Coach Ronnie Anderson passed away Monday morning. The longtime baseball coach at West Orange-Stark, who also coached at West Orange and Orangefield, was 82. Coach “Andy” was living with his son Ryke in Louisiana after his wife passed away late in 2017.
Talking with former players you hear the same thing, “father figure,” “did it the right way,” “great teacher,” “mentor.”
In return the word for Coach Anderson is “respect.” The Mustangs home field was renamed “Ronnie Anderson Park” several years ago. He also had his own reserve seat near the backstop. And when he made it to the home games during Shea Landry’s tenure as coach, every Mustang player would run over and shake his hand during lineups and he would also get his own introduction. More than 20 years after he stopped coaching he was still being honored and respected.
I asked Andre Robertson what was the first thing he thought of when he heard of his passing. In Coach Anderson’s often high pitched voice he said with a laugh, “Get off my grass!” “Coach was very particular about the field, especially the infield. He had it manicured the way he wanted it and didn’t like players walking on his infield if it wasn’t part of practice or a game.”
Robertson, who played for Coach Anderson as a West Orange Chief in the mid-70’s, also mentioned how they would reminisce after his playing days about his signals at third base. “I’m coming at him from second and he would say Go and then say Stop. Usually I would just run through it. Thankfully I scored more often than not.”
Robertson, who went on to play at the University of Texas and the New York Yankees, said Anderson was instrumental in getting him to play for the Longhorns. “Texas never came to see me play. But when I went to the State Track Meet in the High Jump, the coaches came and found me and worked me out. I think Coach Anderson had a hand in that. They offered me a full scholarship and of course I accepted.”
He added, “I think another thing that made coach successful is that he kept the former players around the ballpark. Those of us who had played in college or the pros would be asked to come back and work with the kids coming up or just talk to them. He was allowing others to come in and be influential and that benefited the whole program I think.”
Jay Canizaro, who starred for four years, said wanting to play for Anderson changed the course of his life.
“My dad knew Coach Anderson well when we lived in Beaumont. We would drive to WOS when I was a kid, just so my dad could watch him coach and I got to be the bat boy. When I was in the 7th grade we packed up and moved to Orange just so I could play for him. I got to play for a great coach, with some great players, and earned a scholarship to Oklahoma State (and later played in the majors for both Minnesota and San Francisco). Plus I met my wife Casey in Orange. That wouldn’t have happened without Coach Anderson and his love of the game.”
If you know Jay’s dad, Joe, you know the last thing you’d probably see from him is tears. But several times in our conversation he let loose while explaining his appreciation of the late coach.
“He took high school baseball in Southeast Texas to the next level. At that time no one was running a baseball program around here like Ronnie Anderson. And he not only helped his players get scholarships, he helped many others that didn’t play at WOS if he thought they had the talent. And let’s not forget how many coaches he helped get head jobs and how many players became coaches because of Ronnie. People respected his opinion.”
One of those players that turned into a coach was Sam Moore, who is now at Sulphur.
“Coach Anderson was a remarkable baseball man that left no stone uncovered when it came to teaching the game. We had a drill for everything and boy did he make us execute everything perfect or we would have to do it 1000 times until we got it right! He taught us to be men on and off the field. A true icon that will truly be missed.”
Another coach who didn’t play for Coach Anderson but wished he had was Glenn Cecchini, head coach of the nine time State Champion Barbe Bucs in Lake Charles. I asked him one question and he went ten minutes straight (possibly without taking a breath) about what Coach Andy meant to him. Barbe used to compete in the Annual Certa-Bearden Tournament when Cecchini started at Barbe in the 1980’s.
“No one has done more for me in my coaching career than Ronnie Anderson. I wanted to be like him off the field. I wanted to coach like him on the field. I wanted my field to look as good as his. He inspired people and players to be better. Part of teaching them the game is teaching them to be accountable and that’s exactly what we try to teach here. Jackie Robinson said, ‘A life is not important except for the impact it has on others lives’ and that was Ronnie Anderson.”
Cecchini, who will also speak at Coach Andy’s funeral, went on to say, “I just went to see coach at while back. Every year he would come and watch us play and I would have him decked out in Barbe gear. We loved having him at the ballpark.” When Barbe and Sulphur meet this season, Coach Anderson was asked to throw the first pitch. Now the two will do something to honor his memory and commitment to the game of baseball.
Services will be handled by Claybar in Orange. Time and date will be announced on KOGT Tuesday afternoon.
-Gary Stelly, KOGT-
Social Media