★
By JAMES H. (SUM) BURRUS
★
They called him "Dinah" when J.
Ed Kanipc was performing ironman
pitching stunts for the old Trinity Col¬
lege baseball teams of almost half a
century ago, but members of opposing
nines of those days were handed pain¬
ful proof that the sobriquet certainly
did not mean he was a sissy.
At that time a gifted athlete didn’t
have to waste a year or two on scrub
squads before getting the chance to
strut his stuff with the varsity. And Ed
Kanipe quickly demonstrated that he
had what it takes by becoming a
member of the Trinity hurling corps in
his freshman year.
"Dinah” won his college “T” with
case, but now — with only nostalgic
memories of those golden years be¬
tween 1911 and 1915 when he was
flinging fireballs for fun — he is a "T-
man" of a different type — a represen¬
tative of the United States Treasury
Department, with headquarters at
Asheville.
Won 26 Games
During the four years that Kanipc
served as a Methodist mound mainstay,
the Trinity Terror won twenty-six
games. Two of his comparatively small
number of losses were heartbreaking
l-to-(> setbacks, one of which lasted
ten innings, and the other eleven.
"Dinah's” pet peeve apparently was
the Wake Forest College team, and
Baptist batters of that era had ample
reasons for respecting this hurling hot-
shot. They did not win a game from
Trinity during the four-year reign of
King Kanipc. and one of his triumphs
over the Diamond Deacons was by a
humiliating 14-2 score. His final vic¬
tory over the Baptists was an 8-4 win
Name Coined by Bishop
Kanipe is said to have received his
nickname as the result of a classical
reference by the late Bishop John C.
Kilgo. an ardent Trinity partisan and
baseball booster.
The incident occurred following a
thrilling 1 1 -inning. 2-to-l Kanipe vic¬
tory over a favored team from the
University of Vermont. The revered
Bishop is reported to have been among
the hundreds of fanatical followers of
the Trinity team who swarmed over
Trinity’s
“Dinah”
lie did great work on
the pitcher's mound for
the Methodist college
about -10 yearn ago
and wa* particularly
effective against Hake
Forest.
Familiarly known as “Old Battery."
Left to right: J. Ed Kanipc and Hous¬
ton A. Maddox (deceased).
the diamond on old Haynes Meld after
the vaunted Vermonters had been van¬
quished.
"Great is Diana of the Ephesians."
shouted the Bishop, forgetting his dig¬
nity in the excitement of the moment.
His reference apparently was to a Bib¬
lical phrase found in Acts, part of
which reads: "The city was filled with
confusion, and they rushed with one
accord into the theatre.”
Admirers and teammates of Kanipc
evidently adopted a sort of slangy way
of pronouncing "Diana." corrupting the
name into "Dinah." To this day. that
is what Ed Kanipe is called, and proba¬
bly will be so long as he lives.
Л
Thrilling Victory
Newspaper accounts of the Vermont
victory, which occurred during the ear¬
ly part of the 1911 season when
Kanipe was a freshman, indicate that
it really was a thriller Going into the
I Oth inning, the game was a scoreless
tie. both Kanipe and his opponent
pitching superbly.
The Vermonters scored one run early
in the I Oth. and Dinah's mastery of
the situation might have been nullified
had it not been for a great catch by
"Runt" Eoushcc. Trinity leftficlder
With two Yankees on base and two
out, a pinchhitter smacked a tremen¬
dous drive into Foushcc's territory, but
the agile gardener managed to make a
spectacular catch, retiring the side.
“Dinah" Luck Holds
I he outlook was not too pleasant
for the Trinity boys as they came to
bat in their half. But gloom turned into
joy when the Methodists placed two
men in scoring position, with only one
out.
When the Vermont catcher, trying to
nab a Trinity man napping at third,
let loose a wild throw, two runs came
across the plate, and Kanipe had won
one of the most impressive victories
of his spectacular career.
The 14-to-2 drubbing administered
to the Wake Forest team also was an
occasion for a prolonged celebration,
lasting until next morning. Played on
neutral territory at Henderson, in April.
1914. it is related that most of the stu¬
dent bodies of both Methodist and Bap¬
tist scats of learning attended the game
Returning to Durham that night.
"Dinah" and "Frosty" Maddox. Trin¬
ity captain and Kanipc's catcher (now
dead), were paraded over much of the
city’s downtown section and finally
parked on the steps of the Post Office
and required to make a speech
A horse-drawn hearse, draped in
Wake Forest colors, also was driven
through Durham’s streets, and the cele¬
brants finally visited the old Duke
home. Miss Mary Duke is reported to
have appeared and added her praise to
the victory.
Buddies Eulogi/ed
Both Kanipe and Maddox were eu
logizcd. near the end of their collegiate
careers, in a newspaper account which
(Continued on
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5
THE STATE. May I 9. 1951
