Archive for the ‘Behind the Scenes’ Category

A Prediction from 1976 Happens…..

Posted: June 16, 2011 in 1991, Behind the Scenes
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I played on the JV Team at CV in 1976.  Well, maybe I should say I wore the uniform.  I certainly didn’t get much playing time.  So as a Manager you could say I “understood” what it was like to get kind of jacked around there. Hell, there was even a picture of me in the Yearbook that year entertaining the rest of “pine-riders.”  I had finished doing my little juggling act with a bunch of balls….and was holding one in the air that another guy was reaching for.  It looked like I was holding court, you know…teaching a class or something.  The caption read “This…is a baseball”……and then it had my name.  That was pretty much my “legacy” there.  Wow.

But no one ate, lived, or breathed the game like I did.  That is a fact.  Baseball consumed me.  They had recruited me HARD to play Basketball there at the High School.  I told the roundball coaches I wanted to play Baseball.  They told me the Team had already been picked.  I told them then I guess I won’t play ANYTHING.  I wasn’t into all the running with Basketball.  And I was sick of everyone saying to me (because of my height) “you must play basketball.”  Baseball was all I cared about.  I loved hanging out on the field…swapping stories…sunflower seeds….standing around…the whole deal.  It suited my personality.

I played behind some guy who was on the FOOTBALL Team the whole season who I had completely DOMINATED my entire career.  It sucked.  He ran the 40 pretty quick….but is that the criteria?  Half the time he came up to hit he whiffed….brutal.  And he was even quicker SPRINTING back to the dugout after he K’d……..what a lunch-pailer!  I just kept grinding.  Kept suiting up, showing up, and paying attention.  I listened to what the coaches were saying.  At the very least I wanted to coach someday….I absorbed it all. 

The season was winding down…only two games left.  We were having a shitty season…playing about .500 ball.  No one was into it.  Except ‘Ol Gee was……I was ALWAYS into it! 

Then one day the coach was hitting balls to the outfielders.  My turn came up.  He blasted one over my head up at Scholl Canyon.  I went back…stayed on it….it was going out of the park.  Guys were yelling for me to back off of it.  Hell no!!  I hauled it in…. hit the fence….and went OVER the fence.  I held on to it.  I ripped my body up pretty bad flying over that chain link fence up there.  We were practicing that day in gym shorts!

Coach Dan Holland screamed at the top of his lungs “I LOVE IT!!!”…..”I LOVE IT!!!”…..”MAGEE YOU’RE STARTING TOMORROW!”  Assistant coach Thad Brown was out there going wild as well.  It felt good.

I never came out of the lineup the last two games.  ‘Ol Gee had done it.  I finished the season 2-7 with an RBI.  One of the hits was left-handed.  And that was it for my “career” at CV.

They supposedly had “plans” for me my junior year.  Yeah right…on the JV Team!  Don’t get me wrong….we had a huge enrollment at that school and it was a BIG DEAL back then if you played on the Baseball Team.  I was proud to have been a part of it.  CV had a great program…but the legendary coach Gelsinger was on his way out and was about to be replaced by Coach Seibert. 

I loved Coach “Seibs.”  I think the only reason I made the Team was that I had taken a summer Baseball camp that Coach Seibert ran.  I was the only guy who was there every day.  I didn’t have much talent, I was slow, and you kind of had to hide me defensively….but I could hit.  I think he liked my attitude.  I’m sure he put in a word for me when they had that “walk-on” tryout where me and one other guy were the last two guys to make the squad in ’76.

Seibert was a good guy.  Coach Gelsinger had built up a great Program and Seibs was about to inherit it. 

I had decided to quit my junior year.  Seibs at least talked to me about it, for that I give him credit.  You gotta realize…at that time in my life I was (believe it or not) a completely introverted kid.  I was really shy and didn’t understand people.  I didn’t know what to say, but it was one of the first times in my life I spoke my mind. 

“I hear you’re not going to play.”

“No…I think I’m gonna move on”

“Why?”

“I think we should have Baseball players on the field not football players.”

“So what are you unhappy about?  You’re gonna play SOME this year.”

“I know…..but I’m INTO it.  I love it.  It hurts for me to sit and watch guys who are playing miss signs….guys who don’t care about the Team.  This is really ALL I care about.  And the coaches don’t really get it.  I like you Coach Seibert.  But I’ll be in this game LONG after all of these other guys who are playing are finished.  This is all they will ever have.  I’ll probably end up COACHING HERE someday.”

He was nice about it…but he didn’t put up much of a fight.  He let me go.  He knew I had made up my mind.  We parted on good terms.  Like I said….I always liked Coach Seibert.  And Coach Gelsinger was totally awesome as well.  But I planted that seed.

I would run into coach Seibert sometimes on Foothill Boulevard at Foster’s Doughnuts at about 3AM long after I had graduated.  I always reminded him.  “I’m still in the game.” I was coaching…long hair and all.  “Why do you wear your hair long?” he’d ask me.  “I’m in a band now…..but long hair and all, just as I predicted…I’m STILL in this game.  And if I ever cut it someday…..I just might be on the sideline with you.”

He never really gave that idea a second thought. 

Seibert ran the Program at CV for 12 or 13 years.  Had a lot of great Teams. 

Meanwhile, in late ’89…I DID cut my hair.  My musical career was over.  Six months later, I was an assistant coach at Burbank High.

Around that time Coach Seibert gave up his Post at CV.  I think he moved to Colorado.  One of the football coaches at CV took over the Baseball Program.

After our 1990 Legion season, it happened.  It started with a phone call.  And after several interviews….I was named the Head JV Coach at CV.  I was so happy I cried. 

I had DONE IT!

The next time I saw Coach Seibert was in the coaches office at CV.  You know what he said to me?  Nothing!  But he did take an extra long look at me, winked at me, and smiled.  Coach Seibert was a man of few words…..but that smile he gave me meant alot.  I don’t know if he had remembered my little prediction from 1976 or not.  But I know he was happy I had chopped off all of that HAIR!!  And yeah, all those years later after “moving on”…..’Ol Gee was STILL in the game.  And there WAS one guy who remembered my litle prediction from ’76…….ME. 

You know…if you LOVE IT…if you EAT IT…and if you BREATHE IT….good things will happen in life.  No matter WHAT it is you want to accomplish.  It can be done.  You just gotta keep grinding!

Well, I had wanted this gig for a long time.  And getting it kind of “exorcised the demons” from my playing days there at the High School.  I felt kind of vindicated. 

It was going to be painful leaving Burbank.  But I didn’t think I was going to get any other chances to coach at CV if I turned this opportunity down.

Like I said, I was really happy to be going there to coach.  But looking back on it all of these years later……I’m still undecided as to whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Plotting for 1991……..

Posted: June 15, 2011 in 1991, Behind the Scenes
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The original Team put together a brilliant season, all things considered.  I’ve already written about all the factors that were kind of working against us that first season. 

At the end of the season I took a hard look at what I wanted and what we needed to make overall improvements to the Team.  We needed a field.  We needed more than just water at the games…we needed COLD water.  Oranges to eat in the dugout would have been nice, too.  And I wanted some nicer uniforms.  Bottom line was…we needed more money from The Members of Post 288….and I was ready to ask for it.

Dave Haskell was The Commander of Post 288 our first season.  He took a liking to me and the program, and he even went to several games.  Every year at The Post they hold elections.  So in 1991 there was going to be a new Commander.  I wondered how we would fare once Haskell was out.

Well, things went well for us during the “off-season”…and a guy named Ken Zeutell was elected Commander of Post 288.  Zeutell, fortunately, was behind the Verdugo Legion Program.  See my earlier post “From $1000.00 to a Team Bus?”……

Zeutell, Haskell, and I met around December of 1990 and began “plotting” for 1991.  They agreed with the items on my wish list.  I also told them I had my eyes on some players from St. Francis that I thought would be great acquisitions to the roster.  They were totally supportive of all I was trying to do with the Team. 

All I wanted to do from the beginning with this Team was kick as much ass as we could.  Haskell and Zeutell had figured this out about me, and they liked that about me.  And with all of the money they were giving us……it made me want to win even MORE.  I wanted to deliver to them a playoff Team.  I figured they were the De Facto “Owners” of the Team….and I was their manager.  I never felt they would dump me if we had a losing season…..but Haskell, Zeutell, and myself all certainly ENJOYED winning as many games as we could.  We had a great first season, and I wanted to build on it.

It was fun going to a few Legion meetings in the off-season and listening to Haskell, Zeutell, and another guy named Jess Rogers “sell” our Team to the rest of the members of The Post.  These guys were instrumental in keeping the Program going and getting us more money each year.  They had built myself and the Team up to be something bigger than we actually were….and it helped.  The sales job these guys did to the rest of the Members of The Post was nothing short of brilliant!!

I had heard (loud and clear) from the players that first season about our uniforms.  And the caps.  I didn’t figure out the importance of the caps until 1992.  The first season, we used a Cleveland Indians hat.  I liked it.  It kind of represented Verdugo.  A smart-ass looking, laughing, red-faced Indian and all of that.  And I….having about 8% Cherokee blood in me…..IDENTIFIED with that hat.  I bet all of you out there didn’t even know that “Ol Gee isn’t quite as white as he looks!

But most importantly, we needed some kick-ass looking shirts to play in.  Button Downs!  I got with Jack over at Tiernan Athletic in Glendale.  Jack and I started designing the jersey that would become the staple of our look for the rest of our existence.  I knew we wouldn’t have the money to get the right caps in ’91…but we would have it by ’92.  Every year we improved the look of our uniform.  In ’92 we added the Official Verdugo Hills cap…and in ’93 we went with a grey pant with a pipe-stripe navy blue line down it.  If we did the ’94 season….we were going to have home and away shirts.  The list of all the stuff I wanted to get for the players was long…..but after the ’90 campaign, I realized how important it was to the players.  Who knows what that Team would have had if it was still going today!

So we decided to change the hat, at least for one year.  Looking back on it…we should have kept that Indian hat.  But the Atlanta Braves hat we selected looked cool with the new shirts.  The Atlanta Braves hat was navy, red, and had that white “A” on the front of it.  So the “A”  looked out of place with the new shirts.  So what were we?  The Verdugo Hills “Atlantans?”  It didn’t make sense.  I remember taking a survey before we commited to changing the caps.  Everybody seemed to want the Atlanta hats.  I’d ask “What’s the ‘A’ for?”  John Rogers provided the answer…..he said…”We’re the assholes!”  Well, that seemed to fit the personality of the Team….so it stuck.  We knew it would be temporary, and the caps did look cool with our new uniforms. 

So that’s who we were going to be in 1991.  The Verdugo Hills “Assholes.”  I liked it.  I asked around, but couldn’t find the cap I was REALLY looking for with that Team.  If they had the Internet back in those days, I’m sure I would have found it.  I wanted a hat that was red, navy, and had a BIG white “F” on the front of it!

A Few Words from “THUNDER”…….

Posted: June 12, 2011 in 1992, 1993, Behind the Scenes, Thunder
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As our reunion approaches….I think we’re ALL doing a little reminiscing.  Thanks for your words Thunder.

In a reminiscent state…

 

Well, it’s that time of year again and it’s my favorite time of the year.  Not because summer is upon us and good times are sure to be had.  No, it’s because the College World Series is about to begin.  While watching the Super Regionals yesterday something came over me.  I think I finally realized why this time of year and the College World Series brings such joy to me.  It’s because I’m watching, essentially, a bunch of kids play their hearts out and leaving it all on the field.  A lot like we did during our Legion 288 seasons.  Most of the guys in the College World Series will never see another game after their last in the “The Series” and for most, their last game will be the most memorable.  Watching the ASU Vs. Texas game yesterday I caught myself drifting off into thoughts of Little League Baseball and American Legion.  The best and most vivid memories I have (With the exception of the birth of my daughter) are of my times in Little League and American Legion.  My wife caught me looking at the TV but she knew I wasn’t watching the game. I was in my own head recounting times spent on the ball field and remembering the incredible friends I made along the way and the coaches, players and parents that helped shape my life in the process.  My wife turned to me and said “Hon, what are you thinking about”? I turned to her and simply said “Baseball, it’s fucking AWESOME”.

 

I spent the rest of the day on the Verdugo 288 Blog and I swear I must have read 75% of the blog. Some of the stories I had read before but purposely searched for them because I remember them striking a cord with me.  I stumbled upon the post “Harry Leroy (Insert My Last Name Here)” Posted: February 9, 2011.  The post was about Gee’s grandfather who passed on his love of the game to Gee who ultimately passed his love of the game on to all that read this blog.  The story brought me back to a memory of a man who in three days one summer when I was 6 years old sparked the love of the game in me and ultimately instilled the philosophy that when your are between the lines everything else in life just seems to fade away and nothing else matters.  His name was Orville and I’m sure he has long since passed away as he was the neighbor of my Great Grandmother and at the time he was probably about 60 years old.  Now I could go into a long story about those three days playing for hours with only a broken wooden bat one old baseball and one really old glove.  However, that’s not what this post is about, it’s about remembering the love of the game and those we came across during those seasons whom we will never forget. 

 

My wife could sense I was in a reminiscent state and she quietly got up and left the living room.  She returned about 20 minutes later said “Come in the guest room”.  She had an old dusty box open and two Jerseys laid out on the bed my Glendale City Employees jersey from Little League and my Verdugo 288 Legion jersey.  I was overcome with emotion and more and more memories came flowing in.  In the box, believe it or not, was the glove and ball Orville had given me at the conclusion of out three days together.  That glove and ball, along with those two jerseys are all I will ever need to remind me of my love for the greatest game on earth BASEBALL!! 

 

I look forward to seeing all you guys at the reunion.  Between now and then I hope you all take some time to get lost in the memories of the game.  “Baseball, it’s fucking AWESOME”.

 

I want to thank my wife Jessica for her support and for encouraging me to get into the Blog and to reconnect with the “Guys”.  Most of all thanks for realizing these seasons were not just a bunch of games, it was life.   And life was GOOD!

 

Ahhh!!

 
Regards,
Dave Fielder

 

Verdugo Hires Bounty Hunter!!!!!!

Posted: April 20, 2011 in Behind the Scenes, No Way!
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We had no choice.  We really didn’t think it was going to come down to this.  But like they say “you gotta do what you gotta do.”

So it is with great regret that we hereby announce that we have hired an official “Bounty Hunter” to spearhead the tracking down of those of you who have not YET committed to attending THE BASH in July.  Keep in mind that this “thug” has been hired as the “Director” ONLY.  He will not be doing the actual work in the field…..he has an “entourage” of thugs that he routinely surrounds himself with and possibly some of their pictures will be released just to STRIKE FEAR into those of you who insist on hiding from our authority!!

And as you can see from the picture here……our new “Director of Bounty Hunting” definitely means business!!!!!!

We asked him to say a few words after he was hired……….all he said was “We will hunt you down, we will find you , and we will HURT you if you decide NOT to attend the Verdugo Hills Reunion Bash in July.”

Now…..wouldn’t it be easier to simply go to the story titled “Reunion Date Has Been Set” …set up a profile…post a comment with the words “I’m IN”…than have to deal with THIS GUY?

And don’t EVER forget to SUBSCRIBE to this BLOG!!!!!!  AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once Again…VERDUGO is on the Cutting Edge

Posted: March 26, 2011 in Behind the Scenes
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We’ve had 260 hits on this Blog in the last two days….another record.  I don’t know who is out there reading these stories but it’s an AWESOME feeling!  This is the FIRST BLOG of its kind.  There are no other Blogs out there like this one!!  Many will copy and follow our lead…but let it be known…….VERDUGO was the FIRST to put together a Blog like this one!!!!!!!!!!

I am determined to make this Reunion the best it can be.  We are tracking down more and more former players and their answers are all the same:  “I’m IN!!!!!!”

I’m getting more FIRED UP every day!!!!!!

How about you?

A Great Quote from Nance….

Posted: March 19, 2011 in Behind the Scenes
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I finally got ahold of Nance tonight.  Got to speak with her on the phone for about a half an hour.  Laughing the whole time with great Verdugo stories…..

She said one thing that stuck with me.

She said….”These kids didn’t have ANY fun playing for their High School Teams.   So when Verdugo Hills came around it was perfect.  It was like letting the animals out of their cages!!”

I couldn’t have said it any better………..

The Collective CHIP on our 1990 Shoulders….

Posted: March 8, 2011 in 1990, Behind the Scenes, BullOxen, Chandler, Chili, Frost, Hank, McBride, Rogers, Sammy, Spongy, Turner, Vic, Weapon
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When we started this thing in 1990 I went in to the Post and somehow got them to sponsor our Team…something Verdugo Hills Post 288 had not done in about 30 years.  For more info on how that came about read my earlier Post titled “From $1000.00 to a Team Bus?”  While I was excited to have been “hired” to coach Post 288 (for no pay)…….I had just ONE PROBLEM.  I didn’t have any players……

I had just finished up my first year as a PAID coach at Burbank High.  So I was planning on taking a couple of pitchers with me from that school……our tough little right-hander Chili Rivera and left-hander Jason “White” Chandler.  But that’s really all I had.  I knew some of the kids from CV and had coached many of them in Colt League in ’88 and ’89.  Alot of those guys had already verbally committed to joining us but I still had many slots on the Roster to fill. 

So I started picking the brain of one of the players from my 1989 Colt Team..John Rogers.  Rogers was smart, funny, and most importantly…he could SELL.  In reality, Rogers was the GM for our Team the first year of our existence.  He kind of bridged the gap with a lot of these players we wanted to recruit for the Team and he really opened up the lines of communication with these players.  Rogers had already played for me for a couple of years and had a feel for how I liked to run a program and I think he did an unbelieveable job SELLING this to the players who ultimately ended up on our Roster.  But being the new guy, I still had ALOT of selling of my own to do.

Glendale had a powerful program going on, and I am sure many of the guys who played with us that first year (if given the choice) would have played for them instead of us.  But there was something going on behind the scenes that worked in our favor.  Glendale was trying to recruit the guys who ended up on our Roster as “Filler” players.  They wanted them on their team, but they wouldn’t make any commitments to these players as to how much (or little) playing time they were going to get. 

Most of our guys probably felt (and rightfully so) that they could be STARTING for the Glendale team.  As I spoke more and more with these players that we ended up with, I realized that they were pretty pissed about the whole thing.  This kind of worked to our advantage.  And in the end, they decided that PLAYING for us was better than SITTING for anybody.  I started to realize that this was a great group of guys….they all kind of had a CHIP on their shoulders and wanted to prove Glendale (and the rest of the world) that they were WRONG.  And I think that our guys more than accomplished this.

Glendale wanted all of the BIG NAME players.  The marquee players, if you will.  Hell, I’ve always said just give me nine guys who want to play hard and I’ll do fine with whoever it is.  Even if we play the entire season ON THE ROAD like we did. 

One of those Marquee players was Vic Ramirez.  The Glendale team was trying to get me to sign off on a waiver sheet and effectively “release” Vic over to them.  I had two words for the Glendale team when that was proposed to me…..those two words were “Hell NO.”  It looked like Vic might not even play that season at all.  But thanks to Hank, BullOxen, and some of the other guys doing a little behind the scenes “selling” Vic ended up playing for us and having a great season. This is the reason the Glendale team had it in for us and wouldn’t let us use Stengel Field at all in our first season.  And I’ll bet you if they did acquire Vic from us they would have won the District.  So Glendale may have ruined our plans of having a home field…but we ruined their season……….

You know what I say?  Canale is a marquee player.  Damon Martin is a marquee player. Weapon is a marquee player.  Hank is a marquee player.  Rogers is a marquee player.  Same with the pitchers we brought over from Burbank.  And the guys we filled out our Roster with were great players, too.  At least this is how I SAW IT.  And as far as I’m concerned, I SAW IT and the guys running the Glendale program missed it.  This is why Verdugo Hills had the greatest players….we had the guys who had HEART.  We had the guys who ate, lived and breathed the game.  So from our inception we had this great group of kids who felt they had kind of been OVERLOOKED.  They had a nice, big, fat CHIP on their shoulders.  And over the next several posts…I’m gonna tell you all about it!  I’m getting fired up right now just writing about it!!

It kind of goes without saying the chip I had on MY SHOULDER.  It was the perfect union…a coach who wanted to prove he could win at this level and a bunch of players who felt like they had been overlooked and wanted to prove that they could PLAY at this level.  Well, I think we proved our critics WRONG by the end of that first season.  Take a look at the stats from the 1990 Team when I post them here and try to tell me these guys were not players.  Canale as a 16 year-old made the ALL-STAR TEAM.  He had 88 Plate Appearances that season…..and he struck out ONE time!!!  

Yeah…..we all had a one big, fat, CHIP on our shoulder.  And I frickin’ LOVED IT.  While the rest of the league certainly didn’t label us as the new bully in the block…. I will say this….after just a few games they all were paying VERY CLOSE attention to US……….and there was a LOT of whispering going on behind the scenes about this New Team in the 20th District called Verdugo Hills……a Motley Crew of no-names who didn’t back down to ANYBODY.

 

Thanks Haggs…..

Posted: March 6, 2011 in Behind the Scenes, Haggs
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Haggs sent me a text this week on how to get ahold of Fielder, Gantt, Jackson, and Lee.  I found Jackson on my own…I called the contact phone number I had for him back in 1992 (I wrote them in at the front of our Team scorebook)…….and his Mom picked up the phone!  Wiley’s in NYC and I’m sure will find a way to be at the bash. 

Then, TODAY I got home and checked the Blog and we heard from both Fielder and Gantt…AHHH!!!………They both made comments on the blog so I’m looking forward to getting in touch with them.  Oh, and by the way…Haggs told me they could all be found on Facebook.  Thanks Haggs…….

I haven’t found Garrett yet but it’s just a matter of time.  If any of you are in contact with him…send him the link to this Blog and advise him to comment….that way we will have his email address.

Alot of you are wondering why I am spending so much time ranting and raving about the 1990 Team.  That’s because those guys were the TRAILBLAZERS for this whole thing.  That Team played all 22 games on the road that season.  Those guys started most of the rivalries….and were the original players who introduced the 20th district to “How We Roll.”   Some of the greatest dogfights ever played went down with that Team.  I will never forget the effort those guys put forth…and I think most of you will get a kick out of hearing about the shit we did that year!  It was CLASSIC!!

I will try to move through our History chronologically.  I may jump ahead in some spots….but I want to give TOTAL PROPS to the 1990 squad!!  What they did that season shall NEVER be forgotten!! 

I have a lot to write, and I’m excited about writing it.  I keep a list with me now and when a story idea comes up I write it on that list so I don’t forget.  We have over 30 posts so far on the Blog here.  I looked at my list Today and counted…I have AT LEAST 80 more to write.  And I’m sure I will remember more as time goes on….

PLEASE make yourself available in case I need to INTERVIEW you about something.  We can do an interview by phone or email.  I plan on doing feature stories on every single guy who we are inviting to this reunion…..

Keep in mind that not all the guys who wore our uniform are WORTHY of The Reunion.  Just the True, Loyal Warriors of this Ballclub who bled Verdugo.  Hank, Weapon, BullOxen, General, and myself are the five-member “Review Board.”  We came up with an original list of who we want to invite and we will pretty much stick to that list.  We’re all excited…and when we do it…we will DO IT RIGHT….VERDUGO STYLE. 

Thanks again Haggs….

Hopefully more of you will make some comments on the Blog soon.  We are closing in on 1000 hits already!!!!!!!!!  What are you guys gonna do when this thing goes “viral?”

Impromptu Bullpen Session

Posted: March 3, 2011 in 1990, Behind the Scenes, Chandler, General, No Way!
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I am going to write a story (probably in the next post) about one of the greatest games we ever played.  It was in our first season, The 1990 Team.  We beat Quartz Hill that day 13-12.  The game lasted FIVE HOURS and 45 minutes.  Add in an hour and a half drive EACH way and, well, you just might understand why General and I stopped off at the store to pick up a six-pack.  And NO…we were not drinking in the car.  Let me put it to you this way…..it was so frickin’ hot that day that the TIPS OF MY EARS had blisters on them for about a week from the sunburn!!!

General was driving and we decided to go down Angeles Crest on the way home.  There were three players who were in the back of Generals truck.  Ironically, they were all pitchers.  General’s truck had one of those cool sliding windows so we opened it up and were talking to the pitchers as we drove.  We were all laughing about how we had just ruined Quartz Hills’ day.  We got about half-way down the Crest and General needed to “go.”  So we pulled over on the side of the road, got out, and looked for a place to “go.”  Everybody got out of the Truck and was kind of milling around.  I took the opportunity to crack a beer.  Damn it tasted good after that long day!

I looked over off of the side of the road and saw a road sign.  One of those yellow signs that gives instructions to the drivers coming down the road. I can’t remember what the hell it said but it quickly evolved from a sign into a TARGET.  It was in a weird spot.  You could barely see it from the road.  It was about 10 feet BELOW us on the roadside.

“Hey I bet you guys I can hit that sign before you do”  I said to the pitchers.

“You’re on” one of them said.

These guys then started picking up these small rocks and throwing them at this sign that was about 45-50 feet away.  Remember, it was 45-50 feet away…but it was below us.

None of them hit it.  Everybody was missing above it.

“Stop!” I said.  “You guys aren’t throwing the right sized rocks.  Now before we start this competition let me check something out.”

The pitchers watched as I climbed down the embankment with a beer in my left hand, and a BIG BOULDER in my right hand.  I got up to about 10 feet from that sign and totally unloaded on it with that boulder.  CLANG!!!!!!  It sounded so awesome…it echoed out in the middle of nowhere.

Everybody was busting up.  “I win!” I announced.

“Bullshit!” they said.  “You cheated.” 

“Well, all I said was I was gonna hit it before you did….and that’s exactly what I did.  If you want to believe my bullshit about how I’m gonna ‘check something out’ on that sign just so I can walk up to it like that and unload on it…….then that’s on you!” 

We all got a kick out of the noise that sign made when we hit it and soon enough it turned into quite a competition.  Guys were cheating…everything….it was beautiful.

Then we moved back to about 50 feet.  Guys kept throwing OVER it.  They were missing high with everything…..kinda like what gets a pitcher in trouble in games….missing HIGH, getting the ball up in the strike zone.

So I started coaching ’em right there.  “Split your hands quicker!”….CLANG!!……….”Get that thing out in front of you!”….CLANG!!!……”shorten your stride up a little!”………….CLANG!!!………..”There it is!!!”

These guys started bringing the ball down and beating the shit out of that sign.  They dented the crap out of it.  Every time someone would nail it we would start busting up.  It was so loud!!  CLANG!!!  CLANG!!!  Echoing through the canyon!!!  Big dents in that sign…paint coming off of it.  They were getting it.  By the time we were ready to leave that sign was only held up by one screw.  It was just dangling there…dented….most of the paint gone…………swinging in the wind.

“C’mon Gee….let’s knock it all the way off!!!!!!” 

“No…we gotta get outta here.”  I said.

Then a car drives by.  This guy pulls over and sees these kids throwing boulders at a sign….and me standing there drinking a BEER!!

“What the %$#$ are you doing?”  He asked.

“We’re working on our control.”  I said……..pointing to the destroyed sign.

The guy just shook his head and drove off.  We started laughing again.

“C’mon Gee, let’s knock it all the way off.”  The pitchers kept asking.

“No….we gotta get outta here……besides, that wouldn’t be very considerate of us to do that now would it?”  I smilingly asked them.

They got the joke……….

Coaching pitchers is a LOT easier when all you got laying around is some boulders and a metal sign…………..

I can’t remember which three pitchers were there that day with us.  I know for sure that one of them was Chandler.  Maybe you guys can help me out with who the other two guys were………….

OK Gentlemen…Step up to the microphone

Posted: March 2, 2011 in Behind the Scenes
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I remember just a couple weeks ago I was excited that we had 500 hits on this Blog.  Well…today alone we’ve had 99.  And over 200 hits in the last 4 days!!!  Verdugo’s ON A ROLL AGAIN!!!  I gave the address to this Blog to about 15 people.  So where are all these hits coming from?  I don’t care, but I love it!!  This is turning out just like our Ballclub!! 

I have told so many VERDUGO stories over the years.  95% of the people I tell this shit to don’t believe a word I say!  But we know the truth….

All our Ballclub ever needed was a stage.  You guys were all natural-born performers.  The bigger the stage…the brighter the lights….the better you guys performed. 

Well…here we are almost 20 years later.  And it looks like we’ve got ourselves yet another stage!!  When I first started this thing, I said to myself  “If you build it, they will come”…………………….

Well, gentlemen, it’s time to step up to the microphone.  Let the new fans of Verdugo out there hear from YOU.  Tell ’em what this team meant to you.  Tell ’em how Verdugo shaped your life!  Or whatever you want to tell ’em!!  From what I can see….with all of the hits on this Blog…..we’ve got some fans out there who can’t wait to hear from YOU!!!!!  And besides…they are probably getting sick of hearing from ME!!

‘Ol Gee is gonna be 51 TOMORROW!!!  Let’s keep this ball rolling!!  There’s a BIG wave right here on this Blog…so let’s RIDE IT….VERDUGO-style!!!!

We have built this Blog…..and they have come……you’ve got your stage now……..It’s time for the light of VERDUGO to SHINE!!!!!!!………….it’s time to step up to the microphone………it’s time to tell The Greatest Story in Baseball Never Told!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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