How a retired public affairs instructor landed in the Cactus League Hall of Fame
Geoffrey Gonsher, retired professor of practice in ASU's School of Public Affairs, poses with a photograph of him on the baseball field with former Gov. Rose Mofford and Major League Baseball All-Star Orlando Cepeda. Courtesy photo
What does a retired Arizona State University School of Public Affairs faculty member have in common with four Major League Baseball players and managers who, combined, hit 889 home runs, registered 3,538 RBIs, and won eight pennants and four World Series across more than 100 seasons?
Like those sluggers, Geoffrey Gonsher, a retired professor of practice, is being inducted into the Cactus League Hall of Fame.
He will be honored during a pregame ceremony on Feb. 28 at Tempe Diablo Stadium for his role in saving the Cactus League in the late 1980s when a lack of public support for facilities led to concerns over the league’s long-term viability.
The Cactus League Hall of Fame regularly inducts high-profile people who never ran the bases in spring training. Past hall-of-famers include broadcasters, photographers, two former Arizona governors and a ballpark organist.
Still, Gonsher said he feels surprised that his name is being added to the list. Never one for fanfare, Gonsher spent his career behind the curtain rather than in the spotlight.
Before becoming a professor, he had a long career in Arizona government — he worked for four governors and multiple Phoenix mayors, and he had the opportunity to meet famous baseball players, Major League Baseball executives and even Mickey Mouse.
“It’s a surprise for me to know that I am being recognized in this way,” he said of the induction. “Other people get recognized, and they're very deserving of it. I have never felt in the same category as all these leaders.”
Despite his self-effacing nature, Gonsher was a key figure in preserving and later growing the Cactus League. He served as special assistant to Gov. Rose Mofford, and the two shared a love of sports. Mofford was an All-American softball player, and Gonsher spent his childhood going to the New York Giants’ spring training games at the old Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Central Avenue and Mohave Street.
“Sports gives us all a connection that not too many other issues can,” Gonsher said.
During her term as governor, Mofford set out to strengthen the Cactus League because “it was unraveling overnight,” Gonsher said.
The Cleveland Indians — now the Cleveland Guardians — had announced their departure and the Chicago Cubs were considering moving the team’s spring games to Florida’s Grapefruit League. The Mofford administration formed a task force and worked directly with teams, stadium owners, city officials, tourism and economic development agencies, hospitality groups, developers and the public to study the issues facing the Cactus League and develop proposals to support its continued existence.
The 1989 Governor's Special Task Force on Cactus League Baseball report put it succinctly: “The state as a whole needs to be more aggressive, more organized and more supportive to secure the Cactus League for today and Major League Baseball for tomorrow.”
Gonsher was the sole representative of the governor’s office on the task force. The report, and the one the following year, were written by Gonsher.
“I was and am a public administrator. The most important skill is the ability to write. Everything in public policy is based on a written document,” he said.
Mofford and Gonsher’s dedication to the Cactus League led the Arizona Legislature to pass a $2.50 car-rental tax in Maricopa County to renovate and build Cactus League stadiums. Gonsher continued his work to strengthen the Cactus League under future administrations, including advocating for Proposition 302, which created the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, under Gov. Jane Dee Hull.
In 1989, the Cactus League had eight teams and an economic impact of $160 million, according to the governor’s task force report. Fifteen teams now call Arizona home for spring training, and the league estimates its economic impact to be $700 million during its 30-day run. Govs. Mofford and Hull are both members of the Cactus League’s Hall of Fame.
In 2010, Gonsher joined ASU. He taught undergraduate classes in the School of Public Affairs for a decade. Using the lessons from his time in administration, he educated students about consensus, collaboration and compromise. Most of all, he focused on writing.
“I transplanted my experience in public service into the classroom to ensure that the students understood that these are the skills that you need in order to be successful,” he said. “Writing was the basis for everything we did in my classes because I know writing is essential for public service.”
Shannon Portillo, director of the School of Public Affairs, has had the opportunity to work with Gonsher despite his retirement from ASU in 2020 because he sponsors annual paid internships with elected officials. Students who took Gonsher’s classes were fortunate to learn from his wealth of experience as a practitioner, she said.
“Geoffrey's unwavering support for our students and willingness to share not only his experiences, but his time, mentorship and support of student internships is invaluable,” she said. “We are excited to celebrate this honor with him and appreciate the attention it brings to the value of public service for our local community.”
The School of Public Affairs is part of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
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