Fresno State says goodbye to legendary fan Inman Perkins

By Al Scott

Fresno, Calif.(KFSR) – Fresno State said goodbye to a baseball legend in April 2024. Inman Perkins died at the age of 83. 

The former Bulldog and longtime fan of the Fresno State baseball team became an icon at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium thanks to his dugout cheers and a beaming smile that he brought to those around him. 

Former Bulldog catcher and now Head Coach Ryan Overland said he is forever grateful for Perkins’s legacy to the program.

“His energy in the stands at every single game the way that he was, that’s an impact as big as anybody in this program, the amount of time and what he did in his time here, so obviously one we’ve been missing for a while out here,” Overland said. 

Shortly after going to games over 50 years ago, Inman started leading the crowd in cheers to motivate the ‘Dogs. ‘ His granddaughter Monique (Perkins) recalls, however, that the true inspiration came from his wife, Donna. 

“My grandma and him were at a baseball game one day, and my grandma was like, hey, go do a cheer. And he was like, what? We’re at a baseball game. They don’t do cheers at baseball. And all of a sudden, he went up there and did Bulldog spell out, and the players came out and gave him a round of applause, and it’s been there ever since,” Perkins said. 

During his life, Perkins worked for the IRS, the Fresno Bee and the San Jose Mercury News. He also spent several years as a tour guide, teaching kids about tigers and other animals at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. He is most known, though, for his beacon of positivity. 

Fresno State broadcaster Paul Loeffler got to know Inman over the last two decades and says that his impact went way beyond the game of baseball. 

“There’s no stat to quantify how many Bulldog comeback victories he spurred or how many priceless memories he made for young people who wanted to come back and see him lead that cheer again. Just a really special man who gave us something nobody else could,” Loeffler said. 

Friends and family gathered Tuesday morning wearing red, white and other Bulldog attire not to mourn but rather to celebrate a great life lived. 

The ultimate fan and the ultimate embodiment of the Bulldog spirit, long live Inman Perkins.