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University of Massachusets Athletics
Whatever Happened To: Bill Knight, Holliston/UMass
July 23, 2008 | Baseball
July 23, 2008
Bill Knight was a really good athlete at Holliston High School who was fortunate to compete on Panther teams with plenty of other really good athletes before graduating in 1990.
Knight, who will turn 36 on Aug. 27, played on a football team that went to a Super Bowl, a hockey team that made it as far the state semifinals and a baseball team that played in the state finals.
"I made lifelong friends playing sports," said Knight. "We get together now and talk about the same stories and they never get old."
Knight played guard and linebacker in football. "Beating Westwood my senior year and going to the Super Bowl was a real highlight," he said. "We had talked about going since our sophomore year. Unfortunately, we lost in the Super Bowl (41-8 to Whitman-Hanson)."
Knight was a goalie in hockey. "Our junior year we played in the state semifinals at BU," he said. "We got beat, but it was fun while it lasted."
In baseball, Knight was a catcher. "We had some great players," Knight said. "Dougie Carroll, Bobby Henderson, Chris Festa. It was great winning the TVL. We got on quite a march, playing in the state finals at Holy Cross."
After a year as a postgraduate at Vermont Academy, Knight went to UMass-Amherst and played baseball for the Minutemen. He switched from catcher to the outfield.
"During my freshman year, Coach (Mike) Stone said he was going to take the top nine offensive talents and they were going to be his starters," said Knight. "I had played the outfield some with Ashland Legion. I adjusted some to it by playing fall ball."
Knight was so talented offensively that to this day he is the all-time career home run leader for the Minutemen with 43.
"Any time you go up there and think home run that's when you miss and hit a dribbler to shortstop," said Knight, who graduated with a degree in computer graphics in 1995. "There were times I was swinging for the fences, but I usually hit my home runs when I was nice and relaxed and just trying to make contact. I didn't cheat myself and I don't think I walked much. I took my hacks."
Knight was drafted in the 21st round by the Oakland Athletics out of college.
"I remember getting a call from scout Tom Clark, who had been the pitching coach at UMass," said Knight. "He called me up and asked if I had heard from any team yet. Then he said 'We just drafted you.' That was a great day."
Knight got as high as Single-A ball and is thankful for the experience.
"I played two seasons and then was let go," he said. "Playing pro baseball is something I'll never forget. I felt very privileged to have had the opportunity."
As much as Knight enjoyed the experience, it wasn't easy.
"Playing day-in and day-out was something out of Bull Durham," said Knight. "You know, the long bus rides where the bus driver would get lost and go three hours out of his way. You'd go on the long rides, play, go to bed and then do it all over again. You had to be passionate about it. It was definitely a grind but it was something I loved."
After playing a year of semipro baseball with the Lynn Mad Dogs, Knight decided to get on with his life. He worked in Rhode Island as a graphic designer for a beer distributor and then eventually got his current job as a senior art director for an advertising agency in Wenham.
Knight is engaged to marry Susan Crow this coming September. There will be a baseball theme to the wedding.
"All four of the guys in the wedding party are guys I played baseball with at UMass," said Knight.
No surprise there.
