Newport High School baseball will honor former coach Bob Albo on Friday, April 30 with “Coach Albo Day” at the ballpark during the Knights game against Issaquah.
Albo coached Newport for 16 seasons and won six league titles and three state championships. During his time with the Knights Albo compiled a 309-125 record and coached 14 players who were drafted in the Major League Baseball draft.
Albo will throw out the first pitch at the game, which is expected to have 44 former players attending, including former MLB pitchers Scott Anderson and Mike Campbell.
A brief ceremony after the game will present Albo with several awards and gifts. A dinner for Albo will commence following the game at the Newport Hills Pool Clubhouse.
Bob Albo’s Bellevue School District Career Highlights
Courtesy of former Albo player Jim Simpkins
*30 years as teacher and administrator (26 in Bellevue School District)
-Math teacher at Newport High School 1972 – 1987 and 1992 – 1996
-Taught advanced levels of math including calculus
-Athletic Director at Newport High School 1987 – 1992
* 16 years as Newport High School head baseball coach
-1972 to 1983 and 1992 to 1996
-309-125 overall record
-202-80 KingCo League record
-6 KingoCo championships
-3 Washington State Championships – 1976, 1978, & 1982
-10 Final Fours at Washington State Baseball tournament
-Established one of the first summer camps in the area for youth baseball players and the training of youth league coaches
-Coach Albo not only taught great baseball techniques but emphasized hard work ethic and sportsmanship
-Established the first winter conditioning program targeted for baseball players
-Highly regarded speaker at coaches clinics up and down the west coast
-Member of the Washington Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame
-Coached dozens of player who advanced to college and professional ranks
-Major League baseball players Cliff Pasternicky, Ron Romanick, Scott Anderson, and Mike Campbell
-14 players drafted by professional baseball
*Mentor to many of the top baseball coaches in the state who played for Coach Albo
-Terry Agnew at Woodinville, a member of the Washington State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame
-Rob Reese at Issaquah
-Brian Fischer, former Newport coach
-Scott McQuilkin, former Whitworth College head baseball coach, Penn State University assistant coach, and Athletic Director at Whitworth
*Mentor to 100’s of players who have coached at various levels of baseball from Little League to Collegiate level teaching “Albo Baseball”
*One of the most respected coaches by umpires throughout the region
-Coach Albo always treated officials with the utmost respect – a great role model for all the young men playing for him
*10+ years as a Newport High School assistant football coach
Players of Bob Albo drafted by Major League teams
Ron Romanick, 1st Rd. 4th pick in 1981 by California Angels
Mike Campbell, 1st Rd. 7th pick in 1985 by Seattle Mariners
Joe Slaymaker, 2nd Rd. 27th pick in 1973 by Milwaukee Brewers
Travis Anderson, 2nd Rd. 80th pick in 1999 by Houston Astros
Scott Anderson, 7th Rd. 170th pick in 1984 by Texas Rangers
Cliff Pastornicky, 8th Rd. 197th pick in 1980 by Kansas City Royals
Greg Monda, 15th Rd. 368th pick in 1983 by Cincinnati Reds
Brent Blum, 16th Rd. 415th pick in 1985 by New York Yankees
Frank Lucarelli, 19th Rd. 451st pick in 1975 by Pittsburgh Pirates
Steve Routos, 25th Rd. 640th pick in 1982 by St. Louis Cardinals
Tom Gilchrist, 28th Rd. 694th pick in 1979 by Cleveland Indians
Marc Rittenhouse, 35th Rd. 1052nd pick in 2001 by Florida Marlins
Jeff Hooper, 36th Rd. 911th pick in 1987 by Seattle Mariners
Taylor Grant, 43rd Rd. 1277th pick in 1998 by Minnesota Twins
