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There Schultz was, smiling, celebrating, and not acting like a man pushing 60 years old. He had coached Lansing-New Albin Kee High School to state titles before — 10, to be precise. But No. 11, a 10-0 victory over Spalding Catholic at the 2005 Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 1A state championship, made Schultz happier than Reburn had ever seen him.
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Lansing-New Albin Kee head coach Gene Schultz. Erik Daily |
Reburn, the Kee Hawks’ senior catcher, would like to think, even hope, Schultz will at least crack a smile Monday night in New Albin, Iowa. Reburn would like to think 1,500 career victories, a milestone Schultz will reach if Kee defeats New Hampton, would be cause for celebration.
Of course, Reburn knows better.
“With a record like that, you would think he would say more about it,” Reburn said. “But I’ve never heard him say anything about his own record.”
Schultz, rail-thin and in good physical condition at 61, knows all about the notoriety that comes with having a
1,499-322-1 record and being the winningest high school baseball coach in the nation.
Visit the baseball records section of National Federation of State High School Associations’ Web site, and you’ll see a picture of Schultz standing next to Decorah coach Dennis Olejniczak, the man who was a distant second in career victories (1,168) entering this season. On Feb. 4, Schultz was inducted into the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
But 1,500 victories? Surely this will be a big moment in a lifetime of big moments for Schultz. Maybe it will be a convincing victory, much like the Kee Hawks’ five-inning, 19-1 win over Melrose-Mindoro on June 11 at Copeland Park. Maybe it will be an extra-inning thriller.
Schultz, who is standing near the third-base dugout in the twilight of a warm Monday evening, says it really doesn’t matter. He’ll be in the third-base coach’s box doing his job, just like he’s done for the last 38 seasons.
“The numbers really don’t mean anything to me other than longevity,” Schultz said. “It seems like yesterday that I got to 1,000 wins. But that was 10 years ago.”
Every year, every game has been, and always will be, equally important to Schultz. You can see it in the way he coaches.
Low-key approach
It’s the bottom of the first inning, and Kee Hawks pitcher Joe Lapel is in trouble. He’s walked the last two Melrose-Mindoro batters, and now the bases are loaded with two outs.
Schultz, who is sitting on an overturned bucket outside Kee’s dugout, has been a keen observer of everything that’s happened on the field. He tells the infielders to knock down the ball if it comes to them. He tells the outfielders to be ready. And he encourages Lapel when a borderline pitch is called a ball.
But now, the Kee Hawks are in a jam — not that you can tell by Schultz’s demeanor. He turns to the dugout and tells sophomore pitcher Tom Kerndt in a calm voice to “go warm up.” When Lapel walks in a run, Schultz walks out to the mound to calm him down. Schultz’s words work, as the Lapel gets the last out.
Schultz says with a smile he isn’t always this calm. He admits he “yells for a week at practice” at the start of every season. He admits to losing his temper a time or two on the rare occasion the Kee Hawks have walked in the winning run.
But as a rule, it isn’t Schultz’s style to display anger or frustration with his players. He will take time between innings to address a problem, and do his best to correct it. The way he sees it, if one player learns from a mistake, chances are his teammates will learns something, too.
“I’ve heard different alumni talk about him, and they all say the same thing: He uses the same methods now as he did when they played for him,” Reburn said.
Ask Schultz which managers he admires, and he’ll tell you he’s learned from some of the best. The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers fan in him likes the late Walter Alston. He likes the way St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa always gets his players to hustle. And he likes how the late Gene Mauch, who managed four major league teams, always seemed to get the most out of his players.
However, Schultz, a Winona, Minn., native, is especially fond of Max Mollock. Mollock was a fixture on the Winona baseball scene for years, coaching at Saint Mary’s University, the Winona Chiefs amateur team as well as at the youth level. Schultz said Mollock taught the fundamentals of the game, but he also taught Schultz a more important lesson: Do your job, and do it well.
“I keep the same philosophy as (Mollock) had,” Schultz said. “Every time you pick up a baseball, do it (compete) like you would in a game.”
A grateful coach
Schultz’s players enjoy playing hard for a man who was coaching long before they were born. And they also aren’t afraid to say how much they admire him.
“All you can do is shake your head by what he’s done and say, ‘It’s amazing,’ ” Kee senior shortstop Andy Beck said.
You’ll never hear Schultz use such a word to describe his accomplishment. Sure, he’ll be happy if the Kee Hawks help him earn his milestone victory on Monday. But for Schultz, the real thrill simply is being on the field and doing something he loves.
“I’m just glad I’ve been along for the ride, and that I’ve been able to last this long,” Schultz said. “I’m proud that I’ve been able to do this at one school, too.
“We’ve had a lot of success over the years. That’s the sign of a lot of good players coming through the system.”
Kirk Bey can be reached at (608) 791-8414, or at kbey@lacrossetribune.com
