Beloved baseball coach John Cochin now has his own Field of Dreams at Sanford High School

SANFORD, Maine — One of the baseball fields at Sanford High School is now named after local sports legend John Cochin.

If you know Cochin, then the Sanford Schools Legacy Foundation's recent dedication of the field to him is no surprise at all. For many in the community, Cochin is baseball.

And to many others, his name is synonymous with teaching, too – which is why the foundation not only has named a field after Cochin but has dedicated a chemistry classroom at SHS to him, as well.

On Friday, July 14, members of the foundation and Cochin’s family and friends gathered near the home plate of what is now Cochin Athletic Field, located on your left as you make your way along Alumni Boulevard toward the high school. Cochin, who will turn 87 next month, also attended the ceremony, sitting front and center next to his daughter, Kristi.

Kendra Williams, the foundation’s president, kicked off the dedication ceremony, saying the occasion was to honor a “truly remarkable man.” From there, those close to Cochin took the plate and paid tribute to him.

Sanford High history teacher Paul Auger, who played ball for the honoree as a teenager, provided a look back on Cochin’s youth, coaching career, and years in the classroom.

Cochin discovered baseball early in his life, when his neighbor, Sanford police officer Eugene Gerry, introduced him to the sport, according to Auger. As a student at Sanford High in the 1950s, Cochin shined whenever he played America’s favorite pastime for the school. He played first base, pitched, and took the outfield.

“If you read the box scores from his days, you will see he often went three for four or four for four, sometimes being the only person to get a hit in the game,” Auger said.

Cochin also ran track and played basketball and football.

“His athletic talents were in great demand in football, too. He was captain and quarterback in the first game at Cobb Stadium,” added Auger, referring to the field at which local football was played from the ’50s until the new SHS opened in South Sanford in 2017.

Athletic fields were not Cochin’s only arena, Auger noted. As a teenager, Cochin also once delivered a speech on civil rights before a large audience.

“It was no surprise, then, when he earned the prestigious Campbell Cup, given to the outstanding male student-athlete of the graduating class,” Auger said.

Cochin’s all-star streak continued in college, according to Auger. He played baseball while a student at Northeastern and Nasson colleges and had a career batting average of .380 – a statistic that prompted impressed murmurings throughout the crowd at the dedication.

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Cochin named Sanford High School baseball coach

Cochin started teaching chemistry at Sanford High School in 1963 when SHS was located at the building now occupied by Sanford Community Adult Education on Main Street. From 1966 through 1971, he served as assistant coach of the school’s baseball team and took over as head coach in 1972. With him at the helm, the Redskins, as Sanford High’s athletes then were called, racked up a 149-81 record during 17 seasons.

In 1978, Cochin’s team won Sanford High School’s first-ever state championship. Also that year, Cochin was named “Coach of the Year” by the Maine High School Coaches Association.

Recalling his own days playing for Cochin, Auger said he admired his former coach’s patience with the players. And though Cochin was a man of science, Auger added, he never left anything to chance.

“We still had to make sure no bats were crossed during games, and that no one packed up any gear until the final out of the game,” Auger said.

Games with Cochin had their share of excitement, especially when umpires made questionable calls, Auger recalled.

“Occasionally, we would seek cover as the sky would rain all manner of equipment as a form of encouragement for the umpiring staff,” Auger said, prompting chuckles in the audience.

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From player to coach to sportswriter

Once he no longer played sports, Cochin began writing about them. He served as the only sports editor the now-defunct Sanford News ever had during its 37-year run. His work appeared in the very first issue of the weekly paper in 1980 and the final one in 2017. Auger estimated that Cochin had written more than 5,000 pieces during that time.

“Not only was he an excellent writer with great insight, he went to great lengths to publish as many student names as he could in each story,” Auger said. “He knew that for many students, getting recognized in the paper may be one of the most memorable things to ever happen to them.”

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Cochin left an 'indelible mark' on the community

Cochin retired from teaching full-time in 2008, capping a 48-year career in the classroom, all but three of which he spent as a chemistry teacher at Sanford High. He then served as a substitute teacher for many years, all the while continuing his decades-long service as a trustee of the Sanford Water District.

“The positive effect he has had on thousands of students and athletes not only spanned decades, but spanned generations,” Auger said. “The life lessons he taught in the classroom and on the baseball field have been passed down as the students and players became parents, coaches and teachers.”

Others spoke during the dedication ceremony, including Kristi Cochin-Peters, who thanked everyone for honoring her father, and Roland Cote, who called the honoree “one of the best friends I’ve ever had in my whole life.” Cote, who also taught at Sanford High for decades, served as Cochin’s assistant baseball coach early in his career and eventually succeeded him at the helm.

“I’ll tell you the very truth: if there’s anybody in the whole state of Maine that has not received the recognition he deserves, it’s John Cochin,” Cote said. “He was unbelievable … He was a great coach, and he was very, very good with his players.”

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After everyone spoke, Sanford Superintendent of Schools Matt Nelson asked all of Cochin’s grandchildren to join him at home plate for the unveiling of the sign that now hangs on the ball field’s fence.

After the ceremony, Auger helped Cochin slip into his old high school jacket, which still fit like a glove. Cochin then posed for pictures, standing next to the new sign, alongside his family, friends, and those he once had coached.

From there, Cochin and others headed inside to officially dedicate a chemistry classroom to the man Auger said he always called “The Dean.”

“John Cochin has left an indelible mark on his community – one that will never be forgotten,” Auger said.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Sanford High honors John Cochin with baseball field, classroom