HUNTINGTON -- Seeing Toby Holbrook's infectious smile following a baseball game is never a surprise to anyone associated with the game in the Tri-State area.

But seeing his smile accompanied with tears made for a moment that no one at Spring Valley High School on Wednesday will soon forget.

In the ultimate show of camaraderie, Spring Valley honored Holbrook following the Timberwolves' sectional win last week. Holbrook retired following the game after 44 years of coaching.

"Win or lose -- if it had gone to the third game and we lost, we still would have done it," Spring Valley coach Jim Hensley said. "To me, there are more important things than winning or losing a game. This was very deserving...This was our chance to show some respect for him out in the Valley."

There were whispers of the impending retirement during the game and it was made official following the game when an announcement allowed the crowd to show its appreciation for a man that has been Huntington baseball for several decades.

Holbrook tried to keep the smile on his face as he stood along the first-base line and shook the hands of the Timberwolves' players, but once the Spring Valley and Huntington coaches reached him, Holbrook fell into their arms and let his emotions pour out.

It just showed how much the game means to him.

"He is committed to trying to pass on to the next generation what he was taught about baseball," Huntington assistant Greg Rowsey said. "He loves to teach the right way to play the game."

Rowsey said that what made Holbrook such an effective coach was not only his knowledge of the game; it was also his knowledge of life and the way that he turned baseball lessons into life lessons for his players.

Holbrook said one of the lasting memories that he will have actually occurred while he was at home the day of his final game against Spring Valley.

"I just got a letter (Wednesday) from a kid that I had in 1974-75-76," Holbrook said. "He said, 'Coach it was the best time of my life. I went on to play college baseball and was just a step away from being a professional player.' He said it was the happiest time of his life. You know, just getting calls and letters from kids I've had in the past."

In 44 years, not all the memories were bound to be positive for Holbrook, but in looking back on some of them, there was some comedy involved.

One of those not-so-great memories included Wake Forest head football coach Jim Grobe, who played for Holbrook in the late 60s.

"We were playing Logan and getting beat 18-3 and back then, they had an optional 10-run rule," Holbrook said. "It had just been initiated, but the coaches had to OK it in order to quit...The umpire came over and asked if I wanted to quit and I said 'Heck, no. We're going to keep playing. Jim, you go down there and get warmed up.

"He said 'Coach, I'm not a pitcher.' I said, 'You are tonight.' He gets warmed up, we played three more innings and we got beat 28-to-something. We just got clobbered."

Whether in wins or losses, everyone has taken something from Holbrook and Huntington assistant Andrew Wellman implored the 2008 team to do so as well before thanking the coach for helping make him who he is today..

"I just want you to know that even though he taught me the way to play baseball, the biggest impact he had on me was how to treat people and how to respect the team," Wellman said.

Holbrook had 751 wins in his career and one state title to his credit while coaching dozens of all-state players and sending several more on to professional baseball careers. However, that doesn't stick out to him.

"The good thing is that you coach all of these kids and a lot of them have made successes out of their life," Holbrook said.

Rowsey said that even though he thinks the coach will stick around Huntington baseball in some capacity, it won't be the same without Holbrook leading the way for the Highlanders.

"When he speaks, people listen. That's the respect that (baseball coaches) have for him," Rowsey said. "He's definitely a landmark-type person around here in baseball. It will be a blow to high school baseball."