Our opinion

By Staff
Congratulations, Coach Booth
What else can you say but "congratulations" to a coach who has won more games in his sport than any other coach in Alabama, past or present.
Hartselle High School baseball coach William Booth is very deserving of the plaudits he is receiving for leading his teams to a record-setting 648 wins in 19 years…and the count is continuing. There's more… 19 consecutive wining seasons, 14 consecutive area championships, six state championships, four teams with 40 or more wins and 88 players receiving college baseball scholarships. Wow!
What makes Booth's record on the baseball diamond even more remarkable is the fact that he's never backed away from an opponent regardless of its record or reputation. His belief is that you can't measure how good you are until you've competed against the best. That's why his schedules over the years have been sprinkled with names such as Mosely, Fla., McGlovock High of Nashville, Dacula, Ga. and Boone County, Ky. He even took one of his teams to a premier invitational tournament on the West Coast to let his players see how well they matched up against some of the highest-ranked teams in the nation.
His dedication, strong work ethic and attention to detail are personal attributes that have contributed greatly to his coaching success. He also has relied on these same qualities to excel as a classroom teacher and central office administrator. Still Booth shakes off questions about his personal achievements when he is interviewed. He'd rather talk about the players and how they have used the lessons they've learned in baseball to become good citizens.
Thanks, Coach Booth, for all of the wonderful memories and best wishes for your continued success.