Virginia Tech Flashback Friday: Franklin Stubbs

Virginia Tech baseball may be on the rise again and hosting an NCAA regional in 2013 was a huge deal for the program. Still, baseball has largely been a tough sell in Blacksburg lately. It might come as a surprise to younger readers that baseball was once among the premier sports at Tech.

In the early 1980s, the ‘Hammerin’ Hokies’ were a big draw on campus. They played games where the football practice fields and indoor facility now sit, a far cry from what English Field will be after renovations.

A large part of the appeal back then was first baseman Franklin Stubbs.

Stubbs was a record-setting power-hitter who was named to the Metro All-Conference first team in 1980, 1981, and 1982. He was also Tech’s first baseball All-American in 1980 and 1981.

His best season in Blacksburg was that ’81 campaign when he slugged an eye-popping .969 with 29 home runs, 83 RBI, 34 stolen bases, and 186 total bases. The slugging percentage is still a school record as is the total bases figure. Stubbs is tied with George Canale for the single-season home run record, and Canale went on to become Tech’s all-time leader in home runs, RBI, and total bases.

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You’ll find Stubbs’ name peppered throughout the Hokie record book, which makes it no surprise that he drew the attention of pro scouts. A first baseman with power and good speed is a rarity. That was enough for the Los Angeles Dodgers to select Stubbs with the 19th overall pick in the 1982 amateur draft.

Stubbs made a fairly quick MLB debut for the Dodgers on April 28, 1984 against the San Diego Padres. A week later, he got his first major league hit off submarine-style reliever Kent Tekulve with a triple. Stubbs exceeded the rookie limits by seeing action in 87 games that season, but it was a few years before he really hit his stride.

In 1986, Stubbs flashed his power in the pros with 23 home runs and 58 RBI in 132 games. Two years later, despite a drop in production, he helped the Dodgers to a victory in the World Series.

While that fall classic is best known for Kirk Gibson’s limping heroics off the bench, Stubbs hit second in the order during the series and batted .294 with two RBI.

In 1990, Stubbs was traded to the Houston Astros where he put together the best season of his career hitting .261 with 23 homers and 71 RBI. He signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers where he played for two more seasons.

In his 10-year MLB career, Stubbs played in 945 games and collected 602 hits with 104 home runs and 348 RBI. He stuck around the game as a coach following his playing days working for the Braves, Dodgers, and currently the Diamondbacks in various minor league roles.

Franklin “Cadillac” Stubbs continues to impact the game the same way that he impacted so many baseballs on crisp spring days in Blacksburg more than 30 years ago.

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