Final Pitch: Hall of Fame Baseball Coach John Galewski Retires

Bittersweet news: Hall of Fame South Milwaukee baseball coach John Galewski is retiring after more than 30 seasons leading the Rockets.

Athletic Director Ante Udovicic announced the news this week.

He leaves quite legacy. Learn more here, which was published as Coach Galewski was inducted into the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012, and in this blog post from 2014, as he picked up his 400th career victory.

Coach Galewski, a 1975 South Milwaukee graduate, finishes with 467 career wins, including the 1996 WIAA state championship and three conference titles.

He ends on a high note, with the Rockets taking home the Woodland East Conference title this summer before losing in the sectional semifinal last week.

Here is Coach Galewski’s WBCA bio, and it includes even more statistics about John and his legacy in a game defined by statistics.

More important to me than numbers, however, is the positive impact Coach Galewski has had on so many lives in South Milwaukee, me included. I’m proud to have gotten to know him in recent years, and I’ve enjoyed him sharing even a fraction of the wisdom he has around the game, coaching and life.

John Galewski’s legacy is unmatched, his impact profound. He has changed lives. And I’m glad to hear he will continue to serve as a varsity football assistant, continuing to shape boys into young men, young men into adults.

I wish my 13-year-old son could have played for him. Thankfully, hundreds of kids did, and our community is better for it.

Good luck, Coach!