The Illinois Wesleyan University community mourns the loss of Bobby Winkles, a 1952 IWU graduate, and architect of the modern era of Arizona State University baseball. He passed away surrounded by his family and friends at the age of 90. Plans for memorial services are pending.
Winkles was the first varsity baseball coach in Arizona State history. He amassed a 524-173 record over 13 seasons at the helm and was a three-time NCAA Coach of the Year award-winner. He led the Sun Devils to three national championships (1965, 1967, 1969).
A 1997 inductee into the American Baseball Coaches Association Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame, Winkles was The Sporting News "Coach of the Year" in 1965, 1967 and 1969 when his team won national championships. Among the future major leaguers Winkles recruited and coached at ASU were Rick Monday, Sal Bando, Sterling Slaughter, Reggie Jackson, Larry Gura and Gary Gentry during his coaching career.
A charter member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, he was inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 1982 and the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1997. His No. 1 was retired by ASU on February 25, 1972 and the field at Packard Stadium was dedicated in his honor in 2001.
After leaving ASU, he managed four years in Major League Baseball with the California Angels and the Oakland Athletics, also spending several campaigns in assorted coaching roles with the Giants, White Sox and Expos.
Winkles played shortstop at IWU for Jack Horenberger and batted .320, .350 and .427 for teams that placed first, second and fourth in the league. He was also an all-conference player in basketball for teams that won one league title and finished second two other years.
The White Sox signed him in 1951 while he was still a student and thought enough of his potential to give him a $10,000 bonus. They sent him to their Colorado Springs affiliate in the Class A Western League. Winkles missed the entire 1953 season, spending the year in the US Army infantry. He married Ellie Hoeman that same year; they had three daughters, Kelly, Jamie, and Kristi.
