Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2021
- Class:
- 1952
Atkinson was a standout pitcher who helped the Tigers reach the national stage in the 1950s under Coach John “Hi” Simmons. In his two years as a starter at Mizzou, he was 9-1, going 5-0 in 1951 (1.83 ERA) and 5-1 in 1952, which included wins over defending national champion Oklahoma and over Nebraska when he recorded 16 strikeouts. He also hit .389 in 1951. He set the MU single-season strikeout record when he fanned 75 batters in 1952, a record that stood for 12 years. The 1952 team went 20-7 and finished as runners up in the College World Series, thanks to Atkinson’s expert pitching. He pitched a complete game, 1-0 victory against St. Louis University in the District 5 Tournament championship game, which sent the Tigers to the CWS. He struck out 12 batters and allowed only four hits in the game. In Omaha, Atkinson also threw a 1-0 shutout over eventual CWS champion Holy Cross. He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals following the 1952 CWS and went 11-4 and a league-best 2.34 ERA for the Cardinals’ Omaha minor league team. After serving a stint in the U.S. Army, he returned to baseball and finished up a seven-year minor league career playing five for the Cardinals and two for the Chicago White Sox. He coached high school baseball, basketball and football for seven years and guided the Bisbee, Arizona High School baseball team to the state championship in 1966. He later coached community college baseball for 12 years at Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona. He also had a successful career as a golf professional and golf course designer.
