John Winkin facts for kids
Winkin with Husson
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|
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 24, 1919 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | July 19, 2014 (aged 94) |
| Alma mater | Duke University Columbia University |
| Playing career | |
| Baseball | |
| c. late 1930s | Duke |
| Men's soccer | |
| c. late 1930s | Duke |
| Men's basketball | |
| c. late 1930s | Duke |
| Position(s) | center fielder (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1949–1953 | Dwight Morrow HS (NJ) |
| Baseball | |
| 1949–1953 | Dwight Morrow HS (NJ) |
| 1954–1974 | Colby |
| 1975–1996 | Maine |
| 1997–2003 | Husson (assistant) |
| 2004–2007 | Husson |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1954–1974 | Colby |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1043–706–16 (college baseball) |
John W. Winkin Jr. (July 24, 1919 – July 19, 2014) was an amazing American baseball coach. He was also a scout, broadcaster, and writer. Coach Winkin led the University of Maine Black Bears baseball team to six College World Series appearances. This happened in just 11 years!
In 2007, at 87 years old, he was the oldest active head coach in any college sport. A total of 92 of his players went on to play professional baseball. He was inducted into 11 different halls of fame, including the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013. He ended his college baseball coaching career in 2008 with 1,043 wins. This makes him one of the top coaches in NCAA history.
Contents
Early Life and School
John Winkin was born on July 24, 1919, in Englewood, New Jersey. His mother was a doctor, and his father was a language professor.
Winkin went to Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood. Later, he attended Duke University. There, he played baseball as a center fielder. He also played basketball and soccer.
Military Service in World War II
After college, Winkin joined the U.S. Navy. He spent 56 months at sea during World War II. He rose to the rank of lieutenant commander.
Winkin served on the USS McCall, a destroyer. This ship was protecting the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. On December 6, 1941, the McCall was heading to Pearl Harbor. Bad weather kept them from entering the harbor. If not for the storm, their ship would have been next to the USS Arizona. The next morning, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. Winkin and his crew saw the whole attack from their ship outside the harbor.
Life After the War
After the war, Winkin returned to New Jersey. His college coach had suggested he become a coach. But Winkin first worked in journalism. He helped start Sport Magazine.
He also worked for the New York Yankees. He hosted the first pre-game baseball TV show in the country. He became friends with baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. Winkin wore jersey number 5 as a coach to honor DiMaggio. He also started coaching an American Legion team.
In 1949, Winkin became a football and baseball coach at Dwight Morrow High School. He was also a history teacher. He went back to school at Columbia University. He earned his Master's and Doctorate degrees in education. His special project was about the chances of a double play in baseball.
Winkin coached against Vince Lombardi, who later became a famous football coach. They became good friends and played bridge together.
Coaching at Colby College
In 1954, Winkin started coaching at Colby College. He spent 20 years there as the baseball coach and athletic director. As an administrator, he held important roles in college sports groups.
He was named National Baseball Coach of the Year in 1965. He also worked as a scout for the Boston Red Sox. He became friends with baseball star Ted Williams. Winkin coached at Williams' summer baseball camps for 15 years.
Two of Winkin's players at Colby, Norm Gigon and Ed Phillips, later played in the major leagues. Winkin finished his time at Colby with 301 wins, 202 losses, and 5 ties.
Coaching at the University of Maine
In 1975, Winkin became the head baseball coach at the University of Maine. His arrival brought great success to the Black Bears. They made six trips to the College World Series. They even finished third one year.
Maine's success was surprising because of the state's long winters. Snow often covered the fields until April. This meant the team had less time to practice outdoors. Winkin created new ways to train indoors. He even wrote a book about it.
Under Winkin, the Black Bears set school records for wins. Many of his players went on to play professional baseball. These included Bert Roberge, Kevin Buckley, Joe Johnson, Bill Swift, Mike Bordick, Jeff Plympton, Mark Sweeney, and Larry Thomas.
Winkin's time at Maine ended in 1996. His coaching record there was 642 wins, 430 losses, and 3 ties.
Coaching at Husson University
In 1996, Winkin joined Husson University as an assistant coach. He also taught and held a leadership role. In 2003, he became the head coach of the Husson Eagles.
On March 12, 2006, at 86 years old, Winkin reached 1,000 career college wins. Husson beat Drew University 6–3 that day.
In December 2007, Winkin had a stroke. This affected his right side and his speech. He remained head coach for the 2008 season, but an interim coach helped out. Winkin officially stepped down after the season. He stayed on as an assistant coach. The Winkin Sports Complex at Husson University is named in his honor. He had 100 wins, 74 losses, and 8 ties at Husson.
Personal Life
Winkin was married three times. He had two children, David and Mary, and eight grandchildren. He was a Roman Catholic and loved swing-era jazz. Friends and players called him "Wink."
He was close friends with John Harrington, who was the CEO of the Red Sox. He was also friends with Harold Alfond, a Red Sox owner. Alfond's grandchildren called Winkin "Papa."
John Winkin passed away on July 19, 2014, at 94 years old.
Awards and Honors
- Winkin is a member of many halls of fame. These include the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame and the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.
- He was named New England Division I Baseball Coach of the Year in 1975.
- In 1992, the Maine Baseball Coaches Association created the John W. Winkin Award. This award goes to the best high school baseball player in Maine each year.
- The University of Maine retired Winkin's jersey number 5 in 1999. He was only the third baseball person to receive this honor.
- Sports Illustrated magazine ranked Winkin among The 50 Greatest Maine Sports Figures in 1999. He was ranked #16.
- In 2000 and 2001, Winkin donated $250,000 to improve the baseball facilities at Husson. The facility is now called the Dr. John W. Winkin Sports Complex.
- On April 11, 2013, Winkin was announced as a member of the 2013 class for the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Books He Wrote
- The Baseball Coaching Bible
- Maximizing Baseball Practice
- Maximizing Baseball Practice Indoors
