Jim Brock, father of Mesa baseball

  Mesa has had a large number of athletes move on to careers in major professional sports over the years. There have been 26 former T-Birds who have played in the NFL, another 20 who had careers in major league baseball, one who played in the NBA, and even two Olympians.

  However, possibly the most well-known ex-T-Bird never played even a minute for MCC.

  It is Dr. Jim Brock, Hall of Fame baseball coach who put together an amazing career both at Mesa and Arizona State.

  Brock was the father of MCC baseball, starting the program in 1966. When he moved on to ASU in 1972 it was the culmination of a seven-year stretch which had seen Mesa win the first two of three consecutive NJCAA national championships. He then proceeded to win two College World Series titles with the Sun Devils in 1977 and 1981.

  Despite failing health, he led Arizona State through 23 seasons before passing away at the too-young age of 57 shortly after his final season at the helm in 1994.

  During his final three years at Mesa, his teams compiled a record of 106-38, part of his seven-year mark of 163-80-2. He left the cupboard well-stocked the new coach Jim Frey who led Mesa to yet another national crown in 1972. His overall career mark was an impressive 1263-520-2.

  Brock sent several of his MCC alumni to the major leagues and then produced an amazing 175 players into pro baseball, including seven first-round draft selections.

  He was named national coach-of-the-year four times.

  The list of his Hall of Fame inductions is almost endless. Along with the MCC Athletic Hall of Fame he is a member of the Sun Devil Sports Hall of Fame, the College Baseball Hall of Fame, and soon to be the ACCAC Hall of Fame. There are probably others.

  His career at Mesa also included teaching. He was especially proud of the fact that he was also President of the MCC Faculty Senate.

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