Steinbrenner’s Crumbley wins No. 800

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

TAMPA – Chasing milestones is not what coaching is all about – but it’s still nice all the same when they roll around.

Steinbrenner head coach John Crumbley has met so many milestones throughout his five decades of coaching – there have been four state titles, one national title, and hall of fame calls from Jesuit, the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and the FHSAA.

And all of those milestones came with wins. Wins upon wins, stacked on stacks for the only coach in Warriors’ baseball history and former Jesuit skipper.

Wednesday night at Land O’Lakes, one more win was placed on the pile – win No. 800.

And with that win, another cherished memory and another milestone wrapped around a significant date for the veteran coach.

“I’m blessed, truly blessed,” Crumbley said, “for the way these things keep happening.”

It’s not hard to see a bit of Divine intervention throughout the years, as so many of his biggest career milestone’s meshed in with the life of the husband, father of two, and grandfather of three. Crumbley’s 500th win came along with a win on the mound for his son JJ Crumbley, and Wednesday night’s win came on his son’s birthday. His 600th win took place at Leto High School, Crumbley’s alma mater, and came on the one-year anniversary of his father’s passing. And win No. 700 was the Saladino Tournament Championship win in 2016, coinciding with his father’s birthday.

“My son, JJ, who won No. 500 for me as a pitcher,” he said over the phone Wednesday night, “today’s his birthday, he’s 36. It means a lot that all of these milestones keep happening on all these important days for me. It makes them that much more special.”

The win at Land O’Lakes came in opposition to another lifelong friend Crumbley has made in the game, Gators coaching legend Calvin Baisley.

“(Baisley) and I started our careers together at Pineview Middle School,” Crumbley said. “That was 41 years ago, he stayed there (teaching) his whole career, and we both are still out here.”

Crumbley, a native of Miami, who grew up in Tampa and graduated from Leto and the University of Tampa, began his coaching career at UT as an assistant before taking over the program at Jesuit in 1985. Crumbley spent 22 years in his coaching role at Jesuit, leading the Tigers to state titles in 1994, 1997 and 2000, as well as earning a National Title from Baseball America in 1997. He retired from coaching in 2006 and served as Jesuit’s athletic director for a few years, before returning to the dugout to launch the program at Steinbrenner in 2010, and leading the Warriors to a state title in 2016.

In 36 years as a head coach Crumbley has a record of 800-267, a staggering number to Hillsborough County’s next closest win leader, and dean of the county’s coaches, King’s Jim Macaluso.

“It’s just a mind-boggling number. The ordinary fans, parents that are there for three or four years, they may get involved and learn a little history,” said Macaluso, who himself has 659 wins. “But they can’t really appreciate it. I think it’s just the few guys, who have been around, played, and now coached for 20-25 years. Those are the only people who are really going to understand what that means.”

One branch from the Crumbley Coaching Tree, Berkeley Prep’s Richie Warren said his relationship going from player, to assistant, to replacing his former coach at Jesuit, and now as friend and colleague has helped shape him in a lot of ways.

“John is just one of my closest confidants, someone I trust immensely,” said Warren. “(I) get goosebumps talking about him and what he means to me and my family. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him, at some point in my high school career, he lit in me a passion to be around and impact young people.”

Warren, who was a player on Jesuit’s state championship team in 2000, has amassed 362 wins in his coaching career and admits Crumbley’s newest waypost is one that deserves admiration. Asked what he took from his time around his old coach, Warren said he values many lessons, but one thing stands out.

“First and foremost, being resilient, there’s a lot of lessons baseball can teach you not just in the game, but in life, and I think that was the most important one,” Warren said. “He (taught me to) just have passion for what you’re doing, whether that be on the field or taking a test, give it your all, give it your best effort and I think that shows with his 800 wins.”

Macaluso, who has coached against his friend “too many times to count,” said that though he and Crumbley, as well as other longtime county coaches have battled on the field over the years, the brotherhood is something that makes a moment like this for one, special to all of them.

“John has been extraordinary in that when any of us hits a milestone he’s among the first to call or reach out,” Macaluso said. “When we advance in the playoff he’s that first person to reach out and say he’ll be there. We’re more than close friends, I feel over the years the group (former Gaither coach) Frank (Permuy), (Jefferson coach) Pop (Cuesta), (former Hillsborough coach) Billy Reed, (former Bloomingdale coach) KB (Scull) and myself, our little group are like family, I look at John as almost another son.”

True to the nature of coaching, Crumbley was modest about the accomplishment, deflecting any personal praise for his latest milestone to those who have joined him along the way.

“Again, I just feel blessed to have been at these two great institutions, Jesuit and Steinbrenner, for my career with great assistants, great players and wonderful parents,” he said. “I’ve been lucky to stay healthy and have a long career, and I’m just proud that I listened to people along the way and kept working hard.”

Congrats Coach Crumb! The road to 900 starts at practice tomorrow.

– Mike Camunas, 813Preps Creative Director, contributed to this story.