Former Hilltop baseball coach John Baumgarten dies at 80

A day after the tournament he started crowned its 40th champion, former Hilltop High baseball coach John Baumgarten died after a short battle with stomach cancer. He was 80.

Baumagarten died in his sleep Sunday, the day after Granite Hills won the Hilltop Tournament and just four weeks after former University of San Diego High coach Dick Serrano, Baumgarten’s best friend since second grade, passed away.

“I’m 100 percent sure that Dick Serrano is waiting for Baum with open arms,” said former USD baseball coach John Cunningham.

Baumgarten and Serrano played together at St. Augustine High. Serrano went on to play at San Diego State while Baumgarten played for Cunningham at USD.

Baumgarten posted a 407-209 record in 29 years as baseball coach at Hilltop (1965-2002), winning three CIF championships (1979, 1983, 1985) in five appearances in the finals.

The 1979 championship game went 17 innings before Hilltop edged Vista 3-1.

Baumgarten’s teams won seven league titles and sent five players to the major leagues — Tommy Hinzo, Mike Jacobs, Rob Natal, Todd Pratt and Jose Silva.

“Baum and Serrano were freshmen at Saints when I was a senior there,” Cunningham said. “When I got the USD baseball job, Baum was the captain and MVP of my 1964 team.

“He was an amazing man. Not only was he a great coach, but he was a master woodworker. He could make anything with his hands.

“He built the dugouts and the structures at Hilltop, and all the schools in the South Bay got better because they had to try and match what Baum was doing.

“He was indestructible and had an amazing impact on his players.”

One of those players is current Hilltop coach Kurt Gritts, who recently won his 300th game as head coach of the Lancers.

“Not only did we lose a great coach, we lost a great man,” Gritts said. “Baum did everything at Hilltop from coaching, to building things, to grilling hot dogs.”

Baumgarten’s Baum Dogs were generally considered the best hot dogs in the county. Fans went to Hilltop games just to eat Baum Dogs.

“Baum never forgot his roots at USD,” Cunningham said. “He was at every Alumni Game, grilling Baum Dogs for the players and fans. Just amazing.”

In addition to coaching baseball, Baumgarten was an assistant football for nearly two decades, athletic director for 18 years, and until recently made up the baseball schedule for the Metro Conference.

“John never forgot Hilltop,” said Lancers Athletic Director Nancy Acerrio. “He gave a lot not only to the school but to the district.

“When the new schools — Eastlake, Olympian, Otay Ranch — opened, he advised them on how to do things right. And he was a mentor to so many coaches. His passing is a very sad day.”

Chula Vista baseball coach Jim Westlund played for Baumgarten at Hilltop, and credits him with his success as a coach.

“Hearing Baum had passed was one of the saddest days of my life,” Westlund said. “He was my mentor, my student teacher at Hilltop. He talked me into taking the Chula Vista job. He was so welcoming, so helpful.

“His players called him Superman, but Superman isn’t supposed to die.”

In less than a year, the San Diego high school coaching community has lost Mission Bay coach Dennis Pugh, West Hills coach Mickey Deutschman, Serrano and now Baumgarten.

“John and my dad are playing on a heavenly field now,” said Suzzie Duffy, one of Serrano’s daughters.

Baumgarten is survived by his wife Marilou and four children.

Services are pending.