About Inductee

The College World Series is often rife with dramatic twists and turns and sudden stunning climaxes, the sort of things that might inspire a polished announcer like, say, Jack Buck, to reflexively shout into his microphone, I dont believe what I just saw!" It happens every year when the eight best college baseball teams in any given season come together in Omaha, Neb., for a double-elimination tournament to decide the NCAA national championship. Each year has its own rightful place in history. But compared to the 50th College World Series in 1996, none of the 49 previous events, or any of the 19 since, can possibly stack up. Ask Chris Moller about it. He was there. A graduate of Huntsvilles Lee High School and later a 2-year sensation at the University of Alabama, Moller has good reason to remember the 1996 College World Series and all that led up to it, both that season and the season before. They were his most memorable years in athletics. Two decades earlier, Moller had been born into a military family in Koge, Denmark, in 1974. His mother, an American citizen from Huntsville, was married to Lars Moller, an officer in the Danish Air Force. She and her young two sons, Chris and Erik, moved back to Huntsville in 1977. Her husband stayed in Denmark. Chris eventually developed into a standout baseball player at Lee under coach Butch Weaver. As a senior in 1992, he batted .505 and was named the citys Player of the Year. He then played two years for Fred Frickie at Calhoun College before transferring to Alabama, where he became one of top players of the Jim Wells era. As a junior in 1995, he put together one of the most amazing hitting seasons in Crimson Tide history for anybody not named David Magadan: He led the team in 10 offensive categories, including batting average (.405), slugging percentage (.460) and hits (87), and was named 3rd team All-American. As a senior in 1996, he hit .353 with 13 home runs en route to an SEC title and a berth in the College World Series. Moller says his championship teams the 93 Calhoun state junior college champions and the 93 American Legion champs, Alabamas 95 SEC divisional champions, the 96 SEC Tournament champions and the 1999 AISA state championship team at Tuscaloosa Academy, where he was an assistant coach hold the biggest memories. From an individual standpoint, two games in particular will always stand apart: Alabamas win over LSU in the 1995 SEC West final in Starkville and an epic moment in the opening game of that 1996 College World Series in Omaha. "I signed with Alabama as a pitcher, but Id only had one appearance in the 95 regular season," Moller said. Before the LSU game, Coach Wells let me know I would DH and be used in long relief if needed. My anxiety was high with the thought of having to pitch in that scenario. With us behind 8-4, I was put in to pitch the 9th inning just to close out the game. I got us through the inning without giving up a run. Then in the bottom of the 9th, we scored 5 runs to win the tournament 9-8. The emotions of that game will be something Ill never forget." Nor will he ever forget the opening game of the 96 College World Series. Alabama drew Oklahoma State, which had won 15 in a row. Despite an earlier 450-foot home run by Moller, Alabama was trailing 5-3 going to the bottom of the 9th. David Tidwell homered to make it 5-4 and the next two batters reached base on a hit and a walk. That brought Moller to the plate with two on and one out. On the first pitch, he smashed a hanging breaking ball over the fence for a 7-5 walk-off victory. In the press conference afterward, a reporter asked Moller if hed ever had a bigger moment in sports. His answer broke up the room: I cant think of one. I mean, the College World Series, national television Little League just doesnt compare." After Alabama was subsequently eliminated, LSU went on to win the national championship in what has been called the greatest CWS ending ever." With LSU trailing Miami 7-6 and down to its last out in the bottom of the 9th, Warren Morris homered down the right field line for an 8-7 walk-off win. It was the first and last time the College World Series ended with a home run on the final pitch.