| Akron native and former big-league baseball player Billy Baldwin dies By Jim Isabella
The former Buchtel High School baseball star, who played briefly for the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets, died at age 62 last week at Elms Assisted Living in Hudson after suffering a variety of health problems. Andrea Rice, his sister, said her older brother will be missed. “He was a gifted and talented athlete that had a wonderful laugh,” Rice said. “We are really going to miss him.” Old friends and teammates fondly remembered Mr. Baldwin. Ike Grant, one of his childhood friends, said Mr. Baldwin loved baseball. “Billy was a heck of a guy. We would go out every day and throw the ball around, baseball or football, whether there was sunshine, rain or snow,” Grant said. Douglas Lee was a basketball teammate at Perkins Middle School in 1964 and 1965. “He was a real personable, very friendly guy. He was a down-to-earth person and a heck of an all-around athlete,” Lee said. Mr. Baldwin played youth baseball with Tim Flossie, Firestone football coach. “We played together for the South Akron Cubs in the G League when we were little. He was really good and I was not surprised he became a pro player,” Flossie said. “I followed his career in high school through the pros.” John Sarver, Ellet baseball coach, played against Mr. Baldwin in the Akron Class AA Baseball League after Baldwin’s pro career ended. “Billy was kind of a loner, but a very happy guy. He would joke with you and he loved talking baseball,” Sarver said. “He was the best player I saw in the league.” One of Sarver’s most vivid memories of Mr. Baldwin was an astonishing home run he hit at Summit Lake Park. “The ball he hit would have hit the road if it had not hit a light pole,” Sarver said. “The ball was still going up when it hit the pole.” Sarver was in awe of Mr. Baldwin’s hitting talent. “He could hit the ball anywhere. I was throwing batting practice to him one time and he said for me to throw the ball anywhere except low and away. So I wondered why and threw him one just to see what would happen. Thank goodness I was throwing behind the L-screen on the mound, because he smashed one back at me and said, ‘Don’t throw me low and outside! I already know how to hit those,’ ” Sarver said. Born in Tazewell, Va., Mr. Baldwin played at Buchtel High and went on to Southern University on scholarships for baseball, football and soccer. In 1972, Mr. Baldwin was signed as a amateur free agent by the Tigers. In 1974, he was the Class AA Florida State League Most Valuable Player, leading the league in hits and triples. He was called up to the Tigers and debuted on July 29, 1975, in a game against the New York Yankees at Shea Stadium. (Yankee Stadium was being refurbished in 1974-75.) That night, Baldwin got his first big-league hit. He played in 30 games for the Tigers that season, hitting .221 with four home runs, eight RBI and two stolen bases. Before the 1976 season, Mr. Baldwin and legendary Tigers left-hander Mickey Lolich were dealt to the New York Mets for outfielder Rusty Staub. Mr. Baldwin spent most of the season at Class AAA Tidewater, hitting .271 with 17 home runs and 72 RBI. After being recalled by the Mets in September, he hit .273 with a homer and five RBI in 24 games in what turned out to be his final season in the big leagues. Mr. Baldwin had the biggest thrill of his pro career on Sept. 24 against the Chicago Cubs at Shea Stadium, when he hit a walk-off home run off former Tigers teammate Joe Coleman. He remained in the Mets organization until he was released in 1979, when he signed that spring with the Indians organization but never played for the Tribe. In his two big league seasons, Mr. Baldwin hit .231 with five home runs and 13 RBI. The family is holding private services at 4 p.m. Friday at Rhoden Memorial Home at 1101 Palmetto Ave. A public gathering for friends and family will start about 5:30 p.m. at the New Seasons banquet room at 1495 S. Hawkins Ave. |
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