I read that at the time our baseball facilities were so bad the only SEC school that was considered to have worse facilities was Vanderbilt(this was before Tim Corbin came along), but even at that N.C. State's were in even worse shape(Tanner himself had to spearhead a fundraising campaign to get lights installed at N.C. State's baseball stadium sometime around 1995) Tanner had his eye on the head coaching position here for quite some time before he was hired, his wife being an Alum possibly having much to do with that.
I graduated in 69. When I first started going to games at what became Sarge Frye Field there were a couple of sets of wooden bleachers on the hill along the third base line, a portable concession stand, and the right field line was a big clay “cliff area” with grass at the top where you could also sit on the ground. That was it. A string of coaches including Dick Weldon from Bamberg.
Hiring of Bobby Richardson was a tremendous uplift. Whe he retired June took over and immediately went to the World Series twice and finished runner-up both times. Great moments and our pitchers pitched five complete games in a row in the second one (Jim Lewis, Tim Lewis, Ray Lavigne, and can’t remember the others) a record still unmatched.
Seems like things went slowly downhill and eventually I assume June “retired”.
Sarge Frye got built out and would have overflow crowds for big games. In those days The first Cocky (John Roush was the first and maybe the best still ever) and it was a hoot. He’d get out on the field and drive his little cart around during the seventh inning stretch.
Remember him coming out with a three legged stool and a water rubber bottle and “milking a cow” at home plate against Clemson. Somehow one time he went over and picked up a Clemson batgirl and bringing her to the USC dugout. Wilhelm hated him.
He also hated the Third Base Hecklers, who were a hoot and then some, They would always pick one opposing player and cheer for him. They were never hostile but totally funny. The other teams got into it. Used to do do silly things like call out “left,right,left whenever the opposing coach would visit the mound. “Don’t step on the line”, and some other things I can’t remember now. It was priceless and it was a tragedy the “whoever” broke them up. Don’t remember the AD.
I have seen June in the last few years. Cool guy, stands tall and straight and looks great. Great sense of humor and personality.
Anybody with corrections or additions…I would love to hear them!
