Ron Goble

Ronald Russell Goble

• Throws Left
• Height 6' 5"
• School University of Idaho, Linfield College
• High School Capital High School

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Ron Goble pitched one season in the minors.

Goble was All-State in high school at first base and earned a $1,500 scholarship to Linfield College; when his fastball was hitting 90 mph, he drew scouts from MLB teams. Ron ran afoul of a coach who questioned his patriotism for mourning the death of the students at Kent State University, part of problems that resulted from the conformity demanded of athletes at Linfield. He decided to give up sports and focus on academics, transferring to the University of Idaho.

In 1978, his girlfriend Linda Kittell (later his wife) saw an article in The Sporting News about try-outs for the independent Boise Buckskins even though Goble had not pitched for eight years. Manager Gerry Craft was impressed by Goble's try-out and signed him for the team. He went 2-3 with a 8.18 ERA in 20 games, allowing 70 hits and 34 walks in 44 innings while fanning 17. These numbers were not terribly unusual for Boise, whose staff had a 23-49, 6.42 record overall.

Goble was diagnosed with cancer in 1980 but responded well to treatments. He was hired by the Milwaukee Brewers as a regional commission scout, on Craft's recommendation, and pitched in the semipro Northern League for the Burlington A's while coaching teenagers in a Babe Ruth League. He later taught literature at Troy Junior-Senior High School, including a session on baseball in literature in 1995 (his wife having taught a similar class in community college).

Primary Source: A much more detailed article on Goble and his girlfriend in Once More Around the Park by Roger Angell; a 1994 article on the Goble-Kittell family and a 1995 article on a class Goble taught mentions Ron's becoming a teacher