Inductees

He grew up playing in the 3&2 Baseball Club of Kansas City and eventually for Raytown South High School, often for the fun of it and never expecting to reach the big leagues.

Fortunately, for Bob Dernier, baseball welcomes anyone of all shapes and sizes. So he pressed on as a thinly built leadoff guy and shortstop, starring for Raytown South, then at nearby Longview Community College, before a Philadelphia Phillies scout came calling in 1977. Dernier had been drafted in the January supplemental phase, in the 12^th round.

“Which was like the 80^th round in the summer draft,” Dernier joked. At the time, he was weighing a Division I college scholarship offer. “But I kind of followed my heart although the odds against me being successful were a longshot at best. But I could outrun everybody.”

Dernier utilized his quickness and sped off to a 10-year career in the big leagues, and it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct Dernier with the Class of 2017.

A small part of the Phillies’ 1980 World Series season, Dernier helped Philadelphia win the 1983 National League pennant and then became a fan favorite of the Chicago Cubs in 1984, when they won NL East crown and fell one win shy of advancing to the World Series. That year, he became the first Cubs outfielder ever to win a Gold Glove.

In other words, it was quite a journey for a guy who just loved sports as a kid.

“Every spring, every summer, every fall, there was a different ball out there,” Dernier said, explaining that dads coached him and friends in the 3&2 Baseball Club near Bannister Road and Blue River Road of south KC. He also was on a Babe Ruth League team that placed third in the country.

“I really didn’t mature physically until my senior year,” Dernier said, although in 1975 he was All-State, All-District and all-conference and still fondly remembers his Raytown coaches: Bud Lathrop and John Bailey in basketball and Floyd Reed in baseball.

“I really had quite a year (in ’75) and yet I wasn’t’ a high draft pick,” Dernier said. “And I didn’t get much in the way of college offers. But I had a couple of good years at Longview.”

He still credits Phillies scout Bob Kelso and the Phillies organization for enhancing his career for two reasons: they moved him into center field in the minor leagues; and at the time, the Phillies farm systems was among the best in the game, creating tremendous competition.

He soon had a breakout summer with the 1980 Double-A Reading (Pa.), which has since inducted Dernier into its Hall of Fame.

“Once the move (to the outfield) was made, I was elated,” said Dernier, who used batting practice to work on his outfield defense.

Dernier was a September call-up to the 1980 Phillies but was not on the postseason roster. He then played in 244 games combined in 1982 and 1983 for Philadelphia, but saw sparse playing time in the ’83 World Series on a roster loaded with outfielders.

That next spring, three days before the end of camp, he was traded to the Cubs, re-joining Dallas Green, his former manager who had been hired as the Cubs’ general manager.

“Dallas saw something others may not have,” Dernier said.

Dernier hit .278 that season and stole 45 bags. In the memorable Willie McGee-Ryan Sandberg game on NBC’s Game of the Week broadcast, Dernier was big, too. He was 3-for-5 with four runs scored and drove in two runs.

“We weren’t picked to do anything that year,” Dernier said. “But after that game, we got the national recognition. And Wrigley Field was always packed after that, and I felt we were the beginning of Cubs Nation.”

“For me, it was the best summer of my life,” Dernier added. “I just wanted to be someone who made the team better.”

Dernier played three more seasons in Chicago, leading the NL in stolen base percentage (93.10) in 1986, and retired after the 1989 season after two seasons with the Phillies. In his career, he hit 23 home runs, 92 doubles and had 152 RBI and 218 stolen bases. He later gave back to the game as a coach.

He also is appreciative of mother Jean, wife Stacey, sons Dustin and Derek and step-children Michael and Shera for their support.

“Dreams come true,” Dernier said, echoing what he tells youngsters. “Have faith. You just have to go out and work at it.”