University Archives News

Clash of the Wildcats

Already boasting of Kenesaw Mountain Landis as an alumnus (Law 1891), it is, of course, no surprise that Northwestern is keenly interested in the upcoming Fall Classic. As we all know, the Yankees will be playing the Phillies in the World Series to decide who has best mastered America's national pastime, and, believe it or not, Northwestern actually has alumni on both sides of the match.

JA Happ recently became big news to most Americans for pitching two complete game shutouts and being named Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. But to us Wildcats, this should have come as no surprise. The secret to Mr. Happ's accomplishments is that he is himself a former Wildcat. He arrived in 2002 and quickly made a name for himself, joining the First Team All-Big Ten, achieving the ninth-best single-season ERA in Northwestern's history, and being voted the Co-Freshman of the Year. In his sophomore year, he again made the First Team All-Big Ten, his ERA climbed to the 7th best in Northwestern's history, and he was named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week for striking out 16 players in a single game against Iowa. In his junior year, he became the first Wildcat to make the First Team All-Big Ten for three straight seasons, and his ERA was the fifth best single season innings pitched total in NU history. He left Northwestern before his senior year to pursue a career in the major leagues.

So anyway, his recent victories with the Phillies really are nothing surprising. You can check out Happ's NU Sports profile here, for more information.

On the opposing side, we've all heard about Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees, leading his team to with their 60th National League pennant. He's had a very successful career, having played on five major-league teams for a total of 14 years, and having managed the Florida Marlins before moving on to the Yankees. What's also interesting is that Girardi was himself a Wildcat and a star of the team. He finished his studies here and was the proud recipient of a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern.

The stage is set, and only one thing about this game is certain: regardless of who wins, Northwestern is and always will be darn proud of its alumni.

For fans of NU Baseball, please note that the University Archives holds a collection of scorebooks, game programs media guides, newspaper clippings, and other materials that date back from the 19th Century to the present.