He may have retired from teaching and coaching at the high school level, but former Wirt baseball coach Jerry Troxel hasn't hung up his spikes or his desire to teach youngsters.
His yard has a batting cage with a JUGS pitching machine and his back porch has helmets and bats on it. His basement is more like a gym for kids to work out as well as practice their throwing. He works with his grandkids, but he said any neighborhood kid or baseball player is welcome.
When asked why at 75 years old the 1958 Lew Wallace grad is still coaching, he just smiled and said: "The kids."
Judy, his wife of 53 years, chimed in: "Because he is a baseball nut."
Troxel does not hide his love of the game or kids, and it showed in his career as Wirt's baseball coach and athletic director.
"I was blessed with a bunch of great kids in all sports at Wirt," Troxel said. "I really loved working at Wirt with the kids and the great coaches we had."
His connection with former athletes continues, as 1980 Wirt graduate and football player Jim Wiseman said he talks with Troxel often. The two live a few blocks apart. Wiseman said he realizes how lucky he and his fellow Troopers were to have someone who cared about them.
"I realize how lucky I was to have such a great man in my life during high school," Wiseman said. "He is so humble, and I often wonder if only the people that live around him knew him like I once did and how many hundreds upon hundreds of students he made a difference in. I can only smile when I pass (and see) his grandkids in the yard to think how lucky they are."
Troxel said it fills him with joy to see kids playing baseball and using his batting cage.
"I just want to have a place for my grandkids to come and play," Troxel said. "Any kid. In the basement, no video games. There's too much of that and not enough kids being active and out playing."
His best-known baseball player was Ron Kittle, who transferred to Wirt from Andrean after his freshman year. Kittle went to to become the 1983 American League Rookie of the Year with the White Sox. The Troopers, who played games at Duneland Field in Miller, moved their home games to the Aetna Senior League Field, which was across the street from Kittle's home on East 14th Avenue in Aetna.
"Kittle was special. Great power. He could drive that ball with his left arm. When it took off, it would go," Troxel said. "I think he and Lloyd McClendon going to the majors really got some notice of Gary baseball players. I don't think a lot of people paid much attention until then. I know Ron's success really made the Wirt kids feel proud to be a Trooper."
Kittle said it was an honor to play for Troxel, who reminded him of one his Little League coaches.
"Coach Troxel did the same things, taught the same things my dad did when I played for him in the Aetna Little League," Kittle said. "He taught fundamentals and he showed you how to do things the right way. Coach Troxel had great communication with the kids and always did things to try and make you better."
Troxel also coached Jerry Perkins, who was the 1966 Gary city scoring champ in football, and played in the New York Mets organization plus Jack Sauer, who pitched for the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate Pawtucket, R.I., Tom Nixon and Bob Maurer.
"Between the Aetna and Miller Little Leagues, we got a lot of kids who already knew the game and loved the game," Troxel said. "Back then, there wasn't all this travel ball. You played Little League, Senior League and some travel. Most kids just played pickup games and played every day."
