SAN FRANCISCO BASEBALL

OLD TIMERS ASSOCIATION

(Established 1941)

“FROM THE DUGOUT”

November 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

Editor’s Column
November 11 is the upon which we celebrate Veterans’ Day, a time to recognize and
thank everyone who served in the United States Armed Forces. Each person who has
served has contributed to the peace enjoyed by American society, and many actually
engaged in armed conflict against the enemies of our country who were aiming to
destroy our nation. Tragically a great many lost their lives in the struggle against
the forces of unspeakable evil, but their deaths were not in vain. The United States
today remains a free and sovereign nation because of the sacrifices, whether the
ultimate or of lesser degrees, of those who served in our Military.
In the Old Timers, we have a legion of members who protected our country from the
ravages of our enemies. We have two members, Billy Difu and the late Bill Magidson,
who went above and beyond the call of duty and exposed themselves to great peril.
In recognition of their bravery, these men were awarded the prestigious and coveted
Bronze Star. It is an incredible honor and privilege for us to have these men in our
organization.
To Bill Difu and Bill Magidson, and to all the other Old Timers who are veterans of
the United States Armed Forces, we are profoundly grateful for your service and
sacrifices. We salute you.

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 Kathy’s Fund Update
At the October dinner meeting, we collected $253 in the fight against Alzheimer’s
Disease, yet again highlighted by another $100 donation from the incredibly
generous Grant Becker. There is a TV commercial being aired that says somewhere
out there is a person who will be the first patient to be cured of Alzheimer’s. Just
think---the money we collect each month at our meetings just might be the buck that
makes that miracle happen!
Important Dates Department
Tuesday. November 12, 2019---our monthly meeting and dinner gathers at Nick’s,
with an alcohol-fueled turkey calling contest starting at 5:30 PM in the bar unless
Nick’s demands that we take it outside to the beach. Dinner will be served at 6:30 as
usual. We will finish our nominations for the 2020 Officers and Directors, so we
encourage strong attendance that night.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019---the Annual Dante Benedetti Baseball Benefit Dinner
will take place at the South SF Elks Club, with cocktails at 5:30 PM and dinner at
7:00. This year’s honorees will be Dave Longa and Emil Ruggiero, two very deserving
guys for inclusion in the historic legion of past honorees. (A flyer for this great event
is included at the end of this newsletter. Reserve your spot early as a sell-out is a
virtual certainty.) This is a highlight event---Don’t miss it!
Tuesday, November 19, 2019---this is a VERY SPECIAL DAY!!! This is our beloved
Brother Old Timer Billy Difu’s birthday, but not just any old birthday! THIS IS HIS
100th BIRTHDAY!! Congratulations, Bill!! We are very happy for you and proud of
you. And we’ll buy you a drink or ten at the Pieretti Lunch on Nov. 20!!!
Wednesday, November 20, 2019---the Marino Pieretti Navigational Academy will sail
into Dominic’s at Oyster Point, with 11:00 AM cocktails and a lecture on navigating
by the stars on a foggy night by renowned Commodore Emeritus Ron Gleeson! Lunch
will be served at High Noon.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019---the monthly meeting and dinner will once again be at
Nick’s, with Reindeer Juice served at 5:30 and dinner as usual at 6:30. Remember
that we’ll be collecting unwrapped toys for underprivileged kids.
Wednesday, December 18, 2019---the Marino Pieretti Exploration Society will meet at
Nick’s for our annual Christmas Lunch, which was always a favorite of our late and
legendary Brother Old Timer Ernie Golding. Elf Brew starts at 11:00 and lunch is at
12:00
In Memoriam
Sadly, we must inform you of the passing of two genuinely nice guys and gentlemen,
Vince Nocito, a Brother Old Timer and Pieretti Group regular, and Leo Benedetti, also
one of the Pieretti Group standouts. We offer our deepest condolences to the families
of these fine men.

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 On the Mend
We have some good news to pass on regarding our beloved Pete and Rosemary Dalton!
While they are still recuperating, they are now both at home and making progress.
We look forward to the day when the magical Mr. and Mrs. Dalton return to the
starting line-up.
Also, please keep the following Old Timers and Friends in your thoughts and prayers:
Mike Dunne, John Bagatelos, Don Collopy, Bill McCullough, Virginia Simon, Emily
Powell (Everybody’s Sweetheart), Chuck Garcia, Past President Len Grilli, and Jim
Perry. And it was recently reported that our Grand Dame of the Old Timers, Connie
Benedetti, was injured in a fall and suffered a broken ankle. Let’s say a lot of prayers
and light a bunch of candles for Connie’s swift and complete recovery. Connie is SF
and OT tough!!
Golf News
As reported by Golf Commissioner Rich Ford, here are the closest to the hole results
for the Sunnyvale outing:
4th Hole Forward Tee 1) Bob Fife 16-10 2) Chris Gillman 18-6
Back Tee 1) Gary Bader 22-6 2) Bob Ford 24-2
7th Hole Forward Tee 1) Leo Martinez 14-5 2) Jack Scramaglia 45-1
Back Tee 1) Paul Giambra 20-5 2) The Famous Mr. No One
13th Hole Forward Tee 1) Jack Scramaglia 17-1 2) Tom Finale 21-6
Back Tee 1) Jim Reed 16-9 2) Rich Hagemann 38-10
15th Hole Forward Tee 1) Bob Fife 29-7 2) The Famous Mr. No One
Back Tee 1) The Famous Mr. No One 2) The Phantom Golfer
Words of Wisdom
“Some things are better left unsaid. I usually realize that right after I say them.” ---
Anonymous
You Know You’re an Old Timer When
---You desperately wanted to be one of the Mouseketeers.
---You did not need your Mom to make a “play date” for you.
---You got new white Converse sneakers and couldn’t wait to get them dirty!
---You actually sat at the table with your entire family to eat dinner.
The Bobbie Mitchell Chronicles
One day recently, Bobbie went to lunch with a couple of buddies from the Old Timers,
Montrose and Edelbert, and the conversation turned to the rather somber subject of
what each man would want people to say about him at his funeral, and Montrose
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replied “Montrose was one of the greatest ballplayers ever to come out of San
Francisco, and he should be in the Hall of Fame.”
Bobbie then asked the same question of Edelbert, who said “Edelbert was the
smartest guy to ever graduate from Balboa High School, and he could have been a
Ph.D or a doctor or a dentist!”
Now it was Bobbie’s turn when the guys asked him what he wanted people to say at
his funeral. Bobbie said emphatically “Hold on, not so fast!! Bobbie’s still alive!!!”
2019 Raffle Winners
Raffle Director Dave Longa reports that the following people were winners who were
drawn at the conclusion of our October dinner meeting:
1st Place: Bill DeMattei 2nd Place: Joyce Scramaglia
3rd Place: Dom Domenichelli 4th Place: Gary Hughes
5th Place: John Donohue 6th Place: Woody Woodall
7th Place: Ron Restani 8th Place: Alan Dworkin
9th Place: Vince Tudoni 10th Place: Milt LaHonta

New Members
We are pleased to announce that two new members were inducted into the ranks of
the Old Timers at the October meeting. Please welcome Marvin Cortes and Doug
Presswell who were sworn in by Leo Martinez.
The Current State of Bay Area Professional Sports
This is a bit of a touchy subject right now. The Golden State Warriors have moved
back to their original California home, the City of San Francisco, and into a
magnificent new arena, the Chase Center. But these aren’t the Warrior who finished
the 2018-2019 NBA Season as the runners up in the Finals. The current iteration of
the Warriors is a team decimated by tremendous talent leaving via free agency, their
two All-World power players Steph Curry and Klay Thompson shelved by serious
injuries, and most of the roster inexperienced. They have gotten off to a bad start
and appear destined to struggle badly throughout the year.
The San Jose Sharks, usually a case study in NHL consistency, are languishing in the
lower levels of mediocrity and seemingly lacking in spark and fight. This is a puzzle
because the Sharks have been pretty darned good for a long time, and this current
squad is proving to be an enigma. Can they turn their year around? Yes, they can.
But will they turn their year around? Nobody but the Sharks players can answer that
question.
Our huge bright spot is the San Francisco 49ers, who last year suffered through a 4-
12 season which was recently preceded by several other bad years. At this writing,
our Niners are 8-0, the only remaining NFL undefeated team. They are entering the
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second half of the season which will be a sterner test than the first eight games, but
this is a team that is balanced. They have a pretty good offense that likes to run the
ball, but they also throw it pretty well too. Their defense is going gangbusters and is
piling up a ton of quarterback sacks and generating turnovers at a rate unseen in the
past several years. The proof of the 49ers’ status as an elite team will have to be
shown in the next eight games. There will be some adversity in the Niners’ second
half of the season. How they handle it will determine the legitimacy of this ball club.
After several years of bad football, the 49er Faithful are praying for the team’s
resurgence to continue. The Niners’ front office has drafted well, traded well,
acquired free agents well. We are seeing great results now, but a foundation is being
laid that will hopefully promote continuity. Great plan, Niners!
Now, this gets us to our favorite subject---the San Francisco Giants. Did our guys
improve in 2019? Yes, they did. Did our guys give the fans the kind of season they
wanted? Nope. But is there hope for the future? Yep. That hope comes in the form
of a new and aggressive front office. A lot of things are going to happen over the
months leading up to the start of the 2020 season. A new manager will be named to
replace our beloved Bruce Bochy. The new manager will want his own staff of
coaches, so we will likely see a whole new staff in the dugout. Do the Giants have
needs? Sure they do—they need power, they need clutch hitting, they need speed,
they need starting pitchers, they need relievers, and the list can go on. Will the
Giants front office do their level best to fill these needs? Yep. Will it happen
overnight? Nah, this stuff takes time and patience. As the Giants’ front office goes
about its business of scouting, evaluating, drafting, signing, trading and releasing
players and coaches, give some thought to what each move is intended to
accomplish. Watch the puzzle pieces become a picture. It will be a fun lead-up to
Spring Training.
Rogue’s Gallery

Veteran’s Day This scene, famously

photographed in World
November 11, 2019
War II, and an infinite
number of similar actions
by our Armed Forces that
were not memorialized,
are why the United States
of America is the beacon of
freedom for the entire
world.
God Bless Our Veterans.

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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

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

DAVE LONGA JAR OF GOLD

THE MARINO PIERETTI GROUP Jim Jarvis, Bill Difu and the late Ernie Golding

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 (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

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

OLD TIMER PAUL NAVARRO, LUCETTI’S RESTAURANT

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

NEW PISA ALUMNI SOCIETY (2019 TEAM MEMBERS)

Frank Brady, Bill Kirkpatrick, Gary Hughes, Bob Restani, Gary Bader, Dan Harrington, 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 Mitchell, 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, 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, Beverley McCarthy, Stephen Driscoll, Patrick Sullivan,
John LeTourneau, Robert F. Ford

The October 2019 Jim Perry Nut Buster
Ted Williams, at age 40, won the 1958 batting
title with a .328 average.
(By the way, in 1957 and at age 39, Williams hit
.388.)
The November 2019 Jim Perry Nut Buster
In 1989, Pittsburgh centerfielder Andy Van
Slyke endured a prolonged batting slump. To
what famous over-the-counter medication
did Van Slyke compare his bat?