Baseball coach Jim Hughes does not remember his first career victory, but one from his first season does stand out among the hundreds - 702 as of Monday, to be exact - that would follow.
The year was 1973. The Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade. Billy Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the tennis match billed as the "Battle of the Sexes." And Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" was one of the nation's favorite songs.
It was also the year Hughes began his coaching career. After serving one year as Charlie Bilek's assistant at Milwaukee Washington, Hughes took over for Bilek when he was stricken with cancer and died at age 49. Bilek coached just one game that year.
Hughes recalled playing a very good Milwaukee Hamilton team early in the season. Hughes and the team went to Bilek's funeral earlier in the day, wore black armbands at the game and pulled out a win over the previously unbeaten Hamilton squad.
"I still can't believe it today that we beat that team," Hughes said. "I took over from a pretty good guy and learned a lot of stuff. I took over in lousy circumstances, but I remember that day."
Thirty-six years later, Hughes celebrated his 700th victory when the Franklin Sabers beat Brookfield Central, 3-2, June 15. It is believed that Hughes and current active leader Tim O'Driscoll of Arrowhead, who has 723 victories as of Monday, are the only coaches in Wisconsin high school baseball history to reach the 700-win plateau.
This is Hughes' 23rd season at Franklin. He spent 16 seasons at Washington. In 1987 and 1988, he coached both squads, Washington in the spring and Franklin in the summer.
Hughes said he reached 700 by working hard, adapting to change (players still used wood bats in his earliest coaching days) and remaining consistent. His teams have averaged approximately 18 victories per season.
"I just want to be looked at as a guy that did what I was supposed to do," Hughes said. "There are very good coaches that might not have a lot of wins. I don't know if you attach being a good coach to the amount of wins. I've been fortunate to have some pretty good players at Franklin, and I had some good ones at Washington. We had some good teams."
Having high expectations also paved the way to success, according to Whitnall coach Brian Johnsen, who played for Hughes at Franklin from 1998-99.
"He expects a lot from his players," Johnsen said. "Coach always talks about championships and the tradition at Franklin. He runs an outstanding program; I do not know a coach that is more organized than coach Hughes. A lot of what we do at Whitnall we have taken from coach Hughes at Franklin.
"He is also is an outstanding game manager. There are not many situations he has not seen in a ballgame. Franklin teams can beat you with the long ball or with small ball. He wins games many different ways."
Hughes said his high school coach and teacher Ray Nemoir inspired him to get into coaching, but he never expected to be filling out lineup cards for nearly four decades. So, how many more wins does Hughes have left in him?
"I play this year and I'm not thinking about next year," Hughes said. "I make a lot of comments like, 'We'll have him next year' or 'We'll need to fill that spot next year' and stuff like that, because when I leave I hope I'm still part of it. But I take one year at a time. I have two grandkids that play ball and I miss a lot of stuff that they do.
"I enjoy (coaching) and when it becomes a job more than enjoyment, then I'll probably give it up. I could stay 10 years, or I could stay one year."
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