SAN FRANCISCO BASEBALL

OLD TIMERS ASSOCIATION

(Established 1941)

“FROM THE DUGOUT”

April 2019 Edition
_______________________________
Officers Directors
Jim Jarvis, President Nick Poppin Bob Fife
Joe Marino, Vice-President Bill DeMattei Bob Rizzo
Mike Koppel, Secretary Cliff Righetti Bill Angel
Paul Varni, Treasurer Ray McDonald Mark Shustoff
Bob Mitchell, Sgt. at Arms Jim McCoy Gene Hartje
Gary Bader, Membership Chair Dave Longa Ken Mooney
Leo Martinez, Goodwill Chair
Rich Ford, Director of Golf
Lou Landini, Immediate Past President and Editor

Very Important Special Notice

During the March Board of Directors’ meeting, our dedicated membership chairman
Gary Bader informed the group that our member numbers are dwindling a bit as a
result of the advancing age, health issues and the inevitable passing of members. But
Gary also noted that as we are now well into the month of March, we still have nearly
30 members who have not paid their 2019 dues. We would ask those of you who have
not year sent in your current dues to please do so as soon as possible. And also, to
the membership in general, let’s try to stir up some new members to join this iconic
San Francisco group and keep our tradition alive and well.
Editor’s Column
On March 28, our beloved San Francisco Giants will kick off the 2019 Major League
Baseball Season. New President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi is firmly on
board and is committed to improving the Giants’ Organization. It was a very quiet
spring in terms of player acquisitions, much to the disappointment of many Giants
fans who were expecting the “New Guy” in the front office to come in like a hurricane
with a flurry of deals to make the ballclub an instant contender. But I’m seeing a
trend here, a degree of patience and shrewdness on the part of Zaidi that I think will
begin at the outset of this season with a slow but steady march toward championship
baseball again in San Francisco. This year? We’ll see some improvement with a
healthy Buster Posey, a confident Evan Longoria, a rededicated Joe Panik, the
consistent brilliance of Brandon Crawford, a hopefully healthy Brandon Belt, a decent
1
group of starting pitching, some pretty good relievers, but with a marginal outfield
and the persistent lack of big-time power in the line-up. World Series bound? Nah.
Post season? Nah. But we are going to see some improvement. And later in the
season, I’m betting we see some movement of established players, and the returns for
those guys are going to be the building blocks for future years of the great baseball we
want to see again from our Giants. Mr. Zaidi will, in the immortal words of Larry the
Cable Guy, “git ‘er done!” Sit back, be patient, and enjoy the show. You read it first
here.
Kathy’s Fund----Old Timers vs Alzheimer’s
Guys, Kathy’s Fund remains in high gear, and this battle against Alzheimer’s is really
getting hot. At the March meeting we collected $219 in cash, and we are now at a
total of $6518, and counting! Each and every dollar we send off to the Alzheimer’s
Association is making a difference. To all you contributors, the Alzheimer’s
Association sends its appreciation. And those Old Timers whose lives have been so
terribly altered by this brutal disease repeatedly extend their thanks to all who chip
in toward the ultimate victory over Alzheimer’s.
And extreme generosity jumps up once again. As the March meeting was wrapping
up, my former teammate Grant Becker walked up and very quietly palmed me
another $100 bill for Kathy’s Fund. GB, you are awesome.
Get Your Newsletter by E-Mail
We are building quite a list of monthly e-mail subscribers at a tremendous saving to
the SFBOTA. Our present estimate is at approximately $2200 per year. So we would
urge those members who have e-mail to sign up by sending me a message at
INSPLFL225@HOTMAIL.COM and we’ll add you to the e-mail distribution list.
The New Pisa Alumni Society---Repeat Announcement
As of January 1, 2019, the New Pisa Alumni is starting anew and seeking existing
members to re-join, and for new members to sign up. One goal that we had set for
2019 was to donate funds to a game that will be played on April 17 at USF between
Mission HS and Lincoln HS. The rental of the USF field is expensive, and we hoped to
defray some of that cost with a sizeable check. We are proud to announce that a
check for $500 is on its way to Mission HS in the honor and memory of Dante
Benedetti and Mission Bears Coach Bill Mustanich.
Our next donation will be $250 to Washington HS to contribute to their construction
of a badly needed batting cage. Tony Ribera is leading that project at WHS.
To join the New Pisa Alumni in 2019, send a check for $10 made out to the SF
BASEBALL OLD TIMERS ASSOCIATION, and on the memo line, note “New Pisa
Alumni,” and mail it to: LOU LANDINI, 208 FOREST PARK DRIVE, PACIFICA, CA
94044. Your $10 will get you listed in the Sponsorship Section of this newsletter as a
NPAS member throughout 2019, and then we’ll do it all again in succeeding years! Be
the first kid on your block to sign up! The Board of Directors will continue making
donations to youth baseball from the proceeds from the New Pisa Alumni sign-ups.

2
The roster of NPA members for 2018 was 70 strong, and we hope to exceed that figure
in 2019. Remember, this is for kids’ baseball!
Important Dates Department
Tuesday, April 9, 2019---Ye Olde monthly meeting will be off to a rousing start with
cocktails at 6:00 and dinner at 7:00, all transpiring at the friendly confines of Nick’s.
We will have already entered Daylight Savings Time so sunset should be spectacular.
We just might see an Old timer or two holding fins with a seal.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019---the March of the Marino Pieretti Light Brigade makes it
way back up the hill to the South SF Elks Club, where those who choose to attend
will be piped aboard by Admiral Emil Ruggiero on his kazoo. Rations of Spirits at
11:00 and Provisions at 12:00. Be there! That’s an order.
Friday, April 25, 2019---the Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame gathering honoring our
own John Ward among others. This will be at San Mateo County History Museum, at
2200 Broadway, Redwood City, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, with tickets available by calling
650-299-0104. Come on down and help honor John.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019---with Spring in full swing, our monthly meeting will take
place at Nick’s with cocktails at 6:00 PM and the usual outstanding meal at 7:00 PM.
There is a rumor going around that the evening’s entertainment will be provided by
Ernie Golding doing his imitation of Edgar Bergen with Mortimer Snerd, with Bobbie
Mitchell playing the part of Mortimer. Fact or Fiction? Show up and find out!
Wednesday, May 22, 2019---the Marino Pieretti Drum and Bugle Corp meets once
again, this time at Dominic’s in SSF’s Oyster Point, with cocktails at 11:00 and a fine
lunch at 12:00. Again, in the rumor mill, it is alleged that Emil Ruggiero will be
giving a lecture on the techniques of smuggling bootleg whiskey in the dead of night
in high seas with Dave Longa as his deckhand. Truth or Baloney? Once more, you
gotta be there to find out.
Friday, May 31, 2019---the Annual Ultimate Old Timer and Men of the Year Awards
Dinner will be held at Nick’s, cocktails at 6:00 and dinner at 7:00. This year’s
honorees will be Nick Poppin (Ultimate Old Timer) and Mike Bagdon and Don Basso
(Men of the Year). What a deserving line-up!! (A flyer is included in this newsletter.) .
Words of Wisdom
“A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt: long enough to cover the subject, and
short enough to create interest.”---Winston Churchill
Golf News
Golf Commissioner Rich Ford has announced that Opening Day for the 2019 Old
Timers Golf Season took place Monday, March 18 at Moffett Field Golf Club, with tee
times beginning at 8:30 AM. And mark your calendars for Event #2 of the young
season, which will be at the Chuck Corica Golf Complex in Alameda, on Monday, April
8 starting at 9:00 AM. (Because of lack of space this month, the Moffett Outing’s
closest-to-the-hole winners will be reported in the May Edition of this rag.)

3
 On the Mend
It always makes your news staff very unhappy to report Members who are on the DL
each month. This month’s list: Jim Dowd (who has had a serious set-back but is
doing a bit better), Charlie Silvera, Don Collopy, long-time Old Timer Bill McCullough.
and Virginia Simon, wife of the late Bob Simon. Let’s get all these folks back on the
field and cleared for a return to the starting line-up soon! And Old Timers Past
President and all-around great guy Nick Poppin is doing well and almost ready to be
added back to the starting line-up. And just in, Chuck Garcia lost a scuffle with
gravity and was injured in a fall. Chuck is on the mend and recovering.
A continuing reminder: Jim Perry remains on the DL at Laguna Honda Home. Jim is
brightened up by cards and letters addressed to him at Laguna Honda Home, 375
Laguna Honda Blvd, Building 1 North, Room 133A, San Francisco, Calif. 94116. Jim
really loves it when he hears from his Brother Old Timers. Jim, by the way, is our
newsletter’s Baseball Trivia Contributor and a donor to Kathy’s Fund.
You Know You’re an Old Timer When…
---the iron in your bloodstream has turned into rust.
---most of the names in your address book start with “Dr.”
---it takes you way longer to rest than it took you to get tired.
---at family dinners your grandchildren are talking about retirement.
Bobbie Mitchell-Again??
When Bobbie was a kid, he was out playing with friends and asked “How do I get my
kite in the air?” An old neighbor told him “Run off a cliff.”
And at one time Bobbie was such a bad cook that he had to leave dental floss in the
kitchen so the mice and roaches could hang themselves.
And a girlfriend called Bobbie one night and said “Come on over. There’s nobody
home.” So, he raced over in great anticipation. He arrived. There was nobody home.
Rogues Gallery

The 2019 Old

Timers St. Patrick’s
Celebration

Despite the new venue for our monthly meetings and dinners,
our able chief negotiator, Past President Rich Murphy was able
to convince the ever affable Chuck Gust to allow the wonderful
kids of the Whalen Irish Dancers to keep up the long tradition of
performing for the Old Timers at the March meetings. (The truth
be told, Chuck was on board the whole way!) Thank you, Kids,
4 Chuck and Rich for making this happen!
 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

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

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, JAR OF GOLD

THE MARINO PIERETTI GROUP Old Timers Jim Jarvis, Ernie Golding and Bill Difu

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

THE GRIDER FAMILY

DANIEL DUGGAN, DUGGAN’S SERRA MORTUARY

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

TABLE 6 (TRUCK)
Hank Sanchez, the late Al McCarthy, Art Citron, Jim O’Connor, the late Larry Lawson, Jim Dowd,
George Schnapp, Rich Blackburn, Con Maloney, Stu Etzler, John Green, Dan Harrington

ALUMNI of BALBOA HIGH SCHOOL

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

5
 THE BALL TEAM
The late Frank Strazzullo, The late John Alameda, Mike Bagdon, Rich Ford, Con Maloney, Billy Jones,
Art White, Ken Mooney and the late Jerry “Big Sully” Sullivan

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

THE DEIGNAN FAMILY

ALUMNI OF MISSION HIGH SCHOOL

Fellow Old Timer Eddie Gutierrez, the late Al Gallagher

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

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

RODRIGUES STRAWBERRY STAND

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

NEW PISA ALUMNI SOCIETY (2019 TEAM MEMBERS))

Frank Brady, Bill Kirkpatrick, Gary Hughes, Bob Restani, Gary Bader, Dan Harrington, Pat Sullivan,
Don Benedetti, Connie Benedetti, Don Benedetti, Mark Benedetti, Sharon Benedetti, Phil Benedetti,
Judy & Lou Landini, Tony Rodriguez, Bill Difu, Joe Gualco, Tad Tassone, Nick Shihadeh, Grant Becker,
Jim Jarvis, Bill Angel, Emily “Queen of Balboa” Powell, Roger Strack, The Honorable Judge Quentin
Kopp, Rene Courpet, Bob Mitcheel, Bill Collins, Frank Ruggiero, Gene & Diane Hartje, In Memory of
Larry Lawson, Rudy Bertolozzi, Ken Mooney, Phil Kelber, Roldan & Frances Vigil, Roger Bross, Rich
Sciutto, Jim McCoy, Dave Longa, Rich Ford, Mike Koppel, Rich Murphy, Nick Cannuli, Donald Basso,
Mel Canevaro, Tom Brandi, Nick Poppin, Roger Ferrari, Jere Driscoll, Bob Crosat, Ed Paulus Sr.,
Ed Paulus Jr., Dave Paulus, Bob Devincenzi, Jack Scramaglia, Stephen Driscoll, Jim Perry, Jim
Deignan, Mike Bagdon, Bob Lee, Ed Sickinger, Bob & Arlene Fife, Ron Belli, Paul Giambra, George
Mutto, Dan Merolla, Pete Pompei, Eddie Gutierrez, Gus Buono

The March Trivia The April Jim Perry Teaser

The Giants squared off against the Yankees 7 Which MLB player had the highest
times---1921, 1922, 1923, 1936, 1937 and 1962. percentage of walks per total at-bats in his
The Giants are 2-5 in those matchups. career. What were his total Abs and Walks?

And a late add: from Gary Bader, the SF Prep Hall of Fame 37th Annual Awards Banquet will take place
on Saturday, May 18, at the Spanish Cultural Center at 2850 Alemany Blvd. in SF. (A flyer is attached
to this newsletter for your convenience.)