Where Are They Now? Miami Hurricanes baseball player Calvin James

Calvin James holds the distinction of being the leadoff batter and right fielder on the University of Miami’s first two national baseball championship teams, 1982 and 1985.

And in the program’s record book he appears in several categories: second in career triples (17) and tied for fifth in single season triples (7), fourth in career stolen bases (119) and third in single season stolen bases (53).

He’s also third in total games, 261 during the 1981-85 seasons. The only players ahead of him in that category were his teammates, Doug Shields, 284 from 1981-84 and Mike Fiore, 270 from 1985-88.

It would be oversimplifying and corny to say that after stealing all those bases he entered a career in law enforcement and investigated people who stole things other than bases. But it’s true.

Following his UM career and four years in the Houston Astros’ minor league system, James  worked three decades for the Miami-Dade Police Department.

When he retired three years ago, “I took off five months and decided I was too young and had too much money-making ability,” he told CaneSport.com. “I got a call from the Seminole Tribe of Florida police department and they wanted to bring me in to be a manager, supervisor for an intelligence gathering and analyzing center that supports police operations, spy operations and emergency management.”

He’s 59, lives in Pembroke Pines, is divorced and has two adult daughters and a son.

“My oldest daughter graduated from Florida Atlantic University, the second graduated from the Juilliard School, she’s a dancer living in L.A. now, and my son is at Arkansas-Pine Bluff playing baseball,” he said.

James was a star in baseball and football (quarterback) at American High School in northwest Miami-Dade. He was drafted in the 23rd round by the Cincinnati Reds but didn’t sign, and after graduation he was planning to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point.

“I was on my way, got a congressional appointment, packed my bags,” James said.

“I didn’t start the first game, I was late getting to practice. I was with Tim Schaefer, my roommate at the time. We went out to the Air Force Base (the Strategic Air Command) to look at the military base, the place where they look at all the nuclear threats, and practice had been moved up and we didn’t know until I returned, and I showed up late. Coach Fraser said to me, `I hate to do this but I’ve got to do it, we’ve got to maintain discipline.’ I go, `Wow.’ He said `I understand that, but no favoritism.’”

Former Miami Baseball star Calvin James

Meanwhile, Hurricanes’ coach Ron Fraser was looking for an outfielder, and the Reds’ scout knew James wasn’t signing and mentioned his name to Fraser.

“That’s how I popped up on the radar,” James said. “Fraser reached out to me and I went down for a little visit. He told me what they had to offer and the rest is history.”

James has bittersweet memories of the 1982 College World Series and fond memories of the 1985 tournament. Bittersweet because “in 1982 I was on the team the whole year and I did start the first game at Omaha but injured my ACL in the first inning of the Texas game, the second game.

“I didn’t start the first game, I was late getting to practice. I was with Tim Schaefer, my roommate at the time. We went out to the Air Force Base (the Strategic Air Command) to look at the military base, the place where they look at all the nuclear threats, and practice had been moved up and we didn’t know until I returned, and I showed up late. Coach Fraser said to me, `I hate to do this but I’ve got to do it, we’ve got to maintain discipline.’ I go, `Wow.’ He said `I understand that, but no favoritism.’”

A side note: Texas had a 59-4 record and the starting pitcher for the Longhorns in that game was Roger Clemens. Yes, THE Roger Clemens. Miami won 2-1).

Another side note: Because he was injured, James was in the dugout rather than right field when the Hurricanes pulled off The Grand Illusion, a.k.a. the Phantom Pickoff, the greatest trick play in College World Series history.

It happened in the third game against second-ranked Wichita State, which built its reputation on stealing bases, an NCAA record 327 in 372 attempts.

With Miami clinging to a 4-3 lead, the Shockers’ Phil Stephenson walked to start the sixth inning. He had swiped an NCAA record 86 bases in 90 attempts going into the game. As he took big leads, pitcher Mike Kasprzak threw to first baseman Steve Lusby and Stephenson dove headfirst back to the bag.

After the second toss, Miami assistant coach Skip Bertman signaled for the trick play. Kasprzak stepped off the pitching rubber, whirled and appeared to throw to first while the ball was in his glove. Stephenson dove toward the bag and Lusby lunged as if reaching for a wild throw. Then Lusby and second baseman Mitch Seoane and right fielder Mickey Williams scrambled down the right field line as if chasing the ball.

Stephenson took the bait, jumped up and raced toward second. Kasprzak then threw the ball to shortstop Billy Wrona, who easily tagged out the shocked Shocker.

“It was awesome,” James recalled with a laugh. “I still remember it like it was yesterday. I couldn’t believe it worked so well. Unfortunately I wasn’t a part of it, but it was awesome to watch. That is played and replayed every year, ESPN billing it a long time, Facebook every year.”

James’s favorite memory of the 1985 CWS?

“That whole Series,” he said. “If you remember, neither of those teams in 1982 or 1985 were expected to go far, there were really not a whole lot of high expectations. And we had no big names on those teams. We played well together.

“I say `whole Series’ because, one, I was able to play, and two, we just liked each other so much that we had fun together. Gregg Elena was a walkon bullpen catcher and played the whole Series like crazy (three homers, 8 RBI). I hit a home run.

“We were called America’s Happiest Team. The ‘82 team was America’s Luckiest Team.”

James said when he was in the Astros’ organization he played “at the AA level and for a while and with the AAA team but never got to the bigs, always knocking on the door. I decided I’m not going to spend 10 years in the minors chasing a dream. I gave myself about four years, thought this isn’t going to happen, so I moved on. I came back home and I had contacts in the business world, which was my major, and the police department, where I became a civilian observer. I got hired by the state, then the county called in and I wanted to go with them,

“The majority of my career I was with the special response team. I went from an officer to a team leader to a sergeant to lieutenant and lieutenant commander and major and eventually transferred to homicide the last five years, commander of homicide.”

James said he remains a Hurricanes’ fan.

“I know the players and the program, go down every now and then to a game,” he said.

And he was on hand this past season when the Canes held a reunion of the 1982 CWS champions.

“It was awesome,” James said. “Doug Shields, who I hadn’t seen in years, was there, Steve Lusby, Mike Kasprzak, most of the team.”

It was not a grand illusion.