COLUSA, CA (MPG) – With more than 500 wins, 11 section titles and numerous coaching accolades to his credit, it is definitely no shock that Colusa High School baseball coach Eric Lay was inducted into the California Baseball Coaching Association Hall of Fame.
However, what did come as a surprise was that Lay, who received the honor last May, did not share the news with his family.
In fact, it wasn’t until recently when his wife, Jenny, found the plaque and put it on the mantle at home did the rest of the Lay clan learn that it actually happened.
What made Lay keep the achievement hidden is actually not that unusual for those who know the longtime coach, who has always put his family and players above himself.
Still, what has come out as the reason behind the secrecy is the fact that last spring when Lay was to be inducted, his oldest daughter, Annie, was also graduating from UCLA.
According to Annie, Lay didn’t want to take away from her achievement, so he simply didn’t tell them.
Such consideration for his family is perhaps a greater indication of the type of person Lay is more than any award he could receive.
With his entrance into the CBCA Hall of Fame, which was established in 1986, Lay becomes just the fourth coach from the Northern Section, joining Red Bluff’s Jim Bonomini, Durham’s Bill Wells and Lassen’s Steve Robertson.