Tommy Sain - Player Profile
1974 Goldpanner Yearbook

It is a certain flair about him that makes people sit up and notice Tommy Sain.   He plays the game with reckless abandon, a style which makes him a throwback of another era, when characters were the order in baseball.

His is a carefree attitude, a Charley Hustle type attitude which led to his being selected the most popular player of the 1973 Goldpanners.

Whether it be stealing a base and diving into the bag head first, or simply making a diving stop of a ground ball then gunning the runner down, Sain has a knack of going about the game in a style all his own.

Playing as if there were no tomorrow, 'Snake' as he is so aptly nicknamed, contributed an instrumental role in the Goldpanners winning of a second straight national championship last year.

He split most of his playing time between second and third base, and figures to see action at both positions again this summer. 

However, at Arizona State this spring, the 21-year-old junior spent most of his time camped out in center field, so it's entirely possible he could see some service in the outfield with the Panners as well.

Regardless of where he plays though, the versatile Manhattan Beach, Calif., native will see considerable service.

Playing all but one of the Goldpanners 66 games last summer, the crowd-pleasing Sain batted a healthy .353, and established a team record for doubles, with 22.

In 255 at bats, he collected a total of 90 hits - third on the Panners all-time list behind Bobby Jack's 104 in 1971, and the 94 compiled by Bob Boone in 1966.

The 5-10 Sain also slugged seven home runs, mostly from the leadoff spot in the batting order.

He capped his outstanding season by carting off with the most valuable player award at the Kamloops, B.C., Canada International Baseball Tournament, which the Panners won.

This spring at Arizona State, Sain batted .303, while hitting out of the number three position in the lineup for the Sun Devils, perenially a national collegiate power.  A year ago at ASU, he finished with a .316 average.

There is no average though that measures his desire.

1974 GOLDPANNER YEARBOOK & STATISTICAL RECORD