GOWER - The East Buchanan volleyball team had a mantra they wanted to live up to in the 2022 season.

They even wanted the phrase on their team shirts. Head coach Ryan Horn was a bit apprehensive of that.

"That kind of scared me," Horn said. "If you go to places in the summer with that on the back of your shirt, you're a target."

Target or not, East Buchanan (31-5-1) has taken their theme to heart. Winning has become the attitude, if not the reality. The Bulldogs have won a record 31 matches in 2022, including wins in 15 of their last 17 outings.

Senior Brooklyn Adams explains this winning attitude.

"Whenever you get on the court, just have that mindset of 'We want to be here to win and we want to play,'" Adams said. "Just work together as a team and always have that in the back of your head. Play for each other and just want to be there to win."

The Bulldogs swept their way through the Class 2 District 16 bracket, winning their third district title in the last four years.

After a sweep at home against Lafayette County in state sectionals, East Buchanan went on the road to face Lone Jack, and found themselves down in the match 2-0.

After dropping set two 25-14, something changed.

"They just fixed it," Horn explained. "I told a few people, we didn't really change anything at that time. We changed some things later, but not at that moment. It was just more of like, 'Show who you are, prove who you are.' And, they did."

The Bulldogs won the next three sets and pulled off a thrilling 3-2, come-from-behind win, putting East Buchanan volleyball into the Final Four for the first time in program history.

"It's been the first East Buch volleyball team to make it this far," said senior Gracie Kelsey. "It's just a new adventure and something new for us that we have never been able to experience. The last team any girls' team went to state was our freshman year (girls' basketball in 2020). The younger kids don't know what it's like. So, to be able to let more people experience it is awesome."

It's been a historic season in more ways than one. The 31 wins are a school record. Coach Horn eclipsed 150 career wins with the victory over Lafayette County in sectionals.

Senior libero Kinzie Woodside is over 1,500 career digs, which currently ranks ninth all time in the state. That's not all.

Junior setter Kylie Clark has surpassed 1,000 career assists. Senior outside hitter and middle Maya Watkins is over 1,000 career kills. Junior Zora Whitt is over 100 career aces. The list goes on.

Horn says all of those milestones sound a little better when the wins come along with them.

"It makes it meaningful, fun, exciting, all of those things," he said. "It's a lot easier to celebrate those things with your team after a win. Since we've done a lot of winning this year, it's been fun."

East Buchanan is now in Cape Girardeau to face Jefferson Festus (30-5-1) in state semifinals on Friday night at 6 p.m. at the Show Me Center.&nbsp;

The Bulldogs will then either face Hermann (30-9-1) or Strafford (26-8-1) in the Class 2 championship on Saturday at 4 p.m. or in the third place match at 2 p.m.

Whatever happens, it's been a memorable journey for East Buchanan volleyball this season, especially for a group of four seniors, who were within a handful of points of reaching the Final Four as freshmen in 2019.

It's also a group of seniors who adopted and have lived out their 'winning is an attitude' motto.

They're hopeful this level of trust, talent and confidence can carry them through to more historic heights in 2022.

"This team is different," Woodside said. "There's something about the chemistry we have and how we work together. I think all around our volleyball play is there. I think if we show up and we're always ready to play, then it's going to be good."

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667530690105.jpeg" alt="East Buchanan coach Ryan Horn (center) gathers with his players during a practice Wednesday at East Buchanan High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>East Buchanan coach Ryan Horn (center) gathers with his players during a practice Wednesday at East Buchanan High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostGOWER - The East Buchanan volleyball team had a mantra they wanted to live up to in the 2022 season.Winning is an attitude.They even wanted the phrase on their team shirts. Head coach Ryan Horn was a bit apprehensive of that."That kind of scared me," Horn said. "If you go to places in the summer with that on the back of your shirt, you're a target."Target or not, East Buchanan (31-5-1) has taken their theme to heart. Winning has become the attitude, if not the reality. The Bulldogs have won a record 31 matches in 2022, including wins in 15 of their last 17 outings.Senior Brooklyn Adams explains this winning attitude."Whenever you get on the court, just have that mindset of 'We want to be here to win and we want to play,'" Adams said. "Just work together as a team and always have that in the back of your head. Play for each other and just want to be there to win."The Bulldogs swept their way through the Class 2 District 16 bracket, winning their third district title in the last four years.After a sweep at home against Lafayette County in state sectionals, East Buchanan went on the road to face Lone Jack, and found themselves down in the match 2-0.After dropping set two 25-14, something changed."They just fixed it," Horn explained. "I told a few people, we didn't really change anything at that time. We changed some things later, but not at that moment. It was just more of like, 'Show who you are, prove who you are.' And, they did."The Bulldogs won the next three sets and pulled off a thrilling 3-2, come-from-behind win, putting East Buchanan volleyball into the Final Four for the first time in program history."It's been the first East Buch volleyball team to make it this far," said senior Gracie Kelsey. "It's just a new adventure and something new for us that we have never been able to experience. The last team any girls' team went to state was our freshman year (girls' basketball in 2020). The younger kids don't know what it's like. So, to be able to let more people experience it is awesome."It's been a historic season in more ways than one. The 31 wins are a school record. Coach Horn eclipsed 150 career wins with the victory over Lafayette County in sectionals.Senior libero Kinzie Woodside is over 1,500 career digs, which currently ranks ninth all time in the state. That's not all.Junior setter Kylie Clark has surpassed 1,000 career assists. Senior outside hitter and middle Maya Watkins is over 1,000 career kills. Junior Zora Whitt is over 100 career aces. The list goes on.Horn says all of those milestones sound a little better when the wins come along with them."It makes it meaningful, fun, exciting, all of those things," he said. "It's a lot easier to celebrate those things with your team after a win. Since we've done a lot of winning this year, it's been fun."East Buchanan is now in Cape Girardeau to face Jefferson Festus (30-5-1) in state semifinals on Friday night at 6 p.m. at the Show Me Center.&nbsp;The Bulldogs will then either face Hermann (30-9-1) or Strafford (26-8-1) in the Class 2 championship on Saturday at 4 p.m. or in the third place match at 2 p.m.Whatever happens, it's been a memorable journey for East Buchanan volleyball this season, especially for a group of four seniors, who were within a handful of points of reaching the Final Four as freshmen in 2019.It's also a group of seniors who adopted and have lived out their 'winning is an attitude' motto.They're hopeful this level of trust, talent and confidence can carry them through to more historic heights in 2022."This team is different," Woodside said. "There's something about the chemistry we have and how we work together. I think all around our volleyball play is there. I think if we show up and we're always ready to play, then it's going to be good."Audio story<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/East-Buchanan-volleyballs-record-setting-year-ending-at-Final-Four-e1q8bfn" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667530479685.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667535038380.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667535066905.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667535091300.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667535136448.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667535211432.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667535241516.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667535283389.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667535364741.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Winning has become an attitude, reality for East Buchanan volleyball

Friday 11/4 KFEQ (680, 95.3) - HSFB - Savannah vs. Chillicothe, Class 3 District 8 semifinal (6:30 p.m. pregame, 7:00 pm kickoff)

Saturday 11/5 KFEQ - MWSU FB vs. Central Missouri (Noon pregame, 1 p.m. kickoff) KFEQ - MWSU WBB vs. Minnesota Duluth (5 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff)

Sunday 11/6 KFEQ - NO CHIEFS KFEQ - MWSU WBB vs. Lubbock Christian (5 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff) Q Country 92.7 FM&nbsp; - Chiefs vs. Titans (6 p.m. pregame, 7:20 p.m. kickoff)

Monday 11/7 JoeTown 107.5 FM, 1550 AM - MWSU Luncheon @ Hi Ho Bar and Grill (Noon - 1 p.m.) KFEQ - Chiefs Kingdom Radio Show (6-7 p.m.)

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostFriday 11/4 KFEQ (680, 95.3) - HSFB - Savannah vs. Chillicothe, Class 3 District 8 semifinal (6:30 p.m. pregame, 7:00 pm kickoff)Saturday 11/5 KFEQ - MWSU FB vs. Central Missouri (Noon pregame, 1 p.m. kickoff) KFEQ - MWSU WBB vs. Minnesota Duluth (5 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff)Sunday 11/6 KFEQ - NO CHIEFS KFEQ - MWSU WBB vs. Lubbock Christian (5 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff) Q Country 92.7 FM&nbsp; - Chiefs vs. Titans (6 p.m. pregame, 7:20 p.m. kickoff)Monday 11/7 JoeTown 107.5 FM, 1550 AM - MWSU Luncheon @ Hi Ho Bar and Grill (Noon - 1 p.m.) KFEQ - Chiefs Kingdom Radio Show (6-7 p.m.)

Eagle Radio broadcast schedule - November 4 - November 7, 2022

The 10th-ranked Northwest Missouri State volleyball team claimed the program's first MIAA regular season championship with a 3-0 sweep of No. 21-ranked Central Oklahoma in Bearcat Arena Wednesday.

Northwest won by set scores of 25-22, 25-18 and 25-21 to produce their 10th straight win. The Northwest victory assures the Bearcats of at least a share of the regular season crown. The Bearcats are 16-3 in MIAA play with a final home match set for Friday at 6 p.m. against the Newman Jets.

 Another Northwest triumph would give the Bearcats the outright league title and the No. 1 seed in the MIAA Tournament.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667475002809.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Northwest athletics." />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Northwest athletics.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe 10th-ranked Northwest Missouri State volleyball team claimed the program's first MIAA regular season championship with a 3-0 sweep of No. 21-ranked Central Oklahoma in Bearcat Arena Wednesday.Northwest won by set scores of 25-22, 25-18 and 25-21 to produce their 10th straight win. The Northwest victory assures the Bearcats of at least a share of the regular season crown. The Bearcats are 16-3 in MIAA play with a final home match set for Friday at 6 p.m. against the Newman Jets. Another Northwest triumph would give the Bearcats the outright league title and the No. 1 seed in the MIAA Tournament.

Northwest volleyball wins first ever MIAA regular season championship

LEXINGTON, KY - The Missouri Western men's basketball team defended Division I No. 4 Kentucky well throughout Sunday's exhibition at Rupp Arena, and kept it close for much of the time.

The Griffons trailed by only eight points at halftime and were only down nine with 9:18 left in the game.

Kentucky, however, made five second-half threes and held the Griffons' offense in check all night, as the Wildcats pulled out a 56-38 win on Sunday night in Lexington.

Still, Missouri Western battled for all 40 minutes, outrebounding Kentucky 36-35 and outscoring the Wildcats 24-14 in the paint. The Griffons held Kentucky to a 21-of-52 shooting night Sunday

"I'm so proud of the way our guys played defense tonight," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said. "I thought we were really bad in our first exhibition (against Benedictine) defensively. I probably hurt our guys a little bit the last week, because all we focused on was defense. I think people saw that, and they saw we're tough and gritty."

The Griffons got down 26-14 in the first half, as Kentucky at one point reeled off a 17-2 run, but Missouri Western held its own, ending the first half on a 4-0 run and holding Kentucky scoreless for the last 2:54 of the first half to make it a 26-18 game at the break.

A fast break dunk by Missouri Western sophomore Taye Fields made it a 42-33 game with 9:18 remaining, but that's as close as the Griffons got, as Kentucky outscored Missouri Western 14-5 the rest of the way.

The Wildcats, a preseason favorite to win the SEC, were without their reigning national and SEC Player of the Year Sunday in junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who had a minor knee procedure earlier this month.

Kentucky got a spark in the second half from redshirt senior guard C.J. Frederick, who scored a game-high 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Senior Jacob Toppin added 12 for the Wildcats.

Kentucky blocked 11 shots Sunday. The Wildcats also turned Missouri Western over 16 times. The Griffons shot 16-of-52 from the field, including 2-of-15 from three.

Junior Will Eames led Missouri Western with 12 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Taye Fields logged nine points and eight rebounds.

"I'm just really proud of our team, because we responded," Eames said on KFEQ Radio after. "Last week, our exhibition (against Benedictine) did not go the way we wanted it to. We did not bring the effort and failed to bring any energy. Tonight was a whole 180. We're just really proud of how we competed."

Sunday's game was a special homecoming for Coach Martin, who was a team manager for Kentucky coach John Calipari and the Wildcats from 2008-2012. Two of Martin's assistants, Jon Hood and Perry Stevenson, also played at Kentucky for Coach Cal.

Both coaches were quite complimentary of each other after the game.

"Everything I am as a man and a coach is because of Coach Cal," Martin said in an emotional opening statement at his postgame press conference. "I wiped up sweat here for four years, and I got an opportunity to coach here with two guys that I love in Perry Stevenson and Jon Hood who played here. That just shows Coach Cal's character."

"We all appreciated him," Calipari said of Martin, whose time as a team manager included the national title season for Kentucky in 2012. "What he's done here and the mark he's left. On top of that, he's a heck of a coach. Heck of a coach."

Missouri Western is next in action on Friday, November 11 at home against Minnesota-Crookston in the Hillyard Tipoff Classic. That'll be the first official game of the season after two exhibitions in October.

Tip-off from the MWSU Fieldhouse in that game is set for 7:30 p.m. Missouri Western will also face Northern State at home on Saturday, November 12 at 6 p.m.

"Exhibitions are done and every game from here on out counts," Eames said. "So, we really have to bring it this week in practice. No more excuses. We just have to show up on that Friday and come to work and I think our team will be ready for that."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667188029128.jpeg" alt="Missouri Western's Will Eames (23) goes up for a shot in a 56-38 loss to Kentucky in Rupp Arena in Lexington in an exhibition Sunday. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Western's Will Eames (23) goes up for a shot in a 56-38 loss to Kentucky in Rupp Arena in Lexington in an exhibition Sunday. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostLEXINGTON, KY - The Missouri Western men's basketball team defended Division I No. 4 Kentucky well throughout Sunday's exhibition at Rupp Arena, and kept it close for much of the time.The Griffons trailed by only eight points at halftime and were only down nine with 9:18 left in the game.Kentucky, however, made five second-half threes and held the Griffons' offense in check all night, as the Wildcats pulled out a 56-38 win on Sunday night in Lexington.Still, Missouri Western battled for all 40 minutes, outrebounding Kentucky 36-35 and outscoring the Wildcats 24-14 in the paint. The Griffons held Kentucky to a 21-of-52 shooting night Sunday"I'm so proud of the way our guys played defense tonight," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said. "I thought we were really bad in our first exhibition (against Benedictine) defensively. I probably hurt our guys a little bit the last week, because all we focused on was defense. I think people saw that, and they saw we're tough and gritty."The Griffons got down 26-14 in the first half, as Kentucky at one point reeled off a 17-2 run, but Missouri Western held its own, ending the first half on a 4-0 run and holding Kentucky scoreless for the last 2:54 of the first half to make it a 26-18 game at the break.A fast break dunk by Missouri Western sophomore Taye Fields made it a 42-33 game with 9:18 remaining, but that's as close as the Griffons got, as Kentucky outscored Missouri Western 14-5 the rest of the way.The Wildcats, a preseason favorite to win the SEC, were without their reigning national and SEC Player of the Year Sunday in junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who had a minor knee procedure earlier this month.Kentucky got a spark in the second half from redshirt senior guard C.J. Frederick, who scored a game-high 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Senior Jacob Toppin added 12 for the Wildcats.Kentucky blocked 11 shots Sunday. The Wildcats also turned Missouri Western over 16 times. The Griffons shot 16-of-52 from the field, including 2-of-15 from three.Junior Will Eames led Missouri Western with 12 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Taye Fields logged nine points and eight rebounds."I'm just really proud of our team, because we responded," Eames said on KFEQ Radio after. "Last week, our exhibition (against Benedictine) did not go the way we wanted it to. We did not bring the effort and failed to bring any energy. Tonight was a whole 180. We're just really proud of how we competed."Sunday's game was a special homecoming for Coach Martin, who was a team manager for Kentucky coach John Calipari and the Wildcats from 2008-2012. Two of Martin's assistants, Jon Hood and Perry Stevenson, also played at Kentucky for Coach Cal.Both coaches were quite complimentary of each other after the game."Everything I am as a man and a coach is because of Coach Cal," Martin said in an emotional opening statement at his postgame press conference. "I wiped up sweat here for four years, and I got an opportunity to coach here with two guys that I love in Perry Stevenson and Jon Hood who played here. That just shows Coach Cal's character.""We all appreciated him," Calipari said of Martin, whose time as a team manager included the national title season for Kentucky in 2012. "What he's done here and the mark he's left. On top of that, he's a heck of a coach. Heck of a coach."Missouri Western is next in action on Friday, November 11 at home against Minnesota-Crookston in the Hillyard Tipoff Classic. That'll be the first official game of the season after two exhibitions in October.Tip-off from the MWSU Fieldhouse in that game is set for 7:30 p.m. Missouri Western will also face Northern State at home on Saturday, November 12 at 6 p.m."Exhibitions are done and every game from here on out counts," Eames said. "So, we really have to bring it this week in practice. No more excuses. We just have to show up on that Friday and come to work and I think our team will be ready for that."Will Eames interview<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Missouri-Westerns-Will-Eames---Kentucky-postgame-e1q0f0i" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667190505169.jpeg" alt="Missouri Western coach Will Martin (left) and Kentucky coach John Calipari (right) share a moment before Sunday's game. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Western coach Will Martin (left) and Kentucky coach John Calipari (right) share a moment before Sunday's game. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667190543048.jpeg" alt="Taye Fields had a pair of dunks in the second half at Kentucky. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Taye Fields had a pair of dunks in the second half at Kentucky. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Missouri Western plays tough defensively, falls in competitve exhibition at Kentucky

After firing Mike Matheny at the end of the regular season, new Royals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager J.J Picollo began searching for the new manager of the club.&nbsp;

After just four weeks of interviews and searching for the right man for the job, Picollo has found the next manager of the Kansas City Royals.&nbsp; Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro has been hired as the 18th manager in the history of the franchise.

According to sources, while many candidates were interviewed for the job, Quatraro was always viewed as the favorite to take the job.&nbsp; Quatraro will be introduced to fans and media on Thursday during a press conference at Kauffman Stadium.&nbsp;

“We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent,” Royals executive vice president and general manager J.J. Picollo said in a news release announcing the hire. “Matt has great experiences throughout his career that have prepared him for this."

"He thoroughly impressed us all during our interview process and is clearly respected across the industry. We are looking forward to working alongside Matt to bring winning baseball to our great fans."

Quatraro, 48, spent the last five seasons on Kevin Cash’s staff in Tampa Bay, including one season as the third-base coach and four as the bench coach. The Rays reached the postseason in four of Quatraro's five years on their big league staff, including a World Series appearance in 2020.

Quatraro also served as Cleveland’s assistant hitting coach from 2014-17, overlapping with Royals owner John Sherman’s minority stake there. His experience and success in both helped his candidacy in Kansas City, as Sherman views both Tampa Bay and Cleveland as models for small-market success.

On top of all that, Quatraro has the respect and adoration of players, coaches and executives from around the industry. He has interviewed for several managerial openings, including with the Pirates and Giants after the 2019 season, the Tigers after ’20, the A’s and Mets after ’21 and the Marlins this offseason before they hired Skip Schumaker -- allowing the Royals to finalize their offer.

“I’m grateful to Mr. Sherman and the ownership group, J.J. and the front office and everyone else with the Royals for this opportunity,” Quatraro said through the Royals. “I already knew the talent on the roster and how great the fans in Kansas City are, and the interview process convinced me that the terrific things I’d heard about the organization’s culture are true. I can’t wait to get started, and for my family to get to Kansas City and be part of that community."

The Royals are looking for someone to shepherd their young core -- which includes Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino and a slew of young pitchers -- to the next window of contention, and Quatraro receives high praise for his communication with players.

"J.J. and his staff designed and executed a rigorous process that revealed Matt to be the best leader for our club," Sherman said in the news release. "Matt is widely respected throughout baseball with a proven record and tangible contributions in two organizations that built winning cultures through creativity and innovation. We are thrilled to welcome Matt, his wife Chris and sons George and Leo to the Kansas City community."

Having hired their manager, the Royals and Quatraro will now turn to filling out the coaching staff, including a new pitching coach after Cal Eldred was let go on the final day of the season. Picollo has already announced that the hitting side will largely stay the same, with Alec Zumwalt as the hitting coach and Mike Tosar and Keoni DeRenne as assistant hitting coaches.

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAfter firing Mike Matheny at the end of the regular season, new Royals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager J.J Picollo began searching for the new manager of the club.&nbsp;After just four weeks of interviews and searching for the right man for the job, Picollo has found the next manager of the Kansas City Royals.&nbsp; Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro has been hired as the 18th manager in the history of the franchise.According to sources, while many candidates were interviewed for the job, Quatraro was always viewed as the favorite to take the job.&nbsp; Quatraro will be introduced to fans and media on Thursday during a press conference at Kauffman Stadium.&nbsp;“We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent,” Royals executive vice president and general manager J.J. Picollo said in a news release announcing the hire. “Matt has great experiences throughout his career that have prepared him for this.""He thoroughly impressed us all during our interview process and is clearly respected across the industry. We are looking forward to working alongside Matt to bring winning baseball to our great fans."Quatraro, 48, spent the last five seasons on Kevin Cash’s staff in Tampa Bay, including one season as the third-base coach and four as the bench coach. The Rays reached the postseason in four of Quatraro's five years on their big league staff, including a World Series appearance in 2020.Quatraro also served as Cleveland’s assistant hitting coach from 2014-17, overlapping with Royals owner John Sherman’s minority stake there. His experience and success in both helped his candidacy in Kansas City, as Sherman views both Tampa Bay and Cleveland as models for small-market success.On top of all that, Quatraro has the respect and adoration of players, coaches and executives from around the industry. He has interviewed for several managerial openings, including with the Pirates and Giants after the 2019 season, the Tigers after ’20, the A’s and Mets after ’21 and the Marlins this offseason before they hired Skip Schumaker -- allowing the Royals to finalize their offer.“I’m grateful to Mr. Sherman and the ownership group, J.J. and the front office and everyone else with the Royals for this opportunity,” Quatraro said through the Royals. “I already knew the talent on the roster and how great the fans in Kansas City are, and the interview process convinced me that the terrific things I’d heard about the organization’s culture are true. I can’t wait to get started, and for my family to get to Kansas City and be part of that community."The Royals are looking for someone to shepherd their young core -- which includes Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino and a slew of young pitchers -- to the next window of contention, and Quatraro receives high praise for his communication with players."J.J. and his staff designed and executed a rigorous process that revealed Matt to be the best leader for our club," Sherman said in the news release. "Matt is widely respected throughout baseball with a proven record and tangible contributions in two organizations that built winning cultures through creativity and innovation. We are thrilled to welcome Matt, his wife Chris and sons George and Leo to the Kansas City community."Having hired their manager, the Royals and Quatraro will now turn to filling out the coaching staff, including a new pitching coach after Cal Eldred was let go on the final day of the season. Picollo has already announced that the hitting side will largely stay the same, with Alec Zumwalt as the hitting coach and Mike Tosar and Keoni DeRenne as assistant hitting coaches.

Kansas City Royals tab Matt Quatraro as the man to replace Mike Matheny as manager

Bearcats keep playoff hopes alive with comeback win over Lopers

Northwest Missouri State overcame a 10 point fourth quarter deficit to keep their hopes for a playoff berth alive, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Nebraska Kearney 28-24 on Saturday in Kearney, Nebraska.

It's the 18th come from behind win for Bearcat head coach Rich Wright, and just the third time since 2017 that the Bearcats rallied from being behind double digits to earn a win.

Kearney would get the scoring started in the first quarter when last years MIAA Offensive Player of the Year quarterback TJ Davis would find wide receiver AJ McPhee from 13 yards out with 11:26 left in the quarter.&nbsp; The Bearcats would answer though just under five minutes later, when freshman running back Jay Harris would rush in from two yards out to cap a 12 play drive.&nbsp;

The first quarter would end knotted up at 7-7, but then after a 10 play drive with 13:17 in the second quarter, kicker Junior Gonzalez would put the Lopers up again with a 45 yard field goal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It was back and forth for the next nine minutes of the quarter, before the Bearcats would take their first lead of the game with 4:04 left before half.&nbsp; Following a defensive play where Junior defensive lineman Walker Graves would sack Davis forcing a fumble that Sophomore defensive end Jake Fisher would return to the four yard line, Harris would need just one play to rush it in from four yards out.&nbsp;

Davis would atone for his mistake though, scoring the final touchdown of the half by capping a 7 play, 73 yard drive with a 12 yard rushing score, giving the Lopers a 17-14 lead at halftime.&nbsp;

Nebraska Kearney would come out of halftime and score the only touchdown of the third quarter, a 30 yard rushing score by Damien Cearns to give Kearney a 24-14 lead, before Northwest took over in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

Northwest would go on to score 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, on a 32 yard rushing touchdown from Harris and a six yard score from Senior quarterback Braden Wright and would hold on for the 28-24 victory.&nbsp;

The passing game was hardly necessary for the Bearcats as they compiled 312 yards rushing on the day.&nbsp; Running back Jemar Moya lead the rushing attack with 120 yard on the ground while Harris ran for 72 yards to go with his three scores.&nbsp;

The Bearcats, now 7-2 on the season, will return to Maryville on Saturday for their final home regular season game and will host Missouri Southern.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 1:30pm.

Griffon offense dominates in Hall of Fame Weekend victory

Missouri Western used over 500 yards of total offense to earn a victory over Missouri Southern during Hall of Fame Weekend.&nbsp; <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/52caaab8-38ff-469a-9499-46b22c15ccd8">Read our full recap here</a>

#7 Ravens score late, defense stands up to hold onto win over Baker

The Benedictine defense stood strong over the last two minutes of the game to help the #7 Ravens come away with a 21-20 win over Baker on Saturday in Atchison for Homecoming.

It wasn't pretty for the Ravens though, who after taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, fell behind 20-14 before scoring the go ahead touchdown with 2:14 left in the ball game.&nbsp;

The scoring got started quick for the Ravens in the first.&nbsp; After taking the opening kick 64 yards, the Ravens needed just four plays and two minutes of game clock before Rayshon Mills would rush in from two yards out to make it 7-0.&nbsp;

Benedictine wouldn't score again however until late in the first quarter.&nbsp; Following a missed field goal by Baker kicker Seth Simpson, the Ravens got the ball at their own 20.&nbsp; After a 12 yard rush by Mills, quarterback Garrett Kettle would unload, finding wide receiver Jacob Gathright for a 68 yard touchdown, giving the Ravens the 14-0 lead.&nbsp;

Baker would score the only points of the second quarter as Simpson would knock one through from 27 yards out with 48 seconds left in the half.&nbsp; The Ravens would attempt to move the ball down the field, but would run out of time, taking a 14-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The second half&nbsp; was all Baker, until the Ravens score late in the fourth.&nbsp; With 4:43 left in the third quarter, Baker quarterback Sam Heggemann would find Will Roberts from 10 yards out, bringing Baker a little closer as after the extra point was made they trailed 14-10.&nbsp;

The fourth quarter was when Baker would take the lead, on back to back drives with scores, the first drive would take just five plays to give Baker a 17-14 lead as running back Andrew Colvert would rush in from four yards out for the score.&nbsp; 

Simpson would add to that on Bakers next drive, nailing a field goal from 25 yards out to make it 20-14, with 6:57 left of game time.&nbsp;

On the ensuing kickoff, the Ravens would take it back 58 yards, setting up at the Baker 31.&nbsp; From there it would be a game of chewing clock.&nbsp; Benedictine would eat up just under five minutes of clock over 10 plays, before Kettle would rush in from 12 yards out, knotting the game at 20-20, before the extra point would give Benedictine the 21-20 lead.&nbsp;

The Ravens defense would hold strong from there, a five play drive from Baker would result in a four and out after Heggemann was unable to complete a pass on 4th and 12. Giving the Ravens the ball back and allowing them to run the time out.&nbsp;

Mills on the day rushed 10 times for 75 yards and a score to be the leading rusher.&nbsp; Kettle also rushed 11 times for 58 yards and his rushing score, to go with 206 passing yards on the day.&nbsp;

The Ravens are now 8-1 on the season, 3-0 in Heart East play, and will stay home on Saturday, hosting Evangel for Senior Day in Atchison.&nbsp; Kickoff is slated for 1pm.

#22 Kansas State dominates #9 Oklahoma State in shutout

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — After the final seconds ticked away on No. 22 Kansas State's comprehensive 48-0 win over ninth-ranked Oklahoma State on Saturday, thousands of purple-clad fans didn't storm the field so much as they wandered onto it in celebration.

Which was altogether fitting, considering the way the Wildcats methodically trounced the Cowboys.

Backup quarterback Will Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns, Deuce Vaughn ran for 158 yards and another score, and a late interception by the Wildcats sealed Oklahoma State's first shutout loss since 2009 while allowing Kansas State to remain a game behind TCU in the race for berths in the Big 12 championship game.

“This is as good a win as I've ever been a part of,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “Offense fed off defense. Defense fed off the offense. We need to play complementary football and we were really good in all three phases.”

Kansas State scored TDs on its first two possessions, had 495 yards of total offense and held Oklahoma State, which had been the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense at 44.7 points per game, to just 217 yards — less than half its season average.

Kade Warner caught five passes for 97 yards and two scores, and Malik Knowles had eight catches for 113 yards. The late interception gave the Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) their first shutout of the Cowboys since a 10-0 win on Nov. 21, 1992.

“We’re confident," Howard said. "We feel good right now. And we just played a really good game against a really good team and beat them 48-0. And the nice thing is, we haven’t played our best game, and that's still in front of us.”

Spencer Sanders was just 13 of 26 for 147 yards with an interception for Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) before landing hard on his shoulder midway through the fourth quarter. The star quarterback did not return to the game.

he biggest question surrounding Kansas State was the health of its own quarterback, Adrian Martinez, who played just four snaps in last week's loss to TCU because of a knee injury. And while he warmed up with the starters Saturday, it was the veteran backup Howard who headed out to the field on the opening possession of the game.

“Adrian didn't feel like he was 100 percent confident in what he was going to be able to do,” Klieman said, “and I appreciate that because he's a team player. We knew we would be good either way.”

New polls released today show Oklahoma State dropping nine spots from #9 down to #18, while the Wildcats are on the rise nine spots going from #22 to #13.

Next up Kansas State will stay home to welcome the Texas Longhorns into Bill Snyder Family Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 6pm and will be aired on FS1.

Tigers win second straight game, Mayors Cup in win over #25 S. Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Brady Cook didn't let Missouri's early struggles this season change his outlook on what the Tigers could accomplish. He made sure his teammates wouldn't let that happen, either.

Cook and the Tigers, who opened 0-3 in Southeastern Conference play, directed three long, first-half drives to built a 17-0 lead on the way to their 23-10 victory over No. 25 South Carolina on Saturday night.

“It was a tough three weeks,” Cook said of his team's SEC losses. But he made sure the Tigers knew how close they were to success.

“There's no reason to give up now,” Cook remembered.

That perseverance was evident for Missouri (4-4, 2-3 SEC) in its fourth straight win over South Carolina (5-3, 2-3 SEC).

“I showed and we showed what we can do,” Cook said.

It was a dominating performance over the Gamecocks, who came in with a four-game win streak and in the national rankings for the first time since early in the 2018 season.

Receiver Dominic Lovett had career highs with 10 catches for 148 yards while the Tigers' defense had 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and held the Gamecocks to 203 total yards.

Missouri beat a ranked opponent for the first time since its 45-41 win over No. 17 LSU on Oct. 10, 2020.

It was hard for even the most optimistic among Tigers fans to see this coming. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told his seniors earlier this season that just because the results aren't there, “that doesn't mean you haven't created positive change in the program.”

Drinkwitz hopes the positivity continues the final month of the season. It could if Cook keeps leading like this.

He completed 17 of 26 passes for 224 yards without an interception. He added 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground. as Cook's steady hand kept driving Missouri forward.

Missouri won the Mayor's Cup that's contested between the two SEC East teams whose campuses are located in Columbia of their respective states. Missouri gets to keep the Cup for a fourth straight year. “It's a trophy game,” cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. said. “We wanted to take something with us.”

The Tigers will hope to extend their win streak to three games when they return home on Saturday to host the #19 Kentucky Wildcats.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 11am and will be aired on SEC Network.

#17 Illinois wins sixth straight game crushing Huskers

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Illinois' breakout season keeps getting better.

The Illini's 26-9 win over Nebraska on Saturday was nothing flashy, just workmanlike. Chase Brown and the top defense in the country did what they've been doing all year, and now No. 17 Illinois is on a six-game win streak for the first time since 2011.

“Our guys are locked into the moment,” second-year coach Bret Bielema said. “When you get better and better, everyone wants to talk about where you’re going to end up. What we need to concentrate on is the journey, and to get to where we are today has been probably one of the most enjoyable journeys I’ve ever been on in my life.”

Brown rushed for 149 yards and scored on consecutive series in the second quarter to help the Big Ten West-leading Illini (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) beat the Cornhuskers for the third year in a row and secure their first winning regular-season record since 2007.

“I tell these guys all the time that I’ve been around some championship teams, and this team is that same caliber if not better,” Bielema said. “We're an exceptional defense and we have playmakers on literally both sides of the ball and in the kicking game.”

Nebraska (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten) committed four turnovers and dropped its 20th straight against a Top 25 opponent.

The Huskers lost quarterback Casey Thompson to a right arm injury in the second quarter. Interim coach Mickey Joseph said Thompson's elbow got hit, causing finger numbness. Logan Smothers finished the second quarter, and Chubba Purdy played the entire second half.

Illinois' Tommy DeVito was 20 of 22 for 179 yards and two touchdowns. His 91% completion rate was a Memorial Stadium record for visiting quarterbacks with at least 20 attempts.

The Illini held Nebraska to 29 yards on 20 plays in the second half and 248 for the game, the fewest by the Huskers since they finished with the same number against Michigan State in 2018. Trey Palmer, coming off a school-record 237-yard receiving performance against Purdue, caught one pass for 1 yard.

“We came out with a great game plan and didn’t execute,” Nebraska tight end Travis Vokolek said, “so I give all props to Illinois’ defense. Great team. Tough-nosed football team.”

Nebraska will stay home on Saturday and will look to snap their small losing streak as they host Minnesota.&nbsp; Kickoff is at 11am and will be aired on ESPN 2.

During their bye week a big focus for Kansas football head coach Lance Leipold was to get his team healthy.

"Obviously we've got to get healthier, it's been 12 plus weeks going straight for these guys," Leipold told reporters. "It's a full week of a lot of things. In our practice models of working with some of the younger players, some guys that have a high volume of game snaps probably won't take as many reps at least in the first couple days, kind of play it by ear. So it's a great time to get a lot done."

Injuries have played a crucial part on Kansas' season, especially over just the last couple of weeks.&nbsp;KU lost crucial starting-quality players in running back Daniel Hishaw Jr., quarterback Jalon Daniels and cornerback Cobee Bryant in consecutive weeks.&nbsp;

When asked if his injury list was longer than usual by reporters, Leipold wasn't afraid to admit that it was.&nbsp;

"I'll say this, probably a little bit more on the higher side at the skill position area, guys that you like asking questions about,” Leipold said. “I’ve thought we've done a pretty good job in some of that but we'll see. The list got longer [against Baylor]. So we'll keep seeing where it goes. But Trent Carter our head athletic trainer and his staff, I probably should have said this long ago, but they're the best bet around. They do an excellent job."

After starting the season 5-0, the Jayhawks have lost their last three games to fall to 5-3 on the season overall and 2-3 in Big 12 play.&nbsp; Kansas will look to right the ship in Lawrence Saturday against an Oklahoma State team coming off that big loss against Kansas State.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 2:30pm on FS1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667156721080.jpeg" alt="Freshman running back Jay Harris celebrates with Sophomore wide receiver Peyton Carder as the Bearcats came from behind to defeat Nebraska Kearney Saturday/ Photo by Avery Anderson, Northwest Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Freshman running back Jay Harris celebrates with Sophomore wide receiver Peyton Carder as the Bearcats came from behind to defeat Nebraska Kearney Saturday/ Photo by Avery Anderson, Northwest Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostBearcats keep playoff hopes alive with comeback win over LopersNorthwest Missouri State overcame a 10 point fourth quarter deficit to keep their hopes for a playoff berth alive, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Nebraska Kearney 28-24 on Saturday in Kearney, Nebraska.It's the 18th come from behind win for Bearcat head coach Rich Wright, and just the third time since 2017 that the Bearcats rallied from being behind double digits to earn a win.Kearney would get the scoring started in the first quarter when last years MIAA Offensive Player of the Year quarterback TJ Davis would find wide receiver AJ McPhee from 13 yards out with 11:26 left in the quarter.&nbsp; The Bearcats would answer though just under five minutes later, when freshman running back Jay Harris would rush in from two yards out to cap a 12 play drive.&nbsp;The first quarter would end knotted up at 7-7, but then after a 10 play drive with 13:17 in the second quarter, kicker Junior Gonzalez would put the Lopers up again with a 45 yard field goal.&nbsp;&nbsp;It was back and forth for the next nine minutes of the quarter, before the Bearcats would take their first lead of the game with 4:04 left before half.&nbsp; Following a defensive play where Junior defensive lineman Walker Graves would sack Davis forcing a fumble that Sophomore defensive end Jake Fisher would return to the four yard line, Harris would need just one play to rush it in from four yards out.&nbsp;Davis would atone for his mistake though, scoring the final touchdown of the half by capping a 7 play, 73 yard drive with a 12 yard rushing score, giving the Lopers a 17-14 lead at halftime.&nbsp;Nebraska Kearney would come out of halftime and score the only touchdown of the third quarter, a 30 yard rushing score by Damien Cearns to give Kearney a 24-14 lead, before Northwest took over in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;Northwest would go on to score 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, on a 32 yard rushing touchdown from Harris and a six yard score from Senior quarterback Braden Wright and would hold on for the 28-24 victory.&nbsp;The passing game was hardly necessary for the Bearcats as they compiled 312 yards rushing on the day.&nbsp; Running back Jemar Moya lead the rushing attack with 120 yard on the ground while Harris ran for 72 yards to go with his three scores.&nbsp;The Bearcats, now 7-2 on the season, will return to Maryville on Saturday for their final home regular season game and will host Missouri Southern.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 1:30pm.Griffon offense dominates in Hall of Fame Weekend victoryMissouri Western used over 500 yards of total offense to earn a victory over Missouri Southern during Hall of Fame Weekend.&nbsp; <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/52caaab8-38ff-469a-9499-46b22c15ccd8">Read our full recap here</a>#7 Ravens score late, defense stands up to hold onto win over BakerThe Benedictine defense stood strong over the last two minutes of the game to help the #7 Ravens come away with a 21-20 win over Baker on Saturday in Atchison for Homecoming.It wasn't pretty for the Ravens though, who after taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, fell behind 20-14 before scoring the go ahead touchdown with 2:14 left in the ball game.&nbsp;The scoring got started quick for the Ravens in the first.&nbsp; After taking the opening kick 64 yards, the Ravens needed just four plays and two minutes of game clock before Rayshon Mills would rush in from two yards out to make it 7-0.&nbsp;Benedictine wouldn't score again however until late in the first quarter.&nbsp; Following a missed field goal by Baker kicker Seth Simpson, the Ravens got the ball at their own 20.&nbsp; After a 12 yard rush by Mills, quarterback Garrett Kettle would unload, finding wide receiver Jacob Gathright for a 68 yard touchdown, giving the Ravens the 14-0 lead.&nbsp;Baker would score the only points of the second quarter as Simpson would knock one through from 27 yards out with 48 seconds left in the half.&nbsp; The Ravens would attempt to move the ball down the field, but would run out of time, taking a 14-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.The second half&nbsp; was all Baker, until the Ravens score late in the fourth.&nbsp; With 4:43 left in the third quarter, Baker quarterback Sam Heggemann would find Will Roberts from 10 yards out, bringing Baker a little closer as after the extra point was made they trailed 14-10.&nbsp;The fourth quarter was when Baker would take the lead, on back to back drives with scores, the first drive would take just five plays to give Baker a 17-14 lead as running back Andrew Colvert would rush in from four yards out for the score.&nbsp; Simpson would add to that on Bakers next drive, nailing a field goal from 25 yards out to make it 20-14, with 6:57 left of game time.&nbsp;On the ensuing kickoff, the Ravens would take it back 58 yards, setting up at the Baker 31.&nbsp; From there it would be a game of chewing clock.&nbsp; Benedictine would eat up just under five minutes of clock over 10 plays, before Kettle would rush in from 12 yards out, knotting the game at 20-20, before the extra point would give Benedictine the 21-20 lead.&nbsp;The Ravens defense would hold strong from there, a five play drive from Baker would result in a four and out after Heggemann was unable to complete a pass on 4th and 12. Giving the Ravens the ball back and allowing them to run the time out.&nbsp;Mills on the day rushed 10 times for 75 yards and a score to be the leading rusher.&nbsp; Kettle also rushed 11 times for 58 yards and his rushing score, to go with 206 passing yards on the day.&nbsp;The Ravens are now 8-1 on the season, 3-0 in Heart East play, and will stay home on Saturday, hosting Evangel for Senior Day in Atchison.&nbsp; Kickoff is slated for 1pm.#22 Kansas State dominates #9 Oklahoma State in shutoutMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — After the final seconds ticked away on No. 22 Kansas State's comprehensive 48-0 win over ninth-ranked Oklahoma State on Saturday, thousands of purple-clad fans didn't storm the field so much as they wandered onto it in celebration.Which was altogether fitting, considering the way the Wildcats methodically trounced the Cowboys.Backup quarterback Will Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns, Deuce Vaughn ran for 158 yards and another score, and a late interception by the Wildcats sealed Oklahoma State's first shutout loss since 2009 while allowing Kansas State to remain a game behind TCU in the race for berths in the Big 12 championship game.“This is as good a win as I've ever been a part of,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “Offense fed off defense. Defense fed off the offense. We need to play complementary football and we were really good in all three phases.”Kansas State scored TDs on its first two possessions, had 495 yards of total offense and held Oklahoma State, which had been the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense at 44.7 points per game, to just 217 yards — less than half its season average.Kade Warner caught five passes for 97 yards and two scores, and Malik Knowles had eight catches for 113 yards. The late interception gave the Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) their first shutout of the Cowboys since a 10-0 win on Nov. 21, 1992.“We’re confident," Howard said. "We feel good right now. And we just played a really good game against a really good team and beat them 48-0. And the nice thing is, we haven’t played our best game, and that's still in front of us.”Spencer Sanders was just 13 of 26 for 147 yards with an interception for Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) before landing hard on his shoulder midway through the fourth quarter. The star quarterback did not return to the game.he biggest question surrounding Kansas State was the health of its own quarterback, Adrian Martinez, who played just four snaps in last week's loss to TCU because of a knee injury. And while he warmed up with the starters Saturday, it was the veteran backup Howard who headed out to the field on the opening possession of the game.“Adrian didn't feel like he was 100 percent confident in what he was going to be able to do,” Klieman said, “and I appreciate that because he's a team player. We knew we would be good either way.”New polls released today show Oklahoma State dropping nine spots from #9 down to #18, while the Wildcats are on the rise nine spots going from #22 to #13.Next up Kansas State will stay home to welcome the Texas Longhorns into Bill Snyder Family Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 6pm and will be aired on FS1.Tigers win second straight game, Mayors Cup in win over #25 S. CarolinaCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Brady Cook didn't let Missouri's early struggles this season change his outlook on what the Tigers could accomplish. He made sure his teammates wouldn't let that happen, either.Cook and the Tigers, who opened 0-3 in Southeastern Conference play, directed three long, first-half drives to built a 17-0 lead on the way to their 23-10 victory over No. 25 South Carolina on Saturday night.“It was a tough three weeks,” Cook said of his team's SEC losses. But he made sure the Tigers knew how close they were to success.“There's no reason to give up now,” Cook remembered.That perseverance was evident for Missouri (4-4, 2-3 SEC) in its fourth straight win over South Carolina (5-3, 2-3 SEC).“I showed and we showed what we can do,” Cook said.It was a dominating performance over the Gamecocks, who came in with a four-game win streak and in the national rankings for the first time since early in the 2018 season.Receiver Dominic Lovett had career highs with 10 catches for 148 yards while the Tigers' defense had 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and held the Gamecocks to 203 total yards.Missouri beat a ranked opponent for the first time since its 45-41 win over No. 17 LSU on Oct. 10, 2020.It was hard for even the most optimistic among Tigers fans to see this coming. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told his seniors earlier this season that just because the results aren't there, “that doesn't mean you haven't created positive change in the program.”Drinkwitz hopes the positivity continues the final month of the season. It could if Cook keeps leading like this.He completed 17 of 26 passes for 224 yards without an interception. He added 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground. as Cook's steady hand kept driving Missouri forward.Missouri won the Mayor's Cup that's contested between the two SEC East teams whose campuses are located in Columbia of their respective states. Missouri gets to keep the Cup for a fourth straight year. “It's a trophy game,” cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. said. “We wanted to take something with us.”The Tigers will hope to extend their win streak to three games when they return home on Saturday to host the #19 Kentucky Wildcats.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 11am and will be aired on SEC Network.#17 Illinois wins sixth straight game crushing HuskersLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Illinois' breakout season keeps getting better.The Illini's 26-9 win over Nebraska on Saturday was nothing flashy, just workmanlike. Chase Brown and the top defense in the country did what they've been doing all year, and now No. 17 Illinois is on a six-game win streak for the first time since 2011.“Our guys are locked into the moment,” second-year coach Bret Bielema said. “When you get better and better, everyone wants to talk about where you’re going to end up. What we need to concentrate on is the journey, and to get to where we are today has been probably one of the most enjoyable journeys I’ve ever been on in my life.”Brown rushed for 149 yards and scored on consecutive series in the second quarter to help the Big Ten West-leading Illini (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) beat the Cornhuskers for the third year in a row and secure their first winning regular-season record since 2007.“I tell these guys all the time that I’ve been around some championship teams, and this team is that same caliber if not better,” Bielema said. “We're an exceptional defense and we have playmakers on literally both sides of the ball and in the kicking game.”Nebraska (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten) committed four turnovers and dropped its 20th straight against a Top 25 opponent.The Huskers lost quarterback Casey Thompson to a right arm injury in the second quarter. Interim coach Mickey Joseph said Thompson's elbow got hit, causing finger numbness. Logan Smothers finished the second quarter, and Chubba Purdy played the entire second half.Illinois' Tommy DeVito was 20 of 22 for 179 yards and two touchdowns. His 91% completion rate was a Memorial Stadium record for visiting quarterbacks with at least 20 attempts.The Illini held Nebraska to 29 yards on 20 plays in the second half and 248 for the game, the fewest by the Huskers since they finished with the same number against Michigan State in 2018. Trey Palmer, coming off a school-record 237-yard receiving performance against Purdue, caught one pass for 1 yard.“We came out with a great game plan and didn’t execute,” Nebraska tight end Travis Vokolek said, “so I give all props to Illinois’ defense. Great team. Tough-nosed football team.”Nebraska will stay home on Saturday and will look to snap their small losing streak as they host Minnesota.&nbsp; Kickoff is at 11am and will be aired on ESPN 2.Bye week notesDuring their bye week a big focus for Kansas football head coach Lance Leipold was to get his team healthy."Obviously we've got to get healthier, it's been 12 plus weeks going straight for these guys," Leipold told reporters. "It's a full week of a lot of things. In our practice models of working with some of the younger players, some guys that have a high volume of game snaps probably won't take as many reps at least in the first couple days, kind of play it by ear. So it's a great time to get a lot done."Injuries have played a crucial part on Kansas' season, especially over just the last couple of weeks.&nbsp;KU lost crucial starting-quality players in running back Daniel Hishaw Jr., quarterback Jalon Daniels and cornerback Cobee Bryant in consecutive weeks.&nbsp;When asked if his injury list was longer than usual by reporters, Leipold wasn't afraid to admit that it was.&nbsp;"I'll say this, probably a little bit more on the higher side at the skill position area, guys that you like asking questions about,” Leipold said. “I’ve thought we've done a pretty good job in some of that but we'll see. The list got longer [against Baylor]. So we'll keep seeing where it goes. But Trent Carter our head athletic trainer and his staff, I probably should have said this long ago, but they're the best bet around. They do an excellent job."After starting the season 5-0, the Jayhawks have lost their last three games to fall to 5-3 on the season overall and 2-3 in Big 12 play.&nbsp; Kansas will look to right the ship in Lawrence Saturday against an Oklahoma State team coming off that big loss against Kansas State.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 2:30pm on FS1.

CFB Roundup: Bearcats win to keep playoff hopes alive, Wildcats shutout Cowboys

The Missouri Western football team piled up 506 yards of offense, including 310 on the ground, and the Griffons fended off Missouri Southern in a 31-27 victory at Spratt Stadium in the Rogers Pharmacy Hall of Fame game Saturday.

The Griffons (4-5) ran 79 plays on offense - 34 more than Missouri Southern. Western also controlled time of possession, holding the ball for 31:20 compared to 19:12 by the Lions.

"It was a beautiful day," Missouri Western coach Matt Williamson said. "There's nothing better than fall weather like this and getting out there and running around and tackle people, hit people and score touchdowns. So, I was pretty proud of it."

Missouri Western scored a touchdown on its opening series, as Jared Scott capped a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a one yard run to the end zone, putting the Griffons up 7-0 with 10:46 left in the first quarter.

Missouri Southern (4-5) had the answer early, scoring on back-to-back touchdown drives to take a 13-7 lead with 1:46 left in the first. Missouri Western's Taylor Williams blocked a point-after to keep the score at 13-7.

The Griffons got back to work on offense early in the second, putting together a nine-play, 80-yard drive. Titus McCoy finished this one off with a four-yard touchdown run, his third of the season, and a Cody Watson point-after made it 14-13 with six minutes left in the second quarter.

After Missouri Southern's first punt of the day, Western took over at their own seven-yard line, and methodically marched 93 yards on seven plays. The drive ended with a 22-yard touchdown run from quarterback Reagan Jones, his sixth of the season, to put the Griffons up 21-13 with 52 seconds left before halftime.

Jones finished with 274 all-purpose yards, 78 rushing and 196 passing, on a 16-of-21 completion rate through the air.

Missouri Southern got the ball to start the second half and scored in just three plays. Receiver Dwyane Lawson, lining up under center in a wildcat formation, took off around the left side and broke tackles on his way to an 80-yard touchdown.

A successful pass on a two-point conversion tied the game at 21-21 with 13:29 left in the third.

The Griffons answered right back, scoring on a 29-yard field goal from Cody Watson on their first series of the second half to go up 24-21 with 8:24 remaining in the third.

Missouri Southern would be held to just one first down on their next two possessions combined, forcing the Lions to punt it back to the Griffons on back-to-back drives.

Western took advantage. The Griffons gobbled up the entire back half of the third quarter and the early part of the fourth on a 16-play, 91-yard drive that took 7:51 off the clock. That drive ended with a 22-yard touchdown run from Scott, giving the Griffons a 31-21 edge with 13:52 remaining.

"I was really proud of the way our team came out and played in the second half and put ourselves in the win category," Williamson said.&nbsp;

Playing on his birthday Saturday, Scott finished with 63 yards rushing on 10 carries and two touchdowns.

Missouri Southern got one more score late. After a fumble by Western's Jones was recovered by Southern's Shadon Shannon, the Lions scored on the very next play.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Sampson, making his first career start in place of the injured Dawson Herl, fired a 34-yard touchdown pass to Ezekiel Lang, but the point-after try missed off the left upright, leaving the score at 31-27 with 7:57 left.

Nick Williams, an all-MIAA place kicker for Missouri Southern, missed field goals in the first half of 32 and 48 yards. He also missed on a couple of point-after tries after going 19-for-19 on PATs through the first eight games this season.

Western got the ball back on their own 25 with 7:57 left, and the Griffons ran out all of the remaining time, keeping the ball on the ground and moving 63 yards on 15 plays.

"Man it was great," Williamson said. "When you can take the game over like that, it's pretty much keep away. You kind of take the soul out of the defense a little bit. They kept lining up in the same thing, and we just kept running."&nbsp;

"That last drive was just awesome, you know? Just to watch our kids continue to be physical, push people around and just run it and run it and run it."

Sophomore running back Jonas Bennett got the majority of the carries late, and he finished with 21 carries for 128 yards - both figures were team-highs and new career-highs as well.

All while playing in front of the 2012 Missouri Western football team and the entire 2022 Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame Class - all of whom were honored on the field at halftime.

"They set the standard for what Griffon football really is," Bennett said of the 2012 squad that went 12-2 and won an MIAA title outright. "Being able to play and win in front of them is an honor."

Missouri Western is back on the road next Saturday to face Central Missouri. The Mules (3-6) beat Lincoln 61-14 in Warrensburg Saturday.

"I mean, we just need to focus on what we need to fix personally," Bennett said. "A win going into next week is just huge."

Saturday's game starts at 1 p.m. Coverage starts at noon on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3).

Matt Williamson, Jonas Bennett interviews

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667086578554.jpeg" alt="Missouri Western's Jonas Bennett (23) rings the bell after a career-high 128 yards rushing in the Griffons' 31-27 win over Missouri Southern at Spratt Stadium Saturday. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Western's Jonas Bennett (23) rings the bell after a career-high 128 yards rushing in the Griffons' 31-27 win over Missouri Southern at Spratt Stadium Saturday. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Missouri Western football team piled up 506 yards of offense, including 310 on the ground, and the Griffons fended off Missouri Southern in a 31-27 victory at Spratt Stadium in the Rogers Pharmacy Hall of Fame game Saturday.The Griffons (4-5) ran 79 plays on offense - 34 more than Missouri Southern. Western also controlled time of possession, holding the ball for 31:20 compared to 19:12 by the Lions."It was a beautiful day," Missouri Western coach Matt Williamson said. "There's nothing better than fall weather like this and getting out there and running around and tackle people, hit people and score touchdowns. So, I was pretty proud of it."Missouri Western scored a touchdown on its opening series, as Jared Scott capped a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a one yard run to the end zone, putting the Griffons up 7-0 with 10:46 left in the first quarter.Missouri Southern (4-5) had the answer early, scoring on back-to-back touchdown drives to take a 13-7 lead with 1:46 left in the first. Missouri Western's Taylor Williams blocked a point-after to keep the score at 13-7.The Griffons got back to work on offense early in the second, putting together a nine-play, 80-yard drive. Titus McCoy finished this one off with a four-yard touchdown run, his third of the season, and a Cody Watson point-after made it 14-13 with six minutes left in the second quarter.The Griffons never trailed after that.After Missouri Southern's first punt of the day, Western took over at their own seven-yard line, and methodically marched 93 yards on seven plays. The drive ended with a 22-yard touchdown run from quarterback Reagan Jones, his sixth of the season, to put the Griffons up 21-13 with 52 seconds left before halftime.Jones finished with 274 all-purpose yards, 78 rushing and 196 passing, on a 16-of-21 completion rate through the air.Missouri Southern got the ball to start the second half and scored in just three plays. Receiver Dwyane Lawson, lining up under center in a wildcat formation, took off around the left side and broke tackles on his way to an 80-yard touchdown.A successful pass on a two-point conversion tied the game at 21-21 with 13:29 left in the third.The Griffons answered right back, scoring on a 29-yard field goal from Cody Watson on their first series of the second half to go up 24-21 with 8:24 remaining in the third.Missouri Southern would be held to just one first down on their next two possessions combined, forcing the Lions to punt it back to the Griffons on back-to-back drives.Western took advantage. The Griffons gobbled up the entire back half of the third quarter and the early part of the fourth on a 16-play, 91-yard drive that took 7:51 off the clock. That drive ended with a 22-yard touchdown run from Scott, giving the Griffons a 31-21 edge with 13:52 remaining."I was really proud of the way our team came out and played in the second half and put ourselves in the win category," Williamson said.&nbsp;Playing on his birthday Saturday, Scott finished with 63 yards rushing on 10 carries and two touchdowns.Missouri Southern got one more score late. After a fumble by Western's Jones was recovered by Southern's Shadon Shannon, the Lions scored on the very next play.Redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Sampson, making his first career start in place of the injured Dawson Herl, fired a 34-yard touchdown pass to Ezekiel Lang, but the point-after try missed off the left upright, leaving the score at 31-27 with 7:57 left.Nick Williams, an all-MIAA place kicker for Missouri Southern, missed field goals in the first half of 32 and 48 yards. He also missed on a couple of point-after tries after going 19-for-19 on PATs through the first eight games this season.Western got the ball back on their own 25 with 7:57 left, and the Griffons ran out all of the remaining time, keeping the ball on the ground and moving 63 yards on 15 plays."Man it was great," Williamson said. "When you can take the game over like that, it's pretty much keep away. You kind of take the soul out of the defense a little bit. They kept lining up in the same thing, and we just kept running."&nbsp;"That last drive was just awesome, you know? Just to watch our kids continue to be physical, push people around and just run it and run it and run it."Sophomore running back Jonas Bennett got the majority of the carries late, and he finished with 21 carries for 128 yards - both figures were team-highs and new career-highs as well.All while playing in front of the 2012 Missouri Western football team and the entire 2022 Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame Class - all of whom were honored on the field at halftime."They set the standard for what Griffon football really is," Bennett said of the 2012 squad that went 12-2 and won an MIAA title outright. "Being able to play and win in front of them is an honor." Missouri Western is back on the road next Saturday to face Central Missouri. The Mules (3-6) beat Lincoln 61-14 in Warrensburg Saturday."I mean, we just need to focus on what we need to fix personally," Bennett said. "A win going into next week is just huge."Saturday's game starts at 1 p.m. Coverage starts at noon on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3).Matt Williamson, Jonas Bennett interviews<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Matt-Williamson--Jonas-Bennett---Missouri-Southern-postgame-e1puvt4" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Missouri Western piles up over 500 yards, tops Missouri Southern in St. Joseph Saturday

By JAMES WALKER <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-first-televised-world-series-spurred-americas-television-boom-75-years-ago-193006">The Conversation</a>

Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WRi6iZAl-I">desperately waving at his home run to stay in play</a>. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZzGkoXlaTM">pumping his arms</a>
 as he hobbles around second base after muscling a home run off Dennis 
Eckersley, the Oakland A’s dominant closer. The ground ball hit by New 
York Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpyJjecJnuI">skipping through the legs</a> of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner.

Some of the most dramatic images in World Series history are 
ingrained in the minds of baseball fans thanks to television coverage. 
This year’s World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston 
Astros will surely bring another timeless highlight to the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/03/2021-world-series-ratings-braves-astros-game-6-draws-14point3-million.html">12 million or so viewers</a> expected to watch.

Yet the first 43 World Series weren’t televised at all. It wasn’t 
until the 1947 series between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers –
 75 years ago – that fans could watch their favorite players duke it out
 on screen. 

As I detail in my book “<a href="https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bison-original/9780803248250/">Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television</a>,”
 which I co-authored with Robert Bellamy, the telecasts became a 
sensation. They drew millions of Americans to a new medium at a time 
when there were no national networks, only a handful of stations and 
somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 TVs in the entire country.

In August 1947, the television industry anticipated a possible 
all-New York World Series: The Yankees had a huge lead in the American 
League, while the Dodgers also held a substantial one in the National 
League.  

If the two teams met in October, New York’s three television stations – run by NBC ABC, and the now-extinct <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/DuMont-Television-Network">DuMont</a> – decided they wanted to cover the games.

But the rights to televise the games were held by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mutual-Broadcasting-System">Mutual Broadcasting System</a>,
 a radio network that had no television division. Thus, Mutual would 
need to farm out the coverage to one or more New York stations.

Although no national television network existed at the time, NBC, 
DuMont and CBS did have the means to link stations on the Eastern 
Seaboard through a combination of coaxial cable, microwave and 
over-the-air broadcast transmissions, expanding the potential audience 
for the World Series. The Series would air on eight stations in four 
markets: New York City, Philadelphia, Washington and Schenectady, New 
York.

While the Yankees-Dodgers series materialized, the televising of the Series almost didn’t. 

The predictable stumbling block was money. Baseball commissioner <a href="https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/chandler-happy">Albert B. “Happy” Chandler</a>
 wanted $100,000 for the television rights to the Series. Gillette, the 
sponsor of the radio coverage on the Mutual Broadcasting System, balked 
at the steep price given television’s limited penetration – only 50,000 
to 60,000 U.S. households owned TVs at the time. The radio rights to 
reach the nation’s 29 million homes with radios had cost Mutual only 
$175,000.

Initial negotiations produced an offer of $60,000 from two sponsors: Gillette and the Ford Motor Company. New York’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Liebmann">Liebmann Breweries</a>
 offered to meet Chandler’s $100,000 demand, but the commissioner 
refused because he did not want beer ads when youngsters would be 
prominent members of the audience.

Even before a coverage deal had been finalized, bars, restaurants, 
television dealers, department stores, automobile dealerships and movie 
theaters started advertising the event, urging customers to come by to 
watch the World Series on television. And in the days and weeks leading 
up to the Fall Classic, the demand for television sets spiked. 

The excitement pressured Chandler and the sponsors to reach a compromise.   

Finally, on Sept. 26, just four days before Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, Chandler, Gillette and Ford <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-10-06-BC.pdf">agreed to $65,000 for the rights to televise the World Series</a>.
 Production costs added another $35,000 to the sponsors’ bill. Mutual, 
Gillette and Ford also agreed to allow all three New York TV stations 
and those connected to them to broadcast the game, providing the widest 
possible exposure.

Initial industry estimates had the Series reaching between 600,000 
and 700,000 viewers, many of them located in the bars and restaurants 
where a substantial number of the nation’s first television receivers 
were located.  

But that forecast ended up being conservative. Although home viewing for the seven games was substantial – 450,000 in a <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1947/BB-1947-10-18.pdf">Hooper rating survey commissioned by Billboard</a>
 – the out-of-home viewing numbers were extraordinary: Another 3.5 
million were estimated to have viewed the World Series in public 
locales.

Hooper’s survey found that an average of 82 customers showed up at 
each of these public locations to watch at least some of the World 
Series. Variety reported that bar owners saw a 500% increase in patrons 
during the Series, with some offering reservations to their regulars for
 a choice location near the TV set.

What viewers from those choice seats saw was primitive by today’s 
standards. The screen was usually small – 12 diagonal inches or less. 
The low-definition images were black and white and came from just a few 
cameras. No extreme close-ups were possible. There was no instant 
replay, so fans had to pay attention or the moment was lost. 

But for the first time, they were seeing the World Series live, and for free.

The audience liked what they saw. <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1947/BB-1947-10-11.pdf">Billboard</a>,
 quoting The Newark Evening News, reported that TV “audiences hung on 
every turn of the video cameras and the ‘oohs and aahs’ at a slide or 
strikeout were something radio broadcasters would give their eye teeth 
to hear.”

It didn’t hurt that <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1947_WS.shtml">the 1947 World Series</a> ended up being so dramatic. The Yankees prevailed in seven games, but Brooklyn owned the two greatest moments.

In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4, Dodgers pitch hitter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWjpOAy5zCM">Cookie Lavagetto ended Yankee starter Bill Biven’s no-hit bid</a> with a two-out hit, driving in two runs and sending the Dodgers to a 3-2 win. Then, in Game 6, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SrtxVs8uMI">Al Gionfriddo’s stunning catch of Joe DiMaggio’s deep drive to left field</a> helped preserve an 8-6 Dodgers victory, leading legendary Dodgers broadcaster <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Red_Barber.html?id=lWhgEAAAQBAJ">Red Barber</a> to exclaim, “Oh, Doctor!”

The Washington broadcasts even reached the White House, where 
President Harry S. Truman, his staff and the D.C. press corps watched 
some of the contests. The <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Televiser/Televiser-1947-09-10.pdf">industry magazine Televiser</a>
 reported an enthusiastic response from the White House viewers: “If TV 
can do as good a job as that on perhaps the most difficult of all 
subjects to televise, then it really has arrived.”

The public’s embrace of the World Series on television, along with 
the generous coverage of the telecasts by the press, provided an 
important boost to the nascent television industry. The Sporting News 
reported that the first televised World Series increased sales for new 
receivers in New York to levels not seen since the early days of radio. 
Similar reports came from dealers in Washington and Philadelphia.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oWjpOAy5zCM"></iframe>
 <figcaption>An estimated 3.5 million Americans viewed the first televised World Series at bars, restaurants and storefronts.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES WALKER <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-first-televised-world-series-spurred-americas-television-boom-75-years-ago-193006">The Conversation</a>Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WRi6iZAl-I">desperately waving at his home run to stay in play</a>. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZzGkoXlaTM">pumping his arms</a>
 as he hobbles around second base after muscling a home run off Dennis 
Eckersley, the Oakland A’s dominant closer. The ground ball hit by New 
York Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpyJjecJnuI">skipping through the legs</a> of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner. Some of the most dramatic images in World Series history are 
ingrained in the minds of baseball fans thanks to television coverage. 
This year’s World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston 
Astros will surely bring another timeless highlight to the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/03/2021-world-series-ratings-braves-astros-game-6-draws-14point3-million.html">12 million or so viewers</a> expected to watch. Yet the first 43 World Series weren’t televised at all. It wasn’t 
until the 1947 series between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers –
 75 years ago – that fans could watch their favorite players duke it out
 on screen. As I detail in my book “<a href="https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bison-original/9780803248250/">Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television</a>,”
 which I co-authored with Robert Bellamy, the telecasts became a 
sensation. They drew millions of Americans to a new medium at a time 
when there were no national networks, only a handful of stations and 
somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 TVs in the entire country.<h2>Negotiations go down to the wire</h2>In August 1947, the television industry anticipated a possible 
all-New York World Series: The Yankees had a huge lead in the American 
League, while the Dodgers also held a substantial one in the National 
League. If the two teams met in October, New York’s three television stations – run by NBC ABC, and the now-extinct <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/DuMont-Television-Network">DuMont</a> – decided they wanted to cover the games.But the rights to televise the games were held by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mutual-Broadcasting-System">Mutual Broadcasting System</a>,
 a radio network that had no television division. Thus, Mutual would 
need to farm out the coverage to one or more New York stations. Although no national television network existed at the time, NBC, 
DuMont and CBS did have the means to link stations on the Eastern 
Seaboard through a combination of coaxial cable, microwave and 
over-the-air broadcast transmissions, expanding the potential audience 
for the World Series. The Series would air on eight stations in four 
markets: New York City, Philadelphia, Washington and Schenectady, New 
York.While the Yankees-Dodgers series materialized, the televising of the Series almost didn’t. The predictable stumbling block was money. Baseball commissioner <a href="https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/chandler-happy">Albert B. “Happy” Chandler</a>
 wanted $100,000 for the television rights to the Series. Gillette, the 
sponsor of the radio coverage on the Mutual Broadcasting System, balked 
at the steep price given television’s limited penetration – only 50,000 
to 60,000 U.S. households owned TVs at the time. The radio rights to 
reach the nation’s 29 million homes with radios had cost Mutual only 
$175,000. Initial negotiations produced an offer of $60,000 from two sponsors: Gillette and the Ford Motor Company. New York’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Liebmann">Liebmann Breweries</a>
 offered to meet Chandler’s $100,000 demand, but the commissioner 
refused because he did not want beer ads when youngsters would be 
prominent members of the audience.Even before a coverage deal had been finalized, bars, restaurants, 
television dealers, department stores, automobile dealerships and movie 
theaters started advertising the event, urging customers to come by to 
watch the World Series on television. And in the days and weeks leading 
up to the Fall Classic, the demand for television sets spiked. The excitement pressured Chandler and the sponsors to reach a compromise. Finally, on Sept. 26, just four days before Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, Chandler, Gillette and Ford <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-10-06-BC.pdf">agreed to $65,000 for the rights to televise the World Series</a>.
 Production costs added another $35,000 to the sponsors’ bill. Mutual, 
Gillette and Ford also agreed to allow all three New York TV stations 
and those connected to them to broadcast the game, providing the widest 
possible exposure.<h2>An unexpectedly strong response</h2>Initial industry estimates had the Series reaching between 600,000 
and 700,000 viewers, many of them located in the bars and restaurants 
where a substantial number of the nation’s first television receivers 
were located. But that forecast ended up being conservative. Although home viewing for the seven games was substantial – 450,000 in a <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1947/BB-1947-10-18.pdf">Hooper rating survey commissioned by Billboard</a>
 – the out-of-home viewing numbers were extraordinary: Another 3.5 
million were estimated to have viewed the World Series in public 
locales. Hooper’s survey found that an average of 82 customers showed up at 
each of these public locations to watch at least some of the World 
Series. Variety reported that bar owners saw a 500% increase in patrons 
during the Series, with some offering reservations to their regulars for
 a choice location near the TV set.What viewers from those choice seats saw was primitive by today’s 
standards. The screen was usually small – 12 diagonal inches or less. 
The low-definition images were black and white and came from just a few 
cameras. No extreme close-ups were possible. There was no instant 
replay, so fans had to pay attention or the moment was lost. But for the first time, they were seeing the World Series live, and for free.<h2>The TV industry’s World Series bump</h2>The audience liked what they saw. <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1947/BB-1947-10-11.pdf">Billboard</a>,
 quoting The Newark Evening News, reported that TV “audiences hung on 
every turn of the video cameras and the ‘oohs and aahs’ at a slide or 
strikeout were something radio broadcasters would give their eye teeth 
to hear.” It didn’t hurt that <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1947_WS.shtml">the 1947 World Series</a> ended up being so dramatic. The Yankees prevailed in seven games, but Brooklyn owned the two greatest moments.In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4, Dodgers pitch hitter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWjpOAy5zCM">Cookie Lavagetto ended Yankee starter Bill Biven’s no-hit bid</a> with a two-out hit, driving in two runs and sending the Dodgers to a 3-2 win. Then, in Game 6, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SrtxVs8uMI">Al Gionfriddo’s stunning catch of Joe DiMaggio’s deep drive to left field</a> helped preserve an 8-6 Dodgers victory, leading legendary Dodgers broadcaster <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Red_Barber.html?id=lWhgEAAAQBAJ">Red Barber</a> to exclaim, “Oh, Doctor!”<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oWjpOAy5zCM"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Washington broadcasts even reached the White House, where 
President Harry S. Truman, his staff and the D.C. press corps watched 
some of the contests. The <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Televiser/Televiser-1947-09-10.pdf">industry magazine Televiser</a>
 reported an enthusiastic response from the White House viewers: “If TV 
can do as good a job as that on perhaps the most difficult of all 
subjects to televise, then it really has arrived.” The public’s embrace of the World Series on television, along with 
the generous coverage of the telecasts by the press, provided an 
important boost to the nascent television industry. The Sporting News 
reported that the first televised World Series increased sales for new 
receivers in New York to levels not seen since the early days of radio. 
Similar reports came from dealers in Washington and Philadelphia.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sarnoff">David Sarnoff</a>,
 chairman of RCA – which owed NBC and was a leading manufacturer of 
receivers – regarded television’s coverage of baseball and its crowning 
event, the World Series, as one of the most important factors in 
triggering the growth of the new medium. Television makers, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Center_Field_Shot.html?id=6kPQhpS-X8YC">he concluded</a>,
 “had to have baseball games and if [baseball owners] had demanded 
millions for the rights, we would have had to give it to them.” The television industry eventually did pay millions and then billions for those rights. <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/11/15/Media/MLB-Fox.aspx">Fox’s latest seven-year contract</a>, including rights to the World Series, pays Major League Baseball $5.1 billion. Happy Chandler’s 1947 demand for a $100,000 seems like quite a bargain today.James Walker is
 Emeritus Professor of Communication at Saint Xavier University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193006/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Sports