As a batting practice pitcher for the Cardinals for 27 years, Darin Hendrickson had a front-row seat for an ongoing baseball education.
He showed up to do his work and as the years unfolded kept eyes and ears on everything that went on around him.
Through it all, he moved from coaching jobs at Fontbonne, ºüÀêÊÓƵ Community College, Central Missouri and ºüÀêÊÓƵ University.
When Hendrickson reached 1,000 career coaching wins last weekend, it was a culmination of employing all of the baseball knowledge he has accrued, including the voices of masters from two Busch Stadiums.
“I was smart and listened to people smarter than me,†Hendrickson said. “Tony La Russa taught me that if the fire’s not in your gut on a daily basis, you need to get out because you’re cheating the guys. It’s such a conglomeration of people who have helped. Imagine getting an infield tutorial every day from 4:30 to 5:30 from Jose Oquendo or to watch Dave Duncan teach pitchers.â€
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Hendrickson is not a name dropper but rather a thankful recipient who believes the “accidental†path made him the “luckiest guy in the world.â€
He no longer throws BP for the Cardinals but has kept a SLU relationship going with the organization as he finishes his 17th season with the Billikens. They have remained a perennial challenger in the Atlantic 10 and are sitting in first place entering a three-game series at home against Dayton starting Friday.
“I got started early. My path would not be possible now,†he said. “I was a 25-year-old head coach. I went in circles I didn’t belong in as far as talent levels and recruited like mad. All they could do was tell me no. I got yeses and it grew, and then you look for consistency. That’s what I’m most proud of.â€
Hendrickson has two 40-win seasons at SLU and has topped 30 in 10 seasons. The Billikens have reached the NCAA Tournament three times, and he has twice been named conference coach of the year. He has been coach of the year in four conferences at different levels to reach what is now 1,003 wins.
“I’d say he downplays it,†said his son and former SLU player Reid Hendrickson. “When I gave him a hug after the game, it was a little longer than I expected. I think he was happy to share the moment. I guess I didn’t think about it too much, but it means a lot.â€
Hendrickson’s coaching career started on a golf course in 1996, when he received a call from Fontbonne University asking if he’d be interested in coaching the school’s fledgling baseball program.
Instead of applying for law school — “That would have been an utter disaster†–— he accepted the $27,000 salary to take on the roles of coach, sports information director, head of the recreation center, assistant athletics director and teaching a sports management course.
Hendrickson has coached 17 players who have been A-10 first-team selections, some of them multiple times, and 12 have been drafted during his tenure. He continues to draw talent to SLU while constantly pursuing upgrades for the facilities.
“Everyone knows we’re trying to improve our facilities,†he said. “The field has gotten better, and we’re not sitting on our hands. We’re trying our best to enhance the external piece with an actual stadium. That’s the most costly and final one that needs to happen.â€
The ability to reach 500 wins at SLU, which he did earlier this season, is a credit to his commitment to sticking with the nearly two-decade process.
“He’s definitely really happy with SLU and how that’s turned out,†Reid Hendrickson said. “We have a lot of family here, and he’s built a consistent winner.â€
Hendrickson said he hasn’t pursued jobs outside of SLU. He was approached a couple of times by minor league teams but wasn’t interested in living that lifestyle. He has been anchored in Edwardsville, where he raised three children with his wife, Laura.
“One thousand is a cool number,†he said. “But it’s also just a number and not the end-all. At the end of my career, no one cares or remembers. But I recently went to (a former player’s) wedding and saw his mom. It’s a family I had on a recruiting visit when he was 16 or 17. It’s what every coach says, but that’s the stuff that’s really cool.â€