Saturday, July 18th, 2026

Ronald “Bubba” Kinner | 1967-1970 | Dunbar High School | Baseball

One of the most gifted athletes to come out of Dunbar was Ronald “Bubba” Kinner. He was a multi-sport athlete lettering three years in baseball, football, and in track. In football, he played multiple positions, including kicker, quarterback, wingback, and cornerback. He was one of only two sophomores to make the varsity in football. As good as he was in football, it was in baseball that Bubba really excelled.

Dunbar started their baseball program in the spring of 1968 in conjunction with their entry into the University Interscholastic League, which was Bubba’s sophomore year. Louis Kelley, a 2011 Inaugural Class Hall of Honor member, coached that first team.

People first began to take notice of Bubba when he was competing as a youngster in the Eastern Little League. He was named to the All-Star team for three straight years. He continued to grow as a player while competing in Pony League, Colt League, and American Legion Baseball in the summer. Hall of Honor member Bill Dean coached him in Colt League and the American Legion. Dr. Dean stated that when his American Legion teams played in the small towns around the Panhandle, major league scouts would follow to see Bubba play.
In Bubba’s senior year, he was named the first ever first-team All-American from Lubbock by the Rawlings American Baseball Coaches Association.

Kinner was a unique and gifted player who excelled at any position on the field. Dr. Dean, who coached most of the many great players from Lubbock, said that Bubba was one of the best players he ever got to coach.

Bubba was drafted in the second round of the 1970 Major League Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Kinner signed with the Cardinals, but his baseball career was cut short in 1971 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Bubba Kinner is a Dunbar athletic legend. He was that great of an athlete.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Dunbar athlete, Ronald Bubba Kinner, to the Lubbock ISD Athletics Hall of Honor class of 2025.
Back to class of 2025