Sunday, June 21, 2015

From BAZAR to CR Baseball to the Major Leagues. What Happened?


I have always worked. When I was 7 years old we lived in Petaluma due to an untimely divorce of my parents. We were broker than broke. I ended up working at a rabbit farm for produce. When we moved back to Cutten, Linda Rodriguez and I would pick any types of berries or cherries and plums and go door to door and sell. At about 12 and living in Myrtletown I sold either the Times or Standard on the streets of Eureka in between fishing off of Lazio's for Perch and Jack Smelt to sell. Then I had a paper route before going to work at Duck's market at 15. At 16 I worked my first union job at Bazar. I loved my job and would have probably retired from there but they closed in 1978. So I went to work at Transamerica. A job I really did not enjoy. So I went back to school at College of the Redwoods to play baseball.

Again, I have always worked which left me little opportunity for High School scholastic athletics. I played Babe Ruth and JV Baseball at St. Bernard's but didn't have the time for sports my Junior and Senior years at Eureka High. Luckily I was able to play Joe DiMaggio League which allowed players done with Babe Ruth to play until 18 years old. I was a pretty good pitcher who absolutely loved to throw.

So I survived the cuts and was honored to be part of the 1979 College of the Redwoods baseball team. Co/champions of the Golden Valley Conference. I must have led the conference in chasing down foul balls. It was all right for me. I just wanted to be part of the team. And we had a good one.

Above that I remember: Front row from left to right, Can't Remember (CR), Tim Earhart, David Stone, Fred Gomes, Mark Suchanek, The Softball King, Steve Ross. Second row, #25 CR, Kieth Ambrosini, Troy Freeman, Mike Robinson, CR, John Wilkinson, Dave Reynolds, Coach Tom Giacomini. 3rd Row, Manager Jorgenson, Byron Busik, Jerry Johnson, Stacey Morgan, Mike Spini, CR, CR. CR.

I had a GPA of 3.71 for 17 units on the team and was on the Dean's list. That summer of 79' I started working in the mills on the Samoa Peninsula. Never to be heard from again..............

4 comments:

Ross Rowley said...

Great bunch of ball players that year. I played on the Northern All-Stars with Byron Busik and Mark Suchanek during Babe Ruth in 1974. Dave Stone, Keith Ambrosini, boy I remember playing with and against a lot of those guys. And, don't think I don't remember Bazar with it's rollers and plastic bin carry out system. Great memories, Richard.

Ross Rowley said...

I played on the 1974 Northern All-Stars Babe Ruth team with Byron Busik and Mark Suchanek and remember playing against Dave Stone, Keith Ambrosini and a lot of those guys....great ball players. And, of course, Bazar with it's roller and plastic bin grocery delivery system....I remember that store well. Great post, Richard.

Julie Timmons said...

Good stuff, Richard! Thanks for sharing.

Debbie I said...

Nice to know. But I think you are on track to having been heard of - quite a bit.