SMU history question for the SMU "experts".

[Special_Delivery_Smu_Fans]

This is not a football related question, but I know most of the SMU "experts" frequent this part of the message board.

Recently on e-Bay I purchased what was said to be an authentic original SMU Baseball jersey in mint condition. It arrived in the mail today and it is in great condition but I wonder if it is really an SMU Baseball jersey?

What makes me wonder is the coloring in the lettering and running horse. It almost appears to be orange-ish red. Can anyone verify from the picture below if that is what the SMU Baseball jerseys looked like back in the day? Or is this a jersey to some other school that has the Mustang logo?

Thanks for any feedback from people that followed SMU baseball back in the day.

[jtstang]

Either way it's pretty cool and you should be wearing it on the 'vard next year.

[Mustangsabu]

Back in 1999 I bought a baseball jersey, navy blue, with "Mustangs" in white across the front. Best shirt I ever owned. Unfortunately someone else thought the same and it disappeared. I have no idea if it was authentic or not.

[KnuckleStang]

That thing is badass.

[RGV Pony]

Maybe the club team uses them?

[Special_Delivery_Smu_Fans]

The seller said:

"UP FOR BID IS A UNWORN VINTAGE 80'S RIDDELL TEAM ISSUED AUTHENTIC SMU MUSTANGS BASEBALL JERSEY"

When did SMU cancel the baseball program?

[jtstang]

pre-80's.

[bagice]

Damn,

I want one of those! Great find, authentic or not. I still have fond memories of my Dad taking me to Riverchon (sp?) Park to watch SMU play baseball when I was a kid. Good fun, even though it was not as nice and didn't have as much seating room as any current city softball field.

Last game I remember going to was a double header against Arkansas in the Late seventies.

1980-81 was the last year of D1 baseball at SMU I believe.

[diamond_tom]

Well done! I had moved this to my watch list but didn't get back to bid until it was too late.

[/quote]

[Dooby]

pre-80's.

No, it was the early-1980's. They mentioned it when SMU cancelled track. It was definitely the 1980's. JT, if it wasn't you saying it, I would swear it was 1986.

[Special_Delivery_Smu_Fans]

Here are some sources:

"The SMU Baseball program was dropped after the 1980 season after competing for 61 years "

http://media.www.smudailycampus.com/media/storage/paper949/news/2006/02/09/Sports/The-Nightcap.Asks.why.No.Baseball.At.Smu-2276974.shtml


"SMU baseball begins 1916 - SMU Baseball ends 1980-81"

http://smu.edu/recsports/clubsports/baseball/History.htm

[KnuckleStang]

In '86, I was fraternity brothers with a guy who played club ball for SMU. But his jersey said "SMU" across the front, not "Mustangs." That was also a pretty cool jersey.

[Stallion]

Russ Potts shut it down so that would have been very late 1970s or early 1980s-his philosophy was to compete in fewer sports and only in ones that SMU could compete for national honors -btw SMU was Top 20 in all sports at least at some point in the year in the early 1980s so he accomplished his goal. Some may not know this but SMU used to have an on-campus baseball field on the present site of the Morrison-Bell track or I guess what is now referred to as the Soccer Field.

[CalallenStang]

Russ Potts shut it down so that would have been very late 1970s or early 1980s-his philosophy was to compete in fewer sports and only in ones that SMU could compete for national honors -btw SMU was Top 20 in all sports at least at some point in the year in the early 1980s so he accomplished his goal. Some may not know this but SMU used to have an on-campus baseball field on the present site of the Morrison-Bell track or I guess what is now referred to as the Soccer Field.

Yeah; Armstrong Field. Just today, I talked to someone who played baseball for SMU during the Armstrong Field era.

[ozfan]

Russ Potts shut it down so that would have been very late 1970s or early 1980s-his philosophy was to compete in fewer sports and only in ones that SMU could compete for national honors -btw SMU was Top 20 in all sports at least at some point in the year in the early 1980s so he accomplished his goal. Some may not know this but SMU used to have an on-campus baseball field on the present site of the Morrison-Bell track or I guess what is now referred to as the Soccer Field.

Good memory -- The NY Yanks used to break spring training and play local teams on the way back to NY for the start of the season. They would play SMU with the pony pitchers pitching for the Yank and the Yank pitchers throwing for the ponies and the game was played on campus.