Ron Fraser

From BR Bullpen

Fraserron.jpg

Ron Fraser

Biographical Information[edit]

Fraser shows off his stuff to some Dutch players in 1962

As Head Coach of the University of Miami, Ron Fraser had a record of 1,271-438-9 over 30 years. He was named best coach in the 1982 Haarlem Baseball Week.

Ron was a reliever in college. He then went to the Army, where he began his coaching career.

Fraser managed at least three different national teams. While in the Army and serving in West Germany, he guided the German national team to a Bronze in the 1958 European Championship. The performance impressed the Dutch national team, who hired him away. He then led the Netherlands to an easy Gold at the 1960 European Championship despite media criticism that he was being too tough on the club. The Dutch prime minister asked him what it would take to make the arrangement longer-lasting and Fraser said (what he considered unrealistically high) $19,000 a year with time off to go to the USA. The prime minister agreed. 32 years later, Fraser told Sports Illustrated "I never made that mistake again in negotiations." Fraser led the Dutch to Gold once more at the 1962 European Championship.

Fraser was a contestant on the What's My Line? television program after 1962 and the panel could not figure out Ron's job of Dutch baseball coach. His performance on the show made an impression on University of Miami president Henry King Stanford, who offered Fraser a job coaching at Miami. It was an odd way to begin a legendary career.

He managed Team USA in the 1973 FEMBA Amateur World Series (a Gold), 1987 Pan American Games and 1992 Olympics, his third different national team. He also coached for them when they won Silver in the 1969 Amateur World Series, a late replacement for Frank Sancet, who was sidelined by medical issues.

Sources include Baseball in Europe by Josh Chetwynd

Year-by-Year Coaching Record[edit]

Year School Overall Record Conference Record Notes
1963 University of Miami 18-9
1964 University of Miami 20-9-1
1965 University of Miami 23-12-1
1966 University of Miami 19-18-1
1967 University of Miami 23-15-1
1968 University of Miami 27-11-1
1969 University of Miami 31-11
1970 University of Miami 28-15-1
1971 University of Miami 35-11 CWS District Tournaments
1972 University of Miami 32-17
1973 University of Miami 42-17 CWS District Tournaments
1974 University of Miami 51-11 CWS District Tournaments / CWS
1975 University of Miami 45-14 CWS Regionals
1976 University of Miami 41-15 CWS Regionals
1977 University of Miami 44-13 CWS Regionals
1978 University of Miami 50-12 CWS Regionals / CWS
1979 University of Miami 55-11 CWS Regionals / CWS
1980 University of Miami 59-12 CWS Regionals / CWS
1981 University of Miami 61-10 CWS Regionals / CWS
1982 University of Miami 55-17-1 CWS Regionals / CWS
1983 University of Miami 61-21 CWS Regionals
1984 University of Miami 48-28 CWS Regionals / CWS
1985 University of Miami 64-16 CWS Regionals / CWS
1986 University of Miami 50-17 CWS Regionals / CWS
1987 University of Miami 35-24-1 CWS Regionals
1988 University of Miami 52-14-1 CWS Regionals / CWS
1989 University of Miami 49-18 CWS Regionals / CWS
1990 University of Miami 52-13 CWS Regionals
1991 University of Miami 46-17 CWS Regionals
1992 University of Miami 55-10 CWS Regionals / CWS