Buck Bailey
Biographical details
Born(1896-06-02)June 2, 1896
San Saba, Texas, U.S.
DiedOctober 28, 1964(1964-10-28) (aged 68)
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Playing career
Baseball
1916–1917Texas A&M
1920–1921Texas A&M
1922–1923Bethany (WV)
Football
1915–1916Texas A&M
1919–1920Texas A&M
1921–1922Bethany (WV)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Baseball
1927–1942Washington State
1946–1961Washington State
Football
1926–?Washington State (assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall603–325–5
Buck Bailey
Allegiance United States
Service/branchU.S. Army, U.S. Navy
Years of service1917–1919, 1943–1945
Rank Lieutenant
Battles/warsWorld War I, World War II

Arthur Buckner Bailey (June 2, 1896 – October 28, 1964) was a college baseball head coach; he led the Washington State Cougars for 32 seasons, from 1927 through 1961, except for three seasons during World War II,[1][2] and had an overall record of 603–325–5 (.649).[3]

Early years

Born in San Saba in central Texas, Bailey graduated from Eldorado High School in Eldorado.[2] He played baseball and football at Texas A&M and served in the U.S. Army during the First World War.[1] Following the war, he returned to Texas A&M and then attended Bethany College in West Virginia.[2] After college, he went to California, where he coached high school football and played on semi-pro and club teams, including the Olympic Club in San Francisco, where he met Babe Hollingbery.[1]

Washington State

When Hollingbery was hired as head football coach at Washington State, Bailey followed him north to Pullman as an assistant, and also headed the baseball program.[1][2]

In Bailey's first season as head baseball coach in 1927, the Cougar nine finished first in the Pacific Coast Conference North Division and won the PCC Tournament. The team also won the North Division title in 1933, 1936, and 1938.[3] While he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II,[4] basketball coach Jack Friel was the interim baseball coach from 1943 through 1945.[1][5][6]

Bailey's Cougar baseball teams won 14 conference titles (twelve PCC North Division and two AAWU), and went to the College World Series in 1950 and 1956. The 1950 team was runner-up to Texas in the fourth CWS, the first played in Omaha. The Cougars also made the NCAA tournament in his final two seasons of 1960 and 1961; he retired at age 65.[6]

The Cougar baseball field, at the site of today's Mooberry track, was named for Bailey in 1950 on May 13,[7][8][9] preceding the Cougars' runner-up finish in Omaha.[10] Bailey–Brayton Field, the Cougars' home stadium since 1980, was also named for Bailey and later added the name of his successor, Chuck "Bobo" Brayton, in 2000.[11] Brayton played shortstop for Bailey after the war and was the school's first baseball All-American, in 1947.[12] He succeeded Bailey after the 1961 season and led WSU for 33 years.

During his first stint with the Cougars before the war, Bailey had a friendly rivalry with Tubby Graves (1886–1960) of rival Washington;[13] Nine years older, Graves was one of his coaches at Texas A&M; he stepped down as head coach of the Huskies in 1946 and continued in the UW athletic department as a special assistant until his death.

Death

Three years after his retirement, Bailey and his wife Frances were killed in an automobile collision in New Mexico in October 1964.[2][14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Fry, Dick (March 26, 1961). "The life and legend of Buck Bailey, 34 years a Cougar". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 5, sports.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Buck Bailey, wife die in smash". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 28, 1964. p. 1.
  3. 1 2 "2010 Washington State Cougars Baseball Media Guide" (PDF). Washington State Sports Information. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Bailey is off to join navy". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). February 7, 1943. p. 1, sports.
  5. ↑ "Cougars begin baseball drill". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). March 5, 1946. p. 9.
  6. 1 2 "Baseball media guide" (PDF). Washington State University Athletics. 2010. pp. 34–41. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  7. ↑ ""Bailey Field" movement is on". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). February 23, 1950. p. 12.
  8. ↑ "Washington state cinches baseball title with 10-9 win over Huskies". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). May 14, 1950. p. 1, sports.
  9. ↑ Missildine, Harry (April 14, 1960). "Bailey's fencing Bailey Field". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 12.
  10. ↑ Missildine, Harry (April 17, 1981). "Buck Bailey - great man, coach, tradition". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 23.
  11. ↑ Blanchette, John (January 23, 2000). "All the right tools". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1.
  12. ↑ Stalwick, Howie (Feb 5, 1990). "Admirers salute venerable Brayton". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C1.
  13. ↑ "Buck Bailey returns favor". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). photo. April 29, 1964. p. 14.
  14. ↑ Missildine, Harry (October 29, 1964). "Buck died, at 68, a 'young' man". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 12.
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