Legendary CPP baseball head coach John Scolinos was inducted posthumously into the College Baseball Hall of Fame at the 2020 Virtual Night of Champions on Thursday, Aug. 27.
After a 14-year run coaching Pepperdine University’s baseball team, Scolinos made his move to CPP in 1962 — where his impact continues to be felt.
Under Scolinos’ coaching, the Broncos won three NCAA Division II national championships and six California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championships, turning CPP baseball into a powerhouse. In his 30 years at CPP, Scolinos achieved 822 wins, totaling up to 1,198 career wins in 44 seasons as a college baseball head coach.
Scolinos retired from baseball in 1991 as a three-time NCAA Division II Coach of the Year and a five-time CCAA Coach of the Year netting a total of nine championships (three NCAA, six CCAA) surpassing the 1,000-win milestone.
To be inducted, nominees were voted in by a 240-person voting panel. Scolinos was in the non-Division I coach category.
“We take the leader in the balloting each year from the ‘small school coach’ category of the ballot, which is where coach Scolinos was,” said Mike Gustafson, president and CEO of the College Baseball Foundation.
“The voting panel of approximately 240 members is composed of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, media and coaches from the ‘small school’ category… and about 10 members of the Society for American Baseball Research collegiate baseball committee,” added Gustafson.
Scolinos passed away in 2009. Tim Mead, a CPP alumnus and president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, spoke in honor of Scolinos on Thursday.
“On behalf of so many of his former ballplayers and students, thank you for this honor in recognizing a hall of fame baseball coach and a hall of fame baseball human being,” said Mead.
While Scolinos was an impressive baseball coach, those who knew him say his impact transcended the baseball diamond.
“As soon as you hear his name [people] will tell you ‘what a coach but what a person,’” said Jimmy Ramos, CPP assistant baseball coach.
Jimmy Ramos, a former Bronco centerfielder, first met Scolinos as a player before joining his coaching staff. For Ramos, Scolinos was not only a head coach, but a life coach as well. “He didn’t coach us, he taught us how the game relates to life,” Ramos added.
Scolinos would incorporate his baseball teachings to real life. Most notably, his “17 inches” speech about people taking accountability and not widening the plate while donning a 17-inch wide home plate around his neck.
“Being around him taught me many things. His thing was basically surround yourself with good people, his five most important words,” said Ramos.
Though Scolinos is no longer in baseball, he still impacts coaches and players to this day.
“I’ve seen [John Scolinos], I know what he’s done, I know how many lives he impacted,” said current CPP baseball Head Coach Randal Betten. “I try to do the same thing every day.”
Like Scolinos, Betten knows how important the role of being a head coach is to a college program. “My goal as a head coach is trying to put [the players] in the best position to be successful every single day,” said Betten.
Scolinos’ induction was complete after the conclusion of Tim Mead’s speech.
“His memory and impact will be remembered for generations to come,” said Mead.
