Archive for May, 2011

Before We Go Any Further………

Posted: May 31, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Yeah, I want to write about this next game against Woodland Hills East.  But “Before we go any further” I just want to point a few things out.  We started this season with eighteen guys on the Roster.  We were now down to eleven.  But it was eleven guys you could count on.  Eleven guys who ate, lived, and breathed what we were doing. 

We had those Cleveland Indian “Battle Caps” that we wore.  By this time of the season, they were no longer Navy Blue and Red.  First off, it was the cheapest hat money could buy.  But we wore them proudly.  We were all kind of embarrassed about those caps in the beginning but as time went on they became a part of who we were.  We called them “Battle Caps” because they had developed a little “character.”  These hats had been right there with us in some of the greatest battles of all time.  These hats were now kind of light blue and pink from getting sun-baked.  They had bands of white around them from sweat.  Nobody washed them.  They were absolutely filthy.  Guys had written inspirational things under the bills of those caps as the season progressed.  Now, those messages were all smudged up, an unintelligible mess that only the author could recognize…….

Our shirts were cheap T-Shirts with silk-screened numbers on the back.   We were about as rag-tag as it got.  But I’ve never wore a uniform prouder.  A shoe-string budget would have been a step-up for us.  We didn’t even have a fungo until the ’92 season.  No oranges.  No Gatorade Cooler.  Hell no…we lived off of adrenaline!!!!  There were water fountains, and we would bring “some” water to the games….but not like the Glory Years.  This is the kind of shit that pulled everyone together. 

I lived to do the stats after the games.  I loved calling in the stats to the papers.  Players would call up and vent after a loss. 

Yeah, we were down to eleven……but it didn’t matter. 

I didn’t realize it at the time but we were creating something here.  I didn’t know exactly what it was, but whatever it was…it was a Good Thing.

We pretty much played the last 14 games with eleven guys.  Here are their names:  Hank, Weapon, Rogers, Canale, Martin, McBride, Turner, Vaquera, Yoder, Vic, Frost.  Big Breck kept in contact with us, but had basketball commitments.  No, Big Breck never quit.  So it was eleven PLUS Big Breck.

I’m proud of these guys.  I also know Chandler and Chili would have been there for us as well……….

So before we go any further, I just wanted to mention those caps, those uniforms (that most guys never even washed when they came to the yard), the holes in the knees of our pants, the belts that were falling apart, and everything else. 

At the beginning of the season we had the uniforms that I didn’t want to wear.  By the end of the season, because of what we had created and accomplished….I had a uniform I didn’t want to take off!!!!!!!!!!!

“The Saugus 500″……..(Part Three)

Posted: May 31, 2011 in 1990, BullOxen, Frost, McBride, Vic, Weapon
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I tweaked the schedule so that there were no games played while I honeymooned.  I returned a week later, and now we had some BIG games to play.  We were at the point now where we couldn’t lose anymore games if we wanted a shot at the Playoffs.  But with Verdugo….you never know.  We still hadn’t really “got hot” and rattled off three or four wins in a row so if anything…we were due. 

If they had camera crews following around teams back in those days and televising the action, Verdugo would have definitely stolen the spotlight from some of the powerhouse teams around the League.  Why?  Because damn near every time we played, we put on a great show.  And today was no exception. 

We rolled out to Saugus to play the Newhall-Saugus team.  For more information on the crazy shit that went down on our ride out that day…..please read my earlier posts “The Saugus 500…Parts One and Two.”

Newhall-Saugus was on track to take the last playoff spot so I told everyone “we gotta beat these guys.”

“Don’t worry Gee”………..was all I heard.

“We can’t lose any more games”………I said.

“Don’t worry Gee”………

God I loved this Team!

Depleted pitching staff?  No problem!  McBride goes ALL THE WAY in a nine-inning game.  We win!!

Facing Erik Hiljus the Big Hard-throwing early-round draft pick?  No problem!  We lit him up!

Vic drew four walks, stole three bases and scored three runs.

Frost singled and scored twice.

Tex went three-for-four with two doubles and three RBI.

BullOxen Two hits and Two RBI.

Weapon Two hits and Two RBI.

McBride threw 134 pitches and went all the way for the win.  It was a little shaky…but we pulled off another upset.

One thing I will never forget is the absolute SHOT one of the Newhall-Saugus players BOMBED for a homerun in the first inning off of McBride.  This ball was probably the longest homerun I had ever seen hit in a Legion game.  Of course, in 1991 we saw BullOxen hit one that we measured after the game at an estimated 510 feet (when it landed)…..but the ball this guy hit was probably just as far.  It was hard to tell.  There was that Big Blue Fence at Saugus High.  Bull’s was hit at an open field up in LittleRock.  Plus, Bull’s shot rolled at least another 50 feet in some pretty deep grass.  So it’s hard to say which ball went further………..

This was one of those homeruns where the dugout gets real quiet.  Usually, when we’d give up a homerun I’d never look at anyone in the dugout.  I’d have to kind of put on my pokerface and pretend that it “didn’t hurt.”  You know, just kind of keep looking out at the field and say nothing.  No change in expression, that kind of thing.  Stoneface it, if you will.  As a manager you have to do shit like that, you know.  Even if it DOES hurt.

But within a short time of this ball landing (about 30 seconds later), I couldn’t keep a straight face.  I had to kind of shake my head at first.  Then I kind of looked at people in the dugout with a little peripheral vision…just to see their reaction.  Next thing you know I was making eye-contact with guys in the dugout and kind of saying “Fuck, did you see that SHOT?”

Then it escalated even further.  Everybody in the dugout was now talking about that ball he hit and laughing about it.  Then we looked out at the field.  I could see from the dugout that some of our guys in the field were kind of looking at each other like “Fuck…did you see that?”

Finally, we looked at McBride.  He couldn’t hold it in either….he started laughing too!!!!!

It didn’t matter…we all just kind of admired it.  Guys in our dugout were needling McBride about it the rest of the game.  We all had a good laugh about it.  That SHOT that kid hit was no fluke.  He led the District that summer in home runs with (I think) seven.  Usually I would read the papers and follow the stats around the League so I at least had SOME clue as to who was putting up the big numbers, and at least try to warn the pitchers.  But I didn’t do my homework on this guy.  Somehow he came in under the radar.  Well, after that SHOT he hit we knew EXACTLY who he was…..and pitched him very carefully the rest of the day.  He also doubled and singled before the game was over, but he didn’t tag us again like that first at-bat of his.

This was another clutch victory for Verdugo.  We were still “alive” mathematically in the playoff hunt at 8-7.  I don’t know what was more fun on this day in Verdugo-lore…..  beating up Newhall-Saugus like we did or the rides to and from the game. 

McBride chucking nine innings like that when we needed it was CLUTCH.  But we still had another HUGE game coming up the next day (Sunday) against Woodland Hills East.  If ever there was a game that should have been caught on film it would be the game that we were about to play.  Woodand Hills East was 15-1 or something like that.  We needed one more miracle……….and little did I know that I was about to experience one of my proudest moments EVER as a coach.

The Big Day

Posted: May 31, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Yeah…this was The Big Day indeed.  It was Saturday, June 30th, 1990.  And I was going to get married this day at 5:00 PM.  You think that stopped me from managing a Verdugo game?  HELL NO!!!!!  The game was scheduled to start at 10:00 AM….and I was nervous as hell anyways.  At the very least, I figured it would kind of take my mind off of everything.  As long as the game DIDN’T go into extra innings……

The problem was…..the umpires were about an hour and a half late!

The game was over at Poly High against Sun Valley.  Sun Valley had a good record, a good ballclub, and they ultimately reached the playoffs .  But that still didn’t stop myself and the rest of the Verdugo crew from wanting to go out and ruin Sun Valley’s day!!!  Actually, we were all talking about the wedding before the game.  I got to admit I was “moved” by how the guys were vowing to play their best for me that day.  And that they did!  And the way we played that day meant a lot to me.  We came up short, but we played one hell of a great game (again).

Like I said in an earlier post, BullOxen was really starting to find his groove on the mound.  Bull got the start.  And he threw a great five innings.  Bull kept ’em off-balance that day with that nasty yellow hammer of his, and we played some great defense. 

We pulled off a great play in a first-and-third situation in the first inning where we caught one of their runners leaning a little too far off third base.  We made a great sale on the play, Canale intercepted the “throwdown” to second, and back-picked to third to end one of their threats. 

We turned a double play in the second inning.  We trailed going into the bottom of the fifth 2-0, but we weren’t giving anything away. 

Hank drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth and stole second.  Rogers came up and ripped a base hit to left to score Hank.  The left-fielder misplayed the ball and Rogers wound up at second base.  Turner then bunted Rogers over to third, and Sammy squeezed him in.  Clutch inning.  Great execution.  Tie game now.

Hank came in to relieve Bull and threw four great innings.  He gave up three hits and an earned run.  He picked off two guys.  They took the lead on us in the top of the ninth on a clean base hit.  We gave up three runs and they were all earned.  We certainly pitched and played defense that day well enough to win.  

However, at the plate we struggled.  Sun Valley threw that Fat Bitch at us.  To read more about him check out my earlier post “Fat Bitch Gets His Bra Knocked Off…Twice.”

I still don’t know how this guy shut us down.  We only had three hits.  He only struck out two guys.  It wasn’t like he was dominating us or anything but for some reason we just couldn’t hit this guy.

We started a rally in the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t close the deal.  It was another tough loss.  But we gave another playoff team another great fight.  When we left the field that day, we had their respect.  The final score: 3-2.

So here we were with this depleted pitching staff that was STILL giving us great innings…even in the biggest of games, and the biggest of days.  I want to thank everyone for the effort you guys gave that day.

It seemed like everyone was more down about the loss than I was.  I can honestly say that The Team really DID want to win one for ‘Ol Gee that day.  I couldn’t be down about the loss.  It was (again) the gutsy effort we gave on the field that meant so much to me.  Here we were short-handed after losing a couple of players from the Roster but we were as united as ever.  We left everything we had on the field that day.  And I appreciated it.

This dropped us to 7-7…….

You know, when you get married, you get all kinds of gifts from people.  All kinds of well-wishes from everyone.  Do you know what was the BEST GIFT I received on the day I got married?  The GREAT GAME you guys played for me that day.  And I mean that.  Thanks…..

I had a great Ceremony later that day and Hank, Weapon and General were all there to see it.

Most people I tell this story to say “What?……….You coached a game on the DAY YOU GOT MARRIED?”

“Damn right I did……….it wasn’t just a GAME……….it was VERDUGO!”

Most people can’t even believe it. 

And for those of you reading this who don’t believe it….here’s what the L.A. Times said about it……….

A Little Trip Over To Notre Dame……..

Posted: May 31, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Yes-sir-ree.  If you want to know what happened on this great day in Verdugo-lore please read my earlier post Titled “The Double That Shook The Earth.”

It was truly another defining moment for our ballclub.  Even though they beat us in the second game that day, let’s face it…we STOLE that first game.  And we left the yard that day with a 7-6 record….and still very much in the Playoff picture.

AHHHHHH Verdugo!!!!!!!!!!

Landmines, Potholes, and Three Sheets of Paper…..

Posted: May 30, 2011 in 1990, BullOxen, Hank, McBride, Turner, Vic, Weapon
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Now we traveled out to San Fernando High School for a Sunday Doubleheader.  I’ll never forget the condition of the field when we arrived.  It was the most brutal war zone I have ever seen.  Not only had the field not been dragged……..I don’t think it had EVER been dragged.  No chalk lines…..nothing. 

I was greeted by a smiling old man who was (I guess) coaching the San Fernando team.  From the looks of the field…I knew he HAD to be the coach (the dress-shoes he was wearing gave it away).

“Are you gonna drag the field?” I asked.

“No, no, no it’s good” he told me.

I saw a couple of guys from his team now trying to dig into the ground to find the anchors for the bases.  I gotta give him credit…he DID have some bases.

“Look” I said, “I will personally drag the field.”

“No, no it’s good” he said.

I then tore three empty pages out of our scorebook and handed them to him.

He then looked at me as if to say “what the hell is this?”

“Really…..you’ve gone to alot of trouble this morning here I can see……..why don’t we just use THESE as the bases today?”

THAT……… pissed him off!  But I didn’t care.  And I think I made my point with that guy.  Somebody was gonna get hurt with the field like that…………jeez.

I’m not real picky…but the condition of this field was the worst I had EVER seen in my life.  And it was a decent facility.  All it needed was to be taken care of.  Incredible.

I hit everybody HIGH CHOPPERS during Pre-game so no one got hurt. 

We took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning of the first game and they rolled an eight on us.  We dropped the opener 9-3.  We only had three hits in the first game. Frost hit a two-out triple in the second inning but we couldn’t bring him in.  Vic had a two-RBI Double in the third, and an RBI triple in the fifth.  Apart from that we didn’t really get anything going in that first game. 

The San Fernando team was pretty loose, and had a good squad.  They were having fun out there on the field. Some of you guys may remember they had a pitcher on the mound named “Bobby.”  All I remember is pretty much the whole game I had to listen to their team saying “Hey Bobby”…..”Hey Bobby”….it actually was kind of funny.  Well, it wasn’t THAT funny.  The way I saw it I just lost a game to a guy who was not only wearing DRESS SHOES, he didn’t even have enough respect for the game to drag the ‘effin field!!  Fucker……..yeah, I was pissed!

The second game was a different story.  We took a 2-0 lead on them after two innings keyed by RBI singles by BullOxen and Vic.  McBride started BOTH games of the doubleheader on the mound.  San Fernando then scored five unearned runs against us in the bottom of the third to take a 5-2 lead.

Tex wasn’t at the field that day………YET.  He said he had some sort of commitment he had to be at and told me he would get to the field around 3 PM.  Sure enough…around 3:00, in rolls TEX.  I immediately got him into the lineup.  Tex then stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning with that bow-legged stance of his and promptly ROPED a two-RBI double up the gap in left-center.  All of a sudden, we were right back in it.

The Verdugo attitude was starting to kick in.  Guys were getting pissed.  Canale had thrown a couple of great innings of relief and was getting tired.  I was reluctant to give the ball to Hank, because he had thrown about 90 pitches the day before at Chaminade.  Vic stepped up….he didn’t ask for the ball, he DEMANDED the ball.

I asked Vic when the last time it was he had pitched.  “Back in Babe Ruth” was his answer.  That was NOT the right answer………now I was getting sick to my stomach.  It was then that Vic uttered the phrase the players kept telling me all year…….”Don’t worry Gee.”

Vic went out and threw two innings of no-hit ball.  The problem was…..he walked SEVEN guys in those two innings.  But only ONE guy scored….and we now trailed 6-4.

The Verdugo attitiude was now in full effect.  I kept hearing guys saying shit like “C’mon! NOBODY sweeps Verdugo!” 

All of a sudden we were TOTALLY into the game.  Frost led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple.  Hank laced a base hit and it was 6-5.  We tried a hit and run with Canale but the shortstop made a great play to nip the Bull at first.  Hank got wild-pitched to third.  Up came Weapon.  Weapon grounded out, but Hank scored.  It was 6-6 and closing in on 100 degrees.  I was starting to get really worried about Turner….he had caught every inning of both games.  I’d tell Turner “Look we gotta get Rogers in there you’re gonna die back there.”  Turner just kept saying to me “Don’t worry Gee I got it.”

This is the type of shit I’m talkin’ bout!  Total Verdugo!

Hank was getting really worked up.  All he said was “Gimme the ball.”  I told him “hell no”…. he had just thrown 90 pitches the day before.  So what does Hank say?  “Don’t worry Gee.”  So we sent him out to pitch the top of the seventh.  And he fucking struck out the side!!!!!!!  AHHHH Hank!!!!

We started a little one-out rally in the bottom of the seventh.  Tex drew a walk, and Vic singled.  The centerfielder misplayed the ball allowing Vic to get to second base, but we had to hold Martin at third.  They intentionally walked Frost to load the bases. Then the fiery Hank came up and hit into an inning-ending double play!  Fuck was Hank pissed! 

After hitting into that double-play (a 5-2-3 Double-play where he was out at first by a half a step), I was no longer worried about Hank.  He was pissed now, and he wanted this win.

So we sent Hank out to pitch the top of the eighth.  And sure enough, three up, three down.  Ahhhhh Hank!!!

Hank was just about as pumped as I’ve ever seen him.  BullOxen led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk.

Weapon then stepped up and CRUSHED a 1-0 fastball over everyone’s heads…..

And we were DOGPILING AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What  a win!!!!!!!!!!  That ball Weapon hit was hit just as hard if not harder than the ball he hit at North Hollywood where he was robbed of a homerun.  This one would have been an inside the park homer.  So I guess Weap SHOULD HAVE had two homers in 1990 for Verdugo….he kind of got robbed twice.

Somehow……….we had found a way.  Again.  What a win!!!!!!!!!

That’s all I can really say………and I’m shaking my head and smiling as I write this (in a good way) WHAT A WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes it was hard….and it usually defied logic…..but now, when the guys were telling me “Don’t worry Gee”…I was actually starting to BELIEVE them.

A Truly “VERDUGO” Memorial Day

Posted: May 30, 2011 in Uncategorized
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I think today would be a great opportunity to take a few minutes and reflect on the Verdugo Hills Players and Coaches who were wounded in battle.  Those who gave everything for our cause.  Lance Evans….coming of the bench in a playoff game, pitching with a broken arm, and even roping a one-handed base hit!

Haggs on 4th of July ’92 when we swept Glendale….damn near breaking his neck sliding into home plate headfirst.  Evans also broke his arm in the first game of the twin bill that day.

Sammy Vaquera refusing to come out of the game against Woodland Hills East in 1990 with a severly sprained wrist. 

BullOxen finishing off Woodland Hills West (“Father’s day with Ron Cey”) after getting stung by a bee in the sixth inning while he was on the mound

Gee injured doing a forward flip after a six-hour marathon game in Quartz Hill (1990) during DOGPILE!!

Hank unable to talk after screaming “FUCK YEAH!!!…That’s 7-5, now let’s make it 8-5 in another 10 minutes!” at Notre Dame.

Gee injures left arm in third base coaching box in 2nd game of 93 season from “over-wind-milling” in 23 runners across the plate that game!

Turner unable to walk twice in the 1990 season after catching BOTH games of double-headers!!!!

Weapon bruising his ego after hitting an absolute SHOT at North Hollywood that landed in a small little ten-foot by ten-foot compartment that was STILL IN PLAY.  Weap’s homerun “walk” was interrupted with this bullshit and he had to settle for only a triple.

All the injuries that took place in 1990 when we were DOGPILING!!!

All of the self-inflicted injuries that took place “off the field” from TOO much partying.  And all of the guys who showed up at the field with one hell of a hangover!!!!!

Let’s not forget the sacrifices made on July 4th 1992 when Turner and Canale pulled into the parking lot at Stengel Field in Glendale for that storied Double-Header Sweep we pulled off against the Glendale Team.  Turner arrived that morning wearing nothing but a pair of Levi’s…and when he opened the door to get out of the car a couple of empty beer cans fell out on the ground!  Ahhhh!!!!!!!

To all of the guys who BURNED THEIR BODIES WITH CIGARS!!!!!!!!!!

To all of the Warriors who played for us all of those years…the ripped up knees and elbows, the pulled muscles, the bumps, the bruises, the catchers who took a beating behind the plate blocking shit and making great picks……WE SALUTE YOU!!!!!!!!!

Yes-sir-ree…….take a little time today and REMEMBER the sacrifices made by the Warriors who donned our uniform!   The beer-drinkingest, hell-raisingest cast of characters ever assembled……….VERDUGO!!!!!!!!!!!

Add in a few of your own…I can’t count them all here!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHH  VERDUGO!!!!!!!!!!

Yo Haggs!

Posted: May 30, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Haggs made a comment on the Blog a few days ago where he stated there is no way the 1990 Team would have beat our 1992 Team.  And I agree.  But I will say this….if the 1992 Team went into that game against the 1990 Team thinking they were gonna blow them out, or it was going to be an easy win…..well then the 1990 Team COULD HAVE pulled off another miracle. 

But since I would have also been coaching the 1992 Team…I wouldn’t have allowed the 1992 Team to go into that game taking the 1990 Team “too lightly.”  And I’m sure Hank would have been battling hard!  Plus Hank would have been coaching one Team and playing for another.  Same with Weapon!

It would have been a great game, though.  And it would have been interesting to see how I coached against myself.

And it would have been interesting to hear all of the ragging!

But with Canale on the field playing against Canale………and Turner on the field playing against Turner……which Team would have gotten in the better rags?

I do agree with you Haggs…..1990 probably doesn’t beat the 1992 squad.  But if ’92 wins…Hank battles to his death.  If ’90 wins….Hank would never let you guys hear the end of it!

Still, that ’92 Team was pretty damn scary.  Imagine if we won that last playoff game.  We would have had a two-week break, Evans would have had the cast removed from his arm, and God only knows what that Team would have done.

The team that won the Legion World Series that year beat Fat Jody 8-7 in the area playoffs.  And we took two out of three from Fat Jody that year.  I know this…….we would have fought that team harder than Fat Jody’s squad.  I’ve stayed awake many a night for the last nineteen years thinking about how fucking close we came………….

The ’92 Squad…wow….they had it all.  But let’s not forget one of the most important things that ’92 squad carried with them, something that watched over them through the entire season………The Ghost of the 1990 team!!!!!!!!

Ahhhhhh VERDUGO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Picking Up The Pieces

Posted: May 30, 2011 in Uncategorized
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So Chandler and Chili were gone.  Yes it hurt.  But we had to pick up the pieces and move forward.  At least in ’91 Chili was back on our Roster with us and had another great year.  This is the second post I am writing about this game against Chaminade.  The first post I titled “Short Porch in Right.”  We won that day 16-12. It was one hell of a shootout.  We used four pitchers that day…Canale, Hank, McBride, and TEX!  Even Weapon kept coming up to me during the game (about three times) and he would pretend he was on the mound looking in for the sign.  I guess that was his way of saying “Gimme the ball, Gee.”

I told Weapon after the third time “No, I’m not giving you the ball….but I like what I see….I notice you’re never in the stretch!”

Weap laughed, and said (referring to himself in the third person) “That’s right Weapon’s never in the stretch!  No one ever reaches base on Weap!”

“Well, we just may find out whether or not that’s true before the season ends” I told him.  We had a good laugh.

I thought that was cool.  Everybody knew we lost a couple of great pitchers…and now we had all kinds of people stepping up asking for the ball.  Vic wanted the ball, so did Tex.  I already knew Rogers could hurl an inning or two as well and not hurt you, but it was “moving” to see the guys ask.  It was totally Verdugo……. 

We banged out 19 hits that day.  Vic had three hits.  Tex…three hits.  Weapon…three hits.  Bull….two hits.  Hank..three hits.  Frost…three hits.  Sammy..two hits.  Wow.  Home Runs by Vic and Frost.  Turner and Rogers were hitless but between the two of them scored three runs.

This put us at 5-4-1 in the standings.  Another interesting statistic:  When Robb Turner was our starting catcher…we were 5-0 at this point in the season.  Turner had earned a spot in the starting lineup.  In fact, from this point forward…Turner and Rogers took over all of the catching duties.  I was very happy with the job they did.  And by the end of the season…we went 9-3 with Turner behind the plate that season. 

Canale was lighting it up at the plate!  He was only sixteen…and held the cleanup slot in our lineup the entire season.  At this point of the year, the soon-to-be-nicknamed “BullOxen” was 16 for 38 (.421), had hit safely in ALL TEN GAMES, and still had not struck out! 

Vic was hitting .448, Tex was at .382.  Weapon was on a roll as well at .353.   We were putting up some solid numbers offensively, we were hitting over .300 as a Team. 

I was very concerned about the pitching staff at this point.  At least what was left of it.  McBride, Bull, and Hank were the staff.  Big Breck had basketball commitments and it looked like he wasn’t going to be able to finish the season for us.  But Breck did come out late in the year and threw one more game for us.  The rest of the year we kind of pitched by committee.  Rogers, Tex and Vic all filled in here and there with an inning or two.  It was all we could do.  And I think the guys we had did a gutsy job.  Guys were throwing when they were tired…..but they kept battling Verdugo style. 

Hank and McBride were used to being pitchers.  But I will say this….from this point in the season forward BullOxen really stepped it up and threw some great innings for us.  By the end of the season he had become a very good pitcher.  I was glad to see him reach this level at age 16.  When Bull had all of his pitches going (and he had the absolute NASTIEST curveball I have ever seen from a kid his age) he was pretty much unhittable.  He struggled with his control, but that improved with experience. 

Yes, it hurt losing Chandler and Chili.  It did.  I want to thank them for the job they did for us that season.  After our rough season at Burbank High that year, I don’t think anyone expected them to do much.  But those two guys had a little bit more will, grit, and resolve than most people expected of them.  I had watched them all season at Burbank.  The were competitors and they hated getting beat.  They never quit and they kept coming to the ballpark.  While alot of the guys on the Team that year dwelled on the negatives…they just kept working at their craft.  It was a joy to be around them.  And I can’t really express how happy I was for them when they beat Hart and won the Division Title their very next season at Burbank.  Absolutely INCREDIBLE!

A “Gentleman’s Agreement” Goes South…….

Posted: May 29, 2011 in 1990
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I remember before the 1990 Season started I had to go sit down in a restaurant in the City of Burbank with the little weasel who was coaching the Burbank team.  I had to make sure that rat-weasel signed over Chandler and Chili to our team.  And he did.  Unfortunately, I had to sit in a restaurant with that dork for about two hours but it was worth it.  Chandler and Chili were “legally” on our Team and we could all just kind of move forward.  There were a couple of other guys I could have also had him sign over to us who would have helped us out that season….Ozzie Areu and Teddy Gonzales.  But I didn’t want to “push the envelope” too much.  Besides, Areu and Gonzales were playing on our Connie Mack Team that summer anyways. 

Areu and Gonzales were loyal to me and they wouldn’t have been able to commit to playing Legion ball that summer due to time constraints.  So I had them tell the Burbank coaches that they’d play for the Burbank team (which they had NO intention of doing) to kind of “bait” the guy into signing off on Chandler and Chili.  I also told the Burbank coach he could have a guy named Joon Kwon and another guy named Jeff Kadis.  To make a long story short, I put together that guy pretty good.  First off, we beat them 5-4 early in the season (with Chandler on the mound), and then later he found out that Areu and Gonzales wouldn’t play for him.  Then, about 10 games into the season he was pretty much in last place in our division and Verdugo was ahead of him in the standings.  Yeah, he was pissed………

He probably realized about this time that he had shot himself in the foot with the “deal” he had made with me.  But it was a deal.  I told him “I don’t know” if Areu and Gonzales would play for him or not…and that it was up to him to make that happen.   I remember the guy telling me “I don’t have any worries about my recruiting abilities, in fact, it’s my strong point.”

It must have been his strong point…because he sure didn’t know anything about baseball.  And there was a reason no one ever saw him swing a bat or throw a ball to anyone.  Well, one guy did….my buddy Jack down at Tiernan Athletic did (the guy who made our uniforms).  Jack told me there was something “wrong about that guy,” and he decided to take him out into the back parking lot at his store in Glendale for a “quick game of catch.”

Well, let’s just say that our buddy from Burbank was exposed as the fraud that he was after playing a little catch with ‘Ol Jack.  All Jack told me was “I think when him and I played catch may have been the first time in his life he ever threw a baseball.”

So now rat-weasel is pissed at Verdugo for beating him, working him in a trade, and the fact that he’s pretty much holding the pink slip of the cellar in our Division. So how does he get back at us?  He informs the League Commisioner that he has CHANGED HIS MIND about signing off on Chandler and Chili.  Well, I had a legal document that he signed off on.  He now claims he never signed it.  Oh, this gets better…wait till you hear the other shit this guy tried to pull on Verdugo later in the season…..incredible!  I’ll give you that one in a later post.

So I now get a phone call from the League Commissioner Mel Swerdling saying that Chandler and Chili are “Ineligible.”

“He changed his mind”..Swerdling tells me.

I just barked right back at Mel….”Bullshit, he signed a contract.”

“He says he never signed anything”

“If he ‘changed his mind’ then that means he already agreed to it….and I have the fucking contract he signed…..and you have it too Mel!…we couldn’t have started the season without that contract being signed God-dammit!…you were the one who made me get together with him to get him to sign off on it…….how short is your memory?…..sounds to me like maybe YOU have changed your mind!”

Now Mel was pissed at me.  I called Mel on his bullshit.  This was the first of many episodes with Mel.  In the ’92 season he kept telling me “that kid Moreno, I don’t think he’s legal.”

Most of you guys don’t know this…but I must have spent 10 hours on the phone throughout the ’92 season going over the “legality” of Ivan Moreno.  Mel threatened the entire season to “pull”  Moreno from the team.  In the end..I WON.  And Mel didn’t like that. 

“He’s untouchable” I would tell Mel.  I’m no genius, but at least I knew the doggone Legion Rulebook regarding player eligibility BETTER than Mel did.

God damn that would get him pissed.   I started referring to Moreno as “The Golden Child” every time I talked to Mel….kind of “taunting him” a bit.

I’d be on the phone with Mel about something else and before I’d hang up I’d say something like “Oh Mel, I forgot to tell you…the GOLDEN CHILD was three for four today”

That would always get him all geared up…..

The only thing Mel knew was that we had some kid on the team named Moreno.  Mel had seen him before…but had a short memory and could never put two and two together.

One of the funniest moments in our Team history (to me anyways) was the Chatsworth BRAWL in the ’92 playoffs, and the first time MEL realized just who Moreno was.

This was a crazy brawl.  The Burbank Police Department showed up to help break it up.  Things would flare up, then calm down.  Then shit would flare up again, and calm down.  There must have been a 45 minute delay in the game when that BRAWL went down.  During one of the periods when it looked like things were calming down….Mel (who was at the game) comes up to me all pissed off and asks me “Who’s that kid there?  He’s out of control!!!” 

All I said to Mel was “That’s the Golden Child!!”

Oh my God was Mel pissed!!!!!!!

So here we were at about the halfway point in the season and everyone could see the writing on the wall.  We were coming together as a Team, we had the horses, and with any luck, just may have ended up in the playoffs.  That didn’t sit real well with the “powers that be” within the League.  And I’m sure Mel was getting complaints from other coaches and umpires around the League about our “spirited” style of play and the fact that we weren’t shy about saying what was on our mind(s).

We went back and forth about this for days.  Finally, I just threw my hands in the air and said “Fuck it.”

Ironically, Chili played the entire ’91 season for us and was never deemed to be “Illegal.”

So this was our first taste of the 20th District.  It was a four-year ongoing battle between Mel and I.  All I know is the rat-weasel signed the ‘effin contract.  But in the 20th District, even a contract that was signed by both parties held no water…..

So what had Chandler and Chili done for us at this point of the season?  Here are their combined pitching stats.  Innings pitched: 28.2.  Hits allowed: 22.  Walks: 9.  Strikeouts: 24.  Earned Runs: 5.  ERA:  1.39.  And Chili was hitting .355 at the time, playing great at shortstop for us when he wasn’t pitching, and was tied for the Team lead in doubles with Martin and Canale with four.

Yeah, I mentioned a “Gentleman’s Agreement” at the beginning of this post.  I’m sure you picked up on my sarcasm.  There was never anything “Gentlemanly” about 20th District Legion Ball.  And I certainly didn’t enter The League with the intention of being anyone’s doormat.  Legion was a four-year FIGHT for whatever we earned.  When we weren’t fighting on the field, I was fighting on the phone with someone….another coach about the schedule, the Head Umpire, The League Commissioner, a reporter from a paper who wanted to write a story about us but didn’t want to go to the game and see for himself what happened on the field.  It never stopped…..but I must admit…I LOVED THE FIGHTING!!!!!!!!!! 

Yeah, this fucking HURT.  But we still had 14 more games to play.  It was gut-check time……and I think it’s safe to say that we MORE than passed that test.

The Deck WAS Stacked………

Posted: May 27, 2011 in 1990
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The Deck was Stacked?  C’mon Gee……are you making excuses for the 1990 team?  Hell NO!!  Everybody knows that Gee pulls no punches when we’re talkin’ Verdugo!  But let’s face it…the Deck indeed WAS stacked in 1990.  And it was stacked AGAINST Verdugo!  So allow me to point out some of the things we had “working against” our 1990 miracle season.  But before we go there, lets give a little thanks to The Good Lord himself for putting in a little “overtime” and creating something pretty special on the eighth day.  The eighth day?  That’s right…and I’m here to give to you the verse that for some reason never made it into the Bible.  Here it is…..”AND ON THE EIGHTH DAY, GOD CREATED VERDUGO HILLS!!!!”

Weapon made a great comment on The Blog yesterday.  he said “if there is no Genesis…there is no Bible.”

I agree.  And 1990 was the “Book of Genesis” in our storied history.

Here are some of the factors that SHOULD have worked against us that first season….but ultimately….they didn’t. YOU be the judge.

Cal Frost did not play any Baseball his senior year in High School.

John Rogers sat out most of (if not all) the 1990 season at the High School with a broken nose.

“Tex” Martin was caught up in some kind of b.s. with the coaches at the High School his senior year and didn’t play most of the season.

“Weap” was caught up in the same scandal…..something about Berger chewing tobacco if I am correct.  The coaches up there dragged Weap and Tex into the mess.  Weap had to ride a little pine that year as well.

Hank probably didn’t swing a bat his whole senior year at CV…yet he hit .339 for us.  Hank TOTALLY caught fire for us at the plate towards the end of our 1990 season…going something like 10 for his last 19 at the plate. 

Turner, Big Breck, Sammy, and Yoder had never played any Varsity Baseball before joining the Verdugo Hills squad.

BullOxen sat on the bench most of his sophmore season at CV on the Varsity squad……again, another guy with little or no Varsity experience.

This is what I’ve been talking about.  Yet The Daily News and Foothill Leader that year dubbed our Verdugo Hills squad “The Biggest Surprise of The Season.”

I did a quick history check last night.  Of all the NEW teams that came into the 20th District from the years 1990-93 there was only ONE Team who had a winning record in their first season.  Verdugo.  That’s right………Verdugo.  We barely did it at 12-10…but we did it!

Add in the fact that we had NO home field.  Add in the fact that Chandler and Chili got pulled off the Team around the middle of the season (that HURT).  Add in the fact that we really didn’t even know who the hell we were playing, let alone WHERE the field was located.  Add in the fact that all of the Umpires were “Local”…meaning that they sent “homeboy” umpires to the games who already knew the players and coaches of the teams we were playing against.  You think they gave us any love?  Hell No they didn’t!

I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into that first year.  I’m old school.  Hand me a schedule at the beginning of the season and I WILL BE THERE at every single game come hell or high water.  Shit…that first season I even coached a game the day I GOT MARRIED!!!!!  Well, not everybody thinks like I do.  Some guys go on vacation.  A lot of guys weren’t at all of the games.  I could have worked out all of that shit BEFORE the season started……..and I learned a hell of a lesson that year.  By the time ’92 came around…I had the whole deal figured out.  Here’s what you do…you get the schedule…you contact EVERY PLAYER and find out who will be where for the WHOLE summer.  Then you call up the other coaches, umpires and League Officials and start telling them a bunch of LIES about why you need to “reschedule.”   About two or three days later, the original “schedule” they gave you gets thrown in the trash can.  And you make the other coaches STICK to YOUR schedule…not THEIRS.  I had no idea that was how it worked.

So while all of these “forces” were working against us….somehow, we had a miracle year.  At least that’s what it was to me.  A season of (if you will) “Biblical Proportions.”

Of all the teams that made the playoffs that year, Newhall-Saugus had the weakest record at 15-7.  We went 12-10.  We also BEAT Newhall-Saugus…so if we both finished 15-7……WE would have made the playoffs.

We lost  to Glendale (a team that made the playoffs) 3-2 and gave up three unearned runs.  We led that game 2-0.

We lost to Sun Valley (another team that made the playoffs) 3-2 the day I got married. 

We lost to Woodland Hills East (another playoff team) 10-9………possibly the most gut-wrenching loss I’ve ever had.  We led that game 8-0.

We lost to Panorama City (another playoff team) in our season opener 6-4 in extra innings.  We led that game 4-1 in the eighth inning. 

We lost to Lancaster (another playoff team) 7-5 and we had a bases-loaded rally happening when they recorded the final out.

That’s how close we came.  If Chandler and Chili don’t get pulled from the roster at the halfway point in the season….well, things might have been different.  We finished the last half of the season with (really) Bull, Hank, and McBride doing all of the pitching.  Big Breck had basketball commitments.  We just flat-out ran out of pitching.  Big Breck courageously ditched a basketball commitment late that season for us and pitched a great game for us.  We won that game, but more importantly, it gave Hank, Bull and McBride a much needed day off.  Big Breck was worried the basketball coaches would find out so after we won….I DIDN’T call the results of the game into the newspapers.

I could just see the basketball coaches at CV reading the headline “Big Breck Pitches Verdugo to Victory” after he gave them some lame excuse about being sick or something…….

Ahhh Big Breck for chucking that game for us!!!!!!!!!!!

And you know what else was cool about the 1990 squad?  They DOGPILED four times!  Four times we won in the last inning.  Clutch.  I’m not taking anything away from any of our other teams……but that was pretty doggone amazing.

The point I’m trying to make here is that we were basically IN every frickin’ game!  Battling it out until the final pitch of every game….regardless of the Deck being Stacked against Verdugo! 

Yes, it’s true………”if there is no Genesis…there is no Bible.”

1990 and 1991 were kind of like “The Old Testament” of Verdugo-lore.  And the characters we had were a hell of alot more entertaining than Moses, Noah, Abraham, and King Soloman.

I’m working hard behind the scenes to finally get that lost Bible verse “AND ON THE EIGHTH DAY, GOD CREATED VERDUGO HILLS” back into the Bible.  But for some reason, the “powers that be” just aren’t listening to me (what’s their problem?)

1992 and 1993 were kind of like “The New Testament” for us.  But we had no Savior.  We never did have a Savior.  That’s what was so great about ALL of our Teams….no Saviors, no heroes, no egos………..just a bunch of guys playing their asses off…………somebody different every game “stepping up” to carry us.

Yes-sir-ree….The Deck was ALWAYS Stacked against Verdugo.  For FOUR YEARS it was.  But that never mattered….because ON THE EIGHTH DAY, GOD CREATED VERDUGO HILLS!!!!!!!!!!!

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