1964–65 Volume 89 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

FIRST TRAUTMAN AWARD ISKeith Weber, Missouri's AIl-American Pitcher, FirstRecipient of Fraiermty's Newest Athletic HonorKEITH Weber, Missouri '65Trautman Award WinnerAfirst-rate football quarterback who becamea nationally outstanding baseball pitcherfor the University of Missouri, after injuriescaused him to forego the gridiron and stickto the diamond, is the winner of the newesthonor in intercollegiate baseball.Keith Weber (Missouri '65), who pitchedthe Tigers to 16 victories against one defeat inthe past two seasons, and who led the Tigernine to runner-up position in the CollegeWorld Series, has been chosen as the first recipientof the George M. Trautman (OhioState '14) Memorial Award.That award, created in honor of the latepresident of the association of minor leaguesof professional baseball, will be presented annuallyby * A 9 to the member of the Fraternitywho is adjudged to be its outstanding representativein college baseball.The selection of Weber, a pre-law studentat Missouri, was made by a group of men whofollow baseball closely and who served withBrother Trautman during the nine years beforehis death in 1963 that he was chairmanof the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award Committee.The roster of candidates for the awardwas compiled by Dr. John Davis, Jr. (Washburn'38), SCROLL sports editor.[96]"Each member of the selection group, independentlyof the others, reviewed the recordsof the outstanding players in college baseballduring the 1964 season who aire members of* A 9," said Chads O. Skinner (Ohio Wesleyan'27) of New York, who served as secretary ofthe selection board and who is Mr. Trautman'ssuccessor as chairman of the Gehrig committee."The selection group," Skinner continued,"swiftly reached concurrence that, because ofhis pitching performance last season and becauseof the esteem in which he is held onthe Missouri campus, Keith Weber should receivethe honor of becoming the first winnerof the George Trautman Memorial Award.And a most deserving winner he is."The award to Weber, who is captain-electof the 1965 Missouri nine, will be in the formof a plaque bearing a bas-relief profile ofGeorge Trautman, and will be presented toWeber later in the present academic year. Acounterpart plaque, to bear the names ofsuccessive winners of the award, will hang inthe national headquarters of # A 9 at Oxford,Ohio.Anthony Keith Weber, whose teanmaates callhim "Tony," compiled a record of 11 winsagainst a single loss last season. He had anearned run average of .61 per nine-inninggame, and recorded 90 strikeouts in SS'/sinnings of pitching.In pitching Missouri to runner-up spot inthe College World Series, at Omaha last June,"Tony" beat Arizona State, 7-0, and collaboratedwith the Tigers' Jim Nelson in a onehit,4-to-l victory over Minnesota, the eventualchampion at Omaha. Weber was selected forthe All-America college baseball team of 1963.When Keith Weber matriculated at Missouriin the fall of 1960, he was best known forhis prowess on the football field, rather thanon the baseball diamond. In his final collegepreparatory year, at Jefferson City (Missouri)High School, he had been the highly talentedquarterback on an undefeated team and hadbeen chosen to the prep-school all-Americaneleven.Weber was quarterback on the Missourifreshman team in 1960, and was expected tocontend strongly for the No. 1 varsity signalcallingjob as a sophomore. However, in the(Continued on page 98)