Three Cheers for Drexel Baseball

Ted Williams famously observed that baseball is unlike most other endeavors in life because a hitter need only succeed three times out of 10 to be considered a good performer.

Three is perhaps the most important number in baseball. A batter is allowed three strikes in each plate appearance, and a team is allowed three outs each inning. The quantitatively inclined might note that each team fields 32 (that is, 9) players, and a game consists of 32 innings. A triple play is the rarest defensive play; on the offensive side, perhaps the most exciting thing a batter can do is hit a triple.

That’s why I was thrilled to learn that the baseball player who holds Drexel’s record for most triples hit in a single season is LeBow alumnus Sean Joyce ‘98, who now works at Drexel as an assistant athletics director for external relations. Joyce played at a time when Drexel competed against such future major leaguers as Brandon Inge of VCU, Kevin Mench of Delaware and Carlos Pena of Northeastern. He played with another LeBow alum, Drexel Hall-of-Famer Kris Doiron ‘96, who owns several team records including highest career batting average. He’s the only player in Drexel Baseball’s history to have his number retired.

This year, the Baseball Program, led by captain Sean Gallagher, a LeBow junior majoring in finance, and new coach Kevin Manning, marked the start of spring by traveling to Florida in March. Now, with baseball season in full swing, they are competing against longtime rivals such as Delaware, Hofstra and Towson.

Drexel Baseball dates back to the 1890s – the first decade of the Drexel Institute – making these players the keepers of one of Drexel’s oldest traditions.

ROB SIECKIEWICZ is an archivist at Drexel University. He wishes more people would sing along with the Drexel Fight Song at games.