Mike Smith remembers 1966 baseball players and Coach Falk

Mike Smith says ‘I played baseball from 1965-66 under Coach Bibb Falk. Never got in a game. Was close friends with Bill Bradley, a year younger than I, as I had played against Bill in all sports in high school and gave him rides home to Palestine in my car when he was a freshman. Back when freshmen couldn’t have cars. I decided to forego my last years of eligibility and focus more on grades. But I loved contributing whatever I did to the team. We won the SWC and went to the College World Series.”

“The year I played, for some reason, we didn’t take a team photo. I don’t know why. That may be the only year (1966) that ever happened. However, there is a photo of me in the 1966 Cactus Yearbook on page 476, sitting on the bench in the old ballpark just across the north end of the football stadium. Another player, pitcher Robert Oliver, sits by Coach Bibb Falk, holding a clipboard and counting pitches. I am sitting next to Robert, wearing a pitcher’s warm-up jacket. I must have just thrown in the bullpen or perhaps batting practice before the game. The dugouts at old Clark Field were trashed and unusable. We sat outside them on benches. You had to keep your head up so as not to get slammed by a foul ball. However, we all loved the park because of the limestone cliffs that surrounded the outfield. It made it unique and beautiful.”

“FYI, I considered that year a redshirt year, though, as you know, it wouldn’t have mattered much. As soon as we graduated from undergrad school, we were eligible to be drafted. We lost two guys from our group in Vietnam: outfielder Ray Dulak and our wonderful trainer, Terry Hale, a medic. Incidentally, James Scheschuk died several years ago of complications after a routine appendectomy. If you haven’t, you should read Jim Raup’s fantastic piece called “Baseball is a Cruel Game”, in the May/June 2022 Alcalde UT Alumnae Magazine. A phenomenal look back at the 1967 SWC playoff game between UT and the University of Houston, in which Raup pitched a near-perfect game, and there is still debate as to whether Falk should have left him in the game or relieved him. He doesn’t say, but I’m positive the pitcher he replaced him with was basketball/baseball player Minton White.”

In any case, Jim was hurt and didn’t pitch in 1966. In his article, he reminds me so well of what it was like to pitch for Coach Falk. You basically got one shot. He only used one or 2 starters and a couple of relievers. The rest sat. He was difficult to please.

For those of you who want to read the most impressive article ever written about Longhorn baseball, mentioned by Mike here is the link.
https://texaslsn.org/jim-raup-by-horns-sports/

Jim , this is Mike Smith,

I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to hear from you. Also, I can’t tell you how many times I thought about and came so close to trying to call you, email you after I read your phenomenal article in the Alcalde. I looked you up in the Texas Exes Handbook, 2022 version or whatever I had and there you were.

I didn’t connect with you, frankly, because I didn’t think you would remember me. After all, I was a walkon, one of those “nobodies” on the pitching staff that you mentioned in your article. My best friend on the team was Kent Roberts. We had lockers next to each other, threw bullpens together, hung out in the outfield together. I, like you, also hit hundreds of fly balls to outfielders. I also played outfielder but got no chance to show what I could do. I was an excellent left handed hitter and good fielder. I’m bragging but I was as good as George Nauert. Not knocking George at all. He did very well overall. I couldn’t play my freshman year because of family complications and the fact that I had to work 7 days a week. I know missing a year caused me to lose an edge I once had.

Your article absolutely took me back. I was back there trying to play for Coach Falk again. I had forgotten how few chances you got to show what you had. How quick he was to show you to the back of the line and forget about you. Hoow incredibly cutting he could be with his remarks.

The way he let you know you were starting the ’67 game against UH is classic Falk. Just brings you the ball in the outfield and basically says “Don’t screw up.” Perfect. Then he pulls you and puts Clements in. No real knock on Alan. But I never saw anything that really impressed me or that I trusted in Alan as a pitcher. Just my experience of him, in ’66. And I can’t imagine Falk pulling you and putting Alan in. The rest is history of course. But beyond that, I can’t imagine Coach Falk never saying a word to you about that game afterwards, when he saw you at games at Disch/Falk Field.

Jim, I regret not getting to know you when we were on the team together. Honestly, you were a scholarship varsity player. I never thought you would have any interest in talking to me or getting to know me. That was my mistake. You were struggling that year. I didn’t know that. I was just trying to make a place for myself. There was no team picture that year. That there is a picture of me in the year book is an absolute fluke. But I can see you far down the bench, in that same picture. I very much appreciate what Billy Dale is doing by recognizing the “nobodies” like me that may have contributed a bit to the team’s success overall. I am grateful to have shared that with you.