Todd Rose | Daily Press Gladstone Braves varsity softball coach Rick Pepin (left) presents retiring junior varsity coach Bill Buchmiller with an honorary plaque Thurday afternoon in Gladstone. Surrounding Buchmiller are players — past and present — he has coached throughout the years.

GLADSTONE — There are few names as synonymous with the sport of softball in the Gladstone area than Bill Buchmiller.

In fact, it would be fair to say, without Bill Buchmiller Gladstone Braves softball would not exist. At least, not in the capacity it does today.

In over 45 years of coaching — starting alongside the late Jerry Smith coaching American Legion Baseball in the 70s — coach Buck has been involved in Gladstone Little League and travel ball teams, racking up championships along the way.

Thursday night, the Gladstone softball community gathered prior to the first pitch of a junior varsity matchup between the Escanaba Eskymos and the Braves to honor Buchmiller.

The game was Coach Buck’s last for the Braves as JV coach as he hangs up his coaching hat as this softball season comes to a close.

After the teams finished warming up, Braves varsity softball coach Rick Pepin approached home plate with a chair.

He sat it down and invited Buchmiller to take a seat.

Soon enough, Buchmiller was surrounded by players — past and current — and presented a special plaque for his years of dedication to the sport.

“It was a total surprise,” said Buchmiller. “I really wasn’t expecting it. I just kind of wanted to walk away and be done.

“Words don’t explain it. Just to be here with these kids, it’s just great.”

After planning on retiring following the 2020 season that was eventually canceled due to COVID-19, one last year with the Braves was a special opportunity for Buchmiller.

“It meant everything,” he said. “I was going to quit last year. Then the COVID hit, and we couldn’t do it, and I thought, ‘You know, I’m not going to walk away from these kids.'”

While he plans to spend more time down south in the winter, Coach Buck will still be around he said.

“I’ll still be here cutting grass, probably still keep my fingers in the coaching,” he said. “I’d just like to thank Jerry up there and Rick and especially Mike Gobert, we’ve been friends since childhood.

“Just all the coaches, I’ve had nothing but great coaches, and the other thing is the parents. I’ve never ever, ever had a bad parent”

With his legacy forever cemented in Gladstone’s softball history, Buchmiller had wise words o pass along.

“Just take every day and enjoy it,” he said. “Enjoy the day with the kids, the community and just grab life and enjoy it. That’s what I did.”

When it comes to Coach Buck, Rick Pepin put it simply.

“Good coaches are hard to find,” Pepin said. “And he’s had such an impact just in terms of building relationships with players where they fall in love with the sport of softball. Because they fell in love with the sport of softball, there is now a winning tradition here in Gladstone.

“We are grateful for what he has done to the program and what he has meant. He will always be a part of Gladstone softball.”