Oct. 22, 2003

This is another "B" Line column, a collection of news items of particular interest to members of the Baylor "B" Association. Contribute news about you or your teammates via e-mail to Lee Harrington (leenelaine@281.com), Dutch Schroeder (Dutch_Schroeder@baylor.edu), Reba Cooper (Reba_Cooper@baylor.edu) or Jack Loftis (Jack.Loftis@chron.com). The mailing address is Baylor "B" Association, P. O. Box 8120, Waco, TX 76714.

Four Baylor University letterwinners whose collective collegiate careers span a period from 1958 to 1991 have been chosen for induction into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame. They include Robert Blackmon (football, 1986-1989), Willie Caldwell (track, 1982-1985), Lisa Stone Monsees (track, 1988-1991) and the deceased Johnny Arreaga (golf, 1958-1960).

The dinner and induction ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in the Baylor "B" Association Room at Floyd Casey Stadium. The inductees will also be honored during the Baylor-Oklahoma State game on Saturday.

Of the four, Blackmon is the best known, having been chosen an All-American defensive back in 1989 and moving on to the National Football League where he played for the Seattle Seahawks during the 1990-1996 seasons.

The Van Bleck native was an All-Southwest Conference player in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and had 14 career interceptions, returning four for touchdowns. Blackmon played in a pair of all-star games, the Hula Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game, after his final season at Baylor. He also was named to one of Baylor's all-decade teams following the 1995 break-up of the Southwest Conference.

Alumni game MVP . . .
Lloyd "Skip" Balthrop, 58, who lettered in baseball in 1968 and 1969 and is still playing competitively in the Austin area, was the "unofficial Most Valuable Player" at this year's Alumni Game at Baylor Ballpark on Saturday, Oct. 18.

After hitting a ball to the left-field track in his first at-bat, Balthrop singled off Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Kip Wells in his final plate appearance. And, as Baylor coach Steve Smith points out, "he played the entire game flawlessly at third base."

"We had a great weekend with the alums," Smith said. "The weather was beautiful."

The former players each had a round at Bear Ridge Golf Course on Friday afternoon and then chowed down at a Ballpark cookout prior to the current Bears' intrasquad game.

Smith said for the alumni game the two teams were selected with "young hitters" and "old" pitchers" on the Green Team and "old hitters" and "young pitchers" on the Gold team.

If anyone was counting or caring, the Greens won by a score of 15-5.

The name game . . .
As reported earlier, former Baylor All-American receiver Lawrence Elkins will be the Game Day Legacy Player at this week's game with Texas. Alfred Anderson has been slated for honors in Baylor's Nov. 8 game with Texas Tech (Homecoming) and Ricky Thompson will be saluted in the Bear's Nov. 22 season finale with Oklahoma State . . . Clarence and Betty Dierking will be sponsors of the pre-game meal in the "B" Room this weekend and the Homecoming sponsorship is in the hands of Jack Ward, Bobby Beane, Pinkie Palmer and Bob Bustin. Sponsors are still being recruited for the Oklahoma State game . . . Prior to a recent home game Joe Coleman, the Baylor regent, Houston attorney and "B" Association member, was showing off a program from the 1953 Texas High School Coaches Association's convention and coaching school in Houston. Naturally, the legal side of Coleman challenged the judgement of those who had selected players to participate in the all-star games. Coleman's argument centered on the inclusion of Del Shofner of Center and Jim Swink of Rusk, two players who would go on to SWC football fame at Baylor and TCU respectively. Coleman's point: They were selected for the basketball game! . . . More on target were the choices of future Baylor basketball standouts Jerry Mallett of Beaumont and Ed Franklin of Houston. Soon-to-be Baylor players who participated in the 1953 football game included Doyle Traylor of Temple, Charles Bradshaw of Center, Reuben Saage of Bellville, Norman Caruthers of San Antonio, Bobby Morris of Seymour and Dan Miller of Corpus Christi . . .

(The "B" Line column is produced by Jack Loftis, editor emeritus of The Houston Chronicle and chairman of the Baylor "B" Association Communications Committee.)