Ken Bolek

Ken Bolek spent two seasons as a coach in the major leagues: 1992 and 1993, with the Cleveland Indians. As a player, the outfielder was in the minors from 1976 through 1978, including a three-game stint at Triple-A. Yet for decades, this man contributed to baseball as a minor-league coach and manager, along with teaching at various scholastic and grassroots levels. He has a great ability to impart valuable knowledge and inspire those he coaches, both on the field and in life. His hallmarks are an enduring passion for the game and an unwavering commitment to nurturing talent and character in every player he meets.

Kenneth Charles Bolek Jr. was born on December 20, 1953, in Chardon, Ohio, located 35 miles east of downtown Cleveland. His parents were Kenneth Charles Bolek Sr. and Patty (Deel) Bolek.1 His siblings are Lynn Hallam and Shelley Bolek.2

For many enthusiasts, baseball is more than just a sport; it’s a cherished tradition passed down through generations. Ken Bolek’s passion for the game was kindled early by his father, Kenneth Sr., a revered figure in Chardon’s baseball community. The elder Bolek, who passed away in November 2023 at the age of 91, dedicated much of his life to coaching – from the local Little League to Chardon High School, and finally as the pitching coach at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin, where he helped the Lions clinch two Ohio state championships.3 With such a profound influence, it’s no surprise that Ken Bolek Jr. inherited an equally deep love and aptitude for America’s pastime, both as a player and coach.

This love was evident from the age of two. As Bolek recounted, his first interaction with a baseball occurred in his grandparents’ living room. “My grandfather brought a ball out, and we were going to throw it around in the living room,” he said. “I was sitting in the chair and threw the ball over his shoulder through the picture window. The rest of the winter we had some cardboard stuck up there because we couldn’t afford to get the window fixed.”4

Of his career in youth baseball, Bolek recalled, “I played and went through the whole series of leagues from Little League to Pony League to American Legion. I played semipro when I was still in high school in downtown Cleveland next to the stadium by the lake. I played against guys who probably averaged 28 or 29 years old.”5

Bolek attended a public high school for his first two years before earning a scholarship to a private school: University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio, from which he graduated in 1972.6 During his four years of high school baseball, Bolek compiled an impressive batting average of .380.7

While Bolek excelled in both baseball and basketball, his best sport was seemingly football. “Most of my college scholarship offers were for football. But I had nothing for baseball. Back then, colleges apparently weren’t stressing recruiting that much that far north,” he said.8

Upon graduating from high school, Bolek, a righty thrower and lefty hitter, was selected in the 30th round of the 1972 amateur draft by his hometown club, the Cleveland Indians. He declined to sign, noting, “I was picked real low, and I thought it would be better for me to go to college.”9

Bolek enrolled at the University of Arizona in 1972, where he studied Business Administration and Management.10 However, he almost became an Ivy Leaguer. “I was one day from signing a letter of intent. I was going to go to Princeton. And [head coach] Jerry Kindall from Arizona called me. He had old contacts with the Indians, who had drafted me out of high school, and the night before offered me a full scholarship, which I accepted.”11

In hindsight, Bolek is convinced that he made the correct choice. “I would probably be a wealthy lawyer in New York had I gone to Princeton. I was born with sports in my family and have always been very competitive. That’s always appealed to me. Looking back, it would be interesting to lead a double life and go back – but I certainly have no regrets over decisions I’ve ever made.”12

Although Bolek made Arizona’s varsity team as a sophomore, it took 17 games for him to break into the starting lineup. However, as Tucson Citizen sportswriter Dave Kellogg noted at the time, Bolek’s “patience” paid off.13 Bolek started the March 12 home contest against Iowa in place of a slumping Scott Norris and quickly proved he belonged. He tripled twice, scored a run, and stole a base to help propel the Wildcats to their 21st victory of the season.14

Coach Kindall explained the lineup swap. “I knew when Scott Norris slumped that we could put Ken in and get a good honest effort. He is one of those guys who stays ready by taking extra batting practice and getting his running in.”15 While Bolek expressed gratitude for the opportunity to start, he emphasized that the team’s success was his top priority, saying “I know that no matter who coach Kindall puts in the outfield, that it is because of who is hitting the best that determines who is going to play. Even if I wasn’t starting, I wouldn’t have any regrets.”16 Bolek continued, “The good thing is that our team is so close that we don’t have any morale problems, which is so important in winning games. Scott Norris gives me just as much encouragement as anyone else and that is what winning is all about.”17

Later that month, Bolek’s talent was on full display when the Wildcats scrimmaged against the Cleveland Indians. Seizing the moment to compete against a big-league team, Bolek drilled a second-inning, two-run homer off Dick Tidrow. He recounted at the time, “It has to be one of my biggest thrills, maybe the biggest. My folks … were listening [in Chardon] to the game on the radio, and I know they were thrilled too. In fact, it’s my father’s birthday, so it was kind of a gift for him. I talked to him on the phone last night and told him I’d give him my best shot.”18

That summer, Bolek joined Automatic Sprinkler in Lakewood’s Class A league, where he hit .337.19 He made the circuit’s All-Star team.20

During the summer of 1975, following his junior season, Bolek joined the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod Summer League.21 On opening day, his three-run double to left-center field propelled Chatham to a 10-1 victory.22 Bolek was selected to participate in the Cape Cod All-Star Game at Fenway Park.23

In 1976, Bolek returned to Tucson for his senior year and earned his third varsity letter.24 The Wildcats (56-17) won their first national baseball championship (and first in any sport) by defeating Eastern Michigan University in the College World Series.

Bolek played a key role in the Wildcats’ championship quest. Before reaching the final, they faced a tough challenge from the Arizona State Sun Devils after having lost to them seven times in a row, including once already in the College World Series.25 However, this time Bolek’s two-run homer helped secure a 5-1 victory and eliminated ASU.26

Bolek had come through before in clutch moments. In a game against Brigham Young, with a trip to the regionals on the line, his sixth-inning homer secured a 4-0 victory.27

As Bolek’s tenure in Tucson ended, he left behind an impressive array of statistics that remain firmly embedded in the university’s record books.28 However, despite leading the team in home runs during his final season in Tucson, Bolek’s batting average dipped to .290.2930 As he told The Columbus Ledger in 1982, “My coach decided that I should be a power hitter. We needed some power. I hit 15 home runs that season and we won the national championship.”31 Bolek noted that after he got drafted, he still tried to hit for power, a detriment to his average and contact-hitting capability, “I kept swinging for the fences, and I wasn’t really built to be that kind of hitter at such a high level. I never could get my swing back the way it’d been.”32

In 1976, the Detroit Tigers selected Bolek in the 24th round (550th overall) in the amateur draft. Listed at 5-feet-11 and 180 pounds, he played for two teams in his first year of professional baseball. He got into 53 games for the Clinton (Iowa) Pilots, the Tigers’ Single-A affiliate in the Midwest League. He also got a three-game look with the Evansville (Indiana) Triplets, the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate in the American Association. As the Triple-A season neared its end, outfielder Steve Kemp suffered a broken leg, leaving the Triplets in urgent need of a replacement. Bolek, having just completed his season with the Pilots, made the nearly seven-hour trip from Clinton to Evansville to step in for the injured Kemp.

That summer, Bolek recorded a .289 batting average across both leagues, with 43 hits, including one home run, and a .362 slugging percentage. As an outfielder, he posted a .978 fielding percentage in 92 defensive chances.

In 1977, Bolek was assigned to the Montgomery Rebels of the Southern League (Double-A). He got 90 hits in 123 games, for a .231 average, though 24 doubles and eight homers pushed his slugging mark to .360. Defensively, Bolek posted a .967 fielding percentage in 182 chances.

This marked Bolek’s last season in a Tigers uniform. He remarked, “There was no room left for me” – Detroit let him go to make room for a couple of top draft choices.33

In 1978, Bolek joined the Cleveland Indians, the organization that had originally drafted him out of high school. He played for two teams that season: the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League and the Waterloo Indians of the Midwest League. Bolek appeared in just 48 games overall, receiving 157 plate appearances. He recorded 28 hits for a .231 batting average. One may infer that he was mainly a DH because he appeared only 14 times in the outfield.

Cleveland released Bolek after that season, ending his playing career at age 24. Over 227 games, he posted a .244 batting average (161-for-659), with 10 home runs and 81 RBIs.

Bolek reminisced, “I thought I could still make it. I don’t think any player wants to give up that hope. But I also knew that I was not an exceptional player and that I had worked awfully hard just to get where I was. You want to do well so badly it actually hurts.”34 He continued, “I was very intense. I took every bad game home with me. I’m still very intense but I can control my temper a little better. I’d always been a big hitter and I just couldn’t understand why I wasn’t producing.”35

After being released by Cleveland, Bolek – described by the Asheville Citizen-Times as a “burnt-out outfielder” – thought he needed to “distill the game from his system” and transition to the real world.36 However, his journey as a coach and manager was just beginning.

Bolek received a call from his good friend Tim Sorge, then baseball coach at Cuyahoga Community College in Parma, Ohio, west of Cleveland. “He asked me if I’d like to come over and help him, and I’m at the point where I’d like to make a clean break and get into something else. He said just come over for a week. If you like it, you’ve got a job. If you don’t, you’ve helped me for a week, and we’ll leave it at that.”37 Bolek took the job; he and Sorge led Cuyahoga to multiple Ohio junior college championships.38

Bolek became a graduate assistant at Mississippi State University in 1981.39 There he worked under Ron Polk, whose resume includes 1,373 wins in the SEC, coaching six Hall of Fame inductees, and eight trips to the College World Series.40 Off the field, Bolek pursued studies in Health and Physical Education.41

While Bolek’s years as a college coach helped lay a foundation, he wanted to build something bigger. “I didn’t want to get locked into the college system. So in 1981, I began sending out resumes to every major league team,” he explained.42 Bolek added, “Primarily I didn’t like the prospect of having to go out half of a year and recruit ballplayers. It was sort of like being a traveling salesman and I was very negative about it.”43 Skill levels also played a role. “At the professional level, you’re working with a higher caliber of athlete. While college athletes are impressive, the overall talent pool is significantly stronger in the professional arena, and that aspect appealed to me.”44

Bolek began his professional coaching career in 1982 in the minor-league system of the Houston Astros. He started as an outfielders coach for the Columbus Astros, working alongside manager Matt Galante.45 “He knows his stuff,” Galante said of Bolek.46

Bolek took to his new role immediately. “It’s great working with the young guys. They want to make the big time, and I want to help them make it if I can. I especially like working with the younger guys because they’re so enthusiastic. I know the frustrations some of them feel and hope I can help those guys through the rough times.”47

Bolek cited his own struggles as a player. “When you’re a star, there’s not a lot anybody has to tell you. When you’re like I was, though, there’s a struggle to make the adjustments to pro ball; you get plenty of instruction. You may not always be able to do what you need to do, but you know how things should be done. That’s why I think some of the best managers are the guys who weren’t successful players.”48

From 1982 to 1985, Bolek rotated among the Astros’ Rookie, Class A, Class AA, Class AAA, and Arizona Instructional League teams. In 1986, he made his managerial debut with the Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League. An excited Bolek praised the Astros organization. “I was fortunate enough to have been considered to manage at Asheville this year. I have been very, very well pleased with my working relationship with Houston. I think they have a very sound philosophy as far as their minor league development and a very sound organization. I feel very fortunate to be here.”49

Bolek’s intentions as a skipper were clear from the beginning: “Our job with Houston in the minor league system is to develop young, inexperienced players, and our goal is to get as many of those people as we can to the major leagues, and hopefully with the Houston Astros’ program.”50

Bolek added that his approach as manager could change based on his players’ needs at any given moment. “I’m very dead serious about the game. I know how important it is to me, and it’s my responsibility to get as much out of each of my ballplayers every day as I can. If that means I’ve got to yell and scream and get tough one day … [or] if another day I’ve got to come in and pat everybody on the back and get them going that way … whatever works.”51

Late in his first summer in Asheville, Bolek recounted how a childhood hero continued to inspire him. “When I was about the age when everybody loved Mickey Mantle, he couldn’t do anything wrong. We all loved him. To this day, I think the aura of Mickey Mantle is there for me. He … had a lot of talent but went out every day and played as hard as he could, faced adversity throughout his career with some very destructive injuries but managed to be … always in there every day playing hard. He served as a role model not only to his teammates but to every professional ballplayer at that time. That’s the kind of ballplayer I always hoped I would turn out to be, and I can relate most of those same things to managing.”52

At one point during the year, after losing five games in a row, Bolek injected some humor into his team’s slump by commenting, “I think I’ll go to church tomorrow.”53 A losing streak was rare for the Tourists that season – they compiled a 90-50 record, finishing in second place before losing in the playoff. Bolek also served as the All-Star Game coach that year.54

In addition to baseball, Bolek had a particular interest. “I read everything I can about the Vietnam War because I have some friends who went through that situation. I just missed being involved there, so I’ve always had a certain fascination for it.”55

In 1987, Bolek managed the Osceola Astros of the Florida State League (Class A circuit). The team finished at 80-59, first in the Central Division and third overall. They lost in the league finals.

After that season ended, so did Bolek’s tenure with the Astros. Reflecting on his experience, he remarked, “I was fortunate to start in a system like Houston’s because they do everything first-class.”56

In 1988, Bolek rejoined the Indians organization. He managed the team for which he used to patrol the outfield, the Waterloo Indians. The club placed third in the league’s South Division with a 78-62 record.

In 1989, Bolek took the helm of the Kinston Indians of the Carolina League. The team went 76-60, good for second in the league’s South Division.

In 1990, Bolek managed the Canton-Akron Indians of the Eastern League, then Cleveland’s Double-A affiliate. At his introductory press conference, Bolek affirmed a core principle, saying, “I prefer to be a very aggressive manager. The more pressure you put on the opposition, the more often you’ll come out on the winning side.”57 He also guaranteed three things from his team: “Our players will maintain a level of professionalism every time in uniform. Our players will work harder than any of the other teams in the Class AA Eastern League. And from first out to last out of the 1990 season, our players will continue to improve, and our team will continue to improve.”58

Bolek concluded, “The greatest challenge you’ll have each year as a minor-league manager is to put together an entirely different type of ballclub with an entirely different personality. I’m really looking forward to that challenge this year with the Indians. It should be a very competitive spring training for jobs on the Canton-Akron Indians. And it should be a very exciting summer.”59

Canton-Akron finished the 1990 season at 76-64, third in the EL. They suffered a first-round playoff loss. In 1991, the team came in fourth and was again knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The Akron Beacon Journal described it as “both the best and worst of seasons for Bolek.”60 At one point, the team was 20 games over .500 and in first place, only to drop to six games over .500 and fourth. Bolek commented, “A minor-league manager is at the mercy of so many variables.”61 His roster that year had a significant future major-league presence – no fewer than 23 players went on to play at the top level, including 2018 first-ballot Hall of Famer Jim Thome.

Bolek’s managerial tenure in the EL concluded after the 1991 season. He spent the next two seasons as a special assistant coach with the big club in Cleveland. In November 1991, general manager John Hart described the rebuilding of the Indians’ coaching staff as potentially the most important move the team would make that winter.62 Bolek’s duties involved scouting, though he missed a portion of the 1992 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.63

The day after the 1993 season ended, manager Mike Hargrove shook up Cleveland’s staff, eliminating Bolek’s position.64 He returned to the minors in 1994 to manage the Daytona Cubs of the Florida State League, then the High A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Al Goldis, then the Cubs’ Vice President of Scouting and Player Development, praised the hiring at the time. “We’re very happy with Ken Bolek. Ken’s a tremendous coach. He has an outstanding rapport with people. His teaching skills are excellent. He had a great record with Cleveland.”65 However, it was a challenging season for Bolek’s Cubs. The team finished 61-73, fourth in the league’s East Division. Bolek’s services were not retained by the organization.

Bolek’s minor-league managerial career concluded after seven seasons with an overall record of 536-433 (.553). He led six consecutive winning teams in five different leagues, and he participated in four postseason series and four All-Star games.66

Throughout Bolek’s minor-league managerial career, a constant source of support and love was his wife, Marilynne Samson, whom he affectionately refers to as “Mrs. Bolek.”67 They have one child, Lauren.

Bolek once said of Marilynne, “She comes from an entirely different family background than I do. Her family was not very competitive. She was brought up to do things because you enjoy them, while in my family I was brought up to do things you were going to be able to do well. That’s been a nice influence on me because I was the guy who maybe would want to play some golf with my friends after not playing all season and get frustrated because I didn’t shoot three under par my first day out, where she could go out and play and shoot a thousand and still probably enjoy it more than I did.”68

In 1995, Bolek became the Baseball Director at IMG Academy, located in Bradenton, Florida.69 Although IMG Academy often attracts highly sought-after talent, Bolek made it clear that his role as director was not solely focused on helping players reach the majors. Instead, his priority was to cultivate the skills and character needed for them to become responsible and contributing members of society. “We deal with reality on a daily basis. We are not sending the message that every one of our players is going to wind up playing shortstop for the Mets,” Bolek explained.70 He added, “If we do a good job, stressing certain characteristics and traits that are necessary for anybody leaving here to be successful, regardless of what their volition is, that’s the grand slam for us.”71 In addition to the full-time IMG Academy students, numerous professionals trained under Bolek’s guidance during the off-season. This included former #1 overall pick and AL MVP Josh Hamilton, former NL MVPs Andrew McCutchen and Joey Votto, Neil Walker, Chris Perez, Pedro Alvarez, and Ryan Zimmerman.7273

Bolek remained at IMG Academy for 19 years until 2014.74

After stepping away from his role as director and leaving the dugout following his tenure at IMG, Bolek found fulfillment in the batting cage, providing private lessons through his company, Bolek Hitting Consulting. One former player aptly captured Bolek’s expertise, the admiration players have for him, and his impact as a mentor in a review on Facebook.

“Ken’s training is by far the best in the baseball industry. Don’t just ask me, but also ask the many Major League Baseball players I saw Ken train as well. Ken … made a huge and positive difference to improve my batting and fielding skills. It was also exciting to see Ken help and train many major league baseball players, college ballplayers, high school players as well as beginners … Ken has the heart of a teacher and is a caring person. Ken will identify your weaknesses and train you to outperform and be the best. Thank you, Ken, for all the help and guidance not just in baseball but also in life.”75

After nearly seven years away from the dugout, Bolek returned to the field as the head baseball coach at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton. Ready for a new challenge at age 66, he said, “I’m looking forward to the Saint Stephen’s season. I want to pass on a lot of information that I can. At the same time, I’m going to be challenged that I’m in a competitive situation. It should be fun.”76 When asked about coaching in pro ball versus high school, Bolek remarked, “There’s a lot of things you teach at the high school level that you teach in the majors.”77

St. Stephen’s Athletic Director Lenny Paoletti raved, “I am very excited for our baseball players to learn the game under Coach Bolek. Professional experience aside, Coach Bolek graduated … from a school very similar to Saint Stephen’s and he understands what it takes to be a success on the baseball field and in the classroom.”78

Bolek commenced his three-year coaching tenure at St. Stephen’s in the spring of 2021. During the spring of 2022, he led the Falcons to a 9-3 record with a 6-0 mark at home.79 The next year the team struggled, going 2-10 and 0-6 on the road.80 That concluded Bolek’s time at St. Stephen’s.

Bolek has since retired from both coaching and his role as a hitting instructor. On rare occasions, you might still catch him tossing batting practice, but such sightings are infrequent. Content with life away from the sport, he has no plans to return to baseball. A longtime golf enthusiast, Bolek now devotes himself to refining his own golf game with the same meticulous attention he once applied to teaching baseball. He enjoys watching playoff baseball on television and occasionally returns to Ohio to visit his mother and relatives. While Bolek will always be associated with baseball, it’s important to remember that, above all, he is a teacher—someone who spent decades imparting life lessons to young men, shaping their success not only on the field, but in life.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Ken Bolek for his input (telephone call with the author, September 28, 2024).

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and Mike Eisenbath and fact-checked by members of the SABR Bio-Project fact-checking team.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted baseball-reference.com and statscrew.com.

Notes

1  “Kenneth Charles ‘Ken’ Bolek Sr. Obituary.” Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service. Legacy.com, November 9, 2023. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/kenneth-bolek-obituary?id=53556141.

2 “Kenneth Charles ‘Ken’ Bolek Sr. Obituary.” Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service. Legacy.com, November 9, 2023. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/kenneth-bolek-obituary?id=53556141.

3 Chris Lillstrung, “Remembering Those We Lost in 2023: High School Sports Year in Review.” The News-Herald (Lake County, Ohio), December 31, 2023. https://www.news-herald.com/2023/12/31/remembering-those-we-lost-in-2023-high-school-sports-year-in-review/.

4 Jim Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball,” The Asheville Times (Asheville, North Carolina), August 19th, 1986:19.

5 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

6 Hamer, “Bolek Finds his Place in Baseball.”

7 Larry Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach,” The Columbus (Ohio) Ledger, April 15, 1982: 19.

8 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

9 Russell Schneider, “Schneider Around,” Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer, March 25, 1974: 32.

10 LinkedIn. “Ken Bolek,” https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-bolek-ba149098/.

11 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

12 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

13 Dave Kellogg, “Patience Pays Off for Cat Outfielder,” Tucson Citizen (Tucson, Arizona), March 13, 1974:50

14 Kellogg, “Patience Pays Off for Cat Outfielder.”

15 Kellogg, “Patience Pays Off for Cat Outfielder.”

16 Kellogg, “Patience Pays Off for Cat Outfielder.”

17 Kellogg, “Patience Pays Off for Cat Outfielder.”

18 Schneider, “Schneider Around.”

19 “Lakewood A Stars,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 23, 1973: 64.

20 “Lakewood A Stars.”

21 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

22 “First Cape League Week Shows Balance Plus Yarmouth Muscle,” The Cape Codder (Orleans, Massachusetts), June 19, 1975: 31.

23 “Cape All Stars in Fenway Park Next Monday,” The Cape Codder, July 17, 1975: 26.

24 The University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. University of Arizona Athletics. https://arizona_ftp.sidearmsports.com/old_site/pdf/m-basebl/2004-university.pdf.

25 “Arizona Eliminates Ariz. St,” The Michigan Daily (Ann Arbor, Michigan), June 19, 1976: 12.

26 “Arizona Eliminates Ariz. St.”

27 Tim O’Mara, “Crutcher Baffles Cougars; Cats in Regional Playoffs,” Tucson Daily Citizen (Tucson, Arizona), May 26, 1976: 52.

28 According to the 2024 Arizona Wildcats Baseball Media Guide, which features a section on the program’s history and records, Bolek over his three-year career ranks sixth in stolen base percentage (.846) and ninth in career walks, having drawn a total of 119. Bolek’s 1974 slugging percentage of .734 still ranks sixth in university history. His .538 on-base percentage that same year, tied with John Glenn, also holds the sixth spot in the record books. On February 21, 1975, in a game against Southern Illinois, Bolek tied a school record by hitting three triples, matching the mark set by Russ Gragg. To this day, Bolek, Gragg—who accomplished the feat twice—and Alan Zinter share the record for the most triples in a single game in Wildcats history with three.

29 2024 Arizona Baseball Media Guide, University of Arizona Athletics, February 6, 2024, https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/arizona.sidearmsports.com/documents/2024/2/6/2024_BSB_Media_Guide.pdf.

30 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

31 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

32 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

33 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

34 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

35 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

36 Jim Baker, “Fate Beckons Bolek to Tourists’ Helm,” Asheville Citizen-Times (Asheville, North Carolina), April 10, 1986: 18.

37 Baker, “Fate Beckons Bolek to Tourists’ Helm.”

38 Baker, “Fate Beckons Bolek to Tourists’ Helm.”

39 LinkedIn. “Ken Bolek.”

40 Mississippi State University. “Ron Polk.” Mississippi State Athletics. https://hailstate.com/staff-directory/ron-polk/1649.

41 LinkedIn. “Ken Bolek.”

42 Baker, “Fate Beckons Bolek to Tourists’ Helm.”

43 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

44 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

45 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

46 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

47 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

48 Gierer, “Rookie, Bolek Being Tested in 1st Season as Pro Coach.”

49 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

50 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

51 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

52 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

53 Jim Hamer, “Tourists Fall at Greensboro for 5th Straight Loss,” The Asheville Times (Asheville, North Carolina), May 28, 1986: 21.

54 LinkedIn. “Ken Bolek.”

55 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

56 Baker, “Fate Beckons Bolek to Tourists’ Helm.”

57 Bill Lilley, “New Manager, Same Ideas,” Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal, December 14, 1989: 61.

58 Lilley, “New Manager, Same Ideas.”

59 Lilley, “New Manager, Same Ideas.”

60 Terry Pluto, “Waiting for his Chance,” Akron Beacon Journal, August 28, 1991: 26.

61 Pluto, “Waiting for his Chance.”

62 Sheldon Ocker, “Cleveland Indians,” The Sporting News, November 11, 1991: 36.

63 Sheldon Ocker, “Cleveland Indians,” The Sporting News, June 8, 1992: 26.

64 Sheldon Ocker, “Cleveland Indians,” The Sporting News, October 18, 1993: 22.

65 “Ken Bolek Taught Baseball Skills as Manager, Instructor,” The Greatest 21 Days, April 20, 2014. http://www.greatest21days.com/2014/04/ken-bolek-teaching-skills-1309.html

66 LinkedIn, “Ken Bolek.”

67 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

68 Hamer, “Bolek Finds His Place in Baseball.”

69 Dennis Maffezzoli, “Prep Baseball: Bolek Takes Over Falcons.” Herald-Tribune (Sarasota, Florida), July 15, 2020. https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/07/15/prep-baseball-bolek-takes-over-falcons/112570416/.

70 Robert Benincasa, “A Baseball School for Big League Dreamers,” All Things Considered (NPR), August 15, 2012, https://www.npr.org/2012/08/15/156191542/a-baseball-school-for-big-league-dreamers.

71 Benincasa, “A Baseball School for Big League Dreamers.”

72 Maffezzoli, “Prep Baseball: Bolek Takes Over Falcons.”

73 Tom Glass, “Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez at IMG.” Rum Bunter, January 22, 2013. https://rumbunter.com/2013/01/22/pittsburgh-pirates-andrew-mccutchen-neil-walker-pedro-alvarez-at-img/.

74 Emily D’Anna, “Ex-Pro to Coach Falcon Baseball This Year.” The Gauntlet, October 21, 2020. https://www.ssesgauntlet.org/sports/2020/10/21/ex-pro-to-coach-falcon-baseball-this-year/.

75 Bolek Hitting Consulting. “Reviews.” Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/bolekhittingconsulting/reviews.

76 Maffezzoli, “Prep Baseball: Bolek Takes Over Falcons.”

77 Maffezzoli, “Prep Baseball: Bolek Takes Over Falcons.”

78 D’Anna, “Ex-Pro to Coach Falcon Baseball This Year.”

79 “St. Stephen’s Falcons: Spring 2022 Season,” Tampa Bay High School Baseball, https://tampabayhighschoolbaseball.com/team/st-stephen-s-falcons/season/spring-2022/.

80 “St. Stephen’s Falcons: Spring 2023 Season,” Tampa Bay High School Baseball, https://tampabayhighschoolbaseball.com/team/st-stephen-s-falcons/season/spring-2023/.