| Organization: | Stanford University (CA) |
| Year: | 1968 |
Dutch Fehring, the recipient of the 1968 ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award, became Stanford's head baseball coach in 1956, a position he would hold until 1967.
Aided by his longtime assistant coach and friend William G. "Billy" Alhouse, Fehring is credited with putting the Cardinal on the path to becoming a national baseball power, leading Stanford to 11 winning seasons during his 12-year tenure as head baseball coach. He guided Stanford to the College World Series in 1967, setting school records for most wins in a season (36) and for highest season winning percentage (.849, 36-6-1). By the time he retired from coaching in 1967 (after guiding the '67 squad to a third-place finish at the CWS), Fehring had amassed 290 wins and was the winningest baseball coach in Stanford history.
Fehring also holds the unique distinction of being the only person in Stanford history to coach a team in both the Rose Bowl and the College World Series.
One of the most dedicated and active advocates for amateur baseball, Fehring was a past president of the World Amateur Baseball Federation, the United States Baseball Federation, and the ABCA (1967). Fehring also served on the ABCA's Veterans Committee for many years.
Named in his honor, the U.S. Baseball Federation annually awards The W.P. "Dutch" Fehring Award of Merit "for outstanding service to baseball."
Fehring was also chairman of the United States Olympic Games Baseball Committee, helping select and coach the 1964 Tokyo Olympic exhibition team and was instrumental in helping field American teams at the 1967 Pan-American Games and at many other international events. He also served on the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee.
Fehring was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1973 and the inaugural class of the Purdue University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994. Remarkably, he is a member of six additional athletic Halls of Fame including the Stanford University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame.
Named after the great Lefty Gomez, this annual award is presented to an individual who has distinguished himself among his peers and has contributed significantly to the game of baseball locally, nationally and internationally. The Lefty Gomez Award is sponsored by Wilson Sporting Goods.
