Class of 2000
Born: September 17, 1925 in Columbus, Georgia
Category: Baseball
His baseball career spanned four decades as a player, manager, scout and coach. At the age of 17, he signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox, but WWII interrupted. After being discharged from the Navy, he enrolled at Troy State. He played football, basketball, and baseball. In 1950, he earned Little All-American honors as a fullback. After graduation, he coached at Troy State for three years. In 1955, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals organization as player/manager of farm teams across the U.S. and Canada. In 1963, he became the Cardinal’s scouting supervisor in the Southeast and the Caribbean. Players he signed included Steve Carlton, Hector and Jose Cruz and Goco Laboy. In 1978, he became head coach at Troy State. His overall record at Troy was 435-149-2 with five Gulf South Championships (‘80, ‘81, ‘82, ‘86, and ‘87), six NCAA Central Region Championships (‘80, ‘81, ‘84, ‘85, ‘86 and ‘87), and two National Championships (‘86 and ‘87).
