Coe baseball coach Steve Cook recalls Bill Quinby’s profound impact

CEDAR RAPIDS – Coe baseball coach Steve Cook has fond memories of the late Bill Quinby.

He recalled the annual speech to Kohawk baseball players, the time Quinby spent mowing grass at the baseball diamond or just seeing him seated at one of the many benches around the field named after him to watch practice or a game.

“I’ve had a few people in my life that would even come close to having the meaning,” Cook said. “The qualities that Bill possessed as a human were amazing.

“Specifically, to Coe baseball, we were fortunate for a number of years during my tenure as head coach and our time out here at Bill Quinby Field at Daniels Park to have Bill here as a mainstay in our program.”

Quinby died Saturday at the age of 92. The former Kohawk athletics director made an impact on the Coe and Cedar Rapids communities, serving in various roles that included educator, administrator and official. His name graces a sign outside the right field fence that welcomes visitors and another atop the center field fence that faces home plate.

“Many know the history of him growing up right down the road,” said Cook, who also serves as Coe AD. “The fact that we were playing baseball, he was involved with us playing baseball here and had an unbelievable smile on his face from all of that together. It was special for everybody.”

Cook remembered when Quinby would come into the dugout and address his teams almost every season. Quinby, who played baseball at Franklin High School and the University of Iowa, focused more on being good people over good players and the importance of the right attitude that surrounded the game.

“His message was teaching young people to have a high appreciation for each other, the opportunities they’ve been afforded and treat others in a caring and kind way,” Cook said. “That was Bill.”

Cook said former players flooded his phone with texts in the 48 hours leading up to their home game Tuesday against Wisconsin-Platteville. Most messages stated, “Bill was the best,” and offered condolences. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. Cook remembered Quinby’s ability to relate to players. He could spark a conversation with players with a simple question.

"They all knew Bill,” said Cook, noting the current upperclassmen knew of Quinby, whose health prevented him from being as involved in recent seasons. “Bill would ask them where they were from and that just started it. Boom. He was able to throw out somebody he knew or this young man might know.

“They understood how kind of a person he was as a person, not just to us here at Coe, but how good he was to everybody around. That’s something they will carry forever. Guys like Bill Quinby just make you better as a person. He did that for so many in our program.”

Quinby remained involved in the program by mowing the grass. Cook said it also transformed into time the pair could spend together, forming a deep-rooted friendship.

“I always met him out here to get him on the mower,” Cook said. “It gave us an excuse to connect a couple times a week because when you got Bill on the mower you rarely just got him on the mower. We’d sit and spend 45 minutes to an hour just talking.

“It became our own little ritual. It was a big part of our relationship.”

Many benches that surround the diamond were donated by Quinby. He would routinely watch games from the bench outside the left field fence. Cook compared Quinby’s personality and demeanor to the late Coe football head coach Steve Staker. When they were healthy, Quinby and Staker sat together on that bench to watch games.

“They were both so important in my life,” Cook said about Quinby and Staker. “You could tell they looked forward to seeing each other at the Coe baseball games. These guys would spend time together and were just two superb humans. The way they could talk about old-timers and old games in Iowa made them a great pair.”

Coe won its first game on its home field after the namesake’s passing. The Kohawks rapped 11 hits and scored four runs in the first inning in an 8-3 victory over the Pioneers. Mitchell Eckardt, Jon Wille, Gavin Guns and Creighton Kreshel each had two hits and Kreshel scored twice for Coe.

The Kohawks host Simpson for a three-game series this weekend, consisting of a Friday doubleheader and a single game Sunday. Cook said they might honor Quinby sometime during the series.

“Sure, you’re always a little sad,” Cook said. “You just know you’re not going to get that chance to have one more conversation with him. Boy, those were special.

“At the same time, it is all a celebration. The guy lived a full life.”

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com