Ben Hines, 85, passed away in January, 2021. He lettered in three sports in high school. He attended LaVerne College, and also had a short stint in minor league baseball with the Baltimore Orioles. After graduating from LVC in 1958, and one graduate year at Pomona College, he started his coaching and teaching career at LVC, as head baseball coach and defensive football coach. In 1972, the baseball team won the NAIA championship. He won more than 500 games and guided his teams to the postseason every year from 1968-80. When LaVerne rejoined the So. California intercollegiate Athletic Conference(SCIAC) in 1971, his teams went 137-25 in conference play and won eight SCIAC titles, including five straight from 1976-1980. In all, he coached 24 All-American and 53 First Team All SCIAC selections, including his son, Bruce, in 1979 and 1980. Sixty-three of his players went on to play professional baseball. During his years at LVC, Ben coached both of his sons in football and baseball, and watched his daughter play basketball and tennis while attending also at the same time.



In 1978-82, Ben managed the Alaska Goldpanners in Fairbanks, AK. His 1980 team won the NBC National Championship and Ben earned the NBC Manager of the Year Award. Over a span of 11 summers, he managed teams in Calgary, Canada, as player and Manager, Fairbanks, AK; Ogden, Utah; Sturgis, S.D.; Bluefield, W. V.; and Boulder, CO. He also was part of the USA Olympic Baseball Team competing in Italy and was part of spring training for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan.



In 1980, Ben joined the ASU coaching staff and worked there for two years, winning the national championship the first year. From there, he worked briefly in minor league baseball with the Angels, before joining major league teams of Mariners, Dodgers and Astros. He worked for the Dodgers from 1984-1993. Ben developed a talent for teaching the art of hitting a baseball, and was the hitting coach for the Dodgers when they won the World Series in 1988. He continued with one year of coaching for the Houston Astros, after which he scouted for the Angels several years.

Among his honors and awards, were being inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, LaVerne College Alumnus of the Year, the NAIA Hall of Fame, the Bob Elias Kern County Hall of Fame, as well as having two fields named after him, the McFarland High School and University of LaVerne's Ben Hines Field. Ben wrote a book, "The Swing's the Thing" which highlights the mechanics used in hitting. Along with some former ULV baseball players, he had a small part in the movie, "The Fan".



Surviving family are his wife, Wanda, three children, five grandchildren, two great grandkids, a brother, his extended family of many former baseball and football players, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, colleagues and friends. Preceding him in death were two siblings and a grandson. Ben's life will be celebrated in a You Tube memorial airing on February 27, at 10 a.m, and anytime thereafter. In his honor, a donation may be made to the Ben Hines Memorial Baseball Fund at the University of LaVerne. A Celebration of Life will be held in the future when Covid restrictions permit. (Source: Arizona Republic)