Harrison County’s Mac Whitaker becomes winningest coach in Ky. high school baseball
After Harrison County’s win over visiting Model on Monday, Coach Mac Whitaker’s family stood by the scoreboard on The Hilltop and helped unveil a new name for the home of the four-time high school baseball state champions.
“Mac Whitaker Field” now denotes the place where the Thorobreds’ coach earned most of his 1,145 victories, the state’s new all-time mark as Whitaker surpassed Pleasure Ridge Park’s Bill Miller with Harrison County’s 15-0 win over Model.
“I’m so honored and humbled,” Whitaker said after getting drenched by his players with a water cooler and later taking a moment to dry his eyes after the new sign was uncovered. “All the years, all the things that have taken place to get to this point — it’s got my name on it, but there have been so many people, all the former players have played a big part, and all my assistant coaches. My brother, Jimmy, has been there almost every single game I’ve had.
“As you can see by the fans tonight: What a great place to build a baseball program. I’m just so fortunate.”
A small park, even for high school, many fans park along the high berm around the outfield and set up camp chairs in addition to populating the small bleachers next to the dugouts and down the left-field line. The local radio station, WCYN, carries the home games, a rarity nowadays for high school baseball. And “Go ‘Breds Go,” an adaptation of the Chicago Cubs anthem, rings out from the press box when the score goes their way, as it did on Monday in a run-ruled three innings.
Past players, other alumni, administrators, family and friends turned out for the occasion. Christian Chasteen and Logan Dailey, who played on the 2010 state championship team, made sure to bring a go-plate of mustard to recreate one of their favorite stories when a famished Whitaker told one of his players during a game to go get him a hot dog with just mustard and the player came back with just mustard. The memory brought a broad smile.
“He definitely deserves it,” Chasteen said. “He’s been coaching since 1978. That’s crazy. We have a real small-town feel here, and you grow up, especially in Little League, you kind of look up to all the high school players. You want to play for Coach Whitaker. And you want to play Harrison County baseball.”
In addition to the advertisements and the signs that say “Harrison County,” two other prominent signs carry the slogan “A matter of pride.” It’s emblazoned on the visiting dugout and above the Breds Baseball scoreboard.
Whitaker’s teams have won state titles in 1993, 1997, 1998 and 2010 with two runner-up finishes, 21 region championships and 37 district crowns.
“Like it says over there across the board, ‘It’s a matter of pride,’” Chasteen said. “We take baseball serious around here.”
Among those who helped Whitaker along the way was his longtime assistant, the late Ronnie Herrington, who died in 2006.
“It couldn’t have happened (without Herrington). He helped me for 27 years, and I know he’s up there ... I was out there working on the field today, and I looked up and just said, ‘Can you imagine, Ronnie, what we’ve done?’”
Whitaker, 68, still spends hours working on the field himself and has no plans to retire from coaching as long as he feels good and feels like he’s doing a good job, he said.
“I’m lucky enough to have a wife that allows me to do this,” Whitaker said. “Connie has supported me and gone with me and traveled with me. We brought our kids through the system … and, now, I’ve got grandkids, Harper and Frank, and they’re here every day and want to come out and play.”
Harrison County hasn’t named any of its other sporting venues for people, so Mac Whitaker Field is a first.
“Things (like this) take place, usually after you die, but I’m honored they decided to do something like this. And I want to thank so many people, our board of education, our superintendent, our former superintendent’s here tonight, too,” Whitaker said. “There are so many people who have let me be me over the years.”
Playing against an 0-11 Model team, the Breds (13-3) jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first inning and scored the win-clinching 15th run on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the third.
His current players appreciated their part in history, as well.
“It’s as special as it gets, you know. It’s like you wake up on Christmas morning and there’s all these presents. You didn’t get all of them, but you get to see all of them,” said sophomore catcher Bodie Muth.
As for the name change to “Mac Whitaker Field,” Muth said, “I’ve always felt like we have been playing on his field. It just wasn’t named his, yet.”
