Baseball Legend Tom Chandler Passes Away
Oct 19, 2001 | Baseball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas--Longtime Texas A&M; baseball coach Tom Chandler passed away late Thursday night, Oct. 18, at his home in Bryan at the age of 75. Chandler was battling progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare form of Parkinson's Disease.
"The Texas A&M; family has lost one of its finest gentlemen and one of its greatest coaches," Athletics Director Wally Groff said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Willowdean (Chandler's wife) and her family."
Funeral services will be held at the A&M; United Methodist Church this Tuesday, October 23, at 1 p.m. The family has requested in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Tom Chandler Baseball Memorial, c/o the 12th Man Foundation, P.O. Drawer L-1, College Station, Texas, 77844-9101 (979-846-8892).
As a coach, Chandler was honored in a number of ways. The American Association of Baseball Coaches (AABC) awarded him the prestigious Lefty Gomez Award in January of 1982. The honor is considered the tops of that profession. Among other Lefty Gomez Award winners is none other than Peter Uberroth, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball and the former organizer of the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, California. The Lefty Gomez Award is presented to an individual for outstanding achievements and accomplishments in the game of baseball.
Coach Chandler was inducted into the Texas A&M; Hall of Fame as well as the AABC National Hall of Fame. He served as the organization's president and also served a number of years on the baseball rules committee.
Chandler was honored by Texas A&M; University by having a street near Olsen Field named for him. The street on the south side of Reed Arena, which runs from the new Aggie tennis center east toward Olsen Field, has been named Tom Chandler Drive. The Texas A&M; University Board of Regents approved the street name.
The record books will read 660 wins, 329 losses and 10 ties for the 26-year collegiate coaching career of Tom Chandler, one short of 1,000 games. But the books should be adjusted by one more win because that victory for Coach Chandler has come in the game of life. Not only was Tom Chandler an outstanding baseball coach, but he was an outstanding person.
Chandler came to Texas A&M; in 1958 as an assistant coach to Beau Bell. He took over the program in 1959 and promptly led the Aggies to the Southwest Conference Championship. The Aggies would hoist the Southwest Conference Championship banner a total of five times in his career and 25 of the 26 seasons as the head coach, Texas A&M; posted a winning record. The Aggies advanced to the NCAA playoffs seven times and reached the College World Series in 1964.
Coach Chandler brought the baseball program national attention and also worked behind the scenes very closely with a former baseball letterman, C.E. "Pat" Olsen, to upgrade the facilities at Texas A&M; University. With Coach Chandler's diligence, and Mr. Olsen's generosity, the current stadium, C.E. "Pat" Olsen Field, was built and is still considered among the best in the country. The stadium was dedicated in March of 1978. In addition to the stadium, a park to have family functions and enjoy the outdoors was built to honor Mr. Olsen's wife, Elsie Duncan Olsen. The park has built to assist fans of baseball and anyone who wanted to visit the Texas A&M; campus and stay in a travel trailer. There are more than 40 hookups for recreational vehicles.
Chandler ended his career as the all-time winningest coach in Texas A&M; history. Chandler was among the Top 15 winningest coaches in the country and had 54 players sign professional baseball contracts. Some of the more prominent names include former major league manager and player Davey Johnson, major leaguers Doug Rau, Mark Thurmond and Mark Ross. Dave Elmendorf went on to star in the NFL as an All-Pro defensive back and was a three-way All-American earning All-America honors in football, baseball and academics.
Chandler's coaching ability was not limited to the United States. He served as the USA National Baseball Coach in the summer of 1978. That club participated in the World Tournament Games in Italy and the USA brought home the silver medal, losing to Cuba, 5-4, in the championship game.
Coach Chandler brought in a bright young assistant coach in 1983 by the name of Mark Johnson. In Coach Chandler's final season, 1984, the club set a school-record for wins with 41 and advanced the NCAA regionals. Chandler wanted Johnson to succeed him, and Johnson remains the Aggies' head coach to this day.
"The baseball community, from the major leagues to amateur baseball, lost a fine gentlemen," Johnson said. "He had a passion for the game of baseball and for coaching. While teaching his players to be successful on the baseball diamond, he taught them to excel off the field as well. He had great warmth and a heart for people. He could strike up a conversation with a stranger and that person would become a lifelong friend. All who were fortunate to meet him came away blessed and a better person for having known him."
The Cleveland Indians hired Coach Chandler as a scout in the summer of 1984 and he went on to scout 10 years for the Indians and managed a club in their farm system for three years. One season, his team in Batavia, New York, won more games than any other club on the professional level as the team went on to win the division championship. After his stint with the Indians, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers also called on Coach Chandler's services as a scout.
Not only was Chandler a success on the baseball diamond, but he graduated more than 75% of his lettermen and remained very close to his former players. Some of the players were All-Americans, while others were mere walkons. Regardless of ability, Coach Chandler took time to care about each of them.
In addition, the majority of his players went on to successful careers in business and became leaders in their respective communities, including current Texas A&M; Athletics team physician Joe Paul Bramhall and Bryan lawyer Kyle Hawthorne.
The love that he extended to his players could only be matched by the love he has for his family. His wife, Willowdean, stayed by his side throughout. His son, Thomas Dean, had the opportunity to play for his father, while his daughter, Nancy Suzanne, also attended Texas A&M; and loved horses.
Chandler was born in Greenville, Texas, March 19, 1926. He graduated from Adamson High School in Dallas and attended Arkansas A&M; for two years in the Marine V-12 program. In 1946, he graduated from the Marine Corps Officer School.
After leaving the Corps, Chandler attended Baylor University and was an All-SWC catcher for two years and served as a team captain. The following two years he played in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization.
After his professional baseball career, Chandler returned to his high school alma mater and coached seven years at Dallas' Adamson High School where he led the team to four district titles, two bi-district crowns and two state playoff berths.
During the summer months from 1950-58, he returned to work on his post-graduate degree at Sul Ross College in Alpine, Texas. During this time he served as a player, field manager and general manager of the Alpine Cowboys, a semi-pro baseball team. While he was there, he helped develop the likes of major league stars Joe Horlen, Norm Cash and Gaylord Perry.
Coach Chandler was truly a rare individual and maybe it is appropriate a rare disease would select him. Despite his Parkinson's complications, Chandler tried to make it to the ballpark as often as he could. Coach Chandler made the trip to Omaha in 1999 as the Aggies returned to the College World Series. Anyone who was fortunate enough to cross paths with Coach Chandler would agree he was truly one-in-a-million.
The following obituary was written by longtime Texas A&M baseball public address announcer and entertainer Derrick "D.D." Grubbs:
TOM CHANDLER
March 19, 1926 - October 18, 2001
Long-time Bryan resident and former Texas A&M University head baseball coach Tom Chandler passed away on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2001 at the age of 75 following a lengthy battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a form of Parkinson's disease.
His life will be celebrated during a service on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 1:00 p.m. at A&M; United Methodist Church in College Station.
Coach Chandler retired from Texas A&M; in 1984 after 26 years as baseball coach, bringing the Aggies' baseball program into national prominence. Following his retirement, he served as a professional baseball scout for a number of major league clubs.
During his Texas A&M; coaching career, Coach Chandler's Aggie teams won five Southwest Conference championships, and he was named SWC "Coach of the Year" seven times, including his final season in 1984.
More than 50 of his players signed professional baseball contracts following their collegiate careers, but more important to Coach Chandler himself, is that more than 75 percent of his players completed their chosen course of study at Texas A&M; and earned their college degrees.
Tom Chandler was born on March 19, 1925 in Greenville, Texas. He attended Dallas public schools and graduated from Adamson High School in 1943. He then attended Arkansas A&M; for two years in the Marine V-12 program. In 1946, he graduated from the Marine Corps Officers School. He served as a member of the Marine Corps Honor Guard that presented the colors at the funeral of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in April of 1945.
Following his service in the Marine Corps, Tom Chandler attended Baylor University where he earned All-Southwest Conference honors two years and was team captain for the Baylor baseball team.
After playing two years of professional baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, Coach Chandler began his coaching career at his high school alma mater, Dallas Adamson High. During the summers of 1950-58, he was player, field manager and general manager of the Alpine Cowboys, a semi-pro baseball club. He received his master's degree in Education and Administration from Sul Ross College in Alpine, Texas.
He became head baseball coach at Texas A&M; in 1959, and during his 26-year career, presided over 999 Aggie baseball games, with a winning percentage that ranked him among the top college baseball coaches of all time.
In 1978, Coach Chandler was selected to lead a team of United States college all-stars in the World Amateur Baseball Championship Tournament in Italy. He received the "Lefty Gomez Award" in 1982, an annual award presented by the American Association of College Baseball Coaches that recognizes exceptional contributions to amateur baseball at all levels. Coach Chandler earned a number of "Hall of Fame" inductions, including the American Association of College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1977, the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, and the Texas A&M; Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991. Most recently, he was selected to join the Sul Ross State University Hall of Honor.
During his coaching career, Coach Chandler tutored many renowned players, including Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry, whom he coached at Alpine, as well as a number of major leaguers, including All-Star second baseman and veteran field manager Dave Johnson, who was All-SWC for the Aggies in 1964.
Coach Chandler kept in close contact with many of his former players over the years following his retirement from coaching. On the occasion of his 50th wedding anniversary in 1998, he and his wife Willowdean were honored with a "Captain's Tribute," an event hosted by 30 of Coach Chandler's former Aggie team captains. More than 500 of his former players attended the tribute.
Coach Chandler is survived by his wife of 53 years, Willowdean; son Thomas Dean of Clear Lake, Texas; daughter Nancy of Krum, Texas; brother Lindy Chandler and sister-in-law Jackie Chandler of Grand Prairie, Texas; sister Grace Fair and brother-in-law Bob Fair of Conroe, Texas; as well as numerous nephews and nieces.
Additionally, there are hundreds of former players, students and associates nationwide who were touched by Coach Chandler's kindness, warmth and wisdom. Teaching baseball was his passion, and sharing his life with family and friends was his purpose. In both respects, he was a true success.
In lieu of flowers, Coach Chandler's family has requested that donations be made to the "Tom Chandler Memorial Baseball Fund" c/o The 12th Man Foundation, P.O. Drawer L-1, College Station, Texas 77844-9101.
