SAN FRANCISCO BASEBALL

OLD TIMERS ASSOCIATION

(Established 1941)

“FROM THE DUGOUT”

May 2020 Edition
_______________________________
Officers Directors

Joe Marino, President Bill DeMattei Nick Poppin

Bill Angel, Vice-President Cliff Righetti Bob Fife

Mike Koppel, Secretary Dave Longa Grant Becker

Paul Varni, Treasurer Gene Hartje Jim McCoy

Bob Mitchell, Sgt. at Arms Paul Giambra Tony Marotto

Gary Bader, Membership Chair Mark Shustoff Jon Hanlon

Leo Martinez, Goodwill Chair

Rich Ford, Golf Commissioner Fashion Consultant

Jim Jarvis, Immediate Past President Ken Mooney

Lou Landini, Newsletter Editor

A Wonderful Announcement
Let us take a moment to congratulate our beloved Nick and Mieko Poppin on the
celebration of their 60th Wedding Anniversary!! They are an example of true love and
devotion, and we wish them many more anniversaries together!! Bless you both!!
Editor’s Column
Well, another month has gone by during which we have been held captive and our
lives significantly disrupted by a microscopic thing called the coronavirus. It is an
unpredictable little bugger that has had an unpredictable run at us. The vast
majority of the world’s population is unaffected by it. Many who do get infected
suffer little or nothing from it, while others can have serious, even fatal,
consequences. Tragically a large number of those stricken worldwide by this virus
have lost their lives. Of great concern to the SF Baseball Old Timers is the fact that a
huge percentage of those dying or suffering greatly from this disease are the elderly,
and as the name of our organization implies, we Old Timers are the elderly right in
the cross-hairs of this illness. As of this writing, your editor has not received any
information about any Old Timers or their family members who have been stricken.
This is a blessing, and let’s hope and pray that this continues until this virus is
contained and curative measures are found.
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So, Brother Old Timers, it is imperative that we all follow the guidelines set forth for
us by the doctors, nurses and scientists who know a helluva lot more than we do.
Avoid public places, crowds and physical contact; shelter in place; wear a mask; wash
your hands a lot; get plenty of rest; familiarize yourself with the symptoms of
infection; and contact your doctor without delay if these symptoms appear. Deal?
New Pisa Alumni Society Update
To get your name listed in this ultra-exclusive group and provide financial support for
youth baseball in SF, please send $10 for each name you want included (checks
payable to the SF Baseball Old Timers Association) to your editor, Lou Landini, at 208
Forest Park Drive, Pacifica CA 94044. Last year’s notable donations from this fund
went to Mission HS and Washington HS for baseball related activities. Dante
Benedetti is smiling down on this group for keeping his long history of generosity and
commitment to Kids’ Baseball alive.
As of this writing, we now have 56 donors signed up for the New Pisa Alumni, with
extraordinary generosity on display from The Honorable Judge Quentin Kopp, Ed
Paulus Sr. and Family, Bob and Nancy Crosat, Mark Benedetti and the storied
Benedetti Family, and most recently Alan and Annealisa Dworkin and Jim and Ana
Regan. AND, as of 04/18/20, we have received a WHOPPING $1045!! Thank you all!!!
Kathy’s Fund Update
Despite the cancellation of the April dinner and resulting absence of a collection for
Kathy’s Fund, an anonymous member kicked in a check for $100 just to keep out
donation streak alive. We all keep hoping that one day, the Alzheimer’s Association
will put out the earthshaking announcement that a cure has been developed. So,
when we convene the next time, whenever that is, let’s keep the donations coming so
we can achieve that cure we all so badly want to see.
We continue to fire off substantial checks to the Alzheimer’s Association each month,
and each dollar we send gets the researchers a little bit closer to a preventive
treatment or cure for this cruel disease. When we “count the can” at the end of each
meeting, we are proud to be part of such a caring group as the Old Timers.
Important Dates Department
***PLEASE NOTE: BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS SITUATION, THE FOLLOWING
EVENTS MAY BE CANCELLED UPON THE ORDER OF LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH
OFFICIALS. SHOULD THAT OCCUR, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO PROVIDE YOU WITH
PROMPT NOTIFICATION.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020---the monthly dinner will take place at Nick’s at 6:30, and will
feature Chicken Scallopini as the entrée du jour. It has been rumored that Emil and
Frank Ruggiero, ably assisted by Bob Devincenzi, will reenact the scene from “The
Godfather” in which Michael Corleone “whacks” Solozzo and the corrupt police captain
in Louis’s Restaurant in the Bronx. They are arguing over who plays Michael. (The
usual Board of Directors meeting will be at 5:00 PM.)

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Wednesday, May 20, 2020---the Pieretti Lunch Bunch will stage a take-over of
Dominic’s at Oyster Point, with vocal cord loosening starting at 11:00 and the usual
great lunch at 12:00. Dave Longa may be facing a challenge to his authority because
a number of Green Jacket Guys want to nix the jackets for future nominees and
award them instead a green top hat. Vegas is laying down 10,000 to one on “No!”
Friday, May 22, 2020---This is the date of the famous Ultimate Old Timer and Men of
the Year Awards Dinner. This year’s Ultimate Old Timer will be the truly deserving
Rich Ford, and the Men of the Year will be Big Jim Jarvis (a great choice!) and your
editor (not so much!). A flyer for this great event is attached at the end of this
newsletter. Reserve your spots early---this is always a sell-out!
Tuesday, June 9, 2020---the monthly dinner is on tap at Nick’s at 6:30 PM, with a
gathering of the Better Living Through Distillation Society at 5:30. There is growing
support for the idea that Frank Ruggiero should do a poetry reading in the Milanese
Dialect. Be prepared to buy Frankie Boy some cocktails to get him to perform! On
the menu that night will be Nick’s Famous Stuffed Pork Chops.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020---another intellectual extravaganza will unfold as the
Marino Pieretti Society congregates for its monthly lunch at Nick’s. Beverages start
at 11:00 and Lunch for those still standing is at 12:00. Supreme Pieretti Commander
Dave Longa is reportedly contemplating the formation of a Pieretti Synchronized
Swimming Team, and sign-ups and tryouts will occur on the beach fronting Nick’s
after lunch. The first ten guys to enlist will get a free Speedo. Uh Huh!
In Memorium
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Mrs. Joan Castro of Sonora,
California, the beloved sister-in-law of Brother Old Timer Ron Castro. We extend our
condolences and deepest sorrow to the Castro Family for their loss. May God grant
Joan eternal peace and comfort.
On the Mend
There is continued good news out of Half Moon Bay about our beloved Pete and
Rosemary Dalton! While they are still recuperating, they are now both at home and
making progress. We can’t wait to see the magical Mr. and Mrs. Dalton at an OT
function! And Grand Dame Connie Benedetti continues to improve, although she’s
got a way to go before she’s back among us.
Some guys continuing on the DL are Rich Murphy (after yet another short stint in the
hospital), Nick Cannuli, Pat Ward and Tony Boyadzis. These guys are all gamers, and
I’m betting they are all trying to finagle their way back into the line-up. Also, please
keep the following Old Timers and Friends in your thoughts and prayers: John
Bagatelos, Don Collopy, Bill McCullough, Virginia Simon, Chuck Garcia, Past
President Len Grilli, and Jim Perry.
Words of Wisdom
“If we got one-tenth of what was promised to us in these State of the Union speeches,
there wouldn’t be any inducement to go to heaven.”---Will Rogers
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 You Know You’re An Old Timer When
---you burned your name on your baseball glove with a woodburning tool.
---you occasionally used a bat that had been nailed and glued back together.
---you can remember being pulled from a game for taking a called 3rd strike.
---every plate umpire used a “balloon type” chest protector.
Bobbie Mitchell---Mister Smoooooooth
A number of years ago, Bobbie was dating a woman who could, at times, be somewhat
disagreeable, as Bob was beginning to discover. She and Bob were at a party when a
lot of noise came from the dance floor. Bob saw a man putting on quite a dancing
performance, doing the splits and backflips and really entertaining the crowd.
Bobbie’s date said, “See that guy? He asked me to marry him about 5 years ago, and I
turned him down.” Bobbie looked at her and said, “Well, it looks like he’s still
celebrating!” Bob woke up about 30 minutes later with a sore jaw and a black eye.
Golf Advisory
The OT Golf Division, so ably administered by Commissioner Rich Ford, is
tentatively scheduled to assault the North Course at Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert
Park on Monday, May 4 at 8:30 AM. Should this outing have to be cancelled because
of health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, we in the pressroom will do our
best to assist Commissioner Ford in getting the word out.
Bonus Humor
It was a blustery Saturday morning, punctuated by periods of very heavy rain. A
Brother Old Timer, intending to go fishing, hooked his boat and trailer to histruck
and readied himself for departure to his favorite lake, but the weather took a hard
turn for the worst. The wind increased to gale force, and the rain was coming in
sheets making it impossible to see. Brother OT, not being a complete idiot, decided
to cancel his fishing adventure, especially when the radio weather said that the
weather would be this bad all day. So he unhooked the boat trailer, made his way
back into the house, shed his wet clothes, snuggled with his wife, whispering “the
weather out there is brutal.” His loving wife whispered back and said “Can you
believe my stupid husband is going out fishing in it?” Uh Oh!
A Little Friendly Advice
We don’t care how much you like the soap, never ever walk out of a public restroom
smelling your fingers.
A Piece of San Francisco Trivia
From esteemed Ultimate Old Timer and All-Around Great Guy Leo Martinez: Kezar
Stadium has a playing surface, the field if you will, that is named separately from the
stadium portion. After which famous athlete is the field named? (I’m hearing the
mental gears grinding already!)

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 Thank You Once Again and Always to Our Loyal Sponsors
ROB FIFE, 729 SOLUTIONS
1618 Sullivan Ave, Suite 535, Daly City 94115 650-755-7049

LOREN A. KERTZ, CHARLES SCHWAB CO.

403 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera 94925 415-945-6408 loren.a.kertz@schwab.com

ROBIN GRIDER

2020 OLD TIMERS PRESIDENT JOE MARINO, COLUMBUS CAFÉ

562 Green St, SF 94133 415-326-3088

FRANK J. PISA BARBER SHOP

5 Civic Center Lane, Millbrae 94030 650-697-0736

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, NICK’S SEASHORE RESTAURANT

100 Rockaway Avenue, Pacifica 94044 650-359-3900 www.nicksrestaurant.net

SAN FRANCISCO FIREFIGHTERS TOY PROGRAM

Leo Martinez, the late Al McCarthy, Vince Tudoni. Rich Blackburn, Skip McKinney, George Schnapp,
Jim McCoy, Art Citron, Dan Jacobsmeyer, Brian Kearney, Ray Molinari

TOM CREEDIN, SCOMA’S RESTAURANT

Pier 47, Fisherman’s Wharf, SF 94133 415-771-4383

THOMAS J. BRANDI, THE BRANDI LAW FIRM

354 Pine St, 3rd Floor, SF 94104 415-989-1800 tjb@brandilaw.com

JAR OF GOLD
Jim Jarvis, Bill Difu and the late Ernie Golding

DAVE LONGA
The Friends of Marino Pieretti Group

RETIRED SAN FRANCISCO FIREFIGHTERS

Nick Cannuli, Bill DeMattei, Mel Canevaro, Jim O’Connor, Don Dennehy, Bob Moser,
Milt Panagotacos, Mike Pera, Jack Bonnici, Roger Bross, Frank Kelly

DANIEL DUGGAN, DUGGAN’S SERRA MORTUARY

500 Westlake Av, Daly City 94014 650-756-4500 dan@duggansserra.com

ALUMNI of BALBOA HIGH SCHOOL

Emily Powell (Everybody’s Sweetheart), Nick Poppin, Bob “The Carrot” Mitchell, Gene Hartje, Tony
Boyadzis, Joe Marino, Donald Basso, Elliot “Bart” Bartholomew and Grant Becker

THE BALL TEAM

The late Frank Strazullo, the late John Alameda, Mike Bagdon, Rich Ford, Con Maloney, Billy Jones,
Art White, Ken Mooney, and the late Jerry “Big Sully” Sullivan

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 THE 1956 BIG 8 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP BASEBALL TEAM
Bob Bandettini, Glen Buckowitz, Ron Castro, Ken Dito, Russ Fadeef, Roger Ferrari, Lew Flores,
Fred Glosser, Blair LeMire, the Late Legendary John McCarthy, Pete Nielsen, Larry Nissim, Jim
Poppin, Fred Quinn, the late Ray Warman, the Late and Great Frank “Cic” Williams, Victor “Bud”
Williams

ANONYMOUS DONOR
Thanks, Old Timers---Your Monthly Newsletter Is A Great Read

WILLIAM DeMATTEI
Retired San Francisco Firefighter

THE DEIGNAN FAMILY

ALUMNI OF MISSION HIGH SCHOOL

Fellow Old Timer Eddie Gutierrez, the late Joe Blea

RETIRED SAN FRANCISCO DEPUTY SHERIFFS

Bill Angel, Jim Mullan, Ron Lim, Al Dworkin, Paul Varni, Mike Koppel, Jim Deignan, Gil Ybarra

HAT TRICK RACING

Grant Becker, Troy Onorato, Pat Ward and Marvin Cortes

TJC FLOORING FLOOR EFFECTS

Terrence Cody Brian Grdeen
415 Old County Road, Unit C 415 Old County Road, Unit C
Belmont, Calif. 94002 650-773-5782 Belmont, Calif. 94002 650-574-0457

RODRIGUEZ STRAWBERRY STAND

12625 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, California
Doug Rodrigues, Brandon Gomez, Old Timer Ron Castro

OLD TIMER PAUL NAVARRO, LUCETTI’S RESTAURANT

109 W. 25th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403, phone: 650-574-1256

NEW PISA ALUMNI SOCIETY (2020 TEAM MEMBERS)

Rich Ford, Jim Jarvis, Leo Martinez, Roldan and Frances Vigil, Bill Angel and Family, Judy and Lou
Landini, Mike and Denise Koppel, Bill Kirkpatrick, Emily Powell, Joe Gualco, Tad and Barbara Tassone,
Donald and Penny Basso, in Memory of Mike Dunne, in Memory of Larry Lawson, Bob and Arlene Fife,
Tony Rodriguez, Bob and Nancy Crosat, Gene and Diane Hartje, Rudy Bertolozzi, Frank Ruggiero, The
Honorable Judge Quentin Kopp, Joan and Ed Paulus Sr., David Paulus, Ed Paulus, Jr., Bob Mitchell,
Connie and Donald Benedetti, Mark Benedetti, Sharon Benedetti, Phil Benedetti, in Memory of the
great former Newsletter Editor John McCarthy, Beverly McCarthy, Bill Collins, Alan and Annealisa
Dworkin, Patrick Sullivan, Renee Courpet, Roger Ferrari, Rich Murphy, Ken Mooney, Roger Strack,
Jere Driscoll, A Special Tribute to Mike Dunne from Bob and Nancy Crosat, Gary Bader, Clarence Press,
Stephen Driscoll, Nick Shihadeh, John and Dotti LeTourneau, Jack Scramaglia, Larry Nissim, Jim and
Ana Regan, James McCoy, Dan Merolla, Bill Difu, Robert Lopez, Steve Callahan, Jim Deignan

The Answer to the April 2020 Jim Perry Trivia
Nutbuster
When Chris Sale of the White Sox struck out
12 guys on June 30, 2015, he tied Pedro
Martinez with his 8th consecutive game with at
least 10 strikeouts.
The May 2020 Jim Perry Trivia Nutbuster
On June 9, 2015, SF Giants rookie hurler Chris
Heston threw a no-hitter against the NY Mets.
Prior to Heston’s gems, when was the last
The Infamous
time Rogues’
the Mets had a no-hitterGallery
pitched against
them, and who was the pitcher?

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 SOME VERY SPECIAL OLD TIMERS
(It Just Doesn’t Get Any Better Than These Guys)

The Elite Squad of Ultimate Old Timers

Front Row: (L-R) The Late Ernie Golding, Peter Dalton, and Nick Cannuli
Back Row: (L-R) Ken Mooney, Gary Bader, Cliff Righetti, Bill Jones, and
Leo Martinez (Not pictured: Nick Poppin)
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