Hale's managerial destiny was evident to college coach at Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Former Arizona Wildcats baseball coach Jerry Kindall says he missed on some of his predictions over the years, but not when it came to Chip Hale.
Kindall knew when Hale arrived as a freshman at Arizona for the 1984 season that Hale was managerial material. Thirty years later, Hale's time as a major league manager has arrived.
"He had a real instinctive grasp of the game, first of all, and then of leadership as a freshman," Kindall said Monday morning after Hale was announced as the seventh manager in Arizona Diamondbacks' history.
"He started every game for us for four straight years, so you could tell the confidence that the coaches -- Jerry Stitt, Jim Wing and myself -- placed in him right away as a freshman. Teammates gravitated toward him because they trusted him. He never let us down, was never late for any team function. He was a delight to coach.
"He was the consummate captain -- actually, co-captain because that was our policy -- and he led our team in wonderful ways."
Including by example.
Hale started a school-record 255 consecutive games and helped lead the Wildcats to the 1986 national championship. Kindall saw Hale's attention to detail and willingness to speak his mind early on.
"The first time he came to me as a freshman, it was about the shoes," Kindall said.
"I had ordered them and the equipment staff had issued them to the players, and it was very shortly thereafter that Chip came into the office and said, 'These shoes are too heavy. We should have shoes that feel more comfortable.'
"And I said, 'Young man, you just make sure you are fielding and hitting and throwing. I'll take care of the equipment.' I wasn't offended. I was amused. And you know what, he was right. The next year we got better shoes."
Kindall, 79, said he and Hale have maintained a close relationship over the years. Kindall was there at the postgame celebration when Hale, as manager of Triple-A Tucson in 2006, led the Sidewinders to the 2006 Pacific Coast League championship.
"I have been a Diamondbacks fan all along, and now it intensifies with Chip in the driver's seat, just because I know him so well and trust him so much," Kindall said. "I think he will be a great manager. And I have proclaimed that before."
Owing to his longevity as a college player, Hale is still all over the Wildcats' record book. In addition to his records for starts and games played, he is the career leader in at-bats (978), hits (337), walks (162), total bases (507) and sacrifice flies (21). He is second in runs with 246. He hit .383 as a senior infielder in 1987.
His status as an Arizona legend was further cemented when Sancet Field public address announcer Dan Hicks -- yes, NBC's Dan Hicks -- started putting a pause between Chip Hale's first and last name as he came up to bat. Soon, the crowd joined in. Hicks would simply say, "Chip" ... and the fans would yell back "Haaaaale!"
"It was great," Kindall said. "I thought that was a great thing for our ball club and for our fans."
"We are very grateful and proud of the guys," Kindall said. "For Chip, it's so great."