Cardinal Hall of Honor
The only Lamar athlete ever to earn all-conference honors four consecutive years in any sport, Joe McCann was the best player in the greatest era of the university’s baseball program.
A second baseman, McCann was the spark plug for the Cardinals during a four-year span when Lamar won three Southland Conference championships and posted a 159-60 record for a .726 winning percentage. HE started all 219 of those games.
McCann did not fashion gaudy statistics, but he found ways to win. If it took a run, a hit, a stolen base or a fielding gem, he delivered. His coach, Jim Gilligan, called him “the greatest second baseman in collegiate baseball.” McCann batted .309 in 1977 and .306 in 1979 while hitting .293 for his career. At the time of his induction, McCann stilled held Lamar career records for runs scored (166), stolen bases (102) and triples (11), while standing third on the all-time hit chart with 215.
