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April 20, 2026
—Flamingo Park Baseball Field will be renamed in honor of Stanley ‘Skip’ Bertman —
Miami Beach, FL – Having been dubbed one of the greatest trick plays in college baseball history, the architect of the University of Miami’s “Grand Illusion” that helped win the 1982 Men's College World Series is about to have a Miami Beach baseball field named in his honor.
Legendary baseball coach Stanley “Skip” Bertman graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School in 1956 and later returned to lead the school’s baseball program to a state championship and two runner-up finishes before making his mark at the collegiate level. Bertman will have his name placed on the Flamingo Park Baseball Field on Thursday, April 23 at 11 a.m. The field is located at 1430 Michigan Ave.
“Skip Bertman’s legacy is woven into the very fabric of Miami Beach baseball, from his championship days at Beach High to his legendary career on the national stage,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. “Naming this field in his honor ensures that future generations of local athletes will know the story of this talented man who defined excellence and innovation in the sport.”
Bertman, 87, served as the head baseball coach at Miami Beach High School from 1962 to 1974 and went on to become an associate head coach at the University of Miami and head coach of Louisiana State University, where he led the LSU Tigers to five national titles and seven Southeastern Conference championships with the highest NCAA tournament win rate in history.
“Coach Bertman is a fantastic role model for our children to see what can be accomplished in sports and in life,” said Miami Beach Vice Mayor Laura Dominguez, who sponsored the measure to name the field after the college baseball hall of famer.
It was at the University of Miami, where Bertman orchestrated the “Grand Illusion” during the second round of the 1982 Men's College World Series. The hidden-ball trick left the Wichita State Shockers, field umpires, TV announcers and a packed stadium — in utter shock — not to mention looking the wrong way when the pitcher feigned a throw to first base only to pick off the player who would go on to set a single-season stolen base record as the confused player attempted to take second.
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