In Round 1, played on Saturday, August 24, Coca-Cola played Chicago. Eddie, who had the best record (7-2) in the regular season, was the starting pitcher and Gene Dodd was the catcher. Round 1 games were plagued by rain and the game, which was scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m., didn’t start until 6 p.m. Chicago scored first in the second inning after Eddie walked one, hit one, and allowed two hits. Ft. Worth came back in the bottom of the second to tie the score on a single by Alan Koonce and a double by Mickey Yates. Chicago went ahead again in the fifth on a walk and a double, but Ft. Worth tied it up in the bottom of the seventh on a walk and singles by Butch McBroom and Gene Dodd. In the eighth inning, Chicago was scoreless, but Ft. Worth, with a walk by Gary Barnard and a triple to right center by Alan Koonce, scored a run to win the extra inning contest. The final score was Ft. Worth 4 and Chicago 3. Eddie pitched the entire eight innings, giving up 4 hits and getting nine strike outs.

In Round 2, played on Sunday, August 25, Coca-Cola played Copiague, NY. Ron Paul, who was going to be a senior at Paschal, was the starting pitcher and Gene Dodd was the catcher. Each team scored twice in the first inning, Ft. Worth on Tommy Newman’s single. The entire inning had problems with walks, errors, passed balls and stolen bases on both sides. In the fourth inning, Gary Barnard’s single, a walk and an error gave Ft. Worth a 3-2 lead. A walk, a balk and another error allowed Ft. Worth to score another run in the fifth, making it 4-2. Copiague tied it in the sixth when the Ft. Worth infield committed three errors and Ron Paul contributed two wild pitches. Tied at the end of regulation play, Copiague scored on a walk and a double in the eighth and won the longest game (3 hours and 15 minutes) in Connie Mack Series history. The final score was Ft. Worth 4 and Copiague 5.The game was a mess with 16 walks, 8 errors, 3 wild pitches and a balk. The game’s 9 total runs were scored on only 7 hits. Ron Paul pitched the entire eight innings, giving up 5 hits and striking out 11 in his losing effort.

In Round 3, also played on Sunday, August 25, Ft. Worth played St. Joseph, MO. Tommy Mattke was the starting pitcher and Butch McBroom was the catcher. Mattke’s wild pitch following two singles allowed St. Joseph to score in the first inning. Ft. Worth tied in the second inning on a double by Butch McBroom, a passed ball, and a centerfield error. In the third inning, Ronnie Phillips singled and Gary Barnard was safe on his sacrifice bunt. Alan Koonce hit a single that scored Phillips. St. Joseph’s pitcher had control problems and Ft. Worth scored two more runs on wild pitches. The final score was Ft. Worth 6 and St. Joseph 3. Tommy Mattke pitched all 7 innings and gave up 5 hits.

In Round 4, played on Monday, August 27, Ft. Worth played Seattle, both the favorite to win the tournament and the only remaining undefeated team. Eddie was the starting pitcher and Gene Dodd was the catcher. The game was scoreless until the fourth inning when Ft. Worth scored 6 runs. Butch McBroom got to second base due to a throwing error with one out in that inning. Then Gene Dodd hit a homerun to left field, scoring 2.

Eddie was hit with a pitch to get on base, Lynn Prince walked, and Ronnie Phillips was also hit with a pitched ball. With the bases loaded, Gary Barnard hit a single that scored 2 runs. Alan Koonce struck out, but Mickey Yates also hit a single that scored the final 2 runs of the inning. Ft. Worth had batted around, and Tommy Newman, who had supplied the first out, struck out to end the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Seattle scored 2 runs on two walks and two singles. Ft. Worth picked up another run in the sixth inning on a walk, a single by Gary Barnard, and a throwing error. Seattle scored 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth. They led off the inning with a single. Eddie then struck out two of their best hitters. Then, however, he walked four and allowed two singles. The inning ended with a pop-up to second baseman Ronnie Phillips. Ft. Worth scored its final run in the top of the seventh inning on a walk, Eddie’s pop fly double to left, and a wild pitch. Eddie ended the game facing the top of Seattle’s batting order. He struck out the first batter, walked the second, and struck out the final two. The final score was Ft. Worth 8 and Seattle 5. Once again, Eddie pitched the entire game. He allowed 6 hits, struck out 9, and walked 4. In a newspaper interview, Eddie said that he pitched better in this game than he had against Chicago on Saturday. According to the paper, “the big 6’2” hurler” said, “My curve was hanging high and I wasn’t getting it over so I had to rely on the fast ball. Most of the pitches I threw for balls were just missing the corners.” According to the Seattle coach, “Ft. Worth just played good ball and their pitcher was tough.”

There were now three teams, Ft. Worth, Seattle, and Springfield, at the top of the tournament with 3-1 records. This tie necessitated a Semi-Final Round, played on Tuesday, August 28. There was a drawing to determine which two teams would play each other in this round. Springfield’s coach, who was the first to draw after a “choose a number between 1 and 20” operation, drew the ticket with “Bye” written on it. That meant that Ft. Worth would play Seattle for the second day in a row. The starting pitcher was Ron Paul and the catcher was Gene Dodd. In the first inning, Ft. Worth scored 4 runs. Lynn Prince walked, Ron Phillips beat out a bunt, and Gary Barnard put down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the two players to second and third. Alan Koonce then received an intentional walk followed by a hard-hit triple down the right field line by Mickey Yates. Yates’ hit scored all three runners. The fourth run of the inning was scored when an error on a ball hit by Tommy Newman brought in Yates. Ft. Worth’s inning ended when Butch McBroom hit into a double play. In the second inning, Gene Dodd was hit by a pitch and Ron Paul bounced a single between first and second first base advancing Dodd. Then, Lynn Prince hit a double over third base scoring Dodd. At this point, the score was 5-0. The inning ended when Ron Phillips struck out and Gary Barnard hit into another double play. Ft. Worth scored another run in the third when Alan Koonce and Butch McBroom walked and Gene Dodd’s single scored Alan. In the fourth inning, Lynn Prince singled to short left field, Ron Phillips beat out his second bunt of the night, and Mickey Yates brought them

both in with a long single to right field. The score was now 8-0. In the sixth inning, Ron Paul, the Ft. Worth pitcher, who had pitched a brilliant one-hitter to that point, gave up two walks, got a fly out to centerfield, and walked two more to force in a run. Eddie was called in by coach Gene Costello. He quickly ended the Seattle threat by striking out the next two batters on only 7 pitches. In the final inning, Eddie struck out two and forced a pop fly to defeat Seattle for the second time in two days. The final score was Ft. Worth 8 and Seattle 1. When interviewed after the game, Eddie said that he wasn’t the least bit tired after his 1 2/3 no-hit innings. He said, “I feel fine. In fact I was throwing harder tonight than in my complete game on Monday. I was faster tonight and had to throw only about four or five curves.” When asked if he’d be able to pitch in the title game if needed, Eddie replied, “I would love to pitch against Springfield. This is the game that means everything.” Ron Paul pitched 5 1/3 innings giving up 1 hit, walking 7, and striking out 8. Eddie pitched 1 2/3 innings with no hits, no walks, and 4 strike-outs.

In the Final Round, played on Wednesday, August 29, Tommy Mattke was the starting pitcher and Gene Dodd was the catcher. The game, which pitted Ft. Worth against the hometown team, Springfield, was watched by 4,439 fans, the largest crowd in Connie Mack Series history. Ft. Worth scored in the fourth inning when Gary Barnard singled, Mickey Yates walked, and Gary advanced to third on a groundout. Butch McBroom’s single to left scored the run.

In the following inning, Tommy Mattke swung and missed on a third strike but made it to first when the Springfield catcher missed the ball. With one out, Ron Phillips singled to right, but the ball got away from the right fielder and Mattke scored. Ron Phillips took a wide turn at third and became involved in a rundown, but scored when Springfield threw the ball away. Gary Barnard walked, Alan Koonce hit an infield single, and Tommy Newman singled to score Gary and move Alan to third. Alan then scored on a passed ball. The final score was Ft. Worth 5 and Springfield 0. Ft. Worth was the national champion! Tommy Mattke, one of the two players picked up for the tournament, pitched all 7 innings. He allowed only 2 hits, walked 6, and struck out 13.

Not only had the Ft. Worth team, sponsored by Coca-Cola and the American Legion, won the championship, they had also been awarded the Team Sportsmanship Trophy.

The Springfield fans, although upset that the home team didn’t win, were impressed with the performance and demeanor of the group from Texas. “They definitely deserved both trophies” was the sentiment heard more than once from the over 4,400 fans who watched the final game. The Team Sportsmanship Trophy was awarded for the first time in 1962 by the family of a Springfield Series backer. He was killed in June in an auto wreck while working on Springfields second World Series. It not only included the team’s actions on the field, but also on reports made by committees that watched each of the Connie Mack teams while they were in their hotels, on Springfield’s streets, and engaged in recreational activities during the tournament.

Over 19 major league scouts were on hand to watch this national championship tournament for players in the under-19 age bracket. There were scouts from the Minnesota Twins, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Angels, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies, the San Francisco Giants, the Cincinnati Reds, the New York Mets, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Boston Red Sox, the Houston Colts, the Washington Senators, and the Chicago White Sox. An interesting side story about the scouts was related in one of the newspaper articles about the tournament. On Saturday, the first day of the tournament, the Houston Colt scout approached Ron Paul, who hadn’t even graduated from high school yet. When Ron explained that, as well as the fact that he planned to attend college, the scout said that maybe he could offer him enough money to change his mind. Even after the tournament Coach Costello was still angry about the scout’s actions. The coach said that although the exchange happened on Saturday, Ron was still upset when the Round 2 game, which he pitched, began on Sunday. Coach Costello said, “Ronnie was nervous and shaky and just wasn’t himself on the mound.” He added, “I’ll do everything I can to stop any of my boys from signing with Houston in the future.”

The team received a hero’s welcome when they returned to Ft. Worth on Thursday, August 30. Their chartered bus was escorted the last few miles of the 800-mile, 15-hour trip by two motorcycle policemen and a Sheriff’s Department car with their sirens blaring. The convoy also included Sandra Stern, the American Legion junior baseball queen, riding in a convertible, and a bright yellow Coca-Cola truck. They were met by a crowd of about 200 at the Veterans’ Memorial Building on East Weatherford. The crowd included Mayor John Justin, parents and friends, American Legion and Coca-Cola officials and other dignitaries. Mayor Justin said, “I bring the official thanks of the city of Ft. Worth for bringing home this beautiful trophy. It was a long time coming, and I’m sure you worked very hard for it. You can be justifiably proud.” After a standing ovation, Coach Costello said, “It is quite an honor; I’m at a loss for words. Winning the national championship was a tough battle. We had our backs to the wall two or three times, but we came back to get the runs and base hits when we needed them.”

When interviewed by the Star-Telegram later, Coach Costello said, “Boyle had a terrific series up there. He won two and saved another. He’s a fine competitor.” He also said about the team, “We didn’t have a great individual star-a Ted Williams,, a Joe DiMaggio or a Bob Feller, but we had nine guys in that line-up who were capable of giving a good account of themselves at all times.”

Fort Worth brings Southwest Region 1st Mack Series. (Special to the Eagle) SPRINGFIELD, IL) The Coca Cola senior teenage base-ballers of Fort Worth left here late Wednesday night and were expected to arrive in Cowtown around 7 p.m. today with two trophies from the Connie Mack World Series. The first a coveted four- foot affair — represents the Southwest Region's only Series championship. The second award was inaugurated this summer and won for the first time by Fort Worth. THE SPORTSMANSHIP trophy was awarded not only on the basis of team actions on the field, but on reports made by committees that watched each of the Connie Mack teams here for the 18 and under baseball finale while they were in their hotels, on Springfield's Wednesday night on a 5-0 shutout to gain the Series championship. Coke hurler Tom Mattke struck out 12 Springfield batters and allowed just two hits as Gene Costello's club fashioned its triumph. Second baseman Roney Phillips started the Fort Worth nine off in the game with the first of seven hits, getting his in the second to pave the way over Joe Amande of no-hit fame for Fort Wrorth. BUT THE FINAL game of the Series went scoreless into the fourth before the tide indicated a change. Gary Barnard made a single for Fort Worth in the top of the frame and outfielder Mickey Yates walked. Tommy Newman forced Yates at second then catcher-outfielder Butch McBroom smacked a single to left, scoring Barnard, for the only earned run of the tilt. Four of five Springfield errors came in the fifth when the Cokemen added four more runs. Lynn Prince provided the big rap of the inning with a triple.

Fort Worth lost one game in the Series, their first since regular league play during the middle of the summer. Fort Worth, which finished Connie Mack play for the year with a 30-5 record, went undefeated in Bryan in capturing the Southwest Region title and a berth in the Series.

Dallas Morning News, 6 May 1967 Fort Worth Airman On Missing Plane TOKYO (AP) - The U.S. Navy has identified the 12 crewmen killed in a Navy patrol plane which crashed into the sea off Kyushu, in Southern Japan, last Friday. A search for survivors was called off Sunday. Included on the list of crewmen supplied by the Navy was Edward W. Boyle Jr., aviation electricians' mate third class, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Boyle Sr. of Fort Worth, Texas.