Remembering Charlie Shoemaker...

The University of Arizona will host its annual alumni baseball game Saturday morning at 11:00am at the Kindall Field inside Sancet Stadium. Some of the former Arizona players who will participate include Ed Vosberg, Gil Heredia, Shelley Duncan, Brad Mills, Daniel Schelreth and George Arias.

The 1960, 1980 and 1985 teams will also be honored. I can't remember a lot about the Wildcats' 1960 team, aside from the fact they made it to Omaha and went all the way to the 14th game of the College World Series before bowing out. What I do remember is the Wildcats' shortstop in 1960. His name was Charlie Shoemaker. Shoemaker was right handed, but batted left and played a mean shortstop. In fact, Shoemaker went on to play three years in the Majors with the Kansas City Athletics. He batted just 28 times for Kansas City (1961, 1962, 1964) and finished with a .258 batting average. Some of Shoemaker's teammates included baseball greats Wes Covington, Joe Nuxhall, Blue Moon Odom, Hank Bauer, Don Larsen and Ossie Virgil.

Shoemaker died in 1990 at the age of 50 in Mount Penn, Pennsylvania.