Steve McMullen, '65
It's a rare induction when only one sport is involved so it's a valid argument that Steve McMullen is one of Sidney's alltime best baseball players.
Steve was in Vestal until third grade before the family moved to Oneonta, where he excelled in all youth baseball programs - Little League and Babe Ruth - and won MVP honors in both. In 1962, the McMullens moved to Sidney. Steve was a sophomore on the record-setting unbeaten 1963 Susquenango League champions mostly as an understudy to pitching aces Butch Roelle and Bill Cable.
By his junior year, Steve assumed a new role as #1 starter for HOF coach Al Drake. In fact he pitched in 24 of the 34 games played over the 1964 & 1965 seasons (Sidney went 27-7). He threw a 2-hitter with 17 strikeouts versus Newark Valley in the '64 Sus title game, a 6-1 victory. A stellar senior season earned Steve a spot on the Central NY All-Star team that played the semi-pro Milford Macs. It led to an invitation to join the Macs but first came a more important recruiting honor - to play college baseball at SUNY-Oneonta for new coach Don Axtell.
Success followed. Especially during his junior and senior seasons, both resulting in Conference championships. Among the highlights for Steve were: a 12-inning win over Oswego when he retired 30 batters in a row; a near perfect game vs. Plattsburgh (hit batsman); and back to back games pitched (one loss/one win) to clinch the 1969 SUNYAC title. For his body of work for the Red Dragons, Steve was the first baseball player to be inducted into the O-State Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted again in 1999 as a member of the All-Sports HOF.
While playing that summer for the Macs, Oneonta Yankees manager George Case sent word to offer Steve a pro tryout. He signed with the Yankees and was used as a reliever. His record was 3-1 with three saves.
A new career started for Steve the next year when he became a 4th grade teacher at Greene. He played ball for the Bainbridge and Greene town teams and coached Greene's varsity baseball teams (1971-74) earning a Sus title and Coach of the Year honors in his final season. His girls basketball team won in its first season and he coached girls & boys varsity tennis as well. Of course as he and Becky raised three sons, dad was their little league coach.
A proud grandfather of six, Steve has turned into a huge fan of their activities. But
tonight they are his fans as Steve McMullen is inducted into the Sidney Alumni Sports
Hall of Fame. Congratulations!
Steve McMullen SIDNEY