CGB Hall of Fame: (8) Lindsay Gottlieb vs. (9) Tony Renda

(8) Lindsay Gottlieb

Nick Kranz talks about Coach G:

Coach G has now spent 3 years at Cal as an assistant and 4 years at Cal as a head coach, which I think makes her officially eligible for CGB hall of fame induction. Whether or not her impressive accomplishments offset her limited time enough to earn your vote is the decision you have to make!

Her accomplishments are indeed impressive. Cal has made the NCAA tournament in all seven years Gottlieb has been on the sidelines, and as a head coach she has an impressive 7-4 NCAA tournament record. She has finishes at least 13-5 and at least 3rd place in every Pac-12 season, and won a conference title. She has played an active role in the development of four different WNBA draft picks.

More than that, she's good people. She's created an open, welcoming program style that draws in players and fans. Her sunny optimism is infectious. She's a player's coach in the best sense of the term, and regularly inspires tremendous effort from her players. Cal has lost 33 games under Gottlieb, but energy and effort have never been the problem. She'll be in Berkeley for as long as she wants.

(9) Tony Renda

It is a story that would be too unbelievable it it wasn't true, the way that the 2011 Cal Baseball team goes from the brim of elimination to a trip to the College World Series is surely one of the more memorable Cal Athletics season in any sports. Second baseman Tony Renda is the best player on that team (and the best in conference as in the 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year). A Dustin Pedroia (who went to Arizona State, by the way) type, Renda is a high average hitter who also pack quite a bit of power despite being just of regular height. He was also a very accomplished base stealers with 16 (2nd in the Pac) in his last year, but gets his stolen bases more from great read of the situations than pure speed. For his 3 years at Cal, Renda also earned freshman All-American and 2012 All-American honors, as well as being selected to conference first team all 3 years. Since Cal, Tony Renda was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 2nd round. In 2013, Renda won the Bob Boone award which was given to the Nats minor league player "who best demonstrates the professionalism, leadership, loyalty, passion, selflessness, durability, determination and work ethic the Nationals hope to exemplify."

By the way, Tony Renda was ready to be a Duck had Cal Baseball been eliminated. We are certainly glad that we don't have to share Tony Renda with the UC Eugene.

Renda is now a minor league prospect in the Washington Nationals farm system, where his leadership has carried over. In 2014, he won the Bob Boone award for the Single-A Hagerstown Suns, for his "professionalism, leadership, loyalty, passion, selflessness, durability, makeup, intangibles and tremendous work ethic."