Fifteen. A number that could describe the age of many high school baseball players taking the field or the number of players in the dugout awaiting their turn at bat. But for Apollo High School baseball, that number represents so much more.
On Friday night, April 26, as the Apollo Eagles took on the Daviess County Panthers, a special ceremony was held before the game to honor coach Bob Mantooth, his 35 years of dedication to the Apollo baseball program and to retire his No. 15.
Former player and Eyewitness News Anchor Jake Boswell conducted the ceremony, as members of the DCPS school board, AHS staff and hundreds of spectators and alumni applauded the storied coach.
Mantooth, visibly overcome with emotion, still managed to maintain his traditionally stoic composure.
“I do appreciate them doing this — I just feel overwhelmed,” Mantooth said. “I know how fortunate I was to work here for that long. I was blessed to work with some great men over the years that served on our coaching staff. They all brought different strengths to serve our players. I just feel so blessed by God and all the relationships over the years with all of those young men that have enriched my life — it’s just amazing.”
Current varsity assistant baseball coach Rick Wallace was a junior on the Apollo baseball team in 1984 when Mantooth came on as head coach after seven seasons at Webster County. According to Wallace, and other former players under Mantooth, coach’s life was not the only one that was enriched.
“When Coach came to Apollo, everything changed,” Wallace said. “It went from making and being on the baseball team, to being a part of a program. There was an immediate sense of pride to be on the baseball team. When you put that uniform on you were representing his team, that program — he wanted you to do it with class. It’s that gold standard and that’s what he wanted to portray.”
Wallace said Mantooth not only worked hard to instill goals and an expected work ethic on the field but, more importantly, he demanded accountability off the field.
“He didn’t care how big the game was or how good you were talent-wise for our team. If you didn’t make the grade or follow the rules, you didn’t play — period,” Wallace said. “He had a way of communicating that not only clarified the expectations, but made you want to work hard not to let him down. He was great at seeing your potential and getting the most out of you. Coach loved to teach the game, but wins on the field never came in front of what was important off the field.”
That sentiment of values instilled off the field was echoed by each former player. Not surprisingly, many former players continue to impart what they learned from Mantooth onto baseball fields of their own.
Brandon Dennis played for Mantooth from 1993 to 1997 as part of a team that won three regional titles in four years. Friday night, Dennis was also in the head coaching role for opposing team Daviess County. Dennis has been with DCHS for the last 18 years, 10 of which have been as head baseball coach — but all were inspired by Mantooth.
“I learned all I learned about baseball from Coach — but I learned so much more,” Dennis said. “The lessons I learned about how to be a teammate, how to be a member of a team and how to know your limitations. I don’t know anyone that I know that played for him that doesn’t share in that and that’s amazing. He’s a tremendous man to try to emulate. I can only aspire to be there someday. Very few of us will ever get there, but we have to try.”
As far as playing against Apollo Friday night on such a momentous occasion, Dennis said he was thankful to be a part of the night.
“I really appreciate coach (Mason) Head choosing this night so that I could attend,” Dennis said. “One of the things I have treasured the most about coaching against coach Mantooth is having the opportunity to spend time with him in a much different way than I did as a 14- to 18-year-old. I absolutely love that I had an excuse to continue a relationship with him, and I would have been crushed to have missed a much-deserved celebration of his career.”
Another player-turned-coach who credits Mantooth for influencing his career path is Kentucky Wesleyan head baseball coach Todd Lillpop. Lillpop was a three-year starter that played for Mantooth from 1992 through 1994, including a trip to the 1994 state tournament.
“For me, to coach at the college level, I’ve taken many things he taught me over the years about how to run a program,” Lillpop said. “The way he ran his program is what echoed in my eyes — on 100 percent character. You were going to be a man of your word, a good Christian man and a family man. I’ve tried to do the same thing for our program here at Wesleyan.”
Lillpop said he still has the opportunity to see his former coach often as Mantooth’s son Ryne is now the pitching coach at Kentucky Wesleyan.
Ryne Mantooth practically grew up on the Apollo diamond watching his dad coach. From there he went on to become a player at Apollo from 2000 to 2004 and then the assistant baseball coach under his father’s leadership from 2009 until 2017.
“The whole reason that I coach is because of Dad,” Ryne said. “From a young age, I got to see the impact that a coach can have on a young man’s life. He did a pretty good job of using baseball to help guys grow up and learn life lessons. I think that one of the things Dad felt was really important that his players knew was that he cared for them beyond just what they did on the baseball field. He wanted those guys to know he cared about them as human beings and young men.”
One of those young men was former Apollo and Major League Baseball player Brad Wilkerson, the only other Eagle to have his baseball number retired to the outfield. Wilkerson said his relationship with Mantooth lasted far beyond his playing years and is still strong today.
“I think he’s always been great at staying in touch with his players,” Wilkerson said. “I was privileged to go play at the highest level this game has to offer and he and Sheree usually came to one or two games a year, taking time out of their family to see me play.”
As far as having Mantooth’s number next to his, Wilkerson said, it was not only an honor and privilege, but that it had been a long time coming.
“It should have been there years ago,” Wilkerson said. “I should be putting my number next to his, to be honest — he exemplifies coach. It’s more than just on the field — it’s the atmosphere he created for all of us off the field as well. He set the standard for the program that each and every team, each and every coach that comes through there — they’re going to think of him as the standard of what Apollo baseball should be and always should be.”
