Doug Stein
I loved reading about Gene Etter’s career. Scott Ferguson and I were the captains of his first team, and the only seniors. We had freshmen at the corners, Ron Cates at first and Rusty Carnes at third. Joey Wheeless, a junior, was at second, and Tony Ridge, a sophomore, played short. Vince Warrick caught. James Berger and Jimmy Foster joined Ferguson in the outfield.
I don’t remember all four of the McCallie games, but one was a non-conference matchup that didn’t count in the standings.
The game was played at Baylor. It was the first McCallie matchup of the year, and I started at pitcher (I think I started most of the games; we didn’t play nearly as many then).
We built a big lead, and Coach Etter pulled me after three or four innings to save my arm for whatever was next, I guess. But he put me in right field rather than take me out of the game.
McCallie had a powerful lineup that included Ward Nelson, Guy Buher and Tom Clarke. First pitch after I went to right field, Tom Clarke hit a long liner in the gap, right center. I took off, completely unsure, not having played outfield for a few years. Somehow I caught the ball, but by the seventh and last inning McCallie was only a run or two behind. Coach Etter called me back to the mound and we were able to extinguish the rally. As far as I remember, that’s the only time I ever got a win and a save in the same game.
In the McCallie game that clinched the CIL Championship for us, we were at McCallie. The entire week leading up to the game, Coach Etter practiced first and third situations. I was frustrated in practice, wanting to practice fundamentals: hitting, fielding, pitching. But we drilled first and third for what seemed like days. Robert Hays, our fastest and likely most athletic player, would be the pinch runner in this drill. I stood on the mound and tried not to get hit by Warrick’s bullets out to second base.
On game day, the stands were full and noisy. We built a lead, but I was struggling with my control, walking people and hitting a few. I think I went 3-0 on Buher three times in a row before getting him on strikes. I threw a lot of pitches, and my arm was hurting.
Late in the game, I think it was the sixth, but it could have been the top of the seventh, and either tied at 2 or leading 3-2, up came the first and third situation. “Time out,” called Coach Etter. In came Hays. We all knew what was next. Hays stole home, we exploded with confidence, and went on to win 4-2. It was great.
We finished out the season with 1-hit victories over Kirkman on Hawk Hill, and Soddy-Daisy in the regions, before falling the next night to Tullahoma. In those days the Free-Press covered those games with Eddie Davidson, and I had my picture with Coach Etter and our stars after the victory over Soddy-Daisy under a big headline. It made a young man feel awfully special.
Coach Etter later coached one of my sons at Baylor, and going out to watch the games and see his inimitable presence at third base was really a great experience.
Thanks, Coach Etter. It was a privilege.
Doug Stein
Coach Etter