Hardly Out To Pasture:
Although Retired, Mallon Still Has a Thing
or Two to Say About Baseball and Ranching

The grass will stay green, the foul lines will still be painted white and the Pirates will still need more runs than the opposition to win baseball games, but one thing will be different next season at the Rockwell Family Baseball Field on Southwestern’s campus—coach Jim Mallon won’t be in the dugout.

Mallon, after 33 years as Southwestern University’s head baseball coach, retired at the end of the 2004 season. The Pirates finished 27-18, 11-8 in conference play, and Jim Shelton stepped up to the plate as the team’s new leader after serving as co-head coach for the past three seasons. Mallon, on the other hand moves to his ranch just east of town to tend cattle and farm.

One thing’s for sure: Mallon produced winners. He posted winning seasons in all but four of his years at Southwestern, and turned the program into one of the most respected in all of small college sports.

Playing in the NAIA and NCAA Division III, Mallon holds the record as the nation’s third winningest coach. He posted career marks of 1,189 wins against 602 losses for a .665 winning percentage.

When asked to reflect on his career, Mallon says, “I loved every minute of it. Some of the recruiting trips I could have done without, but I just love coaching, I enjoy everything about it from practices to game days—especially game days.”

After playing college ball for Baylor University, where he graduated with B.S. and M.S. degrees, Mallon played professionally for five seasons in the San Francisco Giants minor league system. He batted above .300 in each of those seasons.

Mallon has been named to the NAIA Hall of Fame and has been honored as the NAIA District Coach of the Year five times. He was selected SCAC Coach of the Year in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000. During the summer of 1990, Mallon managed professionally in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.

“ Jim’s the heart of our athletic department. He’s a treasure,” says Glada Munt, associate dean of students and director of intercollegiate athletics. “I don’t think you’ll find a better example of what it means to be a competitor than to look towards Jim Mallon.”

Mallon instilled a competitive spirit in his players so much so that 28 of them have gone on to coach high school or minor-league ball, and 19 of them went to the pros, including major-league pitchers Mike Timlin ’88 of the Boston Red Sox and Mike Stanton ’89 of the St. Louis Cardinals, two recruits he signed as outfielders from Midland.

Mallon was toiling with the Amarillo Giants when Butch McBroom, a former Baylor teammate, called to tell him about a job opening at Southwestern.
Tired of running the bases for $1,600 a month, Mallon borrowed McBroom’s car and drove to Georgetown for his interview. When Southwestern hired him, the University took a chance on a 26-year-old with little coaching experience. Today, only three professors have served Southwestern longer.

Mallon exuded calm confidence, but carried with him a hint of fiery rage. Stories about his temper are legend, but Mallon leaves a much greater legacy than the D3 version of Billy Martin temper tantrums. As a coach and professor of kinesiology, he held high expectations for his players and students. Many former players say they were as prepared in the classroom as they were on the field, and that’s reason enough why Mallon’s had just half a dozen four-year players who didn’t graduate.

As the final games neared this spring, Mallon reminded his colleagues that he didn’t want any fuss, “nothing fancy,” and no hoopla over his retirement. “This is a simple game, and it’s something I enjoyed doing, no one had to do anything special for me.”

A wish to which his Southwestern colleagues paid zero attention. More than 250 people showed up at a roast in Mallon’s honor. The event was held at Dale’s Essenhaus, a popular eatery and watering hole in Walburg. McBroom handled MC duties and led the story-telling. Many former players, area coaches and Southwestern colleagues attended the event.
“ That was a real hoot,” says Mallon. “When they told me they were setting this up, I told them they would be lucky to get a few dozen people to show,
but hey, what do I know?”

Although retired, Mallon says Southwestern always will be a part of his life. “I’ll stay busy—probably get some fishin’ done and mostly spend some time out here (on the land he leases just east of the University) working my dozer and tending to my cattle.”

For old time’s sake, he’ll make it over to Rockwell field to take in an afternoon game. And even though its Shelton’s team now, who knows? Mallon might exhibit a conditioned response to a player’s poorly laid bunt, a bone-headed base-running move or an umpire’s missed call. When he does, Pirates’ fans will hear him mutter under his breath or more likely, shout at the top of his lungs. The response from all will be the same: “Good to have you back! Stay and chat for awhile.”

—Scott McCrossen