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Jim DeHart knew before the 2000 season began that this would be his final summer coaching the Rowan County AmericanLegion baseball team.
But it didn’t really sink in until Rowan fell 7-3 to host Caldwell County in the championship game of the state tournament at Granite Falls on Wednesday.
“My emotions are very high to know that, after 30-some years, this is the last time you put a uniform on,” said DeHart immediately after the tournament ended.
DeHart finished his 11 seasons at the helm of Rowan’s team with a record of 368-120-1. Rowan averaged 33.5 wins per season from 1990 through 2000 under DeHart.
His 1993 team won the state championship, went 47-18 and finished fourth in the Southeastern Regionals in Hartselle, Ala.
The 1996 club didn’t win the state title, but did even better, winning the regional championship as the host team, advancing to the Legion World Series in Roseburg, Ore., and finishing fourth in the nation. The team posted a 41-8 record.
DeHart was asked on Friday to reflect on his 11 seasons.
“I’ve had some time to think about it. When you do something for so long and something you really love to do, it’s tough to give it up. My feelings right now: I’m tired. I know the kids are tired. I’m trying to recuperate. After I get to thinking about it, I’ll probably have different feelings about it,” said the 62-year-old veteran coach.
DeHart, who coached Catawba College four years (1986-89), was hired inOctober of 1989 to replace coaching legend Joe Ferebee as Rowan’s coach. Ferebee’s teams had won four state championships and 12 Area III titles. The 1955 Salisbury team finished third in the nation.
“There’s no pressure on me at all,” DeHart said at the time. “I’m not Joe Ferebee. I’m Jim DeHart. I’m going to do some things right, and I’m going to do some things wrong.”
A decade or so later, DeHart said, “Looking back 11 years ago, I had no idea we could accomplish as much as we have. Every year just about we bring in about five, six, eight or 10 different people. The kids keep coming. They haven’t changed a bit in my opinion in 11 years. They’re all as nice as they could be.”
The Rowan program uses players from Salisbury, East Rowan, North Rowan and West Rowan high schools, and DeHart was quick to give coaches at those schools credit for some of the Legion success.
“With these strong high school coaches getting these guys out and teaching them, it really has helped.I can see why some of the other programs can’t get started. It’s possibly because their high school coaches are not as strong as we have in this area. It definitely makes a big difference,” he explained.
Current head coaches at the four schools are Tom Sexton at Salisbury, Jeff Safrit at East Rowan, BillKesler at North Rowan and Chris Cauble at West Rowan.
DeHart doesn’t know who will replace him as head coach in a program that hasn’t had a losing season since before DeHart came, but he predicts good things for the new head man.
“I see no problem. I’ve been watching some of them (younger players) come up. The 11-12 group with Brett Hatley and Wade Moore and those kids coming up, that’s a good group of kids, plus they are good ballplayers,” he said.
The Rowan 11-12 All-Stars finished second in the state, just like the Legion team did Wednesday.
“It just never ends,” said DeHart of the local talent. “We’ve got kids next year that will be ready to play.I know some players now that two or three years from now are going to be excellent ballplayers.”
He referred to rising stars at East and North, then said, “The growing area in West Rowan: Chris Cauble will have an excellent ballclub. ... I have appreciation for the cooperation I’ve gotten over the 11 years from the high school coaches. I’ll forever be grateful for it.”
With 13 players returning off a team that went 32-13, he expects 2001 to be a big year.
“My decision to leave certainly wasn’t because there wasn’t any talent there, because there’s certainly talent everywhere,” he said.
His No. 1 reason for telling Legion officials before the season began that this would be his last year?
“I really don’t know. A lot of times you can stay too long. I didn’t want to be put in a position where they would want to make a change and not be able to. Maybe they need some young blood in there. There’s going to be a lot of new faces around the Legion program. Some are retiring and not coming back,” he responded.
He pointed out that he’s had the cooperation of all the members of the baseball committee from five Legion posts in the county.
“The Legion people have been great to me. I’ve never asked for a single thing that they haven’t given me. Those guys work hard: Pinky Trexler (concessions), Larry Burwell (treasurer, ticket sales), Banks Barringer (athletic officer), Theo Heilig (former athletic officer). I’ve loved both of them,” he said of Barringer and Heilig. “They’ve been so great to work with.
“All the teams have been very fortunate that the Legion people don’t mind spending the money they made. We were going to take a van up to Granite Falls. They wanted them to go first-class. They spent a lot of money.”
He referred to a regular-season trip in June as an example of the kind of money the Legion puts into the program.
“The trip to Wilmington through Garner: A lot of programs don’t spend that much money in a year. They always felt like the team comes first,” he said.
DeHart, who’s coached either youth, high school, Legion or college ball since the early 1960s, plans to be in the stands watching next year’s team.
“It’ll be hard, but I’ll be there. I’ll certainly support every team that comes after this,” he said.
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