IHSBCA Hall of Fame: Saunches' induction is family affair
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ One of Tom Saunches' former students called the English teacher a wordsmith, but even the wordsmith found himself at a loss for words when he recently opened the letter advising him of his election and pending induction into the Illinois Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
"Humbling doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I opened that letter after the Christmas holidays," " said Saunches, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Feb. 6 in Woodridge. "Seldom am I at a loss for words, but I was then."
Reflecting back on events leading up to receipt of that letter, Saunches recalls being questioned last spring about his baseball achievements at Argenta-Oreana by former Bombers athletic director and now Maroa-Forsyth middle school principal Brice Stewart. Argenta-Oreana principal Sean German and superintendent Damian Jones were also asking questions.
"ìt was nice of them to nominate me," said Saunches.
He remembers 1984, which was his first year of coaching baseball, when, in his words, "something clicked."
"I was blessed with good talent, an outstanding senior pitcher and ever since Iíve been blessed with a good relationship with players, students, fellow teachers, administrators, fans and the community. There is something wonderful about being outside in the spring and playing baseball even though it is cold," said Saunches.
The 60 year-old teacher and coach, who is retiring from teaching at the end of this school year-but not coaching-still throws batting practice.
Saunches grew up in a coaching family as his late father Ray coached three sports at Du Quoin before poor health forced him to leave the game at the young age of 55.
Ray lived to be 70, but he was never able to return to the classroom or playing fields because of declining health.
But the values he learned from his father are still with him. He played for his late father and remembers staying afterward for more teaching from his Dad. His senior year at Du Quoin (1967) was one of those times as his late Dad knew Tom was going to be drafted by someone in professional baseball and wanted him to keep learning. Tom eventually spent three years in the Pittsburgh Pirates and old Seattle Pilots farm systems before finishing his education at SIU-Carbondale.
"What's more American than going out and playing catch," said Saunches. "Mike (my son) called at Thanksgiving and asked me to bring my glove to Gradma's house because we were going to play catch."
That special relationship between father and son continues from generation to generation as Tom had a special bond with his son, who he is going to have as his presenter at the induction ceremonies. In the letter advising him of his selection and approaching induction, the baquet chairman wrote he and his presenter would be limited to 10 minutes combined.
Mike was a baseball standout at Illinois State, later playing and working for the New York Yankees organization.
For the record, Saunches' teams have won 429 games and lost only 178. A-O has won 10 regional championships, 10 conference titles, three sectionals, one super-sectional and made three state appearances under Saunches' watch.
What separates Saunches' teams from the others is how well they play the game.
Never talking back to umpires, showing respect to opponents and doing the little things it takes to win games.
Bunting, catching, fielding, throwing, hitting, base running, taking the extra base and advancing base runners are also constants in Saunches' program.
That accounts for Stewart's comment about him learning more baseball in one year of assisting Saunches than he ever knew before.
One of the all-time nice guys in the coaching profession is finally getting the long overdue recognition he richly deserves.
" I knew we had to do something about it because here's a man, who's never had a losing season in baseball and taught me more baseball in one year of assisting than I had ever known," said Stewart about the decision to nominate Saunches after discussing it with Jones and German.
And what makes this even more meaningful is Saunches' late father is in the Illinois Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
Now, the son will join his father in the prestigious Hall. You just know Ray Saunches is smiling broadly over his son's approaching induction. Ray was inducted 32 years ago after winning nearly 200 games at Du Quoin from 1963-1978. He's also the all-time basketball coaching victory leader at Du Quoin, going 200-154 before retiring.
And what makes this story even better is when Saunches receives the award his son, Michael, will be the one presenting him.
"Three generations, thatís going to be neat," said Saunches.
"It is humbling. I'm going to relish coaching for as long as I can."
- Reprinted with permission