Year No Pos Hgt Wgt B T Cl Ltr Hometown 1970 P 6-2 190 L L So Great Neck, NY 1971 21 P 6-2 190 L L So-R * Great Neck, NY 1972 21 P 6-2 190 L L Jr-R * Great Neck, NY 1973 21 P 6-2 190 L L Sr-R * Great Neck, NY 1980 5
| Bill Fuller |
Full Name: William Edward Fuller
Born: September 20, 1950
Died: July 24, 2016, Tallahassee, Fla.
School: Great Neck South High School in Great Neck, New York
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| FSU Career |
| Baseball | |
Year No Pos Hgt Wgt B T Cl Ltr Hometown 1970 P 6-2 190 L L So Great Neck, NY 1971 21 P 6-2 190 L L So-R * Great Neck, NY 1972 21 P 6-2 190 L L Jr-R * Great Neck, NY 1973 21 P 6-2 190 L L Sr-R * Great Neck, NY 1980 5 |
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| Comments |
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From the Tallahassee Democrat July 31, 2016 Henry Blog: Bill
Fuller’s legacy ‘genuine’ Nobody could hit a fungo harder or with more accuracy than Bill Fuller.
Campers and fellow instructors at Howser Stadium stopped to watch the show, where this player eventually landed as a No. 1 overall selection and has remained in the major leagues for 22 seasons. “Bill was smoking ground balls, one after another, trying to get one by this kid,” Chip Baker said, followed by a laugh. “But he couldn’t do it.” Who knows if Alex Rodriguez recalls that day, but nobody in this baseball community will ever forget Bill Fuller. The former FSU pitcher (1970-73) and longtime Lincoln High baseball coach and teacher passed away recently after a long battle with congenital nerve disorder. He was 66. Fuller was full of life, wisdom and wit. He was gruff. He was friendly. He taught history and business law. He lived on Lake Tallavana with wife Elaine. He never complained even as the nerve disorder stole the strength from his legs and weakened his heart. Fuller was a coach and a mentor to so many. “He was a man of very few words, that is until you got to know him,” said Brett Richardson, who played for Fuller at Lincoln High in the late 1980s and is the head coach at Alcorn State University. “He was a friend and a mentor. And he really knew baseball. Whenever I talked to him, he always had a word of encouragement.” Fuller arrived in Tallahassee from New York, where one of his summer jobs was helping to hang steel during the construction of the World Trade Center. The left-handed pitcher had a solid Seminole career, going 26-11 with the 2.58 ERA. He threw seven complete games and struck out 241 in 293 1/3 innings. Fuller’s minor-league career was cut short by arm problems. He was the pitching coach for the 1979 season at FSU under Dick Hoswer, but settled into his long career at Lincoln High. Former Seminole and professional pitcher Allen Swindle served his internship at Lincoln as a coach under Fuller. Swindle was impressed by Fuller’s instinct and knowledge of baseball. They became fast friends, fished together and their families spent summer vacations at Fuller’s home in New York and football Saturday tailgates at Doak Campbell Stadium. “What a baseball mind he had,” Swindle said. “He had such a unique feel for the game.” Fuller also was a cornerstone at the FSU baseball summer camps in the 1980s and 1990s. He worked with future pro stars such as Rodriguez, Chipper Jones, David Wright, the Upton brothers and Seminole J.D. Drew. Fuller was designated “Hammer” status as one of the camp’s elite instructors and, oh Abner Doubleday, could he hit a fungo. “He set the bar high for campers and coaches,” said Baker, the former Seminole assistant coach and current director of Mike Martin’s Summer Camps. The sessions ended last week, with Baker, campers and coaches tipping their caps at the end of the day to honor Fuller. How fitting. At Lincoln, Fuller coached some of the program’s best players, including Reggie Jefferson, who played nine years in the major leagues (1991-99). Fuller was organized, patient and persistent. Richardson, an outfielder, recalled missing the cutoff man during practice drills. Each time Richardson made an off-target throw, he had to run a lap around the field. An each time Richardson returned to his position, Fuller had Richardson repeat the drill until the angered player got it right. “He was hard, but he was hard for a reason,” Richardson said. “It was during that drill when I realized that, hey, I can play for this guy. From that moment forward, our relationship was wonderful. When we’d catch up (later years), he always wanted to know how it was going. “He was such a genuine guy.” |
| FSU Statistics |
| Baseball |
Pitching Statistics Year ERA W L APP GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/AVG WP HBP BK SFA SHA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1970 0.00 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 1971 2.35 9 2 17 15 2 1 1 0 107.1 105 44 28 22 111 1972 2.66 10 5 19 14 4 1 0 0 108.1 110 49 32 29 81 1973 2.93 7 4 19 7 1 0 1 2 76.2 69 32 25 25 47 7 1 0 3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tot 2.61 26 11 56 36 7 2 2 2 293.1 284 125 85 77 240 0 0 7 0 .000 1 0 3 0 0 |
Batting Statistics YEAR AVG GP GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB ATT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1970 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 1971 .118 17 15 34 4 4 1 0 0 3 5 .147 8 0 11 .286 0 2 0 1972 .300 19 40 8 12 4 0 0 3 16 .400 3 11 .349 3 1973 .200 19 7 20 3 4 1 0 0 1 5 .250 4 0 6 .333 0 2 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tot .213 56 22 94 15 20 6 0 0 7 26 .277 15 0 28 0 .321 0 4 3 0 |
Fielding Statistics Year PO AST E FLD% DP ---------------------------- 1971 2 .000 1973 1 .000 ---------------------------- Tot 0 0 3 .000 0 |
| Baseball |
Game Statistics 1970 Date Opponent W L APP GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mar 25 Bowling Green State 1 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tot 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 1971 Date Opponent W L APP GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mar 2 Valdosta State Coll 1 1 Y 6.0 2 0 0 2 6 Mar 6 Saint Leo College 1 Y 5.0 4 6 2 3 1 Mar 12 Lafayette College 1 1 Y 1 7.0 7 0 0 1 11 Mar 21 Miami 1 Y 6.0 6 4 4 2 4 Mar 25 Western Michigan 1 1 Y 7.0 10 3 2 2 7 Apr 3 Brown 1 1 Y 1 7.0 7 1 0 0 3 Apr 6 Jacksonville 1 2.0 1 2 2 1 3 Apr 9 Miami 1 1 Y 8.0 5 3 1 2 9 Apr 13 Auburn 1 Y 7.0 16 7 5 1 7 Apr 18 Clemson 1 Y 8.0 8 2 2 1 6 Apr 24 South Alabama 1 Y 6.1 10 7 4 1 6 Apr 27 South Florida 1 1 3.0 1 0 0 0 1 May 1 Georgia Southern 1 1 Y 8.0 5 2 2 0 12 May 9 South Alabama 1 1 Y 6.0 4 3 2 3 5 May 17 Auburn 1 1 Y 7.0 7 2 1 0 6 May 21 Florida 1 1 Y 1 9.0 8 2 1 0 6 May 29 Florida 1 1 Y 1 5.0 4 0 0 3 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tot 9 2 17 15 2 0 2 0 107.1 105 44 28 22 99 1972 Date Opponent W L APP GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mar 4 Rollins College 1 1 Y 1 1 9.0 3 0 0 0 1 Mar 8 Saint Joseph's 1 1 Y 8.0 4 1 1 2 7 Mar 12 Clemson 1 1 Y 7.0 6 2 1 2 5 Mar 21 South Florida 1 1 Y 7.0 8 4 4 0 9 Mar 25 Auburn 1 Y 6.0 7 8 3 4 8 Apr 2 Western Michigan 1 1 Y 1 9.0 8 1 1 0 5 Apr 7 Jacksonville 1 1 Y 6.0 11 4 3 0 5 Apr 10 Georgia Southern 1 1 2.0 1 1 1 2 1 Apr 15 Saint Leo College 1 1 Y 1 9.0 5 1 1 3 8 Apr 22 South Alabama 1 1 Y 5.0 7 7 5 1 4 Apr 26 Chicago State 1 1 Y 1 9.0 7 5 0 5 9 Apr 30 Georgia Tech 1 1 Y 7.1 8 2 2 1 3 May 5 Jacksonville 1 1 Y 6.1 14 3 2 2 2 May 10 Miami 1 1 Y 4.1 8 5 3 1 6 May 13 South Alabama 1 0.1 1 1 1 1 0 May 16 Auburn 1 1 Y 8.0 9 4 4 5 3 May 19 Florida 1 2.0 2 0 0 0 2 May 27 Florida 1 1 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 Jun 1 South Alabama 1 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tot 10 5 19 14 4 1 0 0 108.1 110 49 32 29 81 1973 Date Opponent W L APP GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feb 16 Miami 1 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 Mar 1 South Florida 1 1 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 Mar 2 South Florida 1 1 Y 4.2 9 7 7 3 5 Mar 11 Saint Joseph's 1 1 3.2 2 0 0 0 1 Mar 15 Marietta College 1 4.2 4 0 0 0 1 Mar 24 Miami 1 1 4.1 2 2 1 3 1 Mar 27 Saint Leo College 1 Y 5.0 5 3 3 1 3 Apr 8 South Alabama 1 1.1 3 3 3 2 1 Apr 10 Auburn 1 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 Apr 13 Saint Leo College 1 1 1 2.2 0 0 0 2 4 Apr 16 Tampa 1 1 4.0 0 1 0 1 5 Apr 19 Miami 1 0.0 1 2 1 0 0 Apr 22 Georgia Southern 1 1 Y 5.0 4 3 1 4 3 Apr 28 Georgia Tech 1 1 Y 7.1 6 1 1 0 7 May 1 Jacksonville 1 1 6.0 6 1 1 2 5 May 6 Georgia Southern 1 1 Y 1 9.0 6 1 1 2 4 May 15 Auburn 1 1 Y 5.1 9 3 3 2 2 May 20 Florida 1 1 3.1 5 2 2 0 2 May 26 Florida 1 1 Y 5.1 6 3 2 2 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tot 7 4 19 7 1 0 1 2 76.2 69 32 26 25 47 |
1970
Date Opponent BAT AVG GP GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB HBP SO SF SH SB ATT PO A E
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Mar 25 Bowling Green State 9e .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
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.000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1971
Date Opponent BAT AVG GP GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB HBP SO SF SH SB ATT PO A E
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Mar 2 Valdosta State Coll 9 .500 1 P 2 1 1 1 0 2 0
Mar 6 Saint Leo College 9 .333 1 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
Mar 12 Lafayette College 9 .200 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 0
Mar 21 Miami 9 .143 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 0
Mar 25 Western Michigan 9 .111 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 3 Brown 9 .100 1 P 1 1 0 0 0 0 1
Apr 6 Jacksonville 9f .100 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 9 Miami 9 .077 1 P 3 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 13 Auburn 9 .125 1 P 3 1 1 2 1 0
Apr 18 Clemson 9 .105 1 P 3 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 24 South Alabama 9 .095 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 27 South Florida 3b .091 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
May 1 Georgia Southern 9 .083 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 0
May 9 South Alabama 9 .077 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 0
May 17 Auburn 9 .100 1 P 4 0 1 1 1 0 1
May 21 Florida 9 .094 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 2 0
May 29 Florida 9 .118 1 P 2 0 1 0 1 0
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.118 17 15 34 3 4 1 0 0 3 5 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2
1972
Date Opponent BAT AVG GP GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB HBP SO SF SH SB ATT PO A E
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Mar 4 Rollins College 9 .500 1 P 2 0 1 0 1 2 0
Mar 8 Saint Joseph's 9 .333 1 P 4 0 1 0 1 0
Mar 12 Clemson 9 .364 1 P 5 2 2 0 2 0
Mar 21 South Florida 9 .308 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 1 1
Mar 25 Auburn 9 .313 1 P 3 1 1 0 1 0 2
Apr 2 Western Michigan 9 .263 1 P 3 1 0 0 0 0 1
Apr 7 Jacksonville 9 .250 1 P 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Apr 10 Georgia Southern 9c .250 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 15 Saint Leo College 9 .292 1 P 4 0 2 2 2 0
Apr 22 South Alabama 9 .280 1 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 26 Chicago State 9 .310 1 P 4 1 2 1 0 3 0 1
Apr 30 Georgia Tech 9 .313 1 P 3 1 1 0 1 0
May 5 Jacksonville 9 .294 1 P 2 1 0 0 0 0
May 10 Miami 9 .278 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 0 1
May 13 South Alabama 9a .278 1 0 0 0 0 0
May 16 Auburn 9 .300 1 P 4 1 2 2 1 4 0 1
May 19 Florida 9a .300 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
May 27 Florida 9a .300 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jun 1 South Alabama 9a .300 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
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.300 19 14 40 8 12 3 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 1 7
1973
Date Opponent BAT AVG GP GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB HBP SO SF SH SB ATT PO A E
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Feb 16 Miami 9f .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mar 1 South Florida 9i .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mar 2 South Florida 9 .000 1 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
Mar 11 Saint Joseph's *a .000 1 0 0
Mar 15 Marietta College *b .000 1 0 0
Mar 24 Miami 9a .000 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1
Mar 27 Saint Leo College 9 .000 1 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 8 South Alabama 9b .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 10 Auburn 9c .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 13 Saint Leo College 9a .200 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 0
Apr 16 Tampa 9b .167 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 19 Miami 9g .167 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 22 Georgia Southern 9 .125 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 0
Apr 28 Georgia Tech 9 .100 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 1 0
May 1 Jacksonville 9a .083 1 2 2 0 0 0 0
May 6 Georgia Southern 9 .133 1 P 3 0 1 1 1 0
May 15 Auburn 9 .118 1 P 2 0 0 0 0 1 0
May 20 Florida 9b .111 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
May 26 Florida 9 .200 1 P 2 0 2 0 2 0
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.200 19 7 20 3 4 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1
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Fuller, however, met his
match in the early 1990s, when the “Hammer” attempted (without any luck) to
get a ground ball past a shortstop from Miami Christian Academy during
Florida State’s annual summer baseball camp.