Tom Ball’s introduction by Professor Larry Carlson is at TOM BALL BASEBALL ⚾ INTRODUCTION BY PROFESSOR LARRY CARLSON (squarespace.com)

 TLSN:  You were seen as a potential two-sport college athlete, having also starred at quarterback for Lamar High.  You told me that UT was actually the only Southwest Conference school to not offer you a scholarship in football.  So how did you end up at Texas.

TOM:  Both my parents graduated from Texas.  But U of H was on top of me and they were gonna let me play football and baseball.  My Dad called Coach Gus on a Friday.  He was supposed to have come to the Lee-Lamar game when I was a junior but it got rained out.  So he had never seen me play.  It was fall of my senior year of high school now.  My Dad told Coach Gus "He's about to sign with U of H."

Early the next day, I was in Austin, got to watch "Fall Ball" and stayed in the dorm.  Coach Gus offered me a scholarship.

TLSN:  I've gotta ask one more football question.  What offense did you run for the Redskins?

TOM:  We ran the Houston Veer.  I was a better passer than runner, I'd say.  But I had decent speed for back then, probably a 4.8...I played basketball, too.  Of course I was only six feet tall but I could push people around with my ass and legs and could score.

TLSN:  You played baseball in a golden era at UT from 1971-74 when all-timers such as Burt Hooton, David Chalk, Keith Moreland, all very successful major leaguers, came through.  How would you characterize those guys and maybe some other standouts you played with?

TOM: - Burt was very methodical and focused. He had incredible control of his best pitch, the "knuckle drop"”  He would throw it with a 3-2 count, and the game on the line. Burt was very quiet, but we all knew if we scored a couple of runs, we would win.

 David was very quiet, too. Chalk was intense during the game. He had the quickest wrists I have ever seen. The ball jumped off his bat. He did have a temper if he struck out. Incredible power for a smaller guy

Keith Moreland was a great hitter. He had great power, even if he was fooled and on his front foot. He was the Luckiest hitter would be 4 for 4, and his last hit would be a Texas Leaguer that would always fall for a hit. Moreland would always do it his way. He did not like to run all of the conditioning drills. He was a great natural athlete and hitter, so he would rely on his ability.

Comment below added by Billy Dale about Keith Moreland and not part of Professor Carlson’s interview.

Coach Gustafson remembers a troubling situation when taskmaster Texas trainer Frank Medina approached Gus about baseball great Keith Moreland. Medina’s said, “I got a player who’s a little bit lazy.” “Keith Moreland won’t do anything I’m trying to get him to do. He’s always last in the line. He won’t run. He won’t do anything.” Medina suggested that Keith should be kicked off the team. Gus was shocked at Medina’s comment and responded, “Frank, “I can find another trainer. I can’t find another All-American third baseman.”

Back to the interview with Tom Ball responding

Ron Roznovsky had a great slider and could always hit the corners. He was a good high school pitcher at Houston Waltrip but really developed at San Jacinto Junior College and Texas to make All-American.

TLSN:  From this fan's perspective, Clark Field was a sensational setting for college ball.  What was it like for a player?

TOM:  Clark was like no other field. The grass infield and outfield were kept in wonderful shape by our groundskeepers who were full time employees. It had an outfield cliff inside the ball park. This was a huge home field advantage. 

TLSN:  Yeah, I have to ask you, how cool was Billy Goat Hill?

TOM:  We practiced every day on the cliff, as far as strategy, scaling, backup, etc.  We loved watching the outfield players on the other team meet in the outfield before the game to try to decide what to do.

TLSN:  The Texas teams you played for made good runs at Omaha in each of your last three seasons, '72, '73 and '74. But Southern Cal won five straight titles between 1970-74 and kept getting in UT's way before the Horns broke through to win in '75.

TOM:  USC was the best team we played because they had a great team with players like (CF) Fred Lynn, (3B Rich Dauer, (SS) Roy Smalley and (RF) Steve Kemp.  

TLSN:  Your senior season as a Longhorn, 1974, was a special one for you.  The conference championship went down to the wire with a big regular season series against A&M, in what was going to be the final hurrah for Clark Field, with the Horns set to move to the new Disch-Falk Field the next season.  It came down to the ninth inning of game three.

TOM:   I was the last batter at Clark Field. I was up when Bobby Clark scored on a passed ball to end the game. We never lost to the Aggies. We always expected to win!

And in 1974 I was selected as a member of the All-Tournament Team at the College World Series. 

TLSN:  Yes, that was a pretty fitting way to cap off your baseball career.  What made Cliff Gustafson such a great, successful coach?

TOM:  Coach Gus was very dedicated. He was always keeping statistics. His whole life revolved around UT baseball. We (the Texas Cowboys) rode by his house at 11 pm in the fall and he was up working on statistics.

TLSN:  How much do you keep up with Longhorn baseball and do you stay in touch with some former teammates?

TOM:  Yes, I keep up with Longhorn baseball games on TV and radio. I stay in touch with Jim Gideon, Charlie Crenshaw, Jimmy Brown, Bill Berryhill, Bobby Cuellar, and Charlie Proske.

TLSN:  You were a finance major and have operated your own company for insurance and financial concerns for many, many decades.  To close out this interview, what do like to do with your spare time away from the office, Tom?

TOM:  Yeah, I've been self-employed my whole life.  In 2003 I partnered with Danny Peoples, an All-American first-baseman at Texas, at Ball Peoples. Well, I lead a Bible study group and I play golf.  I play regularly with Charlie Crenshaw, Bill Berryhill and Jimmy Brown.  We even go up to Steamboat (Colorado) and have our own version of the Ryder Cup.  And I like to go bird hunting for dove and quail.

TLSN:  Man, that's all good.  I'm looking forward to sitting down with you for lunch sometime soon.

TOM:  We'll do it. Just gimme a call.