Hall of Fame
Entering McKendree College as a sophomore, Warren used his brief but successful participation in McKendree baseball as a springboard to his professional career with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants organizations. In the 1960-61 McKendree season, in which the team was 19 and 4, he had a .312 batting average, led the team in runs scored, and was second in stolen bases and third in runs batted in. In June 1961 he signed a bonus contract with the Cardinals after having been scouted by seven other major league clubs and was assigned to catch and play outfield for the Johnston City, Tenn./ farm club in the Class D Appalachian League. In 1962 he signed with the Brunswick, Ga., Cardinals in the Georgia-Florida League. His 1962 highlights included being named the league’s all-star catcher and runner-up player of the year and being second in league hitting. He finished the season with a .280 batting average, 11 home runs and 55 RBIs. Turning down a contract with the Detroit Tigers’ Class D team for the 1964 season, Warren played one season in El Paso with the San Francisco Giants’ Double A Texas League team, the Sun Kings. An injury ended his career as a player. In 1968 Warren graduated from the Professional Baseball Umpire’s School in Daytona Beach, Fla., and umpired two seasons for the Class A Florida State League.
