Throwback Thursday: Dave Magadan
Alabama baseball's had plenty of star players over the years, including the likes of Frank Lary, Jim Tabor, Del Pratt, Joe Swell, Luke Sewell, Riggs Stephenson and Al Worthington.
But if you're talking about the best player over the past 50 years, the list starts and ends with just one name: Dave Magadan.
Originally out of the Tampa, Fla. area, Magadan had a chance to bypass the college experience when he was selected in the 20th round of the 1980 Major League Baseball draft, but he opted to head to Tuscaloosa instead.
In 1983, his senior year, Magadan set the Southeastern Conference batting average record at .525, while also topping the Crimson Tide in hits, doubles, total bases and slugging percentage. He helped lead the Crimson Tide to the College World Series, and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
He also won the Golden Spikes Award, which annually goes to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. He's the only player from Alabama to win his sport's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
Baseball America also named Magadan its College Player of the year.
"It was the perfect school at the perfect time," Magadan said about Alabama.
Other accolades with the Crimson Tide included SEC Athlete of the Year, SEC Baseball Tournament MVP and three first-team All-SEC selections.
His .439 career batting average is the SEC record and tenth best in NCAA history.
Magadan's many Crimson Tide records include:
Single-season batting average .525
Career batting average .439 (1981-83)
Tied for most hits in a game five (three times)
Singles in a game: Five
Single-season doubles: 31
Single-season RBIs: 95
Single-season hits: 114
Magadan was selected by the New York Mets with the 32nd overall pick of the 1983 Major League Baseball draft, early in the second round. Although most pro fans are familiar with his years with the Mets, which won the World Series in 1986, he ended up playing 16 seasons with seven different teams.
Specifically, he played for the New York Mets (1986–1992), Florida Marlins (1993), Seattle Mariners (1993), Florida Marlins (1994), Houston Astros (1995), Chicago Cubs (1996), Oakland Athletics (1997–1998) and San Diego Padres (1999–2001).
The cousin and godson of former manager Lou Piniella finished his career with a .288 batting average, with 42 home runs and 495 RBIs.
Magadan was on the coaching staff of the Boston Red Sox for their 2007 World Series Championship, and is currently the hitting coach of the Colorado Rockies.
He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010, and was honored by Alabama in a unique way during the latest renovations to Sewell-Thomas Stadium with the .525 Club named after his record-setting batting average.
Courtesy Jimmy Bank
