Baseball Coach Andy Cline paced back and forth in his usual position by the third base line this past Monday at Brooks School. Here, on April 27, in his 27th year of coaching, Cline picked up his 300th career victory—all while wearing the number 27 on his jersey. The head Baseball coach for over two decades, Cline reached the historic high school milestone in an 11-0 shutout victory by Andover over Brooks School on Monday. Cline was modest and reflective about his incredible achievement. “I’m very fortunate to have had such terrific baseball players and assistant coaches throughout my career,” he said. “I’m lucky to be around people who love to play baseball every day they step on the field.” Cline has coached baseball at Andover for twenty-three years. Before Andover, he coached for four years at Berea High School in Ohio. During Cline’s time at Andover, he has led the baseball team to seven New England prep school titles. Cline’s assistant coaches, Jon Nicholson and Kevin Graber, praised Cline for his accomplishment. Nicholson said that Cline’s love of baseball and his attention to detail are two reasons why he’s been so successful as a coach. Nicholson remarked, “He respects the game, and he respects his opponents, coaches and players alike, which has earned him a stellar reputation around New England prep school baseball.” The Andover baseball players all say the same thing: nobody deserves this distinguished accomplishment more than Cline. “The daily effort he puts into all the little things necessary for us to be successful as a team is astounding,” said Co-Captain Anthony Morlani ’09. “His ability to make adjustments throughout the season, within games, within innings, is a huge part of why his teams have always been competitive.” While Cline is part of a tradition of great Andover coaches, his feat of 300 wins puts him in a category few others have ever been. Reflecting on his time as a coach, Cline gestured to the baseball diamond at Phelps Park on a gorgeous afternoon. Smiling, he said, “This is my office. How could I not love what I do?”
