Retired baseball coach George McQuitter was celebrated at an Oct. 23 ceremony as a man who cared deeply about his players, many of whom showed up, teary-eyed and grateful, to support the man who had supported them.
The baseball field at the former Utica Junior College and, later, Hinds Community College Utica Campus was rededicated and named the Grantham-McQuitter field in his honor. McQuitter was head coach there from 1979-1988, turning around a failing baseball program into a powerhouse that garnered respect, spring-boarded the careers of three pro baseball players, and sent dozens into four-year programs.
“Today marks an exciting milestone for our college community and past and current student-athletes, honoring a rich history of sports excellence that we are continuing to build upon,” said Vice President Jonathan Townes. “This field is more than just a place to play. It represents countless hours of hard work, dedication and support from so many people.”
Rick Porter, who served as McQuitter’s assistant coach, recalled that the Utica baseball program received no respect. That changed with McQuitter.
“If you put that maroon and gold on, you met certain standards,” Porter said. “If you couldn’t live up to those standards, you couldn’t wear the maroon and gold. His leadership brought this program to national prominence.
“Of all the things I think coach did, I was most proud of his care for his players. He loved to win – don’t get me wrong. He hated to lose worse than anybody I know. But his main purpose was to provide an avenue for guys to get ahead in life, step up, and make something out of their lives they may not have had before. He was so known for doing that, for taking care of players,” Porter said.
Harold Carpenter played on the Utica Junior College team from 1979-1981. “This UJC baseball team was built on hard work and dedication on and off the field,” he said. “The whole college could feel the shift and knew this was a new and improved UJC baseball team.”
Chicago native Clyde Coleman was the team’s manager, performing a list of duties as needed.
Like Porter, he recalled McQuitter’s high expectations. “You knew that when you stepped on this field, you were required to have a level of excellence. Nothing short of that would be accepted,” he said.
He led the former players in reciting McQuitter’s mantra: “If you believe, I believe.”
McQuitter, gesturing to former players gathered around him, said while it was his name on the marker, it was really about all of them. Ticking off a list of their names, he said, “That’s your name. That’s not my name – that’s your name. It’s so important to me that these guys be honored. When people pass by here, they’ll know what you did.”