Specialsections / Gridiron

Honoring champs of ISU baseball

Dan Wright
October 18, 2007

The most successful baseball team in Iowa State’s history will reunite Saturday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their banner season.

The 1957 team, led by “Roland Rocket” Gary Thompson, rolled through the Big Seven Conference and made its first appearance at the College Baseball World Series in Omaha, Neb. This weekend during the second quarter of the football game against Oklahoma, they’ll gather for a special ceremony to commemorate their accomplishments.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all of them,” said Jerry McNertney, a first baseman on the ’57 team. “I haven’t seen some of those guys in 50 years.”

The Cyclones beat Notre Dame and Connecticut but lost twice to eventual champion California in the double-elimination tournament and took third overall – the best finish in the history of the program.

“If you’re gonna lose, you always feel better if you lose to the champions,” Thompson said.

With a lineup featuring four All-Americans and two future major leaguers, the ’57 team took home the Big Seven Conference championship. Center fielder Dan Peters, catcher Dick Bertell, second baseman Jack Taylor and shortstop Thompson each earned All-American honors. Thompson was Iowa State’s first dual-sport All-American, in baseball and basketball.

McNertney went on to play nine seasons in the major leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Pilots, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates. Bertell played seven seasons combined for the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. Although McNertney was a first baseman in college, both Bertell and he played catcher in the majors.

The ’57 team was guided by legendary head baseball coach L.C. “Cap” Timm. He received National Coach of the Year honors in ’57 after his squad finished the regular season with a conference record of 11-6 (15-8 overall). For many of Timm’s former players, this weekend is a chance to pay tribute a man they considered more than just a coach.

“I think all the guys who ever played for Cap thought it was a great experience from two standpoints – we learned a lot about life and we learned a lot about baseball,” Thompson said.

Timm coached at Iowa State from 1938 until 1974, only leaving for a four-year stint in 1942 to fight in World War II. While coaching, he was also a professor in the physical education department. He led the Cyclones to two College World Series berths (’57, ’70) and four conference titles. He also won conference coach of the year awards in ’57 and ’70. Although Timm found great success on the diamond, his players respected him most for what he did off of it.

“I considered playing for Cap a privilege and an honor because he was more than a coach – he was a mentor,” Taylor said. “He taught all of us about how to handle life. He was a very inspirational individual.”

Timm’s accomplishments reached beyond the Iowa State campus. He was a member of the American Association of College Baseball Coaches, serving as president in 1959. Timm was also a member of the NCAA Baseball Rules and Tournament Committee. He was instrumental in the development of the College World Series.

“It was unreal how he knew the game and studied the game,” McNertney said.

Taylor echoed McNertney’s statement.

“Cap was such a great student of the game, and therefore, was able to teach us about baseball and other life things as well,” Taylor said.

After Timm’s retirement in 1974, the Cyclones home field, which is located at the Southwest Athletic Complex on the western edge of Knapp Street, was renamed Cap Timm Field in his honor.

“We were all grateful to play for him,” Thompson said. “He was dedicated to the players that played for him.”

Thompson went on to enjoy a long broadcasting career for Cyclone basketball games. He retired in 2005 after 34 years behind the microphone. His time playing for Timm helped ready him for life in the broadcast booth.

“Cap taught me to be prepared for anything,” Thompson said.

Four members of the ’57 team have been enshrined in the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame: Thompson and Timm in 1997; Bertell in 2000; and McNertney in 2006.

In April 2001, after 109 years of Cyclone baseball, former athletic director Bruce Van de Velde decided to shut the program down due to budget cuts.

Despite the fact that six years have passed since the closing of the program, some players are staying optimistic that the program will return.

“I’d like to see it brought back someday,” McNertney said. “There’s a lot of history here.”

McNertney and Bertell played for a combined 16 seasons in the big leagues. Here is a list of the most notable major league teammates they played with.

MCNERTNEY – White Sox, Pilots, Brewers, Cardinals, Pirates

Willie Stargell-Pirates Hall of Fame ’88

Lou Brock-Cardinals Hall of Fame’85

Bob Gibson-Cardinals Hall of Fame ’81

Steve Carlton-Cardinals Hall of Fame ’84

Louis Aparicio-White Sox Hall of Fame ’84

Tommy John-White Sox

Joe Torre-Cardinals

BERTELL – Cubs, Giants

Ernie Banks-Cubs Hall of Fame ’77

Willie Mays-Giants Hall of Fame ’79

Willie McCovey-Giants Hall of Fame ’86