Love filled the Hammons Field concourse with over 100 former Missouri State baseball players waiting to walk onto the field. There was a Bears game to follow but the regular season finale was secondary on this day at the ballpark.
A brotherhood formed over decades of wearing maroon and white waited for the opportunity to honor the man who connected them all over the last four decades.
"Everyone feels like family here," Brad Ziegler, who pitched for the Bears from 2000-03 before a lengthy career in the Majors, said. "Coach Guttin was coaching long before I got here and has been coaching long after I left. I'm just kind of a small blip on that little radar and it's really neat to see how many guys showed up today."
Missouri State honored legendary baseball coach Keith Guttin before he led the Bears one last time at Hammons Field.
Generations of Missouri State baseball players surrounded the coach during a pregame ceremony. Many joked throughout the afternoon about how much the coach has mellowed out during his career, although he thinks anyone who heard his postgame huddle with his team would think differently.
More: What Keith Guttin means to Missouri State baseball and the many lives he's touched
Springfield Mayor Ken McClure began the day by proclaiming May 18, 2024, as "Keith Guttin Day" as his many accolades were read to one of the Bears' largest crowds of the season. Guttin's family, including his wife, three daughters and two grandsons, surrounded him as the coach, who would typically prefer to not have the attention on him, took in his final hours of coaching at Hammons Field.
"He just makes me proud," Marianne Guttin, his wife for 35 years, said. "I told him this morning, got a little emotional and said 'Your parents would be beaming.' There's not much more to say. We're just so proud of him."
Many stood in line to get a picture with the coach or tell them one last "thank you" until the first pitch. Who knows if Guttin knew everyone who said "hello," but Guttin acknowledged everyone whose lives he's impacted over his 42 years as head coach.
Meanwhile, former players made their way back to the concourse and into the stands. They shared stories of the great games they played over the years whether it be the three NCAA Super Regional appearances or the 2003 College World Series. More than anything, they talked about the brotherhood Guttin helped them build off the field, which led them to be the better men and husbands they are today.
More: 40 years of Keith Guttin — untold tales of the legendary Missouri State baseball coach
A text from a former player or seeing them in the stands is almost as good as getting a win on any particular day.
"It's a part of the deal," Keith Guttin said. "When you're here, you're trying to play good baseball, win games and move on to the postseason. But while you're doing that, you're trying to make sure they're doing things correctly and taking care of business in school and off the field."
The Bears couldn't deliver the storybook ending to a day created to celebrate a coach who has won more than any other coach in any other sport in the school's history. Maybe the in-game "thank yous" from former players on the video board were distractions. Maybe it was the pressure of the day. Maybe it was just the inconsistent pitching the Bears have had all season. In a way, the Bears still showed the fight they've shown each outing for 42 years.
At the end of the day, the play on the field seemed small compared to everything around it.
Keith Guttin Day was a day to celebrate a beloved head coach and the family he helped create.
"It was nice," Guttin said. "I appreciate the support from the university and the former players."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State celebrates Keith Guttin and the baseball family he created
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