November 9

## 1919

**Syracuse Post Standard**- Rafter Joins City Quintet

Crisp Signs Star Forward; Plans For Opening Tilt; Negotiations Pending To Bring Several Strong Teams To City During 1919-20 Basketball Season

Manager Wilbur Crisp of the All-Syracuse basketball team announced last night that he had signed William Rafter, former Syracuse University star, to play with the quintet this season and that he was negotiating with other well-known players in an effort to give followers of the sport the strongest combination of basket tossers in this part of the country. Rafter will play one of the forwards, a position in which he gained wide reknown during his career at Syracuse University. He is ranked with the best college forwards the game has produced in several years and should prove a strong asset to Crisp’s aggregation. Rafter played a brilliant game at Syracuse University in 1914-1915, 1915-1916, and was captain of the 1916-1917 quintet. His scoring ability placed him well up in the ranks of basket tossers. Crisp is negotiating with Fort Plains and the Kodak quintet of Rochester for the opening game of the season, which will be played at the Armory late in November. He also is planning to bring several other formidable teams to this city during the season. It is likely that the first game to be played by the All-Syracuse quintet will see five of the best basket tossers that ever represented the city in action, according to Crisp.

## 1946

**Syracuse Herald Journal**- Syracuse Five Plays In Buffalo

Buffalo- With one game under its belt the Syracuse Nationals basketball team arrived here today confident of gaining the victory bracket for the first time when it opposes the Bisons in the local team’s inaugural start in National League play. The Buffalo team, coached by the immortal Nat Hickey, will present a strong lineup led by Don Otten star of the Bowling Green team last season and William “Ducky” Gates, spectacular Negro star. Billy Hassett, captain of last year’s Notre Dame team, is also on the Buffalo squad along with Bob Gauchat, Len and Howie Raeder, Bob Sims, Dick Starzyk, Mel Thurston, Stan Waxman and Nick Grunzweig. Bennie Borgmann, coach of the Syracuse entry, was confident that Long John Gee would be on hand for tonight’s conflict and predicted the former baseball luminary would successfully bottle up the high scoring Otten. Borgmann’s charges dropped the opener to Toledo in the final minutes when the team seemed to tire but he points out that Jerry Rizzo was playing under a difficult handicap shortly after the game started when three personal fouls were called against him and that the team might easily upset the Bisons tonight. After tonight’s game the Syracuse team returns home to make preparations for its season’s opener against Youngstown Thursday night.

## 1954

**Syracuse Herald Journal**- Billy Gabor Seriously Ill

Members of the Syracuse Nationals basketball team are scheduled to receive gamma globulin injections following disclosure that Billy Gabor is a victim of acute hepatitis. Dr. Max E. Rifkin, team physician, said the treatment is a precautionary measure. He believes it unlikely other players will be stricken. Gabor will be lost for several weeks, and Nat officials may seek a 10th man to replace the “Bullet.” Billy became ill at practice a week ago and asked Paul Seymour to drive him home. He reported he felt O.K. Sunday as the Nats downed Milwaukee. Yesterday at practice, he again became ill and a doctor was summoned.