Hubbs’ Death Brought Sorrow to Southland

Even now, after 35 years, reading the stories of the death of one of baseball’s great young players brings back the numbness that swept over Southern California sports followers at the time.

Ken Hubbs, a 22-year-old Chicago Cub second baseman, and a friend died shortly after taking off from Provo, Utah, when their small plane crashed onto frozen Utah Lake.

To those who knew Hubbs in his hometown, Colton, it was impossible to believe.

“When I heard his plane was overdue, I didn’t give it a thought,” said Colton High teammate Norm Housley.

“The idea that he could’ve died . . . that just didn’t occur to me. That’s why it hurt so much when we learned the truth.”

Hubbs, 6 feet 2 and 170 pounds, was one of the great high school athletes produced in Southern California. He was All-Southern Section for two years in football, basketball and baseball (he pitched with either arm), an achievement matched at the time, 1959, by only Glenn Davis, Bill McColl and Marty Keough.

Notre Dame recruited him to play quarterback. UCLA’s John Wooden wanted him in his backcourt.

But the Cubs wanted him the most, signing him for a $50,000 bonus.

For Chicago, Hubbs batted .247 in 324 major league games and set a record for second basemen with 418 consecutive errorless chances.

Said Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau, then the Cubs’ radio announcer: “At the time he died, I felt he was on his way to a Hall of Fame career. His bat hadn’t come around, but it would have--he was a contact hitter.”

Also on this date: In 1954, future Laker guard Frank Selvy scored 100 points for Furman College in a 149-95 victory over Newberry College. . . . In 1934, promising young German heavyweight Max Schmeling was upset by Steve Hamas in Philadelphia.