Free Republic

The following piece was originally published in the March, 1958 issue of True, and is excerpted from The Top of His Game, a collection of W.C. Heinz's best sportswriting. It is reprinted here with permission from Gayl Heinz. "Down in Los Angeles," says Garry Schumacher, who was a New York baseball writer for 30 years and is now assistant to Horace Stoneham, president of the San Francisco Giants, "they think Duke Snider is the best center fielder the Dodgers ever had. They forget Pete Reiser. The Yankees think Mickey Mantle is something new. They forget Reiser, too." Maybe Pete Reiser...

"He Could Have Played Blind" ‘The radio was playing and the morning news was on. I was startled to hear that Pete Maravich, the basketball player, had collapsed on a basketball court in Pasadena, just fell over and never got up. I’d seen Maravich play in New Orleans, when the Utah Jazz were the New Orleans Jazz. He was something to see – mop of brown hair, floppy socks – the holy terror of the basketball world – high flyin’ – magician of the court. The night I saw him he dribbled the ball with his head, scored a behind-the-back,...

ALBUQUERQUE — Just when I thought it was safe to defend myself from the long list of Aggie bashers, New Mexico State University went and took the pistol from Pete. New athletics director, new football coach, new men’s basketball coach and new mascot. OK, Sesame Street fans, which one doesn’t belong? I’ll take new head football coach Hal Mumme, and new head men’s basketball coach Reggie Theus, and even new AD McKinley Boston. But not a new Pistol Pete. I thought the NCAA’s asinine decision to ban its schools from wearing what it dubbed offensive names on its uniforms for...

'Pistol Pete' Mascot Will Lose Pistol Mon Aug 15, 7:39 AM ET LAS CRUCES, N.M. - New Mexico State University's mascot, Pistol Pete, is being disarmed. University officials have also stripped the word "Pistol" from Pete's name. The new logo shows Pete twirling a lasso. The old Pete toted a pistol. The changes are part of a marketing plan to remake the university's image on the national stage. Officials have been working on a redesign of Pistol Pete for months. Athletics director McKinley Boston said the university plans to unveil the new Pete later this month. The decision to remove...

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — New Mexico State University's (search) mascot, Pistol Pete (search), is being disarmed. University officials have also stripped the word "Pistol" from Pete's name. The new logo shows Pete twirling a lasso. The old Pete toted a pistol. The changes are part of a marketing plan to remake the university's image on the national stage. Officials have been working on a redesign of Pistol Pete for months. Athletics director McKinley Boston (search) said the university plans to unveil the new Pete later this month. The decision to remove the pistol had more to do with a consensus...