BOWLING GREEN — Gary Haas will become the first baseball player in Bowling Green history to have his number retired on Saturday, an honor attributable to a second opportunity that changed his life.
Haas’ No. 6 will join the likes of Nate Thurmond’s No. 42 in basketball, Paul Miles’ No. 29 in football, George McPhee’s No. 9 in hockey, and No. 19 worn by Falcons hockey greats Brian Holzinger and Nelson Emerson.
Unlike nearly all college athletes, however, Haas said no to college baseball the first time around. Former BGSU coach Dick Young offered a walk-on spot to the Eastwood High School graduate out of high school, and Haas said he couldn’t afford it.