A Passion For The Game
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — For almost two decades, Jeff Miller stood in the home dugout of the Fairfield Lions baseball team from early March to mid-May calling pitches, working on in-game situations and just outright loving the game of baseball.
Earlier this month, Miller decided it was time to part ways with Fairfield High School, tipping his cap and officially resigning as the varsity baseball coach of the Lions after 19 seasons.
Though it wasn't a picture-perfect ending for Miller, nothing can take away all the memories and accomplishments since he took over as the skipper of the Lions in 1993.
Miller and his teams finished with an overall record of 245-167, going 158-85 in Southern Hills League games. Miller averaged 13 wins a season, averaging nine league wins per year.
In the past 19 seasons, the Lions, under the tutelage of Miller, had 18 winning seasons, winning at least nine games each year. The Lions won 14 sectional titles, three district titles and were the regional runners-up in 1998.
Miller's teams were ranked in the state Top 10 five times and the Top 5 three times. He coached two All-Ohio Mizuno players, along with 40 All-SHL and 37 All-District players.
"Myself and my assistant coaches always talked about building a tradition," Miller said. "We never had down years because we were able to replace graduating players with kids who were ready to contribute to the program. We had a middle school program, little league programs and were able to schedule JV games, which helped prepare kids to play at the varsity level."
There is no doubt Miller loves the game of baseball, as he's seen nearly every situation that game can offer.
"I just have a passion for baseball. I love the game, and I'm knowledgable about the game, which can be a good and bad thing, who knows," Miller said. "My favorite part is the teaching aspect of baseball, especially with pitching.
"It's always good to see my pitchers were always able to throw for strikes, and I'm proud of that. I just love the competition, the strategy, the squeeze bunt, looking at the weather report, the smell of the grass after it has been mowed and the batting practice. I love everything about the game itself and the strategy."
Miller had three teams reach the regional tournament from the seasons in 1998, 2000 and 2002.
"The '98 team, I thought, was the second-best team in the state. That team was loaded, and even with the six games in the tournament, we finished 19-4 because a lot of the games were called due to rainouts (Miller's teams lost an estimated 200 games to rain and inclement weather in the past 19 seasons)," Miller said. "It was unfortunate for that team. We lost to Toronto, who ended up winning the state championship where they run-ruled both teams they faced in the state."
The 1998 team hit 61 home runs that regional runner-up season.
Miller had more memories about the '98 team, speaking of their work ethic and their passion for the game.
"They liked to practice long hours. They would want to practice all the time, before school they would go out on their own and work on their skills. They just wanted to constantly play baseball," Miller said. "It was just a phenomenal team. Their goal was to get a banner on the gym wall, and they did."
The Lions had two more appearances in the regional tournament, going in '00 and '02. In '00, Dan Cannon had 50 RBIs, anchoring a team that Miller said "could flat-out hit the baseball."
"They were another very solid team," Miller said. "They could hit, and we had great fielding and good pitching."
There was one highlight from that tournament Miller said was special.
"What was special for that season was we beat a team in the district tournament that no-hit us the year before," he said. "Again, this was a deep team."
The 2002 Lions team, which was described as "dedicated" by Miller, included Justin Gross, who was Mizuno All-Ohio that season with 40 runs, 40 RBIs and a batting average of .590.
"They were determined to make the regionals at the start of the season. They looked at all the old scrapbooks, and they were dedicated enough to the game and to the team to reach that goal," he said.
The '02 team is full of good memories for Miller, saying that was where his best coaching move came from, which at the time sparked heated moments, followed by an "ahh … was that a planned move all along?" reaction.
"Our pitcher, Mark Melleby (11-3, 1.03 ERA), was pitching a near-perfect game in the tournament, and I put him in centerfield and replaced him with my son (Edward). The fans were worked up, and Edward, who was left-handed, threw out the runner at first and walked back to his position and gave the ball back to Mark.
"Edward never threw a pitch. Mark and I just talked about that last week when I saw him. That was fun."
Miller, who was an All-District and All-SHL Coach of the Year began his coaching career after graduating high school, as a T-ball coach in 1982 with his father Jerome.
"My dad was a part of the little league program in Leesburg for years. In 1968, he was the co-commissioner of the Leesburg little league. If you add all the years my dad, brother, sons and myself have been involved with baseball in Leesburg, it adds up to 43 straight years," Miller said.
The Miller family has 662 total wins in those 43 years as players and coaches in the Leesburg community.
"The first year I coached at Fairfield, Nathaniel was born ('93), and we won a sectional title. My last year ('11), we won a sectional title, which was Nathaniel's senior season. I'll never forget that first sectional title win against Lynchburg-Clay. We beat them 1-0. Our pitcher (Josh Ashley) and their pitcher (Paul Cluxton) were throwing 89 and 90 mph. There were scouts there, and I never experienced another game quite like that."
Family is important to Miller, saying being able to coach both of his sons was something he'll always treasure.
"My favorite part of coaching is the relationships I gain with my players. I got players who would run through a brick wall for me, and I always had good relationships with my players," Miller said. "It was extra special being able to coach my sons."
Again, the perception of a father coaching his children could be looked at the wrong way by some, and Miller said the way it was accepted by others was completely different with each son.
"It was positive with my first son (Edward). People were positive, and with my second son (Nathaniel), it wasn't with some," Miller said. "I felt bad for him for what he had to endure for four years. He played under a lot of pressure, but I know he wouldn't have traded that experience, and neither would I for anything.
"Coaching my sons was the best experience I've had coaching. Seeing Nathaniel go 3-for-3 in the Mizuno All-Ohio game was the absolute highlight of my career. That was the last time he was associated with high school baseball, and he played his best."
Though baseball coaching has taken a backseat for now, Miller didn't rule out the opportunity to return to the dugout one day.
"I have a lot of things up in the air with my life right now, but I would welcome coaching again," Miller said. "I loved coaching summer ball in Bainbridge a couple years ago, and I've turned down opportunities before because I was loyal to Fairfield. I've had offers to help out coaches, but I just want to wait and see what direction my life takes before I think about coaching again."
Like other coaches who have given many hours and years of their time to do what they do, Miller hopes his players learned more than the game of baseball from him.
"I think with my players … I hope they learned they can experience success and they can overcome any defeat. Sometimes you learn from a hard defeat, and they can take those skills and transfer them into life," he said. "I hope they know they can become successful, raise a family and they can or did learn life lessons from baseball. My players know I will always be there for them. The bond will always be there … they are like family to me."
After years of coaching, any coach knows not everyone will be happy, and that is a part of the job. Miller was no different.
"Anytime you are a coach, you put a target on your back, but for the most part, I worked with great parents. You can't make everyone happy, and sometimes when you get criticized and the constant complaining, it wears on you," Miller said. "Baseball is just a game, and how people can hold grudges for a lifetime over a game … sometimes it is meaningless when compared to the important things in life. It's puzzling."
But Miller does appreciate the support he received from players, coaches and parents for the past two decades and wishes things would have ended differently at Fairfield.
"I appreciated the opportunity to coach, and I appreciate the support from people," he said. "You would think after 19 years I wouldn't have to fight criticism from school board and some parents every year. My goal was to coach Nathaniel until he graduated, and I did that.
"Players and some parents asked me to come back to coach, but when I weighted everything out, I decided to just resign and part ways with Fairfield High School."
Miller had some thanks to those close to him.
"I want to thank my assistant coaches for all their years with me, and I want to thank our wives for allowing us and putting up with all the hours away from home," he said. "I'm proud of the fact I got along with other coaches and umpires and that my teams played with class and showed sportsmanship."
Though the ending wasn't what was expected, Miller said his time as the FHS baseball coach was excellent, and he loved the time as the head coach of the Lions.
"I think my career was excellent. The only part I would like to change is the close losses. We has a lot of close one-run losses, including eight or nine one-run games in the tournament. What sticks out are the close losses, but it was enjoyable, and I wouldn't trade the experience.
"My teams played the game the right way."[[In-content Ad]]
Earlier this month, Miller decided it was time to part ways with Fairfield High School, tipping his cap and officially resigning as the varsity baseball coach of the Lions after 19 seasons.
Though it wasn't a picture-perfect ending for Miller, nothing can take away all the memories and accomplishments since he took over as the skipper of the Lions in 1993.
Miller and his teams finished with an overall record of 245-167, going 158-85 in Southern Hills League games. Miller averaged 13 wins a season, averaging nine league wins per year.
In the past 19 seasons, the Lions, under the tutelage of Miller, had 18 winning seasons, winning at least nine games each year. The Lions won 14 sectional titles, three district titles and were the regional runners-up in 1998.
Miller's teams were ranked in the state Top 10 five times and the Top 5 three times. He coached two All-Ohio Mizuno players, along with 40 All-SHL and 37 All-District players.
"Myself and my assistant coaches always talked about building a tradition," Miller said. "We never had down years because we were able to replace graduating players with kids who were ready to contribute to the program. We had a middle school program, little league programs and were able to schedule JV games, which helped prepare kids to play at the varsity level."
There is no doubt Miller loves the game of baseball, as he's seen nearly every situation that game can offer.
"I just have a passion for baseball. I love the game, and I'm knowledgable about the game, which can be a good and bad thing, who knows," Miller said. "My favorite part is the teaching aspect of baseball, especially with pitching.
"It's always good to see my pitchers were always able to throw for strikes, and I'm proud of that. I just love the competition, the strategy, the squeeze bunt, looking at the weather report, the smell of the grass after it has been mowed and the batting practice. I love everything about the game itself and the strategy."
Miller had three teams reach the regional tournament from the seasons in 1998, 2000 and 2002.
"The '98 team, I thought, was the second-best team in the state. That team was loaded, and even with the six games in the tournament, we finished 19-4 because a lot of the games were called due to rainouts (Miller's teams lost an estimated 200 games to rain and inclement weather in the past 19 seasons)," Miller said. "It was unfortunate for that team. We lost to Toronto, who ended up winning the state championship where they run-ruled both teams they faced in the state."
The 1998 team hit 61 home runs that regional runner-up season.
Miller had more memories about the '98 team, speaking of their work ethic and their passion for the game.
"They liked to practice long hours. They would want to practice all the time, before school they would go out on their own and work on their skills. They just wanted to constantly play baseball," Miller said. "It was just a phenomenal team. Their goal was to get a banner on the gym wall, and they did."
The Lions had two more appearances in the regional tournament, going in '00 and '02. In '00, Dan Cannon had 50 RBIs, anchoring a team that Miller said "could flat-out hit the baseball."
"They were another very solid team," Miller said. "They could hit, and we had great fielding and good pitching."
There was one highlight from that tournament Miller said was special.
"What was special for that season was we beat a team in the district tournament that no-hit us the year before," he said. "Again, this was a deep team."
The 2002 Lions team, which was described as "dedicated" by Miller, included Justin Gross, who was Mizuno All-Ohio that season with 40 runs, 40 RBIs and a batting average of .590.
"They were determined to make the regionals at the start of the season. They looked at all the old scrapbooks, and they were dedicated enough to the game and to the team to reach that goal," he said.
The '02 team is full of good memories for Miller, saying that was where his best coaching move came from, which at the time sparked heated moments, followed by an "ahh … was that a planned move all along?" reaction.
"Our pitcher, Mark Melleby (11-3, 1.03 ERA), was pitching a near-perfect game in the tournament, and I put him in centerfield and replaced him with my son (Edward). The fans were worked up, and Edward, who was left-handed, threw out the runner at first and walked back to his position and gave the ball back to Mark.
"Edward never threw a pitch. Mark and I just talked about that last week when I saw him. That was fun."
Miller, who was an All-District and All-SHL Coach of the Year began his coaching career after graduating high school, as a T-ball coach in 1982 with his father Jerome.
"My dad was a part of the little league program in Leesburg for years. In 1968, he was the co-commissioner of the Leesburg little league. If you add all the years my dad, brother, sons and myself have been involved with baseball in Leesburg, it adds up to 43 straight years," Miller said.
The Miller family has 662 total wins in those 43 years as players and coaches in the Leesburg community.
"The first year I coached at Fairfield, Nathaniel was born ('93), and we won a sectional title. My last year ('11), we won a sectional title, which was Nathaniel's senior season. I'll never forget that first sectional title win against Lynchburg-Clay. We beat them 1-0. Our pitcher (Josh Ashley) and their pitcher (Paul Cluxton) were throwing 89 and 90 mph. There were scouts there, and I never experienced another game quite like that."
Family is important to Miller, saying being able to coach both of his sons was something he'll always treasure.
"My favorite part of coaching is the relationships I gain with my players. I got players who would run through a brick wall for me, and I always had good relationships with my players," Miller said. "It was extra special being able to coach my sons."
Again, the perception of a father coaching his children could be looked at the wrong way by some, and Miller said the way it was accepted by others was completely different with each son.
"It was positive with my first son (Edward). People were positive, and with my second son (Nathaniel), it wasn't with some," Miller said. "I felt bad for him for what he had to endure for four years. He played under a lot of pressure, but I know he wouldn't have traded that experience, and neither would I for anything.
"Coaching my sons was the best experience I've had coaching. Seeing Nathaniel go 3-for-3 in the Mizuno All-Ohio game was the absolute highlight of my career. That was the last time he was associated with high school baseball, and he played his best."
Though baseball coaching has taken a backseat for now, Miller didn't rule out the opportunity to return to the dugout one day.
"I have a lot of things up in the air with my life right now, but I would welcome coaching again," Miller said. "I loved coaching summer ball in Bainbridge a couple years ago, and I've turned down opportunities before because I was loyal to Fairfield. I've had offers to help out coaches, but I just want to wait and see what direction my life takes before I think about coaching again."
Like other coaches who have given many hours and years of their time to do what they do, Miller hopes his players learned more than the game of baseball from him.
"I think with my players … I hope they learned they can experience success and they can overcome any defeat. Sometimes you learn from a hard defeat, and they can take those skills and transfer them into life," he said. "I hope they know they can become successful, raise a family and they can or did learn life lessons from baseball. My players know I will always be there for them. The bond will always be there … they are like family to me."
After years of coaching, any coach knows not everyone will be happy, and that is a part of the job. Miller was no different.
"Anytime you are a coach, you put a target on your back, but for the most part, I worked with great parents. You can't make everyone happy, and sometimes when you get criticized and the constant complaining, it wears on you," Miller said. "Baseball is just a game, and how people can hold grudges for a lifetime over a game … sometimes it is meaningless when compared to the important things in life. It's puzzling."
But Miller does appreciate the support he received from players, coaches and parents for the past two decades and wishes things would have ended differently at Fairfield.
"I appreciated the opportunity to coach, and I appreciate the support from people," he said. "You would think after 19 years I wouldn't have to fight criticism from school board and some parents every year. My goal was to coach Nathaniel until he graduated, and I did that.
"Players and some parents asked me to come back to coach, but when I weighted everything out, I decided to just resign and part ways with Fairfield High School."
Miller had some thanks to those close to him.
"I want to thank my assistant coaches for all their years with me, and I want to thank our wives for allowing us and putting up with all the hours away from home," he said. "I'm proud of the fact I got along with other coaches and umpires and that my teams played with class and showed sportsmanship."
Though the ending wasn't what was expected, Miller said his time as the FHS baseball coach was excellent, and he loved the time as the head coach of the Lions.
"I think my career was excellent. The only part I would like to change is the close losses. We has a lot of close one-run losses, including eight or nine one-run games in the tournament. What sticks out are the close losses, but it was enjoyable, and I wouldn't trade the experience.
"My teams played the game the right way."[[In-content Ad]]