Wednesday, June 6, 2001
[ RAINBOW BASEBALL ]
Trapasso lauded Jase Wrigley and Chuck Crowder were ecstatic when informed Mike Trapasso, their college pitching coach at Georgia Tech, had landed the head coaching position at the University of Hawaii.
as player’s coach
The former assistant at
Georgia Tech is strong
in recruitingBy Al Chase
Star-BulletinNow teammates with the Carolina Mudcats in the Class AA Southern League, Crowder and Wrigley had been waiting to hear the outcome of Trapasso's pursuit ever since they visited campus prior to spring training.
"He better call us," Crowder said. "I know he's gone for a couple of head jobs before and come in second. We keep joking with him about that, but we told him he had to get the Hawaii job so we could come work out there."
Wrigley came to Georgia Tech the same year Trapasso joined head coach Danny Hall's staff. Crowder was recruited by Hall and Trapasso.
"He's a very knowledgeable baseball guy. He also is very much a player's coach," said Wrigley. "Players like being around him and enjoy his company. We always trusted his judgment and knew he had our best interest at heart."
Both former Yellow Jackets agree it's about time Trapasso got the chance to be a head coach.
"They made a good choice," Crowder said. "Coach Trap is a great guy, easy to build a relationship with. He pulls for you all the time, whether it's hard times or good times."
Don Takaki, a member of UH's seven-man selection committee, said he was impressed by Trapasso's experience and the fact he had been a pitcher in college, had professional experience, is a pitching coach and is a strong recruiter.
"Also, Georgia Tech is not an easy school to get into," Takaki said. "There are parallels with that situation at UH. I felt he had a good understanding of the importance of academics in his recruiting.
"He is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the county. Certainly he has an inventory of people who he can draw on to kick-start the program. It's vital that he recruit pitching. We need that so we can be in the hunt for a major championship."
Crowder said Trapasso gets to know the whole family of a recruit, remembers the names of brothers and sisters, wants to know how they are doing and is constantly in touch with parents.
"He's a first-class recruiter because he's a great person," Crowder said.
As a coach on the field, Trapasso knows how to deal with the various personalities on a team.
"You never worried about him when he came out to the mound. He didn't come out to tell you to throw strikes," said Wrigley. "Sometimes he would just tell a joke and walk back off.
"He always had good rapport and knew how to handle guys. Some had to be dog-cussed -- although that was rare -- others had to be pumped up and some had to be reminded of what they were supposed to be doing.
"He is going to make a great Division I head coach."
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
