Mike Gerakos

Bryce Alderton

He earns a paycheck just like many of us do, but he hardly looks at

the labor involved in obtaining that piece of paper as work.

“I’m 52 years old and haven’t had to work a day in my life, from

playing professional baseball, to coaching at the Division I level,

to teaching at University High ... I’ve been fortunate,” Mike Gerakos

said Thursday in his office at University High, where he has spent

the past 11 years as a physical education teacher and assistant

football and baseball coach.

The man who controlled the reins of the UC Irvine baseball team

for 12 years from 1980-92, loves his current job, where he was able

to watch his only son, Nick, play baseball and football. Nick, a

quarterback and shortstop, will graduate later this month and move on

to the University of Arizona.

“[University] Coach Chris Conlin gave me leeway to work with the

pitchers and I then assist on varsity,” Gerakos said. “This past

season was a little frustrating because it marked the first time in

eight years we didn’t make the playoffs. But we will go back and

regroup.”

Gerakos had to do a lot of regrouping following UCI’s 1992 season,

the last one before the program was disbanded due to budget cuts. UCI

baseball returned for the 2002 season in grand fashion with the

opening of Anteater Ballpark and a newfound enthusiasm from students,

faculty, staff, coaches, players and fans.

“We had a stadium, but nothing like it is now,” Gerakos said.

“Now, you have a Cadillac where ours was more like a shiny

Volkswagon.”

Gerakos remembered the day in May 1991 when he first heard rumors

the program was on the chopping block.

“I lost a top recruit to the University of Arizona and another kid

signed with San Jose State,” Gerakos said. “Some players asked me if

I thought they should leave and I would give them the release because

I didn’t think it was fair what the university was doing to the

program.

“It was like someone pulled the plug from the life support system.

Some kids went to different colleges and played at Division I

programs. My assistants landed on their feet. It happened for a

reason and everything worked out fine.”

Gerakos led the Anteaters to three 30-win seasons -- in 1981, ’88

and ’90. The ’87 team finished second in the Big West Conference and

narrolwy missed a bid to the NCAA playoffs. For his efforts that

year, Gerakos was honored as the conference Co-Coach of the Year.

UCI finished 21-35 this season, its second year back from the

10-year hiatus, but Gerakos sees continued progress.

“I think [the program] is in very good hands with Coach [John]

Savage,” Gerakos said. “He did a great job putting UCI back on the

map. They struggled some this year with some injuries that impacted a

new team more than some people realized. They brought it back the

right way, from the facilities to the staff.”

Gerakos has no desire, at this point, to return to collegiate

coaching. He instead assists in coordinating UCI’s alumni game, which

coincidentally is one of his fondest memories of the university.

“The alumni game two years ago, when we brought back 60 players

... that was memorable,” he said. “The relationships with the players

are the fond memories.”

These days, Gerakos maintains that relationship as a counselor in

the Mark Cresse Baseball School, which has summer camps in many

Southland cities.

During his tenure at UCI, Gerakos coached the Liberal Bee-Jays, a

summer league pro team, which finished in second place in 1984.

Gerakos played two seasons at UCLA as a third baseman, gaining

captain status in 1972 and earning Academic All-American accolades in

1971. His .337 career batting average still ranks as one of the best

in UCLA history.

He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 1970 and then by the

Minnesota Twins in 1972. The Whittier native spent two-and-a-half

years with the Twins’ single-A club.

“I was living a childhood dream,” Gerakos said about his

professional baseball experience.

Judging by the way he talks about his life, he has a comfortable

place on ‘Cloud 9.’