Cal Meier, USC Baseball All-American and Member of 1968 and 1970 NCAA Champion Teams, Dies
September 11, 2019 | Baseball, Features
LOS ANGELES—Cal Meier, an All-American shortstop who starred on USC's NCAA championship baseball squads in 1968 and 1970, died on Monday (Sept. 9) in Lakeside, Calif., of a stroke. He was 71.
A celebration of life will be held in late October, with details pending.
Meier, whose full name was Floyd Calvin Meier, started his collegiate career at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., before transferring to USC in 1968 and helping lead the Trojans to a pair of College World Series titles. He earned ABCA All-American recognition in 1970 and was named to both All-Region and All-Conference first teams in 1969 and 1970.
Meier played an integral role in the Trojans' 1970 title, tripling home the go-ahead run against Texas in the 14th inning to help USC advance to the championship game with an 8-7 victory. He then went 3-for-6 in the title game against Florida State, scoring the winning run on Frank Alfano's single in the bottom of the 15th inning.
His 44 career stolen bases are still the seventh most in Trojan history, and his 1970 single season totals of 59 walks and 20 steals still rank in the top 10 in the USC record books.
Meier was selected in the second round of the 1970 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals and played six professional seasons in the Royals, Pirates, Astros and Cardinals minor league systems.
He went on to do union work following his professional baseball career and was a successful day-trader in his spare time.
He is survived by his wife Peggy and two sisters.
A celebration of life will be held in late October, with details pending.
Meier, whose full name was Floyd Calvin Meier, started his collegiate career at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., before transferring to USC in 1968 and helping lead the Trojans to a pair of College World Series titles. He earned ABCA All-American recognition in 1970 and was named to both All-Region and All-Conference first teams in 1969 and 1970.
Meier played an integral role in the Trojans' 1970 title, tripling home the go-ahead run against Texas in the 14th inning to help USC advance to the championship game with an 8-7 victory. He then went 3-for-6 in the title game against Florida State, scoring the winning run on Frank Alfano's single in the bottom of the 15th inning.
His 44 career stolen bases are still the seventh most in Trojan history, and his 1970 single season totals of 59 walks and 20 steals still rank in the top 10 in the USC record books.
Meier was selected in the second round of the 1970 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals and played six professional seasons in the Royals, Pirates, Astros and Cardinals minor league systems.
He went on to do union work following his professional baseball career and was a successful day-trader in his spare time.
He is survived by his wife Peggy and two sisters.
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