Steve Balboni | Eckerd College | Baseball | 1976-78
Steve Balboni, a native of Manchester, New Hampshire, was a dominant hitter at Eckerd from 1976 through 1978 before being selected by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft.
While at Eckerd, Balboni was a two-time all-conference selection as well as a two-time ABCA/Rawlings Division II All-American. He was also selected to the Sporting News All-American Team in 1978. His 26 home-run season has stood the test of time not only in the conference but also nationally, ranking eighth in the history of NCAA Division II.
Nickname “Bye-Bye” for his power-hitting prowess, Balboni went on to a prestigious career in the big leagues. The pinnacle of his time in the majors came in 1985 when he helped lead the Kansas City Royals to the World Series Championship. Balboni hit a franchise-record 36 home runs that season while driving in 88 runs. He became the first player from the Sunshine State Conference to win a World Series.
Balboni played 11 years in the major leagues with the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, hitting 181 home runs in his career. He remains in baseball to this day, currently serving as an advance scout with the San Francisco Giants under another Eckerd graduate, GM Brian Sabean.