The value of what Chuck Gismondi taught his players at California University as the head baseball coach for 17 years was not limited to the game.

Gismondi taught his Vulcans to have fun, work hard and go the extra mile in helping someone else find happiness and success.

He changed my life, said Don Hartman, who played at California and currently is the head softball coach at Frazier. When I was coming out of high school, I wasnt sure what I wanted to do. He offered me the opportunity to play baseball for him at Cal. That put me in the college environment and gave me a chance to have success.

Gismondi, 77, of Elco, passed away Saturday.

He earned a bachelors degree from Cal in 1964 and a masters degree from West Virginia University in 1968. He returned to Cal in 1969 to teach in the Speech Pathology department.

Gismondi is one of just four men to serve as Californias baseball coach since 1950. He succeeded Mitch Bailey (1960-79) and was followed by current Vulcans coach Mike Conte. Andy Sepsi (1950-59) is the other coach.

Gismondi finished with a 393-295-7 record with 14 winning seasons, six-postseason berths, five Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference final four appearances, three PSAC West Division championships, three PSAC runner-up finishes and an NCAA Division II tournament berth. He produced eight professional players.

One of them, Rick Krivda, who pitched in the major leagues and won an Olympic Gold medal with Team USA in 2000, said Gismondi made a huge impact.

He reminded me of my father, firm but fair, said Krivda. He is why I went to Cal. If you messed up, he would tell you about it. If you did well, hed tell you about that as well and he would help you.

He really emphasized going to class, staying out of trouble and that if you did that good things would happen.

Dion Jansante, who is the dean of Washington County high school baseball coaches at Bentworth, said he was always impressed with Gismondis coaching skills and personality.

I really enjoyed playing for him, said Jansante, who played at Cal in the early-to-mid 1980s. He taught me a lot about baseball.

A lot of what we do at Bentworth comes from him. Anytime I had an opportunity to be on campus, Id make it a point to stop in his office or just talk with him. The most fun I ever had was on our southern trips. He pushed us to work hard but when the games were over, the personal level took over. He would joke around with us. He was great to be around.

Skooter Roebuck, the baseball coach at Brownsville, started his collegiate career at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina. He wanted to move back to play in Western Pennsylvania.

Gismondi was there for him.

Chuck was the only guy I thought of calling, Roebuck said. I told him I wanted to come home and he said hed take care of everything and he did.

He did all the paperwork on the transfer. He did me a big favor. Hes meant a lot to me and a lot of people. As far as guys from our generation, we knew Chuck as a man who lived and breathed Cal baseball. He loved that university.

Gismondis No. 29 jersey was retired by then California president Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr., in 1996.

In the last several years, former players came together to establish a 29er Club to honor Gismondi. Proceeds from the annual golf outing are distributed to the Vulcans baseball program.

He was the face of Cal U baseball for a long time, Hartman said. Chuck was a great guy.

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Gismondi was a game-changer and life-changer at Cal - Observer-Reporter