| Organization: | University of Missouri |
| Year: | 1997 |
Dr. Gene McArtor, who retired as the winningest coach in University of Missouri history, received the ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award in 1997.
After a successful career as an All-Conference first baseman at Missouri, McArtor returned to Mizzou as an assistant baseball coach in 1969 after coaching and teaching at the high school level in his hometown, St. Louis. McArtor served in that role until 1974 when he succeeded fellow ABCA Hall of Famer John "Hi" Simmons as the Tigers' head coach.
During his 21 years at the helm, McArtor compiled a 733-430-3 (.629) record and won Big Eight tournament championships in 1976 and 1980, plus four regular season championships. He guided six teams to the NCAA Tournament and coached 13 All-Americans and 41 All-Conference players. He also served as an assistant coach on the 1986 USA National Team.
McArtor served on the NCAA Baseball Committee from 1987-92, including five years as chairman, during a period of unprecedented growth for the College World Series.
Former president of the ABCA (1991), McArtor is a member of the ABCA Hall of Fame, Webster Groves High School Hall of Fame, the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame, the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. His number is retired at Mizzou, and in 2013 he was named a Legend by the Southeastern Conference.
Since retiring as baseball coach, McArtor served Mizzou as Senior Associate Director of Athletics and was the Interim Director of Athletics for several months in 1998. Following retirement he served as the NCAA National Coordinator for Umpires.
McArtor remains heavily involved with the ABCA, serving as a member of the Board of Directors and Hall of Fame Committee.
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.
