Poise, Composure, and Confidence Help Former Gamecocks in Pro Career
When they met up at last year’s Outback Bowl, South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner was a little worried for Steve Pearce. His former All-American first baseman was nursing a bad back, and for a guy in his mid-30s who has now played for seven Major League Baseball teams, that could have signaled the end.
“He wasn’t doing well,” said Tanner, who coached Pearce at South Carolina from 2004-2005. “He had a bad back, and he said it had been bothering him for a while. I was thinking, spring training is right around the corner big guy, you’ve got to get yourself there! I mean, you’re 34 at the time, your back is hurting, and every big leaguer throws in the upper 90s! I was worried for him.
“He ended up back in Toronto and was on the disabled list for a while. He has a reputation that he could hit a left hander, and (Boston) decided they needed a guy like him so they went and got him. The rest is history.”
“You know, baseball’s a funny game,” Pearce said in the postgame press conference following the World Series victory. “You never know where the game will take you. I’ve gone through a lot in my life during my career to be here. I couldn’t be more thankful.”
Pearce cemented his legacy in Red Sox lore after being named the 2018 World Series MVP as Boston defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. Tanner also coached Boston outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. (2009-2011), who was the MVP of the American League Championship series.
“He and Jackie are both the same with their poise, composure, and confidence,” Tanner said. “They come in to work every day, and they’re the same; never too high and never too low. It was an honor to coach those guys. They were such a great influence on their teammates, and they probably didn’t even know it. As Jackie would say, ‘it’s about how you go about your business.'”
“They brought prestige and attention to this university.”
– Ray Tanner
Pearce’s professional baseball career has come full circle. He was taken by the Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2004 MLB draft, but after playing in the College World Series with the Gamecocks that season, he opted to stay in school in the hopes of chasing a national championship the following year.
“He liked the College World Series,” Tanner said. “I can remember that like it was yesterday. I had no idea he was coming back for his senior year. Most juniors sign if they’re drafted in the first 10 or 12 rounds. He had no interest! He wanted to come back. It’s not a normal path, but it’s not easy to be an MVP in a World Series either. I was delighted to have him back as a senior of course.”
While the Gamecocks came up short of Omaha in 2005, Pearce’s baseball odyssey was about to become quite a journey. After being selected in the eighth round and signing with Pittsburgh that year, he has been in Major League Baseball since 2007, spending five seasons with the Pirates before playing with Toronto, Baltimore, Houston, New York (Yankees), and Tampa Bay. In June of this season, Pearce was traded to Boston from Toronto. He endeared himself early to Red Sox fans by stroking a double in his first at bat while on the road at Yankee Stadium. He would later belt three home runs in a game against the Yankees at Fenway Park in Boston.
Pearce had eight RBI in the World Series, including two home runs that clinched the title in Game 5. In the previous game, Pearce had a game-tying home run and later clubbed a three run double in the ninth inning that propelled Boston to a 9-6 victory.
Many 35-year-old veterans tagged as “journeymen,” are often called on to be role players for postseason teams. Pearce is now a legend and joins Babe Ruth and Ted Kluszewski as the only players 35 or older with multi-home run games in a World Series.
“That’s great company,” Pearce said in the postgame press conference. “Those guys were the best.”
For Tanner, who regularly keeps up with many of his former players, he’s not surprised.
“He was always all about poise, composure and confidence, but not arrogance,” Tanner said. “He was always confident in his ability to hit. No matter what he did with his body in the batter’s box, he could keep his hands back. Great hitters keep their hands back, which means he could square up a lot of balls.
“I try to keep up with a lot of guys who are still playing and with guys who are not playing, too. I texted with Steve and Jackie all throughout the Series. I knew they were busy. I would text them in the wee hours of the morning, and they’d always text back.”
Tanner noted that the attributes that made Pearce a great college baseball player, carry over to his professional career.
“He’s a fun-loving guy. He smiles all the time. He shows up and is in a good mood,” Tanner said. “He’s a good teammate. He was fun to coach. He brought confidence to the team with the way he carried himself. He has a reputation of being a great hitter against lefties. Let me tell you something, he hits everybody!
“I was certainly excited about watching that unfold in having two guys from the same university, who are tremendous on and off the field, win the American League Championship Series MVP, World Series MVP, and winning the whole thing. I was living vicariously through them. Truly it was an honor to look back and think that I had chance to coach those guys. They brought prestige and attention to this university.”
