Former MLB player Jay Ward dies at 73-
John F. "Jay" Ward, the only person
from Highland to ever play Major League Baseball, died unexpectedly Feb. 24 in Montana after having suffered a stroke. He was 73. Born in Brookefield, Mo., Ward spent two years in high school in Mountain Grove, Mo., before his family moved to Highland in 1956, when his father took a job as a superintendent at a shoe factory in Trenton. Ward's prowess as a three-sport athlete — baseball, basketball and football — was noticed by both college and professional scouts. "Two days after I graduated high school, I signed with the Yankees. I wanted to play basketball at McKendree, and at that time, you could play any sport in college, as long as you weren't a professional athlete," Ward said interview with the News Leader last year after having been inducted into the Highland Illinois Area Schools Alumni Association (HIASAA) Hall of Fame in the Sports category. "So, that's what I wanted to do, because I wanted a shot at that. I
played half a year at McKendree in '56, and then, here comes spring training halfway through the season, and I wanted to play ball. So in '57, I went down to spring training with the Yankees' big league team." Ward made his Major League debut with the Minnesota Twins in 1963 and also played with the Twins in 1964. While his Major League career was brief (eight hits in 27 games, according to Baseball Almanac), Ward said he cherished his time in baseball, which included a very successful career in the minors, where he played more than 1,800 games and hit more than 20 home runs in five different seasons."I never even realized anything was difficult. The old rickety buses and things, it was just the way it was. Let's just go play. I loved to play ball and that's what I did," Ward said in that same News Leader interview. He spent one season, 1966, in Nippon Pro Baseball in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons. Back in the U.S. in 1967, Ward had some of his best seasons as a third baseman in the Pacific Coast League. In 1969, he led the league with 35 doubles. He got another brief shot at the Major Leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 1970. "I played third base a lot, and then I played some in the outfield, first base and I played second base a lot. And I had done that growing up, so I could play them all. I guess you could say I was the jack of all trades, the master of none. I got to play in the minor leagues for years and got the chance to go to the big leagues a few times; that was quite a thrill," Ward had told the News Leader. He retired after the 1971 season and managed one year in the Twins organization. Ward came back to baseball in 1983 as manager of the Bend Phillies in the Class A Northwest League. In 1986, he won the league championship as manager of the Vermont Reds. He landed a job as a coach with the New York Yankees in 1987 under Lou Piniella. He returned to managing in the minors in 1988 and was hired as the Montreal Expos minor league hitting instructor in 1990. During the 1991 season, he was promoted to the major leagues as the Expos hitting coach. He stayed on as the Expos hitting coach for 1992 season. After retirement, he moved to Montana, where he enjoyed to hunt and fish. Ward's wife, Lynn, survives in Troy, Mont. Also surviving are his four children, two step-daughters, nine grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
John F. "Jay" Ward, the only person
from Highland to ever play Major League Baseball, died unexpectedly Feb. 24 in Montana after having suffered a stroke. He was 73. Born in Brookefield, Mo., Ward spent two years in high school in Mountain Grove, Mo., before his family moved to Highland in 1956, when his father took a job as a superintendent at a shoe factory in Trenton. Ward's prowess as a three-sport athlete — baseball, basketball and football — was noticed by both college and professional scouts. "Two days after I graduated high school, I signed with the Yankees. I wanted to play basketball at McKendree, and at that time, you could play any sport in college, as long as you weren't a professional athlete," Ward said interview with the News Leader last year after having been inducted into the Highland Illinois Area Schools Alumni Association (HIASAA) Hall of Fame in the Sports category. "So, that's what I wanted to do, because I wanted a shot at that. I
played half a year at McKendree in '56, and then, here comes spring training halfway through the season, and I wanted to play ball. So in '57, I went down to spring training with the Yankees' big league team." Ward made his Major League debut with the Minnesota Twins in 1963 and also played with the Twins in 1964. While his Major League career was brief (eight hits in 27 games, according to Baseball Almanac), Ward said he cherished his time in baseball, which included a very successful career in the minors, where he played more than 1,800 games and hit more than 20 home runs in five different seasons."I never even realized anything was difficult. The old rickety buses and things, it was just the way it was. Let's just go play. I loved to play ball and that's what I did," Ward said in that same News Leader interview. He spent one season, 1966, in Nippon Pro Baseball in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons. Back in the U.S. in 1967, Ward had some of his best seasons as a third baseman in the Pacific Coast League. In 1969, he led the league with 35 doubles. He got another brief shot at the Major Leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 1970. "I played third base a lot, and then I played some in the outfield, first base and I played second base a lot. And I had done that growing up, so I could play them all. I guess you could say I was the jack of all trades, the master of none. I got to play in the minor leagues for years and got the chance to go to the big leagues a few times; that was quite a thrill," Ward had told the News Leader. He retired after the 1971 season and managed one year in the Twins organization. Ward came back to baseball in 1983 as manager of the Bend Phillies in the Class A Northwest League. In 1986, he won the league championship as manager of the Vermont Reds. He landed a job as a coach with the New York Yankees in 1987 under Lou Piniella. He returned to managing in the minors in 1988 and was hired as the Montreal Expos minor league hitting instructor in 1990. During the 1991 season, he was promoted to the major leagues as the Expos hitting coach. He stayed on as the Expos hitting coach for 1992 season. After retirement, he moved to Montana, where he enjoyed to hunt and fish. Ward's wife, Lynn, survives in Troy, Mont. Also surviving are his four children, two step-daughters, nine grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
Former MLB player Jay Ward dies at 73-
John F. "Jay" Ward, the only person
from Highland to ever play Major League Baseball, died unexpectedly Feb. 24 in Montana after having suffered a stroke. He was 73. Born in Brookefield, Mo., Ward spent two years in high school in Mountain Grove, Mo., before his family moved to Highland in 1956, when his father took a job as a superintendent at a shoe factory in Trenton. Ward's prowess as a three-sport athlete — baseball, basketball and football — was noticed by both college and professional scouts. "Two days after I graduated high school, I signed with the Yankees. I wanted to play basketball at McKendree, and at that time, you could play any sport in college, as long as you weren't a professional athlete," Ward said interview with the News Leader last year after having been inducted into the Highland Illinois Area Schools Alumni Association (HIASAA) Hall of Fame in the Sports category. "So, that's what I wanted to do, because I wanted a shot at that. I
played half a year at McKendree in '56, and then, here comes spring training halfway through the season, and I wanted to play ball. So in '57, I went down to spring training with the Yankees' big league team." Ward made his Major League debut with the Minnesota Twins in 1963 and also played with the Twins in 1964. While his Major League career was brief (eight hits in 27 games, according to Baseball Almanac), Ward said he cherished his time in baseball, which included a very successful career in the minors, where he played more than 1,800 games and hit more than 20 home runs in five different seasons."I never even realized anything was difficult. The old rickety buses and things, it was just the way it was. Let's just go play. I loved to play ball and that's what I did," Ward said in that same News Leader interview. He spent one season, 1966, in Nippon Pro Baseball in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons. Back in the U.S. in 1967, Ward had some of his best seasons as a third baseman in the Pacific Coast League. In 1969, he led the league with 35 doubles. He got another brief shot at the Major Leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 1970. "I played third base a lot, and then I played some in the outfield, first base and I played second base a lot. And I had done that growing up, so I could play them all. I guess you could say I was the jack of all trades, the master of none. I got to play in the minor leagues for years and got the chance to go to the big leagues a few times; that was quite a thrill," Ward had told the News Leader. He retired after the 1971 season and managed one year in the Twins organization. Ward came back to baseball in 1983 as manager of the Bend Phillies in the Class A Northwest League. In 1986, he won the league championship as manager of the Vermont Reds. He landed a job as a coach with the New York Yankees in 1987 under Lou Piniella. He returned to managing in the minors in 1988 and was hired as the Montreal Expos minor league hitting instructor in 1990. During the 1991 season, he was promoted to the major leagues as the Expos hitting coach. He stayed on as the Expos hitting coach for 1992 season. After retirement, he moved to Montana, where he enjoyed to hunt and fish. Ward's wife, Lynn, survives in Troy, Mont. Also surviving are his four children, two step-daughters, nine grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
John F. "Jay" Ward, the only person
from Highland to ever play Major League Baseball, died unexpectedly Feb. 24 in Montana after having suffered a stroke. He was 73. Born in Brookefield, Mo., Ward spent two years in high school in Mountain Grove, Mo., before his family moved to Highland in 1956, when his father took a job as a superintendent at a shoe factory in Trenton. Ward's prowess as a three-sport athlete — baseball, basketball and football — was noticed by both college and professional scouts. "Two days after I graduated high school, I signed with the Yankees. I wanted to play basketball at McKendree, and at that time, you could play any sport in college, as long as you weren't a professional athlete," Ward said interview with the News Leader last year after having been inducted into the Highland Illinois Area Schools Alumni Association (HIASAA) Hall of Fame in the Sports category. "So, that's what I wanted to do, because I wanted a shot at that. I
played half a year at McKendree in '56, and then, here comes spring training halfway through the season, and I wanted to play ball. So in '57, I went down to spring training with the Yankees' big league team." Ward made his Major League debut with the Minnesota Twins in 1963 and also played with the Twins in 1964. While his Major League career was brief (eight hits in 27 games, according to Baseball Almanac), Ward said he cherished his time in baseball, which included a very successful career in the minors, where he played more than 1,800 games and hit more than 20 home runs in five different seasons."I never even realized anything was difficult. The old rickety buses and things, it was just the way it was. Let's just go play. I loved to play ball and that's what I did," Ward said in that same News Leader interview. He spent one season, 1966, in Nippon Pro Baseball in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons. Back in the U.S. in 1967, Ward had some of his best seasons as a third baseman in the Pacific Coast League. In 1969, he led the league with 35 doubles. He got another brief shot at the Major Leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 1970. "I played third base a lot, and then I played some in the outfield, first base and I played second base a lot. And I had done that growing up, so I could play them all. I guess you could say I was the jack of all trades, the master of none. I got to play in the minor leagues for years and got the chance to go to the big leagues a few times; that was quite a thrill," Ward had told the News Leader. He retired after the 1971 season and managed one year in the Twins organization. Ward came back to baseball in 1983 as manager of the Bend Phillies in the Class A Northwest League. In 1986, he won the league championship as manager of the Vermont Reds. He landed a job as a coach with the New York Yankees in 1987 under Lou Piniella. He returned to managing in the minors in 1988 and was hired as the Montreal Expos minor league hitting instructor in 1990. During the 1991 season, he was promoted to the major leagues as the Expos hitting coach. He stayed on as the Expos hitting coach for 1992 season. After retirement, he moved to Montana, where he enjoyed to hunt and fish. Ward's wife, Lynn, survives in Troy, Mont. Also surviving are his four children, two step-daughters, nine grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
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