There was something special about Bob Huber’s 23rd and final Hersey baseball squad.
The 2017 Huskies finished 9-23-1 and bowed out of the Class 4A state playoffs with a 9-3 loss to top-seeded Buffalo Grove on May 24. Huber revealed before the season that he would retire at the end of the year.
The current Huskies lost more games than most others during Huber’s tenure, but this particular group will always occupy a special place in Huber’s memory because of how the players went about their business.
“All of these kids had a great attitude,” Huber said. “Everyone was always hustling, and they had a willingness to stay with it when things weren’t always going well. A group of really good kids.”
Huber’s perspective on this year’s team is similar to the way he has always approached his job: It was about more than just wins and losses. He also stressed playing together and representing Hersey in the best possible manner.
And he always came to the field with plenty of energy and enthusiasm.
“The one word I would use to describe Coach Huber is ‘passionate,’ ” two-year starting catcher Tyler Haffey said. “He was always upbeat with us. To the very end of the season, he kept telling us that he believed in us and that we would turn it around. That’s a huge reason we fought so hard to win games.”
Beyond the intricacies of baseball, graduates of Huber’s program frequently left with a better understanding of life and how to approach its curveballs.
Haffey, for instance, credited Huber for helping him overcome his frequent frustration after a defensive miscue or a poor plate appearance.
“We had a lot of talks about how to change that mindset,” Haffey said. “I can take that skill into whatever I do in life in the future.”
In his 20-plus years at the helm, Huber ushered 75 players into the collegiate ranks. He was a 2012 inductee into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
The Huskies won six division crowns and the 2012 Mid-Suburban League title, in addition to three straight regional championships from 2002-04.
Wally Brownley, an assistant coach under Huber for 11 seasons, will be Hersey’s next head coach. Brownley played infield on Schaumburg’s 1997 state championship team and played college ball at Augustana.
“The only person I’ve learned more from (than Huber) about baseball is my own father,” Brownley said. “His work ethic is unmatched, and what he’s put into the program behind the scenes can’t be measured.”
Brownley’s takeaways from working under Huber are wide-ranging, from pitching mechanics to putting pressure on the opponent.
While it’s inevitable that Brownley will introduce some new wrinkles into the program, there’s one overriding hallmark that will remain firmly intact.
“I want kids to have the same love for the intricacies of the game that I do,” Brownley said. “Baseball has made my life better in so many ways, and I want to inject that same enthusiasm to the players. That part of my new job will make an easy transition.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
