Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2015
- Class:
- 1971
Recruited to Marshall by Coach Jack Cook out of Sophia, W.Va., Joe Goddard parlayed two seasons as the Thundering Herd's catcher into an eighth-round selection by the San Diego Padres in the 1971 Major League Baseball draft and a stint in the Majors with the Padres in 1972. In the 1971 Marshall season, Goddard caught the eye of the Padres with his strong defensive work behind the plate to go along with a solid season at bat as he hit .286 with nine doubles, a team-high three triples and four home runs. When the Padres chose him in the draft, Goddard not only became the Thundering Herd’s highest draft choice until that time, he would retain that title until pitcher Aaron Blair was chosen in the first round of the 2013 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
A little more than a year after being drafted, Goddard was called up to the Padres and played 12 games with the big league club, logging seven hits, two doubles and two RBIs with San Diego. He played a total of six seasons in the minors but never returned to the Major Leagues. After completing his degree at Marshall, Goddard became the baseball coach at Independence High School in Raleigh County when it opened in 1976, a job he held for 36 years, making six trips to the West Virginia State Tournament and winning the Class AA state title in 1990. After retiring from the high school ranks, Goddard became an assistant coach with the West Virginia Miners in the Prospect League. Independence High School named its baseball facility the Joseph H. Goddard Field in 2013. Goddard was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
