Joe Lutz Hall of Fame

Older members, like me, will remember this.   Joe Lutz came to SIU in 1966 on the advice of retiring baseball coach Abe Martin.  When Joe got here SIU was a College Division (D2) baseball team and he immediately took them to D1 AND got into the playoffs his first year 
  He was only here for 4 years, the Cleveland Indians hired him away.  In his 4 years he took the team to the playoffs every year, going to the CWS in his last two seasons.  In 1968 he came within an eyelash of winning the whole shootin' match, losing to USC in the bottom of the 9th (true we would have had to beat them again, but we would have) In 1968, his 3rd year, he was voted national coach of the year. 
  He was an innovator and all things baseball at SIU started with him.  His team wore shorts long before the South Side Hit Men did.  He had gorgeous batgirls.  His team wore white shoes before anyone else.  He hired Itchy Jones and brought Mark Newman to SIU.   
  Yet he is not in the Hall of Fame.  I have, long ago, nominated him and I think it's time to remedy this oversight