A 1956 graduate of Beaver Falls High School,
Bob Lawrence earned a reputation for outstanding hitting. As a 16
year old, he hit a baseball into the centerfield seats at Yankee
Stadium, the start of a long and successful baseball career. Elected
to the Hearst United States All Star Team in 1955 as a high school
junior, the slugging first baseman spent the week in New York and
played at Yankee Stadium. After turning down an offer to play
professional baseball after high school graduation, Bob entered
Indiana University, where he batted .472 his sophomore year and won
the Big 10 batting championship and the Hoosiers’ MVP. His five
home runs in conference play led the Big 10 and his 14 RBIs tied for
the conference title, making him a Triple Crown winner. In the
summer of 1958 he played semipro ball in Little Falls, Minnesota,
and batted .440. In the playoffs Bob had 11 hits over four games and
smacked two home runs, three triples, and two doubles, and one of
his homers traveled over 460 feet. Signing a contract in 1958 for a
reported $50,000 with the Boston Red Sox organization, Bob's
professional career began in 1959 at Corning, New York, where he was
named team MVP. In 1961 at Waterloo in the Midwest League he hit 30
home runs (a league record at the time), had 127 RBIs, and batted
.305, earning another league MVP. In 1962 Bob was named MVP of his
Army baseball team at Fort Chaffee. His professional career ended in
1964 after reaching Class AAA Seattle. Bob
returned to Indiana University in 1965 and coached the baseball team until
1980.
A 1956 graduate of Beaver Falls High School,
Bob Lawrence earned a reputation for outstanding hitting. As a 16
year old, he hit a baseball into the centerfield seats at Yankee
Stadium, the start of a long and successful baseball career. Elected
to the Hearst United States All Star Team in 1955 as a high school
junior, the slugging first baseman spent the week in New York and
played at Yankee Stadium. After turning down an offer to play
professional baseball after high school graduation, Bob entered
Indiana University, where he batted .472 his sophomore year and won
the Big 10 batting championship and the Hoosiers’ MVP. His five
home runs in conference play led the Big 10 and his 14 RBIs tied for
the conference title, making him a Triple Crown winner. In the
summer of 1958 he played semipro ball in Little Falls, Minnesota,
and batted .440. In the playoffs Bob had 11 hits over four games and
smacked two home runs, three triples, and two doubles, and one of
his homers traveled over 460 feet. Signing a contract in 1958 for a
reported $50,000 with the Boston Red Sox organization, Bob's
professional career began in 1959 at Corning, New York, where he was
named team MVP. In 1961 at Waterloo in the Midwest League he hit 30
home runs (a league record at the time), had 127 RBIs, and batted
.305, earning another league MVP. In 1962 Bob was named MVP of his
Army baseball team at Fort Chaffee. His professional career ended in
1964 after reaching Class AAA Seattle. Bob
returned to Indiana University in 1965 and coached the baseball team until
1980.