Adam Morris ’15 | Staff Writer

On Saturday May 24th, baseball coach Dan Griesbaum achieved his 700th win at South.

South defeated Stoney Creek with a score of 4-1.

“I never swung a bat, I never threw a pitch, I never ran a base; those 700 wins were contributed by past players and current players,” Griesbaum said.  “It’s a shared thing, their parents have helped and all together it’s a community-wide accomplishment.”

Griesbaum is retiring from teaching after this year, but not from coaching.  He is waiting until the fall to see what he wants to do in his spare time.

“I probably want to do more private instruction in terms of baseball and run some small camps,” Griesbaum said.  “I want to spend more time with my children and grandchildren, workout more, and read more.”

He also hopes to working more around the house and doing what he wants when he wants.

“I am happy he has been able to extend his coaching career as long as he has,” Dan Griesbaum Jr. said.  “I am glad I have been able to coach with him, the program has been a huge part of my life.”

Griesbaum is the 13th baseball coach to reach 700 wins in the state of Michigan.  There is only six active coaches and six retired coaches who have achieved this feat.

“At the time of his 700th win, his reaction was a normal one compared to every game,” Griesbaum Jr. said.  “After the P.A. announced his feat, he got a standing ovation and handshakes and hugs from players.”

Griesbaum credits the community and the support towards his 700 wins with the baseball team.  He also attributes hard work, being knowledgeable, and going to several clinics.

“All of that and great assistant coaches over the years have helped this team achieve this many wins,” Griesbaum said.

“It is a huge honor, he is a great coach and a great role model for the community,” Andrew Eaton ‘14 said.  “He was honored, but acted humble saying that is was not him but us players that allowed him to get to 700 wins.”

Eaton is going to miss his leadership and the way he teaches the team the game of baseball.

“It is an honor for everyone in the program, he has coached at the same school for 31 years,” Griesbaum Jr. said.  “I hope myself and my father can coach for many more years, but we certainly have a bigger challenge every year.”

The team’s competition is getting tougher every year because most MAC Red teams are larger schools and have open enrollment.

“We have to be that much better and work that much harder in order to compete with these larger schools,” Griesbaum said.  “We have to develop our kids as much as we possibly can because we do not have that many people to choose from.”

The Grosse Pointe Little Leagues and Fed Ball programs are great feeder programs for incoming players at South, according to Griesbaum.  The team also receives great support from parents, the community, and the Dugout Club.

“I think the future is bright, we have a great freshman and sophomore class as well as other groups coming in,” Griesbaum said.  “We are going to have trouble if we do not keep up the tradition of excellence because tradition never graduates.”

“We have to continue to get better as players and coaches if we are going to continue winning championships,” Griesbaum Jr. said.