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Tuttle Now Winningest Coach In Michigan History

BLISSFIELD - There have been seven state championships as well as an induction into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame. Now Larry Tuttle is the winningest high school coach in state history.

The Blissfield mentor reached that coveted milestone earlier this month to pass Pat O’Keefe on the all-time win list in Michigan, The personable Tuttle now has 1,323 victories and counting.

“The thing that stands out the most is the dedication of the kids I’ve had that played for me and how important the program is to the school and our community,” said Tuttle, who has a 1,323-426-5 record heading into Thursday’s game.

A 1962 Morenci graduate, Tuttle went on to earn a degree at Adrian College before taking his first baseball position at Bedford High School in 1967. A year later, Blissfield became home and has stayed that way for 53 years.

“There were two coaches at Blissfield at the time and one of them was the AD,” Tuttle reflected back to 1967. “He was on an in-service program at Bedford and I said I enjoyed the opportunity to work with him. A month later I got a phone call and they had an opening in math at Blissfield. I started there the 1967-68 school year and it’s been home ever since.”

The soon-to-be 77-year-old admits his longevity as a coach is a surprise.

“Not in a heartbeat,” Tuttle said when asked if he ever imagined being the baseball coach this long. “I was very fortunate my senior year of high school to have a coach, Greg Lamley, that took me under his wing and encouraged me to go to college at Adrian and then to have teachers there to help me get through. He was my football coach as an assistant, and my basketball JV coach for two years and varsity coach for two years, and my baseball coach all four years.”

More than a half century later, Tuttle is making similar impressions on current high school students.

“Coach Tuttle instills a winning culture centered around limiting mistakes and playing smart baseball,” explained Gabe Jones, a sophomore starting at third base on this year’s Blissfield squad. “He has influenced me tremendously in my development as a player.”

Two seniors on this year’s squad have committed to Bowling Green and played for Tuttle since they were freshmen.

“He’s a very good coach when it comes down to attention to detail,” related Gavin Ganun, a pitcher/second baseman/outfielder who bats leadoff. “He likes to make sure everything is done perfect and until it is done perfect he will continue to push us to make every little thing perfect.

“He is also a great coach because he’s been around to see almost any baseball situation happen so nothing really surprises him at this point in his career. He has really helped me grow as a player, especially in the mental game.”

Zack Horky, a catcher/pitcher who hits second in the batting order, has high praise.for his veteran mentor.

“Coach Tuttle is all that you could need in a coach,” Horky said. “He has years of experience and is 60 years older than most of his players, but he still finds a way to connect with all of them. Coach is big on the small details, and makes sure everything is done the right way. He has made a huge impact on my development and helping me get ready to play college baseball.”

This year’s Blissfield team is currently 26-3, helping Tuttle pass the previous top career win total in Michigan of 1.315. In fact, Tuttle is now fourth nationally behind Gene Schultz (1,578 at Lansing Kee, Iowa), Dennis Olejniczak (1,409 at Jamesville Decorah, Iowa) and John Lowery (1,332 at Harpers Ferry and Shenandoah Junction Jefferson, W. Va.).

“I’ve definitely learned a lot over the years,” Tuttle explained. “If I could start over knowing what I do now, I’d probably have done a much better job. When you first start out you’re young and think you know everything ... but you don’t.

“Patience is one thing I’ve learned,” continued Tuttle. “I have to continue working on that all the time. Being a good leader is another. But what helped me improve the most is my relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ. He’s been with me all the way.”

There have been numerous highlights in his long coaching career that included state championships in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1992, 2000, 2002 and 2003 along with two state championship game defeats and a pair of losses in the state semifinals.

“Every state championship has its own personality,” Tuttle said. “I have two coaches that are with me now that were on the 1992 team and my son started on that team. The 1973 team was my first championship so that was really special. And the 2000, 2002 and 2003 teams ... I was blessed to have those three teams with all that talent.”

One game in particular is also memorable.

“In 2019 we had a 21-inning game with Hudson that I believe is still the national record,” Tuttle related. “It was 1-0 over a two-day period. I had to maneuver the pitching staff because of the pitch count we had to deal with. That game stands out, in addition to the tournament wins.”

Admittedly, there have been changes found in the sport of baseball over all the years.

“The game is basically the same and so is the strategy,” Tuttle said. “I’ve been a small-ball person and that hasn’t changed and the expectations of the players hasn’t changed. Play hard, play smart and playing as a team has not changed.

“But what has changed is young kids are finding it difficult for them to excel because of the commitments of their parents. They don’t have time to spend with their kids and they ship them out to travel ball. That’s the biggest change I’ve seen. The ones getting hurt are the young kids because their parents don’t take the time to work with them and develop their skills.”

Tuttle points to game situations in regard to what he likes best about the sport of baseball.

“The strategy of trying to outmaneuver your opponent, be it hit-and-run, squeeze, double squeeze or anything you can do on defense,” Tuttle said. “That’s the most challenging thing for me.”

Another challenge of late has been health issues.

“I’ve got a heart disease that starts in the liver,” Tuttle related about being diagnosed with amyloidosis. “I’m on a trial drug (Tafamidis, through the Cleveland Clinic) to help ... if not help me, than people in the future.”

What that means for the coaching future of Tuttle is uncertain.

“I’ll be talking it over with my family, my assistant coaches, the AD and superintendent,” Tuttle said. “I’ve not given in my resignation, my health will determine that. It’s up in the air. I still enjoy the game of baseball. Whether you’re gifted or not gifted, I enjoy helping improve skills. But I don’t have the physical energy now to do things like working on the field which is important to me.”

After missing out on the 2020 campaign due to Covid, Tuttle has enjoyed getting back out between the lines in 2021.

“It’s been an unbelievable season from the standpoint I have five seniors on the team that have been with me all four years,” Tuttle said in reference to Ganun, Horky, Ty Wyman, Nolan Savich and Scott Jackson. “All five are straight 4.0 students and all have plans mapped out for college. They’ve been the leaders of this team.

“We didn’t play any baseball last year and those ninth, 10th and 11th graders we have now received no instruction for a year-plus. The past couple weeks you can see they’ve improved from their baseball knowledge to physical abilities. This club has really blossomed.

“It’s just been an unbelievable group and the leaders have been the five seniors. Each one steps up in his own way. Now we hope to have a good tournament run.”

It has most certainly been a good run for Tuttle, from state championships to the Hall of Fame to becoming the all-time winningest coach in state history.

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