October 2014 Newsletter

Castro Turns 80 Among a Throng of Thousands at Muni

Poppin-Scramaglia to be Honored at Benedetti Dinner
Major Leagues for the New York Yankees. Plus he is also the
oldest living member of that organization and the last survivor
of the San Francisco Mission Reds team from the 1930s. As
reported last month it was a special day for Rugger and not only
did he
get a
signed
bat
from
the
inmates
but he
also
got to
throw
Ron Castros Birthday Party
out the
ants Booster Club, his association with the SJ Giants front offirst
fice and finally his Old Timers Baseball Association. The
pitch
speeches, if half were true, made Ron look like either a saint or which he is shown doing here. Rugger ended the day saying,
the devil himself. Apparently, along the way in his life Ron did They may have done some bad things but theyre not all bad..
something at a sacred place that he thought went by unnoticed
in referring to the inmates.
but a man of the cloth happened to spot it and retrieved it for
Ron. One of his friends couldnt resist the temptation and so he
October Calendar of Events
presented this item not as a birthday gift but as something Ron
ots of events are going on this coming month so mark
can put on a shelf and think about in his days of loneliness.
your calendar so you can attend. Monday October 3,
These couldnt be a pair of soiled underwear could they?
Dante Benedetti Golf Tournament at Harding Park GC, startAmong the dignitaries that showed up was former Giants star,
ing at 9:00 am. Spaghetti Dinner and Raffle Night, Friday
Jim Davenport, who did lots of work with Ron and the Booster October 10 at the Janet Pomroy Center beginning at 6 pm.
Club. Now that Sacramento dropped the As affiliation with
Tuesday October 14 a documentary film about the 1989 World
their triple A team in favor of the Giants, Ron has a two-day trip Series Earthquake event at the main library in downtown SF
planned for next year. It will be a one of a kind type of trip that starting at 6 pm. No admission charge. Dinner Meeting Tueswill include leaving on a ferry type boat trip through the Delta
day October 14, 6 pm Irish Cultural center. Friends of Marino
water ways to Sacramento and then a baseball game/barbeque
Pieretti Group, luncheon on October 15 at Dominics in South
and back home on the ferry. More information will be available SF 12 noon. The Old Time Athletes Association will hold their
next year. Way to go Ron and Happy Birthday from all the Old Fall Dinner Meeting on Thursday October 30 at the Olympic
Timers.
Club. The guest speaker is Gary Cavalli, San Francisco Bowl
Ruggers Day at Quentin...Our Rugger Ardizoia was honored Game Executive Director. Tickets are available through Gary
last month at San Quentin State Prison. Baseball games are still Bader (415)731-8027. Member tickets are $50 and guests $70.
played there on Sundays, not exactly like it was back in the day, The deadline for sign-ups is October 17. Both members and
but similar. Rugger last played in a game at the prison in 1956 guest must wear sport coats, slacks and preferably a tie for this
and this year marks the 67th year since he pitched in the
event.
Whats the Big Deal? So what if Ron Castro turned 80 years
old and half the South Bay shows up at San Jose Municipal ball
park to pay tribute to the old weasel. Thats what happened a
few weeks ago when a whole bunch of his friends had a birthday roast for the old codger. It was well attended by those who
knew him from his days with UPS, then with the San Jose Gi-

Marino Pieretti Group Notes

nother date to mark your calendar is the
annual Dante Benedetti Awards dinner on
Wednesday November 12 at the South San
Francisco Elks Club beginning at 5:30 pm with
no host cocktails. This years award recipients
will be Nick Poppin and Jack Scramaglia.
Both of these men are being recognized for
their contributions to the Pieretti Group, Old
Timers and
baseball in
general. Del
Sanford
brought in an
interesting
trophy he
bought for
$50 at a garage sale recently. The
trophy went to
the winner of
the Seals Stadium Presidents Cup in
Presidents Cup Trophy
1943. There
are no other inscriptions to indicate what exactly it was for or who the past winners were.
Its a beautiful piece of work and if anyone
knows anything about a Presidents Cup event
held at the stadium let us know. The Green
Jacket recipient last month went to John Bagatelos a long-time Pieretti Group supporter and
Old Timer member.
John is a Balboa
high school graduate who also played
baseball at City college. The next
group luncheon will
be held on Wednesday October 15 at
Dominics in South
City.
John Bagatelos

Rich Blackburn - Art Citron

Nick Cannuli - Brian Kearney
Mel Canevaro - Al McCarthy
Don Dennehy
Dan Jacobsmeyer

Id be willing to bet you, if I was a betting

man, that I have never bet on baseball
Pete Rose

Bull Pen Chatter

Got a nice call from City College teammate,
Pete Nielsen, letting us know that his town of
Trinity Center which is in the Weaverville/
Weed area is alright with regards
to the fires that are
raging in that part
of Northern California. He said that
the town of Weed
has been devastated
with more than 150
structures lost to
the fire. Its a total
shame to hear
about the fire damPete Nielsen
ages because Weed
is such a picturesque and historic town dating
back to the lumber mills that flourished in the
last century. Lots of ball players from the City
used to go to Weed, Mount Shasta and other
towns to play summer baseball for the mill
teams. People dont know how difficult it is
to live in the woods, Pete noted. There are lots
of added costs for fire protection, forest service
and other services that people living in the cities dont realize. Pete was a former fire
fighter in San Francisco before he retired to the
woods several years ago.
Emily Powell, Balboa High Schools queen of
the alumni association, reported that the Bal
Hall of Fame luncheon is filling up very well
but wants to make sure that Old Timers turn out
to see a once in a lifetime induction. Clarence
Grider, who went to Lowell is being inducted
into their Hall of Fame for the contributions he
made to their baseball program for many years.
Emily wants to know if this has ever been done
before where an athlete from another school is
put in your schools hallowed ground. Good
question is whether its ever been done but then
again Balboa needs all the help it can get!
Baseball ReliquaryA few months back we
reported a story about baseball reliquary in
Southern California. I was asked the question,
Whats a baseball reliquary? Its a museum

of sorts and part of the Los Angeles Arts Commission. It

was founded in 1996 and is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art
and cultural through the context of baseball history and to
exploring the national pastimes unparalleled creative possibilities. They move the exhibits around to different locations
but the main building is in Monrovia. If you want to visit the
phone number is 626-791-7647. Now does that answer the
question?
*****
BooksThe Bilko Athletic Club, by Gaylon White is simply an outstanding read for those of us that remember the
Pacific Coast League. Its about the 1956 Los Angeles Angels team that won the championship that year who could
have been the greatest minor league team of all time. Steve
Bilko was the star as he won the triple crown that year, hitting .360, with 55 home runs and 147 rbis. Im recommending this book because its so well written about ball players
and their lives away from the game. Anyone remember Don
Lauter, who played for Ellis Brooks, Syls Service and New
Pisa, well he played for the 56 Angeles in the second half of
the year and he was a hell of a player.
The Kid, The Immortal Life of Ted Williams, by Ben
Bradlee, Jr. This book is 784 pages long and has about 300
pages that you wouldnt miss if they were removed. However, if you took them out you would wonder why they wereremoved. Ted Williams had a life that on one page made him
out to be a jerk and the next like your best friend. He was the
most hot and cold individual Ive ever read about. He did
some really bad things in his sporting life and then again hes
the person that started the Jimmy Fund for kids so what can
you say. Most of his teammates liked him but many thought
he took too many pitches and just waited for his pitch to
swing at. In a sense he thought more about his batting average than what was good for the team. The Lou Boudreau
Shift might have cost him many points on his career batting
average because he wouldnt go to left field and get hits but
rather try and pull the ball into the over-loaded left side of the
infield. He had a tragic life with his son John-Henry who had
his

Body frozen through a process called cryonics a method of

freezing a body so that one day the body could be used for
scientific testing. Its one heck of a book but you must be
prepared to spend time to get through it, but in the end its
worth it.
The Past Presidents Meeting was held recently and 22 of the
potential 26 living presidents were on hand to discuss the
state of the Association.

Back row L-R Bob Isola, Len Grilli, Ray McDonald, Bill
Jones, Hank Barron, Jerry Gosland, Jim Griffin, Dave Longa,
Leo Martinez, Frank Brady, Rich Ford and Ken Mooney.
Front row L-R Don Benedetti, Bob Simi, Rugger Ardizoia,
Nick Cannuli, George Jarvis, Tom Doolan, Ernie Golding,
Nick Poppin and John LeTourneau.
Crocker Amazon Field
he piece of property located in the Crocker Amazon
neighborhood of the Excelsior District is 56 acres of
open space that was dedicated in 1934 as space for recreational use to the neighborhood children and adults. During
the War years the Navy commissioned the property for a hospital. When the Navy vacated after the war the SF Housing
Authority took it over to provide housing for veterans. In
1957 Crocker Amazon was re-born again as a playground and
the Recreation & Park Department took it over to develop as
a full fledged faculty for sports and relaxation. The property
is second in size only to Golden Gate Park and features three

Thanks Old Timers!

Your Monthly Newsletter
is a Great Read.
Anonymous Donor

primary soccer fields, three baseball fields, a large open space

field and a large playground, tennis, basketball and Bocci ball
courts areas with lots of swing apparatus for smaller children.
Its the hub of activity for the many children who live in the
Excelsior District. There are three baseball/softball diamonds plus two other areas that have a small backstop for
playing ball. The main baseball diamond located at the entrance to the playground is a field that was named after Marino Pieretti and its where he held practically daily instruction
to children and youth who wanted to improve their baseball
skills. In 1998 The Giants donated money to refurnish the
baseball diamond that included benches for spectators and
dugouts for the players. Plus the restroom facilities were
much improved. The baseball diamond and one softball field
are equipped with lights to provide night games for the various leagues that
use the fields.
The Pieretti
Field was not
used in the same
manner as some
of the other
baseball fields in
San Francisco
such as Big Rec
or Funston. The
Marino Pieretti Field at Crocker Amazon weather in the
Park in the Excelsior District.
Excelsior was
easily one of the best locations in the City with the only
weather drawn-back being the late afternoon winds that
would kick up every day. Marino started working with kids
after he became
healthy again after
his bout with cancer. With the help
of Frank
Strauzzullo,
Dante Santora
and many of his
pro baseball
friends

From San Francisco, he and his friends would be out at the

park teaching all phases of the game to the kids that would
show up. For his dedication and working with youngsters the
Parks & Recreation Department named the field in his honor
but did it posthumously as he passed away in 1981. Semipro baseball
wasnt being
played much
after the
1980s and
those games
that were
played used
Big Rec and
Funston as
the main
diamonds
The soccer fields have been up-graded with
for their
artificial turf night lighting.
league play.
On any given weekend virtually thousands of kids use the
soccer fields while the baseball /softball fields sit vacant for
the most part. Adult softball is played during the weekday
nights on the lighted field but the baseball diamond is used
only sparingly during the high school season. Pieretti Field is
maintained alright and its got a sturdy outfield fence that
measures reasonable distances for high school play. There is
even an electric scoreboard in left-center field that makes the
park look like a real baseball field. After seeing so much
participation in soccer its hardly a wonder that whereever you
go in San Francisco the ball fields are empty.
Wildcard Playoff Fiasco...and Solution
The baseball season is a marathon and not a sprint and thats
the way the playoff system should be. This fiasco of a Wildcard game to determine a second wildcard team to be able to
get into the post season is a joke. The players dont like it,
the teams, even if you are the second wildcard, dont like it
because this one and done doesnt mean as much if it were to
determine the division champion or a spot in the playoffs.
But not to worry as your intrepid newsletter chief has dashed
off a memo to the league office on how this play-off mess can
Alumni Of
Riordan
Clyde Krusinski
Sacred Heart
Brian Kearney
Tom Taylor
Supports the Old Timers Association
Balboa
George Petty
Bud Williams
Frank Williams

Formerly
Holt & Collins

220 Montgomery Street

Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-543-8500
1-800-443-2227

Be remedied. (its amazing how this

person always has the answers to everything) OK boys heres how it works to
everyones satisfaction; one, create a 15
single elimination bracket, one for each
league. The team with the best record in
the league receives a first round bye.
The remainder of the teams are seeded
in the draw to determine who plays who.
It would be #2 vs. #15, #3 vs. #14 and
so forth until all teams are seeded.
The tournament is single elimination so
winners advance and losers go home.
The playing schedule starts on Tuesday
for both leagues at four different parks
with games at 1 pm and 6 pm. Wednesday youre down to eight teams in both
leagues with games at two parks 1 pm
and 6 pm. On Friday youre down to
two teams with the winners playing for
the overall championship in a best 2 out
of 3 event. Now every team gets their
shot to compete in the World Event, has
their team get eliminated and down to
two standing in a weeks time. Now
wasnt that easy...I should be hearing
back from the commissioners office
shortly. More to follow.

tions contacted him to see if he would be

willing to throw out the first ball at one
of the home games during the season.
Ed said he would be delighted to be part
of the ceremony but he had no idea what
this experience was going to be like.
Next month we will sit down and find
out what a skinny kid from Lowell High
School was doing to Chicago pitching
for the Cubs.
Dante Benedetti Awards Dinner
his years dinner will honor two
deserving men to its honor roll of
outstanding people who have been so
recognized in years past. Nick Poppin
and Jack Scramaglia have been chosen
as this years recipients of this honor.

Jack Scramaglia

Nick Poppin

Nicks contributions have been immense

Eddie Mayers Career Day
to the administration of the Old Timers
There isnt enough space this month to
Association , his willingness to assist
talk about one of our members career in with the Pieretti Group functions and as
baseball but here is a brief preview of
an officer and President of the Old Time
how Ed Mayer looks back on an event Athletes Association. And couple that
that happened 56 years ago. This year
with being an outstanding athlete at BalEd was boa High School in baseball and footconball. He was a pitcher for several semitacted
pro teams and was an All-Star performer
by the
while serving in the Armed Forces team
Chicago in Japan.
Cubs
Jack has been a member of both the
who
Pieretti Group and Old Timers for the
were
better part of his life as he joined almost
doing
40 years ago. Hes been a great suptheir
porter of both organizations and one of
daily
those guys that you can count on when
game
you need something done. But baseball
promoEddie Mayer tossed out 1st pitch
Newsletter Editor: John McCarthy
To provide information or make an address change call or email:
Cell phone 209-470-1103
Email: golfwjohn@aol.com

is what Jack Scramaglia is all about. Its been

baseball since he was 8/9 years playing on a
team. As a kid he played with the older guys.
When he went to high school at SI he was already head and shoulders above the other players and was a All-City selection in all three
years. When he graduated from SI he had several choices of where to go to college but
choose Menlo JC because he planned on Stanford as a four year choice. As it turned out he
went to USF and after a solid sophomore year
he signed a pro contract with the San Francisco
Giants, becoming the first native San Franciscan to achieve that honor. He had a good but
brief career in pro ball mainly because of the
conditions of what was promised and what was
actually done. He returned to USF and got a
teaching credential and worked in the SF Unified System for 38 years. Congratulations to
both men as they are deserving of this award.

Italians and New Armani Leather Shoes

Lugi walks to work 20 blocks every day and
passes a she store twice every day. Each day
he stops to admire the Armani leather shoes.
He wants those shoes so much, its all he can
think about. After about two months he saves
the price of the shoes, $300 and purchases
them.
Every Friday night the Italian community holds
a dance in the church basement. Lugi seizes
this opportunity to wear his new Armani leather
shoes for the first time.
He asks Sophie to dance and they dance, he
asks her, Sophia, do you wear red panties tonight? Startled, Sophia replies, Yes Lugi I
do wear red panties tonight, but how do you
Peacock Gay Golf Results
ike Reyna led the way making 3 closest- know? Lugi answers, I see the reflection in
to-the-hole winners in the event played my new $300 Armani leather shoes. How do
at Peacock Gap GC in San Rafael last month.
you like them?
One of Mikes winning shots nestled a mere
Next he asks Rosa to dance and after a few
361 inches from the cup and that measures to
minutes he asks, Rosa do you wear white
30 feet one inch...and he two putted for his par. panties tonight? Rosa replies, Yes Lugi, I do
Jim Hodges was the only other multiple Closest but how do you know that? He replies, I see
To winner as he made a pair. Tony Rodriguez the reflection in my new $300 Armani leather
was the closest of the day with a shot of 2 feet shoes. How do you like them?
3 inches. Results:
Lugi asks Carmela to dance, midway through
Hole #3 forward Tee 121 yds
the dance his face turns red. He states,
1st Rich Muratore 199; 2nd Jim Hodges
Carmela you steals my heart. Please tell me
225. Back Tees-155 yds. 1st Mike Bagdon
you wear no panties tonight. Please, please
43; 2nd Mike Reyna 98.
tella me this is true.
Hole #6 Forward Tees 113 yds.
Carmela smiles and coyly answers, Yes Lugi,
1st nick Poppin 205; 2nd Frank Brady 25.
I wear no panties tonight Lugi gasps,
Back Tee 148 yds. 1st Mike Reyna 301 ; 2nd Thanka God...I thought I had a crack in my
Ken Mooney 303.
$300 Armani leather shoes!
Hole #10 Forward Tee 122 yds.
Notable Quotes:
1st Jerry Gosland 42; 2nd Jim Hodges 104. Slump? I aint in no slump. I just aint hitBack Tee 132 yds. 1st Rigo Garcia 33; 2nd
tingYogi Berra.
Bob Ford 62.
So Im ugly. So what? I never saw anyone hit
Hole #13 Forward Tee 132 yds.
with his faceYogi Berra
1st Dave Zucca 511; 2nd None
If at first you dont succeed, try pitching
Back Tee 173 yds. 1st Tom Finale 10 4; 2nd Jack Harshman

Vince Tudoni
Jim McCoy
Leo Martinez
Jim OConnor
Skip McKinney
George Schnapp
Bill DeMatie

Steve Kavanaugh 107.

Hole #16 Forward Tee 129 yds.
1st Leo Martinez 115; 2nd Don Bireme 118
Back Tee 129 yds. 1st Tony Rodriguez 23;
Mike Reyna 44.