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from Standing Small
Retiring Ray Knoblauch
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
Cheryl JohnsonChuck hit on by maleJim SouhanKnoblauch Anchors Twins InfiedKnob Stays Cool About StrikePatrick ReusseCrunch Time Is Time To ShineSean HorganKnoblauch Shines At Bat|
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| Retiring Knoblauch leaves fond memories |
| By The Houston Chronicle |
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| August 12, 1993 For 25 years, Ray Knoblauch was "Mr. Baseball" at Bellaire. Over that span, Knoblauch's Cardinals claimed four state championships in seven trips to Austin plus three runner-up trophies. A quarter of a century in the third-base coaching box ended in 1986 when Knoblauch left Bellaire to join the stadium staff at Delmar. He exited with a 598-225 record, second only on the statecharts to national leader Bobby Moegle of Lubbock Monterey (918-214). On Aug. 31, Knoblauch will retire, ending a hitch in the Houston Independent School District that dates to 1958, the last four years spent as director of operations at Delmar Stadium. With six children and 10 grandchildren, the retirement plans of Ray and his wife, Linda, certainly include "a little traveling." "We hope to go to Florida each year for spring training. And I might do some local scouting for Minnesota,'' says the former Texas League pitcher. The Minnesota connection centers on son Chuck, the starting second baseman for the Twins. Chuck played for his dad at Bellaire and was drafted by Minnesota out of Texas A&M ""Like other retired coaches who offer their services, I might help Rocky (current Bellaire baseball coach Rocky Manuel)with the Bellaire pitchers,'' Knoblauch says. Knoblauch took over the Bellaire baseball program in 1961 and picked up the first of his four state championship rings in 1962. Bellaire edged Odessa 8-6 in the final after a 10-1 victory over Corpus Christi Carroll in the semis. In seven trips to Austin for the state tournament, Knoblauch's Cards compiled an 11-3 record with titles coming in 1962, 1971, 1978 and 1986, plus runner-up finishes in 1963, 1970 and 1972. Never did a Knoblauch-coached team lose an opening semifinal game. Bellaire returned to the state tourney in 1963, but the defending champions lost to Lufkin 6-4 in the final after turning back Lubbock Monterey 3-1 in the first coaching matchup between Knoblauch and Moegle. The Cardinals were involved in the first all-Greater Houston baseball finale when they lost to Aldine 4-0 in 1970. Both notched semifinal shutouts, Aldine over Lubbock Monterey 2-0 and Bellaire against Alice 1-0. Knoblauch had Bellaire back in the state tournament in 1971 and came away with the title by turning back Monterey 5-4 in the final after a 4-1 semifinal decision over San Antonio Lee. For winning the 1978 championship and rolling up a 36-8 record, Knoblauch was honored as the national high school baseball coach of the year. That team took out Duncanville 5-1 in the semis and Monterey 6-1 in the final. "That was the most games (44) and victories (36) for Bellaire," Knoblauch said. "We didn't have Johnny Moses when the season started and ended up losing three of our first four or five games." Moses managed a 17-2 record for the 1978 Cards and a school-record 276 strikeouts. For his career at Bellaire, Moses was 30-9, trailing only Jim Gideon (31-4) and Chris Cox (34-6). Top-seeded Duncanville put a 32-3 record on the line against Bellaire in the semifinals and sent ace Leland Creel (13-1) to the mound against Moses, who pitched a four-hitter with a dozen strikeouts.In the final, Ross Perkinson (11-2) stopped Monterey on four hits with seventh-inning relief help from Moses. It was a 1978 playoff game against Dobie at Pasadena's Memorial Field that ranks first on Knoblauch's list of games to remember. "Moses was walking back to the mound when the Dobie batterwent after him. Danny (Lamar) tackled the Dobie player about the time they all reached the mound, and both fell on Johnny," Knoblauch recalls. "That brought out players from both benches, and fans started jumping over the fence. There wasn't much fighting, but the game was stopped for 20 or 30 minutes. The Pasadena SWAT team arrived, as did other policemen and even a helicopter. We finished with 12 or so policemen inside the fence, and when the game was over the police took us to the bus and told us not to stop until we were back in Houston. We won that game 17-11 and went on to Austin." Knoblauch capped his coaching career with state championship No. 4, capturing the 1986 prize by turning back Round Rock Westwood 7-4 in the final after a 6-5 semifinal triumph over Victoria Stroman. The 1986 Bellaire team included Ray's son Chuck, who missed most of the season with injuries. |
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