SOCAL SPORTS HISTORY: A Salute To The Pacific Coast League

Tags

Los Angeles Angels, baseball, Southern California sports, sports history, Minor League Baseball, Pacific Coast League, Hollywood Stars, Wrigley Field, Gilmore Field, Washington Park

The center of baseball in Los Angeles for over 30 years: Wrigley Field, on the corner of 42nd & Avalon, home to the Pacific Coast League’s Los Angeles Angels from 1925-1957 & the American League’s Angels’ first home in 1961. Photo courtesy of southland.gizmodo.com

 

PAYING HOMAGE TO THE TEAMS REPRESENTING LOS ANGELES IN THE VERY SUCCESSFUL MINOR LEAGUE THAT WAS A FOCUS OF BASEBALL AND SPORTS IN SOCAL BEFORE THE DODGERS’ ARRIVAL IN 1958

 

Before the Dodgers and the Angels, there were the Angels and the Stars.

I reckon not too many folks under the age of 70 would know this – or even care – but SoCal was a baseball hub long before Walter O’ Malley brought his Dodgers west from Brooklyn in 1958 and Gene Autry began his Angel franchise three years later.

Speaking of Angels…

That was precisely where Autry got the name of his team as from 1903 to 1957, baseball in Los Angeles was represented by a team called the Angels, who played in the Pacific Coast League, which was considered a minor league but in many ways was an equal to the two major leagues back east.

 

A cool advertising logo for the Angels. Image courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

 

These Angels enjoyed much success in winning eleven PCL titles, including four in a six-year span from 1903-1908, when they played in Washington Park just south of downtown.

This success was particularly prevalent in 1934 as they sported a record of 137-50, blowing away their competition; so much so that their opponents in the Pacific Coast League’s championship series was, rather than another team, an all-star team made up of the best players from the other seven PCL clubs.

The other L.A. baseball entry in those days, the Hollywood Stars, was partly owned by celebrities such as George Burns, Bing Crosby, and movie mogul Cecil B. DeMille and provided a good rivalry to the Angels for nearly twenty years, playing their home games at Gilmore Field, located on the corner of Beverly Blvd. and Fairfax Ave, where CBS Television City now stands.

 

Gilmore Field, home of the Hollywood Stars from 1939-57, on the corner of Beverly and Fairfax. Photo courtesy of pclhistory.wordpress.com

 

That rivalry was heated at times, much like UCLA vs USC, with fights between the Stars and the Angels happening on a fairly regular occurrence, one brawl, on August 2, 1953, becoming so big that then-police chief William Parker had to send fifty cops in riot gear to break it up.

 

 

A promotional film of the Pacific Coast League from 1946, which includes features of Los Angeles Angels and Hollywood Stars. Courtesy of YouTube.

 

Tons of guys who would go on to play in the big leagues were Angels or Stars, including Detroit Tigers legend (and teammate of Ty Cobb) “Wahoo” Sam Crawford, longtime Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda, and 1960 World Series hero Bill Mazeroski.

Not to mention local Angels legends Steve Bilko and Jigger Statz.

 

Washington Park, home of the PCL’s Angels from 1911-25, located on the corner of Washington Blvd. and Main Street, just south of downtown L.A. Photo courtesy of waterandpower.org

 

It all ended on a Hiroshima Atomic Bomb-like scale at the end of 1957, when Los Angeles’ city council okayed the deal with O’Malley to bring Major League Baseball to the West Coast, moving his Dodgers from Ebbets Field to (for the first four years, anyway) the Coliseum.

The Stars subsequently moved to Salt Lake City, Utah and became the Bees, while the Angels relocated to Spokane, WA, changing their name to the Indians.

Gilmore Field was razed by 1959, while Wrigley Field survived for a few years, hosting the new American League Angels for a season and TV’s “Home Run Derby” before falling to the wrecker’s ball in 1969.

 

A quartet of Hollywood Stars players from 1946. Photo courtesy of pclhistory.wordpress.com

 

That didn’t erase a baseball history that rivaled any other city’s; even though it technically wasn’t “The Show”, it brought a big sports pleasure to SoCal residents giving homage to what was the focal point of sports in American society.

While today’s Dodgers and Angels are big, particularly the Dodgers as they are having a great season to date,

The fact that they have to share attention with so many other teams, especially the Lakers and USC football, triggers an appreciation of what it used to be in this part of the West.

 

The current Los Angeles Angels wearing throwback uniforms of their PCL ancestors during a game with the Seattle Mariners. Photo courtesy of pinterest.com

 

 

Some Random SoCal Sports Thoughts As Summer Approaches

Tags

Angel Stadium, Angels, baseball, basketball, Chargers, Clippers, Dodger Dogs, Dodger Stadium, Dodgers, football, Galaxy, Kings, Lakers, Los Angeles, Major League Baseball, MLS, NBA, NFL, Rams, soccer, softball, Southern California, Sparks, sports, Stanley Cup, Staples Center, summer, UCLA, USC, WNBA

One venue, located just north of downtown Los Angeles, that will be quite busy for the next few months.

 

Let’s see…

Summer – and the longest day of the year – will officially be upon us seven days from this writing; a heat wave is approaching in Southern California as evidence of that.

As I (personally speaking) approach my 50th birthday this Sunday; which is understandably hard to believe…

The seasons of our two Major League Baseball clubs are rolling along, the blue clad team currently in a dogfight for first place in its division while the red clad team, despite losing its best player – and the best player in baseball – for the next few weeks with a torn thumb, continues to perform better than expected.

With the exception of our entry in the WNBA  – that’s the Sparks for those who don’t know – the basketball and hockey seasons are over and finished with as champions were crowned this past week – congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins for winning their second straight Stanley Cup (first time since 1997-98 that a team has repeated) and the Golden State Warriors for winning their second NBA title in three years, by the way.

I hear that one of our hoops squads may be having second thoughts regarding the drafting of UCLA’s star Lonzo Ball, as I read that they felt that he was out of shape.

Memo To Lakers – Two words: DRAFT HIM.

Baseball may be in full swing, but I was recently thinking that NFL training camps open in about a month, with preseason games starting in seven weeks with L.A., after 23 years without an NFL team, having not one but two teams as the Rams and the Chargers will be playing one of those preseason affairs against each other at the Coliseum on August 26th.

I don’t know about anyone else, but it will feel a little weird to have two NFL teams in town after going so long without one.

I’m certainly looking forward to doing a lot of this…

 

As for my personal plans…

Despite preferring the Dodger Stadium from the 1980s, 90s, and even the early 2000s, when there weren’t so many ads cluttering the place and the atmosphere was more baseball-like rather than circus-like, I plan on attending a game sometime this summer.

I just hope it’s not too hot, like the last Dodger game I attended when the temperature was 93 degrees and I was virtually melting in my seat.

I’m looking forward to partaking in those frozen lemonades and maybe those chocolate ice cream cups that Dodger Stadium features; unfortunately for health reasons, my days of imbibing of the iconic Dodger Dogs are over as the garlic fries are pretty much all that I can eat there now.

The Angels? I still strongly feel that they need to change their uniforms and caps – go back to their 70s, 80s, or even their early 90s look!

My main sports intent this summer, besides playing in my weekend pick-up softball games, is to once and for all check out a Sparks game – and write about that experience on this site.

I especially want to do this because I have never been to the Sparks’ (and the Lakers, Clippers, and Kings) home, Staples Center, before; besides the annual season previews and predictions of UCLA and USC football, which I will write in late August, writing about my impressions of Staples will be SoCalSportsAnnals’ summer highlight.

Though I’m not looking forward to the ninety and 100 degree temperatures, I am looking forward to summer.

I’m not only looking forward to what the fates have in store for the Dodgers, Angels, Sparks and MLS soccer’s Galaxy these next twelve weeks,

I’m also looking forward to just enjoying the relaxing, mellow pace that summer brings.

At least I hope it’s mellow and relaxing.

Have a great summer, SoCal…

 

Another SoCal venue, located not too far from Disneyland, that will be seeing much action this summer.

 

AN EPIC SERIES: Thoughts on the Cal State Fullerton – Long Beach State Super Regionals

Tags

baseball, Big West Conference, Cal State Fullerton Titans, College Baseball, College World Series, Dirtbags, Long Beach State 49ers, NCAA, NCAA Baseball, NCAA Super Regionals

Cal State Fullerton’s Titans immediately after getting the last out in their 2-1 win over Long Beach State yesterday. Photo courtesy of santacruzsentinel.com

 

First and foremost…

Much congratulations to Cal State Fullerton’s baseball program as for the 18th time in their history, they have clinched a berth in the College World Series in beating their rivals, Long Beach State, 2-1 in Game 3 of their Super Regionals at Blair Field on Sunday.

That the Titans punched their ticket to Omaha at the Dirtbags’ expense – on their field, no less – made it all the more sweeter, I’m sure; just like when UCLA beats USC on the Trojans’ turf (or vice versa) in any sport.

Colton Eastman, the Cal State Fullerton pitcher who, like John Gavin the day before when he threw a shutout in the Titans’ 12-0 Game 2 rout, shut down Long Beach State in Game 3, no-hitting the Dirtbags for five innings plus, summed up CSUF’s feelings best when he stated:

“(Long Beach State) can have the Big West, but I’ll take Omaha…”

I know it’s a cliché, but Long Beach State, while appropriately devastated, really doesn’t have anything to be ashamed of as not only did they play their guts out,

This Super Regional in general more than lived up to the hype; I thought that it would be an absolute dogfight of a war, and that’s exactly what it turned out to be.

And from what I heard, the tension in the stands between the Titans and Dirtbags’ fans was much like Bruin and Trojan fans at their football games and other Crosstown Rivalry clashes; I’m a little surprised that there weren’t any reported fights.

At least not to my knowledge.

 

What no college athlete EVER wants to go through: watching your hated rival celebrate on your field as these Long Beach State Dirtbags are doing. Photo courtesy of D1baseball.com

 

The biggest key to Cal State Fullerton’s win in my opinion…

Quite simply, the key to any big baseball win at any level:

PITCHING.

More specifically, the Titans’ pitchers completely shutting down Long Beach State’s hitters as after those Dirtbags scored three runs in the first inning of Game 1, they scored just one more run in the following 26 innings – and that was on a passed ball.

It wasn’t so much the ineptitude of Long Beach’s batters as it was the lights out pitching of Fullerton’s hurlers that decided this ultimate rivalry showdown.

Like the saying goes, “Good pitching beats good hitting”,
and always will.

Those Titans certainly proved that this weekend.

And will be in Omaha as a result, as they will face top-ranked (with a ridiculous record of 54-4) Oregon State in their first game of the College World Series this Saturday.

 

Cal State Fullerton’s post game press conference after their 2-1 win over Long Beach State in Game 3 of their Super Regionals. Courtesy of YouTube.

 

 

Most of all, this Super Regional showed two things:

1. The Big West Conference is VERY strong in baseball, providing a very high level of play and further showing the strength of college baseball on the West Coast.

Not to mention that there’s great baseball in SoCal outside of Westwood and south of downtown Los Angeles.

2. The Big West Conference, probably because it’s a mid-major league consisting of commuter schools with no football, is the most underrated group of college sports programs in the nation.

The level of play compares quite favorably to the bigger, richer, and much more publicized Pac-12 Conference, and it’s a very good place for athletes who may have been overlooked by the SCs and UCLAs to play and get an education.

This Super Regional proved that point once and for all.

Personally, I’ve always respected the Big West and the schools making up that conference – I did graduate work at Cal State Northridge, another rival of Fullerton and Long Beach.

Hopefully after what those Titans and Dirtbags showed at Blair Field, the rest of the college sports world will respect them more.

A national title by Cal State Fullerton, which would be their fifth, would more than solidify that.

As such, it goes without saying that I wish those Titans all the best of luck in Omaha as I’m very much looking forward to seeing them take on Oregon State and other big bad teams such as LSU, TCU, Texas A&M, Louisville, and Florida State.

It’s going to be fun.

 

What every college athlete dreams of: celebrating a big post season series win on the hated rival’s home field as what these Titans are doing. Photo courtesy of journalgazette.net

 

 

 

IT’S ON! Long Beach State – Cal State Fullerton Baseball Rivalry Peaks in NCAA Super Regionals

Tags

49ers, baseball, Big West Conference, Cal State Fullerton, College Baseball, College World Series, Dirtbags, Long Beach State, NCAA, Southern California, Super Regionals, Titans

Fans will be seeing a lot of this in Long Beach this weekend. Photo courtesy of Cayer’s Photography

 

This is huge!

Two SoCal colleges,

Who are from the same conference (and from the same state university system!),

And are longtime bitter rivals who have met over 220 times,

Will be meeting in the NCAA Super Regionals, a best of three playoff to determine who will be going to the Promised Land of college baseball, the College World Series.

The kicker to all of this?

Neither school is named UCLA or USC!

It’s perfect!

To say it’s going to be an intense affair is a pronounced understatement; although I  hope it doesn’t happen, I wouldn’t be surprised if the benches don’t clear once or twice, there’s SO much at stake.

This is certainly the most exciting thing that’s happened not only between the two baseball teams, but at these two institutions, located 17 miles apart, as being commuter schools without football programs, not that much attention is paid to them and not as many students are as rah-rah about sports as they are at UCLA and USC.

It’s also a publicity boost for the Cal State University system, which Long Beach and Fullerton are a part of, which is always needed and welcomed.

I’m definitely looking forward to these games being instant classics!

Here’s a little history and tale of the tape of the baseball programs at Cal State Fullerton, who won the Stanford Regional, and Long Beach State, who won their regional last night, as they will clash this weekend…

 

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON TITANS BASEBALL

Founded: 1965. Became a Division 1 program in 1975; has never had a losing season in D1.

Conference Championships: 28. 16 Big West Conference Titles, latest in 2016

College World Series Appearances: 17, last one in 2015

National Championships: Four (1979, 1984, 1995, 2004)

Notable Alumni in the Major Leagues: Tim Wallach, Mark Kotsay, Phil Nevin, Justin Turner *

2017 Record: 37-21

* Went 3-0 in Stanford Regional

 

 

 

A taste of what to expect: Long Beach State & Cal State Fullerton clashing on May 28, 2016, Fullerton winning 2-1.  Video Courtesy of YouTube.

 

 

LONG BEACH STATE UNIVERSITY 49ers/DIRTBAGS BASEBALL

Founded: 1954. Became a Division 1 program in 1970.

Conference Championships: 12. Nine Big West Conference titles, including this year.

College World Series Appearances: Four, last one in 1998

National Championships: None.

Notable Alumni in the Major Leagues: Jason Giambi, Jered Weaver *, Evan Longoria *, Troy Tulowitski *,

(* = denotes current MLB player)

 

THE CAL STATE FULLERTON/LONG BEACH STATE RIVALRY BY THE NUMBERS:

Number of meetings: 217

All-Time Series: Cal State Fullerton leads 142-75

2017 Season: Long Beach State won five of six games

 

INFO ON THE NCAA SUPER REGIONALS BETWEEN THE TITANS AND THE DIRTBAGS:

Place: Blair Field, Long Beach, CA

Days/Dates: Friday, June 9th – Sunday, June 11th (if a Game 3 is necessary)

Times: 3:00 p.m. on Friday, 12 noon on Saturday and Sunday

TV:   ESPN2 on Friday, ESPNU on Saturday, TBD on Sunday

 

A Fullerton runner trying to beat a Long Beach pick-off attempt. Photo courtesy of Cayer’s Photography.

DIAMOND STANDOUTS: A Look At SoCal College Baseball and Softball Teams in The Postseason

Tags

baseball, Big West Conference, Cal State Fullerton Titans, College Baseball, college softball, College World Series, Dodger Stadium, Long Beach State 49ers, Los Angeles, NCAA, Pac-12 Conference, softball, Southern California, UCLA Bruins, Women's College World Series

The ultimate destination for our SoCal college baseball teams: TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, NEB, home of the College World Series.

 

Baseball and softball are reaching their peak.

At least at the college level, as four Los Angeles area teams have earned a spot in the postseason.

One of those four teams have already earned their holy grail in making softball’s  Women’s College World Series, while the other three teams will begin their quest for college baseball’s holy grail – the College World Series in Omaha – this week.

We won’t waste any more time in checking out these squads – we’ll start with the SoCal softball team that is going for the ultimate prize…

( * = denotes leads the team)

 

 

Bruins celebrating a home run at Easton Stadium, UCLA’s home field…

 

UCLA BRUINS

Record: 47-13, 16-8 and tied for third place in the Pac-12 Conference

Coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez

Rank: Tied for 8th

Playoff Seed: 5th

* Won Los Angeles Regional, beating Lehigh, San Jose State, and Cal State Fullerton

* Won NCAA Super Regional (also in Los Angeles), beating Mississippi two games to none

* Will begin play in the Women’s College World Series, at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK, vs. LSU on Thursday, June 1st, at 11:30 a.m.

Number of National Championships: 11 (leads the nation) – 1982, 1984-85, 1988-90, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010

Top Pitchers:

Rachel Garcia: 22-7, 1.92 ERA, 3 saves, 196 strikeouts*

Selina Ta’amilo: 14-0, 2.79 ERA

Joanna Grauer: 11-4, 2.88 ERA

Top Hitters:

Kylee Perez, 2B – .406 average*, 2 home runs, 29 RBI, 82 hits*

Delaney Spaulding, SS – .381 average, 16 home runs*, 43 RBI

Madeline Jelenicki, 1B – .339 average, 15 home runs, 69 RBI*

Briana Tautalafoa, 3B – .330 average, 16 home runs*, 50 RBI

Rachel Garcia, P/OF/DP – .327 average, 7 home runs, 27 RBI

Thoughts:

These ladies are HOT right now, playing their best softball at exactly the right time.

That’s why though it wont be easy, with top-seeded Florida and defending champion Oklahoma (who will overwhelmingly have the home crowd on their side being that the WCWS is but 21 miles from their campus in Norman) in the mix, I see these Bruins’ chances as good to take home their 12th title – and the school’s 114th.

 

 

ALL RIGHT, HERE ARE THE THREE SOCAL COLLEGE BASEBALL TEAMS THAT WILL COMMENCE POST SEASON PLAY:

 

A Cal State Fullerton player scoring during a game – cool uniforms!

 

CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS

Record: 34-21, 15-9 and third place in the Big West Conference

Coach: Rick Vanderhook

Rank: 20th

* Had a seven-game winning streak from March 10-19 and a six-game winning streak from April 1-9

* Will begin play in the Stanford Regional in Palo Alto, CA as a two seed vs. BYU on Thursday, June 1st, at 1:00 p.m.

Number of National Championships: 4 – 1979, 1984, 1995, 2004

Top Pitchers:

Connor Seabold: 10-4, 2.94 ERA, 108 strikeouts

John Gavin: 6-2, 3.07 ERA

Brett Conine: 1.45 ERA, 12 saves

Top Hitters:

Scott Hurst, CF – .339 average*, 11 home runs*, 37 RBI*, 74 hits*

Taylor Bryant, 3B – .275 average, 3 home runs, 34 RBI

Hunter Cullen, RF – .276 average, 5 home runs, 26 RBI

Timmy Richards, SS – .280, 4 home runs, 22 RBI

Thoughts:

Besides the fact that Scott Hurst is the Titans’ big stud – judging by the numbers – this team has a strong history of excellence as one of the jewels of sports in the Cal State system.

Which is why I wouldn’t vote against them making it to Omaha.

Especially since they’ve won at least one national championship each of the previous four decades.

 

Those are some REALLY cool jerseys that this Long Beach State Dirtbag team has…

 

LONG BEACH STATE 49ers (DIRTBAGS)

Record: 37-17-1, 20-4 and Big West Champions

Coach: Troy Buckley

Rank: 9th

* Won five of six games against rival Cal State Fullerton to win the Big West title

* Has won eight of the last ten games

* Will begin play as a one seed, hosting a regional at Blair Field in Long Beach and facing San Diego State on Friday, June 2nd, at 8:00 p.m.

Top Pitchers:

Dave Smith: 8-1, 1.55 ERA*

Darren McCaughan: 8-2, 2.66 ERA, 94 strikeouts*

Chris Rivera: 2.51 ERA, 11 saves

Top Hitters:

Ramsey Romano, 3B – .338 average*, 2 home runs, 36 RBI*, 73 hits*

Lucas Tancas, LF – .312 average, 9 home runs,*, 34 RBI

Davis Banuelos, C – .303 average, 7 home runs, 28 RBI

Thoughts:

Although these Dirtbags finished the regular season ranked in the top ten with a conference crown in their pocket, wining their regional will be no easy cupcake walk as San Diego State (their first opponent), longtime traditional power Texas, and UCLA – more on them a bit – are all quite capable of emerging from this foursome and punching a ticket to the super regional.

The fact that Long Beach State will be at home will be quite the factor.

 

The greatest moment in UCLA Baseball history: winning their first national championship in 2003…

 

UCLA BRUINS

Record: 30-25, 19-11 and third place in the Pac-12 Conference

Coach: John Savage

Rank: None

* Swept crosstown rival USC at USC on May 4-6, after losing to the Trojans at Dodger Stadium on March 5th.

* Have won six of their last eight games

* Will begin play in the Long Beach Regional as a three seed vs Texas on Friday, June 3rd, at 4:00 p.m.

Number of National Championships: One – 2013

Top Pitchers:

Griffin Canning: 7-3, 2.34 ERA*, 134 strikeouts*

John Olsen: 7-1, 2.91 ERA

Scott Burke: 2.55 ERA, 5 saves

Top Hitters:

Sean Bouchard, 1B – .305 average*, 9 home runs*, 43 RBI*, 64 hits*

Daniel Amaral, CF – .286 average, 1 home run, 21 RBI

Brett Stephens, LF – .279 average, 2 home runs, 21 RBI

Michael Toglia, RF – .263 average, 8 home runs, 33 RBI

Chase Stumpf, 2B – .244 average, 7 home runs, 30 RBI

Thoughts:

I have to give this baseball team of my alma mater’s much credit for improving their play over the course of the season, particularly in the conference.

After watching the Bruins blow a 3-0 lead and lose to ‘SC at Dodger Stadium, I honestly didn’t think they would have a very good season, but I was wrong.

A significant factor in UCLA making the postseason is the simple fact that they have – at long last – found some pop in their lineup; Bouchard was their Mike Trout as he led the Bruins in pretty much every hitting category.

He will be crucial to the Bruins’ chances as being the next-to-last team among the 64 chosen for these playoffs, not much is expected.

Judging from their recent efforts, however, I think they have as good a shot as anyone.

 

Highlights of UCLA’s softball team clinching their berth in this year’s Women’s College World Series with the Bruins’ 1-0 win over Ole Miss. Courtesy of YouTube.

 

SOCAL SPORTS ANNALS’ 200th POST!

Tags

Bleacher Report, Crosstown Rivalry, Facebook, Fansided, Los Angeles, SoCal Sports Annals, Southern California sports, sports, Twitter, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans

An artist’s rendition of the new state of the art stadium currently being built in Inglewood that will house the Rams and the Chargers in 2019…

 

CELEBRATING TWO HUNDRED ARTICLES ON THIS SPORTS BLOG

I didn’t realize until a couple of weeks ago or so that the number of articles on this site was approaching 200.

That amount of posts on any site or blog needs to be acknowledged.

Being the founder, editor, and main writer of SoCal Sports Annals, I suppose I can feel glad for what has been accomplished here.

Particularly since this is a small site; I never expected it to be as big as Bleacher Report or Fansided, two sites that I wrote for, and it’s not – not even close.

However…

The fact that it has gotten as many as 204 reads in one day and has stayed steady in the daily number of visits,

As well as having nearly 1,100 followers on its Twitter page and over 140 “Likes” on its Facebook page,

Tells me that I’m doing something right.

My ultimate goal for SoCal Sports Annals has changed a bit in its two and half years of existence, as while the major pro and college teams in the Southland will continue to have a presence on this site,

I also want to put more of an emphasis on covering and writing about things that don’t necessarily get any real coverage on the mainstream sites.

 

 

I know this will seem a bit biased of me, being that I’m a UCLA alum, but this video of Sophina DeJesus’ floor exercise routine in 2016 – which went viral – is not only an illustration of my goal to cover things not usually covered, but also of the SoCal team that I enjoy the most. Courtesy of YouTube.

 

The stuff I’ve written about UCLA’s women’s gymnastics program and the various high school and youth baseball teams that play in my area – Los Angeles’ Westside – are  examples of this.

And it’s something that I plan to expand on as it’s on my intent list to cover and write about things like youth soccer – I have a friend whose daughter plays on a club team – and volleyball, both indoor and beach – I have a cousin who’s likewise on a club team.

It’s articles like that which will keep this blog interesting and not merely another site talking about the Dodgers, Lakers, UCLA, USC, and the other major teams in SoCal; stuff that everyone else is covering.

In other words, I don’t want to do anything that’s been done to death, which is why save for the annual Crosstown Rivalry football game between the Bruins and the Trojans, there hasn’t been any previews or recaps of contests on this blog.

Another ultimate goal for SoCal Sports Annals is for it to expand to the point where it can be like an online magazine, complete with a (small) staff of young people for whom this site could be a source of gaining journalism experience.

That would be a very good way for me to help the community.

I suppose there’s not too much else to say, except that it’s my hope and prayer that the next 200 articles are as successful as the first 200.

If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you to become one of this site’s followers as well as follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/socalshfanatic

And Facebook http://www.Facebook.com/SoCalSportsHub

Trust me when I say you won’t be disappointed in doing so, as this sports fan blog moves forward.

 

Dodger Stadium honoring the jersey number of the best athlete to ever come out of Southern California, period; if you don’t know who that is, I don’t know what to tell you…

SOCAL COLLEGE BASEBALL 2017: A Look At Some Standout Teams

Tags

Angel Stadium, baseball, Big West Conference, Cal State Fullerton Titans, College Baseball, College World Series, Dodger Stadium, Jackie Robinson, Long Beach State 49ers, Loyola Marymount Lions, Pac-12 Conference, Southern California, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, West Coast Conference

A Bruin batting against a Trojan during a Crosstown Rivalry game at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Westwood. Photo courtesy of pac-12.com

 

CHECKING OUT WHAT’S UP IN SOCAL COLLEGE BASEBALL THIS YEAR

When I first began this site, I promised myself that when it came to covering baseball  I wouldn’t focus on just the Dodgers and the Angels.

I think I’ve done a decent job of that, what with reporting on the annual clash that UCLA and USC partakes in at Dodger Stadium each spring and checking out that CIF playoff game at Culver City High School last year.

As part of that “decent job”, I wanted to look at some of the college teams in SoCal having good seasons as the playoffs and the College World Series are just around the corner.

To be honest, in some ways I prefer college baseball over their major league counterparts;

• It’s pure baseball rather than the sometimes circus atmosphere of Dodger Stadium or Angel Stadium,
• Speaking of atmosphere, college baseball offer a more intimate one as the ballparks rarely seat more than 2,500; you don’t get that cramped feeling like you can at the big league stadiums.
• Unlike their football and basketball counterparts, the players are more in it for the love of the game as with only 11.7 scholarships available per team, which averages 30 players, unless they get financial aid or grants they are footing at least half of their tuition – which is a lot of money at private schools like Loyola Marymount or USC.

So let’s get started with these looks at college baseball with my alma mater…

 

 

UCLA players congratulating each other during a win at Arizona State. Photo courtesy of uclabruins.com

 

UCLA BRUINS

Won-Loss Records: 17-16, 9-6 and tied for 2nd place in the Pac-12 Conference

Coach: John Savage, 13th year

Most Recent Game: Beat Long Beach State, 2-1, in 11 innings on April 18th

Next Games: vs top-ranked Oregon State, April 21-23

Top Hitter: Sean Bouchard, Jr, 1B/OF – .331 average, 6 home runs, 24 RBI

Top Pitchers:

Griffin Canning, Jr: 3-2, 2.77 ERA

Jake Bird, Jr: 4-0, 2.79 ERA

 

 

 

USC’s baseball team before a game. Photo courtesy of usctrojans.com

 

USC TROJANS

Won-Loss Records: 18-17, 5-7 and tied for 7th place in the Pac-12 Conference

Coach: Ken Hubbs, 5th year

Most Recent Game: Lost to UC Irvine, 14-3, on April 18th

Next Games: at California, April 21-23

Top Hitter: Lars Nootbaar, Soph. 1B/OF – .319 average, 5 home runs, 25 RBI

Top Pitcher: Chris Clarke, Fr: 4-1, 4.89 ERA

 

 

 

A Cal State Fullerton pitcher and catcher congratulating each other after a win. Photo courtesy of fullertontitans.com

 

CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS

Won-Loss Records: 23-12, 5-1 and 1st place in the Big West Conference

Coach: Rick Vanderhook, 6th year

National Rank: 8th

Most Recent Game: Lost to San Diego, 11-6, on April 18th

Next Games: at Cal Poly, April 21 to 23

Top Hitter: Scott Hurst, Jr. OF – .305 average, 4 home runs, 22 RBI

Top Pitchers:

John Gavin, Jr: 5-0, 2.22 ERA

Brett Conine, Soph: 0.77 ERA, 7 saves

 

 

 

Those are some really cool uniforms that these Long Beach State Dirtbags are wearing! Photo courtesy of presstelegram.com

 

LONG BEACH STATE 49ers (Dirtbags)

Won-Loss Records: 22-13, 7-2 and 2nd place in the Big West Conference

Coach: Troy Buckley, 7th year

National Rank: 17th

Most Recent Game: Lost to UCLA, 2-1, in 11 innings on April 18th

Next Games: at UC Irvine, April 21 to 23

Top Hitters:

Lucas Tancas, Jr. OF – .333 average, 5 home runs, 18 RBI

Davis Banuelos, Jr. C – .300 average, 5 home runs, 20 RBI

Top Pitchers:

Darren McCaughan, Jr: 4-2, 2.88 ERA

John Sheaks, Jr: 5-1, 2.90 ERA

 

 

An official team photo of Loyola Marymount’s Lions from Westchester, just north of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Photo courtesy of lmulions.com

 

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS

Won-Loss Records: 24-13, 11-4 and 3rd place in the West Coast Conference

Coach: Jason Gill, 9th year

Most Recent Game: Beat Cal State Northridge, 6-1, on April 18th

Next Games: at Pepperdine (The Big Rivalry!), April 21 to 23

Top Hitter: Phil Caulfield, Sr. 2B – .369 average, 2 home runs, 27 RBI

Top Pitchers:

Codie Paiva, Soph: 5-0, 1.47 ERA

Cory Abbott, Jr: 7-1, 2.12 ERA

 

 

Some members of UCLA’s baseball team honoring the greatest Bruin of all time by wearing throwback uniforms with the iconic #42. That their stadium is named after Jackie Robinson is quite appropriate as well. Photo courtesy of bruinsnation.com

A TRIBUTE TO JACKIE ROBINSON and the 70th ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BREAKING BASEBALL’S COLOR LINE

Tags

42, African Americans, athlete, baseball, blacks, Brooklyn Dodgers, civil rights, Dodger Stadium, Dodgers, Ebbets Field, Jackie Robinson, Major League Baseball, Negro Leagues, Pasadena, Southern California, UCLA

“Were there better players? Sure. But were there better men? No.” – Bob Costas. Image courtesy of phllytrib.com

 

OUR ANNUAL HOMAGE TO THE GREATEST DODGER AND UCLA BRUIN OF ALL TIME, AND THE GREATEST ATHLETE THAT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EVER PRODUCED

 

It’s interesting how fast seventy years goes by.

But at the risk of uttering a cliché, it’s hard to believe that this Saturday will mark seventy years to the day that a 28-year old African-American stepped onto the diamond at Ebbets Field in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, wearing the uniform of the local team, the Dodgers…

And officially broke a sixty-year barrier that barred all Blacks, regardless of ability,  from playing organized professional baseball outside of the Negro Leagues as he played first base and though he went 0-for-3, made not only sports history but history in general.

Much has been said and celebrated about Jackie Robinson, particularly within the last twenty years as his number 42 was retired by all of Major League Baseball – the first time that has happened in the history of sports – in a ceremony at Shea Stadium, where the Dodgers were playing the New York Mets, in 1997.

 

Jackie sliding against the (then) Boston Braves. Photo courtesy of ideastations.org

 

Ken Burns’ iconic Baseball documentary covered Robinson’s breaking the color line and subsequent career at length, and the filmmaker went even further when he made Jackie the subject of his own documentary last year, covering his entire life from his early days in Pasadena to his time as UCLA’s first (and still only) four-sport letterman to his post-baseball involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.

 

Some footage of Jackie Robinson in action, courtesy of YouTube.

 

The biggest thing that needs to always be remembered about this true legend, in the views of me and I’m sure many others, is this…

Jackie went through perhaps the purest form of racist hell in breaking the color line; what made it such was the fact that it completely went against his nature as he had a hotheaded personality who would angrily confront people and brawl at the slightest provocation.

 

Chadwick Boseman doing a spectacular job portraying Jackie Robinson in the 2013 movie “42”. Photo courtesy of nj.com

 

People know that at the request of Dodger president Branch Rickey, Jackie agreed to “Turn the other cheek”, not fight back at any racist gestures, for the first three years of his career, the season he played with the minor league Montreal Royals and his first two years with the Dodgers.

While I won’t go into any of those grim specifics that Jackie endured, the acclaimed movie 42, starring Chadwick Boseman, illustrated well what he had to go through; if you haven’t seen the film, I strongly suggest that you do.

 

 

A video honoring Jackie’s legacy, courtesy of YouTube

 

Because of his nature and what I’m sure was the post traumatic stress from taking all the crap he had to take, one can say that Jackie gave his life to make a horrible wrong right as he died from various ailments, mostly from diabetes and a bad heart, at the much too young age of 53.

 

Jackie as a UCLA baseball player in 1940. Photo courtesy of uclabruins.com

 

As many African-American players such as Reggie Jackson have since stated, Jackie was “…the only one of us who could have (integrated baseball).”

Besides every player in MLB wearing the number 42 on Saturday – which is officially designated Jackie Robinson Day in an unofficial holiday fashion – as they have done for the past several seasons, Dodger Stadium will unveil a statue of Jackie, becoming the latest of many venues across America, including UCLA’s baseball facility in Westwood, to honor his likeness.

Personally speaking, being that I’m an African-American from the same SoCal region where Jackie grew up and am an alum of the same UCLA that he is an alum of, I treat every April 15th as a holiday, wearing my #42 Dodger jersey as I go about my business; in this case I will be playing in my weekly pick-up softball game.

I’m very much looking forward to playing the game honoring Jackie in my number 42.

And I hope you will be wearing that number as well; it’s the least we can do to honor the greatest man in sports.

 

 

A display of Jackie’s #42 outside of Dodger Stadium. Photo courtesy of shsleaf.org

 

 

 

 

UCLA BRUINS BASKETBALL: 2016-17 Season Wrap-Up (Men’s & Women’s)

Tags

basketball, Bruin Nation, Bruins, college basketball, March Madness, NCAA, Pac-12 Conference, Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, UCLA Basketball, UCLA Bruins, UCLA Women's Basketball, University of California Los Angeles, Westwood

Bruins having some fun during their win over Ohio State. Photo courtesy of crypticimages.com

 

UCLA BRUINS MEN’S BASKETBALL

Final Record:  31-5 overall, 13-3 and 3rd place in the Pac-12 Conference

* Lost to Kentucky in the Sweet 16, 86-75

Biggest Wins:

* At Kentucky, 97-92, on December 3rd

* vs USC, 102-70, on February 18th

* At Arizona, 77-72, on February 25th

Key Players:

T.J. Leaf, Fr. F – 16.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg (My choice for team Co-MVP)

Bryce Alford, Sr. G – 15.5 ppg, 116 three-point field goals made

Lonzo Ball, Fr. G – 14.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 7.6 apg (My choice for team Co-MVP)

Issac Hamilton, Sr. G – 14.1 ppg

Aaron Holiday, So. G – 12.3 ppg

Thomas Welch, Jr. C – 10.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg

Seniors Gone: 3 – Alford, Hamilton, and Jerrold Smith, G

Also Gone: Ball (and possibly Leaf, who hasn’t decided)

 

The Bruins’ biggest win of 2016-17 in my view: A 77-72 triumph over Arizona in Tucson on February 25th.   (click on the link)

 

UCLA BRUINS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Final Record:  25-9 overall, 13-5 and 4th place in the Pac-12 Conference

* Lost to #1 Connecticut in the Sweet 16, 86-71

Biggest Wins:

* vs Pac-12 Regular Season Champion Oregon State on January 13th, 66-56

* At current Final Four participant Stanford on February 6th, 85-76

* Currently holding a program record 29-game home winning streak

Key Players:

Jordin Canada, Jr. G – 17.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 7.1 apg (My choice for team Co-MVP)

Monique Billings, Jr. F – 16.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg (My choice for team Co-MVP)

Kennedy Burke, So. G – 12.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg

Kari Korver, Sr. G – 8.6 ppg

Seniors Gone: 1 – Korver

 

Nov 14, 2016; Waco, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kennedy Burke (22) and guard Jordin Canada (3) and guard Kari Korver (2) and guard Nicole Kornet (0) and forward Monique Billings (25) huddle after a time out against the Baylor Bears during a game at Ferrell Center. Baylor won 84-70. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports Photo courtesy of GoJoeBruin.com

 

Some Final Thoughts:

As far as the post season for my alma mater’s basketball teams, things happened exactly as I predicted they would; check out my NCAA Tournament predictions article http://www.socalsportsannals.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/socal-basketball-in-the-ncaa-tournament-preview-predictions-of-the-teams-in-the-big-dance/

Which was why unlike many fellow members of Bruin Nation, I wasn’t completely devastated when UCLA’s men’s and women’s teams got ousted in the regional semifinals.

How could I when the male Bruins won 31 games while their female counterparts won 25, as roughly 98% of the Division 1 teams would have happily traded records with UCLA’s.

Face it Bruins, though there were concerns about defense (men’s) and depth (women’s), basketball was very good in Westwood in 2016-17.

So Lonzo Ball announced that he was entering the NBA draft minutes after their loss to Kentucky in Memphis; it was universally known that this would come to pass the moment he signed.

With Alford and Hamilton gone as well, that means that the Bruins will be losing 3/5 of their starters – 4/5 depending on what Leaf decides.

But that matters little as coach Steve Alford has not only committed his loyalty to Bruin Nation once and for all when he stated that he wasn’t interested in returning to coach his alma mater Indiana, (who subsequently hired some one else),

He has another top three recruiting class coming to Westwood, including Lonzo’s brother LiAngelo.

In other words, I’ll be quite surprised if UCLA back slides like they did in 2015-16.

And if Leaf decides that the NBA can wait and remains a Bruin, watch out!

 

My choice for the Lady Bruins’ biggest win this season: a 85-76 decision at now Final Four-bound Stanford on February 6th (click on the link)

 

As For The Women…

Coach Cori Close’s team REALLY needs to be given pats on the back for playing those unbeatable Wonder Women at Connecticut as tough as they did, giving those #1 and working on a now-110 game winning streak and fifth straight national title Huskies some punches in the nose and hanging with UConn rather well before reality set in.

The fact that those Bruins didn’t lose by 30 or 40 points like so many other Husky opponents says a lot.

It reminded me of the first Rocky movie when that club fighter stayed toe to toe with champion Apollo Creed for 15 rounds before losing.

With UCLA losing only one senior and their two best players, Canada and Billings, returning, next year looks very bright.

All they need is perhaps a little more depth to put them in a better position to get over the hump and not only join UConn, Notre Dame, and Baylor (among others) as one of  the elites of women’s college basketball,

But also to potentially beat those teams.

I regret not being able to check out those ladies at Pauley Pavilion this year.

Next year I’ll make a better effort to do so; perhaps when that UConn team comes to Pauley as they are scheduled to do.

Until next year, Bruin Hoopsters…

 

Joe Bruin and the UCLA Spirit Squad saluting the Bruins after a game. Photo courtesy of bustingbrackets.com

 

 

LOS ANGELES MARATHON 2017: Bringing SoCal Together

Tags

All-American, Beverly Hills, Dodger Stadium, Kenya, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Marathon, marathon, running, Santa Monica, Southern California, sports, unifying

Check out the sea of runners in this year’s edition of the Los Angeles Marathon! Photo courtesy of ktla.com

 

A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE 32nd LOS ANGELES MARATHON, SOMETHING THAT BRINGS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS TOGETHER AT A DESPERATELY NEEDED TIME

 

It was unfortunate that because I was getting some needed sleep after an active Saturday, I was unable to catch any of yesterday’s Los Angeles Marathon on TV.

I’ve always admired anyone who can run 26.2 miles; after all, the first person who did it in 490 BC, a guy named Pheidippides who was sent to Athens to tell the people there that the Greeks had beaten the Persians in the battle of Marathon (an obvious origin of the event’s name) collapsed and died upon arrival.

The fact that it’s something that I’ve never done makes it all the more fascinating to me.

 

The men’s winner of the 2017 L.A. Marathon, Elisha Barno of Kenya, finishing with the time shown above. Photo courtesy of zimbio.com

 

 

In light of these polarizing cold Civil War-like times not only in this country, but in the world, events like this, which brings people from all walks of life together from the elite runners who take a couple of hours to finish to regular folks for whom completing the route from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica is a major milestone accomplishment, are needed more than ever.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Donald Trump supporter or see him as the devil incarnate, or if you’re a red white and blue All-American or someone from countries like Kenya – who once again swept both the men’s and women’s winner stands this year and split the $100,000 prize money – at marathons.

 

Scenes from the final stretch of this year’s Los Angeles Marathon on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, courtesy of YouTube.

 

It’s all about enjoying the experience, in this case running through places like Beverly Hills and past landmarks like Grauman’s Chinese Theater; as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti commented:

“It’s all about the citizens who just love sports, Doesn’t matter your ability, your age, your background – we love sports.”

There was one of those 24,000 citizens who ran yesterday’s marathon who I was particularly proud of, a young woman named Christal Ryles, who happens to be my cousin and was very successful in her first L.A. Marathon, finishing just before 1:00 p.m. after five hours, 38 minutes and 29 seconds.

 

Hellen Jepkurgat, of Kenya, crosses the finish line as she wins the women’s Los Angeles Marathon, Sunday, March 19, 2017, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Thomas R. Cordova/Los Angeles Daily News via AP) Photo courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

 

To say that I and our entire extended family was very happy over her accomplishment is quite the understatement.

The only other thing I can think of to say about this city’s marathon is that it is something that is a nice unifying event and much-needed in an area as diverse as this.

Like other major marathons in cities such as New York and Boston, it is an event for the people.

Which I see as something very positive.

 

Another shot of the more than 24,000 runners taking part in the 32nd Sketchers Performance Los Angeles Marathon yesterday. Photo courtesy of geomarketing.com