Entertaining College World Series Boasts Extensive Coaching Links to Hoops

Instead of viewing ransacking of American cities by leftist lunatics seeking to defund law enforcement, we should have been watching lefties and righthanders in one of America's most entertaining events - the College World Series. Regrettably, the event was cancelled last year because of COVID-19 pearl clutching. Mike Martin, in swan song 40th campaign last year as Florida State's baseball coach, was denied aspiration of becoming the latest former college basketball player coaching a school to a College World Series championship. The all-time winningest college baseball coach boasted the highest winning percentage among NCAA Division I mentors, winning almost three-fourths of his games. Martin, who guided the Seminoles to the CWS a total of 17 times (1980-86-87-89-91-92-94-95-96-98-99-00-08-10-12-17-19), played basketball for Wingate (NC) in the mid-1960s before the institution became a four-year school. One of his junior college hoop teammates was Morris "Mo" McHone, who went on to coach the San Antonio Spurs in 1983-84. Martin coached basketball for Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College in the early 1970s.

Ex-college hooper Pat Casey (Portland and George Fox OR) retired several years ago after directing Oregon State to its third CWS championship. He is the only coach in NCAA history to survive six elimination games en route to a national title (2006). His second titlist in 2007 was the first unranked team in history to capture NCAA crown. "When you are building (a program), nobody cares," Casey said. "Now, the higher the monkey climbs, the more of his butt you see." Casey resumed monkey mooning by contemplating coming out of retirement after OSU was eliminated in the 2019 NCAA playoffs via losing two games at home.

FSU, eliminated from this year's playoffs in Mississippi without Martin, advanced to a Super Regional for the 17th time in 21 seasons two seasons ago - the most for any school since the format was introduced. Martin, national runner-up in 1986 and 1999, isn't the only revered coach frustrated by not capturing a national title. Richard "Itchy" Jones, who averaged 8.9 ppg for Southern Illinois' basketball squad in 1956-57, established a baseball dynasty in 21-year coaching career at his alma mater before accepting a similar position with the Illini in Champaign in 1991. Jones compiled a 1,240-752-6 record before retiring in 2005. In 1971, his second year at Southern Illinois, Jones guided the Salukis to within one game of the national title, finishing second at the CWS. In 1974 and 1977, Jones brought SIU back to the CWS, placing third both times. Buoyed by more than 20 eventual major leaguers, he became the 18th coach in NCAA Division I history to win 1,000 games.

Perhaps the most famous basketball coach also serving as baseball bench boss was Frank McGuire, who guided St. John's to 1949 CWS with Lou Carnesecca on his roster as an infielder. Also falling short of baseball title was ex-New Mexico State hooper Gary Ward, who guided Oklahoma State to 16 consecutive Big Eight Conference titles and 10 CWS appearances - including seven in a row and three runner-up finishes (1981-87-90) - in 19 seasons as coach from 1978 through 1996 before accepting a similar position succeeding his son at his alma mater for two years. Ward, who averaged 9.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg for the Aggies in 1960-61 and 1961-62, became only the 24th coach in college baseball history to secure 1,000 career victories, finishing with a 1,022-361-1 mark. Ex-MLB outfielder/first baseman Beau Bell, a Texas A&M hoops letterman in early 1930s, took his alma mater to first CWS appearance in 1951; former MLB infielder Sammy Esposito, a starting guard for Indiana in 1951-52 under bench boss Branch McCracken, coached North Carolina State to a third-place finish in the 1968 CWS, and Clarence "Ace" Parker, a hoops letterman for Duke in 1935-36, coached his alma mater to CWS in 1953 and 1961 after playing both major-league baseball and in the NFL. Former Northeastern State (Okla.) hooper Enos Semore guided Oklahoma to five consecutive CWS appearances from 1972 through 1976; Ownie Carroll, a Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1922, steered Seton Hall to its first two CWS appearances (1964 and 1971); Bill "Dutch" Fehring, John Wooden hoop teammate at Purdue from 1931-32 through 1933-34, coached Stanford in 1967 when it lost to eventual champion Arizona State in CWS semifinals; Paul Gregory, a Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1929-30, directed his alma mater to its first CWS appearance in 1971; Pete Butler, a Northern Colorado hoops letterman, piloted his alma mater to nine CWS appearances in an 11-year span from 1952 through 1962, and Bobo Brayton, a Washington State hoops letterman in 1944, guided his alma mater to CWS in 1965 and 1976.

Stanford's Everett Dean, compiling a 3-0 basketball tournament record in 1942, is the only unbeaten coach in NCAA playoff history. He is also the only NCAA basketball championship coach to win a CWS baseball game for the same school as a coach (1953). Four former college cagers who eventually played or managed at the MLB level - Dick Siebert (two with Minnesota), Don Lund (Michigan), Bobby Winkles (three with Arizona State) and Marty Karow (Ohio State) - combined to capture a total of seven CWS championships in the 1960s. Following is an alphabetical list of previous ex-college hoopers who went the extra step and reached the milestone of coaching a CWS titlist:

JOHN "JACK" BARRY, Holy Cross
Infielder, primarily a shortstop, hit .243 with the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox in 11 A.L. seasons from 1908 through 1919. Ranked fifth in the league in RBI in 1913 with 85 for the Athletics as a key component of Connie Mack's first dynasty. Participated in five World Series, four with the champion, in a six-year span from 1910 through 1915. Compiled a 90-62 managerial record with the Red Sox in 1917 before winning more than 80% of his games coaching his alma mater for 40 years (including capturing the 1952 College World Series). The 5-9 Barry was a basketball letterman for the Crusaders in 1908.

SAM BARRY, Wisconsin
Basketball Hall of Famer coached USC's 1948 baseball titlist. He is the Trojans' all-time winningest basketball coach.

PAT CASEY, Portland/George Fox (OR)
Retired in fall of 2018 following 24 years as coach of Oregon State's baseball squad, winning NCAA titles in 2006, 2007 and 2018. Directed OSU to seven straight NCAA appearances from 2009 through 2015. As a player, he posted one minor-league season in Class A, AA and AAA where he hit over .300. Tenth-round selection by the San Diego Padres in 1980 (1B-OF played eight years in farm systems of the Padres, Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins). Averaged 2.6 ppg for UP in 1978-79 as teammate of eventual NBA guards Darwin Cook and Jose Slaughter. Following Organized Baseball career, he led George Fox in scoring with 17.9 ppg in 1988-89, which was same school year he also coached the former NAIA member's baseball team to first of six consecutive campaigns with more than 20 victories. The Bruins had 12 losing records in a row from 1976 through 1987 before they went 15-14 in his inaugural season at their helm in 1988. His older brother, Chris, was football coach for George Fox.

RAY "PICK" FISHER, Middlebury (VT)
Righthander compiled a 100-94 record and 2.82 ERA with the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds in 10 years from 1910 through 1920. Ranked among the A.L. top 10 in ERA and complete games in back-to-back seasons (1914 and 1915). Started one World Series game for the Reds against the Chicago White Sox in 1919. Won 14 Big Ten Conference championships as baseball coach at Michigan for 38 years until the late 1950s (including 1953 College World Series title). Became a spring training pitching instructor for the Detroit Tigers after being blacklisted for almost 40 years because of salary disputes with Cincinnati's owners. Fisher played "class" basketball (1910 graduate) before becoming his alma mater's first full-time salaried member of the Physical Education Department.

MARTIN KAROW, Ohio State
Coach of his alma mater's 1966 College World Series winner after the Buckeyes finished runner-up the previous year. He was a basketball letterman in 1925 before the infielder went 2-for-10 in six games for the Boston Red Sox in 1927.

JERRY KINDALL, Minnesota
Infielder hit .213 in nine seasons (1956 through 1958 and 1960 through 1965) with the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins. Baseball coach at Arizona for more than 20 years, leading the Wildcats to three College World Series titles (1976, 1980 and 1986). He is the only player to hit for the cycle in the College World Series at Omaha (against Ole Miss on June 11, 1956). Kindall is the only individual to play for and coach CWS champions. The 6-2 1/2, 175-pounder played two seasons of varsity basketball for Minnesota under coach Ozzie Cowles, averaging 1.4 ppg as a sophomore in 1954-55 and 6.9 ppg as a junior in 1955-56. Excerpt from school guide: "Exceptionally quick reflexes and a good eye are his main attributes although he also has tremendous spring making him a good rebounder."

DON LUND, Michigan
Outfielder hit .240 in a seven-year career (1945, 1947 through 1949 and 1952 through 1954) with the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers. His only season as a regular was 1953 when he was the Tigers' right fielder. Coached baseball at his alma mater, winning the national championship in 1962, before running the Tigers' farm system until 1970. First-round selection as a fullback/linebacker by the Chicago Bears in the 1945 NFL draft. Rejected $100 a game offer from the Bears and never played pro football. He was a 6-0, 200-pound starting guard as a junior for the Wolverines' basketball team and starting center as a senior. Averaged 4.4 ppg in 46 outings. In his history of Michigan basketball, Jeff Mortimer wrote of the school's World War II squads: "Lund, rejected for military service because of a trick knee, was the mainstay of these teams." Following his playing career, he served as baseball coach for his alma mater (won 1962 College World Series), farm system director for the Tigers and associate athletic director at his alma mater.

DICK SIEBERT, Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.)
Lefthanded first baseman hit .282 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Athletics in 11 years in 1932 and from 1936 through 1945. All-Star in 1943 finished among the top Seven in the A.L. in batting average in 1941 and 1944. Minnesota's baseball coach for 31 years (753-361-8 record from 1948 through 1978) captured three CWS titles in a nine-year span from 1956 through 1964. His son, Paul, pitched with the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and New York Mets for five years from 1974 to 1978. Siebert played two years of college basketball in 1929 and 1930. The March 1929 issue of the Concordia Comet mentions that, "Lefty Siebert, despite having never touched a basketball before enrolling at Concordia, was almost as good a basketball player as he was a baseball player."

JOHN "HI" SIMMONS, Northeast Missouri State
Missouri's all-time winningest baseball coach (481-284 record in 34 years) captured the 1954 NCAA title in one of his six College World Series appearances. One of his winning pitchers at the CWS was Norm Stewart, who went on to become Mizzou's all-time winningest basketball coach. School's baseball stadium is named after Simmons. All-conference center was senior captain of 1927-28 basketball squad.

BOBBY WINKLES, Illinois Wesleyan
Coached Arizona State to College World Series titles in 1965, 1967 and 1969 before managing the California Angels in 1973 and through the first 74 games of 1974 (170-213 major league record). Reggie Jackson, Rick Monday and Sal Bando were among the more than 20 future major leaguers he coached at ASU. Winkles led Illinois Wesleyan in scoring as a senior in 1950-51 (12 ppg). The 5-9, 170-pound guard was a first-team selection in the College Conference of Illinois.