On March 21 the Hoover student body announced a fund-raising drive for a new baseball facility, Ted Williams Field, in honor of the January, 1937, graduate and major league baseball Hall of Fame inductee.
For years the Cardinals played home games in the school’s football stadium, with a rightfield fence, beyond the track, a Little League-dimensioned 185 feet from home plate.
Hoover coach Jerry Bartow sometimes was accused of tailoring the distance of a faux left field, where it was said a cab ride was necessary to the distant fence facing Monroe Avenue.
Low hurdles borrowed from the practicing track team served as the left field “fence”, the distance from home plate adjusted to the offensive prowess of an opponent by moving the hurdles back and forward, according to some observers.
Home runs in right field had to be north of a tall wooden post overlooking the press box and stadium seating.
Leftfield at the proposed Ted Williams will be 300 feet from home plate, 409 to center, and 323 to right.
A goal of $25,000 to build the facility next to the boys’ gymnasium and facing 46th Street was announced by vice principal Les Cassie, a teammate of Williams’ at Hoover; Williams’ close friend and Hoover alum Bob Breitbard of the Breitbard Athletic Foundation, and student Bill Finley, the school’s commissioner general.
3/2/66
Writer Harlon Bartlett described the weather as “better suited for the Central New England dog sled races” and that Grossmont coach Jerry Lewis was “bundled up to the size of Yogi Bear and huddled beside a heater in the dugout.”
Plus, Lewis’ centerfielder had a broken jaw from a motor scooter accident, pitcher Bernard Linn was temporarily ineligible, and the flu had visited Lewis and two starters.
The coach shook off the chilly, cloudy weather, but the Foothillers (1-0-1) couldn’t shake St. Augustine (0-1-1) as the teams battled to a nine-inning, 2-2 tie.
—Andy Morgan’s grand slam home run in the first inning propelled Hoover, playing its last season on the football field, to a 13-2 win over El Capitan.
—Luther Espy allowed four hits and Al Salvatierra hit a grand slam home run in the first inning of Lincoln’s 9-0 shutout of Chula Vista.
—Steve Bell drove in seven runs with two home runs, including a grand slam as Kearny beat Hilltop, 10-2.
—Steve Wyer clubbed a grand slam as La Jolla Country Day routed the Santana freshmen, 15-1.
3/9/66
“We don’t have any big stars and that’s the best thing that could happen to us,” said coach Robert (Bull) Trometter of University, which improved to 5-0 with a 5-1 win over Monte Vista.
—Crawford also was 5-0 after Larry Forest’s three-hitter and second shutout of the season stopped Helix, 3-0.
—Brien Bickerton homered and doubled, driving in three runs, and gave up two hits in five innings before Larry Falls mopped up Santana’s 7-0 win over Oceanside.
—Lincoln (4-0) beat host Clairemont, 4-1, behind Luther Espy’s 10-strikeout, four-hit pitching.
Hornets coach Bob Ganger did not want to hear that his team, often touted but never finishing higher than third, would be favored in the Eastern League.
“Don’t mention it,” Ganger said, frowning at Harlon Bartlett’s suggestion.
3/11/66
San Diego (4-2) won its Eastern League opener at home, 1-0, over 5-1 Crawford as Brent Strom struck out eight, doubled for one of the Cavers’ three hits, and was credited with four assists and two putouts in the field.
—Craig Brewer’s home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Hilltop a 2-1 win over Mount Miguel.
—University, now with a County-leading 6-0 record, struggled 10 innings before edging Vista, 5-4.
3/15/66
Santana’s first-year Sultans (4-3) rode with 6-foot, 3-inch, 170-pound sophomore lefthander Brian Bickerton to a one-hit, 3-0 win over Helix (2-4) in a Grossmont League opener.
—Mount Miguel’s Bill Lockhart also hurled a one-hitter in a 3-0 win over Granite Hills.
—Rick Dixon’s three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning was the difference in Clairemont’s 9-6 victory over La Jolla in the Western League lid-lifter.
–University bumped its record to 7-0 with an Avocado League-opening-game, 4-2 decision over Orange Glen.
3/18/66
“We don’t have a bonehead on the club; we’re going to have a lot of fun this year,” said St. Augustine coach Bill Whittaker.
The Saints’ 2-1 victory over Hoover, behind Jim Addesso’s three-hit pitching, marked the first time in five years they had beaten the Cardinals and San Diego in the same week.
—After winning four Grossmont League championships from 1960-64, El Capitan was 5-16 in ’65 after the arrival of neighboring Santana.
“We would have had (Brian) Bickerton and (Dennis) Forrester,” Vaqueros coach Art Preston noted of the two Santana stars.
El Cap survived a two-hour, 45-minute, 17-hit, 23-walk (by both teams) struggle with Mount Miguel, winning, 12-9, and improved to 3-4.
An infield throwing error broke an 8-8 tie in the sixth inning and the Vaqueros scored three more in the seventh.
3/25/66
George Zorn gave up three hits and University won its 10th in a row without defeat, 6-2 over Fallbrook.
—Madison (6-4) moved into a tie with Kearny for first place at 4-1 in the Western League after a 7-4 win over the Komets.
Bob Nunley had a three-run triple and sophomore Greg McElroy three hits for the Warhawks.
—Brent Strom pitched a six-hitter and hit a two-run home run and San Diego beat Hoover, 5-2. Steve Shepherd added a two-run homer for the Cavers.
—Frank Alfano, Bob Petretta, and Danny Coronado hit home runs and Crawford beat Lincoln, 9-4.
3/29/66
George Gregoroff fought off several University threats and pitched Vista to a 2-0 victory over the 10-1 Dons, who still led the Avocado League with a 5-1 record, ahead of four others’ 3-3.
—Don Bair struck out 12 and limited Point Loma to two hits and Mission Bay edged Point Loma, 1-0.
3/30/66
In announcing pairings for the 32-team, 16th annual Lions, tournament bosses said first-round games will be played at Navy Field No’s. 1 and 2, Clairemont, Mount Miguel, Kearny, and San Diego High.
Six teams, plus San Bernardino San Gorgonio, will compete in the second North County Lions tournament with games at Oceanside Recreation Park and MiraCosta College.
4/1/66
Point Loma scored two runs in the last of the seventh inning to edge Madison, 6-5.
The Pointers were 4-3 and in a three-way tie for first with Madison and Kearny in the Western League.
“Every time I tell the kids we’ve got to win this one, we win it,” said Pointers coach Kermeen (Punky) Fristrom. We do a good job when we have to win.”
Except on Tuesdays. The peninsula squad is 1-4 on that date and 6-1 on others.
—Craig Tepel hit two home runs and drove in five and Jake Molina hit a three-run homer in Clairemont’s 12-6 win over La Jolla.
—Crawford and Hoover were deadlocked, 7-7, after nine innings. The game would be replayed only if a playoff berth were at stake.
—Oceanside won its fourth in a row, 4-3 over Vista behind William Rodriguez’ three-hitter, which followed a no-hitter in Rodriguez’ last start versus San Dieguito.
—Marian took over the Palomar League lead, 9-7 against San Marcos. Poway and Carlsbad battled through 11 scoreless innings and then called it a day.
4/4/66
Ed Ramage scattered six hits and top-seeded Crawford took advantage of four Madison errors and defeated the Warhawks, 7-1, in the opening round of the Lions Tournament.
—Defending champion San Diego rode a grand slam home run by Steve Shepherd to knock off El Cajon Valley, 8-5.
—Chula Vista moved to an Unlimited Division quarterfinals contest against Crawford on Gordy Mitchell’s one-hitter, which shut out Grossmont, 1-0.
—Eight games produced 75 runs in the Limited Division, highlighted by an 18-hit attack and 13-2 win for Monte Vista over San Miguel School.
—Scott Martensen’s home run in the ninth inning gave Vista a 2-1victory over Fallbrook.
—San Marcos beat Poway, 6-1; San Gorgonio nipped Oceanside, 2-0, and San Dieguito’s three runs in the seventh inning were the difference in a 5-4 triumph over Poway.
4/5/66
San Dieguito did not lift a glove and gained finals of the North County Lions event.
San Marcos forfeited, 9-0, to the Mustangs, who will meet San Bernardino San Gorgonio, which advanced with an 8-7, eight-inning win over Vista.
–Oceanside edged Fallbrook, 2-1, and Poway beat Carlsbad, 5-4, in consolation games.
–The city’s two big ones, Crawford and San Diego met their matches.
Helix defeated Crawford, 1-0, and Chula Vista ousted San Diego, 5-2, in Unlimited Lions play, but St. Augustine upheld urban pride with a 1-0 win over Monte Vista in the Limited Division.
–Mike Odom’s three-hitter gave Chula Vista their morning quarterfinals victory and Bob Kennedy’s Spartans came back in the afternoon to beat Lincoln, 5-3, in eight innings and gain the finals of the 16th annual Lions Tournament.
–Helix defeated Mount Miguel, 9-5, in the semifinals to assure a Grossmont-Metropolitan League final.
4/7/66
Bob Kennedy, who had brought Chula Vista teams to the Lions Tournament since 1957, earned his first Unlimited Division championship, 2-1, over Helix at Navy Field.
Dave Gregg singled, Ken Ohlendorf sacrificed Gregg to second, then walks to John Pickrel and Roger Gregg loaded the bases in the sixth inning.
What followed was typical considering the Spartans’ reputation of good field, good pitch, no hit. Bill Cherico and Doug Craig executed consecutive squeeze bunts, scoring two runs.
“I had a pretty good idea that would be the only way we’d score,” Kennedy told the Evening Tribune’s Harlon Bartlett.
–Castle Park had a 3-0 lead but bowed to El Centro Central, 4-3, in the Limited Division championship. Kearny won the Unlimited consolation crown, its first since 1954, 5-1, over Escondido. It was Hilltop 3, Coronado 1 in the Limited consolation final.
–San Bernardino San Gorgonio shut out San Marcos, 8-0, for the North County Lions title. Poway nudged Oceanside, 5-2, for the consolation trophy.
4/12/66
Crawford was 5-2 and San Diego, Lincoln, and St. Augustine 5-3 after Eastern League teams returned to action following the Lions Tournament.
San Diego tightened the race when it beat Lincoln, 4-1, on Paul Dunn’s three-run home run. Brent Strom stopped the Hornets on four hits.
—Crawford bombed Morse, 9-3, and St. Augustine beat Hoover, 5-1 on Skip Redondo’s three-hitter.
—Another three-hitter, by Kearny’s Mike Sigman, checked Point Loma, 8-2. Mission Bay continued La Jolla’s misery, 5-2, for the winless Vikings’ 15th loss in a row.
—Grossmont, 6-1 in the Grossmont League, let leads of 4-0 and 7-4 disappear before nosing out El Cajon Valley, 8-7.
—Mike Westphalin faced 22 hitters, one over the maximum, allowed one hit, struck out 11 and didn’t issue a walk in Granite Hills’ 3-0 win over Santana.
4/15/66
Crawford coach Bill Sandback was not a happy camper.
On what could have been a double play, St. Augustine’s Tom Spence slid into second base with arms high.
Second baseman Danny Coronado’s throw to first was deflected by Spence’s extended limb, allowing Steve Ferrari to score in the bottom of the sixth inning of a 3-2 victory.
Sandback claimed interference.
“The base umpire said he didn’t see the play,” Sandback said. “The plate umpire said it wasn’t his play to call. I hate to get beat on a call like that.”
“We got a break today and we’ll take it,” said Saints coach Bill Whittaker.
—Oceanside’s sixth straight win, 7-3 over Orange Glen, combined with University’s fourth straight loss, 2-1 to San Dieguito, put the Pirates in first place in the Avocado League with a 6-3 record.
4/19/66
“I like our chances with five (games) to go and two (games) ahead,” said Kearny coach Jack Taylor after a 4-1, Western League win over Madison.
“We play our last four games at home,” said Madison coach Bob Bacon. “If they lose one between now and when they come to our school, look out.”
Kearny is 14-5 overall and 8-2 in league, Madison 9-9 and 6-4.
The teams were to meet in the regular-season finale May 6.
4/22/66
on-Dan Gabbard’s two run home run in the top of the seventh inning was the difference in Escondido’s 5-3 win over Chula Vista and tightened the Metropolitan League race.
Chula Vista is 5-3 and Escondido and Hilltop are each 5-3-1.
—Fundamental orifices were flexing in the Western League, where Kearny’s lead was cut to one game when Kent Shearer singled in the winning run in a three-run sixth inning to give Clairemont a 5-4 win over the Komets.
—Marian sophomore Steve Bajo’s one-hitter stopped Poway, 1-0, and kept the Crusaders in a first place tie in the Palomar League with Carlsbad, which rolled with Louie Montanez’ one-hitter over Army-Navy, 8-0.
–Lincoln moved into a tie for first place in the Eastern with St. Augustine after a 6-1 win over the Saints and a Crawford loss, 4-3, to lefthander Brent Strom and San Diego.
4/26/66
Brent Strom’s fifth start in five games kept San Diego alive in the Eastern League, 5-0 over leading St. Augustine.
—Crawford kept pace, 1-0 against Hoover, and Lincoln hammered Morse, 9-2.
—Kearny, with home runs by Craig Wittler and Mike Dugan, beat Mission Bay and Madison stayed alive in the Western with a 10-inning, 3-2 win over Point Loma behind Greg Gunter’s walk-off single and Mike Raney’s six-hit pitching.
Raney struck out 10 and helped his cause with a double, single, and two runs scored.
—Chula Vista stayed percentage points ahead of Hilltop and Escondido in the Metropolitan as Gordy Mitchell’s four-hitter stopped Coronado, 3-0.
—Don Brunham’s three hitter beat San Diego Military, 1-0, and moved San Miguel School closer to the Southern Prep League title.
4/29/66
Bernard Linn’s season 10th victory, 5-2 over Mount Miguel, allowed Grossmont to keep pace with Helix each with a 10-2 record in the Grossmont League.
—Ed Ramage won his 10th game against two losses as Crawford (8-4) took over first in the Eastern with a 9-0 shutout of Morse.
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Hoover was not the only school to with a baseball field sharing the football stadium. Point Loma also had this set up with hurdles making up the left field fence. I think the right field was much deeper than Hoover’s with a fence at the edge of the school building. There was a weird shape to center field which was marked by a large fence keeping the tennis team safe from baseballs. When I was a tenth grader, we could see baseball practice from the window of our speech class!!
Maybe you don’t know the answer, but I wonder how many other schools had this same set up.
Lincoln, which I attended, had a similar set up. I didn’t get into it but I suspect most city schools didn’t have the space for regulation fields. Short porches in right field and low hurdles in left might have been common.