Career Achievements Nationally Recognized By: Jim Hammerstone Mr. Vince Ardery, Notre Dame's Varsity Baseball Coach and Athletic Director for the past 19 years, received one of the eight National High School Coaching A wards presented annually by the American Baseball Coaches Association . H,e led his 1987 team to a 245 record, the best in Notre Dame's 30year History. By leading Notre Dame to win its third New J1ersey Championship in five years and , its fifth New Jersey Sectional Championship, Mr. Ardery recorded his 14th and 15th Championships in his 19 seasons at Notre Dame. Mr. Ardery had always wanted to be a baseball player. Upon his graduation
from college he had the opportunity to enter the ranks of the Los Angeles Dodgers Organization, but instead he accepted the position as Notre Dame's Varsity Baseball Coach and Athletic Director. Mr. Ardery has always worn Number 35, the number worn by Ralph Houk, manager of several Major League Baseball teams, including the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. "He's a player's manager," said Mr. Ardery. "A coach is like a sales manager and the players are like the salesmen . Just as a sales manager is only as good as his salesmen, a coach is only as
TEAM EFFORT: Don Huggins, Rich Hutchinson, Ron Wilson, and Ed Pattick, seen here with Mr. Ardery, were only some of the players from the 1987 State Championship Baseball Team . 176
good as his players." Mr. Ardery's method of coaching is to divide the responsibilities among the Assistant Coaches. Mr. Frank Gatto takes charge of batting and Mr. John Simone oversees the pitching . "We try to discipline ourselves in practice to be ready for any opponent," said Mr. Ardery. Team morale is one of the greatest aspects of a winning season . "In the 1988 season we're forced to fill many openings," said Mr. Ardery . "We'll have to call upon our winning tradition and rise to the level of past teams."