The Wizard of College Baseball

I am not one who had heard of Ron Fraser before ... though I'm pretty sure that my college baseball loving child had. I really think that my child would have greatly enjoyed this book - not only from the insane beginnings the Miami baseball team went through (no money for uniforms, no money for bats, and throw in no money for balls too) but also how creative Fraser was in getting people recruited to the college (juggling funding as the program gained interest) and trying to raise interest for the game in general. My child wanted to be a baseball coach and I think this is one book I would've encouraged my child to read because Fraser was an interesting person. This book is told as a story - sometimes out of chronological order - but it's a fascinating story. Plus, bonus, there were photos (something that I think benefits biographies).

This is a great book! I'm a "casual" college baseball fan and was riveted by this story. Highly recommended...

College baseball, now a staple on sports networks like ESPN, has not always been a popular option for athletes, spectators or television viewers. It was long considered to be a “non-revenue” sport and had to either raise its own funds or receive money from the revenue sports like football or men’s basketball. Ron Fraser almost single-handedly changed that with the baseball program at the University of Miami and how he did so is captured in this book by David Brauer.

If there was ever a person who could sell anyone on college baseball, it was Fraser. Whether it was cost-conscious athletic directors, skeptical business who were being wooed by Fraser for donations or fans who had limited entertainment dollars at their disposal, Fraser would work his magic and convince those people to provide the funds, support and/or backing the baseball program would need. When Fraser took the job, he saw how run down the field and equipment were and instead of moping about the condition of the program he took over, he got to work.

That work not only lead to a revenue generating sport in baseball for the school, but it made Miami baseball the place to go for good family entertainment at affordable prices. The newly renovated Mark Light Stadium (named for the biggest donor and supporter of Fraser’s program) had affordable food, games and other entertainment as well. It should also be mentioned that other sports at the school, most notably football, also benefited from the new notoriety that baseball gave the university. This is especially true as ESPN

Success came not only on the financial side but also on the field as Miami became a powerhouse in the sport, going from very few wins to regular appearances in the NCAA Regional tournaments and the College World Series. Their championships in 1982 and 1985 were the best moments for Fraser’s tenure as the coach. His coaching methods and motivation talks were the best parts of the book that concentrated on the on-field accomplishments of Hurricanes baseball. Many of Fraser’s players were interviewed by Brauer and they all shared great stories of their time with the coach.

After Fraser retired from coaching Miami in 1992, he was named head coach of the 1992 US Baseball team. However, his involvement in the game was not over after those Olympics as he provided guidance and assistance to many teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and his friend Tommy Lasorda. The book covers all these topics quite well, but not in an organized manner and it was here, especially the last two chapters, where I found the book to be a little harder to follow and haphazard.

However, that doesn’t mean that this book is not a good read as I enjoyed learning more about Fraser and his work in building up the Miami baseball team from afterthought to powerhouse. College baseball fans will be especially interested in this book as it is a good source of information of one of the most successful programs in the sport.

I wish to thank the author and publisher for providing a review copy. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.