Memorial Tribute: Two-Sport Star Merv Rettenmund

December 10, 2024 | Baseball, Football

Ball State Athletics is proud to honor the memory of former two-sport star Merv Rettenmund who passed away Sunday. He was 81.

Inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1976, he was a Major League outfielder over 13 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres. He was a part of World Series championship teams with the powerhouse Orioles in 1971, and the Big Red Machine in 1975. After concluding his playing career, he was a hitting coach for the Padres during much of the 1990s.

At Ball State where he played football beside his brother, quarterback Marv, he earned two baseball letters and three on the gridiron while leading the Cardinals in rushing in 1963. He set school records and gained all-league honors in both sports at Ball State, and was drafted by the NFL Dallas Cowboys in 1965 before choosing his career on the diamond. Three years later, he was the 1968 Minor League Player of the Year.