ORONO, Maine — John Schiffner is beginning to wonder whether he’s plagued by a University of Maine curse.
In 1975, while playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League, he was hit in the left eye with a pitch thrown by Black Bears right-hander Bert Roberge of Auburn.
“I guessed slider away, and he came up and in, and I couldn’t get out of the way of it,” Schiffner recounted.
On Thursday, Schiffner was sporting a puffy right eye after he was struck by a line drive on Wednesday when a ball ripped through the netting on an L-screen during batting practice. He suffered a fractured orbital bone.
“Once I hit the ground, I knew I was hurt, but I could see,” Schiffner said. “My eye is OK.”
Schiffner is nonetheless happy to be a Black Bear. Last week, the 59-year-old coach began his duties as a volunteer assistant on Steve Trimper’s staff.
“This was a perfect opportunity. The program has a great tradition,” said Schiffner, who has known Trimper for about 20 years and coached UMaine assistant coach Nick Derba on the Cape.
“It’s nice not to be in charge,” he added of his 33 seasons as a head coach.
The staff vacancy was created last spring when UMaine announced during the season that associate head coach Jason Spaulding’s contract would not be renewed and removed him from the program. Pitching coach J.P. Pyne has joined Derba as the paid assistants.
Schiffner brings extensive coaching experience to Orono. He spent 33 years as the head baseball coach at Plainville High School in Connecticut and 32 summers in the Cape League, including 23 as a head coach.
His Plainfield teams made 31 tournament appearances, and in 2001, he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association District I Division III National High School Coach of the Year.
“He’s nationally known. He’s well-respected. He could be a Division I head coach,” Trimper said.
Schiffner, who retired in June 2013 as a high school history teacher, views the UMaine position as an opportunity to expand his coaching horizons.
“I’ve always wanted to be a [Division I] coach. It’s probably going to be one of my last stops in this long career,” Schiffner said.
The native of Dover, New Jersey, played at Providence College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies education. He spent six weeks in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor-league system.
He later got a master’s degree in human relations at Eastern Connecticut.
With the Cape League’s Chatham Anglers, Schiffner has coached more than 100 future major leaguers, including Evan Longoria, Mike Lowell and Ryan Roberts. He has mentored several UMaine players, most recently pitcher Jeff Gelinas of Saco.
His 479 career coaching victories are the most all-time in the Cape League.
At UMaine, Schiffner will work with the hitters and infielders, and he also plans to coach first base.
“Schiff brings in great experience in all areas,” Trimper said. “He’s teaching me things. He’ll help us with leadership and knowledge and continuity.”
Schiffner’s coaching career included stops with the Cape League’s Harwich Mariners, Upsala College and Chatham. He was a scout for the Montreal Expos for six years and headed the New Jersey A’s in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League.
Although he is five hours from his home in Chatham, Massachusetts, Schiffner said his wife, Martha, supported his decision to take the UMaine job.
Cloutier, Bush join Black Bears
UMaine has welcomed in two other volunteer staff members for the 2014-15 season.
David Cloutier will serve as UMaine’s director of baseball operations, while Tim Bush will be a student assistant.
Cloutier, from Chicopee, Massachusetts, played at Eastern Connecticut. He will handle behind-the-scenes responsibilities including video, office work and travel planning.
“He’s kind of learning the ins and outs of a Division I program,” Trimper said.
Bush is an U.S. military veteran who is enrolled at UMaine. This summer, he was the head coach of Bangor’s fledgling Junior Legion program.
“A student assistant is usually a former player, but he’s had some coaching experience at the youth level,” Trimper said. “My philosophy is, you surround yourself with good people.”