He Was A Big Factor In My Life

I recently attended a high school baseball game and saw a youngster at bat miss the signal for a suicide squeeze play; his coach was rather upset in the moment. The scenario reminded me of a personal experience, which occurred in May of 1954. First for those who may not know, a 'suicide bunt' happens with a runner on third base and less than two outs and the coach gives a signal to runner and batter to execute the following: Upon the pitcher's pitch the runner takes off full tilt towards home plate and the batter is supposed to bunt the ball fairly. If executed properly, there is no time to field the ball and get the runner out at home. Success hinges on bunting the ball fairly on the ground. If the batter misses the 'signal,' misses contact with the ball or pops the ball up it's SUICIDE for the base runner!

That same thing happened to yours truly May 1954, when I was a 15-year old sophomore pitching for East St. Louis high school's varsity team playing against Alton high school. I also missed the suicide bunt signal and my teammate was OUT at home by ten feet. My high school baseball/basketball coach was one in the same, two time All American University of  Illinois basketball great, Louis 'Pick' Dehner who set a then Madison  Square Garden scoring record of 25-points in 1938. Dehner stood 6'4" and weighed 250 pounds. He was known for his showmanship and over-the-top demonstrative antics. You guessed it, Coach Dehner ran from the dugout towards me standing at home plate having just missed executing the suicide squeeze. Earlier in the game our shortstop made an error on a routine ground ball, which prompted Coach Dehner to walk to the shortstop at his position, take the kid's and bend down demonstrating to the Senior how he should have fielded the ground ball. Naturally, I'm waiting for the Coach to take the bat from me and 'show me' how to bunt right there in front of God, parents, opponents and peers.

Dehner stopped a couple of feet from me, looked squarely in my eyes and spoke, "You'll get it next time kid, just keep doing your job by throwing strikes." He walked back to the dugout in front of me. I did finish the seven inning contest allowing three hits and winning 5-2. The moment was most uncharacteristic for the 'bigger than life' Coach. To be sure over the next few years playing basketball and baseball for the man, I saw some dandy antics but never at my expense. I would later coach against Coach Dehner the seven seasons I mentored Edwardsville high school, which was a member of the Southwestern Conference with East St. Louis.

May 1957, I pitched my last baseball game for Dehner's East Side "Flyers" going 11-innings beating Collinsville for the Conference baseball title. Thirty years later, Billy Altenberger, another former East St. Louis player, telephoned me to tell me that Coach Dehner had died and he and I along with Legendary coaches, Virgil Fletcher and Joe Lucco were asked to be pallbearers. It was my honor to accept. I shall always be grateful for his life changing advice to me as a young teenage athlete.

I included a segment on Coach Dehner in my soon to be released book, "Angels On My Journey."
(Touch)
Hail to The Chief