Regional Champs, 1962
Regional Champs, 1962, a photo by ashetlandpony on Flickr.
Fifty years ago today, August 12, 1962, my father's West Covina Mustangs All-Star baseball team won the Colt League West Coast Regional championship, defeating the Beach Cities All-Stars 3-2 and 17-16 in a 7-hour, 17-minute-long marathon barnburner double-header at John Galvin Park in Ontario, California. It was the most amazing day of baseball I'd ever seen in my life.
Four days later, the Mustangs played the Riverside All-Stars in the opener of the Colt League Divisional tournament, and were defeated 9-0. Playing center field and batting clean-up that day for Riverside was none other than 16-year-old Bobby Bonds. (Bobby went 1-for-4 that day - a 2-strike RBI double in the 1st inning, a strike-out in the 4th, and a pop-up out in the 5th and 6th.)
Top row (l to r): Ed Shannon (Manager), Chuck Calver (P), Bob Burns (OF), Jim Chapel (P), Rick Johnson (P), Moe Fox (Coach); Middle: Larry Young (OF), Gary DiVincenzo (CF), Bob Wissler (3B), Terry Thorsness (2B), Don Bunch (SS), Steve Fox (1B); Bottom: Greg Mulligan (P), Bud Terry (C), Bruce Pittenger (OF), Rick Cavolt (P).
