1966 Baseball II: Strom’s Rubber Arm Leads Cavers to Title

San Diego’s surprising, late-season ride on the left arm of pitcher Brent Strom resulted in the Cavers’ first major championship since they won the Southern Section title in 1952.

And it was to be the Cavers’ last, ending a run that began with a state championship in 1918.

Changing demographics, new schools, new neighborhoods, revised enrollment borders, and a continually growing population, finally caught up with the Cavers in the early ‘sixties.

There were more teams and more players to challenge  a program that became legendary after the arrival of coach Dewey (Mike) Morrow in 1927, during the Roaring ’20s, before prohibition.

Morrow was 281-49 (.852) against high school teams and 86-48 with four ties (.638) against collegiate, semi-pro, and professional squads from 1927-50.

Morrow’s overall record was 367-97-4 (.788) with 10 Southern Section championships and many league and tournament titles when he left the Hilltoppers and moved to San Diego Junior College in 1951.

Les Cassie, who switched positions with Morrow, was the Hillers’ coach from 1951-59 and won one Southern California crown.

Cassie went into administration after a decade in which his teams were 217-33 (.868) against all opponents.

Jerry Dahms was 70-26 from 1960-63 and Bernie Flaherty 51-22 from 1964 through this season, Flaherty’s last as he  was moving to San Diego City College.

Coaching records courtesy Don King’s Caver Conquest.

COLTS CORRAL TITLES

Crawford, the team San Diego defeated this year, was one example of  the city’s growth and movement, having opened on 55^th Street in East San Diego in 1958, less than two miles from Hoover’s 44th Street campus.

The Colts had become the premier franchise, winning 10 section titles since 1960 in basketball (1), baseball (3), football (1), golf (1), and gymnastics (4).

Baseball coach Bill Sandback, who came to Crawford in 1961, was 88-32 (.733) with 3 wins in 4 title games.

5/7/66

Final regular-season standings in the seven San Diego Section leagues, including 42 teams.  GB=Games Behind:

EASTERN

WESTERN

METROPOLITAN

GROSSMONT

AVOCADO

PALOMAR

 SOUTHERN PREP

5/10/66

Western League bosses, faced with choosing between 3 teams,  Kearny, Clairemont, and Madison, each with a 10-5 record, for two postseason invitations, opted for a playoff, or “play-in” game, at Mesa College following a  contentious meeting and vote.

The bosses picked coach Ernie Beck’s Clairemont Chieftains as the Western’s No. 1 squad and forced Madison to play another game with Kearny, although the Warhawks held a 2-1 advantage in regular-season games with the Komets.

LIONS TOURNAMENT ROUT

A Western League insider told Harlon Bartlett of the Evening Tribune that the thinking of the bosses probably was influenced by Kearny’s 10-0 win over Madison in the Lions Tournament.

“I feel we earned the playoffs,” Madison coach Bob Bacon offered after the 2-0 victory over Jack Taylor’s Komets.

“We honored the league ruling even though many in the Madison baseball community questioned the ruling,” said Bacon. “We played it with no questions asked.”

A Kearny error on Bob Nunley’s slicing double in the first inning resulted in Greg Gunter’s scoring and a 405-foot triple to the base of the centerfield fence by Greg McElroy in the fourth inning turned into a faux home run when the Komets juggled the relay.

5/13/66

2-A PLAYOFFS

The Metropolitan League, considered by many of the local cognoscenti as being inferior to the two city leagues, wanted some respect.

Especially after Chula Vista had won the Lions Tournament but was third in regular-season standings to Hilltop and Escondido.

Hilltop knocked out Madison, 2-1, and Escondido topped Clairemont, 10-5, in first-round (quarterfinals) games.

Clinging to a one-run lead, Hilltop weathered a Madison threat in the seventh inning, when the Warhawks (13-11) loaded the bases with two outs.

Terry Davis hit a line drive between third base and shortstop that was speared by a diving Ed Saffer to end the game.

Hilltop scored twice in the bottom of the first inning on singles by Ward Lannom and Ray Sorenson, a sacrifice, and an outfield error. Jerry Peik’s single in the fourth  put Madison on the scoreboard.

The Lancers’ Jeff Klibbe allowed four hits in outdueling the Warhawks’ Mike Raney, who gave up three hits.

—“Our big test is San Diego and I think we have a real good chance,” said Grossmont coach Jerry Lewis. “If we beat San Diego we’ll go all the way.”

San Diego eliminated The Foothillers (15-6), 8-4, as Brent Strom made his ninth consecutive start, bettering the presumed record for a city league pitcher. San Diego’s Dick Floberg made eight straight starts in 1957.

Strom gave up early home runs to Cal Meier and Bernard Linn. The Cavers won by scoring four runs in the top of the seventh inning.

—Dan Gabbard hit two doubles and drove in three runs and Gil Pumar added three singles and a run batted in as visiting Escondido rapped three Clairemont (14-9) pitchers for 15 hits.

—Paul Kaufman homered and Ed Ramage (13-2) kept Helix (16-9) at bay, allowing two hits as Crawford advanced, 2-1, at Wells Park in El Cajon.

1-A PLAYOFFS SEMIFINALS

The Palomar League’s Poway defeated the Southern Prep League’s San Miguel School (13-8), 9-5, after falling behind the National City club, 5-0, at Palomar College.

Jerry Carpenter, who gave up 4 runs in the first inning, struck out 12, including 5 of the Knights’ last six hitters.  Jack Ashby and Mike Ward each had three hits for the Titans.

Poway advanced to the championship against Avocado League winner Oceanside, which was byed into the finals.

5/17/66

2-A SEMIFINALS

“If he can brush his teeth (and floss) he’ll be in there Friday (in the championship game against Crawford),” said San Diego coach Bernie Flaherty.

Strong-armed lefthander Brent Strom (14-3), making his 10^th consecutive start for the Cavers, won a 14-inning duel with Escondido’s Tom Johnson (10-3), 1-0, at Beeson Field on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot.

“I’ll be pitching, don’t worry,” said Strom of the upcoming championship game . “There’s nothing to save yourself for now.”

Strom,  7-3 over the 10-game stretch, fought off the 15-7 Cougars, who threatened in the third, fourth, fifth, 10^th, and 14th innings.

Strom got out of trouble by striking out 20 and walking two while allowing 11 hits.

The Cavers, who loaded the bases in the ninth and 10^th innings, finally won when Johnny Williams doubled home Dale Davis in the bottom of the 14^th.

“On paper these kids have no right to win,” a grinning Flaherty said of his team, “but they don’t read so well.”

—Crawford gained the finals for the third consecutive year as Ed Ramage (14-2) set down Hilltop, 5-1, at Beeson Field and dealt the loss to Don Klibbe (9-5).

Ramage retired 13 of the last 14 Lancers, allowing only a walk to Don Chew in the sixth.  Tim McClure’s two-run homer in the third inning followed a shaky Hilltop defense that contributed to three Colts runs in the first two innings.

2-A CHAMPIONSHIP

5/20/66

Brent Strom was working on a no-hitter and 4-0 lead entering the sixth inning, when Crawford scored three runs on four hits.

The Colts had momentum and recent history on their side, but Strom recovered to complete a 4-3 victory and earn San Diego’s first championship since a Southern Section title in 1952.

The loss was Crawford’s first in the finals after three consecutive championships and a 12-0 post-season record.

Ed Ramage (14-3) was the losing pitcher to the 15-3 Strom.  Third baseman John Meiers supported Strom with a two-run home run and single.  Johnny Williams also had two hits.

San Diego finished the season with a 17-8 record, Crawford with 18-6.

1-A FINALS

Oceanside (13-10), coached by football legend-to-be Herb Meyer, defeated Poway (16-6), 3-1, after losing twice to the Titans in previous finals.

The 1-A division playoffs were between Avocado, Palomar, and Southern Prep League champions.

See additional narrative, 1966 Baseball I, by searching “Recent Posts”.>

Print