SAN FRANCISCO BASEBALL

OLD TIMERS ASSOCIATION

(Established 1941)

FROM THE DUGOUT

June 2016 Edition
_______________________________
Officers

Directors

Rich Murphy (President)

Bill DeMattei

Jim Jarvis

Bob Fife (Vice President)

Dave Longa

Frank Brady

Ken Mooney (Treasurer)

Paul Varni

Nick Poppin

Anthony Boyadzis (Secretary)

Cliff Righetti

Gary B ader (Membership)

Leo Martinez (Health & Welfare)

Joe Marino (Sgt. at Arms)

Rich Ford (Golf Commissioner)

Lou Landini (Newsletter Editor)

Editors Column
At the end of ones career, as that person saunters off into retirement, the big
question I always ask myself is this: Did this person make a difference? To me that
means Did this person do things that have made the world better? If the answer is
Yes, then that persons career and life have been a success. Each month as I go
through the list of the Old Timers membership, I see a whole treasure trove of names
of guys who truly have made a difference. The SFBOTA is like a diamond mine of
guys who really have made the world better because of who they are and what they
have done. As this humble publication continues on, I will do my best to bring to
light some of the real difference makers in the Old Timers.
Let me start this month with a real hero and difference maker---Mr. Lawrence R.
Lawson. Larry started his professional career as a police officer in the SFPD. He
quickly ascended the ranks and became an Inspector and spent several years in the
Juvenile Bureau. In his law enforcement career he performed his job with
compassion, integrity and the highest sense of honor and justice. His reputation was
stellar.
Then one day Larry made a significant career change. He decided to become an
educator. He earned a doctorate in education and joined the faculty at City College
of San Francisco in what used to be called the Criminology Department. Over the
many years he taught at CCSF, he educated thousands of young people and laid the
groundwork for their entry into various law enforcement agencies, but mainly SFPD.

Larry also taught for many years at the University of San Francisco, where he
inspired many more students to pursue careers in the law, business and other fields.
Larry and his wonderful wife Pat had five kids, all of whom were successes, including
two, sons Dan and Mike, who followed Larry into police careers with SFPD. Dan also
achieved a doctorate in education and has been an awesome instructor at CCSF for
many years in what is now known as the Administration of Justice Department.
When his teaching career came to an end, I looked back on his achievements and said
Wow, Larry made a difference. A Huge Difference! He taught, he counseled, he
guided, he helped, he cajoled, he prepared not just a few or hundreds but rather many
thousands of kids and young adults to successful, honorable careers in law
enforcement, probation, teaching and the legal profession. Over the years, one could
look at the SFPD Command Staff and see the ranks filled with Larrys former
students.
The City and County of San Francisco owes so much to this dedicated, humble and
exemplary man. I know I sure do. He was and still is my teacher, my mentor, my
conscience, my role model, my moral compass and my second Dad. Throughout my
career, when faced with a decision, I would and still do ask myself, What would Larry
do right now?
Larry, from all of us whose lives you have touched in such a magical way, we thank
you for being a true Difference Maker. You are our Hero.
A Serious Moment
My Good Friends and Fellow Old Timers, I have been informed in confidence by some
Old Timers that several of our members have or had been dealing with the
horrendous situation of a loved one stricken with the horrible and indiscriminate
Alzheimers Disease. As we all know, this disease always kills, but it does so in cruel
fashion over time, robbing the victim of recognition and memory. It places a
crushing burden on the victims family and caregivers, who struggle to provide love
and comfort as the victim drifts toward the end of life.
There is no present cure for this scourge, although research is making inroads into
understanding how this illness originates and progresses. Much more needs to be
done to hopefully find a cure or ways to slow the disease and ease its effects. But
this takes money, as does the battle against any catastrophic illness. Lets make a
commitment as an organization to help fight this killer---let us become Old Timers
Against Alzheimers!
Help SFBOTA Save Money!!
We are still looking for guys to sign up to have their monthly newsletters and event
flyers sent to them by email. We are approaching 60 members and counting who
have joined the email group, and the feedback has been very positive. If you want to
go the email route, send me an email at insplfl225@hotmail.com and well add you to
this elite group.
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Some Special Baseball Guys

This just in from our SFBOTA Secretary, Tony Boyadzis: Two high-school coaching
legends at El Camino HS in South SF had their numbers retired this season. Lou
Zuardo and Carlos Roman were recognized with this highest of baseball honors for
their coaching achievements, Lou from 1971 to 1982, and Carlos from 1985 to 2012.
I had the pleasure of playing with Lou on the Ellis Brooks Chevrolet team for about
10 years, and in that time I realized that Lou is a baseball genius. He really
understands the game of baseball and his Baseball IQ is off the charts. Not only
could he play the game at a high level, he was able to instruct young players to play
smart. Lou, a long time catcher, is also a fabulous pitching coach and taught the now
widely used circle change to a number of young professional pitchers and jumpstarted their careers.
Congratulations to Carlos and Lou on their successful careers and this great honor.
Important Dates Department:
June 14, 2016---Monthly Dinner at the Irish Cultural Center, cocktails at 6:00 PM,
and dinner will be served at 7:00 PM. On the menu will be Pasta with Meat Sauce.
(Some members of the Board of Directors have asked for permission to bring their
sock puppets and do stand-up comedy. President Rich Murphy instead has offered to
bring his collection of Mario Lanza records instead.)
June 15, 2016---Marino Pieretti Group Luncheon, this time at the South San
Francisco Elks Club. Cocktails begin at 11:30 and lunch is around 12:00 Noon. (Dave
Longa, remember its the Elks Club, and the Elk on the wall is NOT Bullwinkle!)
(***Special Note: These dates are not a typo. The back-to-back occurrence of
the Monthly Dinner and the Marino Pieretti Luncheon happens every once in a
while. Just remember that your wives love it when this happens---they get you
out of the house two days in a row!)
July 12, 2016---This will be the Monthly LUNCH. Thats right, its a lunch, and kids
are welcome as guests. The doors to the Irish Cultural Center will open at 11:30 AM
and lunch will began around Noon. That days menu will be Hot Dogs (also known as
Tube Steak), Beans (Uh Oh!), and Corn on the Cob.
July 20, 2016---Marino Pieretti Group Luncheon, which will take place at Nicks
Restaurant on Rockaway Avenue in Pacifica. Cocktails at 11:30 and lunch is at Noon.
Golf News---Upcoming Events
June 27, 2016, starting at 9:00 AM---Monarch Bay Golf Course, in San Leandro. This
is a fun golf course with some challenging holes, right next to the breezy Oakland
Estuary. This will be a Scramble Format, and those who win closest-to-the-hole
prizes will have earned them.
July 15, 2016, starting at 10:00 AM---Bennett Valley Golf Course. In Santa Rosa.
This event is always heavily attended because BVGC is a great and fair course to play,
3

and it doesnt get much more scenic than the surrounding foothills. This also is a
Scramble Format.
=====
Here are the closest-to-the-hole results from the Foxtail outing on 5/16/16, as
reported by the Honorable Rich Ford, Commissioner of the R&A (Rotten and Awful)
Golf Society of the SFBOTA:
3rd Hole: Forward Tees (1) Leo Martinez 138 (2) Frank Brady 143
Back Tees

(1) Dan Merolla 236

(2) ---Nobody---

6th Hole: Forward Tees (1) Rich Brostrom 211

Back Tees

(1) ---Nobody---

(2) ---Nobody---

13th Hole: Forward Tees (1) Roy Tripaldi 610

Back Tees

(1) Paul Navarro 10

15th Hole: Forward Tees (1) John Kelly 39

Back Tees

(2) Leo Martinez 40

(1) ---Nobody---

(2) Vince Nocito 230

(2) Gary Bader 109
(2) Rich Murphy 107
(2) ---Nobody---

(This Nobody guy is a GREAT golfer. He won 5 prizes! The Big Question:
Did he buy anybody drinks with his winnings?)
In Memoriam
It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of a fellow Old Timer and great
personal friend---Bob Summers. Bob lost his valiant battle against cancer, but he
maintained his courage right up to end. Bob grew up in SFs Excelsior District,
graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, and proudly served his country in Viet
Nam as a member of the United States Navy. Bob was a long-time umpire, and it was
through that affiliation that I met him while I was a coach at USF. Bob was a
tremendous golfer and often played in Old Timer events. Bob is survived by his adult
kids Jennifer, Danny and Jimmy, his sisters Linda and Carolyn, and too many friends
and relatives to count. Godspeed, Bob.
On the Mend
Bob Martinez, Ken Mooney, Rich Blackburn, Bill Kennaugh, Don Benedetti and Hal
Fox---All these great guys are on the DL for now, and the Old Timers wish each and
every one of these honorable Members a speedy and complete recovery.
And we are happy to report that Marci and Jim McCoy, who were both under the
weather, are back in the swing of things and doing well.

News Flash
Courtesy of Fellow Old Timer and sponsor Kris Kimball, SFBOTA has a website which
I would encourage everyone to take a look at it at www.sfbot.net There are some great
photos in there. Kris has noted that you can become a Follower which will get you
automatic updates. Thank you, Kris!
You Know Youre an Old Timer When
you are watching TV and you try to change the channel with your Medic Alert
bracelet.
you stand at the foot of your stairs and think Do I need to go up there for
something or did I just come back down?
your wife yells at you for drinking milk straight out of the bottle in the fridge, you
deny it, and she hands you your teeth which she found in the bottle. Busted!!

Ultimate Old Timer and Men of the Year Dinner

On Friday, May 27, we had the distinct pleasure of attending a dinner at Nicks to
honor the latest Ultimate Old Timer, the venerable Nick Cannuli, and two Men of the
Year, Bob Volkert and John LeTourneau. It was a fantastic function! Nick brought
what seemed like 248 relatives (really only 24), and it was a beautiful thing to see.
Bob won the Best Acceptance Speech award---he said Thank you very much for this
great award and the crowd went wild (Total Elapsed Time 2.68 Seconds). And John
saved himself several weeks of sleeping outside in the back seat of his car by
belatedly re-taking the microphone and introducing his sweet wife and family after
almost forgetting to do it earlier. Close call, JLT, but you saved your own bacon!
And there was quite an impressive display of a whole boatload of previously honored
Ultimate Old Timers in their distinctive jackets. What an honor it was for all of us to
see.
Overheard
Bobby Mitchell was selling raffle tickets at a monthly dinner with his faithful friend,
Nick Poppin, when Bob asks Nick, Hey, if you had cross 50 miles of Death Valley in
120 degree heat at high noon, what would you take with you to survive? Nick said,
Id carry a big can of water on my back, and Id drink from it, and spray myself with
water to keep myself cool. So Nick says to Bobby What would you take, Bob? And
Bobby swells up and says I would take a car door. Nick quizzically looks at Bobby
and says Why would you take a car door? Bobby replied, Well, when it gets hot,
Id roll down the window. Nick fainted.
New Members Department
No new members were presented to either the Old Timers or the Marino Pieretti
Group in May. Word has it that the FBI has not yet completed the background
checks on the applicants, some of whom may be on the No-Fly Lists.

Rogues Gallery

2016 Man of the Year

2016 Ultimate Old Timer

2016 Man Of the Year

Bob Volkert

Nick Cannuli

John LeTourneau

A Squadron of Ultimate Old Timers

Standing (L-R) Ken Mooney, Pete
Dalton, Cliff Righetti, Don Benedetti
and Gary Bader
Seated (L-R) Nick Cannuli, Ernie
Golding and Leo Martinez

Members of the 1956 City College of

San Francisco Championship Team
(L-R) Fred Quinn, Bob Bandettini, Ken
Dito, Ron Castro, Jim Poppin, Frank
(Cic) Williams, and Bud Williams

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsors

DEE MURATORE, MURATORE GENERAL CONTRACTOR & CABINET MAKER
2825 Phelps St, SF 94124; 415-826-1220; www.muratorecorp.com
DENNIS DICKEY, 1st CHOICE MORTGAGE AND REALTYJohn Le
1553 Second Street, Napa 94559 707-252-2400 dennis@realtorcite.com
ROB FIFE, 729 SOLUTIONS
1618 Sullivan Ave, Suite 535, Daly City 94115 650-755-7049
GERI CAMPANA, AL GRAF BAIL BONDS
859 Bryant St, SF 94013 415-431-3333
ERNEST CHUCKAYALA, AYALA REAL ESTATE
532 Castro Street, SF 94114 415-861-0704 ecayala@aol.com
KRIS KIMBALL. BRADLEY REAL ESTATE
563 San Pedro Cove, San Rafael 94901 415-706-4100
ROGER MINHANDO, CHALET BASQUE RESTAURANT
405 No. San Pedro Rd, San Rafael 94901 415-479-1070 chaletbasque@hotmail.com
LOREN A. KERTZ, CHARLES SCHWAB CO.
403 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera 94925 415-945-6408 loren.a.kertz@schwab.com
JOE MARINO, COLUMBUS CAF
562 Green St, SF 94133 415-326-3088
FRANK J. PISA BARBER SHOP
5 Civic Center Lane, Millbrae 94030 650-697-0736
PAUL NAVARRO, LUCETIS RESTAURANT
109 W. 25th Avenue, San Mateo 94403 650-574-1256 or 650-458-6550

lucetis.com

GREG RIGHETTI, MARIN LOCK & SAFE

808 Third St, San Rafael 94901 415-456-4346 marinlockandsafe@gmail.com
MARK BENEDETTI INSURANCE
199 California Dr, Suite 702,Millbrae 94030 650-697-2044 mbinsuru@hotmail.com
NICK DUTTO, METROPOLITAN ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION, INC.
2400 Third St, SF 94107 415-642-3002 ndutto@metroelectric.com
CHUCK GUST, NICKS SEASHORE RESTAURANT
100 Rockaway Avenue, Pacifica 94044 650-359-3900 www.nicksrestaurant.net
RAY McDONALD, PERSONAL AWARDS CO.
1842 E. 3rd Avenue, San Mateo 94401 650-558-0860 pawards@pacbell.net
DANIEL E. COLLINS, PORTSMOUTH FINANCIAL SERVICES
250 Montgomery St, Suite 200, SF 94104 415-543-8500 or 800-443-2227 toll free
TOM LaTORRE, SABELLA & LaTORRE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
#3 Fishermans Wharf, SF 94133 415-673-2824
SAN FRANCISCO FIREFIGHTERS TOY PROGRAM
Leo Martinez, Al McCarthy, Vince Tudoni. Rich Blackburn, Skip McKinney, George Schnapp,
Jim McCoy, Art Citron, Dan Jacobsmeyer, Brian Kearney, Ray Molinari

TOM CREEDIN, SCOMAS RESTAURANT

Pier 47, Fishermans Wharf, SF 94133 415-771-4383
MARLENE VOGELSANG, SOCIETY for AMERICAN BASEBALL RESEARCH (SABR)
510-589-8523 mvogelsang@sbcglobal.net
THOMAS J. BRANDI, THE BRANDI LAW FIRM
354 Pine St, 3rd Floor, SF 94104 415-989-1800 tjb@brandilaw.com
DAVE LONGA,
THE MARINO PIERETTI GROUP
TERESA MOORE, THE UNITED IRISH CULTURAL CENTER
2700-45th Avenue, SF 94116 415-661-2494 UICCBanquets@yahoo.com
JAR OF GOLD
Fellow Old Timers Jim Jarvis & Ernie Golding
THE GRIDER FAMILY
RETIRED SAN FRANCISCO FIREFIGHTERS
Nick Cannuli, Bill DeMattei, Mel Canevaro, Jim OConnor, Don Dennehy, Bob Moser,
Milt Panagotacos, Mike Pera, Jack Bonnici, Roger Bross, Frank Kelly
DANIEL DUGGAN, DUGGANS SERRA MORTUARY
500 Westlake Av, Daly City 94014 650-756-4500 dan@duggansserra.com
TABLE 6 (TRUCK)
Hank Sanchez, Al McCarthy, Art Citron, Jim OConnor, Larry Lawson, Jim Dowd, George Schnapp
ALUMNI of MISSION HIGH SCHOOL
Vince Belli, Eddie Gutierrez, Joe Blea, Steve Riordan, Terry Roach
THE BALL TEAM
The Late Frank Strazzullo, The Late John Alameda, Mike Bagdon, Rich Ford, Con Maloney, Billy Jones,
Art White, Ken Mooney and Big Sully
THE 1956 BIG 8 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP BASEBALL TEAM
Bob Bandetini, Glen Buckowatz, Ron Castro, Ken Dito, Russ Fadelf, Roger Ferrari, Lew Flores,
Fred Glosser, Blair LeMire, John McCarthy, Larry Nielsen, Larry Nissim, Jim Poppin,
Fred Quinn, Ray Waruman, Frank Cic Williams, Vince Bud Williams
ANONYMOUS DONOR
Thanks Old Timers---Your Monthly Newsletter Is A Great Read
DR. PAUL NIDERMAN, DDS, DENTAL CARE SF, HIGH TECH COSMETIC DENTISTRY
2310 Judah St @ 28th Av, SF 94122 415-564-8330 contact@dentalsf.com