Third Annual Floyd Temple Alumni Game Slated for Saturday
LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the third-straight year, the Kansas baseball team pays tribute to the program’s winningest coach, inviting back former players for the Third-Annual Floyd Temple Alumni game on Saturday, September 27, at Hoglund Ballpark.
Held in conjunction with Homecoming and K-Club Weekend, the first pitch is slated for 11 a.m.
“It is always exciting to see the alumni return to KU,” head coach Ritch Price said. “I know everyone, including myself, looks forward to this event every year to honor the memory of Floyd Temple.”
Temple, who passed away in 2012, held the reigns of the program for 28 seasons (1954-81). He amassed 438 victories during his tenure as head coach, combining for a .524 winning percentage. Temple coached four All-Americans and seven future Major League players at KU, including 1959 American League Rookie of the Year and three-time MLB All-Star Bob Allison. After coaching, Temple served as an assistant athletic director from 1981-92.
In honor of the legendary coach, Price and the current squad have invited two former Major League pitchers, Chuck Dobson and Marty Pattin, to serve as honorary captains for the alumni team.
Dobson lettered at KU in 1964 and played nine seasons in the majors. He started his career in Kansas City with the Athletics and was with the club when it moved to Oakland, and finished his career with the California Angels. The right-handed hurler attained an overall record 74-69 and struck out 758 batters en route to a 3.78 ERA. His best season came in 1970 when he made a league-leading 40 starts, throwing a league-high five shutouts. He made five starts and threw 30 innings for the world champion Athletics in 1974.
Pattin had big shoes to fill following the legacy that Temple had crafted. He served as head coach of the Jayhawks for six years from 1982-1987. Before he tried his hand in coaching, Pattin was a Major League right-handed pitcher. Throughout his 13-years in professional ball he played for the California Angels (1968), Seattle Pilots (1969), Milwaukee Brewers (1970-71), Boston Red Sox (1972-73) and the Kansas City Royals (1974-80). He finished his career with 114 wins, 1,179 strikeouts and a 3.62 ERA.
Prior to first pitch, alumni are welcomed to take batting practice at 10 a.m. A brunch will also be served during that time in the Trombold Lounge of the McCarthy Family Clubhouse, and a social will take place on the Bud Walker Patio. Fans and family members are also invited to catch the action between the current and former players by finding a spot in the Kohorst Family MVP Club.
After the abbreviated alumni game, the football team will play host to Texas at 3 p.m., at Memorial Stadium.
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