In The Locker Room With...


Rich “Doc” Shaedler

“Doc” Shaedler is the newest addition to the Oberlin coaching community. Shaedler will take over as the baseball team’s new pitching coach.

So Doc, have you played any baseball in your days?

DS: Well, I played for the United States Marine Corps team for two and half years during Vietnam.

What was that like?

DS: It was great. It was the best experience of my life. Our coach expected 100 percent out of us and we gave him 150 percent. We even got to fly our own private jet to games.

Did you play anywhere else in your career?

DS: I was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, but I was unfortunately also drafted for Vietnam.

Damn dude. I guess you were pretty bad-ass then, huh.

DS: [Laughs} Well, I’ll just say that I won my share of games.

Did you ever have a desire to play in the big leagues?

DS: Yeah, I definitely had a desire. It kind of grew on me as I started to get recruited my junior year of high school.

What kind of stuff did you have?

DS: Well, I could throw the ball about 89 miles per hour. Myself and the catcher on our divisional team, who we called Gizzy, got along great and he knew what I wanted to do from the mound.

Can you still bring it?

DS: I was clocked at 80 miles per hour a year ago, but can’t pitch from the mound now because of my back.

So where did you coach before coming to Oberlin?

DS: I coached at Baldwin-Wallace College for seven years before I came here and also coached with the Canton Crocodiles, who are an independent minor league team.

What brought you to Oberlin?

DS: I had been contacted by [Head Coach] Eric [Lahetta], and he started to tell me what we has looking for. I then met with [Athletic Director] Muska and we talked about what expectations we both had for the team this year.

What are those expectations?

DS: Well, I have a great respect for the game of baseball, and I’m hoping for this year’s team to come out with a .500 record. Our pitchers have set a goal of having an ERA [earned run average] around 3.90.

What is your philosophy as a pitching coach?

DS: My philosophy is all about attitude. Pitching is about how you approach the game of baseball. It’s the same in a job or in your studies. Your attitude will determine if you’re successful or unsuccessful. And I can’t stand losing. If you give your best effort and lose, you’ll be up to play another day. But I can’t stand it when players don’t give it 100 percent on the field. I’m going to dedicate myself to our pitchers and work them to the best of my ability. I can teach them and instruct them, but I can’t throw the ball for them.

Doc, what would you say is your favorite baseball movie?

DS: I’d have to say Field of Dreams.

Field of Dreams? What about Major League? That movie is tight.

DS: [Laughs at editor’s poor choice of vocabulary] I liked Field of Dreams because it was really interesting. I liked how they brought back the old-time players too.

How do you get along with coach Lahetta?

DS: Eric is a young coach and is learning a lot as he goes. At my age, and in 12 years of being a head coach, I’ve seen just about everything there is to see. Eric has a desire, and he sure has worked hard to make us a winning program.

So what do you do in your free time when you’re not coaching?

DS: Well, I like to play golf.

Did you have a favorite pitcher, or other player for that matter, who you idolized when you were growing up?

DS: I liked Rocky Colavito and Don Drysdale. I had the same arm slot as Drysdale.

What else have you done as far as sports are concerned?

DS: I owned my own sporting goods store in Berea and furnished the Cleveland Browns with a lot of their equipment.

Did you ever meet anybody big from the Cleveland Indians organization while you were coaching for the Crocodiles?

DS: Well, I met a lot of people in the organization. I even played golf with John Hart a few times.

Dude, you are bad-ass.