1921 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team

The 1921 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team represented the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University in the 1921 NCAA baseball season, winning the SIAA championship.[1][2] By May 29, the team had hit over .225 for the season, garnering 27 home runs, 17 triples, 26 doubles, 107 singles, and a total of 138 hits for 326 bases with 54 stolen bases.[3]

1921 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball
SIAA Champions
Conference	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1921 record	20–5 (14–4 SIAA)
Head coach	Byrd Douglas
Captain	Julian Thomas
Home stadium	Curry Field

The Commodores were coached by Byrd Douglas, Vanderbilt alumnus, once a star catcher of the Princeton baseball team. The yearbook claimed the season's success was "due almost entirely to one man", namely Douglas.[2][4]

The 1921 Vanderbilt Commodores football team also won an SIAA title. Frank Godchaux, Doc Kuhn, Tot McCullough, Jess Neely, and Tom Ryan were also members of the football team.

Regular season

Vanderbilt's yearbook The Commodore states that in a 1921 game against Southwestern Presbyterian University, the team achieved a world record in scoring 13 runs in one inning, after two men were out. The Tennessean recalls the event: "Neely singled as did Kuhn; Neil fanned but Thomas got his third straight hit and both tallied. Big Tot got hit by a pitched ball and Smith was safe on a fielder's choice with one out. Woodruf flied out to right. Tyner slammed one to center which Jetty juggled and everybody advanced a pair of sacks. Ryan was safe on another error and two runs came over. Neely beat out his second hit of the inning and Kuhn walked. Neil walked. Thomas was safe on an error and Big Tot McCullough picked one over the right field fence, clearing the sacks--but oh, what's the use? Why continue?"[2] Joe Smith hit a grand slam as well, and Manning Brown got a homer.[5]

In the game against Camp Benning (GA), Neill netted a home run with a fly ball to left field, which bounced off the outfielder's knee for a home run.[6]

The Kentucky game on May 17 and the Princeton game both went into extra innings.

From June 6 to June 15 the Commodores had an Eastern trip carrying them through Kentucky, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.[4][7] Kuhn starred in the 3 to 2 loss to Princeton.[8]

Schedule/Results

1921 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball game log
Exhibition Games # Date Opponent Site/Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall record SIAA record 1 - Nashville Vols 3–7 - - - - 0–0 - 2 - Nashville Vols 4–11 - - - - 0–0 - 3 - Boston Red Sox Curry Field 0–9 - - - - 0–0 -
Regular Season # Date Opponent Site/Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record SIAA Record 1 - Indiana 2–0 - - - - 1–0 0–0 2 - Mississippi 2–0 - - - - 2–0 1–0 3 April 11 Southwestern Presbyterian Curry Field 19–2 - - - - 3–0 1–0 4 - Southwestern Presbyterian Curry Field 13–4 - - - - 4–0 1–0 5 - Tennessee Curry Field 2–11 - Tom Ryan - - 4–1 1–1 6 - Tennessee Curry Field 4–3 - - - - 5–1 2–1 7 April 19 Tennessee Curry Field 3–2 - - - - 6–1 3–1 8 April 21 Mercer Curry Field 5–3 Boots Richardson Bob Sawin - - 7–1 4–1 9 April 23 Mercer Curry Field 2–5 Tige Stone Slim Embry - - 7–2 4–2 10 April 27 Georgia Curry Field 7–4 Tot McCullough - - - 8–2 5–2 11 April 28 Georgia Curry Field 6–2 Slim Embry Cliff Pantone - - 9–2 6–2 12 April 30 Tennessee Waite Field 6–2 - - - - 10–2 7–2 13 - Tennessee Waite Field 2–7 - Tom Ryan - - 10–3 7–3 14 May 4 Kentucky Stoll Field 9–4 Slim Embry Cooper - - 11–3 8–3 15 May 7 Howard Curry Field 16–1 - - - - 12–3 9–3 16 - Howard Curry Field 13–1 - - - - 13–3 10–3 17 May 13 Centre Curry Field 7–0 - - - - 14–3 11–3 18 May 14 Centre Curry Field 12–8 - - - - 15–3 12–3 19 May 16 Kentucky Curry Field 18–3 - - - - 16–3 13–3 20 May 17 Kentucky Curry Field 6–5 - - - - 17–3 14–3 21 May 19 Camp Benning (GA) Curry Field 5–3 Slim Embry "Dirty" Jones - - 18–3 14–3 22 June 7 Centre Cheek Field 3–7 Tommy Moran Slim Embry - - 18–4 14–4 23 June 11 Princeton University Field 2–3 Thomas Slim Embry - - 18–5 14–4 24 - Washington & Lee Lexington, VA 2–1 - - - - 19–5 14–4 25 June 14 Washington & Lee Lexington, Virginia 13–4 Tot McCullough - - - 20–5 14–4

Roster

Coaches

Name	Position
Byrd Douglas	Head Coach
Strat Foster	Manager

Players

Name	Position
A. Bell	2B
Bell	3B
B. Brown	OF
Manning Brown	OF
Buckner	C
Coston	RHP
Slim Embry	RHP
Frank Godchaux	C
Joe Hatcher	C
Hawkins	C
Hi Hightower	C
Huckaby	OF
Doc Kuhn	SS
Lewis	2B
Bunny Luton	OF
Tot McCullough	1B/OF/LHP
McDonald	OF
McDonnell	SS
McGinnis	OF
Bob McNeilly	RHP
Jess Neely	OF
Scotty Neill	SS/2B/INF
Boots Richardson	LHP
Riley	RHP
Rudolph	RHP
Tom Ryan	RHP
Sherrod	RHP
Joe Smith	OF
Paul Stumb	RHP
Julian Thomas	1B
Mims Tyner	C
Williams	OF
Fish Wilson	2B/INF
Wooden	3B
Tobe Woodruf	3B

Statistical leaders

Wins
Slim Embry	9
Boots Richardson	5
Tot McCullough	4

Home Runs
Scotty Neill	13

Postseason awards and honors

Shortstop Doc Kuhn and outfielders Manning Brown and Tot McCullough made All-Southern.[9]

References

1. "Commodores Claim S.I.A.A. Championship in Baseball". The Houston Post. May 26, 1921. p. 14. Retrieved December 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Bill Traughber. "The Historic 1921 VU Baseball Team". Archived from the original on 2015-07-15. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
3. "Sport Chat". Lexington Herald. May 29, 1921.
4. Vanderbilt University (1922). The Commodore. pp. 135–137.
5. "Wildcats Don't Let it Happen Here". Lexington Herald. April 15, 1921.
6. "Benning Loses To Vanderbilt". Columbus Ledger. May 20, 1921.
7. Byrd Douglas (1922). The Science of Baseball: A Text-book of "inside" Baseball Completely Covering Every Department and Phase of Baseball--how to Play and Coach the Game. p. 173.
8. "Princeton Alumni Weekly". 1920.
9. "College Baseball". Atlanta Constitution. January 1, 1922. Retrieved March 2, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.