11/11/2022 0 Comments Front row sports![]() “Most of my family is in health care or education,” he said. Though he did wind up marrying an accountant, he said it was apparent that a path in medicine was the direction he needed to go. Mahaffey said he came to Missouri State as a business major, but after one accounting class changed his mind. ![]() (Photo: Missouri State Athletics) From business major to medicine “He had power before its time.” story continues belowīrian Mahaffey hit 41 career home runs for Missouri State’s baseball team from 1985-88, a school record at the time. “He and (2003 catcher) Tony Piazza had the most power on the field, and Brian was in street clothes. “In 2003 when we went to the College World Series, Brian traveled with us and took batting practice at Creighton’s old ballpark the day or two before, when we had our workout off-site,” Guttin recalled. Both were school records at the time in an era when home runs were harder to come by than in recent decades. Mahaffey hit 21 home runs in 1987 and finished his career with 41. Guttin, who’s preparing for his 41st season as head coach, recalled Mahaffey as being the ultimate student-athlete and a slugger before his time. I’ve often said my parents raised me and Coach Guttin turned me into a man.” A slugger before his time We learned a tremendous amount with baseball, but we learned more about life. “It completely changed my life and set me up for success from there on out. “To be able to come to Missouri State and play for Keith Guttin and to be part of that tradition, and to be able to live it and to continue it is one of the great pleasures of my life. “Those were probably some of the best years of my life,” Mahaffey said. Mahaffey said his time at Missouri State, where he helped the Bears reach their first NCAA Tournament as a Division I program in 1987, helped mold his life, both personally and professionally. I’m blessed.” ‘My parents raised me and Coach Guttin turned me into a man.’ I got a second dream job, with the Cardinals. “This honor means a lot to me,” Mahaffey said. About 600 people attended ceremonies at The Oasis Convention Center. What a ride it’s been for Mahaffey, who was among the inductees into the Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday night. ![]() Louis Cardinals, he has a front-row view of one of baseball’s all-time sluggers, Albert Pujols. These days, as coordinator of medical services for the St. Later, Mahaffey returned to Missouri State as a team physician and helped others break his records. The Kickapoo High School graduate hit a then-record 42 career home runs for the Bears from 1985-88. Brian Mahaffey was one of Missouri State’s first baseball bashers. ![]()
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