Loyola College basketball coach Tom Schneider points out that his Greyhounds have a rare achievement within their grasp when they play at Towson State tonight.
"If we beat Towson," says Schneider, "we will have beaten every team on our schedule in the Maryland and Washington areas. I don't think Loyola has done that for a while."
The 'Hounds' victims to date include George Washington, American, Mount St. Mary's, UMBC and Navy.
What's more, Loyola has been playing its best ball of the season. After upsetting Iona and Siena, the Greyhounds went to Jersey City over the weekend and lost in overtime (67-64) to a St. Peter's team that has won 14 of 18 games.
"We played well at St. Peter's," says Schneider. "But we should have won the game."
There's one other thing Schneider is out to prove tonight. He wants to show people something about the basketball played in this town.
"I hope all these people who say there's no good college basketball in Baltimore are there tonight," Schneider says. "This game is going to be a real battle."
Winning at the Towson Center is a tall order for Loyola. Towson State has won eight straight games. Saturday the Tigers won at Rider, 82-65. It was the first time they had won there since coach Terry Truax's first year at Towson eight years ago.
* Pat Santarone's retirement over the weekend after 22 years as the Orioles' groundskeeper evoked a parting shot at Earl Weaver.
Said Santarone: "I still grow better tomatoes than he does, I don't care what he says."
The barb was good-natured, of course. It was Weaver, the retired Orioles manager, who brought Santarone to Baltimore. For the better part of two decades thereafter, Santarone and Weaver vied to see which could grow better tomatoes, Pat's blooming in a patch in Memorial Stadium's leftfield. The competition became part of Oriole lore.
"I'm going to have 'em save a little place in the new ballpark where I can grow tomatoes," says Santarone kiddingly. He will be a consultant to the club as it prepares to move into the new park in 14 months.
Santarone has long been considered the best groundskeeper in the big leagues. Milwaukee GM Harry Dalton and others still call him for advice. Pat's nickname is one of the best in sports: "The Sodfather."
The weekend also saw the retirement of the O's much respected and admired financial officer, Joe Hamper. He had been with the club since it set up shop here in 1954.
