Bob Milano, Cal's Winningest Baseball Coach, Passes Away

Bob Milano, Cal’s winningest baseball head coach who took the Bears to three College World Series, has passed away in Walnut Creek from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, the school announced Monday.  He was 85.

Milano was the Golden Bears' head coach from 1978 to 1999, and he led Cal to six postseason appearances and three of its six appearances in the College World Series.

He is the winningest baseball coach in Cal history with 688 victories, and his No. 7 is one of Cal’s four retired baseball jerseys.

In 1980, Milano’s Cal squad set school records for victories (44-23-1) and postseason wins (eight) tand those records still stand. The Bears reached the College World Series that year and placed third.

Twenty-five of Cal’s players at Cal went on to play in the Major Leagues, including San Francisco Giants' manager Bob Melvin and 2000 National League MVP Jeff Kent.

After retiring as head coach at Cal, Milano continued to be involved in the Cal baseball program as a member of the Cal Baseball Foundation.

Current Cal Baseball Foundation board member and Athletics' scout John Hughes, who played at Cal in the 1970s before later becoming the program's pitching coach under Milano, credited Milano for his success.

"After my dad passed away when I was 16 years old, there was nobody who had a bigger impact on my life than '7'," Cal Baseball board member John Hughes said in a statement provided by Cal. "Bob was a second father to me, my coach, my boss, and most importantly, a dear friend. I've been blessed to have a long career in baseball with many friends, and I owe it all to Bob."

Milano is survived by his wife, Diane, son Bob Jr., daughters Paula, Laura, Audrey and Gina, their spouses, five grandchildren, and his sister Margaret.

Donations can be made to: The Cal Baseball Foundation, Bob Milano Memorial Fund; Attention: Mr. Dan Deaver, Managing Partner, Cal Class of 1984; CSM&D 1777 Botelho Drive, Suite 350; Walnut Creek, Calif. 94596

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