»Team-by-team season breakdown Capsules on B4
HAMILTON — Hamilton High School baseball coach Dan Bowling lingers a little longer after practice these days, watering, raking, reminiscing.
As he begins his 28th and final season at the helm of a Big Blue program he turned into a state power, Bowling finds it harder and harder to bring each passing day to a close.
“I’m just trying to savor the moment and soak it all in while I can,” says Bowling, whose 639-194 record ranks him eighth on Ohio’s all-time victory list, and first among active coaches.
“I’m definitely going to miss it, there’s no question about that,” Bowling continues. “I think about it driving home every single day. It was a tough decision as far as baseball goes, but I’m ready to hang up teaching. And because of the district policy, you can’t coach if you’re not employed by Hamilton City Schools.”
Hamilton’s loss will be another program’s gain. Bowling intends to catch on with another team next year, likely as an assistant at the college level. But wherever he ends up, it’s doubtful he’ll have the same impact there that he’s had with Big Blue.
In addition to the 639 victories, Bowling has led Hamilton to 15 Greater Miami Conference championships, six district titles, four regional crowns and two state championships in 1983 and 1997. That ’83 team ended the year ranked No. 2 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball News, and the ’97 squad held the No. 2 spot in the country in USA Today’s final poll.
Bowling has coached 16 players who were drafted professionally, three of which — Mark Lewis, Ricky Stone and Aaron Cook — went on to reach the majors. And he’s led Big Blue to at least 20 wins in a season in 24 of his 27 years, including a stretch of 18 in a row, at one point.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is the consistency of the program over the years,” says Bowling, who was inducted into the Butler County Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Ohio Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. “I think that consistency stands out more than anything.”
The state titles stand out, too, whether it was the way the ’83 team destroyed its opponents with 24 runs on 26 hits combined in the two state games, or the way the ’97 squad devastated Toledo Start with a five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning in the final.
There are other memorable games, moments, players and opponents — all of which are rolled together in one impressive, competitive body of work.
“I’m going to miss the everyday competition,” Bowling says. “It’s been a way of life ever since I was in high school. I started playing when I was 8 years old, and I’ve played or coached every summer since then. That’s what’s tough to let go of, that connection with the kids and my staff (assistants Joe Lewis, Tim Reed and Danny Reid) and all the good friends I’ve made with the coaches at other high schools.
“I treasured every minute of it.”
Contact this reporter at (
513
)
820
-2
193
or
jmorrison
@
coxohio.com.
About the Author