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Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, a
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an
athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...
. At the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, Petoskey received eight
varsity letter A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. Description ...
s in three sports. In
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
, he was a two-time All-American
end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...
for the undefeated
Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...
teams that won back-to-back
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
national championships in 1932 and 1933. He was also a guard and captain of Michigan's
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
team in the 1933–34 season. As a
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
player in 1934, Petoskey led the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
with a .452
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
. Petoskey played parts of the and Major League Baseball seasons as an
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
for the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
and played minor league baseball until 1944. Petoskey also served in a variety of collegiate coaching positions, including
head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
of the University of South Carolina's basketball team (1935–1940), athletic director and football coach at
Wofford College Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It was founded in 1854. The campus is a national arboretum and one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the America ...
, and head baseball coach at the University of South Carolina (1940–42, 1948–56).


High school athlete

Petoskey was raised in
St. Charles, Michigan St. Charles is a village in Saginaw County, Michigan, Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is located in the northwest corner of St. Charles Township, Michigan, St. Charles Township with portions of the village located within B ...
and attended nearby Saginaw Eastern High School. On October 22, 1926, Petoskey became the first receiver in
Michigan High School Athletic Association The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Unlike ma ...
history to garner five receiving
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
s in a high school football game. As of August 2002, the record had not been surpassed. While playing for
Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
, Petoskey was an all-state
end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...
two years and an all-state fullback another. He once played in a game with University of Michigan head coach
Fielding H. Yost Fielding Harris Yost (; April 30, 1871 – August 20, 1946) was an American football player, coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at: Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Nebraska, the University ...
in the stands. Petoskey ran back the opening
kickoff Kickoff or kick-off may refer to * Kick-off (association football) * Kickoff (gridiron football) * ''Kick Off'' (series), a series of computer association football games * ''Kick Off'' (album), a 1985 album by Onyanko Club * ''Kick Off'' (magaz ...
for 87 yards and a
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
and, after hearing that Yost was in the stands, ran back another kickoff in the second half for 92 yards and a touchdown.


University of Michigan athlete

Petoskey was a three-sport player for the
Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisio ...
. While enrolled at Michigan, he earned eight
varsity letter A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. Description ...
s—three in football, three in
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
and two in
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
.


1931 and 1932 football seasons

In Petoskey's three years as a varsity football player, the Wolverines had a combined record of 23–1–2 and won two national championships. As a
sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...
in 1931, Petoskey was touted as "a second
Bennie Oosterbaan Benjamin Oosterbaan ( ; February 24, 1906 – October 25, 1990) was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team, and an All-Big Ten C ...
," and earned a spot on the
United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th c ...
All-
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
second team. In his junior year, Petoskey was one of the favorite
pass Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to: Places * Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland * Pass, Poland, a village in Poland * Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits * Mountain pass, a lower place in a moun ...
receivers for
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Harry Newman Harry Lawrence Newman (September 5, 1909 – May 2, 2000) was an All-Pro American football quarterback. He played for the University of Michigan Wolverines (1930–32), for whom in 1932 he was a unanimous first-team All-American, and the reci ...
, who won the
Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thie ...
trophy as the
Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
in college football. Coach
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 1937 ...
shifted Petoskey to fullback midway through the 1932
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, and he scored two touchdowns in a 32–0 win over
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. The
United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th c ...
noted: "A running attack which featured Ted Petoskey, converted from an end to a fullback in the last week by Coach Harry Kipke dovetailed nicely with the Wolverine aerial play to produce the touchdowns. With Petoskey plunging the line and sweeping inside the ends for many sizeable gains, the Michigan eleven showed power through the line for the first time this season." An
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
writer warned opponents to watch out for Petoskey: "It is about time for grid foeman to wake up when Ted Petoskey, end and fullback on the University of Michigan football team, gets to dreaming. Petoskey's dreams have a habit of coming true, and happily for Petoskey, most of his dreams are good ones." Petoskey was selected as a first-team All-American in 1932 by the All-American Football Board, a second-team All-American by the
New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...
, and a third-team All-American by the
United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th c ...
. After the 1932 team compiled a perfect 8–0 record (outscoring opponents 123–13) and won the national championship, the press credited the squad's "esprit de corps" as a key to their success. As an example of Wolverine teamwork, a United Press story pointed to a fumble in the
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
game. "Michigan recovered, with both Ted Petoskey, end, and Charles Bernard,
center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
, at the bottom of the heap. Bernard credited Petoskey. Petoskey said Bernard recovered."


1933 football season

During his senior year, Petoskey started all eight games at left end for the
1933 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1933 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1933 Big Ten Conference football season. Under fifth-year head coach Harry Kipke, Michigan compiled an undefeated 7–0–1 record, outscored opponents 131 ...
, as Michigan won its second consecutive national championship, and Petoskey was again named an All-American. Although Petoskey was principally an end, Coach Kipke played Petoskey at fullback in some games in 1933. An October 1933 newspaper story reported on his versatility: "Ted Petoskey, Michigan's brilliant right end was moved into the backfield for last night's practice ... This is the second time Petoskey has figured in such a shift. Last fall he was converted into a fullback before the Illinois game and proved a capable ground gainer. Monday he was given a trial as a
forward pass In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line. The forward pass is one of the main distinguishers between gridiron ...
er, and made an impressive showing." In his final game for the Michigan football team, Petoskey also kicked a 35-yard
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
against Northwestern, representing the final points scored for Michigan in its 1933 championship season. After the 1933 season, Petoskey was chosen as a first-team All-American in the
Central Press Association The Central Press Association was American newspaper syndication company based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in business from 1910 to 1971. Originally independent, it was a subsidiary of King Features Syndicate from 1930 onwards. At its peak, the ...
poll of team captains, and for the second-team by
Grantland Rice Henry Grantland "Granny" Rice (November 1, 1880July 13, 1954) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio. Early years Rice wa ...
. Petoskey also finished third in the voting for the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
1933 Big Ten Athlete of the Year award. In choosing Petoskey for his All-American team, football writer Lawrence Perry said: "Ted Petoskey of Michigan is one of the finest ends who ever played the game. A former halfback, he is superb as an end-around runner. He receives forward passes with great accuracy and when he catches the ball he is difficult to bring down." Coach Kipke credited the play of halfback, Herman Everhardus, and his ends for the undefeated season: "Our ends, Ward and Petoskey, were near perfection." The 1934 University of Michigan yearbook, called the ''Michiganensian'', described Petoskey's contributions as follows: "After three years of Varsity football, Petoskey is recognized as one of Michigan's greatest all-time ends. At the end of his junior year, he was chosen All American, and recognized as one of the greatest defense players in the country. He was alert, followed every play, and opponents found it almost impossible to gain around his end." In 1955, Kipke rated Petoskey as one of the six best players he ever coached: "If I had to name the best player I ever coached, it would have to be among
Harry Newman Harry Lawrence Newman (September 5, 1909 – May 2, 2000) was an All-Pro American football quarterback. He played for the University of Michigan Wolverines (1930–32), for whom in 1932 he was a unanimous first-team All-American, and the reci ...
,
Francis Wistert Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert broth ...
,
Otto Pommerening Otto Paul Pommerening (January 26, 1904 – February 1, 1992) was an American football player. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, he played college football as a Tackle (American football), tackle for the University of Michigan Michigan Wolverin ...
, Ted Petoskey and Maynard Morrison." When the Associated Press picked Petoskey as only a second-team All-American in 1933, ten-year-old Mary Lee Grossman from
Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
protested in a letter to AP sports editor, Alan Gould, that he had "chosen wrong" in leaving Petoskey and
Whitey Wistert Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert brothe ...
off the first-team. To avoid any appearance of bias, the Saginaw native noted: "You may think I am a friend of these boys but I do not know either of them. I hope you change your mind." Gould responded to Miss Grossman in his column: "You may be right, Mary Lee, but it's too late now to change our mind."


Other sports

Petoskey was also the
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of the 1933–34 Wolverines basketball team. For the versatile Petoskey, baseball was his best sport. In May 1933, the Wolverines baseball team swept the
Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree ...
, as All-American football players
Whitey Wistert Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert brothe ...
pitched a
complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
, and Petoskey hit an
inside-the-park home run In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of the field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-park home run", or "in-the-park homer". Discussion To score a ...
. Petoskey led the Big Ten Conference in batting in 1934, with 19
hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...
in 42
at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
s for a .452
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
.


Professional baseball

Immediately after graduating, Petoskey and Michigan teammate
Whitey Wistert Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert brothe ...
both signed with the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
, reporting to the team in early June 1934. Petoskey made his major league debut on September 9, 1934, and Wistert made his debut two days later. Petoskey played in six games in 1934, where he went hitless and
struck out In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denote ...
five times in seven at bats. On the last day of the 1934 regular season, Petoskey was a strikeout victim of
Dizzy Dean Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean (January 16, 1910 – July 17, 1974), also known as Jerome Herman Dean (both the 1910 and 1920 Censuses show his name as "Jay"), was an American professional baseball pitcher. During his Major League Baseball (MLB) career ...
in the ninth inning of Dean's 30th win of the year. When the baseball season ended, Petoskey and Wistert both returned to
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...
in early October, where they were given coaching assignments helping Ray Fisher teach fundamentals and offering personal tutoring to the
freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...
football team. Petoskey returned to the Reds in 1935, but after spring training he was assigned to the minor leagues. He played for the Wilmington Pirates in the
Piedmont League The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States. Teams The following teams were members of the Piedmon ...
for most of the 1935 season, where he was hitting .426 to lead the league in early June. The Reds called up Petoskey in June, and one newspaper noted that when he was called up, Petoskey was "batting above the .400 mark, leading the (Piedmont) league in home runs, runs driven in and practically everything else." He was two-for-five with a stolen base and a .400 batting average in four games for the 1935 Reds, but he played his last game for the Reds on June 20, 1935. Petoskey played for the
Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in ...
in the Piedmont League in 1936, where he was hitting .428 in late May. He played for the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
in 1937, where he was leading the
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
in base hits in mid-June. He continued to play with the Leafs in 1938 and 1939, before being sold to the
Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
in July 1939. He was released by Toledo in March 1940.


Coaching career


Basketball coach at South Carolina

During the off-season from his summer job as a minor league baseball player, Petoskey coached the University of South Carolina basketball team from 1935 to 1940. In five seasons as the Gamecocks' head coach, the team had a record of 36–67.


South Carolina and Wofford (1940–47)

Until 1940, Petoskey had been coaching in the offseason, while still playing baseball in the summers. In August 1940, he announced his
retirement Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
as a player to take a full-time position as the head baseball coach at South Carolina, a position he held from 1940 to 1942. In August 1942, Petoskey was hired by
Wofford College Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It was founded in 1854. The campus is a national arboretum and one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the America ...
as its head football coach and director of physical education. At the time, Petoskey had been playing for the Columbia Reds in the Sally League. Petoskey remained at Wofford through 1947, taking time off at times to revive his baseball career. In 1944, Petoskey was a player and manager for the
Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The current ...
of the
Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cl ...
in 1944. In 1945, he left Wofford for the summer to play for the
Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
in the International League. He returned to Wofford after World War II. Wofford had suspended its football and basketball programs in 1943 and 1944, but Petoskey announced that the school would bring both programs back in the 1945–46 school year. He also served as coach of the Wofford football team.


Baseball coach at South Carolina (1948–56)

In 1948, Petoskey returned to the University of South Carolina where he was the head coach of the baseball team until 1956. He also served as an ends coach for the South Carolina football team. In twelve seasons as South Carolina's head baseball coach, Petoskey compiled a record of 113–120. Petoskey's baseball players remembered his love of playing
poker Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
and his bringing the team home hungry after a tough loss to
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
. In what team members remembered as the "hunger game," an angry Coach Petoskey told the players to "get on the bus," and the team rode from
Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...
to
Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
(236 miles) without having eaten. Another time against
Furman University Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became ...
, the Gamecocks blew an 11–2 lead in the 8th inning to lose 12–11. On the bus, Petoskey had "that look," and the driver figured the team would receive a tongue-lashing. "He said, 'I don't want to hear a word out of you guys, and that goes for you, too, Bussie.'"


Later years

In December 1956, Petoskey announced he was leaving the University of South Carolina to work for the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, as a baseball scout for the
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
and eastern
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
territory. As a Yankees' scout, he signed
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
catcher Steve Crihfield to a contract. And in 1959, when the Yankees moved spring training for their farm system to
Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
, Petoskey was responsible for the logistics and preparing Capital City Park. He served in the mid-1960s as the director of recreation for the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Petoskey died in Elgin, South Carolina at age 85 in 1996. His son Ted Petoskey, Jr., followed his father playing end in American football. Ted, Jr., was chosen to play end for the South Carolina high school team in the 1959
Shrine Bowl The Shrine Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game. The first game was played on December 18, 1948, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas, between Hardin–Simmons University and Ouachita Baptist College.Foldesy, Jody. "Bowl ...
against the North Carolina team, and was named South Carolina high school AAA Lineman of the Year. He went on to play end for the
Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers are the American football team at Clemson University. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic C ...
team from 1962 to 1964.


Head coaching record


College football


College basketball


College baseball


See also

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1932 Michigan Wolverines football team Year 193 ( CXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sosius and Ericius (or, less frequently, year 946 ''Ab urbe condit ...
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1933 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1933 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1933 Big Ten Conference football season. Under fifth-year head coach Harry Kipke, Michigan compiled an undefeated 7–0–1 record, outscored opponents 131 ...
*
List of Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans are American football players who have been named as All-Americans while playing for the University of Michigan football team. Overview Since 1898, 134 Michigan Wolverines football players have earned fi ...
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Cincinnati Reds all-time roster :''This list is complete and up-to-date as of December 31, 2014.'' ''The following is a list of players, both past and current, who appeared at least in one game for the Cincinnati Reds National League franchise (1890–1953, 1958–present), also ...


References


External links


Bentley Library biography and photograph of Petoskey
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Petoskey, Ted 1911 births 1996 deaths American football ends American men's basketball players Baseball players from Michigan Basketball coaches from Michigan Basketball players from Michigan Cincinnati Reds players Guards (basketball) Major League Baseball outfielders Michigan Wolverines baseball players Michigan Wolverines football players Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players People from St. Charles, Michigan Players of American football from Michigan South Carolina Gamecocks baseball coaches South Carolina Gamecocks football coaches South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball coaches Wofford Terriers athletic directors Wofford Terriers baseball coaches Wofford Terriers football coaches Wofford Terriers men's basketball coaches