Don Erickson wouldn’t have minded if his 400th win on Tuesday as Reavis baseball coach arrived without anxiety.
Say, a comfortable five- or six-run cushion, which would have allowed him to sit back and enjoy the moment a little more.
It was quite the contrary, though.
Erickson needed pitcher Lael Robles to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning and strand the tying runner at first base in the seventh to preserve a 4-3 victory over Water Valley during the Rams’ spring trip to Mississippi.
“It wasn’t easy but it was exciting,” Erickson said of win No. 400.
Erickson has had his share of memorable moments during his 21-year career at Reavis, including a 30-win season in 1998. What made No. 400 especially gratifying, beyond the grand number, was that he was able to share the moment with his two longtime assistants, Dick Canan and Bob Morack, and his son, Sam.
Canan, a 1982 Reavis graduate, has been along for much of the ride with Erickson. Morack, a 1996 Reavis grad, was a former player of Erickson’s before joining his staff in 2002.
“This is the first trip Dick has been able to take with us, so having him there was really special,” Erickson said. “Bob is one of my all-time favorite players. Now he’s one of my best friends.”
No one was more excited about the accomplishment, however, than Erickson’s 9-year-old son, Sam.
“He was so excited. He was running all around,” Erickson said. “It was great for him to be here with me.”
A 1987 graduate of Glenbard North, Erickson has no intentions of calling it a career just yet. He did admit it seems like yesterday that he was a young coach surrounded by some of the Southland’s most successful coaches.
Now Erickson finds himself in the veteran category.
“I reflect on that (400) number and I can’t believe how time has flown by,” Erickson said. “I remember when (Sandburg coach) Doug Sutor, (Andrew coach) Frank Ganser and (current Chicago Agriculture coach) Pat Higgins were the older guys. Now I’m one of the older guys.
“It’s been a long ride and a fun one. The wins are getting harder and harder to come by. But as long as we stay competitive and I enjoy doing it, I don’t have game plan to hang it up.”
Twitter: @disabato
