John H. Kobs was an American athlete and coach. He was the head baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 coach at Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

 from 1925 to 1963 where he compiled a career record of 576–377–16. He also coached men's basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 (1924–1926) and ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 (1925–1931) at Michigan State. He has been inducted into both the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports people. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, president of the Greater Michigan Foundation Donald Weeks, general manager of the...

 and the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Early years

Kobs was born in Cavalier, North Dakota

Cavalier, North Dakota

Cavalier is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota in the United States. It is the county seat of Pembina County. The population was 1,302 at the 2010 census. Cavalier was founded in 1877 and became the county seat in 1911....

 in 1898. He moved to Lake City, Minnesota

Lake City, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,950 people, 2,131 households, and 1,402 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,166.9 people per square mile . There were 2,347 housing units at an average density of 553.3 per square mile...

 while in grade school and attended Hamline University

Hamline University

-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...

 in St. Paul, Minnesota. At Hamline, he was a multi-sport athlete winning 13 varsity letter

Varsity letter

A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...

s -- four each in football and basketball, three in baseball, and two in track. He was also named to Minnesota's All-State college teams for three years each in football and basketball and two years in baseball. In January 1951, Kobs was selected as one of the top five all-around athletes in Minnesota during the first half of the 20th Century, as selected by a board of Minnesota sports experts.

Coaching career

After graduating from Hamline University, he spent two years from 1922 to 1924 as a member of the school's coaching staff.

In May 1924, Kobs was hired as the baseball and basketball coach at Michigan Agricultural College. He was the head coach of the Aggies'/Spartans' baseball team for 38 years from 1925 to 1963. During his 38 years as head baseball coach at Michigan State, Kobs compiled a record of 574 wins, 377 losses and 16 ties for a winning percentage of .602. He had only four losing seasons in 38 campaigns, and his 1954 team won the Big Ten Conference

Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

 championship and the NCAA District No. 4 playoffs and finished third in the College World Series

College World Series

The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...

 at Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

.

Kobs coached numerous athletes who went on to play Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

, including Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Robin Roberts, whom Kobs switched from a first baseman to a pitcher. Other Major League players developed by Kobs include Bob Anderson

Bob Anderson (baseball)

Robert Carl Anderson , is a former professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1957-1963. He would play for the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers....

, Ed Hobaugh

Ed Hobaugh

Edward Russell Hobaugh , is a retired Major League Baseball player who played pitcher from -. He would play for the Washington Senators.-External links:...

, Jack Kralick

Jack Kralick

John Francis Kralick , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1959 to 1967. He participated in 235 games in the course of an eight-year career that included stints with the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians...

, Hobie Landrith

Hobie Landrith

Hobart "Hobie" Neal Landrith is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1950 through 1963 for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, and Washington Senators...

, Al Luplow

Al Luplow

Alvin David Luplow, Jr. , is a retired American professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Pittsburgh Pirates.Luplow attended Michigan State University, where he played varsity football, before signing...

, Ron Perranoski

Ron Perranoski

Ronald Peter Perranoski is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher, having played from through ....

, Dick Radatz

Dick Radatz

Richard Raymond Radatz , nicknamed "The Monster" or "Moose", was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who had a scorching but short-lived period of dominance for the Boston Red Sox . Radatz also played for the Cleveland Indians , Chicago Cubs , Detroit Tigers and...

, and George Smith

George Smith (second baseman)

George Cornelius Smith was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1963 through 1966 for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox . He played in the Negro leagues for the Indianapolis Clowns and the Chicago American Giants in 1952 and 1956–1957. Listed at 5' 10", 170 lb.,...

.

Kobs was a charter member, past president and past secretary of the Association of College Baseball Coaches. He also served for many years as the secretary of the NCAA baseball rules committee. He was a member and secretary of the United States Olympic Baseball Committee and coached two United States baseball teams in the Pan American Games

Pan American Games

The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...

. After his final season as Michigan State's baseball coach, Kobs was honored by the National Rockne Club as the Collegiate Baseball Coach of the Year in March 1964.

Kobs also coached the Michigan State men's basketball

Michigan State Spartans men's basketball

The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...

 team for two years from 1924 to 1926, compiling a record of 11–26. He was also the Spartans' first ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 coach, holding the position for six years from 1925 to 1931 with a record of 9–19–1. In his early years at the school, he also coached freshman football and served as an assistant coach on the varsity football team.

In June 1963, Kobs voluntarily resigned from active coaching at age 64 and became administrative assistant to Michigan State athletic director Biggie Munn

Biggie Munn

Clarence Lester "Biggie" Munn was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He was the head football coach at Albright College , Syracuse University , and most notably Michigan State College , where his 1952 squad won a national championship...

. In December 1966, Kobs announced that he would retire effective July 1, 1967, following 43 years of service to Michigan State.

Death and posthumous honors

In January 1968, Kobs died of a heart attack at his home in East Lansing, Michigan

East Lansing, Michigan

East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...

, at age 69. He was survived by his wife, Lauretta Kobs, and two sons, Robert Kobs and John Kobs, Jr.

Two months after his death, Kobs was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports people. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, president of the Greater Michigan Foundation Donald Weeks, general manager of the...

; his award was accepted by his widow, Lauretta Kobs at a dinner and ceremony at Cobo Hall

Cobo Hall

Gavin Hamilton memorial arena is a major convention center situated along Jefferson Ave. in downtown Detroit, Michigan, USA. It was named for Albert E. Cobo, mayor of Detroit from 1950 to 1957. Designed by Gino Rossetti, opened in 1960. Expanded in 1989, the present complex contains of exhibition...

 in Detroit

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

. In March 1969, Michigan State's Board of Trustees approved naming the university's baseball field "John Kobs Field" in honor of Kobs. The field was dedicated between games of a doubleheader against Wisconsin on May 10, 1969. The field and stadium are now known as Drayton McLane Baseball Stadium at John H. Kobs Field

Drayton McLane Baseball Stadium at John H. Kobs Field

Drayton McLane Baseball Stadium at John H. Kobs Field is a baseball stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. It is the home field for the Michigan State University Spartans college baseball team. The stadium holds roughly 4,000 people and opened for baseball in 1925. The facility received a US$4.2...

. The field remains named after Kobs, and the stadium facility is named after Houston Astros

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...

 owner and Michigan State alumni Drayton McLane.

Kobs also posthumously inducted the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993 as part of the second group of inductees. He has also been inducted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, and the Hall of Fame of the American Association of College Baseball Coaches.

Baseball

1925: 9–5 –1 (.633)

1926: 13–7–0 (.650)

1927: 13–8–0 (.619)

1928: 11–7–0 (.611)

1929: 12–11–1 (.521)

1930: 16–6–0 (.727)

1931: 13–9–1 (.587)

1932: 10–12–2 (.458)

1933: 13– 7–0 (.650)

1934: 10–11–1 (.477)

1935: 11–9–1 (.548)

1936: 13–7–0 (.650)

1937: 16–11–0 (.593)

1938: 15–9–0 (.625)

1939: 13–10–0 (.565)

1940: 12–8–2 (.591)

1941: 13–10–0 (.565)

1942: 13–11–1 (.540)

1943: 9–7–0 (.563)

1944: (No varsity team because of WWII)

1945: 12–4–0 (.750)

1946: 21–5–0 (.808)

1947: 16–8–0 (.667)

1948: 10–14–1 (.420)

1949: 19–8–1 (.696)

1950: 19–9–0 (.679)

1951: 17–9–0 (.654)

1952: 18–14–0 (.563)

1953: 11–17–0 (.393)

1954: 25–10–1 (.708)

1955: 21–11–0 (.656)

1956: 16–13–0 (.552)

1957: 18–13–1 (.578)

1958: 22–12–0 (.647)

1959: 21–14–0 (.600)

1960: 17–13–0 (.567)

1961: 21–11–1 (.652)

1962: 17–13–0 (.567)

1963: 18–14–1 (.561)

External links

• John Kobs at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com