Published: April 25, 2008 01:24 am            

BULLDOGS LOSE A LEGEND: Stan Sajko dies

Stan Sajko was an outstanding athlete at Indiana State and was a hall of fame baseball coach at New Albany High School. He came to NAHS in 1948, coached the baseball team for 25 years where he didn’t have a losing record in his first 22 seasons, and finished his career with a winning percentage of 72 percent.

His accomplishments and what he gave to the game earned him induction into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

But for all his successes, he always said his claim to athletic fame came from driving a basketball team around from city to city, according to one of his former players, Stan Denny.

Sajko, as part of his football scholarship to Indiana State, was given the task of driving the bus for the school’s basketball team, coached at the time by the legendary John Wooden.

“He told the story over and over that he drove the bus for John Wooden,” Denny said. “I really enjoyed the man. I played for him and coached against him. He will be missed.”

Sajko passed early Thursday morning at his home. He was 86.

While he earned many awards and accolades throughout his career, his son Craig said the real reward didn’t come from a plaque or a pat on the back.

“He made the comment about two weeks ago that one of his biggest accomplishments was being in this community for so long and being able to give something back,” he said. “What made him so proud was his service to the high school and the community.”

Craig Sajko said his father was not ill, and did a lot of yard work Wednesday. He said his father appears to have died in his sleep. He would have turned 87 on May 8.

While he didn’t start the baseball program at New Albany, he definitely gave it new life. His teams won six Southern Indiana Athletic Conference titles, four sectional titles and one regional crown. He also started the New Albany Baseball Invitational which in 1998 was named after him.

After he finished coaching in 1973, he became the school’s athletic director, a position he held for 13 years. During that time of transition, Sajko helped with the birth, and growth, of girls’ sports. He retired in 1986.

“He helped me out with everything. He was always very hospitable,” said former Jeffersonville athletic director Ralph Scales. “He was always very professional and very thoughtful.”

Don Loughmiller taught and coached at New Albany during Sajko’s tenure and said he was surprised when he heard of his friend’s death.

“I saw him last Thursday and he looked pretty good,” Loughmiller said.

Loughmiller said Sajko was both stern and fair as a teacher and coach.

“His coaching speaks for itself and he was a good athletic director,” he said. “There were a lot of changes made during his time.”

And, Loughmiller said, there was never any doubt which school Sajko supported.

“He was a Bulldog, through and through,” he said.

Last summer a group of his former players organized an appreciation reception for Sajko at Central Christian Church. Nearly 100 of them showed up for one reason only, to honor their coach.

New Albany baseball coach Chris McIntyre said Sajko attended most of the home games and always enjoyed talking to the players.

“I just talked to him Saturday and asked him how he was doing,” McIntyre said. “He said not bad for 87. You always knew when he wasn’t feeling good because that is when you wouldn’t see him at the park. He loved baseball and when he would come out to the park the kids would go over and talk to him. He really enjoyed that. We talked today about how much we’re going to miss not seeing him at the games.”

Sajko graduated from Indiana State in 1948, the same year he came to New Albany. He was the captain of the football team in 1947 and also played baseball. He was voted the school’s outstanding senior athlete in ‘47.

He is survived by his wife Helen and children Craig and Cara. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Central Christian Church in New Albany. Visitation is from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Market Street Chapel of Seabrook Dieckmann & Naville Funeral Homes.

        

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