The lions roar one final time at home for Jimmy Mac

Like looking in a mirror! King baseball legend Jim Macaluso admires the bust he was presented prior to Thursday’s game – his final regular season home game of his 50 year head coaching career. 

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

TAMPA – It was just shy of 10 pm when King assistant coach Marcos Causey stretched his arms wide motioning across the diamond from the first-base coaching box to fellow assistant Anthony Macaluso. A silent gesture in a game in which the Lions had a comfortable late lead in the sixth inning at home. Anthony signaled to the home plate umpire for time, as Causey made his way to the dugout and sprang his plan on an unsuspecting Jim Macaluso.

Check out more photos from this game by clicking here.

A substitution 50-years in the making as Anthony made his way across the diamond met his father and handed him his helmet, pointed toward the third base box, wrapped him in a hug and told the Old Lion to take his spot leading the pride from a spot he had turned over to his son a number of years back.

“I had kind of forgotten about it,” Anthony said. “So, when Marcos got my attention it was perfect. It was just an awesome moment. When I was an assistant, just starting out I was always over here (at first base) and he was over there, so to let him go back that one time to spend that last out over there was pretty cool.”

Quite the spectrum here, as first-year Brandon head coach Devin Delorenzo offers a pregame congratulations on a tremendous career to 50-year veteran King coach Jim Macaluso. 

“Ant and me saw an opportunity when the game was about to end to let him do third base and have Ant move over to first,” Causey said. “Let those two have that last moment on their home field together. The moment was right, I looked over and we made eye contact and we said, ‘let’s do it.’

“He got emotional again before he went over there and they got to have that beautiful moment there. It was special.”

Father and son pregame as Jim and Anthony Macaluso listen in on the speeches.

The senior Macaluso’s return to the coaching box was brief, as King held a seven-run lead with two outs. Three pitches were all before the inning was through on a flyout to center. But it was a perfect final piece of a celebratory night of special moments, sending off Coach Mac in his final home game after 50 seasons leading the Lions.

The early evening saw a cast of hundreds show out to celebrate Macaluso, including around 120 former Lions players, who all bunched onto the field around the pitcher’s mound as a pregame ceremony honored their coach.

“There are a lot of guys that he mentored, molded, trained, he got on, and nurtured – I’m one of them,” said Causey, a King Class of 2003 alum. “So, to have all these guys come out here and give him his flowers, that was an incredible thing to see. It’s hard to put into words how beautiful it was.”

Macaluso bites his tongue while wearing a wry smile as he is lauded by his “good friends” with the West Coast Umpires Association (Steve Durance on the right and John Rossick at left), who presented him with the Artie Vasquez Award this season.

Longtime area umpire Dave Stone also shared a moment with Macaluso. 

The pregame was led by King principal Dr. Gregory Basham, and included presentations from the West Coast Umpires Association, the key to the City of Temple Terrace presented by Mayor Andy Ross, addresses from Hillsborough County School Board member and former King High colleague Shake Washington, and superintendent Van Ayers (who also threw out a first pitch) among others.
Macaluso wore his emotions, and there were moments during the presentation, and moments during the game that followed that got the best of him momentarily.

Temple Terrace Mayor Andy Ross presents Coach Macaluso with the key to the city. 

Hillsborough County School Superintendent Van Ayers delivered the game’s ceremonial first pitch. 

Throughout, there were pop-ins to the dugout. Hugs from friends, former players and family. Macaluso even found himself outside the dugout fence for the National Anthem – a man of his people – to the very first pitch.

Still being inundated with love up until the first pitch, Macaluso was caught outside the dugout gate when the Star Spangled Banner played.

There was even a moment to be Nano, as grandson Davis, 10, needed a Band-aid for a cut in the second inning.

“I think there were so many people here, that it was so packed, I don’t think he really had time to get too emotional,” Anthony said. “Every time he turned around there was someone new saying hello or giving him a hug, I don’t think he had time for it to really get to him.

“The turnout was awesome. I knew it had a chance to be pretty big, but this, especially from former players – it couldn’t have gone any better.”

The Macaluso Family, Jim and Karen Macaluso, son Anthony and daughter Gina, as well as grandkids Presley, Davis and Reese.

Jim Macaluso is a baseball man. But you don’t spend 50 years coaching if you don’t love the people you coach. Thursday night, generations of King baseball faithful and the Hillsborough baseball community gave that love back in volumes.

“I wish I could put it into better words,” Macaluso said, “it was just a warm, sincere, thankful, blessed night. Each time someone embraced me, or said, ‘hey I love you,’ or ‘thank you,’ or ‘remember that talk we had when my grades were bad or my parents split?’

“Listen, I enjoy the baseball, but over 50 years I wanted to make sure their lives were good. That they went on to do great things, lived good lives, and a lot of them thanked me for that tonight. That’s the thing that matters. That’s a gift.”

Former King High basketball coach and a driver’s education instructor with Macaluso, and now Hillsborough County School Board member Henry “Shake” Washington.

But still Macaluso, at 76 and coaching his alma mater since 1976, is ever the Old Lion. Though the fiery confrontations with umpires are behind him – especially Thursday where the crew was made up of the only person in the county with more seniority – WCUA association dean Willie Larkins, now in his 56th season, who had the plate, and Russell Martin – a Hillsborough alum who played under Macaluso as an assistant before he even took the job at King – on the bases.

Macaluso turns in some substitutions between innings to home plate umpire and 56-year veteran Willie Larkins and one of his former players while he was an assistant at Hillsborough before taking over at King, Russell Martin, who had the call on the bases Thursday.

There was a bang-bang call on the bases early in the game and though Macaluso didn’t jog on the field to argue, the loud singular pop of his clapping hands momentarily stirred echoes of the past.

The roar started to build in his throat, the mane slightly furled as Brandon answered King offensive innings, chipping away each time. Macaluso paced outside the dugout as the Eagles scored two in the seventh and had two aboard before King finally wrapped up the 12-6 victory to close out the regular season with a win.

“I’ve been trying to back off a little and let them (Anthony and Marcos) take a little bit of that on a little bit more,” Macaluso said. “Someone asked me, ‘what are you gonna miss most?’ And I really believe two of the top things are putting on the uniform, but also competing, going to the park and getting after it a little bit. I’m going to miss that. I’m going to miss that. I’m going to miss it all.”

There was no taking it easy for Coach Mac in this one, he was in this game to the final out.

And though Macaluso is at peace in his decision to retire at the end of this season, that doesn’t mean he’s ready just yet. His postgame message to his (11-12) Lions players as they get set for next week’s district tournament, needing to battle for wins to hope for a region berth, was a simple one: “It’s doable.”

Macaluso then sent them off, he welcomed more revelers onto the field. More hugs. More friends and family. More ‘thank you’s.’

To the dugout his players went, murmurs spreading through the group: “It’s doable. Do it for Coach Mac. It’s doable.”

Every single King player lined up for a hug with Coach Macaluso postgame including senior Caden Harrier, pictured here.

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