It’s hard to believe Ron Polk when he says nothing really stands out in his 25 years of coaching Mississippi State baseball. No plays. No locker room moments. No players.
“Just a myriad of memories-that’s all-but nothing stands out,” he said.
But make no mistake, 60-year-old Polk hasn’t forgotten.
His players know he hasn’t forgotten them because they can expect a Christmas card in the mail every year. Not just to the current players, but to each one of the hundreds who ever sported a Maroon and White uniform since 1976, Polk’s first year at State.
“If I find an address,” Polk said. “For the most part I do.
“It’s part of the fun-part of your family, you know. I send them a birthday card and an anniversary card. They become part of your life, and you just like to keep track of how they’re doing with their marriages and kids. They call me all the time, and it makes me feel like I’ve had some direction in their life, and it makes me feel good.”
Polk wasn’t always so comfortable with the players. When he came to MSU in December 1975, he filled in for Jimmy Bragan, who had left a month before to become third base coach for the Milwaukee Brewers.
“I came in mid-year and didn’t know any of the players,” Polk said. “So that was somewhat awkward.”
But he got to know them, and the next bunch and the next. And players like Buck Showalter, Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Brantley and Bobby Thigpen came and went-to the Major Leagues, that is. They weren’t the only ones under Polk to compete at baseball’s highest level, but they made the biggest impacts in the pro game.
“I take just as much pride in the guys that didn’t go on to professional baseball-the guys that become doctors and lawyers and dentists and pharmaceutical sales and life insurance agents,” Polk said. “We’ve had great success with our kids academically. Most of them graduate and have gone on to be very successful.”
Now in his silver anniversary season, Polk still feels an obligation to point players in the right direction.
“Baseball’s just a game,” he said. “We tell them that all the time. It’s more important to try to be competitive and enjoy the aspect of being a student-athlete and get on with your life.”
Polk’s life, however, has been baseball, and his coaching rsum extends beyond his Bulldog career.
From 1972 to 1975, he turned around Georgia Southern’s program and earned the National Coach of the Year honor in his second season there. He received the award again in 1985 when he led MSU to the College World Series.
After taking the Bulldogs back to Omaha in 1997, Polk quit as a head coach. He spent his time working to upgrade Dudy Noble Field and its facilities. Consequently, the ballpark became “Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium” in 1998. “There are still some projects we’d like to get done in as quick a timeframe as possible,” he said. “We improve these facilities because we’ve got to stay up with the rest of the SEC.”
But Polk couldn’t stay away from coaching, and after 22 years at State, he left to become the head coach at Georgia. After leading those Bulldogs to an SEC championship in 2001, the second of his two years at UGA, Polk accepted an offer to come back to MSU.
“It was just an opportunity to come home,” he said. “I could have stayed at Georgia for the next three or four years. (State) asked me to return, and I decided to do it. I’m glad I did.”
So MSU coaching stint number two began in 2002, and how long will it last?
“As long as I stay healthy and we win some games,” Polk said.