Through his first two years as a shortstop/relief pitcher at The
College of Wooster, it didn't appear as if Bob McFadden's career
would be all that noteworthy, nonetheless Hall-of-Fame worthy. But,
after moving into the starting rotation for his junior season,
Mac's career took off as he helped the team to consecutive Ohio
Athletic Conference North Division crowns and set several records,
earning a spot among the Fighting Scots' all-time great
hurlers.
With a rocket of an arm, McFadden entered games at short or as a
middle reliever primarily as a freshman. He then earned the
starting nod as a shortstop during his sophomore season, but after
hitting .231 and struggling a bit defensively, head coach Bob
Morgan decided to put his arm to better use.
øBob came to Wooster as a thrower," said Morgan. øHe
worked hard and developed into a pitcher."
McFadden's first two years on the mound resulted in 16 appearances
and 46.1 innings, during which he went 5-0, struck out 43, and
compiled a 2.91 ERA as part of one of the best NCAA Div. III staffs
ever. As a matter of fact, the Scots led the nation with a 1.87 ERA
in 1979, which still stands as a club record.
Following the loss of All-OAC pitchers Russ Crawford and Walt
Vanderbush, McFadden was given the chance to make more of an
impact. He took advantage of the opportunity and then some, going
11-0 in 11 starts and two other appearances and sporting a 2.09
ERA. Mac led the OAC in wins and strikeouts with 96 that spring,
all of which landed him second-team all-conference honors.
The run continued into the 1981 season, as the then senior notched
his 21st consecutive victory before finally suffering a collegiate
loss as part of a 7-2, 2.85 ERA campaign. The 21-straight wins
stands as an OAC record today. Also noteworthy, Wooster again led
all of Div. III in ERA during McFadden's final campaign, in which
he posted honorable mention on the All-OAC Team, as the staff had a
2.73 mark.
For his career, Mac's power-pitching style enabled him to whiff
201 batters in 188.1 innings, which ranks seventh on the Scots'
all-time list in strikeouts. He's also sixth in ERA (2.53) and tied
for 10th in wins (23).
øI very much enjoyed my entire athletic career at Wooster
and played with many outstanding players," recalled McFadden, who
also played basketball as a freshman. Among those were four Major
League Baseball draftees ‚ Crawford, Vanderbush, fellow Rocky
River native Tim Kelly, and Mike Knox, who was McFadden's roommate.
After graduating from Wooster with a Bachelor of Arts degree in
physical education (minor in communication studies), McFadden added
his name to that list, with an assist from his dad, Tom, who
øtirelessly wrote letters to scouts in the area," as the
Detroit Tigers selected him in the 14th round of the 1981 draft. He
spent three years in the minor leagues, playing Class A ball in
Bristol, Tenn. and Macon, Ga.
For the last 21 years, McFadden has worked at Medical Mutual of
Ohio, currently serving as an account executive. He's also been
married to his wife, Kathleen, for that length of time, and they
have two children, Kyleen (16) and Bobby (13). Active in the
community, Mac is a volunteer with both Junior Achievement and the
Make-A-Wish Foundation, and coaches youth basketball and baseball.
He hasn't hung up the spikes yet either, as he plays in the local
chapter of the Roy Hobbs 30-and-over league and participates in the
Roy Hobbs World Series every year in Ft. Myers, Fla.
