Edward Lampe coached his grandson, ASU redshirt sophomore Joe Lampe, in Little League and taught him more than just the X's and O's of baseball. He taught him to play tough, put everything on the line and always work hard in all aspects of life.
On Lampe's 12th birthday, he was told the most devastating news of his life. His grandfather had passed away on Dec. 5, 2012. For Joe, his life came crashing down. His grandfather, coach and idol, was gone.
"I just hope he's proud of me," Lampe said as he looked around the empty stands of Phoenix Municipal Stadium. "I wish he was here to see all this. He'd be here all the time."
Ed played professional baseball for class B, C and D minor league teams affiliated with the Milwaukee Braves from 1955 to 1957.
After his brief stint in the minors, Ed started his own business, Pacific States Plywood, and started coaching his first two sons in baseball. By the time his third son was born, Joe Lampe, Lampe's father, Ed was burnt out from coaching so Joe never played ball.
As Lampe grew up, his father, Joe, started coaching him in Little League despite not having any experience playing the game. But that was to lure back Ed into coaching his grandson.
"He (Ed) was a hard-nosed guy, the type of guy I aspire to be," Lampe said. "He cared about the game so much that he'd do anything for it."
Lampe grew up in Petaluma, California where he attended Casa Grande High School and after high school, he accepted an offer from UC Davis.
The following summer, Lampe joined the Healdsburg Prune Packers community team and played with and against D1 and Power Five competition.
"It was the best summer of my life from a production standpoint and from a maturity standpoint," Lampe said. "Once I got to UC Davis, it was like, all right, I'm getting my feet wet a little bit, but I knew there was something else in the tank."
Lampe transferred to Santa Rosa College to bet on himself. After hitting .424 at the No. 1 junior college in California, he transferred to ASU.
"I couldn't live with it in my head if I didn't bet on myself and get to the best possible platform in my eyes, which was for me, a Power Five school," Lampe said.
When Lampe arrived at ASU last year, redshirt sophomore outfielder Kai Murphy described Lampe as hyper-competitive and called him the hardest worker on the team.
"When (Lampe) stepped on campus no one really knew what to think of him, cause he was pretty hard-nosed and crazy," Murphy said.
That's exactly how Lampe described his grandfather: hard-nosed.
In Lampe's first year at ASU, he hit .294 at the nine-hole and started at center field, where he earned Pac-12 all-defensive team honors.
This year, Lampe earned a promotion in the lineup and is expected to be a weapon in the box and on the bases.
"(Lampe) initially was going to start at the two spot," said ASU head coach Willie Bloomquist. "I think it opens up his game a little more to not have to be so perfect when and if he decides to bunt."
Lampe is currently ranked at the No. 266 prospect ahead of the 2022 MLB Draft, according to Prospects Live. He looks to prove himself this year by improving behind the plate, stealing 30 bags and continuing his dominant glove play in the outfield.
Lampe is already thriving in his new role as the second hitter. On Saturday night against Dixie State, he was a triple short from hitting for the cycle.
"I want to play professional and do everything in my willpower to know that I gave myself my best chance," he said.
Every time Lampe takes the field, his grandparents will be in the back of his mind, as they always are.
Reach the reporter at dstipano@asu.edu and follow @dstipanovichh on Twitter.
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