- Member of the Duhawks 1,000 point club, Wright tossed in 1,098 points and paced Loras to a 49-50 record during his career.
- A fleet-footed centerfielder, Wright played for four of the most successful Duhawk baseball teams. Loras was a 47-12 during his career.
- Batted .355 during his career. He hit .385 and led Loras to a 14-4 record in 1955.
- Served as an assistant coach and the director of admissions at Loras from 1962-66.
- In those days we traveled by car and stayed at one to two star motels/hotels. Inexpensive, dingy, small (tiny) and semi-clean rooms seemed to be the norm, although most of us were not too particular, as I recall. In 1956, we were playing a game at Western Illinois, in Macomb, and as usual, staying at a small hotel where Coach Vince Dowd was a friend of the owners. As players, we used to joke that we only stayed at hotels where the Catholic owners had demonstrated they had made the “nine First Fridays.” On this particular night in Macomb, we were assigned to our very small rooms (two to a room). As Ed McMahon was checking the mattress in his tiny room, he discovered a large cockroach! Ed informed the rest of the team, and we as a group decided now was the time to confront Coach Dowd and Assistant Coach Jean Schneider with the “proof” as to why we should not be staying in these “second rate” hotels anymore. We would now, with the evidence in hand, get relief from the treatment we were being subjected to on road trips. The team (ten of us) crowded into McMahon’s room with the evidence. one large live cockroach, under an upside down water glass. I was instructed to call the coaches for a meeting in the room, the purpose being to get redress from the “foreign invader.” We were all crowded around the table in anticipation, as Coaches Dowd and Schneider entered the room. We explained our dilemma and dismay at having roaches in our beds, as we knew roaches didn’t travel alone. After reviewing and listening to our complaints for some time, the team was silent and shoulder to shoulder in anticipation waiting for Coach’s response. The time had come for Coach Dowd to speak. He looked at us and then at Coach Schneider and then said in a quiet voice “… IF WE had TWO (roaches), WE COULD RACE THEM!” That was it. Game over! We knew, immediately, that our effort for change was in vain as Coach Dowd’s sense of humor once again won that day.
Stories
“Coach Dowd’s Sense of Humor or Just Plain Good Sense!”
Basketball at Loras (1953-57).
In those days we traveled by car and stayed at one to two star motels/hotels. Inexpensive, dingy, small (tiny) and semi-clean rooms seemed to be the norm, although most of us were not too particular, as I recall. In 1956, we were playing a game at Western Illinois, in Macomb, and as usual, staying at a small hotel where Coach Vince Dowd was a friend of the owners. As players, we used to joke that we only stayed at hotels where the Catholic owners had demonstrated they had made the “nine First Fridays.” On this particular night in Macomb, we were assigned to our very small rooms (two to a room). As Ed McMahon was checking the mattress in his tiny room, he discovered a large cockroach! Ed informed the rest of the team, and we as a group decided now was the time to confront Coach Dowd and Assistant Coach Jean Schneider with the “proof” as to why we should not be staying in these “second rate” hotels anymore. We would now, with the evidence in hand, get relief from the treatment we were being subjected to on road trips. The team (ten of us) crowded into McMahon’s room with the evidence. one large live cockroach, under an upside down water glass. I was instructed to call the coaches for a meeting in the room, the purpose being to get redress from the “foreign invader.” We were all crowded around the table in anticipation, as Coaches Dowd and Schneider entered the room. We explained our dilemma and dismay at having roaches in our beds, as we knew roaches didn’t travel alone. After reviewing and listening to our complaints for some time, the team was silent and shoulder to shoulder in anticipation waiting for Coach’s response. The time had come for Coach Dowd to speak. He looked at us and then at Coach Schneider and then said in a quiet voice “… IF WE had TWO (roaches), WE COULD RACE THEM!” That was it. Game over! We knew, immediately, that our effort for change was in vain as Coach Dowd’s sense of humor once again won that day.
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We were playing a scrimmage game on Keane field. I was playing shortstop and Dick Wright (teammate), was playing leftfield. If you recall there was a steep bank in left field, which led down to the football field. One of the opposing team’s batters hit a fly ball that I swear landed on the football field. Dick ran over the bank out of sight and returned immediately and threw a perfect strike to me at second base. The runner was in his homerun trot and I will never forget the look on his face when he saw me at second base holding the ball. He was dumbfounded. I could hear Coach Dowd, “Holy Cow! What’s going on!?!” Dick Wright wasn’t the speediest on the team, but he was the smartest. He had a baseball in his back pocket for just such an occasion. I can still hear Vince to this day, “Holy Cow! What is going on!?!”
