Frank Viola & John Franco led St Johns to its greatest heights
- Thread starter bobo
- Start date
I met Viola and Franco when during summer 1991. It wanted to interview them for our summer issue of The Torch. A couple of SJU teammates, now Mets teammates.
Bernie Beglane helped me get a press pass for a game that Viola started.
Viola pitched a complete game, so he had a hoard of reporters around his locker. I talked to Franco briefly about SJU. I did not want to keep him. He was showered and changed and was on his way out early since he did not pitch. But he told me about the regret about getting hurt in 1981.
I waited until Viola was done with the interviews, and then Dean Beglane introduces me. He was nice enough to give me time after the reporters left.
Talked about the "greatest college baseball game" and how crazy that him and Darling are now teammates. But the biggest thing I remember was how he was sure that SJU team was winning the college world series if Franco had not been injured, and was able to pitch.
Bernie Beglane helped me get a press pass for a game that Viola started.
Viola pitched a complete game, so he had a hoard of reporters around his locker. I talked to Franco briefly about SJU. I did not want to keep him. He was showered and changed and was on his way out early since he did not pitch. But he told me about the regret about getting hurt in 1981.
I waited until Viola was done with the interviews, and then Dean Beglane introduces me. He was nice enough to give me time after the reporters left.
Talked about the "greatest college baseball game" and how crazy that him and Darling are now teammates. But the biggest thing I remember was how he was sure that SJU team was winning the college world series if Franco had not been injured, and was able to pitch.
I am a huge fan, but not a big historian. When I saw this article--- I thought SJU had won the whole thing in baseball, then or at one time or another, I guess not.
Has SJU ever won a national championship in any sport, I swore we did soccer or fencing, and the mythical BB championship when sportswriters voted on it?
.
Has SJU ever won a national championship in any sport, I swore we did soccer or fencing, and the mythical BB championship when sportswriters voted on it?
.
[quote="BrookJersey Redmen" post=388838]I am a huge fan, but not a big historian. When I saw this article--- I thought SJU had won the whole thing in baseball, then or at one time or another, I guess not.
Has SJU ever won a national championship in any sport, I swore we did soccer or fencing, and the mythical BB championship when sportswriters voted on it?
.[/quote]
Think we also won a NC in Rifle or whatever the sport was called at the time and which probably went the way of the dinosaur some time ago.
Has SJU ever won a national championship in any sport, I swore we did soccer or fencing, and the mythical BB championship when sportswriters voted on it?
.[/quote]
Think we also won a NC in Rifle or whatever the sport was called at the time and which probably went the way of the dinosaur some time ago.
I thought when I was in high school 1967-1971, SJU was a national champ in baseball, but this article tells me nope. Track? Swimming?
People don’t realize before WW2 the NIT was the premier tourney. So I consider us national champs pre WW2. Regrettably, the NIT doesn’t mean much today. I also read an article stating in the early 1900s we were undefeated and a publication, although,I don’t remember the name of it, considered us national champs.
JackofVirginia
Active member
[quote="kranmars" post=388629]I met Viola and Franco when during summer 1991. It wanted to interview them for our summer issue of The Torch. A couple of SJU teammates, now Mets teammates.
Bernie Beglane helped me get a press pass for a game that Viola started.
Viola pitched a complete game, so he had a hoard of reporters around his locker. I talked to Franco briefly about SJU. I did not want to keep him. He was showered and changed and was on his way out early since he did not pitch. But he told me about the regret about getting hurt in 1981.
I waited until Viola was done with the interviews, and then Dean Beglane introduces me. He was nice enough to give me time after the reporters left.
Talked about the "greatest college baseball game" and how crazy that him and Darling are now teammates. But the biggest thing I remember was how he was sure that SJU team was winning the college world series if Franco had not been injured, and was able to pitch.[/quote]
You are probably aware of Bernie writing for the L.I Star Journal and L.I.Press. BTW,he also refereed in the L.I. Press Basketball League. That's how I got to know him. Fortunate to have him as my son's adviser in the Sports Management Program at St.Johns.
Bernie Beglane helped me get a press pass for a game that Viola started.
Viola pitched a complete game, so he had a hoard of reporters around his locker. I talked to Franco briefly about SJU. I did not want to keep him. He was showered and changed and was on his way out early since he did not pitch. But he told me about the regret about getting hurt in 1981.
I waited until Viola was done with the interviews, and then Dean Beglane introduces me. He was nice enough to give me time after the reporters left.
Talked about the "greatest college baseball game" and how crazy that him and Darling are now teammates. But the biggest thing I remember was how he was sure that SJU team was winning the college world series if Franco had not been injured, and was able to pitch.[/quote]
You are probably aware of Bernie writing for the L.I Star Journal and L.I.Press. BTW,he also refereed in the L.I. Press Basketball League. That's how I got to know him. Fortunate to have him as my son's adviser in the Sports Management Program at St.Johns.
[quote="JackofVirginia" post=388862][quote="kranmars" post=388629]I met Viola and Franco when during summer 1991. It wanted to interview them for our summer issue of The Torch. A couple of SJU teammates, now Mets teammates.
Bernie Beglane helped me get a press pass for a game that Viola started.
Viola pitched a complete game, so he had a hoard of reporters around his locker. I talked to Franco briefly about SJU. I did not want to keep him. He was showered and changed and was on his way out early since he did not pitch. But he told me about the regret about getting hurt in 1981.
I waited until Viola was done with the interviews, and then Dean Beglane introduces me. He was nice enough to give me time after the reporters left.
Talked about the "greatest college baseball game" and how crazy that him and Darling are now teammates. But the biggest thing I remember was how he was sure that SJU team was winning the college world series if Franco had not been injured, and was able to pitch.[/quote]
You are probably aware of Bernie writing for the L.I Star Journal and L.I.Press. BTW,he also refereed in the L.I. Press Basketball League. That's how I got to know him. Fortunate to have him as my son's adviser in the Sports Management Program at St.Johns.[/quote]
Yes. At the time, along with being dean of athletic administration Beglane was a sports writer for the AP. He was a great guy.
Bernie Beglane helped me get a press pass for a game that Viola started.
Viola pitched a complete game, so he had a hoard of reporters around his locker. I talked to Franco briefly about SJU. I did not want to keep him. He was showered and changed and was on his way out early since he did not pitch. But he told me about the regret about getting hurt in 1981.
I waited until Viola was done with the interviews, and then Dean Beglane introduces me. He was nice enough to give me time after the reporters left.
Talked about the "greatest college baseball game" and how crazy that him and Darling are now teammates. But the biggest thing I remember was how he was sure that SJU team was winning the college world series if Franco had not been injured, and was able to pitch.[/quote]
You are probably aware of Bernie writing for the L.I Star Journal and L.I.Press. BTW,he also refereed in the L.I. Press Basketball League. That's how I got to know him. Fortunate to have him as my son's adviser in the Sports Management Program at St.Johns.[/quote]
Yes. At the time, along with being dean of athletic administration Beglane was a sports writer for the AP. He was a great guy.
[quote="kranmars" post=388629]I met Viola and Franco when during summer 1991. It wanted to interview them for our summer issue of The Torch. A couple of SJU teammates, now Mets teammates.
Bernie Beglane helped me get a press pass for a game that Viola started.
Viola pitched a complete game, so he had a hoard of reporters around his locker. I talked to Franco briefly about SJU. I did not want to keep him. He was showered and changed and was on his way out early since he did not pitch. But he told me about the regret about getting hurt in 1981.
I waited until Viola was done with the interviews, and then Dean Beglane introduces me. He was nice enough to give me time after the reporters left.
Talked about the "greatest college baseball game" and how crazy that him and Darling are now teammates. But the biggest thing I remember was how he was sure that SJU team was winning the college world series if Franco had not been injured, and was able to pitch.[/quote]
Franco got hurt in both 80 (the article was focused on that team) and 81. A healthy Franco in both of those years probably get St. John's to the CWS and he doesn't last until the 5th round of the draft.
Viola tells a story about the game he and Darling pitched against each other in the 1981 NCAA Tournament where he through 11 shut out innings and Darling through 12 innings, no hitting St. John's for 11 innings and losing on a one hitter. [URL]https://www.ncaa.com/news/base...ron-darling-pitched-greatest-college-baseball[/URL] . Viola said the next day when they get to the park, they wait for the first game of the day to finish. Yale was playing and Darling was playing right field. Viola says he can barely lift his arm to wipe his ass and he watched Darling through someone out at the plate from right field.
Bernie Beglane helped me get a press pass for a game that Viola started.
Viola pitched a complete game, so he had a hoard of reporters around his locker. I talked to Franco briefly about SJU. I did not want to keep him. He was showered and changed and was on his way out early since he did not pitch. But he told me about the regret about getting hurt in 1981.
I waited until Viola was done with the interviews, and then Dean Beglane introduces me. He was nice enough to give me time after the reporters left.
Talked about the "greatest college baseball game" and how crazy that him and Darling are now teammates. But the biggest thing I remember was how he was sure that SJU team was winning the college world series if Franco had not been injured, and was able to pitch.[/quote]
Franco got hurt in both 80 (the article was focused on that team) and 81. A healthy Franco in both of those years probably get St. John's to the CWS and he doesn't last until the 5th round of the draft.
Viola tells a story about the game he and Darling pitched against each other in the 1981 NCAA Tournament where he through 11 shut out innings and Darling through 12 innings, no hitting St. John's for 11 innings and losing on a one hitter. [URL]https://www.ncaa.com/news/base...ron-darling-pitched-greatest-college-baseball[/URL] . Viola said the next day when they get to the park, they wait for the first game of the day to finish. Yale was playing and Darling was playing right field. Viola says he can barely lift his arm to wipe his ass and he watched Darling through someone out at the plate from right field.