Bruce Haynam

Bruce Haynam
Shortstop
Born: (1931-02-26)February 26, 1931
Ohio
Died: February 22, 2015(2015-02-22) (aged 83)
Teams

Bruce E. Haynam (February 26, 1931 – February 22, 2015) was an American baseball player.[1] He was the captain of the 1952 Michigan Wolverines baseball team. In 1953, he helped lead the team to the school's first College World Series championship and was the only player on the team to be selected as a first-team All-American. He was inducted in the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1988.

Early years

Haynam was raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and attended University High School.[2] He was a star baseball player in high school, playing as a second baseman.[3]

University of Michigan

After graduating from high school, Haynam enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1950 as a student in the School of Engineering. While attending Michigan, Haynam played baseball for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team from 1951 to 1953. He was the captain of the 1952 team.[4][5] He broke a Big Ten Conference record in 1952 by hitting five sacrifices.[6]

In 1953, Haynam was the starting shortstop for the 1953 Michigan baseball team that won the College World Series for the first time in the school's history.[7][8] Michigan's 1953 infield consisting of Haynam, Don Eaddy, Bill Mogk, and Gil Sabuco was sometimes referred to as the "million-dollar infield."[9] At the end of the season, Haynam was selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association as the shortstop on the 1953 College Baseball All-America Team[10][11] He was the first Michigan player to be selected as an All-American.[7][12]

While attending Michigan, Haynam was a member of Michigamua (the all campus senior honorary society), Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and the Vulcans (the Engineering School's senior honorary society).[13][14] He graduated from Michigan in 1954 with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.[15]

In October 1956, longtime Michigan baseball coach Ray Fisher named Haynam as the shortstop on his all-time Michigan baseball team.[16] Haynam was inducted in the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1988.[17] He joined Bill Freehan (inducted 1979), George Sisler (inducted 1979), Buck Giles (inducted 1980), Bud Chamberlain (inducted 1982), and Dick Wakefield (inducted 1983), as Michigan baseball players in the Hall of Honor. Bill Mogk, Haynam's partner in the 1953 "million dollar infield," was inducted in 2002.[17]

Later years

After graduating from Michigan, Haynam opted not to pursue a career in professional baseball. Instead, he returned to Ohio to commence his professional career as an engineer.[18]

Haynam married Barbara White. They had three children: Maribeth, Anne, and Leigh.[19]

Haynam served for a time as a member of the Kinsman Township Zoning Board of Appeals, but resigned the position in order to fulfill his business responsibilities.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ "In Memory of Bruce Edwards Haynam". February 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Sparkplug Haynam Leads Michigan Diamond Squad". The Michigan Daily. April 30, 1952. p. 3.
  3. ^ "Haynam Stars". Cleveland Plain Dealer. July 18, 1949.
  4. ^ "Michigan Baseball Captains". MGoBlue.com. University of Michigan. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  5. ^ "Clevelander Is Captain". Cleveland Plain Dealer. May 30, 1951.
  6. ^ "At Least Six Records Are Broken In Big Ten". Anderson Daily Bulletin (AP story). May 30, 1952. p. 10.
  7. ^ a b "U of M Baseball". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  8. ^ "Michigan Coach Praises Haynam". Cleveland Plain Dealer. June 7, 1953.
  9. ^ "Million Dollars?". The Michigan Daily. April 29, 1953. p. 3.
  10. ^ "NCAA Baseball Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA. 2010. p. 5. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  11. ^ "All-College Baseball Team Is Announced". Salina Journal. June 28, 1953.
  12. ^ Id., page 3.
  13. ^ 1952 Michiganensian, page 287 (Phi Gamma Delta).
  14. ^ 1953 Michiganensian, pages 114 (Michigamua) and 116 (Vulcans).
  15. ^ 1954 Michiganensian, page 400.
  16. ^ Bruce Madej; Rob Toonkel; Mike Pearson; Greg Kinney. Michigan: Champions of the West. p. 127.
  17. ^ a b "Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  18. ^ "Union City Tool and Stamping Co". Business Profiles.com. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  19. ^ "Kay Crowsley Is Crowned Queen". The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio. February 15, 1962. p. 4.
  20. ^ Bob Woofter (March 17, 1987). "Member of zoning board in Kinsman resigns post". The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio. p. 6.