1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 This is RetroSports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history. 2 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:15,400 This is Ed McCauley, coach of the St. Louis Hawks, and in a few moments I'll tell you about my greatest sports thrill. 3 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:22,400 This is Harry Wismarke, but you're about to hear as a transcribed story of one of Pro Basketball's outstanding players, 4 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:40,400 and an event our special guest, Ed McCauley, considers his greatest sports thrill, and Ed himself is here to tell us all about it. 5 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:47,400 But first, here is Bill Reddick with a message of interest from your United States Air Force. 6 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:54,400 Any great baseball star has years of practice and training behind him. Specialized training can pay off for you too. 7 00:00:54,400 --> 00:01:00,400 Perhaps you're wondering where you can get the finest training, leading to a bright career in the age of space. 8 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:11,400 The answer is in the United States Air Force. It's true, the Air Force has the broadest and most complete range of space age training available. 9 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:16,400 That's because the Air Force is in charge of thousands of jets, rockets, and missiles. 10 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:23,400 In the years to come, Air Force participation in space projects will grow, and so will a number of career fields. 11 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:32,400 So be wise, join the Air Force for valuable training and bright career opportunities. In addition, you will have a chance for foreign travel, 12 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:41,400 receive 30-day annual paid vacations, and other extras. Get the full story on the Air Force career tailored to your abilities. 13 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:47,400 See your local Air Force recruiter soon. Now, back to Harry Wismarke. 14 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:56,400 Easy Ed McCauley's niche in basketball history is unmistakably secure. His accomplishments as a collegian at St. Louis University, 15 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:06,400 and in 10 seasons of professional play for the St. Louis bombers, Boston Celics, and St. Louis Hawks are deeply etched in the game's records. 16 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:11,400 Now comes a new contribution by Ed McCauley to the game's lore. 17 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:25,400 In February of 1959, Easy Ed wrote one more chapter in the St. Louis basketball biography when he signed a sixth-figure contract as vice president and coach of the Hawks for three years. 18 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:31,400 Most of the brilliant chapters in St. Louis basketball history have been authored by the self-same Easy Ed McCauley. 19 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:42,400 Like the night in 1948, when Easy Ed led the St. Louis Billikens to a 68-51 victory over Notre Dame, snapping an Irish home floor winning streak at 38 games. 20 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:49,400 By the time he led the Billikens to the national invitational tournament and sugar bowl championships. 21 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:55,400 Unfortunately for St. Louis fans, Easy Ed spent his heyday far away from his native city. 22 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:08,400 When the St. Louis bombers folded following the 1949-1950 season, he was tossed into the NBA grab bag and was acquired by the Boston Celics where he starred for six seasons. 23 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:21,400 During his period with the Celics, McCauley's average range from 17.5 to 20 points per game, and in one four-year stretch in the pros, he was disqualified only once on personal fouls. 24 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:27,400 That is one of the select few who have scored 10,000 or more points in the NBA. 25 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:37,400 On March 2, 1951 in the East-West All-Star Game, the first ever played in the NBA, Ed McCauley was chosen as the outstanding player. 26 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:49,400 On March 6, 1953, he had his greatest night as an NBA scorer when he racked up 46 points against the then-defending champion Minneapolis Lakers. 27 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:56,400 In the next of his first six years in the pro ranks, he was voted a place on the East All-Star Team. 28 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:06,400 It was in his junior year at St. Louis University that practically every All-American team listed Ed McCauley unanimously as a ranking member for the first time. 29 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,400 He was the only junior selected. 30 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:20,400 In the first place, basketball writers regarded him as the outstanding player on the National Invitation Tournament that year and the number one star of the Madison Square Garden season. 31 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:25,400 In the Helms Foundation's estimation, he was the player of the year. 32 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:35,400 Ed McCauley realized his desire to make basketball a career when he was signed by the St. Louis Bombers after his graduation in June of 1949. 33 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:45,400 Here in the NBA, EZ-Ed finished fifth in scoring with 1,081 points in 67 games, an average of 16.1 a game. 34 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:57,400 With Boston in 1950-51, EZ-Ed averaged 20.4 points per game to finish behind only George Miken and Alex Groza among the Loops top scorers. 35 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:06,400 In his first ten years of Pro Ball, he never finished lower than tenth in scoring and in seven of these years, he never finished lower than fifth. 36 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:16,400 As a member of the Boston Celics, he teamed up with Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman to form one of the most prolific scoring trios in all basketball history. 37 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:22,400 For six years, each of the trios scored 1,000 or more points. 38 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:31,400 Because of his lender frame, Ed couldn't hold his own in the battle of rebounds with the 230 and 240 pound mammoths of the NBA. 39 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:37,400 But there was hardly any big man who could come close to him in ball handling or match his record of assists. 40 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:47,400 At the end of the 1955-56 season, after McCauley, Sharman and Cousy had led the Celics to a then-record shattering average of 106 points per game, 41 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:56,400 Crouch Red Arbach faded McCauley to St. Louis for the Hawks' draft rights to San Francisco's six-foot-ten-inch Bill Russell. 42 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:06,400 When Ed McCauley, after being named coach of the St. Louis Hawks in 1958-59, decided to devote nearly all his time to master-minding from the bench, 43 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:11,400 he had accumulated more than 11,500 points. 44 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:20,400 When owner Ben Kerner of the St. Louis Hawks made the decision on November 20, 1958 to replace Andy Phillip, 45 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:27,400 he offered the job to Ed McCauley, who had first shot at it the spring before but refused. 46 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:32,400 Previously, he had rejected an offer from St. Louis University to be coach and athletic director. 47 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,400 Kerner virtually forced Ed to take the job. 48 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:43,400 He gave him three choices, take the job, go to Philadelphia in a deal with the Warriors, or retire. 49 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:47,400 So Ed McCauley became the new coach. 50 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,400 Ed didn't do badly either. 51 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:57,400 Under his direction, the Hawks won 23 of their first 30 games and easily swept to a divisional championship. 52 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:04,400 A stooped basketball man who have watched Ed McCauley operate from the bench are firm in the belief that with experience, 53 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:10,400 the ongoing bean pole from St. Louis, Missouri will become a top coach in the pro ranks, 54 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:15,400 just as he was a top performer as an active player. 55 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:19,400 Now before you meet our special guest, easy Ed McCauley in person, 56 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,400 and hear about his greatest sports thrill, 57 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:28,400 here is a message of interest to all young men with an eye on the future. 58 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,400 High school graduates, have you ever met your local Air Force recruiter? 59 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,400 If not, you'll be favorably impressed when you do. 60 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:40,400 First of all, your local recruiter has all the facts and figures about the new age of space 61 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,400 and the many interesting job openings in the Air Force. 62 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:48,400 Your recruiter will point out the fine technical training available in over 40 career fields, 63 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:54,400 and he'll give you the full story on the many space age advances being developed by the Air Force. 64 00:07:54,400 --> 00:08:02,400 For example, the radical new jet bombers and fighters, the X-15 space plane, the Titan intercontinental missile. 65 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:09,400 The Air Force space age picture is an exciting one, and it can also be especially rewarding for you. 66 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:15,400 If after seeing your local recruiter you decide to join, you will serve with a fine group of men. 67 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:22,400 So see your local recruiter today, and find out about your place in the expanding space age of tomorrow 68 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:25,400 in the U.S. Air Force. 69 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,400 And now, back to Harry Wismer. 70 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,400 Ed McCauley, what was your greatest sports thrill? 71 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:35,400 Well, actually, Harry, I can think of quite a few in my sports background, 72 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:41,400 but I think the two thrills that stand out most in my mind were number one in the 1958 season. 73 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:46,400 The wind-up of the 1958 season, my greatest thrill probably came when I was a member of the St. Louis Hawks team, 74 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,400 which won the national championship. 75 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:52,400 I've been in basketball, pro basketball, it is for nine years, 76 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,400 but this was the first time that I'd ever played on a championship ball club, 77 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,400 and Harry, I think you can understand what a great thrill that was. 78 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:02,400 And actually, there was another one in January of 1959. 79 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:06,400 As coach of the Western All-Stars in the NBA East-West All-Star game, 80 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:10,400 I was fortunate enough to lead the Western Club, which was victorious that night, 81 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,400 and that too gave me a tremendous thrill. 82 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,400 Ed, do you recall the first game you ever played as a professional? 83 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:21,400 Well, I'd like to forget it, but I'm afraid I do recall it. 84 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:26,400 When I came with the St. Louis Bombers, this was in the year 1949, in October of 1949, 85 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,400 we played against the Minneapolis Lakers, 86 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:35,400 and the first man that I guarded in my pro debut was Mr. George Miken of the Minneapolis Lakers, 87 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,400 who at that time was the greatest basketball player that ever played the game. 88 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:44,400 I came out of college about six foot eight inches tall, weighed about 185 pounds, 89 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,400 and played against Mr. Miken, who was at that time six foot ten and two fifty. 90 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,400 So, Harry, you can imagine what an impression. 91 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,400 He really made an impression on me that night. 92 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,400 As a matter of fact, he almost broke me in half. 93 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,400 But that was the first game I played. 94 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,400 As I say, I didn't do too well in the first ball game, 95 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,400 but after that, we had our Sheriff's success against the Minneapolis Lakers, 96 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:09,400 and George Miken, who in my impression, by the way, is one of the greatest basketball players that ever lived. 97 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:16,400 Ed, what is the most difficult thing you've had to overcome in making the change from the player to the coaching ranks? 98 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:20,400 I think you'll find, Harry, that any time you make a change from the player to the coaching ranks, 99 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:24,400 the most difficult thing you have to overcome is the attitude of your own ball players. 100 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,400 You know, it's a funny thing. When you're a player, you're just one of the boys. 101 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,400 You have a job to do. You have to keep yourself in top shape. 102 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,400 You have to go out and play the best ball you're capable of every night. 103 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,400 But there's actually only one person you have to worry about, and that's yourself. 104 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:43,400 And when you transfer and you go into the coaching profession, however, you have everything to worry about. 105 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:48,400 You have each one of your ball players individually and collectively that you have to think about. 106 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,400 You have to think about things that affect them. 107 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,400 You have to think about planning strategy and how to use your ball players. 108 00:10:54,400 --> 00:11:01,400 And then also, you have the problem to a certain point of how the ball players are going to react to the teaching 109 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,400 and to the guidance and to the control that you try to have over them. 110 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:10,400 Because it's very difficult to one day be one of the gang and the next day to be the leader of the gang more or less 111 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:15,400 and be responsible for all the decisions and in making the decisions and carrying out the orders, 112 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:20,400 it's kind of tough to get this across when you've been so close with the ball players. 113 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:27,400 Ed, you played with Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics and against him. What makes him so great? 114 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,400 Well, Harry, I don't think there's any one thing that you can put your finger on that makes any ball player great. 115 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:38,400 But I think there's a combination of things. With Cousy, first of all, any great ball player has to have great dedication. 116 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:45,400 He has to have the ability to concentrate. He has to have the willingness to work so very, very hard, which Cousy does. 117 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:48,400 Then he has to have certain God-given natural talents. 118 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:57,400 Cousy, for example, has tremendous hands for a basketball player, tremendously long arms, and his vision is just fantastic. 119 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:02,400 It's unbelievable. He does things that other ball players can't do, can't possibly do, 120 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,400 because they don't have the physical attributes that Cous possesses. 121 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:11,400 He's got that wonderful vision, got the great hands, the great speed, and these combinations put together, 122 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:16,400 I think, easily make him the greatest backcourt man that's ever played the game. 123 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:24,400 Ed does Bob Pettiter the Hawks rate as highly as George Miken among the outstanding big men in the history of pro basketball. 124 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:30,400 Well, Harry, I think you've touched on a subject that is kind of a controversial one, and it's one that's very difficult to resolve. 125 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,400 People say to me, who was better, George Miken or Bob Pettiter? 126 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:38,400 I say this when people ask me about the greatest ball players who ever lived. 127 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,400 I think that George Miken was the greatest pivot man. I think that Bob Pettiter is the greatest corner man, 128 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:46,400 and I think that Bob Cousy is the greatest backcourt man. 129 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:51,400 What was the most exciting basketball game you were ever involved in as a player? 130 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:59,400 Harry, there have been, oh boy, that's a real tough question because there have been any number of tremendously exciting games that I've been involved in. 131 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:06,400 Just recently, I guess they get more exciting as your coach, but oh, there were ones this year in the 1958-59 season, 132 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:12,400 one that I particularly remember up in New York City where Jack McMahon tied the ball game with one second to go on the clock. 133 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:17,400 We had the ball out of bounds, there was one second on the clock, and Jack took a shot almost from midcourt, 134 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:22,400 made the basket to tie up the game, put it into overtime, we eventually won the ball game. 135 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:28,400 Then, two, as I mentioned before earlier, the East-West All-Star game was a tremendously exciting basketball game. 136 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:36,400 And the finals last year, in the 1957-58 season, the finals of the NBA playoffs when the St. Louis Hawks won it, 137 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:43,400 and Bob Pettiter scored 50 points, this was the championship game, the one we had to have, and this was a tremendously exciting ball game. 138 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:48,400 So I guess you can enumerate, oh, at least a dozen, but those are just a few of the ones that I've had. 139 00:13:48,400 --> 00:14:14,400 Thank you very much, EZ Ed McCauley, coach of the St. Louis Hawks.