1963 Champions Receive Rings After 50 Years
11/10/2013 3:17:00 PM | Baseball
By JP McBride
The Huntsville Item
HUNTSVILLE — The only Sam Houston State team to ever win a national championship in baseball reunited in Huntsville on Saturday afternoon. The Bearkats from 1963 also received some serious bling in the form of championship rings.
Guinn “Hootie” Murray, who played baseball at Sam Houston but graduated in 1962, organized the reunion for the members of the 1963 championship team. Even though he was playing professionally for the Houston Colt .45s during Sam Houston's championship season, Murray still wanted to get his friends and former teammates together and give them something to remember it with.
“It had been 50 years and they didn't get anything when they won it. They got zero,” Murray said. “It's their 50-year anniversary, so I thought this would be a good time to do it.”
He and a group of former Bearkats donated money for the rings, which made Saturday's ceremony possible.
In 1963, the Sam Houston State baseball team finally won the NAIA National Championship in St. Joseph, Mo., after reaching the World Series the previous three seasons.
There was no parade or celebration for the Bearkats when they returned home, since most of the students had gone home for the summer and no championship rings to remember their tremendous accomplishment by.
Fifty years later, the champions reunited and received their much deserved championship rings.
The reunion was held in the Ron Mafrige Field House starting at noon before the Bearkats' football game against Nicholls.
“The greatest thing is all the players got recognized for an unbelievable feat that hasn't happened to the university in 50 years, and I was able to see all the guys I played ball with and they all helped to win that championship,” said Bud Haney.
It was a special day for the men as they hugged, smiled, laughed and relived their days as baseball players. The men shared many stories, telling of the time they beat the University of Minnesota when the Golden Gophers were ranked No. 1 in the NCAA.
Sam Houston's baseball team also earned the title, “unofficial champs of the Southwest Conference” after the Bearkats beat teams such as Texas, Texas A&M, Rice and Baylor.
One particularly humorous story had to do with a pitcher on the team being so nervous before a game that he was brushing his teeth with Brylcreem, a men's hair styling product.
Many members of the team had a hard time putting into words just how much this special get together meant to them.
“I don't know how to express it, it's overwhelming. I can't thank Hootie enough,” Cary Workman said.
The reunion meant a lot to the former teammates as some of them drove from Arizona, Louisiana and even Canada to get to see each other again. Some of them came back to Huntsville last spring for a preseason banquet with the current Bearkats baseball team. But some of the Kats had not seen each other since their ball playing days.
“It is very special. Some of these guys I haven't seen in 50 years,” said Jerry Register.
The men emphasized that even though winning a championship and getting rings to celebrate it was great, the friendships they had made back in the day and getting together again after such a long period of time was what made this day truly special.
“It is hard to explain how special it is. It's a lifetime achievement to have won and to have the relationship that all of us have together,” Pat Harrop said.
“To me winning is second to the relationships and bonds that we made during those years. That is the most important thing.”
The 1963 Kats went 27-8 including victories in all five of its games at the NAIA World Series in Saint Joseph, Mo. The team out-scored their opponents 41-6.
Eight Kats were named to the all-tournament team including second baseman Jimmy Dodd, pitcher Freddie Bean, shortstop Carlo Gott, outfielder Bud Haney, third baseman Pat Harrop, catcher John Skeeters, first baseman Larry Smith and pitcher Carey Workman. Dodd was the World Series “Most Valuable Player.” Haney became the only player ever to earn NAIA World Series all-tournament honors four years in a row.
Twenty-seven of the 33 members of the national championship team were able to attend the reunion. Only five members of the team are deceased and one member of the team was unable to be contacted.
Family members of the deceased players and coaches Ray Benge and Bob Britt were invited to receive their rings and be a part of the reunion as well.
During halftime of the football game, the men were honored near midfield at Bowers Stadium. They were all very appreciative of the rings, the ovation they received from Bearkat fans and the opportunity to see each other again.
“I'm appreciative of the rings because it motivated all of us to get back together for probably one last time,” Skeeters said.
