Page 3 • March 2019
Just Your
Average Guy By Jody Norwood
At
5-feet, 7-inches with a few spring trainings behind him, Ron Polk appears to be just as he advertises: an average guy. A guy from a typical family (he and his brother grew up the sons of a mailman in Arizona) who loved America’s pastime. On March 2 at Marshall County High School, Polk met with dozens of area baseball players, discussing the mundane parts of coaching: recruiting, public speaking, getting thrown out of games for arguing with officials. Baseball fans — especially those of the Southeastern Conference — know Polk is anything but an average guy with an average story to tell.
A baseball legend, Polk has been included in six different halls of fame (Georgia Southern University, American Baseball Coaches Association, State of Mississippi, Mississippi State University and National College Baseball). Polk is recognized by many as one of the most successful coaches at the college level, and the winningest coach in SEC history with a 1,373-702-2 record. Of course, Polk — whose name graces Mississippi State’s Polk-Dement Stadium — is quick to point out that not every game was a success. “I’ve got more wins, but I’ve also got more losses than anyone in the SEC,”
Polk said. “Not many coaches last for 31 years in the SEC. When someone likes to say they have more wins, I always like to preface it that they have more losses, too. And that’s what’s going to happen: you’re going to win some, and you’re going to lose some.” The 75-year old still coaches athletes, continuing to make an impact on college baseball. As a volunteer coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Polk said he is prohibited from recruiting players. And that’s ok with him, as he spent plenty of time on the road courting the country’s best athletes during his time in the SEC.
