Cal League - Latest Comments

Re: Cron sends Sixers to grand finish

Pete Marshall — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 17:54:38 -0000

You are right. So much happened in that game, but Eric Cendejas should not be overlooked. He entered in a tough situation in the 10th, didn't allow a run and gave the Sixers a chance to win the game. Relief pitching was solid.

Re: Cron sends Sixers to grand finish

bud2many — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 08:16:17 -0000

Great win by the 66ers, but your article is incomplete!!! How come no mention of the winning pitcher??? That "quirky" right arm sidearmer, Eric Cendejas, came in with bases loaded and two out in the top of the tenth, gets a strike out to end the inning. In the top of the 11th, he allows only one hit, then ends up with the win! Isn't this newsworthy?

Re: Kenny Donovan replaces Tom Gregory at Ayala

john stro — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:22:12 -0000

Dear reader,
My name is John Strosnider, I am a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve currently in Marjah Afghanistan. My civilian job is a Deputy Sheriff with L.A. County. I grew up going to Coach Gregory's famous Basketball Camps, and had the honor of playing for his Bulldog Program all four years at Ayala. I can honestly say, I would not be the man I am today without having had him as a mentor and coach growing up. When I read this article I was taken back when I read that Coach's philosophy was old school and not in the best interest of the school.
I tell a story to my junior Marines that I grew up hearing from Coach Gregory every year that embodies success. The story was originally told by Coach Pat Riley and was retold by Coach every year since at Ayala. The story is famous in Chino Hills, its the story of Black Gold.
"There was this old farmer who had a horse who loved to run. Every day the farmer would watch this horse race against every animal that existed on that farm. The owner noticed that this horse was pretty fast. The horse had never had a bath, didn't look like your typical running horse, never been combed, never been ridden, heck the horse was just plain dirty. But it loved to run. One day the owner registered Black Gold in a local race. Suddenly Black Gold felt this weight on his back he had never felt, he was shoved into a running box, and he realized he was next to two much larger horses, nearly two feet taller. But you know what? Black Gold didn't care.
The gates opened and Black Gold was off, he left the rest of the horses in the dust.
The owner was suprised and decided to enter him into another race. Black Gold won. Then another and another.
Pretty soon Black Gold made it to the biggest race of them all... The Kentucky Derby.
Now everyone at the Kentucky Derby was dressed up in Suits, long formal dresses, black ties. The horses were draped in flowers and clapped as they were called out. The jockies walked proudly beside each champion like horse as they were announced to the crowd with warm applause. Each horse even more applause, until Black Gold. Still never had a bath, smelled, covered in mud, the jockie wouldn't even walk next to the horse out of embarrassment.
That didn't bother Black Gold. Not one Bit. The horses got into their cages and the gun fired off, the race was on. Black Gold ran faster than ever, was half way accross the track as the other horses reached their first turn. Black Gold was on the home stretch nearing the finish line, when suddenly Black Gold got his foot caught in the dirt. Black Gold tumbled and sent the jockie flying forward. The horses ran over Black Gold. Black Gold unable to spring up due to a broken leg... The Jockie Kicking dirt walked off the track. Black Gold gathered himself and limped across the finish line...
Now whats the moral of the story...
Most kids say,
"Never quit." "always finish" "love to run"
Coach Gregory would proudly say, "Always give your personal best" He would follow it up with a quote from John Wooden, "All you can ask from a man is for him to give his all from within his span.."
I love Coach Gregory, and believe his work as mentor and head coach changed the lives of young men on and off the court for over 2 decades. Coach Donavan had big shoes to fill. Big ones.
Semper Fidelis,
Sgt John Strosnider
USMC Stationed in Marjah Afghanistan

Re: Friday was a day Dodger fans have been dreading for years

facoach — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 11:05:01 -0000

Pete, excellent reporting and article on the trade that now swing HEAVILY in favor of the Indians. This is a perfect example of how MANY of those July deals that all fans want to seet their teams make actually hurt the organization for years to come. For every Sutcliffe pickup there are 10 that hurt. Nice job with this article Pete!

Re: Quakes might be adding injury to insult

Pete Marshall — Sat, 15 May 2010 01:22:21 -0000

Update: Dillon Baird is on the disabled list. Manager Keith Johnson said that Baird "won't be back any time soon." Johnson added that Baird probably wouldn't return until the second half, which begins at the end of June.

Re: 66ers announce coaching staff for 2010

Pete Marshall — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:34 -0000

Charlie's great. He seems to know when to encourage, when to be critical and when to give tough love. Since he lives in Orange County, I'm sure he wants to work somewhere within commuting distance from home. So that makes the 66ers (or Fullerton Flyers) the perfect spot for him.

Re: 66ers announce coaching staff for 2010

facoach — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 10:17:07 -0000

Pete, Charlie Hough was also very helpful to the career of Chris Jakubauskas. He was the pitching coach for the Fullerton Flyers when Jak was there. Jak shared with me that he really liked Charlie. After Jak's first big league win, Charlie texted him and said "Hey anybody can get one, now go get two!".

Re: Quakes manager hit by line drive

J.P. Hoornstra — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:46:41 -0000

Which hospital? Any updates?

Re: Ed Taylor steps down at Colony

Tad — Sat, 09 May 2009 13:50:37 -0000

Everyone at colony knows that boys football and basketball are the administrations pets. Both programs are crooked, and the principal has bailed each coach out. and that doesn't include the recruting.

Re: Mt. SAC Area down to 2 proposals, for now

Pete Marshall — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:22:06 -0000

The league had tried to argue that Glendora was stronger than Damien/St. Lucy's, and thus belonged in the league, but no one was buying that.
I see 4 possible factors in the Baseline League's feelings:
1) Wherever those schools go, no one is happy in their league because Damien/St. Lucy's are private, and thus can get student-athletes from a much larger area. Maybe they think it's more likely they will lose athletes to a private school, if the private school is in their league.
2) They don't like splitting up teams to two different sites. The Baseline League does basketball doubleheaders: girls varsity and boys varsity at the same site. If Damien/St. Lucy's join the league, they wouldn't be able to do that on the days that Damien/St. Lucy's are hosting.
3) While Damien is closer than Glendora, St. Lucy's is a little farther away.
4) Here is a portion of my story that night, that got cut:
"At one point, there was also a white proposal that was nearly identical with the blue. The only difference was putting Glendora in the Baseline and Damien/St. Lucy’s back in the Sierra.
However, the committee voted to present only the blue proposal, concluding that Damien/St. Lucy’s was a better fit in the Baseline.
However, Baseline representatives Chris Hollister and Brice Sunderland indicated their league would prefer Glendora join them.
“We’ve heard some concerns with game management with Damien,” Hollister said.

Re: Mt. SAC Area down to 2 proposals, for now

SA — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:09:51 -0000

Thanks for the info Pete. I've always liked following the releaguing proposals, but these days the only information I get is from you.

Anyway, I was wondering if you could share your take on why the Baseline League prefers Glendora over Damien/St. Lucy's. I have also heard this, but I don't quite know why. Anything you could share would be appreciated. Thanks again.

Re: Kenny Donovan replaces Tom Gregory at Ayala

Pete Marshall — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:30:19 -0000

It could be, but I don't know anything about those rumors. But I think the situation with coach Gregory honestly had to do more with things other than wins and losses, as principal Mike Vaughn said. It was probably partially his disciplined coaching style. Tom Gregory's been at Ayala a lot longer than Kevin Bowler, and is a teacher too. So, I'm guessing it could happen, but I think the two situations are not identical. Coaches also tend to get weary from the parental pressure and they step down whether they were asked to or not, so that could happen with any coach in any high-pressure coaching job.

Re: Kenny Donovan replaces Tom Gregory at Ayala

sierraleaguefan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:23:21 -0000

Is the same thing going to happen in baseball? There are rumors about coach Bowler being forced out if he does not win this year?

Re: All-”CIF” Volleyball team

Pete Marshall — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:30:10 -0000

Thom:
Thanks for the response. I always considered that they called them the all CIF-SS teams because they were organized by CIF division and frequently had to do with how teams and individuals did in the CIF playoffs. I wasn't one of the media members or a parent who blamed the CIF-SS for issues there, or thought it was the CIF-SS' responsibility. I guess I didn't realize it was such an issue. UNLESS A SELECTED ATHLETE'S NAME HAS A TYPO OR IS MISTAKENLY OMITTED IN THE PRESS RELEASE, THE CIF-SS SHOULD NOT BE BLAMED FOR THOSE SELECTIONS. Anyone who thought otherwise, was being unfair to the CIF-SS.
However, a lot of parents wanted to see the all-CIF selections in the paper, not just get certificates. And LA84 Foundation did not do a great job of releasing those to the media, or the general public. I believe it was difficult to get some kids recognized because the CIF-SS took its name off the team. I still called them the all-CIF teams, because what did the LA84 Foundation Division I basketball team mean? Division I of what? Division I of the CIF-Southern Section. I'm glad to see things are back to the way they were in that CIF-SS is back on the teams, but I hope everyone understands that its the coaches from the individual divisions to blame for the selection of the teams, not the CIF-SS.

Re: All-”CIF” Volleyball team

Thom Simmons — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:28:04 -0000

OK, Pete... here you go...

We stopped calling these teams ALL-CIF-SS teams because we had nothing to do with their selections. We were not involved in the organization, process or selection criteria. The coaches made the selections and we simply released their lists. However, guess who got the complaints from parents and the media when a particular athlete who may or may not be deserving got left off the list. Yep… we did. And when given this explanation the parents and the media blasted us for not taking ownership of something with our name on it. It was a damned if we do and damned if we didn’t situation. Additionally, these selections became very political and some deserving athletes were left off the lists for reasons that had nothing to do with their abilities. Last, many in the coaching community were so apathetic that, once again, deserving student-athletes did not get the recognition they should have. So, we got out of the business and put the onus on the folks who are ultimately responsible for the selection of these teams… the coaches. All the while, we continued to pay and provide the certificates through a joint partnership with the LA84 Foundation.

This year we have gotten back into putting or name on these list because of assurances we have received from the coaching community that they would take on fully their responsibility of standing by their lists and responding directly to concerns from parents and the media. Secondly, they also assured us that they would address problems of politics and apathy.

And the reason I chose not to provide you with this information when I originally posted was that they haven’t been the All-CIF-SS teams since 2005 yet, here we were being taken to task two years later as if it was somehow new. What would have been the point to address it now in that forum? Your concerns should have been taken up back when we first made that decision. And, finally, you and I have known each other for 12 years Pete. You know and have interacted with the staff of this office and you know how hard each and everyone of us works here. To state we didn’t want to be “bothered with honoring high school athletes” was grossly unfair and completely untrue. Conversely, I could have stated you didn’t want to be bothered doing your job by checking the facts and getting both sides of the story before ranting on your blog. I didn’t do that because I know that’s not true, Hopefully, in the future, you’ll give us here at the CIF-SS office the same respect.

Re: All-”CIF” Volleyball team

Pete Marshall — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:54:27 -0000

Thom: By posting on my blog, you had an opportunity to make it clear, but you decided not to. Feel free to post again and make us understand.

Re: All-”CIF” Volleyball team

Thom Simmons — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:46:42 -0000

Pete,

I realize this is almost a year old but, I just came across it. Thanks for calling me and getting ALL of the facts on why we stopped doing this award. Twelve years in this position and you can't think to ask me? Dissapointing but, not surprising.

Thom Simmons

Re: Etiwanda-Glendora game was an epic

louise Marshall — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:18:35 -0000

Fourteen seasons! Wow.....

This must have been one heck of a game. It's pretty impressive to see how well high school players can play (sometimes). And your memory of past games is pretty impressive too. And a 44 yard field goal - now that is really impressive.

Re: Bad road trip for Quakes

Freddy Fan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:32:28 -0000

Mr. Marshall,

Typical of an Angel farm team. The "big" team never signs or develops enough pitching to carry their organization. Look how quickly they have to bring any one that can get a ball within a foot of the plate up to the majors. And look how quickly those pitchers flame out.

Re: 66ers make the right call

SoCalCat — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:07:39 -0000

Atta boy, Ross! The Dean of Sixers scorers makes the right call. And kudos to you , Pete, on the stand-up reportage!

Re: Overboard for Jake Peavy

Freddy Fan — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:04:46 -0000

Yes, Mr. Marshall, you are absolutely correct. Jake Peavy won the Cy Young once. Doesn't the Storm know that there is an individual that won the award 5 times that is currently under suspicion of having cheated. Most halls of fame in sports have waiting rules to ensure that the athletes are truly "worthy" before being inducted. Let's see where Peavey's entire career goes before giving him Jackie Robinson type honors.

Freddy

Re: Overboard for Jake Peavy

Lewis — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 08:32:01 -0000

I agree Pete; I'm all for honoring our sporting heroes. They are part of the American experience and a source of American pride for the most part. In the era of steroid use in the MLB, honoring the heroes of the past is a great way to honor America's pass-time, when it truly was for the love of the sport...Good call, Pete.

Re: Former area CIF champion water polo coach sighted

rp1588 — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:57:30 -0000

In cases like this, it is usually more than a lack of communication. Carlson may be clueless about how to get along with people, or it may be worse.

Re: All-”CIF” Volleyball team

Pete Marshall — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 22:31:03 -0000

I think the LA84 Foundation has some sort of certificates, but how the girls are contacted or when they will be contacted is anyone's guess. Is it really that hard for the CIF-Southern Section to take the all-CIF teams from coaches and put out a press release and post them on the web site? It shouldn't be.

Re: All-”CIF” Volleyball team

BoHi Dad — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:23:53 -0000

Pete, first of all, thanks very much for looking into this and getting the cif list out. I agree with your rant. What the heck's going on?
If you remember, I called you a few days ago and asked about this. I had called the cif office and was told they have nothing to do with the awards. Then I called the LA84 Foundation office in Los Angeles and was told they only hand out the awards but don't have anything to do with the selection process, which is true. So my question is... "What next?" Who notifies the girls that they have made the "coaches selection" list (not cif anymore, I assume) and do they get any kind of award or recognition? So far it's a big mystery. Guess we'll find out. Again, thanks for dogging this for all us VB parents and congrats to all the local East SGV and IE girls who made it. Great Job!!!