Speedy outfielder is 10th member of dominant baseball teams from the 1970s to be inducted
Greg Jemison and the Pirates earned back-to-back berth in the College World Series during the 1974 and 1975 seasons. Jemison left The Hall as the school record holder with 114 career stolen bases
June 16, 2015
On Monday, June 22, the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund will host the annual Hall of Fame Golf Outing and Dinner at Fairmount Country Club in Chatham, N.J.
In advance of the event, SHUPirates.com caught up with the four exceptional individuals who will comprise the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015. First up is Greg Jemison who helped guide The Hall to consecutive College World Series appearances as a member of perhaps the most successful Pirates baseball teams in program history.
*Note: All-time women's tennis wins leader Kristen (Downing) Liteplo was originally announced as part of the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015. She is now scheduled to be a part of the Class of 2016.
By John Fanta
SHUPirates.com
Growing up in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, a blue-collar town with a current population just north of 13,000, Greg Jemison did not give much thought as to where baseball might take him.
A standout at Coatesville High School, Jemison was known for his speed, and loved to play the game. While undeniably talented, he did not immediately see much potential for his career extending beyond the borders of the Keystone State.
One man did see Jemison's potential however and decided to speak up one day. Art Kolb, a tailor in town and a father of one of Jemison's classmates at Coatesville High, was giving Jemison his prom tuxedo when they began to talk baseball. When Jemison told Kolb of the success that he had along with his love for the game, Kolb picked up his phone and called Ed Hendrickson, the Seton Hall University chancellor at the time. Kolb's phone call sprung Hendrickson into action, as he went ahead and relayed the message to the Pirates' baseball coach, Mike Sheppard Sr., who was in the infancy of a now legendary run in the Seton Hall dugout.
Acting on the tip, Sheppard made the two-hour trip to Coatesville. As it turned out, all he needed to do was watch was one game before he knew that Jemison was the embodiment of the values that would shape continue to shape the program to this day. On one fateful afternoon in May of 1972, Sheppard and Jemison walked on Coatesville High School's campus, and the head coach of the Pirates asked Jemison if he wanted to take his talents to South Orange.
The rest is history.
Jemison immediately became the resident speedster on the Pirates, helping the program to back-to-back College World Series berths in 1974 and '75. An outfielder, Jemison set Pirates records in career (114) and single-season (44 in 1976) stolen bases which still rank in the program's top-five today. He led the team in stolen bases during three of the four seasons in which he wore the blue & white and also led the Pirates in runs scored as a senior in 1976.
A prep star whose collegiate career was ignited by a phone call to The Hall made on his behalf, Jemison received another one four years later. He had been selected by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 1976 June Secondary Major League Baseball Draft.
Nearly four decades later, his phone rang again. This time, it was the "hall" calling him.
For a player who made his mark circling the bases, it has all come full circle.
Not bad for a kid from Coatesville.
Q: What does it mean to know that you are being inducted into the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame?
Jemison: It's unlike any feeling that I have ever experienced. When Seton Hall called me to tell me that I would be going into their Hall of Fame, it was just so surreal. When I played, I tried to do everything with a love for the game. It was not about putting up numbers for me. It was not always even about the end result. I never thought, for even an instant, about being in a hall of fame. I played baseball because I loved it. To have this distinction because of my playing days is so incredible.
Q: What made you want to play at Seton Hall?
Jemison: Coach Sheppard. It was not an assistant that visited me at Coatesville. It would have been easy for him to send somebody else. Instead, he came in directly and talked face-to-face with me after my game. We had such a great conversation. I knew the type of player that I was and I saw how much he wanted to have the opportunity to make me better as well. But it was so much more than baseball when I talked to Coach Sheppard. He is a great person. He always cared about each and every one of his players. He shaped the identity of the program and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
Q: As a player, you were known in part for your speed. Where do you think those abilities came from and how important was it to possess such a weapon when you were on the field?
Jemison: Speed runs through my family. What I was able to do with it on the baseball field is truly a God-given gift, I believe. Before I came to Seton Hall, Coach Sheppard told me how much he loved my potential to really use how fast I was as a way to produce runs. When I arrived on the scene in South Orange, I learned from him that the good teams start by having strong talent up the middle in the field. To be the anchor in centerfield is something that I will never forget. It meant that I had gained "Shep's" trust.
Q: What do you remember most about your playing days as a Pirate?
Jemison: Well, obviously going to back-to-back College World Series was amazing. I thought to myself, `How does a kid go from Coatesville to playing on college baseball's biggest stage for Seton Hall?' There is not one game that comes to mind in my career, because Coach Sheppard preached consistency. But, getting a chance to play at one of the most iconic sites in baseball was something that I will never forget. [Making the CWS] was our goal throughout both 1974 and '75 so I tried to just be as consistent as possible game in and game out. The one thing that I remember from my playing days and I tried to take with me from Seton Hall was to `always keep your hustle.' That is the mantra that Coach Sheppard taught us from day one. And we really came to embrace that. The one thing that we always had over any opponent in which we faced was that we would bring more effort to the table than they would because we played hard and together. I have always tried to `keep my hustle' in everything that I do. I think of it as more than just hustle. It's about having desire in everything in life.
Q: Who are your biggest inspirations in life?
Jemison: My father, Willie, and mother, Henrietta, have always been there for me. I have an enormous amount of respect for my dad, who raised us by working in a steel mill in Pennsylvania for years. My work ethic really comes from him. He would come to as many of my games as he possibly could have while also balancing the job. Meanwhile, my mom was a fixture at every single game. She made it out to every one, and I mean that. She provided food and drink for us guys after every game and was constantly rooting me on. To have her as my constant No. 1 fan is something that I will never forget. I would not be where I am today without them teaching me how to be a man.
Q: Can you begin to describe what it will be like for you when you are inducted on June 22?
Jemison: I have had some huge days in my life. Next to the day I married my wife and the days that she gave berth to my kids, this day will be right up there. Like I said, I never thought about being recognized for my achievements. I always thought of baseball as something that I could have success with while also having fun. It was such a great ride and I could not thank the people at Seton Hall enough for helping me work my way up to the Rangers' minor league system. It's going to be so special to look back at such an amazing journey that we had and to look at how the program has continue to built itself up ever since the CWS teams in the mid-70's.
Pirate Pirate Blue Athletic Fund Home
http://www.shupirates.com/sports/pirate-blue/spec-rel/061615aaa.html
Greg Jemison and the Pirates earned back-to-back berth in the College World Series during the 1974 and 1975 seasons. Jemison left The Hall as the school record holder with 114 career stolen bases
June 16, 2015
On Monday, June 22, the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund will host the annual Hall of Fame Golf Outing and Dinner at Fairmount Country Club in Chatham, N.J.
In advance of the event, SHUPirates.com caught up with the four exceptional individuals who will comprise the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015. First up is Greg Jemison who helped guide The Hall to consecutive College World Series appearances as a member of perhaps the most successful Pirates baseball teams in program history.
*Note: All-time women's tennis wins leader Kristen (Downing) Liteplo was originally announced as part of the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015. She is now scheduled to be a part of the Class of 2016.
By John Fanta
SHUPirates.com
Growing up in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, a blue-collar town with a current population just north of 13,000, Greg Jemison did not give much thought as to where baseball might take him.
A standout at Coatesville High School, Jemison was known for his speed, and loved to play the game. While undeniably talented, he did not immediately see much potential for his career extending beyond the borders of the Keystone State.
One man did see Jemison's potential however and decided to speak up one day. Art Kolb, a tailor in town and a father of one of Jemison's classmates at Coatesville High, was giving Jemison his prom tuxedo when they began to talk baseball. When Jemison told Kolb of the success that he had along with his love for the game, Kolb picked up his phone and called Ed Hendrickson, the Seton Hall University chancellor at the time. Kolb's phone call sprung Hendrickson into action, as he went ahead and relayed the message to the Pirates' baseball coach, Mike Sheppard Sr., who was in the infancy of a now legendary run in the Seton Hall dugout.
Acting on the tip, Sheppard made the two-hour trip to Coatesville. As it turned out, all he needed to do was watch was one game before he knew that Jemison was the embodiment of the values that would shape continue to shape the program to this day. On one fateful afternoon in May of 1972, Sheppard and Jemison walked on Coatesville High School's campus, and the head coach of the Pirates asked Jemison if he wanted to take his talents to South Orange.
The rest is history.
Jemison immediately became the resident speedster on the Pirates, helping the program to back-to-back College World Series berths in 1974 and '75. An outfielder, Jemison set Pirates records in career (114) and single-season (44 in 1976) stolen bases which still rank in the program's top-five today. He led the team in stolen bases during three of the four seasons in which he wore the blue & white and also led the Pirates in runs scored as a senior in 1976.
A prep star whose collegiate career was ignited by a phone call to The Hall made on his behalf, Jemison received another one four years later. He had been selected by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 1976 June Secondary Major League Baseball Draft.
Nearly four decades later, his phone rang again. This time, it was the "hall" calling him.
For a player who made his mark circling the bases, it has all come full circle.
Not bad for a kid from Coatesville.
Q: What does it mean to know that you are being inducted into the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame?
Jemison: It's unlike any feeling that I have ever experienced. When Seton Hall called me to tell me that I would be going into their Hall of Fame, it was just so surreal. When I played, I tried to do everything with a love for the game. It was not about putting up numbers for me. It was not always even about the end result. I never thought, for even an instant, about being in a hall of fame. I played baseball because I loved it. To have this distinction because of my playing days is so incredible.
Q: What made you want to play at Seton Hall?
Jemison: Coach Sheppard. It was not an assistant that visited me at Coatesville. It would have been easy for him to send somebody else. Instead, he came in directly and talked face-to-face with me after my game. We had such a great conversation. I knew the type of player that I was and I saw how much he wanted to have the opportunity to make me better as well. But it was so much more than baseball when I talked to Coach Sheppard. He is a great person. He always cared about each and every one of his players. He shaped the identity of the program and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
Q: As a player, you were known in part for your speed. Where do you think those abilities came from and how important was it to possess such a weapon when you were on the field?
Jemison: Speed runs through my family. What I was able to do with it on the baseball field is truly a God-given gift, I believe. Before I came to Seton Hall, Coach Sheppard told me how much he loved my potential to really use how fast I was as a way to produce runs. When I arrived on the scene in South Orange, I learned from him that the good teams start by having strong talent up the middle in the field. To be the anchor in centerfield is something that I will never forget. It meant that I had gained "Shep's" trust.
Q: What do you remember most about your playing days as a Pirate?
Jemison: Well, obviously going to back-to-back College World Series was amazing. I thought to myself, `How does a kid go from Coatesville to playing on college baseball's biggest stage for Seton Hall?' There is not one game that comes to mind in my career, because Coach Sheppard preached consistency. But, getting a chance to play at one of the most iconic sites in baseball was something that I will never forget. [Making the CWS] was our goal throughout both 1974 and '75 so I tried to just be as consistent as possible game in and game out. The one thing that I remember from my playing days and I tried to take with me from Seton Hall was to `always keep your hustle.' That is the mantra that Coach Sheppard taught us from day one. And we really came to embrace that. The one thing that we always had over any opponent in which we faced was that we would bring more effort to the table than they would because we played hard and together. I have always tried to `keep my hustle' in everything that I do. I think of it as more than just hustle. It's about having desire in everything in life.
Q: Who are your biggest inspirations in life?
Jemison: My father, Willie, and mother, Henrietta, have always been there for me. I have an enormous amount of respect for my dad, who raised us by working in a steel mill in Pennsylvania for years. My work ethic really comes from him. He would come to as many of my games as he possibly could have while also balancing the job. Meanwhile, my mom was a fixture at every single game. She made it out to every one, and I mean that. She provided food and drink for us guys after every game and was constantly rooting me on. To have her as my constant No. 1 fan is something that I will never forget. I would not be where I am today without them teaching me how to be a man.
Q: Can you begin to describe what it will be like for you when you are inducted on June 22?
Jemison: I have had some huge days in my life. Next to the day I married my wife and the days that she gave berth to my kids, this day will be right up there. Like I said, I never thought about being recognized for my achievements. I always thought of baseball as something that I could have success with while also having fun. It was such a great ride and I could not thank the people at Seton Hall enough for helping me work my way up to the Rangers' minor league system. It's going to be so special to look back at such an amazing journey that we had and to look at how the program has continue to built itself up ever since the CWS teams in the mid-70's.
Pirate Pirate Blue Athletic Fund Home
http://www.shupirates.com/sports/pirate-blue/spec-rel/061615aaa.html
