An Excerpt
from "In the Light"
for
the Fighting Irish - going 23-1 over that span while hitting well over .300 -
and was
heralded as possibly the best college pitcher in the nation. Interestingly, he
also
lettered in basketball at Notre Dame, and was the team's leading scorer in
1907-08!
He signed a professional baseball contract with the Cincinnati Reds right after
his
sophomore year at Notre Dame, and went right to the Major Leagues at the
tender
age of 19. He would enjoy a 10-year career (with the Reds, Detroit Tigers,
Boston
Red Sox and New York Giants), interrupted by two years of service during World
War
I, and recorded 85 wins (12 by shutout) and a 3.04 career earned run average.
He
was also a member of the World Champion Boston Red Sox of 1918, and had the
distinction of playing alongside two of the greatest players in baseball
history - Babe
Ruth and Ty Cobb!
After his active playing career was over, Dubuc became a longtime minor
League coach and manager, and eventually a scout for the Detroit Tigers. Among
his
discoveries were Hall of Fame greats George "Birdie" Tebbets, and Hank
Greenberg.
later in life he became quite active in professional ice hockey, as part owner
and
general manager of the Providence Reds, and then as director of scouting for
the
Cleveland Barons.
In 1924, the College's ice hockey team was crowned State Champions, the
same year that "New" Hall (now Jeanmarie Hall) opened, and with it came the
College's first official gymnasium. It was located in the lower level of the
west
wing of the building, with an overall floor measurement of 80' by 62' (14 feet
shorter than the standard basketball court of today), and an elevated balcony
on
all four sides. With seating capacity of 700 for games and unobstructed by
columns, it was hailed as "one of the best basketball courts in New England."
Saint Michael's would play all of its home basketball games on this court for
the
next 23 years.
Two years later, the College hired its first lay Athletic Director when Robert
Carr joined the staff in 1926. Prior to Carr's hiring, a member of the Society
of
Saint Edmund served as either Moderator of Athletics or Athletic Director
(depending on the priest's level of expertise in this area, and the strength
of the
Athletic Association in the earlier years). He relieved Fr. Linnehan of
day-to-day
athletic administrative duties, and eventually would take over as head coach
of the
College's football, basketball, and baseball programs. He had a winning career
record in baseball, but losing records in football and basketball. However, he
earned a place in Purple Knight lore on February 7, 1929, when he led the
Knights
to a 36-33 overtime victory over the University of Vermont - marking the first
time
in history that Saint Michael's defeated the Catamounts in basketball.
The 1933-34 academic year was one of extremes for the sport of football at
the College. The team had a great season, and captured SMC's first state
championship in the sport on the final day of the season. On November 11,
1933,
the Knights defeated the University of Vermont, 13-0, in front of 5,000 fans
at
Centennial Field. But in the spring of 1934, citing student transfer problems
and
budget constraints, College President Fr. Eugene Alliot announced that
football
would be dropped at Saint Michael's, effective immediately. Subsequently,
Athletic Director and head football coach Robert Carr resigned his position at
the
College.
There was another event of note that took place that year. On January 23,
Saint Michael's hosted its first intercollegiate ski meet, on the hill across
Route 15
from the current Chapel. A group of students, led by Fr. Donald Sullivan and
student-coach Carleton Goslin, created race courses and constructed a rickety
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