AUBURN, Ala. – Surrounded by dozens of the Auburn baseball players he coached from 1985-2000, Hal Baird received the Jack Meagher Award Friday at Plainsman Park from the legendary football coach's grandchildren.
Presented since 2004 to a person with Auburn affiliation who has contributed significantly to society through athletics, Baird articulated with his customary eloquence and knowledge of Auburn history what the recognition means to him.
"This is a wonderful honor," Baird told attendees at a ceremony on the concourse of Auburn's baseball stadium, the sun setting behind him.
"When I first came to Auburn, I did the best I could to familiarize myself with Auburn's history. It didn't take me very long to be able to say Meagher's Marauders," said Baird, referencing the nickname of the teams Meagher coached on the Plains from 1934-42, including the program's first two bowl appearances.
"I know how judicious Auburn University is when it goes about the process of naming an award for one of its iconic figures like your grandfather was," Baird told the Meagher family. "That even makes it more special."
Auburn's winningest coach in any sport, Baird's teams amassed 634 victories and advanced to the College World Series in 1994 and 1997.
"It's a who's who in Auburn's athletic history, and it's a high-rent neighborhood to be in," said Baird of an honor he now shares with program greats such as Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan, Mike Kolen and Rowdy Gaines. "I could not be more thrilled."
Esteemed for the way he directed Auburn's baseball program, Baird's former players credited their coach for instilling in them a professionalism that carried them to success in baseball, business and interpersonally.
"He means a lot more to us than he probably knows," said Tim Hudson, who credits Baird for helping him refine the pitching repertoire and approach that helped Hudson win 222 Major League Baseball games. "My family loves him with all of our heart.
"He taught me how to be a professional on the baseball field. There was a certain standard he had here at Auburn. You carried yourself a little differently than most people do. It was a direct reflection of him as the leader of the team. He was a true professional."
Coach Hal Baird with former Auburn baseball players
Gregg Olson, the 1989 American League Rookie of the Year who recorded 217 MLB saves, chose Auburn over Mississippi State in part because of the Tigers' high-powered offense, not fully knowing just how high was the caliber of pitching instruction he would receive.
"He was unbelievable," Olson said. "It was such a blessing. I had no earthly idea that I was going to be walking into the best pitching coach in the country.
"Coach Baird was building men to play professionally and if they didn't, then move into a professional enterprise. He was a low-key professional. That was the way he went about his business."
Baird appreciates the opportunity retirement has afforded him to befriend his former players, a different, less demanding and disciplining dynamic than when he coached them.
"When you get to a certain point in time after you've coached, it's really a wonderful thing to look back and reflect upon all of these guys," Baird said. "Auburn' former athletes, and particularly the baseball players, have been so successful in life, they're such solid citizens.
"It's really amazing to see how well they've done. Almost every one of them looks back on their years at Auburn and thinks, 'These were the seminal moments that took me to where I ended up being,' almost without exception.
"Wonderful people, great family guys, solid citizens, and it's our extended family."
After Friday evening's ceremony, Baird officially received the Jack Meagher Award Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, giving 88,043 fans a chance to tip their cap once more to one who is most deserving of the gesture.
2023 Jack Meagher Award winner Hal Baird
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer