Dewey adds vigor to Emory & Henry’s Baseball Team

With the addition of new volunteer assistant coach Mark Dewey, the Emory & Henry baseball team has a second former Major League draft pick to mentor them.

As Dewey joins head coach Trey McCall, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies as the 16^th overall pick in the 1985 First-Year Player Draft, and assistant coach and recruiting coordinator T. C. Calhoun, the Wasps’ coaching staff is now second to none when it comes to experience.

            Dewey, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., was drafted in the 23^rd round by the San Francisco Giants just a couple of years later in 1987, and he spent nearly a decade of his life playing professional baseball.  He made his Major League debut on August 24, 1990, coincidentally facing the Phillies, Coach McCall’s former club.  During Dewey’s stint in the Majors, he played for the Giants, the New York Mets, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, beginning and finishing his career in two separate tenures with San Francisco.

            Dewey graduated from Grand Valley State University, where he pitched for four years for the NCAA Division II powerhouse.  His impressive performance as a member of the Lakers even earned him a spot in GVSU’s Hall of Fame in 1995.

            In college, Dewey majored in communications with an emphasis on broadcasting.  Until he was drafted and started to play baseball professionally, he took part in radio shows and analysis for the university’s radio station.

            This is not Dewey’s first coaching opportunity.  He served as a pitching coach in the minor leagues for the Kingsport Mets, and he also coached in an independent league in South Carolina.

            Dewey is an ordained minister, and he practices at a local Presbyterian church, occasionally filling in for the regular pastor.  He is also an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

            One thing is for sure, though, Dewey’s intentions and beliefs were never in doubt in his six year career.  On July 28, 1996, he headlined a controversy involving the league-wide “Until There’s A Cure Day,” which supported AIDS research.  During the pregame ceremony, each player was given a red ribbon to wear on their jerseys, and Dewey decided to turn his sideways so that it would resemble a Jesus fish symbol.  When asked about this event, Dewey laughed, saying “It was funny in some ways.  I got to be public enemy number one for about 72 hours.”

            Retiring from Major League Baseball at a very young age of 31, Dewey explained that he “just felt like it was the right thing to do at that time… I had three children at that point, and another one was on the way… Family comes before any profession, no matter what that profession may be.”

            With the help of Coach Dewey, the Wasps’ pitching staff showed great progress throughout the 2009 season, and he is certainly well-liked among the student-athletes.  The Emory & Henry baseball program is on the path to success, and that is even more possible with Dewey’s presence.

Filed Under: News