April 15, 1959--not the most memorable date in Harvard sports history.

Nothing really spectacular happened that Wednesday, exactly 30 years ago today. The baseball team had played its home opener against Tufts the day before. The skiing club chose a new president. The lacrosse team was set to play Holy Cross in Worcester.

Nothing really spectacular, Nothing really exciting. The sportswriting in that Wednesday issue of The Crimson certainly reflected the kind of day it was in Harvard sports.

Take, for example, the top sports story of the day: the Harvard baseball team's 4-3 victory over the Jumbos of Tufts at Soldiers Field. Byron Johnson pitched a four-hitter, and Tufts Coach Bob Meeham played the game under protest.

Wait a minute, a coach complained to the umpire? He raved? He cursed? Pretty exciting stuff.

Guess you had to be there, because the story that ran in The Crimson sounded more like and Expos paper.

"His loud-spoken comments to the unfortunate arbiter included such pleasantries as 'rabbit-ears,' `Get into the ball game,' and assorted profanities."

Unfortunate arbiter? Pleasantries? Assorted profanities? I never knew you needed a dictionary to read a sports story.

Sports language has certainly changed since then. Does anyone talk about "rhubarb" anymore? On April 15, 1959, one headline read: "Coach's Protests Raise Rhubarb, Delay Action in Tufts Ball Game."

Rhubarb (as defined by the Random House College Dictionary--a must for the true Harvard sports fan of 1959): 1. any polygonaceous herb of the genus Rheum, as R. officinale, having a medicinal rhizome, and R. Rhaponticum, having edible leafstalks. (No, that's not it.) 2. the rhizome of any medicinal species of this plant, forming a combined cathartic and astringent. (That ain't it, either.) 3. the edible fleshy leafstalks of any of the garden species. (That's gross) 4. U.S. Slang. a quarrel or a squabble. (Bingo.)

Okay, first problem figured out. But what is the opening paragraph of the men's tennis preview implying?

"Facing M.I.T's strongest squad in many years, the varsity tennis team is nonetheless a favorite to whip the Engineers in the opening match of the regular season at 3 p.m. today on the Soldiers Field Courts."

Dr. Freud, Dr. Freud, where are you?

Some other notables from the April 15, 1959, sports section of The Crimson:

Did you know that freshman tennis player Jarum Piatigorsky "alternates a tricky top spin serve with his vicious cannon ball?" (Run for your lives, run for your lives, Piatigorsky is lighting up his cannon!)