I was 10 years old when my father's youth baseball coaching career came to an end, 57 years ago today. And what an ending it was! On the evening of August 22, 1965, his Covina Post 207 team won the Anaheim American Legion Invitational Baseball Tournament, emerging victorious over 72 of the best teams in California. Winning the Anaheim Tournament ( Read more... )

I can't be certain, as there is no date on this article, but I believe the baseball brouhaha highlighted in the last paragraph below took place 57 years ago today, on August 15, 1965, at Ralph Welch Park in Pomona.


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Fifty years ago right now, we were at the American Legion Baseball World Series at Kiger Stadium in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Less than a week after I flew home from visiting cousins in Tacoma, Washington, Dad bundled us into Mom's brand new 1971 Ford LTD to head back up to the Pacific Northwest for what would turn out to be our family's sixth and ( Read more... )

Two anniversaries going on concurrently at the moment. Sixty years ago right now, our family was driving east on Route 66 headed for the PONY League World Series in Washington, Pennsylvania, and a half-century ago, I was in Tacoma, Washington state, enjoying two weeks with cousins during my first-ever time away from home without my parents ( Read more... )

Dad wasn't just a baseball coach; sometimes, he umpired, too. He used to have a home plate umpire's count indicator, which he would let me play with when I was little. At some point, though, he gave his indicator away. I was disappointed when I found out; I wished he would have given it to me ( Read more... )

For years, off and on, I've been looking for a nice vintage Little League Louisville Slugger, with the old Hillerich & Bradsby logo on it. I still have my own from those days, but they are damaged, and not sound enough to use as bats anymore ( Read more... )

I've updated my blog on the West Covina American Little League All-Stars to cover their 1958 post-season. The team didn't advance as far in the playoffs as last year, but there's still lots of interesting local baseball history to be found there ( Read more... )

When I was a kid, my favorite pro ballplayer wasn't even real. He was young Joe Hardy from the musical "Damn Yankees." In the film, 'Shoeless Joe from Hannibal Mo' was played by Tab Hunter, who passed away yesterday at the age of 86.


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In the summer of 1957, my father was named manager of the All-Stars of the West Covina American Little League. The team was very successful; moreso, in fact, than any other in the history of the young city. In the coming days, I will be telling the story of the 1957 WCALL All-Stars as they progressed through post-season play to the California State ( Read more... )

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