What Ron Polk Means To His Diamond Dawgs
April 14, 2023 | Baseball, Joel Coleman
Former players weigh in on Polk’s impact as his Dudy Noble Field statue is unveiled.
STARKVILLE – Perhaps the best measure of one's life is to see the number of people a person has impacted. If that's indeed the case, Ron Polk's tremendous legacy was certainly confirmed on Friday as his statue was unveiled just outside the Adkerson Plaza gate at Dudy Noble Field.
More than 100 of Polk's former players were in the large crowd that gathered to take part in the special day. Many, many more were in Starkville in spirit.
Now some might say Polk's statue was put in place due to his accomplishments. There were the 1,373 career wins, the six different Hall of Fame inductions and the eight different squads Polk led to the College World Series. Others would point to Polk's lasting impact on college baseball – particularly Southeastern Conference baseball – as a whole.
All of that is true, but at the root of Polk's success and his new statue stand the players who count Polk as one of the most influential people in their lives. Polk recognized as much as the statue was revealed….Well, he eventually recognized it anyway.
First, Polk had to have a little fun at his guys' expense.
"In all the banquets I've attended all these years when a coach was being honored, in almost all cases, the coach with the microphone said to his former players, 'I could not have done this without you,'" Polk said, laying the foundation for a quick jab. "Let me say to each and every one of you players, I COULD have done it without you."
After all the laughs subsided, Polk was sure to add: "Only kidding. This statue reflects on every one of you guys."
Without question, Polk's former players mean the world to him. The feeling is mutual. Here lies more proof.
Throughout the week, HailState.com reached out to a handful of Polk's former players with one question:
What does Coach Polk mean to you?
Here are some of those responses, slightly edited for clarity.
Will Clark: "As far as my amateur career goes, Coach Polk meant everything to me. He was my father away from home and my mentor on the baseball field. He taught me the game inside and out and is also my friend away from the field! To this day, we talk often, and I treasure our friendship!"
Bruce Castoria: "Coach Polk means Mississippi State and collegiate baseball. All the things that have happened at State and in college baseball since I have been aware of the sport, Ron Polk has had a large hand in its development and growth. At a personal level, he is a mentor for the thing that I enjoyed the most in my life. He taught me well. He is my Mr. Miyagi."
Tyler Moore: "I was fortunate enough to play for Coach Polk in 2008. It was his last year to coach at MSU. During that year, he stood by his players through thick and thin. He came to work every day with a positive attitude and was the ultimate players' coach. He gave me opportunities to play when I didn't deserve it. He showed us how to handle failure with class. I will forever be grateful for him and the legacy that follows him. He truly cares about his players even after they leave. There are countless stories from other SEC players in MLB receiving handwritten letters wishing them the best with their future career, which says so much about who Coach Polk is as a person. Coach and I still talk to this day, and I feel very blessed he is a part of my life. Thank you, Coach."
Pete Young: "Coach Polk means the world to me. From teaching me to take care of the small details, to saying, 'Don't be on time. Be early.' After games, he wanted people to look at us and not be able to tell if we won or lost. He taught us to respect fans, the opponent and everyone. The main thing he taught though was just to be a good person. There are a lot of things he taught me, and I hope I've done half the job for my former and current players and clients that Coach Polk did with me. Coach, thank you. I love you. This is all so well deserved, even though I hear the statue is taller than your actual size!"
Paul Maholm: "There are really no words to describe Coach Polk, but he has been coach, mentor, friend and essentially part of my family. He is Mississippi State, and he's a Bulldog through and through. No one deserves a statue more than him."
Jeff Brantley: "Coach Polk, thank you for guiding me to be the man I've become. Thirty-five years in Major League Baseball and I still lean on what you taught me at Mississippi State. You treated not only myself, but every player with honesty, dignity and a fairness that only a father would show his sons. Baseball is what people see in you, but you've gone beyond the field in teaching us all how to be respectful men, husbands and fathers. You always expected excellence in how we represented Mississippi State, and we were all proud to represent you. You have trained a legacy of men that will never forget the impact your dedication made in their lives. You're forever our coach."
