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Diamond 9 series: From Hillcrest to Triple-A, Kelly Snider lived the dream

Former Hillcrest High School baseball standout Kelly Snider reached Triple-A with the Dodgers and Twins organizations. He is among the Diamond 9 honorees on May 27.
Former Hillcrest High School baseball standout Kelly Snider reached Triple-A with the Dodgers and Twins organizations. He is among the Diamond 9 honorees on May 27.

SPRINGFIELD – The old saying is that you don’t forget where you came from. For former Hillcrest High School baseball standout Kelly Snider, that means more than you would know.

You see, long before he went on to star in college baseball and tore through the minor leagues, Snider listened and learned from Hillcrest’s legendary coach, the late Dick Birmingham.

“I was proud to play for him,” Snider said. “I was blessed to play for a lot of coaches, and he was a great guy. You now see a lot of (Springfield) players who went on to play college and pro ball and they played in his program.”

Snider is among the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s second annual Diamond 9, a group of former Missouri baseball and softball standouts whose careers will be recognized during the upcoming Baseball Sports Enthusiasts Luncheon. The ceremony is May 27 at the University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield.

Click for ticket and sponsorship information to the baseball luncheon.

Snider played for Hillcrest’s high school and American Legion teams before graduating in 1973. His career included three College World Series with the Oklahoma Sooners, a TOPPS Minor League Player of the Year award and two seasons on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 40-man roster.

At Hillcrest, Snider hit .400 as a senior, when he was all-state. He also played for Hillcrest’s Legion state championship teams in 1970 and 1971 and was a 15th-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers after his senior year.

The first baseman, however, passed on the pros and went on to a stellar career at the University of Oklahoma, where he played in three College World Series and was named a first team All-American in 1976. He previously was All-Big Eight Conference second team (1974, 1975) selection and first team (1976) selection as well as a team captain in ’76.

“Three days after my junior season, a guy from the Dodgers called and said, ‘Any hard feelings?’” Snider recalled. “I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘We’re going to draft you again in the seventh round.’”

Snider went on to a memorable pro career, playing from 1976 to 1982. Overall, he finished with 89 home runs, 149 doubles and 502 RBI and spent four seasons in Triple-A, the final two with the Minnesota Twins.

In 1977, his first full season, he led the high Class A California League in home runs (36) and RBI (139), and finished with a .345 average. The performance led to league MVP honors.

The Dodgers added him to their 40-man roster in 1979 and 1980, meaning Snider was among the 15 additional minor leaguers deemed to be on emergency status for a call-up should L.A. be in need. He ended up earning a Rawlings Silver Glove award in 1979 at Triple-A Albuquerque after being charged for only two errors in 1,159 chances.

However, he was blocked by Steve Garvey and never got a call-up.

“That was OK,” said Snider, now working for the Stifel investment firm in Springfield. “Just think of the guy behind Cal Ripken Jr. all those years. I felt fortunate to get the opportunity I did get. I was blessed.”