Baylor Baseball Complex Dedicated to the Etters and Wyatt McMahan

It was the summer of 1961 and a 10-year-old boy and a college grad were starting their baseball journey – a journey which would eventually connect them for decades to come.

While Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were chasing the ghost of Babe Ruth and the then home run record of 60 round trippers, Wyatt McMahan was in his first year in Joe Engel’s Knothole League in White Oak and future Baylor baseball coach Gene Etter was in his rookie season of pro ball in the Northern League - better known as the “C” League – for the St. Cloud (Minn.) Rox.

Jump ahead 55 years to Saturday at the Baylor baseball field, as school officials officially brought the two baseball careers together in a ceremony re-dedicating the Wyatt McMahan Baseball field (originally dedicated in 1988) and dedicating the Gene and Eddie Etter Baseball Complex.

“We are committed and excited about the future of Baylor baseball and thrilled to honor these two Baylor families in this way,” said Baylor headmaster Scott Wilson.

Coach Etter said with a smile, “we do not deserve this honor but will accept it anyway.”

Wilson read a letter from McMahan’s former Knothole Baseball teammate and Baylor classmate Trip Martin which stated in part, “Wyatt (who passed away in 1980) batted right, threw left and could out run a white-tailed deer.

“He had that ever present smile and warmed everyone around him, but that warmth masked the fierce warrior inside.”

The Two Careers:

Gene Etter – who also started his baseball career at the age of nine in 1949 as a member of Knothole Baseball out of Red Bank.

“The first team I was on was the Knothole Baseball team from Red Bank and we played our games at Engel Stadium. My dad (E.B. “Red” Etter) was my first coach and knew the game thoroughly as he coached Chattanooga Central to three state high school championships.

“He also coached my American Legion teams to local titles and a trip to the South Region finals on two occasions.”

From Knothole to high school (Chattanooga Central) and college ball (U. of Tennessee), Etter played his first of nine minor league seasons in St. Cloud in 1961 and one rookie teammate was future hall of famer Lou Brock.

Famous Teammates: He played for six other minor league squads over those nine summers, married Eddie in 1966 at home plate while with the Fort Worth Spurs, and had such teammates as future big leaguers Don Baylor, Bobby Grich, aforementioned Lou Brock, longtime Chicago Cubs shortstop Don Kessinger, former Baylor School star and former Braves bonus baby Arnold Umbach (in 1968 when he and Gene were in Fort Worth) and Don Larsen (pitched a World Series perfect game in 1956) when both were with the San Antonio Mission in 1968 and former Lookouts Norm Gigon and Wayne Graham (current Rice Univ. coach).

Baylor Legacy: Etter coached the Red Raiders for 41 years, won 864 games, won state titles in 2003 and 2006 and is a member of four halls of fame – Chattanooga Central, Baylor School, Chattanooga Sports HOF and Tennessee Baseball Coaches Assoc.

Wyatt McMahan:

World Series Win: After learning the game in the Joe Engel Knothole League, he helped guide the Rivermont Dixie Boys Baseball (13-14 yr olds) to a state title and a spot in the DBB World Series in 1965.

In the deciding game of the state tournament, Rivermont was low on pitching so McMahan moves to the mound from his normal catchers’ spot, tosses a 3-hit shutout and also won a game in the World Series.

Church of What’s Happenin’ Now (i.e. Good Shepherd on Lookout Mtn.) ... While coach Etter was assisting his dad with Baylor football in the early 1970s, McMahan and several Baylor friends formed what some described early on as a rag tag looking group - but boy could they play softball.

Bill McMahan relates this story. “We went down to some surplus store, bought bell bottom blue jeans, wore tie dye t-shirts and red shoes and we won.

“We were so unconventional that we only used three outfielders but with Bill Bailey, my brother, Wyatt, and Rob Healy we had plenty of speed and placed our 10th player (national prep wrestling champ) Alec Roberts in shallow centerfield behind second base as our fifth infielder and it worked.

“We won the Lookout Mountain league once or twice, and the city championship.”

While their careers included championships and a myriad of honors and trophies it was evident Saturday by the large turnout of Baylor supporters, that it’s the people the Etters and McMahan have touched and had a positive influence on over the years much more than dust-collecting, but important hardware.

Play Ball!

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net