massey was a solid competitor who had met six world champions before meeting Angott. During his early boxing career, Angott often listed Louisville as his home. Only a month earlier, he had taken the Kentucky State Lightweight Title against Wishy Jones in a ten-round decision.
Angott first defeated Wesley Ramey on May 6, 1938 in a ten-round decision in Louisville, Kentucky. On September 16, 1938, Angott defeated Ramey again in a ten-round unanimous decision at the Sportatorium in Dallas. Ramey held the Michigan State Lightweight Title in 1931.
On May 23, 1938, Angott defeated Frankie Covelli in a ten-round unanimous decision in Chicago. According to the "Chicago Tribune", though Angott won the decision, the bout was a tough battle.
On June 1, 1938, Angott defeated Irving Eldridge in a ten-round points decision at Hickey Park in Millvale, Pennsylvania. Eldridge was down for a nine count in the third from a series of rights and was lucky to escape a knockout in the bout. In the eighth and tenth, Angott caught Eldridge on the ropes and appeared to be close to winning by knockout, but Eldridge soldiered on.
On June 28, 1938, he defeated Tommy Speigal at Hickey Park in Millvale, Pennsylvania in a ten-round unanimous decision. Angott had Speigal floundering in the eighth with a flurry of lefts and rights, though there were no knockdowns in the bout. He had lost decisively to Speigal on November 2, 1936 in ten rounds in Maryland, and again on August 24, 1936 in Millvale, Pennsylvania in a closer eight round split decision. Their August 24 bout was quite close, with Angott taking the aggressive and probably landing more blows, though Speigal may have landed more solid punches.
On July 17, 1939, Angott defeated ethnic Syrian boxer Petey Sarron in a ten-round decision at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Sarron had previously held the NBA World Featherweight Title and the loss was one of his last fights. Sarron's strongest rounds were likely the fifth and tenth when he put Angott to the mat for a no-count, but Angott seemed to hold an advantage in points throughout the bout. Angott gained more of his lead on points in the later rounds after the thirty-one year old Sarron had tired. Sarron scored often with his left, but it did not affect the attack of the Angott, who was nine years younger.
He defeated Mexican boxer "Baby" Arizmendi on November 3, 1939 in a ten-round unanimous decision at the Chicago Stadium. Angott was down to his knees for a no count in the second round, but with a barrage of left and rights, he stacked up points in the remaining rounds. In the eighth, he opened a gash in his opponent's eyes, and gained a further advantage.
World Lightweight Title.
First taking the NBA World Lightweight Title, May 1940.
On May 3, 1940, the lanky fighter gained recognition from the National Boxing Association (NBA) as its world lightweight champion when he outpointed Davey Day over 15 rounds in Louisville, Kentucky. On the eve of the Kentucky Derby before a crowd of 8,000, acting referee Jack Dempsey made the decision giving six rounds to Angott, five to day, and four even. The Associated Press gave Angott nine rounds, with six to Day.
Angott first faced the great Sugar Ray Robinson on July 21, 1941 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, losing in a ten-round decision. He lost twice more to Robinson on July 31, 1942 in a ten-round decision at Madison Square Garden and on March 4, 1946 in a ten-round decision in Pittsburgh.
Taking the NYSAC World Lightweight Title December 1941.
On December 19, 1941 Angott took the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC World Lightweight Title from Lew Jenkins before a crowd of 11,343 at New York's Madison Square Garden. Angott became undisputed champion as he held both the NYSAC and NBA World Lightweight Championship. He dominated the fighting outpointing Jenkins over fifteen rounds.
Single defense of the Lightweight Title against Allie Stolz, May 1942.
Angott defended the title only once, a close 15-round points win over Allie Stolz on May 15, 1942 at New York's Madison Square Garden. Stoltz was penalized for low blows in the twelfth and fifteenth rounds, and the substantial crowd of 16,099 was displeased with the final decision for Angott. Stoltz put Angott to the mat in the third round with two fast blows to the chin, but Angott was up and ready by the count of nine. The United Press gave Angott eight rounds, Stoltz five, and two even, though the referee gave nine rounds to Stolz in the close bout. The two judges each gave Angott eight rounds.
On September 28, 1942 Angott defeated Aldo Spoldi, a former European lightweight champion, in a slow non-title ten round bout at City Park Stadium before a crowd of around 5,000 in New Orleans, and according to one source took nearly all of the rounds. The referee threatened to stop the bout in the sixth and seventh for the lack of solid blows thrown. Angott had formerly beaten Spoldi on April 14, 1939 at the Hippodrome in New York before around 2,600 fans in a ten-round points decision. Spoldi was credited with only the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds, while Angott was given the rest.
Vacating the World Lightweight Title due to broken hand, 1942.
Weary of the ring and complaining of a broken hand that had failed to heal properly even after surgery, he vacated the World Lightweight Title officially on November 13, 1942. He dug ditches and worked as an athletic instructor at Washington and Jefferson College for the five months he was away from the ring.
Defeating Willie Pep, March 1943.
Returning to professional boxing after five months on March 19, 1943, Angott defeated Willie Pep in a non-title bout at New York's Madison Square Garden by a ten-round unanimous decision. He was dominant in the first five rounds and held on to win the decision. On November 20, 1942, Pep had taken the NYSAC World Featherweight Title. Angott's win after being away from the ring was something of a surprise to the 16,834 fans present at the match. The United Press gave six rounds to Angott, three to Pep, and one even, though the official voting was a bit closer. There were no serious knockdowns, though each boxer had at least one slip to the canvas. Angott showed greater speed and connected with more blows, though the fight in most respects was close, and Pep was favored in the pre-fight betting.
On June 11, 1943, Angott lost to the great Henry Armstrong at Madison Square Garden in a close ten round unanimous decision. The referee voted six rounds for Armstrong and four for Angott, and the judges ruled close to that margin. Angott was nailed with a hard punch to the body in the eighth round that doubled him up, and started a downhill slide, that gave the eighth, ninth, and tenth to his opponent. The savage bout had Armstrong bleeding from the mouth and Angott cut on the left eye and blackened on the left eye.
Retaking the NBA World Lightweight Title, October 1943.
Angott took the vacant NBA World Lightweight crown by outpointing Black Baltimore boxer Slugger White in a title bout on October 27, 1943 at Los Angeles' Gilmore Stadium in 15 rounds. At the opening of the fourth round, a generator failure plunged the stadium into darkness, before it could be repaired an hour later. Angott showed dominance in the bout. In the fifteenth, he unleashed a right that briefly sent White out of the ring. Angott lost the title before taking the NYSAC World Lightweight Title, making his title not considered a "unified" World Lightweight Title.
He defeated Bobby Ruffin on December 17, 1943 in a fierce ten round split decision before 11,844 fans at New York's Madison Square Garden. Angott amassed a lead in points in the opening rounds, but Ruffin punched hard enough in the closing rounds to split the decision. The Associated Press gave Angott six rounds to three for Ruffin with one even, though Angott had taken a very brief one count knockdown to the mat in the first round when he was floored with a right from Ruffin after losing his focus dealing a wild punch. Angott used his "windmill" offense dealing flurries of blows at times during the bout.
Final loss of the NBA World Lightweight Title.
He lost the NBA title for the last time to Mexican boxer Juan Zurita on March 8, 1944 in a fifteen-round unanimous decision title bout before 11,300 at Gilmore Field in Los Angeles. Zurita led in points by a wide margin by the fight's end. Angott clinched frequently and may have lacked the stamina at 30 required to compete with Zurita who punished him throughout the bout. Zurita dominated after the first round which Angott won with aggressive attacks. Angott may have had difficulty penetrating Zurita's southpaw stance, which gave him trouble landing solid blows throughout the bout. Many of Zurita's more telling blows were lefts delivered with a southpaw stance. Angott claimed he had difficulty making weight and had run five miles and taken steam baths before the weigh-in.
A victory and two close losses against Lightweight Champion Ike Williams, 1944–45.
On September 19, 1945, Angott defeated reigning lightweight champion Ike Williams in a sixth round non-title TKO at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The win was a bit of an upset as Williams led in the early betting by as much as 3 to 1. Williams was hospitalized that evening from a badly contused or broken rib he received in the first round from a powerful roundhouse right from Angott. The referee stopped the bout in the sixth, after observing Williams was in pain. In two previous meetings between the two on September 6, and June 7, 1944 Williams had won in a somewhat close split decisions at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. In their September 6 bout, Williams clinched the decision with a furious two handed attack in the last two of their ten-round match. Angott appeared strongest in the sixth and seventh rounds with strong blows to Williams' body. In the close bout before 7,568, most of the judges gave Angott the second, seventh, and eighth rounds, though Williams hit more cleanly and was given more rounds by the majority of judges.
TKO loss to former lightweight champion Beau Jack, July 1946.
On July 8, 1946, he fell to a seventh-round knockout by Beau Jack at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. The bout was rough and Angott did not answer the bell for the seventh, later complaining of pain from kidney punches in the fifth and sixth rounds, as well as suffering from a badly cramped leg. It was Angott's only known knockout in his career. Jack held the World Lightweight Title for seven months in 1943 and through March in 1944.
On May 16, 1947, Angott defeated Black boxer Johnny Bratton in a ten-round unanimous decision at Chicago Stadium. Before 18,409 fans, Angott took control in the early rounds and gained enough of a margin in points to win the decision. Angott was down for a three count in the tenth round, but Bratton waited until the closing seconds of most rounds to stage an attack. Many in the crowd were not pleased with the verdict, as the fight was close, and believed Bratton deserved at least a draw ruling. The bout was close with one judge and the referee scoring the bout 51 to 49 for Angott. Bratton was considered a serious lightweight contender prior to the match and had won his last ten fights.
Angott defeated Mexican boxer Kid Azteca in his second to last fight on June 26, 1950 at Dudley Field in El Paso in a ten-round unanimous decision. Azteca had formerly held the Mexican Welterweight Title. The crowd of 3,500 was displeased with the frequent clinching in the bout, largely done by Angott. Handlers had difficulty separating the two boxers after the final bell, and a small riot ensued requiring a police escort to get Angott to his dressing room.
Life after boxing.
After retiring from boxing, he was employed by the Shipping Department at Eaton Corporation in Massillon, near Columbus, Ohio, for seventeen years before retiring in 1967 due to poor health.
He died in the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio on October 22, 1980 after a long illness. He left a wife Evelyn, one son, and two daughters.
Achievements and honors.
He was inducted into The Ring magazine Hall of Fame in 1973 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.


Frank Cosentino

Frank Cosentino (born May 22, 1937) is a former Canadian football quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and a former head coach in University football. He played professionally for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Edmonton Eskimos and Toronto Argonauts for ten years where he was a two-time Grey Cup champion, winning in 1963 and 1965. He was head coach of the Western Mustangs football team for five years where he led the team to two Vanier Cup wins in 1971 and 1974 before completing his coaching career with the York Yeomen. Cosentino was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Early life.
Born and raised in Hamilton, he played baseball with Russ Jackson and Murray Oliver in the Hamilton Police Minor Baseball Association. He attracted offers from the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Braves and Kansas City Athletics. He played Junior and senior intercounty baseball with Hamilton teams. He was also a noted fastball pitcher and played basketball through his years at Cathedral High School and one year with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs baseball team. His football career began with the Hamilton Old Boys Football Association and later as a quarterback at Cathedral High School in 1954. The League championship was won in 1954; the team went to the Red Feather game in 1955 and were league finalists that year.
University career.
Cosentino had offers from universities in Canada and the United States but decided on the University of Western Ontario where he graduated in Honours Business Administration in 1960. While at Western, he played four season with the Mustangs, winning Yates Cup championships in 1957 and 1959. His last game with Western was as Captain and quarterback in the inaugural Canadian Intercollegiate championship contest versus UBC Thunderbirds, a 34–12 win for Western.
Professional career.
Cosentino was drafted fifth overall in the first found in the 1960 CFL Draft by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was with Hamilton from 1960 to 1966 where he was primarily a backup behind Bernie Faloney and later Joe Zuger. He played in five Grey Cup games, winning championships in 1963 and 1965. Following the emergence of Zuger as the team's starter, Cosentino was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos in 1967, where he became the team's starter and was their nominee for the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award. He had a reduced role with Edmonton in 1968 and then joined the Toronto Argonauts for the 1969 season. His year with Toronto was stifled by what Leo Cahill called "an act of God" when Ottawa and Russ Jackson erased an 8-point Toronto lead to defeat the Argos, represent the East, and win the 1969 Grey Cup game. He finished his career after the 1969 season, playing in 141 regular season games and starting in 41, posting 20 wins, 19 losses, and two ties in that span. He completed 482 passes out of 996 attempts for 7,678 passing yards with 53 touchdowns and 66 interceptions.
Coaching and teaching career.
While playing in the CFL, Cosentino continued his education after having graduated from Western in 1960 with an HBA. He acquired a Bachelor of Physical Health & Education (BPHE) degree at McMaster University in 1967, a Masters from the University of Alberta in 1969, followed by a PhD from Alberta in 1973. During six years of teaching, including five of coaching at the University of Western Ontario, his teams won the Vanier Cup in 1971 and 1974. From 1976 through 1981 he served at York University in Toronto as professor and chair of Physical Education and Athletics and also coached for seven more years. He retired from the university in 1997. Cosentino is also known for authoring eighteen books, three of which are on Canadian football, mostly on the history of sport in Canada. He is a member of Halls of Fame at McMaster, York, Western, Ontario University Athletics and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Personal life.
Cosentino lives in Eganville, Ontario, with his wife Sheila. They have four children, twelve grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.


Cool Reception

Cool Reception (1964–1967) is a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. During his two-year-old racing season, trainer Carl Chapman retired and the colt's conditioning was taken over by Lou Cavalaris, Jr.
Racing career.
In 1966, Cool Reception dominated his age group in Canada, winning seven consecutive races, including the two richest races for 2-year-olds in the country under jockey Avelino Gomez. His performances earned him the 1966 Sovereign Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Male Horse.
At age three, Cool Reception was shipped south to race in the United States, where he met with limited success, winning the Fort Lauderdale Handicap against older rivals and an allowance race in Canada. After he finished second in the Derby Trial, his trainer decided to bypass the Kentucky Derby. Cool Reception returned to Canada, where he easily won the Marine Stakes. His eight-length victory prompted his handlers to try him in the Belmont Stakes, where he faced Kentucky Derby winner Proud Clarion and the winner of the Preakness Stakes and future U.S. Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Damascus.
Shipped to Belmont Park, Cool Reception finished second to Damascus in the 1967 Belmont Stakes. Ridden by jockey Johnny Sellers, he raced the last two hundred yards on a broken right foreleg. An operation could not save the colt, and he was euthanized.
Honors.
In 2005, Cool Reception's accomplishments were recognized with his induction in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.


Thomas Hitchcock Sr.

Thomas Hitchcock (November 23, 1860 – September 29, 1941) was one of the leading American polo players during the latter part of the 19th century and a Hall of Fame horse trainer and owner known as the father of American steeplechase horse racing.
Early life.
He was born on November 23, 1860 in Westbury, New York to Thomas Hitchcock (1831–1910) and Marie Louise Center (1829–1913), the daughter of a New York merchant. His father had been involved in the newspaper business with Charles Anderson Dana. He was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he won a Blue for Polo in 1883, playing in the University polo team alongside his friend, Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, later Field Marshal Earl Haig. He graduated in 1884.
His brothers were Center Hitchcock (1856–1909) and Francis R. Hitchcock (1860–1926) was a thoroughbred owner/breeder in both the United States and in France and was a member of the Board of Stewards of The Jockey Club for thirty-one years. His brother left the bulk of his estate to Thomas.
Career.
Hitchcock was a key figure in developing the sport of polo in the United States. In 1877, he and his friend August Belmont Jr. were part of the group that organized the first polo match on Long Island, New York, played on the infield of the racetrack at the Mineola, New York, Fair Grounds. One of the first 10-goal players in the U.S., Hitchcock's efforts resulted in the 1881 formation of Long Island's Meadowbrook Polo Club. In 1886, he was a member of the United States team in the first International Polo Match that played for the Westchester Cup. A polo player herself, and the founder in the year 1916 of the Aiken Preparatory School, Louise Eustis Hitchcock had her sons playing polo as soon as they were old enough to swing a mallet. She also helped family friend Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney to learn the game. Son Tommy Jr. would become a polo player who is considered by many expert observers as the greatest to have ever played the game.
Thomas Hitchcock and his wife spent virtually every winter at their estate in Aiken, South Carolina where in 1892 he founded the Palmetto Golf Club. At that time, the city served as a winter playground for many of the country's wealthiest families such the Vanderbilts and the Whitneys. The Hitchcocks built a steeplechase training track on their Aiken property and trained young thoroughbred horses imported from England. Fond of fox hunting, they also established the Aiken Hounds and in 1916 received official recognition from the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America. As an owner and trainer of racehorses, in 1895 Thomas Hitchcock began a career that would last for 47 years until his death in 1941. In flat racing his colt Salvidere earned American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors. However, he had even greater success in steeplechasing. He was the owner or trainer of a number of top horses including the Hall of Fame gelding Good and Plenty with whom he won the 1906 American Grand National.
Personal life.
On August 28, 1891, he married Louise Mary Eustis (1867–1934) of Washington, D.C., the daughter of George Eustis Jr. (1828–1872) and Louise Corcoran Eustis (1838–1867), and the niece of Ambassador James B. Eustis. Louise was the only granddaughter of William Wilson Corcoran (1798–1888), founder of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and co-founder of the Riggs Bank, and a granddaughter of George Eustis Sr. (1796–1858) was Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. Together, they had two sons and two daughters:
During World War I, Hitchcock was commissioned a captain, Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, on August 6, 1917. He was then made Commanding Officer, 15th Aero Squadron, at Hazelhurst Field, and subsequently became Acting Commanding Officer there. He was later transferred to nearby Roosevelt Field , where he was appointed wing flight commander. He was made a reserve military aviator on October 16, 1917, and was promoted to a major, Signal Corps (Aviation Section), on February 19, 1918. He was on duty at Roosevelt Field at the time of his discharge on December 26, 1918.
Hitchcock died at his home, Broad Hollow Farm, in Old Westbury, Long Island, on September 29, 1941.
Legacy.
Following its formation, in 1973 Thomas Hitchcock was inducted posthumously in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and in 2002 into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame.


Gene Hickerson

Robert Gene Hickerson (February 15, 1935 – October 20, 2008) was an American Football offensive guard who played for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) in a fifteen-year career from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1973. Hickerson was a six-time Pro Bowler from 1965 to 1970. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 4, 2007.
Biography.
Collegiate career.
Hickerson was born in Trenton, Tennessee located in Gibson County, but played fullback at Trezevant High School in neighboring Carroll County. Hickerson became a tackle at Ole Miss. He was considered one of the best offensive linemen in Southeastern Conference history at the end of his collegiate career.
Professional career.
Gene was drafted in the seventh round of the 1957 NFL Draft by the Browns. He was promptly shifted to the guard position on the offensive line in 1958 to better utilize his speed. He was used as a "messenger" guard by Coach Paul Brown, or a guard that delivered the plays in the huddle, while blocking for Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, and Leroy Kelly. But after three seasons in the league, he broke his leg in 1961 and fractured the leg again later in the season while watching a game from the sidelines.
After missing two games in 1962, he recovered from the injury and never missed another game in his professional tenure. Hickerson only earned accolades after Jim Brown had retired and he was blocking for Leroy Kelly, but he earned first-team all-NFL honors five straight seasons from 1966 to 1970 and was voted to six consecutive Pro Bowls from 1966 to 1971. During his career, Hickerson's Browns never experienced a losing season and was a starter in four NFL title games, including a 1964 NFL Championship win over the Baltimore Colts 27–0. During Gene's 10 pro seasons, the Browns featured a 1,000-yard rusher every season but one in the era where the NFL season consisted of 14 games. They also had the NFL's leading rusher seven seasons of those ten. He was elected to the Browns' legends team and the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.
In 2007, during his induction at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and already suffering from the health problems that plagued the final years of his life, including dementia, Hickerson was brought onstage in his wheelchair, propelled by Bobby Mitchell, Jim Brown, and Leroy Kelly. It was announced as "one last time, Gene Hickerson leads Bobby Mitchell, Jim Brown, and Leroy Kelly." He was inducted by his friend and former teammate at The University of Mississippi and the Cleveland Browns, Bobby Franklin.
Death.
On October 20, 2008, Hickerson died just outside Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns added a "GH" tribute badge to their helmets for the 2008 season in his honor.


Sam Berger

Samuel Berger, (January 1, 1900 – July 24, 1992) was a Canadian owner of the Canadian Football League's Ottawa Rough Riders and Montreal Alouettes and president of the CFL.
Life.
A lawyer by profession, he was an early football fan who became involved with the Ottawa Rough Riders team as its legal advisor, president, and as an owner. He served three, three-year terms as the club's president during which time the team made it to the Grey Cup seven times, winning the championship on four occasions.
He loved football, and played for Ottawa Collegiate Institute’s team. After high school, he worked as a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Journal and Toronto Star. In 1925 he started at Osgoode Hall Law School and two years later started his own law firm in Ottawa.
Active in the Ottawa community, Berger twice ran for mayor of the city, losing to Charlotte Whitton in the 1960 and 1962 elections.
CFL.
Ottawa Rough Riders.
Highlights of his Rough Rider career include:
Montreal Alouettes.
In 1969 Sam Berger sold his shares in the Ottawa club and donated the proceeds to charitable causes. He then purchased the troubled Montreal Alouettes franchise and in the ensuing twelve years built it into a powerhouse that made six Grey Cup appearances and won it three times.
He retired in 1976 as the active owner of Alouettes, handing over the presidency to his eldest son, David. On March 6, 1981, Berger sold the Alouettes to Vancouver businessman Nelson Skalbania.
CFL Administration.
He was President of the Canadian Football League in 1964 and 1971 and as an attorney and owner played a key role in putting together the League's first television contract.
Honours.
In 1986, Sam Berger was made a Member of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour, for "his commitments to the sport and to the City of Montreal". In 1993 he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.


Bibb Falk

Bibb August Falk (January 27, 1899 – June 8, 1989) was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox (1920–28) and Cleveland Indians (1929–31).
Born in Austin, Texas, Falk played football and baseball at the University of Texas before signing with the White Sox in 1920. He was a spare outfielder with the Sox until news of the 1919 Black Sox scandal broke and eight players were suspended; Falk replaced Shoeless Joe Jackson in left field. Falk was a consistent hitter, ending his career after twelve seasons with a .314 career batting average. He was also known as a heady player whose merciless riding of opponents earned him the nickname "Jockey." His best season was in 1926 with the White Sox; he had a .345 batting average, 43 doubles, and 108 runs batted in, and finished 12th in MVP voting that year. After the 1928 season, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Chick Autry, and played three more seasons in the major leagues before retiring as a player and becoming a coach.
In 1353 games over 12 seasons, Falk posted a .314 batting average (1463-for-4652) with 655 runs, 300 doubles, 59 triples, 69 home runs, 784 RBI, 47 stolen bases, 412 bases on balls, .372 on-base percentage and .449 slugging percentage. He finished his career with a .967 fielding percentage playing at left and right field.
After Major League coaching stints with the Indians (1933) and Boston Red Sox (1934), Falk coached baseball at the University of Texas from 1940 to 1942, then again from 1946 to 1967, winning consecutive College World Series titles in and . In 1975, the new Disch-Falk Field at the University of Texas was named in honor of Falk and his former coach, Billy Disch. He died at age 90 in Austin.
Head coaching record.
College baseball.
The records shown below are only the collegiate record, not the overall record against not collegiate teams.


Carl Eller

Carl Eller (born January 25, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
College career.
As a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, Eller helped lead the Golden Gophers to a Rose Bowl victory. While Eller shared the starting position as a sophomore, he became a full-time, two-way player as a junior and senior and was voted All-America both years. During his time in college, the Gophers were National Champions as well as Big Ten champions. As a senior (1963), Eller was the runner-up for the Outland Trophy. Following each football season, the Carl Eller Award is given to the University of Minnesota's Defensive Player of the Year. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
At the University of Minnesota, Eller joined Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, via the Mu Chapter while at the University of Minnesota. In 1994, he graduated from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in human services.
NFL career.
In 1964, Eller was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He was also drafted in the first round of the American Football League Draft by the Buffalo Bills, who could not sign him. As the left defensive end in the Vikings front four, he was a major factor in the unit known as the "Purple People Eaters".
Starting in 1968, Eller's fifth campaign, Minnesota won 10 Central Division titles in the next 11 seasons. The Vikings won the NFL Championship in 1969, losing to the AFL Champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV, and won the NFC Championships in 1973, 1974, and 1976. Eller was one of 11 Vikings to play in all four of their Super Bowls.
He was selected to play in six Pro Bowls (1968–1971, 1973, and 1974). After being traded with an eighth-round pick to Seattle Seahawks for defensive tackle Steve Niehaus, Eller played his final season in 1979 with the Seattle Seahawks, where he ran his career total to 225 games. In his career, "Moose" only missed three games and started 209 out of the 225 he played.
Eller is credited as the Vikings' all-time sack leader with 130½. He also had 3 sacks with the Seahawks in 1979 for a career total of 133½. He set a career high with 15 sacks in 1969 and matched that total in 1977; he also amassed 7 seasons with 10 or more sacks.
Eller was First-team All-NFL from 1968–71, and again in 1973. He was also Second-team All-Pro in 1967 and 1972 and was All-NFC by AP and The Sporting News in 1975. Matched with his Pro Bowls, Eller had a nine-year consecutive streak with some sort of post-season honor which began in 1967 with his Second-team All-pro selection and ended in 1975 with his All-NFC honors.
He was voted the George S. Halas Trophy in 1971 as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year as awarded by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA).
Life after football.
As a licensed drug and alcohol counselor, Eller founded a group of substance-abuse clinics in the Twin Cities called Triumph Life Centers in 1986.
He obtained a college degree in Human Services from Metropolitan State University in 1994 and went on to work for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, addressing issues of health disparities between white people and people of color.
In 2000, Eller was named to the Vikings' 40th Anniversary Team and in 2010, he was named to the Vikings' 50th Anniversary team. In 2004, Eller was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2006, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Eller was arrested in 2006 for DUI and pleaded guilty.
Eller was arrested in 2008 for fourth-degree assault of a police officer and second-degree refusal to submit to chemical testing, both Gross misdemeanors. He was sentenced and served 60 days in the county workhouse.


Tom Mack

Thomas Lee Mack (born November 1, 1943) is a former American football player. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Mack played college football at the end and tackle positions for the University of Michigan from 1963 to 1965. He was a starter on the 1964 Michigan team that won the Big Ten Conference championship and defeated Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl. He was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player in 1965 and was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 2006.
Mack was selected by the Los Angeles Rams with the second pick in the 1966 NFL Draft and played at the left guard position for the Rams for 13 seasons from 1966 to 1978. During his NFL career, Mack played in 11 Pro Bowls and appeared in 184 consecutive games, 176 as a starter, over 13 seasons.
Early years.
Mack was born in 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Cleveland Heights High School. He was the son of Ray Mack, a Cleveland native who played Major League Baseball as a second baseman from 1938 to 1947, including eight seasons with the Cleveland Indians. Mack became an Eagle Scout in 1960, and he later became a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.
University of Michigan.
Mack enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1962 and played college football for Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1963 to 1965. As a sophomore in 1963, he played at the end position and spent most of the season on the bench. After the 1963 season, Mack switched to the tackle position at the suggestion of Michigan coach Bump Elliott. Mack later referred to the position change as "the big break of my life," an opportunity that "turned my whole experience in terms of football around."
As a junior, he started seven games at right tackle and won the Meyer Morton Award for the 1964 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 9–1 record, outscored opponents 235–83, and defeated Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl. As a senior, he started seven games at right tackle for the 1965 Michigan team, and he was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team tackle on the 1965 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Mack was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 2006.
While attending Michigan, Mack was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Los Angeles Rams.
Mack was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round, as the second overall pick, in the 1966 NFL Draft. During Mack's rookie season with the Rams, starter Don Chuy was injured during the fifth game of the season, allowing Mack to move into the lineup. He started nine games during the 1966 season and became a fixture for the Rams at the left guard position for the next 13 seasons. During his NFL career, Mack never missed a game due to injury, appearing in 184 consecutive contests, the third longest streak in Rams history behind Merlin Olsen and Jack Youngblood.
During Mack's career with the Rams, the club enjoyed a .720 winning percentage with a won-lost-tie record of 129-48-7, won their division eight times (1967, 1969, and 1973-1978), and reached four NFC championship games. In 1973, the Rams scored led the NFL with 388 points (27.7 points/game). In 1974, the Rams lost to the Minnesota Vikings by four points in the , with a controversial penalty call against Mack costing the Rams a touchdown. The Rams had the ball at the one-yard line on second down when the Vikings' Alan Page made contact with Mack; the referee called illegal procedure on Mack, but replays showed that Mack had not moved. After the game, Mack insisted he had not moved but credited Page with "a smart play" in making contact since a penalty, if called against the Vikings, would have been meaningless.
Mack was selected to 11 Pro Bowls, the first coming after his second season in 1967. He missed only one Pro Bowl appearance the rest of his career (1976). Mack's 11 invitations earned him a third-place tie with Bob Lilly and Ken Houston for the most selections of all time. Mack was selected first-team All-Pro four times (1969, 1971, 1973, 1974) and second-team All-Pro four times (1968, 1970, 1972, and 1975). In addition, he was named All-NFC eight times between 1970 and 1978.
Mack announced in late November 1978 that he would retire at the end of the 1978 NFL season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Later years.
After retiring from football, Mack worked as an engineer, using the engineering degree he received at the University of Michigan. He eventually became a lobbyist for Bechtel Group, Inc.


Bridgette Gusterson

Bridgette Marie Gusterson (born in Perth, Western Australia), also known as Bridgette Ireland, is an Australian water polo player, at the 1995 FINA World Cup, and from the gold medal team of the 2000 Summer Olympics. She was a captain of the team from 1997 to 2000.
She is the sister of fellow Australian water polo player and Olympic teammate Danielle Woodhouse.


Ronnie Simpson

Ronald Campbell Simpson (11 October 1930 – 19 April 2004) was a Scottish football player and coach. He is mainly remembered for his time with Celtic, where he was the goalkeeper in the "Lisbon Lions" team that won the European Cup in 1967. Earlier in his career, Simpson had won the FA Cup twice with Newcastle United. He also played for Queen's Park, Third Lanark and Hibernian. Simpson represented Great Britain in the 1948 Olympics, but was not selected for Scotland until 1967. He made his international debut in the famous 3–2 victory against England at Wembley.
Club career.
Simpson started his senior career with amateur club Queen's Park; he was selected by their first team in 1945, aged just 14 years and 304 days. This made him the youngest person to represent a Scottish league club, although it was an unofficial record due to the suspension of normal competitive football during the Second World War. He was 15 when he made his first Scottish Football League appearance in August 1946.
After completing his National Service, Simpson moved to Third Lanark in 1950. He then joined Newcastle United six months later for a fee of £8,750. He won the FA Cup twice with Newcastle, after taking over as their regular goalkeeper from Jack Fairbrother, in 1952 and 1955. After nine years and almost 300 appearances for Newcastle, Simpson returned to Scotland, with Hibernian, in 1960. His performances helped to save Hibs from relegation in 1962, but he fell out of favour under the management of Jock Stein due to his attitude in training. Hibernian sold Simpson to Celtic in 1964 for £4,000.
Thought to be in the last throes of his career, Celtic signed Simpson as cover for John Fallon. This perception appeared to be confirmed when Jock Stein, who had let Simpson go as Hibernian manager, was appointed Celtic manager later in the 1964–65 season; however, Simpson became the first choice after Fallon was blamed for a defeat by Rangers in the 1964 Scottish League Cup Final. His sense of humour made Simpson a popular figure in the team, who nicknamed him "Faither", on account of his relative old age. The highlight of his time at Celtic was winning the 1967 European Cup Final, as part of a clean sweep of trophies in the 1966–67 season. Apart from an early save with his knees from a Sandro Mazzola header, Simpson had little to do during the match. His fancy footwork when dealing with a backpass was one of the highlights.
He continued to enjoy domestic success with Celtic after the European Cup win. In all, he won four league championships, three Scottish League Cups and one Scottish Cup with the club. He suffered a dislocated shoulder in 1969, and trouble with this injury forced him to miss the 1970 European Cup Final and to retire as a player that year.
International career.
Simpson represented the Scotland Youth side in a match against England Youth played on 25 October 1947 at Belle Vue, Doncaster. He was selected by Matt Busby to play for the Great Britain squad in the 1948 Olympics. Great Britain finished fourth, losing a bronze medal playoff to Denmark.
Simpson also played for the Scotland national team, making his debut in the famous 3–2 win over 1966 World Cup winners England at Wembley in 1967. He set a new record for being the oldest player to make his Scotland debut, aged 36 years and 196 days. He won five full caps in total, alongside the Youth and B international caps won earlier in his career. He also represented the Scottish League once, in 1968.
Style of play.
Simpson was small in stature for a goalkeeper, at just 5 feet 10 inches. He compensated for this with an unorthodox style of shot-stopping, using his elbows and shoulders to block shots. He also had top-class foot movement and ball distribution skills.
Personal and later life.
Simpson's father Jimmy Simpson also played for Scotland, and enjoyed notable success as a centre-half for Rangers and Dundee United in the 1930s.
After Ronnie Simpson retired as a player, he was manager of Hamilton Academical for a year. He also served on the Pools Panel, which adjudicated on results of postponed matches in periods of exceptionally bad weather. He was also a Progressives Councillor on Edinburgh City Council in the 1970s. Simpson died from a heart attack on 19 April 2004.
Awards.
In 2002, Simpson was named in Celtic's greatest ever team, ahead of John Thomson and Pat Bonner.
He was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in November 2011.
Honours.
Club.
Newcastle United
Celtic


Elroy Hirsch

Elroy Leon "Crazylegs" Hirsch (June 17, 1923 – January 28, 2004) was an American professional football player, sport executive and actor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974. He was also named to the all-time All-Pro team selected in 1968 and to the National Football League (NFL) 1950s All-Decade Team.
A native of Wausau, Wisconsin, Hirsch played college football as a halfback at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Michigan, helping to lead both the 1942 Badgers and the 1943 Wolverines to No. 3 rankings in the final AP Polls. He received the nickname "Crazylegs" (sometimes "Crazy Legs") for his unusual running style.
Hirsch served in the United States Marine Corps from 1944 to 1946 and then played professional football in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Chicago Rockets from 1946 to 1948 and in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams from 1949 to 1957. During the 1951 season, Hirsch helped lead the Rams to the NFL championship and tied or broke multiple NFL records with 1,495 receiving yards, an average of 124.6 receiving yards per game (still the third-highest season average in NFL history), and 17 touchdown receptions.
Hirsch had a brief career as a motion picture actor in the 1950s and served as the general manager for the Rams from 1960 to 1969 and as the athletic director for the University of Wisconsin from 1969 to 1987.
Early years.
Hirsch was born in Wausau, Wisconsin in 1923. He was the adopted son of German-Norwegian parents, Otto and Mayme Hirsch. His father was a foreman in an iron works.
Hirsch was a star football player at Wausau High School in 1939 and 1940. He also played baseball and basketball in high school.
College football.
Wisconsin.
Hirsch enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 1941 and played on the school's freshman football team. As a sophomore, Hirsch starred as a halfback for the 1942 Wisconsin Badgers football team that compiled an 8–1–1 record, defeated reigning national champion Ohio State (17–7), lost only one game to Iowa (0–6), tied with Notre Dame (7–7), and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP Poll. At the end of the season, Hirsch was selected by the Associated Press (AP) as a first-team halfback on the 1942 All-Big Ten Conference football team. In the three years prior to 1942, Wisconsin's football team had gone 8–15–1, and the program had been in decline since 1932. During the 1942 season, Hirsch's only season with the Wisconsin football team, he was a triple-threat man who totaled 767 rushing yards on 141 carries, completed 18 passes for 226 yards, punted four times for an average of 48.8 yards, intercepted six passes, and returned 15 punts for 182 yards. He rushed for a high of 174 yards against Missouri.
The nickname.
Hirsch acquired the "Crazylegs" nickname because of his unusual running style in which his legs twisted as he ran. According to one version, after watching Hirsch play in an October 17, 1942, game against the Great Lakes Naval Station, sportswriter Francis J. Powers of "Chicago Daily News" wrote: "His crazy legs were gyrating in six different directions, all at the same time; he looked like a demented duck." According to another version, he acquired the nickname in high school when fans in Wausau watched "the tall, slim Hirsch" run as "his legs seemed to whirl in several directions."
Hirsch's father later recalled: "We lived two miles from school. Elroy ran to school and back, skipping and crisscrossing his legs in the cement blocks of the sidewalks. He said it would make him shiftier." Hirsch himself recalled: "I've always run kind of funny because my left foot points out to the side and I seem to wobble." He embraced his nickname, saying in interviews, "Anything's better than 'Elroy'."
In the 1970s, Hirsch filed a lawsuit asserting legal ownership of the "Crazylegs" name. He sued S. C. Johnson & Son for its marketing a shaving gel for women's legs under the brand name "Crazylegs". In a 1997 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that Hirsch's complaint set forth a viable claim for invasion of Hirsch's common law right of privacy.
Michigan.
In January 1943, Hirsch enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was transferred to the University of Michigan as part of the V-12 Navy College Training Program. In early September 1943, he broke the record at Michigan's Marine Corps training center, completing a 344-yard obstacle course in one minute and 31 seconds. He was the starting left halfback in the first seven games of the season for Fritz Crisler's 1943 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled an 8–1 record and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP Poll. After watching Hirsch in pre-season practice, Associated Press football writer Jerry Liska referred to "squirming Elroy Hirsch" as "Wisconsin's gold-plated wartime gift to Michigan." Hirsch and Bill Daley (a V-12 transfer from Minnesota) became Michigan's most powerful offensive weapons during the 1943 season and were dubbed Michigan's "lend-lease backs."
In his first game for Michigan, Hirsch returned the opening kickoff 50 yards, scored two touchdowns and intercepted a pass. He scored five touchdowns in Michigan's first three games and threw for a touchdown in the fourth game against Notre Dame. On October 11, 1943, Hirsch scored three touchdowns, including a 61-yard reverse around the right end, and intercepted a pass to help Michigan to its first victory over Minnesota since 1932. Due to a shoulder injury, he appeared only briefly as a backup to kick for extra points in the final two games of the season, but he still led the Wolverines in passing, punt returns, and scoring.
During the 1943–1944 academic year, Hirsch also won varsity letters in basketball (as a center), track (as a broad jumper), and baseball (as a pitcher), becoming the first Michigan athlete to letter in four sports in a single year. He averaged 7.3 points per game for the 1943–44 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, compiled a 6-0 record as a pitcher for the Michigan baseball team, placed third in the long jump in the 1944 indoor championship, and led all three teams to Big Ten Conference championships. On May 13, 1944, Hirsch starred in two sports in the same day, winning the broad jump with a distance of 24 feet, 2-1/4 inches at a track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and then traveling to Columbus, Ohio, where he pitched a one-hitter to give Michigan's baseball team a 5-0 victory over Ohio State.
Marine Corps.
In June 1944, Hirsch and 23 other Michigan athletes were transferred to the Marine Corps Depot at Parris Island. In the fall of 1944, Hirsch was assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune where he played for the camp's football team. In the spring of 1945, he was stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. He was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant in May 1945.
Hirsch remained with the Marine Corps in the fall of 1945 and played for the Marine Corps football team at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California. In September 1945, he scored four touchdowns for the El Toro team in a game against the NFL's Los Angeles Bulldogs.
Professional football career.
College All-Stars.
Hirsch was discharged from the military in May 1946. On August 23, 1946, he led the college all-star team to a 16 to 0 victory over the NFL champion Los Angeles Rams in the Chicago College All-Star Game. Hirsch was named the game's outstanding player, and the "Los Angeles Times" described his performance in the game as a "one-man show" after he scored the game's only touchdowns, including a 68-yard touchdown sprint, for the college squad. Hirsch later described the game as his greatest athletic thrill.
Chicago Rockets.
In January 1945, the Cleveland Rams selected Hirsch in the first round (fifth overall pick) of the 1945 NFL Draft. In May, he announced that he would not sign a contract with the Rams, stating that he intended to return to the University of Wisconsin after his discharge from the military.
He ultimately opted not to play in the NFL, instead playing for the Chicago Rockets of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Hirsch chose the Rockets because they were coached by Dick Hanley, who had been Hirsch's coach with the El Toro Marines team. Hirsch played three seasons with the Rockets from 1946 to 1948. During those three years, the Rockets compiled a 7–32 record and won only one game in each of the 1947 and 1948 seasons. Hirsch later said the decision to sign with the Rockets was the worst decision he ever made.
In a remarkable display of versatility, Hirsch appeared in all 14 games for the Rockets in 1946, contributing 1,445 yards: 384 kickoff return yards and one touchdown; 347 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns; 235 punt return yards and one touchdown; 226 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown; 156 passing yards and one passing touchdown; and 97 return yards on six interceptions.
In September 1947, Hirsch caught a 76-yard touchdown pass for an AAFC record. However, injuries limited Hirsch to five games in 1947. He was described in December 1947 as probably "the highest paid waterboy in pro football."
In the fifth game of the 1948 season, Hirsch sustained a fracture on the right side of his skull after being kicked in the head during a game against the Cleveland Browns. Hirsch did not return to action during the 1948 season, totaling 101 receiving yards and 93 rushing yards in five games.
Los Angeles Rams.
In June 1949, Hirsch alleged that the Hornets (the Chicago Rockets were renamed the Hornets in 1949) had breached a contractual obligation to pay him a bonus and sought a release to allow him to play for the Green Bay Packers. However, the Los Angeles Rams held Hirsch's NFL rights having selected him in the 1945 NFL Draft, and Hirsch was therefore unable to sign with the Packers. Instead, he signed with the Rams in July 1949. Hirsch earned $20,000 a year from the Rams, following a bidding war with the Hornets. However, after the 1949 season, the AAFC folded, and the Rams reduced his salary with the competition from the AAFC gone. During his career with the Rams, Hirsch never again attained the salary level he was paid as a rookie.
Rams head coach Clark Shaughnessy played Hirsch at the end position. In his first game for the Rams, a 27–24 victory over the Detroit Lions, Hirsch scored two touchdowns, including a 19-yard touchdown reception from Norm Van Brocklin. Over the course of the 1949 season, Hirsch tallied 326 receiving yards, 287 rushing yards, and 55 return yards on two interceptions. During the 1949 season, Hirsch also became one of the first NFL players to wear a plastic helmet. After Hirsch sustained a second head injury (having previously suffered a skull fracture in 1948), Rams coach Shaughnessy had a special, 11-ounce helmet designed for Hirsch, using a strong, light plastic that had been used previously in the construction of fighter planes.
In the opening game of the 1951 season, Norm Van Brocklin passed for an NFL record 554 yards, including 173 yards and four touchdown passes to Hirsch. During the season, Hirsch, Van Brocklin, Bob Waterfield, and Tom Fears (all four of whom have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame) led the Rams to an 8–4 record and a victory over the Cleveland Browns in the 1951 NFL Championship Game. Easily the best year of his career, Hirsch tied or broke multiple NFL receiving records in 1951. These records include:
After the 1951 season, Hirsch finished second behind Otto Graham in voting conducted by the United Press (UP) for the NFL Player of the Year award. He was also selected as a first-team All-Pro player by both the Associated Press (AP) and the UP. He was also selected to play in the Pro Bowl each year from 1951 to 1953. Hirsch had another strong season in 1953, leading the NFL with a career-high average of 23.6 yards per reception. He also finished second in the NFL with 941 receiving yards in 1953 and was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP and a second-team All-Pro by the UP.
Hirsch continued to play for the Rams through the 1957 season. He announced his retirement as a player at age 34 in January 1958. In nine years with the Rams, Hirsch totaled 343 receptions for 6,299 yards and 53 touchdowns. He also gained 317 rushing yards with the Rams.
Television, radio, and movie career.
After retiring from football, Hirsch accepted a job with Union Oil to replace Bob Richards as the sports director of Union Oil Co.'s "76 Sports Club" and the host of its Thursday evening sports television show. He also hosted a daily sports commentary show on KNX radio from 1961 to 1967.
During the 1950s, Hirsch also starred in several motion pictures, including the following:
Hirsch also appeared as himself in a 1956 episode of the "Captain Midnight" television series in a spot advertising Ovaltine milk flavoring. He was also featured in 1965 in episode 29 of "The Munsters" television show, entitled "Herman the Rookie." In his appearance, he is seen on the street discussing the Rams' need for a punter when a football kicked by Herman hits him in the face.
Administrative career.
Los Angeles Rams.
In March 1960, Hirsch signed a three-year contract to serve as the general manager of the Los Angeles Rams; he replaced Pete Rozelle as the Rams' general manager after Rozelle was hired as NFL commissioner. The Rams began the 1960s in the lower tier of the NFL, compiling a losing record each year from 1959 to 1965. As general manager, he was in charge of scouting, the college draft, and negotiating player and coach contracts. During his tenure as general manager, the team drafted numerous talented players, including quarterback Roman Gabriel (first-round pick in 1961), Deacon Jones (14th-round pick in 1961), and Merlin Olsen (first-round pick in 1962), player who helped the Rams improve to 11–1–2 in 1967 and 10–3–1 in 1968. In 1963, after Dan Reeves acquired outright ownership of the Rams, Hirsch's title was changed to assistant to the president. He continued to serve as Reeves' assistant through the 1968 season.
University of Wisconsin.
In February 1969, Hirsch was hired away from the Rams to serve as the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin. Within four years, he had raised home attendance at football games from an average of 43,000 to 70,000 per game. During his tenure as athletic director, the number of sports offered by the UW athletics department doubled and the Badgers won national titles in ice hockey, men's and women's crew, and men's and women's cross country. However, the program also had problems with recruiting violations and a fundraising controversy. Hirsch announced his resignation as Wisconsin's athletic director in December 1986; the resignation became effective at the end of June 1987. In July 1987, he was hired to do color commentary on radio broadcasts of Wisconsin football games.
Legacy and honors.
During his pro football career, Hirsch had 387 receptions for 7,029 yards and 60 touchdowns. In a film profile of Hirsch produced by the NFL Films, Michael MacCambridge, author of "America's Game", described Hirsch as "the first true flanker deep threat" and stated:
We talk today about yards after the catch, but he would get acres of yards after the catch because he was so elusive in the open field. When the ball was up in the air, he looked like Willie Mays in center field. He could adjust and wind up catching the ball over his shoulder in stride about as well as anyone. If you take a look at the offensive stats in pro football then, he was not just the best in the league, he was head and shoulders above his competitors.
NFL executive Bill Granholm recalled that it was Hirsch's ability to make the overhead or over-the-shoulder catch that set him apart: "He would run down the field with his chin high in the air -- with his head all the way back. Under a long pass, he didn't look left or right as they do today -- he looked up and back at the ball as it came to him over his head. . . . [H]e put his head between the ball and the defensive back. That's how he caught so many bombs."
Hirsch was inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 1968) and the College Football Hall of Fame (inducted 1974). In September 1969, at the time of the NFL's 50th anniversary, Hirsch was one of 16 players named to the all-time All-Pro team selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was also named to the NFL's 1950s All-Decade Team (as a flanker) in August 1969. He has also received many other honors, including the following:
Hirsch is also the namesake of the Crazylegs Classic, an annual eight-kilometer running race from the Wisconsin State Capitol to Camp Randall Stadium with proceeds benefiting the University of Wisconsin athletics programs.
Family and later years.
Hirsch married his high school sweetheart, Ruth Stahmer (1923-2011), in June 1946. They remained married until Hirsch's death 58 years later. They had a son, Win Steven (1949-2009), and a daughter, Patricia Caroline (later Patricia Hirsch-Malmquist), born in approximately 1957.
Hirsch died of natural causes at an assisted living home in Madison, Wisconsin in January 2004 at age 80.


Kid Norfolk

Kid Norfolk (born William Ward, 10 July 1893 – 15 April 1968) was an American professional boxer who fought as a Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight from 1910 through 1926, holding wins over many notable boxers of his day including Joe Jeanette, Billy Miske, Jack Blackburn, Harry Greb, Tiger Flowers, Battling Siki, and Gunboat Smith. Norfolk was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.
Professional career.
Born William Ward in Belmont, Virginia, Norfolk moved with his family to Panama as a youngster. He made his professional boxing debut on 29 November 1910 at the Albaugh Theater in Baltimore, Maryland, losing a six-rounder to Kid Jasper on points. He fought in Baltimore through 1913, then began campaigning in Panama in 1914. He took his name from having been born on Norfolk Street back in Belmont.
Panamanian heavyweight title.
Norfolk defeated Abraham Hollandersky decisively in January 1914 in Colon, Panama. Hollandersky had briefly held the Panamanian Heavyweight title from May 1913. Norfolk first officially fought for the Heavyweight Title on 16 May 1915, taking on Jeff Clark at the Vista Allegre Bull Ring in Panama City. Clark (who weighed 173) gave Kid Norfolk (weighing in at 174) a beating, and won the 20-rounder on points. Their weights properly classed them as light heavies. In a rematch on 12 November 1916, Kid Nortolk took Clark's title away from him on points in 20 rounds. The Kid defended the title against one time world heavyweight contender Arthur Pelkey, a Canadian who had held the Dominion's heavyweight title and the White Heavyweight Championship during the latter days of Jack Johnson reign. The Kid K.O.-ed Pelkey in the 13th round.
Norfolk fought Sam Langford for the World Colored Heavyweight Championship on 17 December 1917 at Stockyards Stadium in Denver, Colorado, and was K.O.-ed in the second round of the scheduled 20-round bout. On 30 May 1921, The Kid fought Lee Anderson for the colored light heavyweight title in a scheduled 10-round bout in Phoenix, Arizona. Anderson won on a technical knock out when Norfolk returned to his corner in the ninth round, being unable to continue to fight. (They would meet another three times in non-title bouts between 1922 and 1924, and The Kid prevailed each time.) Of their first meeting in Phoenix for the "Colored World Championship", there was surprisingly little coverage, though the Arizona Republic wrote "two thousand fans watched the fights and every one of the 2000 is will to admit it was the best fight ever staged in the state". Norfolk was unable to return to battle at the opening of the ninth round, claiming blindness, as his "left eye was completely closed."
Norfolk vs. Greb.
His next fight was against future world middleweight champ Harry Greb on 29 August 1921 in a 10-rounder at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Kid, who at 178¾ lbs. outweighed Greb by 17 1/2 lbs., won four of the first five rounds and knocked Greb down in the third. Greb, however, won all of the last five rounds. Greb won a newspaper decision, when two of the three newspaper covering the fight and the Associated Press gave him the win. During the fight, The Kid apparently landed a punch that caused a detachment of the retina in Greb's eye that later led to Greb going blind in that eye.
World colored light heavyweight champion.
When Norfolk fought The Jamaica Kid on 20 December 1921 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, he had claimed the world colored light heavyweight title. He beat the Jamaica Kid on points in an eight-round bout. In Atlanta on 30 January 1922, Norfolk faced Tiger Flowers, the boxer who would dethrone Greb and become the first African American world middleweight champ in 1926, K.O.-ing him in third round of a 10-rounder. He met reigning colored heavyweight champ Harry Wills on 2 March 1922 in Madison Square Garden in New York City for a 15-round non-title bout, losing to the great champion via a K.O. in the second round. Wills outweighed him by 25¾ lbs.
He had a draw in a fight with Tiger Flowers on the Fourth of July 1922 in Memphis, Tennessee, and they fought again on 8 May 1923, in Springfield, Ohio for the colored Light Heavyweight Title. The Kid prevailed by K.O.-ing Tiger at 2:50 in the first round of their scheduled 12-round bout, in possibly his greatest and most historic victory. Though technically a world championship, there was surprisingly little coverage of the fight, with the "Cincinnati Enquirer" writing only one line, "Kid Norfolk stopped Tiger Flowers in one round the other night in Springfield, Ohio." Norfolk received far more coverage of non-championship bouts he had against well known white opponents.
Norfolk vs. Greb II.
Norfolk fought Greb one more time on 19 April 1924 in a scheduled 10-rounder in Boston. The Kid won when Greb was disqualified for fighting in the sixth round. The fight was wild and wooly, The Kid besting Greb through the first five rounds. In the second round, Greb had lowered his head and The Kid through the ropes and into the press section, which should have disqualified him, according to the "Boston Globe". The last two rounds was a brutal, dirty fight, in which Norfolk intentionally punched Greb in the groin several times. When Greb retaliated, he was disqualified which angered the crowd and forced the referee to quit the ring. The result of the fight was a six-month suspension for both fighters. The boxing commission suspended both Greb and Norfolk six months for fighting after the bell.
Later career.
On 25 May 1925 at the Stadium Rink in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Norfolk fought Canadian light heavyweight champ Jack Reddick in a 12-rounder, winning a decision on points. Though the fight was between two men who had held World Championships, newspaper coverage was minimal. Norfolk retired in 1926 with an official record of 70 wins (with 38 K.O.s against 22 losses (being K.O.-ed seven times) and six draws along with 30 wins and two losses via newspaper decisions. Despite being a top contender, he never challenged for a world title, the color bar having been drawn in the light heavy and heavyweight divisions in his era.
Norfolk died in 1968.
Honors.
Norfolk was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.


Johnny Evers

John Joseph Evers (July 21, 1881 – March 28, 1947) was an American professional baseball second baseman and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies. He also appeared in one game apiece for the Chicago White Sox and Braves while coaching them in 1922 and 1929, respectively.
Evers was born in Troy, New York. After playing for the local minor league baseball team for one season, Frank Selee, manager of the Cubs, purchased Evers's contract and soon made him his starting second baseman. Evers helped lead the Cubs to four National League pennants, including two World Series championships. The Cubs traded Evers to the Braves in 1914; that season, Evers led the Braves to victory in the World Series, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player. Evers continued to play for the Braves and Phillies through 1917. He then became a coach, scout, manager, and general manager in his later career.
Known as one of the smartest ballplayers in MLB, Evers also had a surly temper that he took out on umpires. Evers was a part of a great double-play combination with Joe Tinker and Frank Chance, which was immortalized as "Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance" in the poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon". Evers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946.
Early life.
Evers was born on July 21, 1881, in Troy, New York. His father worked as a saloon keeper. Many of Evers' relatives, including his father, brothers, and uncles, played baseball. Evers attended St. Joseph's Elementary School and played sandlot ball in Troy.
Career.
Minor league career.
Evers made his professional debut in minor league baseball for the Troy Trojans of the Class-B New York State League in 1902 as a shortstop. Evers reportedly weighed less than , and opposing fans thought he was a part of a comedic act. Evers reportedly weighed no more than during his career.
Evers batted .285 and led the New York State League with 10 home runs. Frank Selee, manager of the Chicago Cubs, scouted Evers's teammate, pitcher Alex Hardy. Selee, also looking for a second baseman due to an injury to starter Bobby Lowe, purchased Hardy's and Evers's contracts for $1,500 ($ in current dollar terms); the Trojans were willing to sell Evers's services due to his temper.
Chicago Cubs.
Evers made his MLB debut with the Cubs on September 1 at shortstop, as Selee moved Joe Tinker from shortstop to third base. Only three players in the National League (NL) were younger than Evers: Jim St. Vrain, Jimmy Sebring, and Lave Winham. Three days later, Selee returned Tinker to shortstop and assigned Evers to second base. In his month-long tryout with the Cubs, Evers batted .222 without recording an extra-base hit and played inconsistent defense. However, Lowe's injury did not properly heal by spring training in 1903, allowing Evers to win the starting job for the 1903 season. Lowe recovered during the 1903 season, but Evers' strong play made Lowe expendable; Evers finished third in the NL in fielding percentage among second basemen (.937), and finished fifth in assists (245) and putouts (306). The Cubs sold Lowe to the Pittsburgh Pirates after the season. Evers played 152 games in the 1904 season. Defensively, his 518 assists and 381 putouts led the NL, though his 54 errors led all NL second basemen.
During the 1906 season, Evers finished fifth in the NL with 49 stolen bases, and led the league with 344 putouts and led all second basemen with 44 errors. The Cubs won the NL pennant in 1906, but lost the 1906 World Series to the Chicago White Sox four games to two; Evers batted 3-for-20 (.150) in the series. During the 1907 season, Evers led the NL with 500 assists. The Cubs repeated as NL champions in 1907, and won the 1907 World Series over the Detroit Tigers, four games to none, as Evers batted 7-for-20 (.350).
During the 1908 pennant race, Evers alerted the umpires to Fred Merkle's baserunning error in a game against the New York Giants, which became known as "Merkle's Boner". Al Bridwell hit what appeared to be the game-winning single for the Giants, while Merkle, the baserunner on first base, went to the clubhouse without touching second base. Evers called for the ball, and the umpire ruled Merkle out. NL president Harry Pulliam ruled the game a tie, with a makeup to be played. The Cubs won the makeup game, thereby winning the pennant. The Cubs then won the 1908 World Series over Detroit, four games to one, as Evers again batted 7-for-20 (.350). For the 1908 season, Evers had a .300 batting average, good for fifth in the NL, and a .402 on-base percentage, second only to Honus Wagner.
Evers drew 108 walks during the 1910 season, trailing only Miller Huggins. However, Evers missed the end of the season with a broken leg. Without Evers, the Cubs won the NL pennant, but lost the 1910 World Series to the Philadelphia Athletics, four games to one. Evers agreed to manage the Navy Midshipmen, a college baseball team, in 1911, despite the opposition of Cubs' manager Frank Chance. He experienced a nervous breakdown in 1911; returning to the Cubs later in the season, he played in only 46 games that year. Evers indicated that this was a result of a business deal that cost Evers most of his savings. Evers rebounded to bat .341 in 1912, good for fourth in the NL, and he led the NL with a .431 on-base percentage. Team owner Charles W. Murphy named Evers manager in 1913, signing him to a five-year contract, succeeding Chance.
Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
After the 1913 season, Evers was offered $100,000 ($ in current dollar terms) to jump to the Federal League, but he opted to take less money to remain with the Cubs. In February 1914, after Evers signed his players to contracts, Murphy fired Evers as manager and traded him to the Boston Braves for Bill Sweeney and Hub Perdue. Murphy insisted that Evers had resigned as manager, which Evers denied. Evers insisted he was a free agent, but the league assigned him to the Braves. He signed a four-year contract at $10,000 per season ($ in current dollar terms), with a $20,000 signing bonus.
During the 1914 season, the Braves fell into last place of the eight-team NL by July 4. However, the Braves came back from last place in the last ten weeks of the season to win the NL pennant. Evers' .976 fielding percentage led all NL second basemen. The Braves defeated the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1914 World Series, four games to none, as Evers batted 7-for-16 (.438). Evers won the Chalmers Award, the forerunner of the modern-day Most Valuable Player award, ahead of teammate Rabbit Maranville.
Evers was limited in 1915 by injuries, and also served suspension for arguing with umpires. After a poor season in 1916, Evers began the 1917 season with a .193 batting average. Due to Evers' declining performance, the Braves placed Evers on waivers at mid-season, and he was claimed by the Philadelphia Phillies. Evers rejected an offer to become manager of the Jersey City Skeeters of the International League that offseason. He signed with the Boston Red Sox as a player-coach for the 1918 season, but was released without playing a game for them. Not receiving another offer from an MLB team, Evers traveled to Paris as a member of the Knights of Columbus to promote baseball in France.
Coaching and managing career.
Evers joined the New York Giants during the 1920 season, serving as a coach. He managed the Cubs again in 1921, succeeding Fred Mitchell. With the team struggling, Evers was fired in August and replaced with Bill Killefer. The Cubs finished seventh out of eight in the NL that season.
Evers served as a coach for the Chicago White Sox in 1922 and 1923. He returned to second base in 1922, filling in for an injured Eddie Collins. Evers played in one game for the White Sox as Collins recovered.
Evers was named the White Sox acting manager for the 1924 season, succeeding Chance, who was ordered home due to poor health. However, Evers suffered from appendicitis during the season, missing time during the year, and the White Sox opened up a managerial search when Chance died in September. The White Sox replaced Evers with Collins after the season.
Evers rejoined the Braves as a scout. As Braves owner Emil Fuchs sold manager Rogers Hornsby to the Cubs and assumed managerial duties himself for the 1929 season, Fuchs hired Evers as a coach. Fuchs had no experience as a field manager, and so Evers became captain of the Braves, directing the team during the game and dealing with umpires. Evers and fellow coach Hank Gowdy played in one game in the 1929 season, coming into the bottom of the ninth inning on October 6, 1929. In the process, Evers became the oldest player in the league for the year.
Evers remained a coach for the Braves under Bill McKechnie, who succeeded Fuchs as field manager in 1930, and served in the role through 1932. He continued to scout for the Braves, and then became general manager of the Albany Senators of the New York–Pennsylvania League in 1935. He resigned from Albany at the end of the season. Over his managerial career, he posted a 180–192 record.
Personal.
Evers married Helen Fitzgibbons. His son, John J. Evers, Jr., served as a Lieutenant in World War II, assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations. When his son was 11 years old, Evers bought part of the Albany Senators and gave him the stock. Evers' brother, Joe Evers, and uncle, Tom Evers, also played in MLB. His great-nephew is "Sports Illustrated" writer Tim Layden.
Though Evers and Tinker were part of one of the most successful double-play combinations in baseball history, the two despised each other off of the field. They went several years without speaking to each other after one argument. When Chance once named Tinker the smartest ballplayer he knew, Evers took it as a personal affront.
Later life.
Evers operated a sporting goods store in Albany, New York in 1923. However, Evers lost his money and filed for bankruptcy in 1936. The store was passed down to Evers' descendants. He also worked as superintendent of Bleecker Stadium in Albany and spent time teaching baseball to sandlot players.
Evers suffered a stroke in August 1942, which paralyzed the right side of his body. He remained bedridden or confined to a wheelchair for most of the next five years. Evers died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1947 at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, and is buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Troy.
Legacy.
Evers retired in 1918, having batted .300 or higher twice in his career, stolen 324 bases and scored 919 runs. He frequently argued with umpires and received numerous suspensions during his career. His combative play and fights with umpires earned him the nickname "The Human Crab".
Evers served as the pivot man in the "Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance" double-play combination, which inspired the classic baseball poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon", written by "New York Evening Mail" newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams in July 1910. Evers, Tinker, and Chance were all inducted in the Hall of Fame in the same year.
The Merkle play remains one of the most famous in baseball history. The ball used in the Merkle play was sold at an auction in the 1990s for $27,500, making it one of the four most valuable baseballs based on purchase price. Evers' role in Merkle's boner cemented his legacy as a smart ballplayer.
Evers is mentioned in the 1949 poem "Line-Up for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash: