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Ron Fraser

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For other people with the same name, see Ronald Fraser.
Ron Fraser
Biographical details
Born(1933-06-25)June 25, 1933
Nutley, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJanuary 20, 2013(2013-01-20) (aged 79)
Weston, Florida, U.S.
Alma materFlorida State University
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1963–1992Miami Hurricanes
Head coaching record
Overall1,271–438–9
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 College World Series (1982, 1985)
College Baseball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

Ronald George Fraser (June 25, 1933 – January 20, 2013) was an American college baseball coach best known for his tenure at the University of Miami from 1963 to 1992. Nicknamed the "Wizard of College Baseball", he led the Miami Hurricanes baseball program to over 1,200 victories—his teams set an NCAA baseball record with playoff appearances in 20 consecutive seasons and won College World Series championships in 1982 and 1985.[1]

Early years

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Born and raised in Nutley, New Jersey, Fraser was a three-sport letterman at Nutley High School where he graduated in 1953.[2] He then attended Murray State College in Kentucky from 1953 to 1954.[2] Later, he played baseball at Florida State University from 1954 to 1956 as a relief pitcher for the Florida State Seminoles baseball team. At Florida State, he joined Theta Chi. He graduated in 1960.[2]

Fraser served in the United States Army for two years, during 1957 and 1958.[2] He was stationed in Germany and the Netherlands. He coached the Germany national baseball team at the 1958 European Baseball Championship,[3] and he managed the Netherlands national baseball team from 1960 until 1963.[4]

Miami Hurricanes baseball

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In 1963, Fraser took a head coaching job with the University of Miami,[4] a school which did not offer its baseball players a scholarship. Even though the school did not begin to offer scholarships until 1973, Fraser built a program. Some of the people Fraser brought to visit the school to bring publicity to the program were Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Stan Musial, as well as announcer Joe Garagiola.

In 1973, Miami started a record streak of consecutive postseason appearances in college baseball; the streak continued for 20 seasons under Fraser, and ultimately lasted 44 seasons, finally ending in 2017. Also in 1973, Mark Light Stadium was built in large part to efforts by Fraser to build a privately-funded stadium. In 1974, Miami was College World Series runner-up to the University of Southern California (USC), a perennial college baseball powerhouse.

The 1980s were a time of great change in Miami athletics.[according to whom?] The Miami Hurricanes football team won championships in 1983, 1987 and 1989. While the success of Miami football seemed to eclipse much of the success of the baseball program, Miami won its first two College World Series in 1982 and 1985.

Further information: 1982 College World Series and 1985 College World Series

While opponents' fans often criticized Hurricane football fans for not selling out the Orange Bowl. Mark Light Stadium was almost always a full house for Hurricane baseball games and Fraser's Hurricanes drew 1.27 million fans in the 1980s, the best in college baseball.

Fraser was inducted to the Hurricanes' sports hall of fame in 1983,[5] and the Ron Fraser Building, which houses the baseball offices at Mark Light Stadium, was named after him in 1986.[6] Fraser retired as coach of Miami baseball at the end of the 1992 season.[7]

Later years

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Fraser coached the United States national baseball team at the 1992 Summer Olympics, which marked the first time that baseball was an official medal sport.[8][9] The team, per Olympic rules at the time, was restricted to amateur players only.[8] Fraser's 20-player squad of college baseball players included future major leaguers such as Jason Giambi, Nomar Garciaparra, and Jason Varitek.[10][11] The team had a 5–2 record in pool play, then fell to Cuba in the semifinals, followed by a loss to Japan in the bronze-medal match.[8]

Fraser was inducted to the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.[1] He died on January 20, 2013, at his home in Weston, Florida, of complications from Alzheimer's disease.[12]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Miami (Independent) (1963–1992)
1963 Miami 18-9
1964 Miami 20-9-1
1965 Miami 23-12-1
1966 Miami 19-18-1
1967 Miami 23-15-1
1968 Miami 27-11-1
1969 Miami 31-11
1970 Miami 28-15-1
1971 Miami 35-11 NCAA District
1972 Miami 32-17
1973 Miami 42-17 NCAA District
1974 Miami 51-11 College World Series Runner-up
1975 Miami 45-14 NCAA Regional
1976 Miami 41-15 NCAA Regional
1977 Miami 44-13 NCAA Regional
1978 Miami 50-12 College World Series
1979 Miami 55-11 College World Series
1980 Miami 59-12 College World Series
1981 Miami 61-10 College World Series
1982 Miami 55-17-1 College World Series champions
1983 Miami 61-21 NCAA Regional
1984 Miami 48-28 College World Series
1985 Miami 64-16 College World Series champions
1986 Miami 50-17 College World Series
1987 Miami 35-24-1 NCAA Regional
1988 Miami 52-14-1 College World Series
1989 Miami 49-18 College World Series
1990 Miami 52-13 NCAA Regional
1991 Miami 46-17 NCAA Regional
1992 Miami 55-10 College World Series
Miami: 1,271–438–9
Total: 1,271–438–9

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Ron Fraser - University of Miami / 1962-92". MLB.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Veleber, Don (July 29, 1969). "Nutley's Fraser Is Mr. Success". Herald News. Passaic, New Jersey. p. 23. Retrieved April 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "FSU's Ron Fraser To Pilot Dutch Nine". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. AP. March 26, 1960. p. 12. Retrieved April 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Pezdirtz, Rick (January 16, 1963). "The Dutch Lose A Coach And It's U-M's Gain". The Miami News. p. 3C. Retrieved April 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Ron Fraser: Baseball Coach". umsportshalloffame.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Rosenblatt, Richard (February 19, 1986). "Ron Fraser Baseball Building: It's about time". The Miami News. p. 2B. Retrieved April 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Mell, Randall (June 7, 1992). "Fraser leaves Omaha rain for new reign in Spain". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. p. 5C. Retrieved April 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c Preston, Mike (August 6, 1992). "Dismayed U.S. Beaten at Its Own Game". Los Angeles Times. p. C7. Retrieved August 8, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Fraser makes final cuts on U.S. baseball team". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. AP. July 11, 1992. p. C3. Retrieved August 8, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Stinson, Thomas (July 11, 1992). "Garciaparra safe, Varitek out as U.S. makes final cuts". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D4. Retrieved August 8, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Varitek headed to the Olympics". Orlando Sentinel. July 15, 1992. p. C-1. Retrieved August 8, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Degnan, Susan Miller (January 21, 2013). "Miami Hurricanes legendary baseball coach Ron Fraser dies". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on January 18, 2014.
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