Three New Legends Added To Ron Polk Ring Of Honor
March 25, 2023 | Baseball
STARKVILLE – On a picture-perfect day at the Carnegie Hall of College Baseball, three more Mississippi State greats were enshrined into the Ron Polk Ring of Honor. Â
Ken Tatum, Tommy Raffo and Mark Gillaspie saw their plaques unveiled on the pillars of the Adkerson Plaza in a ceremony prior to the Diamond Dawgs game against Vanderbilt on Saturday. That trio was the fifth class of baseball legends to have their legacies greet the throngs of fans that enter Dudy Noble Field through the right field entrance for the rest of time.
"The fact that my name is up there means a lot to me," Gillaspie said. "This is amazing."
"It's overwhelming and humbling to be alongside so many that I've looked up to in the Ron Polk Ring of Honor," Raffo added.
Tatum pitched for MSU from 1964-66, Gillaspie roamed the outfield from 1980-81 and Raffo not only played first base for the Bulldogs from 1987-90 but also coached under Polk from 1994-2008.
"Ken Tatum, Tommy Raffo and Mark Gillaspie are three men that have brought great resumes and we are thankful for all that they've done for the great tradition of Mississippi State University Baseball," Polk said.
There were several other Ring of Honor inductees on hand for Saturday's ceremony. Jonathan Papelbon, Paul Maholm, Jay Powell, Bobby Thigpen and Paul Montgomery were all there to welcome in three new members to their prestigious fraternity.
"We have spent a considerable amount of time discussing these individual's impact on the MSU baseball brand," said Ring of Honor committee chairman and former Bulldog reliever Saunders Ramsey. "I think our brand is second to none and those being recognized today played an integral part in that continued success."
Tatum went 28-9 on the mound during his three seasons in Starkville and helped the Diamond Dogs win the SEC in 1965 and 1966. The right-hander was a two-time All-SEC selection as well as the team's pitching MVP.
In 1966, Tatum went 10-2 with a 2.54 ERA and 84 strikeouts before being drafted in the second round of the MLB Draft by the California Angels. The Alexandria, Louisiana native went on to pitch in the Big Leagues from 1969-74 for the Angels, Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox compiling a 16-12 career record as a reliever with a 2.93 ERA, 52 saves and 156 strikeouts.
Tatum had his family and many of his former teammates on hand to celebrate all of his accomplishments with him on Saturday.
"I hope it means a lot more to my family than it does me," Tatum said. "You always want your family to be proud of you because I'm proud of them too. It's been a special day and I've really enjoyed it."
Tatum spent his first season at State playing at Hardy Field and the next two years were played at Redbird Field in Columbus while the original Dudy Noble Field was under construction. He joked that his locker back in those days consisted of one nail on the wall.
"You don't realize it until it's all over but I'm very appreciative of what State has done for me," Tatum said.
Gillaspie transferred to Mississippi State from junior college and remains the school's all-time leader with a .523 career on-base percentage. The switch-hitting outfielder also ranks second with career batting average of .384 behind only Will Clark and is tied with Brent Rooker for third with a .660 slugging percentage.
Gillaspie was an All-SEC selection in both of his seasons with the Diamond Dawgs and earned All-American honors in 1981. The Omaha, Nebraska native helped MSU reach his hometown in the 1981 College World Series and was named the team's offensive MVP that season hitting .410 with 20 homers and 78 RBIs.
Gillaspie was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 11th round of the 1981 MLB Draft and spent eight seasons in professional baseball.
"I played some ball afterwards but nothing compares to the people of Mississippi and the teammates I had here," Gillaspie said. "The best thing for me was hitting in front of Bruce Castoria, who led the world in home runs. They didn't want to pitch to Bruce so I got the good balls to hit and was lucky enough to find some holes."
During his induction speech on Saturday, Gillaspie quipped that he out-hit Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn during his rookie season with the Single-A Walla Walla Padres but only because Gwynn "was probably only there about a week before he was promoted and I spent all season there".
Gillaspie went on to room with the likes of MLB All-Star John Kruk and two-time national champion coach at Oregon State Pat Casey during their minor league careers. Â
"You meet guys along the line and without coming here, I probably would've never run into," Gillaspie said. "I never would've met my wife either so I'm very thankful for the great people of Mississippi."
Raffo enjoyed plenty of postseason success during his 19 years in a MSU uniform as both a player and coach. The power-hitting first baseman was a three-time All-SEC selection during his playing days winning two SEC regular season championships and two SEC Tournament titles. He helped lead the Bulldogs to the postseason in all four of his seasons, including a trip to the College World Series his senior year in 1990.
"When you think of Bulldog baseball, you think of the special family and the special people surrounding the program," Raffo said. "It sends chills up your spine. It's a unique place and it always has been. When you step foot here, you're a part of something."
Raffo still ranks in the top 10 in school annals with a .366 career batting average, 278 hits, 52 doubles, 45 homers, 207 RBIs, a .458 on-base percentage and a .628 slugging percentage. The Pensacola, Florida native was drafted in the eighth round but decided to make a career change after three seasons once he received a call from Polk asking about potentially returning to his alma mater as a volunteer coach.
"I thought about it for about five minutes and then said 'absolutely' because what better way to start a coaching career than under coach Polk," Raffo said. "With all the success that he's had with coaches within his program, you wanted to be part of that and model yourself after that."
Raffo was promoted to a full-time assistant under Polk in 1998 and served in that capacity until Polk retired in 2008. During his 15 seasons on staff, he recruited and coached his share of State greats including Papelbon, Maholm, Travis Chapman, Eric Dubose, Ed Easley, Matt Ginter, Alan Johnson, Jon Knott, Carlton Loewer, Brandon Medders, Tyler Moore, Mitch Moreland, Adam Piatt, Gary Rath and Craig Tatum among others.
The Bulldogs went to 11 NCAA Regionals, three Super Regionals, three College World Series and won two SEC Tournaments during his coaching tenure.
"I was excited to be a small, small part of it," Raffo said. "It was always a community, team effort and a program effort together. You never heard the word 'I'. It was very unselfish and giving with a common denominator of continuing the tradition of excellence."
Raffo is currently in his 15th season as head coach at Arkansas State and received permission to miss Saturday's doubleheader against James Madison to attend the Ring of Honor ceremony. Those games, however, were ultimately rained out.
