Posts Tagged ‘sports’

Sometimes it’s Not Who You Play….But WHEN You Play Them….

Posted: November 4, 2025 in Uncategorized
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We went into this game against Encino-Crespi with a six-game winning streak. Crespi was coming in with a sixteen game winning streak of their own. They were hot. Verdugo was the last team to beat them….a 10-3 ass-kicking down at Stengel where the final score wasn’t really indicative of how badly they got their asses kicked.

We were fortunate that we didn’t have to face Jeff Suppan that night. He was there that night….but had pitched the day before. Now we play them again….and by “the luck of the draw” we weren’t going to have to face him. Suppan was clearly going to be a major-league pitcher one day.

So it isn’t who you play….but when you play them. Suppan isn’t pitching, and the Crespi ball club had an interesting philosophy for their summer Legion Program. Scott Muckey, the head coach of the high school team ran the program in the summer and his roster was all underclassmen. Think about that for a minute. They were in the same position we were in….one win away from “the next tournament” and had accomplished this without one senior on their roster. “Muck” as he was known to many….was a great coach and was a lot of fun at the managers meetings we had in the offseason and during the season.

At a 20th District coaches meeting, I was usually sitting at a table shooting the shit with Les Riley from Sun Valley….maybe Fat Jody….all of my “greatest enemies” ….I’d sit right down with any and all……”how you been? You ever get over that defeat we gave you last year?” Provocative as I always am….I was just tossing them a softball question they could usually answer with two words….”fuck you”…and as soon as they would come back with that I knew we were good. Then “Muck” would appear.

Muck had his own style. He wouldn’t walk directly into the room. He would stay outside the door opening….visible to everyone….and he would start “giving signs” to us like he was in the third base coaching box. No words…..just signs. We’d flash a couple of signs back….I’d break the silence and say “increase your primary dickhead there’s a lefty on the mound” (trying to get him to enter the room)….then after we all had flipped him off he’d finally walk in. He chewed tobacco, played the guitar and drums, and probably smoked some weed as well.

I loved the guy…. One of the few coaches in the 20th District I had actually had a little respect for.

But when him and I got on a baseball field to “settle it” it was fucking war!!!! Did you hear that? Yeah….that’s right!!! FUCKING WAR!!!!

“Muck” was one of the greatest Southern Section CIF coaches of all time. Recording over 300 career wins….numerous league championships…and I believe two or three Southern Section Championships.

Sometimes in the summer he had really, really shitty teams because he used all underclassmen. He used Legion ball for his underclassmen to prepare for the next season at Crespi. He had some lousy seasons at Crespi as well. But he was a gamer. If he had the right group of guys….he could get those underclassmen across the finish line.

This was one of those groups that I’m talking about. We didn’t take them lightly at all. We played hard…they played hard….they won. It’s as simple as that. But going into this game, I liked our chances….because it’s not who you play….but when you play them. And anytime Suppan’s not pitching, I like our chances.

Muck got us this game. He also beat us in 1990 when Suppan was coming off his Freshman season at the high school. Suppan beat us 7-3. We swept them in ’93….a couple of one run games that I’m looking forward to writing about (including Dave Fielder’s “one small step for man….one giant leap for Verdugo HIlls” walkoff win)

I finished my “career” against Muckey with three wins and two losses. But to be honest, I’d swap all the W’s we had against him for this one win. It was a tough defeat to stomach.

RIP to “Muck”…. he passed away a few years ago. Thanks for the battles and the chess matches coach.

Let’s get to the Crespi game and let ‘Ol Gee tell the story.

‘This….is Our Finest Hour” Verdugo 9 Notre Dame 8

Posted: October 26, 2025 in Uncategorized
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It was our finest hour. At least at this point in our history. The thing was…this season (and the next season) we kept outdoing ourselves as to what we would define as “our finest hour”…..unfortunately, we didn’t outdo ourselves again in ’92….but I’m proud of how we fought like savages until the end…..so this game ended this season with what I’m sure you’ll agree was “Our Finest Hour”

There’s plenty more to come in the ’93 season…. but this win here was about as big as it gets. I still say Verdugo was the best team in the 20th District. Notre Dame was the number one seed going into this eight team, double-elimination tournament…we were the “lowly” number five seed.

But respect isn’t given…..it’s earned. And by the time this game was over….it was Verdugo who had caught Jody at 22-3. WE had taken two out of three from him and none of the other teams in the District even had 20 wins. It was clear who The KINGS were. It wasn’t a pretty win….far from it….but our will to win was too much for Notre Dame to handle. This win was absolutely magnificent.

Notre Dame came into this game on an eight-game winning streak. The last team to beat them? Verdugo. That was when we went to 15-2 and took over sole possession of first place in our division.

We were running out of room on the fungo to burn victory marks on. I was packing for this game….I had a choice cigar for when we won….and I taped a small piece of paper to it that said “The Victory CIGAR-ZA” because that’s who we were facing (Chris Garza)…. and we all just knew that whether this game was a shootout or a pitchers duel…..Verdugo was going to prevail.

Verdugo was the home team. Hack took the mound and Francisco Dongo led off with a base hit. I’ll tell you something here….our catchers had the respect of the entire league. Fielder and Haggs did a phenomenal job all season long. Fielder was behind the plate. Jody not only sacrificed the runner to second base with a bunt….but Notre Dame didn’t even attempt to steal a base off of Fielder the entire game. Even when they led 7-3….Jody wouldn’t risk it.

Garza came up and drove in Dongo with a base hit and Notre Dame led 1-0. That was all they got.

In the bottom of the first, Workman and Turner walked to lead it off for Verdugo. Fielder drives in Hack with a base hit. Canale gets retired on the eight pitch of the at-bat. Moreno drives in Turner with a base hit. Cowsill drives in Fielder with a base hit and it’s 3-1 Verdugo.

In the second inning, Notre Dame loads the bases with one out. Hack K’s Dongo….then their number two hitter hits a line SHOT that Robb Turner dives to his right (getting horizontal) and somehow MEATHOOKS and the threat is over. If that ball goes through or off his glove….It may have been a different game. I will at some point include video footage of this play, I do have it ….and what a fucking play it was!

We went quietly in the 2nd and in the top of the third…Notre Dame exploded. They sent 12 guys to the plate and rolled a SIX. Three hits, four walks and an error.. I had to go get Hack and give the ball to Parque. Parque got the final out on a fly ball with the bases loaded. It’s 7-3 Notre Dame.

In the bottom of the third, Ivan Moreno leads off with a base hit. He gets wild-pitched to 2nd. Up steps Yves with two out and he rips a base hit making it 7-4. That’s all we got but you could see the little beads of sweat forming on Jody’s forehead. He knew what was coming.

Parque shut their asses down in the fourth with two K’s and a ground ball right back to him. The momentum was shifting. There were a lotta people at that game and our crowd was making a lotta noise.

In the bottom of the fourth, Verdugo erupted, and we chased Garza. Workman walks. Turner is called out on strikes on a horrible call. How do I know? It’s on video and Nance wrote in the scorebook “BFC”…..

Fielder rips a base hit and their left fielder misplays it…..Hack scores all the way from first. Fielder now at 2nd. The momentum is shifting. Canale steps in and rips a base hit. First and third now. Moreno steps in and rips a base hit scoring Fielder, officially chasing Garza. Jody gave the ball to Dongo.

Cowsill draws a walk, but not before Dongo wild pitched Canale to third and Moreno to second. Haggs steps in with the bases loaded and draws a walk and it’s all tied at 7-7.

Yves comes up with bases loaded and hits into a fielders choice….it’s 8-7 verdugo….with Cowsill advancing to third. I’m thinking “okay there’s two outs and here comes Vo” up to hit. I wasn’t going to pinch hit for him but I was like “dammit” because I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of Vo with a bat in his hands.

Thankfully….Dongo wild pitched Cowsill in. Making it 9-7 Verdugo.

Then Vo surprised everyone by hitting a line shot back at the mound that Dongo (in self-defense) catches. Inning over.

A game that looked like it was going to be a total shootout turned into a pitchers duel. Parque holding Notre Dame to one run (unearned) over five innings. Jim retired the first two batters in the eighth inning and gave up a base hit and I wasted no time and summoned Brendan Cowsill to get us out of trouble. Cowsill got a ground ball out (Yves making a clutch play) and we were out of trouble.

Parque finished the day with five innings pitched, allowing three hits, no walks and striking out four. It was an incredible performance by Jim and the defense.

It’s the bottom of the eighth and I gotta give credit to Dongo as well. After we chased Garza he held us to two hits (two singles……both by Hack Workman) over the last four innings. He got everyone out again in the bottom of the eighth with the exception of Josh Canale….who was hit in the head by an off speed pitch and ran down to first base with the bill of his helmet down in his eyes like nothing had happened. It was ….. something only a Verdugo player would do and had the entire HUGE CROWD laughing their asses off.

Hey…..it’s top of the ninth and we got a one run lead with “B” on the mound. “B” was loose and firing BB’s…..

Notre Dame led off the ninth with some fool named Jimmy Landress. I mention this because all the Notre Dame players were calling this dude “The Natural”….I was sick of this guy. “The Natural” (lol). Hey….You know what? I saw that movie just like everyone else had. And I’ll tell you what…..you don’t nickname some fool “The Natural” if he’s hitting in the NUMBER EIGHT SLOT in your lineup.

Anyways, as he’s walking up to the plate, I’m listening to the obligatory B.S. from the Notre Dame bench saying “yeah let’s go Natural….blah blah blah….

“B” struck his ass out!

I remember saying (and not loud to where their guys could hear it…..but the guys on our side could hear me) “sit down fucker” as he walked back to the dugout. Henry Fernandez knew it was over and was laughing his ass off….He said to me “those guys are going to be soooo disappointed with this loss”

I started to smile but hid it pretty well as my smile morphed into a yawn.

The next batter hits a ground ball to Yves…..he’s hustling down the line HARD. Yves’ throw was a little wide…..drawing Gabe off the bag . Gabe MAKES THE TAG!!!!

The crowd is going crazy. Up comes their leadoff hitter Dongo.

“B” challenges him. The first pitch and there’s a flyball to center! It’s right at Hack!!!! Hack is under it! He’s………………. got it!!!!

As soon as he caught it we all started sprinting towards Hack in center. Sprinting past the defeated Jody who was standing in the third base coaching box with everyone yelling “THEY’VE DONE IT!!!!!” as we ran past him!!!!

We had no time to enjoy Jody’s dejection. After all…. we had it on video ….and I’ll be sharing it here soon.

Jody was really hamming it up down there. All the looks of anguish…..The “where did we go wrong” look….the “I can’t believe it look” …..looking up to the Baseball gods who had turned on him, as if to say “how could you do this to me?”…..he stood there at least 30 seconds to maybe a minute as we celebrated.

This was our finest hour. And looking back, after what was about to happen to us over the next couple of days, I’ll take it. If you were to tell me at the beginning of the season that you’re not going to win The District…..you’re not going to advance…..BUT…..you ARE going to beat the team who won The District….and you ARE going to take two out of three from them……and you told me that it was JODY…..I’d have been been more than happy with that.

We needed one more win. I liked our chances. We were going against Crespi. They were coming into their game against Verdugo on a sixteen game winning streak. The last team to beat Crespi? Who else? Verdugo….

“Perfection is Short-Lived”

Posted: October 12, 2025 in Uncategorized
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I was happy to see our team play a damn near perfect game in Game One of the playoffs. I mention this because we were about to play three more playoff games that were “less-than perfect” and you know what? We won one of those games and the other two games could have gone either way.

Going into the playoffs we had the second best record in the 20th District at 20-3. Now we are 21-3. Now we get a showdown against a Notre Dame team that was now 22-2. We split the regular season games against them, so this win against Notre Dame was (in my mind) Verdugo’s “finest hour”……EVEN IF WE WOUND UP WINNING THE DISTRICT. This game was THE showdown that really put us on the map and accomplished my own personal goal of Verdugo becoming the “most feared team” in the 20th District.

And taking two out of three from the eventual 20th District Champs was special. Yeah….Jody won the District….but I always wondered if he ever told the tale about one team in particular he just couldn’t handle.

By the time this matchup had ended…..Everybody knew who Verdugo was and what we had accomplished. Obviously, I’d have liked to see the team go further.

Josh admitted to me after the season that he felt something “pop’ in his arm/shoulder when he pitched the playoff game against Newhall-Saugus.

He never would have come off the field (or the mound) for us…because he probably never would have said a word……………he was an incredibly strong-willed dude. But as to how far we would have gone if we advanced, our chances would have been dwindled with him not being able to pitch. But I know he still could have hit…and we were going to get Evans back from his broken arm the next week. But it would have been a challenging road ahead for us.

The Legion playoffs were played under (what was then) National League Rules. No DH. As you now know, all of MLB can use a DH. So we were going to see how Jim Parque and (unbelievably) Lance Evans could swing the bats. Evans in particular….as he was sporting a fucking CAST on his left arm. Hell….Evans wasn’t even supposed to play until he got his cast removed. The effort you guys put forth in these playoffs was nothing short of magnificent.

I’m into victories. Moral victories don’t mean much to me. But the things I saw in the four games DID make me realize there’s more to life than baseball. I kind of felt like the guy in the movie as things were slipping away….the cameras zooming in on his face where some kind of epiphany dawns on him and he sees something no one else can see….or maybe he is seeing for the first time what was hidden in plain sight….something hidden to him….something he was blinded by……because of his “ambitions”…………

My epiphany was “Jesus Christ look at the fucking EFFORT these guys are giving me!!!!”

Not that all of you hadn’t been doing that all season long. All of you had…..

It was just unreal the way you guys gave it up for Verdugo….and I want to thank you all for that. You guys played your fucking guts out….

Hack got hit hard in the Notre Dame game. Wiley got hit hard in the Chatsworth game. Big fucking deal. In both games our bats brought us back into the games….taking the lead in BOTH of those games, and closing it out against Fat Jody. A couple of plays going our way in the Chatsworth game and we may have beat them as well…..

I made some questionable decisions as well…..particularly in the Encino-Crespi game…..and I will be pointing them out as I write about that game.

You’ve heard me say “Here at Verdugo whatever you did….you’re forgiven for”

I say it jokingly (and I mean it yet it’s funny) but as you know “there’s truth in humor”….

We were all in this thing together. And I guess it’s my way of saying…..”hey guys I made a lot of mistakes too”

So maybe you guys will forgive me for my blunders as well…………

Come whatever may…..let’s get to the final three games of the ’92 season.

Verdugo 9 Newhall-Saugus 3

Posted: October 10, 2025 in Uncategorized
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I can officially say that we owned Newhall-Saugus. This was our fifth meeting with these guys over the last three seasons. They were a good team and made the playoffs every year, but never advanced. We had dominated them in our first four meetings, every game at their yard. We had just beaten these guys a couple of days earlier in the season finale (remember Turner yelling out “fence” to warn their left fielder not to run into the wall about five seconds after he smashed into it?)….so I went into this game a little worried because (really) how many times in a row can we beat a team that always makes the playoffs?

I mean….the law of averages will eventually catch up with you. But once again…we dominated them in an impressive come-from-behind win. Bull Oxen (after walking the first four hitters) settled down and fired a masterpiece, striking out nine and going all the way. At one point he was so dominant he retired 21 hitters IN-A-ROW….a Verdugo record that was never broken.

We played an errorless game. Not a single passed ball or wild pitch. Clutch hitting. Cowsill’s two run SHOT in the top of the sixth inning tied it at three and it was all Verdugo from that point forward. Meanwhile….Bull was dominating them. During his “run” of the 21 consecutive hitters he retired….only two balls were hit out of the infield. Haggs made four plays. Yves made four plays, “B’ made four plays…Thunder made a great play on a ball in foul territory….A couple of “routine” fly ball outs and the rest of the hitters got flat out MOWED down by Josh.

As a coach your goal is to get your team to play a perfect game. Sure…we gave up three runs but you know what? This game was as close to perfection as you could get from a team standpoint.

Yeah he walked the first four hitters. Big deal. I went out to the mound and was thinking to myself “there’s no way I’m taking him out”….and it was clear he didn’t want out. He had that look in his eye…..so I just kind looked at everyone in our huddle around the mound and said “let’s go”….

He got an out….then the next hitter got a base hit….

That made it 2-0 and the runner on second was trying to score. Hack Workman came up with the ball and BLEW DOWN the runner at the plate. HUGE fucking play!!!! Whatever momentum Newhall had at that point was gone. Josh struck out the next hitter and that ended their threat of a huge inning.

It took us a while to get the thunder going offensively. Robb Turner doubled in the top half of the fifth inning, and ended up getting WILD PITCHED home. That got us on the board but we still trailed 3-1.

But you all know the story with Verdugo. If you’re a starting pitcher and you’re facing Verdugo….the second time through our order is gonna get tougher…and if you make it through that the third time is going to be brutal.

In the sixth inning, Haggs came up with one out and ripped a base hit. Cowsill stepped up to the plate. He hit a SHOT about 400 feet down the left field line that was foul. That drew a visit from the Newhall-Saugus manager Pat Eggleston. I’m in the box at third base thinking “WTF is this guy bitching about?” well….it turns out he was accusing Cowsill of having a corked bat! WTF!?!? He probably knew the bat wasn’t illegal, he was trying to turn the momentum of the game back in his favor. You know….get in “B’s” head a little bit.

After the Umpire inspected the bat….and ruled that Cowsills bat was indeed LEGAL…..Old “B” decided to return the favor to ‘Old Pat Eggleston…..and on the very next pitch he UNCORKED a shot DEEP into the tennis courts over the left-center field fence!!!! It’s 3-3 now.

The seventh inning got worse for Newhall. Turner leads off with a walk, Fielder rips his second base hit of the game, they then INTENTIONALLY walk The Bull Oxen. Then their pitcher FIRES a wild pitch that scores Turner. It’s 4-3 Verdugo.

Up comes Ivan Moreno…he rips a base hit……its 6-3 Verdugo. That was all we got but for Newhall-Saugus….you could see it slipping away.

In the eighth inning Yves leads off with a base hit. Gabe then follows up with a base hit.

Up comes Hack. It’s still a tight game….I like a lead…but I really like a lead that’s out of “grand-slam-reach”

Hack could have broke the thing open with a hit…but I had him bunt. Does Hack look at me when I gave him the sign and give me attitude? Hell NO he didn’t. And that’s what I’m talking about when I mentioned “selfless play” ….Hack laid down a beauty….a perfectly executed Sacrifice bunt and we had runners at 2nd and third.

Fielder steps up….Base hit!!! It’s 7-3.

Moreno comes up with two outs and doubles everybody in!!!! It’s 9-3 Verdugo and all but over.

Bull finished ’em off in the ninth and Verdugo was 1-0. We put on an absolute clinic against a damn good team. We didn’t panic when Bull got off to a slow start. We didn’t lose focus after they shut us out the first four innings. One of my proudest moments coaching this team. Canale??? Nine innings….five hits….nine K’s and after walking the first four hitters….finishes the game with four walks!!!

Turner reaches base four times and has two hits.

Thunder reaches base Four times and has three hits.

Bull gets a hit.

Moreno with two hits a FOUR RBI….

Haggs gets a hit…

Cowsill with two hits and an electrifying Home Run

Yves gets a hit…

Gabe gets two hits….

Hack was hitless….but played a crucial role when he threw out the runner at the plate in the first inning and dropping the sac bunt that set the table for the three insurance runs we needed in the eighth inning…..

Next Up???? Fat Jody!!!!


Verdugo (20-3) Heads to Playoffs!!!!

Posted: October 9, 2025 in Uncategorized
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I’m hearing a lot of rumors about Verdugo getting ready to release the ’93 files….I don’t know what all the hype is about….I mean….shit man….we still got four playoff games from 92 to write about!!!!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again….Verdugo had the greatest players who played in the greatest games. And now that over thirty years has passed, I can effectively say that yeah….these were four EPIC dogfights that I’m proud to have been a part of.

We came within a couple of outs of qualifying for the next Tournament at Jackie Robinson Stadium. While I wasn’t exactly overjoyed we didn’t get there, I’ve realized slowwwwwly over the last three decades what we were up against, and how we damn near did it.

I saw a lot of selfless play, guys taking responsibility, and every guy on our Roster playing their asses off to do whatever it took to get to the promised land and I’m going to talk about the moments in all the games that stood out for me…where our character and fire shined brightest.

And yeah….going through the books for these stories brought it all back to life. I remember it ALL….so if you don’t that’s okay…because ‘Ol Gee doesn’t have dementia YET!!!!

We won out during the regular season. Clutch wins in the last week of the season without pitching the guy who I wanted to start Game ONE of the playoffs if we qualified. We came into the playoffs on a four-game win streak. Turner shaved his head!!!! I kinda half-assed shaved the lower half of my head. We had a casual workout down at Occidental College a couple of days before the first playoff game and we were ready to go. If we get to the next Tournament we’re gonna have a healthy Lance Evans back. Everybody was fucking jacked up and ready to show everyone what Verdugo could do.

All I knew was I had the guy who I wanted on the mound for that first game. We were ready. We had all our horses. Cowsill and Moreno got cleared by their summer basketball and football coaches to play for Verdugo during the playoffs….as long as it might last. And if you keep advancing….you could still be playing DEEP into August.

Myself, Hank, Weapon and the General were proud of what we had accomplished. But the being the greedy, devious bastards we were we wanted MORE. So we had a coaches meeting before the playoffs as well and even hired a consulting firm (The Mcallen Group) to give the final approval of our little plan of winning the District!!!!

So sit back and relax….and let me tell the story….because VERDUGO is about to make their first playoff appearance!!!!