Iowans Impacting Sports: John Wathan

3/31/2009
Written By: Dave O'Hara
Category: Press Pass  

JOHN "DUKE" WATHAN

Desire, determination and dedication (the 3 D's), that is what has kept John Wathan going. Wathan is a former major league baseball player, manager, scout, executive and broadcaster. Thirty four of his thirty eight years in baseball have been with the Kansas City Royals. He is currently, again, a scout for the Royals. You will find out by the end of this column how the 3 D's have applied to John's life and career. He is also nicknamed, Duke, for his spot-on impersonation of one his idols, John "The Duke" Wayne, a legendary famous actor and to many of his fans...an American hero. 

Wathan was born and spent the first two years of his life in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Then, around the time he was two years old (1951), his mother and father separated. John and his mother moved to San Diego, where John would grow to star at a San Diego high school and at the University of San Diego. Ocassionally, John would come back to Iowa to visit his family in Muscatine and Cedar Rapids. Later, during the 70's, Wathan would come back to live and work in Iowa.

In 1971, Duke was selected by the Kansas City Royals organization in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft. He moved throughout the many levels of the Royals' organization. Initially, John would end up playing in Waterloo, Iowa for the minor league Royals. Since the mid 1950's, his Dad owned and operated a flight school and rental car agency at the Cedar Rapids Airport. That is where Wathan would work, for the next ten years, during his baseball off seasons, (October-February). "To make extra income, I also refereed many Iowa high school basketball games during those off-seasons," John told me.

Then, during the second month of the 1976 season, Wathan would get his chance to play for the Major League Royals. He got fives hits in his first 10 at bats and stayed in the Majors until he retired, a World Champion with the Royals, ten years later, (1985). John stated, "After all of the low times of losing in the playoffs to the Yankees and losing to the Phillies in the 1980 World Series, I finally reached the highest point, playing on a Championship team in 1985, I knew that it was time to end my playing days."

The Royals would then secure Wathan's future by naming him a major league coach. Duke has stayed primarily with the Royals organization since his retirement as a player in 1986. Now you should be able to see where desire, determination and dedication has taken John's life and career. That is why he tells everyone about the 3 D's.

QUICK HITTERS

1. MY favorite music/musician:

jazz and country/Garth Brooks

2. My favorite tv show:

Seinfeld

3. My favorite movie:

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, starring John "The Duke" Wayne

4. My idol:

Nancy, my wife (for being a "baseball" wife and mother for 38 years ) and John Wayne

5. My favorite sports memory:

Winning the 1985 World Series as a KC Royal

6. My favorite life memory:

The first time that I met my wife, Nancy 

7. The one person that I'd like to meet:

Professional golfer and Iowan Zach Johnson (also pro golfer Tiger Woods)

8. My advice to kids:

exhibit your desire, determination and dedication

also, stay in school, don't do drugs and follow your passion

9. My advice to parents:

Give your kids some direction and support and then let them decide what they want to do

Continued success to John "Duke" Wathan.

To comment, listen or view past shows and columns of Dave O'Hara, please go to www.iowasportsconnection.com, then click on Iowans Impacting Sports and/or It's All Sports. You will also be able to find when Dave will be on 1240am KDEC radio.