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LUBBOCK, Texas - The College Baseball Foundation conducted the second induction of Vintage-Era baseball players into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame today during Grand Slam Showcase sponsored by City Bank.
The 2008 Vintage-Era inductees are Owen Carroll, pitcher at Holy Cross and coach at Seton Hall; William J. "Billy" Disch of Sacred Heart College, St. Edward’s University and the University of Texas; and Jack Roosevelt "Jackie"
Robinson of UCLA.
The vintage-era classification includes baseball players from before 1947, the year of the first College World Series. Players from the vintage era also played the game before the All-American awards typically used to judge
more current players.
Carroll was represented during the induction ceremony by his son, Owen T. Carroll, who spoke about his father’s interests outside of baseball. "My father was so much more than an outstanding pitcher," Carroll said. "He
was a wonderful tenor and sung at many occasions. He was a successful coach, having guided his Seton Hall teams to the College World Series on two occasions. But most of all, he was a devoted family man and always put us first."
Disch, whose name graces the baseball stadium at the University of Texas along with 2007 College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Bibb Falk, was represented by two family members, Fred Disch and Billy Disch. Billy Disch detailed his grandfather’s early coaching career while Fred Disch discussed his grandfather’s years as a Longhorn.
"He was always Mr. Disch," Fred Disch said. "He didn’t tolerate chewing, smoking or carousing and you only got one chance. He didn’t wear a uniform, he wore a suit to coach."
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson, the first player to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball and the first four-sport letterman at UCLA, was represented by Gary Adams, former UCLA baseball coach, and Nick Theodorou, Associate Director of Major Gifts at UCLA. "When Jackie played baseball, there was very little diversity," Adams said. "Now, you look at sports and there is nothing more diverse. All that diversity is attributed to Jackie."
For more information on the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, contact Mike Gustafson at gus@collegebaseballfoundation.org.
