Baseball Hall of Fame

Stonebock, one of the most respected baseball coaches in Illinois history, coached three Manual High School teams to Illinois state titles.

Stonebock, a former minor league star and semi-pro catcher, was a stern taskmaster and a brilliant teacher of fundamentals who made Manual a state power year after year.

Taking over the baseball reins in the late 1940's, he won 448 games while losing 174, winning his first state championship when his Rams won all 25 games it played in 1950. He came back to win a second state title in 1965 and followed this up with a third in 1968.

During his long career at Manual, his teams won 14 district, ten regional, and seven sectional championships.