Kevin retired in 1997 and currently co-owns of an indoor baseball facility in Kansas with a former teammate. He also coaches his sons’ local baseball leagues.

Seitzer, an industrial electronics major, lead the Panthers to the Division II College World Series in 1981 and was also named to the All-College World Series team. He left Eastern in 1983 after getting picked by the Kansas City Royals in the 11th round of the free-agent draft.

Kevin had a strong minor-league career. He was named the South Atlantic League’s Most Valuable Player in 1984. During his final year in the minors in 1986, he was hit by a pitch nine times—leading the American Association in that category. This was foreshadowing.

His career started well enough. He joined the Royals on Sept. 3, 1986 and immediately got a hit. Less than three weeks later he collected his first home run (Sept. 21). In his first full season with the Royals in 1987, Seitzer hit .323 with 15 home runs, appeared in the All-Star Game and finished second in rookie-of-the-year voting to some guy named Mark McGwire.

There were some years of hard-drinking. But after the hangovers came Christianity. Somewhere during his career, Seitzer became a born-again Christian – the only known born-again in the EIU Hall of Fame.

"It says that the first will be last and the last will be first," Seitzer, referring to the Bible, told Sports Spectrum while with the Indians in 1997. "I try to take a servant's heart each season. Yes, I want to do well. Yes, I want to carry my weight and win the game. But at the same time, I try to put my teammates before me.

"It's the way I think life should be lived. I think I grew into it as I matured spiritually."

His faith served him well because his body went through the ringer for most of his career. Kevin had arthroscopic surgery on both his knees, broke his wrist and tore his hamstring, among other things. He was one of a few players to wear an odd facelong protector as part of his batting helmet thanks two injuries: facial fractures caused by being hit by a pitch in August 1994 and a concussion when hit the same way in May 1995.

He’s also had a quirky history in the field. Kevin led the American League in errors for third basemen in both 1987 and 88, but then led American League third basemen in fielding percentage in 1992. Altogether, he was a designated hitter, outfielder and first, second and third baseman.

After a six-year stint with the Royals, he went to the Brewers, then Oakland, then back to the Brewers before getting dealt to the Indians in 1996. He played in the 1997 World Series with The Tribe, which he considers his greatest baseball memory.

Seemingly never able to shake the desire for the fast-paced excitement found in towns like Charleston, Seitzer currently lives in Leawood, Kansas. He and wife Lisa have two sons, Brandon and Cameron. Another alum who is pretty elusive, Seitzer never gave an interview to the student paper until someone traveled to Milwaukee and pinned him down.

It is not Christian to dodge your alma mater.

Sources for information and some photos: The Ed Harris, Scott Glenn and Kevin Seitzer Homepage, Milwaukee Brewers Official Homepage, The Sporting News, Sports Spectrum, Indians Home Page, CBS Sportsline, Major League Baseball.