Roger Cador heart and soul of Andre Dawson Classic
NEW ORLEANS — At first look it might have seemed like solely one Hall of Famer threw out the ceremonial first pitch forward of Florida A&M University and Southern University’s recreation on the New Orleans Youth Academy on Friday afternoon.
And positive, it’s true that Andre Dawson, for whom the Andre Dawson Classic is called, has been enshrined within the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. But his first-pitch accomplice, Roger Cador, is aware of his means round a number of halls of fame too (extra on that later), and when it comes to occasions just like the one going down in New Orleans this weekend, Cador’s influence on the sport of baseball is essentially unmatched.
Cador is among the masterminds behind the Andre Dawson Classic (previously the Urban Invitational). He and two baseball executives — the late Jimmie Lee Solomon, and Darrell Miller, MLB’s vp of youth and facility improvement — got here up with the concept of forming a event that includes all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
On Friday the Dawson Classic opened for the fifteenth 12 months. The group Cador guided for 33 years, Southern University, has performed in all 15. Between teaching and making particular appearances, he has attended nearly all of them, too.
“It feels good to see how it’s grown to this stage,” Cador mentioned. “A lot of things are moving in the right direction.”
Cador is Southern’s winningest coach, and he has top-of-the-line total information in Division I historical past. In 33 seasons at Southern, he compiled a 913-597-1 report — a .604 profitable share — and oversaw 14 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles and 11 NCAA event appearances.
Southern turned the primary HBCU group to win a event recreation in 1987, upsetting No. 2 Cal State Fullerton within the regionals.
And to assume, all of this nearly didn’t occur. Cador had served as an assistant baseball coach for his alma mater, and in addition spent 4 years as its assistant basketball coach. But when Southern requested him to take over the baseball head teaching job …
“They recruited me for two months, and I kept putting them off,” he mentioned. “But then my wife made me say yes.”
Cador’s hesitancy stemmed from the situation of Southern’s baseball panorama (“no facility, no equipment”). During his years as a college athlete, the baseball team carried prestige. But by the mid-1980s, “the program had gone south,” he mentioned. “It was literally then that I was able to put a little life back into it.”
Cador is being modest. He constructed Southern into one of the crucial revered baseball packages within the nation, and he helped elevate consciousness of HBCU packages. He was named SWAC coach of the 12 months greater than a dozen occasions (web searches say he gained 13, however Cador mentioned the correct quantity is definitely 14).
And these halls of fame? Cador is in 5 of them — the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, the Southern University Hall of Fame and, most not too long ago, the College Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted into that final one on Feb. 3.
Beyond the entire accolades, Cador takes essentially the most satisfaction within the gamers he coached who went on to search out success in life, each out and in of baseball. Sixty-two of his gamers have been drafted by Major League organizations. Others went on to scout, umpire and work in entrance places of work.
He retains in contact with quite a lot of former gamers, and the main target of these conversations isn’t a lot about what’s occurred previously as a lot as what is likely to be attainable sooner or later.
Cador is hopeful that sometime a Southern grad can turn into the top of a Major League group.
“I try to motivate them to get to the next level,” he mentioned. “That’s what my goal is. To get somebody to get to be the first GM. We’re shooting for the stars.”
A brand new occasion was added to the weekend festivities in New Orleans this 12 months — a 12U event consisting of groups from RBI and/or youth academy packages in 5 cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans.
Games have been scheduled all through all three days of the Dawson Classic, performed at each the New Orleans MLB Youth Academy and close by Avenger Baseball Field.
The groups included: Atlanta Braves RBI, Chicago White Sox ACE (two groups), Houston Astros MLB Youth Academy, New Orleans MLB Youth Academy and Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy.
Between their very own video games, the youngsters watched the faculty competitors from the stands, and a few even mingled with Dawson himself.
“We want to grow the game young,” mentioned Eddie Davis, the director of the New Orleans academy. “We thought 12U would be the sweet spot, that we could have these kids come here, have a chance to compete, and also watch some of the college players, who they greatly enjoy watching on the field and enjoy some collegiate baseball.”
David Reed, a coach with the Chicago ACE program, marveled on the enjoying fields on the academy and expressed appreciation for the publicity the youngsters are attending to see, up shut, baseball performed at a better degree.
“Kids getting those experiences — that’s what it’s all about for us,” Reed mentioned. “Providing opportunity, providing the experience. Giving them a chance to see things that they never would have had a chance to see without baseball. We also have the educational side — the harder you work at it, the more work you put into it, you can get as much out of it.”
