Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Terry Collins Continues EMU's Storied World Series History
10/27/2015 3:42:00 PM | Baseball
The former EMU baseball player joins some elite company to appear in the Fall Classic
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — When the 2015 Major League Baseball World Series between the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals gets underway tonight, Oct. 27, at Kaufmann Stadium in Missouri, it will mark the continuation of a celebrated history for Eastern Michigan University Baseball in the Fall Classic.
As it has been well documented around the Ypsilanti area, former EMU baseball standout Terry Collins ('71) is the current manager of the NLCS champion Mets and will be appearing in the first World Series of his long baseball career. That includes a 10-year minor league playing career, as well as his 11th season as a big-league manager.
While Collins will be the first EMU baseball alum to manage a World Series, he is certainly not the first to appear in one. In fact, he will be the third former EMU player who will look to make an impact for his team in the Series.
It began in the late 1970s with arguably one of the greatest players to ever wear the Green and White for EMU baseball. Right handed pitcher Bob Welch ('77), who already showed championship prowess as a member of the then Hurons by leading his team to the 1976 College World Series, became the first former EMU ball player to appear in the Fall Classic.
Just two years removed from that championship appearance, the number 22 overall pick of the 1977 MLB draft appeared as a fresh-faced rookie for the 1978 NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Although he and his team did not find success that year, falling to the New York Yankees in the series 4-2, he did find national recognition when he struck out all-time great Reggie Jackson with two men on base and two out in the top of the ninth inning of Game Two. This would mark just the beginning of a long and successful World Series career for Welch.
He returned to the postseason in 1981, once again with the LA Dodgers. This time he finally found that championship he had finished runner-up to twice before. Getting revenge on the Yankees, Welch only appeared in one game of the Series but earned his first championship ring nonetheless.
After moving on from the Dodgers to the Oakland Athletics later in the 80s, Welch continued to find championship success. He returned to the World Series three more times as a player, with three straight appearances in 1988, '89 and '90 with the A's, winning the crown in 1989 over the San Francisco Giants.
This was not the end for Welch however, as he returned to the World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 as the team's pitching coach. There he earned his third ring, once again defeating the Yankees.
Welch is not the only former EMU player to earn a World Series title, as the second also came in the 80s. Outfielder Pat Sheridan ('79) had a successful career for EMU as well, being selected as an All-Mac Conference centerfielder in 1979. Sheridan, who was drafted in the third round, ended up on the Kansas City Royals when the team made the 1985 World Series.
Despite playing in less than 100 regular season games, Sheridan had a large impact on the team, playing in five of the seven games of the World Series. He found success as well, recording four hits with two doubles and an RBI. His efforts helped the team to the title with a 4-3 series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Sheridan would go on to appear in another Series, which just so happened to be in the 1989 edition, as a member of the Giants against Welch's Athletics. This time he was on the losing end, recording only one at bat in the series.
While Welch and Sheridan are the only two prior players to appear in a World Series, three other former EMU athletes have played for World Series champion squads. Each of these three players appeared in games for eventual World Series champions, however they did not appear in the World Series themselves.
These three include right handed pitcher Roy Parmelee with the 1933 New York Giants, left handed pitcher John Martin ('77) with the 1982 Cardinals, and third baseman Glenn Gulliver ('91) with the 1983 Baltimore Orioles.
So, tonight begins the third quest for a World Series title for a former EMU baseball player. Although this time it will not be earned on the field, but in the dugout. As for Collins, a quintessential baseball "lifer," it will mark the culmination of a long career that all began at Eastern Michigan.
As it has been well documented around the Ypsilanti area, former EMU baseball standout Terry Collins ('71) is the current manager of the NLCS champion Mets and will be appearing in the first World Series of his long baseball career. That includes a 10-year minor league playing career, as well as his 11th season as a big-league manager.
While Collins will be the first EMU baseball alum to manage a World Series, he is certainly not the first to appear in one. In fact, he will be the third former EMU player who will look to make an impact for his team in the Series.
It began in the late 1970s with arguably one of the greatest players to ever wear the Green and White for EMU baseball. Right handed pitcher Bob Welch ('77), who already showed championship prowess as a member of the then Hurons by leading his team to the 1976 College World Series, became the first former EMU ball player to appear in the Fall Classic.
Just two years removed from that championship appearance, the number 22 overall pick of the 1977 MLB draft appeared as a fresh-faced rookie for the 1978 NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Although he and his team did not find success that year, falling to the New York Yankees in the series 4-2, he did find national recognition when he struck out all-time great Reggie Jackson with two men on base and two out in the top of the ninth inning of Game Two. This would mark just the beginning of a long and successful World Series career for Welch.
He returned to the postseason in 1981, once again with the LA Dodgers. This time he finally found that championship he had finished runner-up to twice before. Getting revenge on the Yankees, Welch only appeared in one game of the Series but earned his first championship ring nonetheless.
After moving on from the Dodgers to the Oakland Athletics later in the 80s, Welch continued to find championship success. He returned to the World Series three more times as a player, with three straight appearances in 1988, '89 and '90 with the A's, winning the crown in 1989 over the San Francisco Giants.
This was not the end for Welch however, as he returned to the World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 as the team's pitching coach. There he earned his third ring, once again defeating the Yankees.
Welch is not the only former EMU player to earn a World Series title, as the second also came in the 80s. Outfielder Pat Sheridan ('79) had a successful career for EMU as well, being selected as an All-Mac Conference centerfielder in 1979. Sheridan, who was drafted in the third round, ended up on the Kansas City Royals when the team made the 1985 World Series.
Despite playing in less than 100 regular season games, Sheridan had a large impact on the team, playing in five of the seven games of the World Series. He found success as well, recording four hits with two doubles and an RBI. His efforts helped the team to the title with a 4-3 series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Sheridan would go on to appear in another Series, which just so happened to be in the 1989 edition, as a member of the Giants against Welch's Athletics. This time he was on the losing end, recording only one at bat in the series.
While Welch and Sheridan are the only two prior players to appear in a World Series, three other former EMU athletes have played for World Series champion squads. Each of these three players appeared in games for eventual World Series champions, however they did not appear in the World Series themselves.
These three include right handed pitcher Roy Parmelee with the 1933 New York Giants, left handed pitcher John Martin ('77) with the 1982 Cardinals, and third baseman Glenn Gulliver ('91) with the 1983 Baltimore Orioles.
So, tonight begins the third quest for a World Series title for a former EMU baseball player. Although this time it will not be earned on the field, but in the dugout. As for Collins, a quintessential baseball "lifer," it will mark the culmination of a long career that all began at Eastern Michigan.
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