SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The hallway of the San Diego High School gym is full of trophies representing the amazing athletes the school has produced over the last 140 years.
One of those athletes is going to be coaching at the World Series.
Brent Strom is The Arizona Diamondbacks pitching coach.
He was actually honored by the high school last year and was added to their wall of honor."
Championship runs are nothing new for San Diego baseball legend Brent Strom.
The road to the 2023 World Series started in San Diego the 1960s.
"There's many names that have come out of San Diego High but Brent Strom is one of the most well-known" said Josh Stepner, associate principal at SDHS. "So, in 1966 San Diego High's varsity baseball team won a CIF championship under the pitching of Brent Strom and other athletes on the San Diego High baseball team."
RELATED: El Capitan baseball alum playing in World Series
Strom went on to play at USC, then play in the major leagues- even playing for his hometown from 1975 to 1977.
"He inspired my career just based on pitching with an old school mentality while still using new school technology, such as sabermetrics," he said.
After he played professionally, he influenced many San Diego baseball players' careers like San Diego High's current Associate Principal Josh Stepner.
He played baseball at San Diego High when he said Strom and Bob Cluck were scouts in the area and went on to play for the University of San Diego.
"At the end of my career at the University of San Diego, somebody from San Diego, I can't remember if it was Bob Cluck or Brent Strom, made mention of remembering me pitch in high school and I got a free agent deal with the Oakland Athletics in 1994," he recalled.
Now, as a leader at the school Stepner teaches the current baseball players all about the school's legendary baseball reputation to show them the sky is the limit.
Strom will be coaching El Capitan graduate Kevin Ginkel throughout this series.
Although this isn't his first championship series, he won a title with the Astros in 2017.
Stepson leaves Strom with a message of support going into Game One.
"Good luck, sir! Make sure those pitchers are all warmed up and ready to go. Make sure the mental mindset is intact and focused, just like I'm sure you have," he said.
Game One of the World Series is Friday night in Texas and game two is Saturday night.
