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Longtime Grand Junction Baseball Coach Bill Fanning Passes Away At 91

by Josh Moser

Story Created: Feb 8, 2013 at 10:17 PM MDT

Story Updated: Feb 8, 2013 at 10:19 PM MDT

GRAND JUNCTION, colo.-Longtime Grand Junction High School Baseball Head Coach, Bill Fanning, passed away Friday morning in Grand Junction at the age of 91.

Fanning came to Grand Junction in 1954 to play for the Grand Junction Eagles semi-pro team, before coaching baseball in Grand Junction for 35 years, retiring as Grand Junction High School's head coach in 1989.

“It was fun. The kids were good. I had winners,” Fanning said. “When you have good kids the job is easy.”

Fanning hand an overall record of 467-172

His team won state championships in 1961,1962 and 1976. The Grand Junction baseball team took second place in the state tournament on six other occasions.

Fanning has earned a slew of honors over the years including being named to the Colorado High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, and coach of the year on several occasions.

Both the Grand Junction High School “Fanning field” and the Mesa County High School Baseball tournament “Fanning Classic” were named in his honor.

Fanning also umpired the National Junior College World Series (JUCO) for 15 years.

Funeral services are pending.

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