John Baumgarten, Hilltop High School’s legendary baseball coach, died Sunday morning after a short battle with stomach cancer.
He was 80.
Baumgarten, or simply “Baum,” as he was affectionately known by friends, won seven league championships and three San Diego Section divisional championships over a coaching career that spanned from 1965 to 2002 at the school on the hill.
He compiled a 407-299 career coaching record.
Most notably, he helped launch the careers of five future Major League Baseball players: Tommy Hinzo, Bob Natal, Todd Pratt, Jose Silva and Mike Jacobs.
Baumgarten also coached softball four years (1977-80) and served as a football assistant and athletic director for 18 years.
“He left his mark on generations of Lancer athletes, students and coaches,” said John Salts, who serves as the school’s boys soccer coach and junior varsity baseball coach. “He will be forever missed. However, his memory and his lessons will live on in many of us forever.”
A member of the San Diego Sports Hall of Champions Coaching Legends, Baumgarten prepped at St. Augustine High School before exceling at the University of San Diego where he was honored as MVP and team captain in 1964.
Current Hilltop varsity baseball coach Kurt Gritts said he learned much of his coaching skills from Baumgarten. Gritts served as Hilltop’s junior varsity coach for 13 years under Baumgarten.
“He’s a legend at Hilltop,” Gritts said out of respect in regard to Baumgarten. “He taught me a lot of stuff, a lot of strategy … he influenced me very much.”
Gritts has followed admirably in Baumgarten’s footsteps, joining the section’s 300-win club in 2019.
Baumgarten’s teams won CIF championships in 1979 (Class 2A), 1983 (Class 3A) and 1985 (Class 2A) and finished runner-up in 1981 (Class 2A) and 1994 (Division III). His Lancers won league titles in 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1996.
The playing field at Hilltop High School is named in his honor.
Baumgarten helped found what is now known as the Hilltop-Lolita’s Baseball Tournament, which remains highly regarded among the section’s top tournament draws. The event celebrated its 40th anniversary this year as the Granite Hills Eagles defeated the La Costa Canyon Mavericks, 5-4, last Saturday at Hilltop High School.
It was the last tournament held while Baumgarten was alive.
Baumgarten remained active in high school athletics following his retirement from teaching and coaching, serving as a scheduler for athletic activities within the Sweetwater Union High School District and as a tournament director for San Diego Section championship playoff events.
Baumgarten’s legacy has been perpetuated among the school’s many alumni.
Bryan Wagner, Hilltop class of 1980, went on to play nine seasons in the NFL, advancing to the Super Bowl with the hometown Chargers during the 1994-95 season.
“I was very saddened when I heard of the news that Baum passed away,” said Wagner, who has returned to coach football at his alma mater. “Baum was very inspirational in my life. He taught me not only the details of becoming a better ball player, but he made me always strive to be a better man.
“Baum instilled in me commitment, discipline, focus, determination and hard work, as well as the fine points of the game of baseball. These qualities allowed me not only to reach the pinnacle of my athletic career, but they still motivate me to be a better coach.
“Baum will be missed. He was a great man, coach, mentor and friend.”
Ward Lannom, a 1987 HHS graduate, coached the Sweetwater Valley all-star team to a third-place finish at the 2015 Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa. Lannom also led the 2019 SVLL all-stars to a berth in the LLWS West Region championship tournament in San Bernardino, making the trek there twice.
Lannom played three seasons at Hilltop for Baumgarten, winning the 1985 Division 2A title with the Lancers and later named the team’s MVP in 1987.
“It was great,” Lannom said of winning a CIF championship, the third and last for Baumgarten. “We played at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. We won 3-1 (against San Pasqual). Baum was more than a great coach. He was a mentor who taught us about life, how to deal with winning as well as how to deal with losing. He was a great coach. The San Diego baseball community will miss him.”
Lannom said Baumgarten made several improvements to the Hilltop baseball field that have been long-lasting, including adding a clubhouse at the end of the batting cage, which was upgraded.
Lannom said the Hilltop baseball diamond was among the best-kept fields in the section during his playing days.
“Hilltop had the best field at the time due to all the work that he put into it,” Lannom said. “It was pristine.”
Lannom said Baumgarten’s personality defined his success.
“He was an old school coach who told it like it was,” said Lannom, whose parents both attended Hilltop High School. “He made you a better player by his approach to life. Everybody wanted to play for him. That’s what really made him a great coach. He held you accountable, but everybody had worth. Every player had his respect. I don’t think anyone who played for him would have anything negative to say about him.”
Ernie Medina, current aquatics coach at Hilltop, said Baumgarten encouraged him to come back and coach at his alma mater.
“Between John Salts, who was my former athlete in the early 1980s at Chula Vista, and John Baumgarten, who was my former P.E. teacher and coach, they both got me back at Hilltop High,” Medina said.
“Baum, a Hilltop icon as a teacher, coach and mentor, loved his community, school, students and athletes. I am proud to have known him and say that he is one of the reasons that I have been a coach for over 40 years in this community and district.”
Baumgarten’s lasting legacy? Just perhaps the tasty oversize “Baum Dogs” sold at athletic events on campus.
