JAMES 'MICKEY' MCBRIDE ('60): A four-year member of the Plymouth State baseball team, McBride dazzled with his bat-to-ball skills while serving primarily as a second baseman for Hall of Fame coach John Foley (HOF ‘85).
McBride hit .314 as a freshman in 1957 and never looked back. Not known for his power, he earned a starting role after smacking a pinch-hit grand slam early in his rookie season. In 1958, he posted a sparkling .462 average to finish among the top 15 across Division III. His success at the plate earned him a spot in the 1959 Official NCAA Baseball Guide as one of the top small college hitters in the country. The mark remains the fifth-highest in program history today.
In his four years the team finished 34-10 (.773), with the program making its first trip south for spring games, driving to Virginia to face the likes of Norfolk Naval Base and Lynchburg College.
In addition, McBride spent three seasons as a reserve guard on the basketball team, also under the direction of Foley, missing his senior campaign to fulfill his student teaching responsibilities.
In 1960, McBride was part of the first class of Physical Education majors to graduate from then Plymouth Teacher’s College. Following his graduation he embarked on a 40-year career as an educator, teaching PE and the sciences, while also coaching various sports over a 35-year period.
After earning his Master of Science in Education from Oklahoma State University in 1970, McBride returned to New England and spent 30 years at The Bromfield School (Harvard, Mass.), where he served as basketball and golf coach, Director of Athletics and Physical Education and Science Department Chairman. During his time there he also started the boy’s and girl’s tennis programs, earning multiple league championships and qualifying for Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) postseason play numerous times.
Later, McBride received a grant from the National Space Biomedical Research Teacher Academy where he studied the physiological effects on humans of long space flights with astronaut John Glenn. Following his retirement he returned to Plymouth where he has remained an active volunteer with the Waterville Valley Adaptive Ski program, assisting physically and mentally handicapped children and adults as they learn to ski.
