University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, April 15, 1987
13
Pattin
Continued from p. 11
"You have to understand why he doesn't want to talk after disappointing games," said Stanfield, Jayhawk outfielder. "With everything that has been happening lately, it has been tough."
Third baseman Darrel Matthews said, "He is busting his tail and not giving up. He is a good coach and a good person overall. I have really enjoyed playing for him."
And once Patin is away from the baseball field and in street clothes in his office, he seems relaxed and his staring intensity is nowhere to be seen.
Athletic Director Monte Johnson
because of his caring personality.
"Pattin is one of the nicest guys around," Johnson said.
Pattin's life in baseball began at age five when he started playing baseball.
Little League start
"I started playing in the Connie Mack League, and I really loved the game," he said.
It was then that Pattin first dreamed of playing major league baseball.
“It’s every boy’s childhood dream to play major league baseball,” he said. “I had the desire to participate in sports and be successful.
"Playing baseball helped me along the way because I did not have a mom and dad from the fifth grade on. It was tough."
At age five, his parents divorced and left him with his grandparents, William and Pearl Roberts from Charleston, Ill. By the time he was a junior in his school, Pattin was living on his own.
But he said he received a lot of fatherly advice from his high school baseball coach, Marvin Baker.
"Growing up is not easy, but I had a lot of help from him," he said.
a lot of help from him," he said.
During high school, Pattin played football and basketball also, but baseball was his favorite of the three sports.
After high school, Pattin decided to pass up playing in the minor leagues and went to pitch for Eastern Illinois without a scholarship.
"I could have gone straight to the minor leagues, but I wanted to get an agent."
He started college with little money, but Walt Warmth, who met Pattin during high school, offered
Warmoth said Pattin could throw a baseball well in his high school days.
him a job and financial help.
"He is really a nice guy." Warmth said from his home in Charleston. "Hate to see him leave coaching, and I hone things work out for him."
Warmoth hired Pattin to work while in high school at the restaurant he owned. Pattin kept the job through college.
"It itt good to have someone care for me," Pattin said. "It was probably the greatest experience I had in my life.
"Warmth always made sure I had enough spending money. I remember when I got married to my wife, Vera, during my junior year, and I did not have enough money to buy clothes one time. One day a clothing store offered me and said I had $30 to spend on clothes, later found out that it was Walt."
Pattin said he received two educations at Eastern Illinois. One was the degree he earned, and the other was working with Warmth.
"Walt probably put over 300 people through college. This was a man who could have been a doctor, but he decided to help people in another way." Pattin said. "That's why he chose to open a restaurant."
The help he received from Warmoth also played a part in Pattin's move into coaching after his pitching career.
"When I was done with the game, I wanted to give something back," Pattin said. "You get into college coaching to help the kids.
"I like to see them do well in the classroom and on the field."
Minor league ball
Pattin graduated from Eastern Illinois with bachelor's and master's degrees in education and was drafted by the California Angels, who sent him to the Angels' AA team in El Paso, Texas.
Pattin had a tough time moving from college ball, where he was an All-American, to AA ball, and he played his first season with an 6-4 record.
"I almost quit, but Gene Autry
was strong," he said of the
Angels' inspiring.
Pattin spent a year in AAA ball at Quad City, Iowa, and then got his first opportunity to pitch in the major California Angels as a relief pitcher.
The Angels traded Pattin to the Seattle Pilots in 1969. The team moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers the next year. Pattin became a full-time starter and
recorded a 14-14 record.
The Brewers then traded him to the Boston Red Sox, and he won 32 games during the next two years before being traded to Kansas City. He was later put in a pitching position in four American League playoffs, from 1976 to 1978 and in 1980.
At Kansas City, Pattin became known as "Duck" because of his imitation of Donald Duck. He was known on the team as a jokester, who, for example, sometimes would barbecue in the bullpen during games.
games. He said his biggest thrill with the Royals happened in 1980 when the Royals defeated the Yankees in three games in the best-of-five playoff series.
"When Brett hit that home run, I jumped so high in the bullpen I cracked my head against the ceiling," Pattin said. "We had finally beaten them."
The Royals went on to the World Series, where Pattin pitched the final game of his career, pitching in relief during game six against Philadelphia.
"A lot of things were going through my mind when I was walking to the mound in that game," he said. "I was thanking the Lord for giving me the ability to pitch at this level for 13 years.
Pattin pitched one inning and struck out Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski.
"I think the 1980 group really reat the stage for the '85 team to win it all," he said. "We were a very close-knit group."
"When I came in, I was really pumped up."
Pattin finished the 1980 regular season with a 4-0 record and four saves. He ended his career with a record of 114-109 and 25 saves. Once retired, he was able to spend more time with his family before taking the head coach job at Kansas.
As for playing baseball, Jon said his dad gave him tips on being aggressive and keeping a mentally tough attitude.
Pattin got the chance to coach his son when Jon graduated from Lawrence High two years ago and decided to come to KU.
"I had more reservations than anyone about his coming." Pattin said. "I probably work him harder than anyone, and I am no more when he gets a hit than when another member of the team gets a hit."
Pattin has two sons, Jon, 19, who plays on the KU baseball team and Jeff, 14, who attends Lawrence High School.
But this will be the last season that Patina will get to teach his son at Kaplan.
Pattin said he would be leaving KU satisfied with the support he received from Johnson, the entire administration and alumni.
Jon Pattin said he enjoyed being the son of a big league baseball player.
"It was nice traveling around with all the ball players." Jon said.
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Emporia State doubleheader rained out
ia State April 28th in Emporia.
The Kansas baseball team's doubleheader against Emporia State scheduled for yesterday was rained out.
The Jayhawks will play Empor-
Kansas' next game is tommorow against Washburn in Topeka. Washburn beat Kansas 5-4 on April 6.
After 35 games, Kansas has an 11-23-1 overall record and is 1-11 in the Big Eight Conference.
From staff and wire reports
KU's next home game will be this weekend against Oklahoma State, the No.1 team in the country.
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