Baseball Program to Honor Former Player, Rename Field

Andy Coakley Field, named after the professional baseball player and former Columbia coach, will be renamed Robertson Field in a ceremony between the Columbia baseball team’s two games on Saturday. The field was named after Coakley in 1970, but in recognition of the support of Hal Robertson, SEAS ’81, the field will be renamed in his honor.
“It is right for Hal to have the field named after him,” former head coach Paul Fernandes said. “I think the world of him. He’s a wonderful person.”
Coakley, who died in 1963, was a pitcher for four different major league teams before coming to serve as the pitching coach at Columbia in 1914. Coakley became head coach the next season, and after a four-year stint, he left for one year before coming back in 1920. Coakley was Columbia’s head coach for the next 32 seasons and ranks second in Columbia history in wins. A plaque will be installed in his honor as the field is renamed.
“Andy Coakley will always be a significant part of Columbia baseball history, and we wanted to be sure to acknowledge his service as head coach of our program for 27 years.” Athletic Director M. Dianne Murphy said.
Robertson was an athlete himself, playing defensive back for the football team and second base for the baseball team. The year Robertson joined the team was also Fernandes’ first year as head coach.
After graduating, Robertson worked as an industrial engineer in the food processing and banking industries while he pursued a Master’s in finance from the University of Cincinnati. Once he received his degree, he managed the corporate data center of a Fortune 200 company. During that time, Fernandes said Robertson maintained interest in and continued his involvement with the Columbia baseball program.
“From the time he left Columbia and went back to Cincinnati, he has always stayed in touch and been interested in how the team is doing,” Fernandes said. “He has always been interested in the welfare of the athletes after him.” According to Fernandes, Robertson has, in addition to the one million dollars that he donated to the Columbia Campaign for Athletics, contributed money for the baseball spring trip and tried to help current athletes get summer jobs in Cincinnati if they were interested.
Robertson’s donation is a part of the Columbia Campaign for Athletics, which lists world-class facilities as one of its main goals. The new field is composed of hybrid fiber, rubber and sand infill blend. It is completely artificial, other than dirt covering the mound and home plate.
“If it can be 100 percent better than it was when I was coaching, then it is,” Fernandes said of the field. The ability to practice outside and the field’s quick recovery from rain have been two of the biggest compliments for the new turf.
“We are so thankful to Hal and others who have made the improvements at our baseball facility possible, and we look forward to thanking them in person this weekend,” Murphy said.
The renaming itself will celebrate the team’s alumni day, hosted by current head coach Brett Boretti and the Baseball Advisory Committee.