Young inducted into Hall of Fame

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Young inducted into Hall of Fame

Ken Sury

The Orange Leader

WACO — It was fitting that on a night dedicated to honoring those who love high school baseball, family was the main theme of the speakers at the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association.

It was embodied by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, the guest speaker, who was surrounded by his family. And it was evident in the speech given by former Bridge City baseball coach Chuck Young, one of three high school coaches inducted Friday night during the banquet at the Waco Convention Center that’s part of the annual baseball coaches convention.

Young, as well as fellow inductees Diz Reeves of San Antonio and Larry Stewart of Troy, were quick to thank their families for their sacrifices to let their husbands and fathers, as Young said, “go out and play ball with a bunch of kids.â€

Ryan, the all-time strikeout leader and author of seven no-hitters, talked about the special bond he continues to have with baseball teams on which he’s played, from high school to the major leagues.

He also talked about the joy of his family’s involvement in baseball, which continues today with Dell Diamond in Round Rock, which hosted the state baseball tournament.

Ryan was surprised by association president and Brenham coach Jim Long by also being inducted into the Hall after the end of his speech.

Young, who is approaching 700 victories, was the last of the high school inductees to speak, and he was by far the funniest. He opened with a story about his first coaching job at Midlothian in 1967 when he set the infield on fire because he was told to burn off the existing grass. That bought out the Midlothian Volunteer Fire Department and an admonition from his principal.

He shared tales of his wife, Judith, in her role as team mom giving the players brownies and Blue Bell ice cream after wins, but nothing after a loss.

“That’s called motivation,†he deadpanned.

But some of the bigger laughs came as he related a story of former West Orange-Stark coach Ronnie Anderson, who was inducted into the Hall in 2003, essentially tackling a Mustang player as he overran third base during one of their games. Anderson, Young said, hopped out of the coaching box and wrestled the big kid back to the base.

“Of course, the ump didn’t see it,†he recalled.

When the teams met again in a district game at Bridge City, his wife put a stake in the ground at the third-base coaching box with a rope attached. When Anderson asked about it, Young explained that he was going to tied up every time his team came up to bat.

“Ronnie used a lot of words I didn’t know,†Young said. “I never knew Ronnie met my mother,†which completely broke up the crowd.

But Young also drew serious and talked about his desire to help the students and players he worked with at school.

“I’ve been influenced by many of the young men in the 42 years I’ve coached,†he said. “Don’t say the kids are interfering with my job. Your job is the kids.â€

He also commented on how baseball is still just a game and recalled his Texas City waiting out a rain delay third game of a series with Montgomery at the University of Houston last season. Assistant coach Matt Cooper drew a tic-tac-toe grid on a baseball and tossed it to the opposing dugout. The kids from each team spent the next two-and-a-half hours marking up the baseballs playing tic-tac-toe, hangman and I Spy, he said.

“We ruined 18 baseballs that day,†he said. “But you can do that in baseball. It is a game.â€

His son, Joe, flew in from California to introduce his father at the banquet. Daughters Debbie and Beth also were there along with Young's six grandchildren and friends and former coaching partners Bill Dixon and Terry Steubing.

Joe Young said his father “was motivated to have an impact on kids’ lives†and taught them life lessons beyond the baseball field.

Little Cypress-Mauriceville coach Steve Griffith and his wife and child made the drive up to honor Young, who called the Hall recognition “mind-boggling†and “humbling.â€

“My hobby is baseball and my job is baseball,†Young told to the audience, which had filled the large banquet room to listen to Ryan. “That’s a blessed situation.â€