The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Longhorns Legend: Bill Bethea
02.02.2005 | Baseball
Position: Shortstop
Years at Texas: 1961-63
Height: 5-11
Weight: 172
Bat/Throw: Right/Right
Hometown: Houston, Texas
MLB Career Link: http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bethebi01.shtml
Honors
- Three-year letterwinner (1961-63)
- First-Team All-American (1963)
- All-Southwest Conference (1963)
- Longhorns Most Valuable Player (1963)
- Longhorns Hall of Honor Inductee (1986)
Career
- Helped Texas capture three consecutive Southwest Conference Championships (1961-63).
- Led the 1963 squad in hits (41), doubles (10), runs scored (34) and stolen bases (11).
- Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1963 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
- Saw action at the Major League level for the Minnesota Twins in 1964.
- Played professionally from 1963-69 for the Twins, New York Yankees and California Angels.
- Served as one of Texas' assistant coaches for 19 years (1970-89).
- Coached one of his two sons while at UT (Steve Bethea, who was also a shortstop, from 1988-89).
Career Statistics
| Year | AB | R | H | RBI | Avg. | 2B | 3B | HR | SB |
| 1961 | 96 | 27 | 28 | 12 | .292 | 6 | 1 | 0 | n/a |
| 1962 | 94 | 28 | 23 | 15 | .245 | 6 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| 1963 | 116 | 34 | 41 | 22 | .353 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 11 |
| Totals | 306 | 89 | 92 | 49 | .301 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 11 |
