JOURNAL SPORTS
GRAMBLING – There’s a very long list, almost bottomless, of great Grambling State football players and it’s difficult to single out one as the best.
There’s really no doubt about who the Tigers’ top baseball hero is, and appropriately Saturday, GSU will retire the jersey of Major League Baseball All-Star Ralph Garr at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park during GSU’s home series against Southern University. The event will take place before the 3 o’clock second game of the series Saturday.
Garr, affectionately known as “The Roadrunner” for his elite speed, was a transformative figure in Grambling State baseball under the leadership of legendary coach and university president Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones. His decorated collegiate career propelled him into a 13-year MLB playing career highlighted by league-leading numbers, national recognition and a reputation as one of the purest hitters of his era.
During the 1967 season, Garr batted .585 while leading the Tigers to a 35-1 record under Jones. Garr was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round and quickly moved up to the big club a year later.
A Monroe native, Garr led the National League in batting in 1974 with a .353 average, making the All-Star Game, registering 219 hits and 30 stolen bases. That same season, he finished second in the NL MVP voting.
He finished with a career .306 average. He had 175 steals including a career-best 35 in 1973. Later in his career Garr played for the Chicago White Sox and California Angels.
A 1985 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Garr was introduced at his enshrinement by his former Braves’ teammate, Hank Aaron. In 2006, Garr was ushered into the Braves Hall of Fame.
Garr compiled more than 1,500 hits, and recorded seven seasons hitting .300 or better, as his blend of speed, consistency and competitiveness, along with effort and personality made him a fan favorite.
Garr has remained closely connected to the Braves organization following his playing career, including work as a scout and ambassador.