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Fred Cambria 2

Saint Leo baseball set to retire Fred Cambria's #22 Jersey on April 14

Fred Cambria played for Saint Leo College in 1966-69 and was a coach of the Monarchs in 1990-91

Mar 28, 2018

SAINT LEO, Fla. - Saint Leo Baseball will retire former baseball standout Fred Cambria's No. 22 jersey on April 14 prior to the Lions battle with Sunshine State Conference foe Rollins.
 
In a pregame ceremony, the Saint Leo Department of Athletics will unveil a sign saluting No. 22, which will hang on the outfield fence at Thomas B. Southard Stadium. Cambria will throw out the first pitch surrounded by his family, University administration, alumni and special guests.
 
Cambria competed at Saint Leo from 1966-69 as a pitcher for the Monarchs under coaches Bill Meyer, Norm Kaye and Bob Sullivan. Cambria returned to Saint Leo for a two-year head coaching stint of the Monarchs from 1990-91, where he racked up 55 career victories in just two seasons at the helm of the program. Following his outstanding career he was elected to the Saint Leo Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1970, Cambria was a recipient of the Abbot Marion Bowman Award and a 'Fred Cambria Day', which was January 29, 1970, before going on to receive a bachelor's in Political Science.
 
A native of Queens, N.Y., Cambria became the first ever Saint Leo College baseball player drafted by Major League Baseball. Chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 1969 MLB draft, Cambria was assigned to the Double-A York Pirates, where he won nine of 11 decisions with a low 2.16 ERA. In just his fourth professional start, he pitched a perfect game for York. Overall, he threw three shutouts in 14 appearances during his first season of professional baseball. The following season he won 12 of 19 decisions for the Triple-A Columbus Jets before his recall to Pittsburgh in August 1970. He went on to pitch in six games for the Pirates including starting five for the top-team in the National League East Division that season.
 
Following an injury, Cambria spent three seasons in the minor leagues before ending his playing career. After working for Izod for several years in sales, Cambria returned to the game he loved as the head coach at Saint Leo from 1990-91. 
 
Following his time at Saint Leo, he spent time as a pitching coach for the San Diego Padres organization with stints at the Arizona Fall Instructional League and the Australian Professional League.
 
He was also the Commissioner of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League and was selected to its Hall of Fame. Cambria, who played in the ACBL in the summer during his Saint Leo career, was the first player out of the ACBL to make it to the MLB. The ACBL honored Cambria by electing him into its Hall of Fame in 1991. Cambria took over as commissioner in 2005. In April of 2013, the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League (HCBL) named Cambria as its first-ever commissioner.
 
*Fred Cambria played at Saint Leo College and was a member and coach of the Monarchs baseball team. In 1999, Saint Leo changed from Saint Leo College to Saint Leo University, where the mascot 'Lions' was readopted, changing from the Monarchs.
 
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