Exonian Profiles
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Everett Woodman '35: On The Mound For Exeter
In a distinguished professional career, Everett Woodman ’35 has, among other things, been at Omaha Beach on D-Day, earned his doctorate, worked for the State Department, served as a junior college president and been director of the Peace Corps in Morocco. Choosing moments of a lifetime from that impressive menu should be a considerable challenge, right? Not when it comes to one of the earliest ones. For that, Dr. Woodman, now 87 and living in Andover, NH, looks back past the many accomplishments of his adult life to a sunny Saturday afternoon—June 8, 1935, to be exact. On that day, “Woody” was the 19-year-old captain of the Exeter baseball team, and he stood, unexpectedly, on the mound at Exeter’s Plimpton Field, with the ball in the palm of his right hand, and the game against Andover on the line. Andover led, 4–0, in the second inning, and Exeter’s starting pitcher had just hit the opposing second baseman with a pitch. Venerable Exeter coach Sim Murch sent Woodman in to pitch from his position at shortstop. “There was no discussion, so I went straight to the mound,” Dr. Woodman recalls. “But taking over wasn’t that easy.” Particularly since this was to be only the second pitching appearance of Woodman’s three-year Exeter career. The other had come just three days earlier against Tilton School, when Woodman asked Murch for the chance to enter the game as a reliever in hopes of giving Exeter’s other pitchers a rest before facing Andover. Woodman struck out six of the nine Tilton batters he faced. “I think Sim was astonished,” Dr. Woodman says. “He didn’t say too much. I could throw hard and fast and had a good arm.” Murch obviously had seen that, because he now entrusted Woodman with the most important game of any Exeter season. After all, Murch had watched Woodman rise to the occasion in the past. Woodman had struggled academically in his first year at Exeter. By November, he was wondering if he had a future here. It was then that Murch pulled him aside, asked about his baseball background, and invited him to begin working out with Exeter’s pitchers and catchers. It was the beginning of Woodman’s turnaround at Exeter. He went on to play every inning over three years for the Exeter baseball team. He also tried his hand at ice hockey, becoming the starting goaltender on an exceptional Exeter team. That was in the past. For now, however, all that mattered was how he would fare against Andover. It began badly for him. As Woodman warmed up, Andover coach Len Burdett complained to the umpire that the young pitcher was standing improperly on the mound. Intimidated, Woodman abandoned his windup and pitched from the stretch for the entire outing, walking seven Andover batters in 71/3 innings. Yet he also struck out seven and yielded just two hits and one more run. He held the opposition at bay and allowed the Exeter offense to chip away at the Andover lead. When he returned to pitch in the top of the ninth inning, Exeter led, 8–5. Woodman retired the first two Andover batters. When the next hitter grounded to third, Woodman was sure the game was over, but first baseman Gordon Clark dropped the throw. “It was an error Clark wouldn’t commit once in 300 times,” Dr. Woodman says. “But there we were—two outs and an Andover pinch runner on first—and I was exhausted.” Yet Woodman reached down deep and struck out the final Andover batter on four pitches. “They say I slumped to the grass near the mound. I don’t remember,” Dr. Woodman says. “I guess I passed out. I always thought of that experience as encouraging me never to give up on things. That was one of the biggest days of my life.” —Bob Reinert |
