RPS Presentation, October 13, 2021– Ken Slater – Inside Baseball.
Ken’s talk will trace the progress of a player from high school to college and a professional career, weaving in his experiences as both player and coach. He will share stories of the players he met, spring training, the rigors of travel, and salary contracts. He will also comment on recent changes in some of the traditional rules of major league baseball, some of which developed in response to the pandemic.
A Rochester native, Ken Slater graduated from Irondequoit High School, where he earned 12 varsity letters and all-county awards in football, basketball and baseball. During his freshman year at Ithaca College, he played all three sports, but that spring made the decision to sign with the New York Yankee organization. He was with them from 1958 – 1963, continuing his coursework at Ithaca during the off season. He returned to Irondequoit High School as a teacher and coach for 35 years and their baseball field is named for him. He was among the first inductees into the Rochester-Monroe County Section V Hall of Fame and continued his coaching career for 15 years in Richmond, Virginia.