University of Massachusets Athletics
Lorden, Reardon, Strange Inducted Into Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall Of Fame
January 22, 2024 | Baseball
The trio become the fifth, sixth and seventh Massachusetts baseball alum to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
LONGMEADOW, Mass. – The father of University of Massachusetts baseball, Earl Lorden, and two former players, Jeff Reardon and Don Strange, will be enshrined in the Western Mass. Baseball Hall of Fame on March 7, 2024, as part of the class of 2024, unveiled recently by the organization.
Lorden, Reardon, Strange and the entire 2024 class will be honored in a ceremony held at the twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. All three members join former head coach Dick Bergquist (Class of 2017), Steve Newell (Class of 2018), Doug Clark (Class of 2023) and Nick Gorneault (Class of 2023) in the Hall of Fame.
Lorden, the "gentleman coach", led the former Redman (the nickname Minutemen was not adopted until 1972), from 1948-1966, garnering three Yankee Conference titles and a New England Championship in 1954. He also aided Massachusetts to four NCAA appearances (1954, 1955, 1956, 1966), including a trip to the 1954 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
The former coach was enshrined by UMass on two occasions. First, he was honored when the UMass baseball field was dedicated in his name on April 24, 1971, and second, when he was inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982. Lorden was also inducted into the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1970 and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame in 1971. During his time at UMass, Lorden sent 10 players on to professional baseball, and also served the University as Assistant Athletic Director from 1953-1966. He not only impacted UMass baseball, but also the collegiate baseball world, serving as the NCAA District I Representative on the Baseball rules Committee from 1963-1966, and on the District I Committee for NCAA baseball playoffs for more than 10 years.
Reardon, a 1977 graduate, played four seasons with the Minutemen (1974-1977) and reset the all-time UMass record for career strikeouts with 234. He pitched 253.1 innings during his UMass career, setting a record which stood until the 1999 season. Reardon also led the team in strikeouts all four years, and had the lowest ERA on the team as a freshman in 1974. He set a school record with 37 starts on the mound during his career, including 13 complete games, and led the team to a 24-13 record as a junior in 1976, setting a then-team record for single season victories.
The Dalton, Massachusetts, native, went 5-3 with a 2.95 ERA as a senior in 1977, and was drafted by the New York Mets following the completion of the season. He went on to pitch 16 years in the major leagues with the Mets (1979-81), Montreal Expos (1981-86), Boston Red Sox (1990-92), Atlanta Braves (1992), Cincinnati Reds (1993), and New York Yankees (1994), accumulating 73 victories, 367 saves, 877 strikeouts, and a 3.15 ERA in 1,132.1 innings pitched in the majors. His 367 career saves set a major league record at the time and he had 20 or more saves 11 straight seasons from 1982-92. Reardon pitched in 880 career games, a mark which still ranks among the most in major league history, and led the majors with 41 saves in 1985.
Strange, a 1989 graduate, competed with the Minutemen for three seasons. He totaled a 5.23 ERA in his career with a 7-8 record. The Springfield, Massachusetts, native, made 34 appearances with seven starts, and struck out 84 batters in 93 innings pitched. At the conclusion of his senior season, Strange signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves, reaching the Triple-A with the organization.
Lorden, Reardon, Strange and the entire 2024 class will be honored in a ceremony held at the twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. All three members join former head coach Dick Bergquist (Class of 2017), Steve Newell (Class of 2018), Doug Clark (Class of 2023) and Nick Gorneault (Class of 2023) in the Hall of Fame.
Lorden, the "gentleman coach", led the former Redman (the nickname Minutemen was not adopted until 1972), from 1948-1966, garnering three Yankee Conference titles and a New England Championship in 1954. He also aided Massachusetts to four NCAA appearances (1954, 1955, 1956, 1966), including a trip to the 1954 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
The former coach was enshrined by UMass on two occasions. First, he was honored when the UMass baseball field was dedicated in his name on April 24, 1971, and second, when he was inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982. Lorden was also inducted into the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1970 and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame in 1971. During his time at UMass, Lorden sent 10 players on to professional baseball, and also served the University as Assistant Athletic Director from 1953-1966. He not only impacted UMass baseball, but also the collegiate baseball world, serving as the NCAA District I Representative on the Baseball rules Committee from 1963-1966, and on the District I Committee for NCAA baseball playoffs for more than 10 years.
Reardon, a 1977 graduate, played four seasons with the Minutemen (1974-1977) and reset the all-time UMass record for career strikeouts with 234. He pitched 253.1 innings during his UMass career, setting a record which stood until the 1999 season. Reardon also led the team in strikeouts all four years, and had the lowest ERA on the team as a freshman in 1974. He set a school record with 37 starts on the mound during his career, including 13 complete games, and led the team to a 24-13 record as a junior in 1976, setting a then-team record for single season victories.
The Dalton, Massachusetts, native, went 5-3 with a 2.95 ERA as a senior in 1977, and was drafted by the New York Mets following the completion of the season. He went on to pitch 16 years in the major leagues with the Mets (1979-81), Montreal Expos (1981-86), Boston Red Sox (1990-92), Atlanta Braves (1992), Cincinnati Reds (1993), and New York Yankees (1994), accumulating 73 victories, 367 saves, 877 strikeouts, and a 3.15 ERA in 1,132.1 innings pitched in the majors. His 367 career saves set a major league record at the time and he had 20 or more saves 11 straight seasons from 1982-92. Reardon pitched in 880 career games, a mark which still ranks among the most in major league history, and led the majors with 41 saves in 1985.
Strange, a 1989 graduate, competed with the Minutemen for three seasons. He totaled a 5.23 ERA in his career with a 7-8 record. The Springfield, Massachusetts, native, made 34 appearances with seven starts, and struck out 84 batters in 93 innings pitched. At the conclusion of his senior season, Strange signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves, reaching the Triple-A with the organization.
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