ATHLETE

ALAN CLOSTER

Creighton St. Ludger (Class of 1961)

A four-year career in Major League Baseball culminated Alan Closter’s pitching journey that began in his Knox County hometown. A left-hander, Al was a star athlete at St. Ludger. He was the Comets’ ace on their Class C state championship teams of 1959 and 1961 and averaged 20 points on their 1961 state tournament basketball team. After turning down a two-sport offer from Creighton University, he played for Iowa State and made the 1964 U.S. Olympic exhibition baseball team, coached by legendary Southern Cal coach Rod Dedeaux. He signed with the

New York Yankees before being taken by Cleveland in a

minor-league draft. His contract was later sold to Washington,

where he made his big-league debut with the Senators in 1966.

He subsequently pitched for the Yankees and Atlanta.