Section VII Opener

Friday, August 7, 1959

By the Sectionals, the wheat has definitely been separated from the chaff. From this point on, you're only facing the best of the local best.

 

Like last year, young Rollie Fingers is once again on the roster for Cucamonga...

 

...however, Cucamonga was eliminated by La Puente in yesterday's opening game, so West Covina didn't get to play against Fingers this year, either.

I'd bet anything that big goose egg on the end of yesterday's game's line score was scribbled by 4-years-old Yours Truly. ;)

 

It's looking like the La Puente National All-Stars are going to be the team to beat this time around. Their pitcher, Steve Frausto, has already thrown 2 perfect games this post-season.

 

In today's early game, La Puente defeated Pasadena American 4-0.

Pasadena American......000 000–0 7 1
La Puente National.....220 00x–4 5 0

 

In the late game, West Covina steamrollered the San Bernardino–Knights of Columbus All-Stars in a 10-0 shutout. Lee Meyers dominated on the mound, giving up just 2 hits, striking out 11, and walking only 1. Tom Finch and Jim Mackenzie each homered in an offensive barrage that stunned the home town boys with 12 hits total.

 

West Covina will take on La Puente tomorrow afternoon for the Section VII crown.

West Covina American.....030 223–10 12 0
San Bernardino, KC.......000 000– 0  2 3

Dad's officials ribbon for the 1959 Sectional tourney.

 

District Hat Trick

Saturday, August 1, 1959

West Covina American won its third straight District championship today in a 7-1 rout of Covina National. Greg Mulligan struck out 8 and held the opposition to only 3 hits, while shortstop Tom Finch led the offense with 4 RBIs and the game's only home run.

 

Covina National..........000 100–1 3 4
West Covina American.....120 13x–7 9 1

West Covina now advances to the Sectional tournament in San Bernardino which begins this coming Thursday.

Zoelle Shines

Thursday, July 30, 1959

Four very evenly-matched teams of young All-Stars began competing today for the District 19 championship at Barranca Park in Covina.

 

In the opener, West Covina American pitcher Ken Zoelle was a one-man wrecking crew in a hard-fought game against Glendora American. Zoelle shone on a day to remember as he struck out 9 and smashed 2 homers that scored all 4 of West Covina's runs.

Glendora American........001 000–1 4 0
West Covina American.....010 30x–4 3 1

 

 

In a barnburner on Friday evening, Covina National and Baldwin Park's Eastside Little League traded run for run through regulation play until Covina scored the go-ahead in the bottom of the 10th for a thrilling 3-2 win.

West Covina American will meet Covina National in the District 19 title game tomorrow evening.

Area Champs Again

Saturday, July 25, 1959

West Covina American took the 1959 Area 2 title today with a 12-3 rout of Azusa American at West Covina National field. Despite a pair of wild pitches and hit batters, hard-throwing Lee Meyers struck out 9 for the win. Seven RBIs on home runs by Chuck Calver, Bruce Pittenger and Ken Zoelle drove the offensive scoring attack, with 6 errors by the opposing team contributing 4 unearned runs to West Covina's already comfortable margin of victory.

Azusa American...........020 010– 3 3 6
West Covina American.....522 30x–12 7 1

The West Covina All-Stars now move on to the District 19 Tournament at Barranca Park in Covina, which starts this coming Thursday.

1959 Area 2 Tourney recap:

Area 2 Opener

Friday, July 24, 1959

West Covina American's Ken Zoelle pitched a 1-hit, 3-run shutout of the Pacific Coast Little League All-Stars today, notching 10 strikeouts in the win. Lee Meyers and Greg Mulligan put all of the points on the board for WCALL with a home run each, for 2 and 1 RBIs respectively.

West Covina American.....002 001–3 6 2
Pacific Coast............000 000–0 1 1

West Covina American will meet yesterday's semi-final winner Azusa American in the Area 2 final tomorrow.

Post-Season Schedule

California District 19's tournament brackets for 1959.

Looks like Jay Johnstone's dad is this year's Area 2 Tournament Director.

 

1959 All-Stars

Wednesday, July 22, 1959

Introducing: The 1959 West Covina American Little League All-Star Team

Click image for full-res file.

Standing (l. to r.): Moe Fox (Manager), Sam Cooper, Chuck Calver, Lee Meyers, Tom Hartsock, Ken Zoelle, Pat Toomay, Bruce Pittenger, Ed Shannon (Manager). Kneeling: Larry W. Young, Greg Mulligan, Tom Finch, Ken Wiedemann, Jim Mackenzie, John McCaffrey, Larry D. Young.

 

This year's pitching crew...

Click image for full-res file.

Standing (l. to r.): Lee Meyers, Tom Hartsock, Ken Zoelle, Greg Mulligan. Kneeling: Pat Toomay, Chuck Calver (Catcher), Jim Mackenzie.

 

...and the coaches: 7-Up's Ed Shannon and Moe Fox.

The best picture ever taken of these two best friends.

 

And finally, your intrepid cub reporter in a contemporaneous photograph.

I must confess, though, that I spent a lot more time getting into mischief with Ricky Fox at these games than I did watching the action on the field. ;-) I couldn't write very well yet at this age, either, but I did already know my A-B-Cs!

 

7-Up's ace Kenny Zoelle will be on the mound for West Covina American when Area 2 tournament play officially gets underway tomorrow at West Covina National field.

 

7-Up, 1959

Sunday, July 19, 1959

Dad's 7-Up team were league runners-up in 1959. Half of this year's roster were veterans from 1958's squad: Mike Church, Tom Finch, Jim Mackenzie, Pat Toomay, Ken Wiedemann, and Larry Young.

Click on photo for full-res file.

7-Up, 1959. Standing (l. to r.): Moe Fox (Coach), Gary Patterson, Randy Reich, Larry Young, Pat Toomay, Walt Cameron, Mike Church, Ed Shannon (Manager). Kneeling: Ken Pearson, Steve Church, Ken Wiedemann, Tom Finch, Jim Mackenzie, Paul Poer. Not pictured: John Gary.

At the Little League family picnic on July 19, the 7-Up players all signed a thank you note...

...and presented their coaches with an appreciation trophy.

From left to right: trophies from the 1957 State Tournament, the 1959 7-Up team trophy, and the league "Champs" trophy presented to 7-Up's players in 1958.

Sadly, the photo above is all that remains of the 1959 7-Up trophy. I threw this and most of Dad's other trophies away in 1988 when I was preparing to sell my parents' house. All of his scorebooks, too. It makes me sad to even think about this now.

1959 tournament play gets underway July 24 when the West Covina American All-Stars will take the field against the Pacific Coast Little League team in their Area 2 opening match at West Covina National's field on Sunset Avenue.

7-Up Jersey Patch.

 

1959 WCALL Season Highlights

West Covina American Little League milestones in 1959:

June 19: Future Super Bowl VI champ defensive end Pat Toomay pitched the first no-hitter in West Covina American regular season history in 7-Up's 3-0 victory over Servisoft. Only a fielding error came between Pat and a perfect game.

July 5: In 10 innings, 7-Up defeated Driftwood Dairy 9-7 to capture the first-half title in the longest WCALL game to date.

July 11: On the last day of regular team play, Greg Mulligan set a league record for home runs in a single season with his 10th round-tripper in Charro's 6-1 win over Driftwood.

July 19: Charro defeated 7-Up 6-2 to win the 1959 West Covina American Little League championship.

At the league picnic at the end of the season, the roster of this year's WCALL All-Star Team was announced.

Chuck Calver (Charro) – 12
Sam Cooper (Charro) – 12
Tom Finch (7-Up) – 12
Tom Hartsock (Servisoft) – 11
John McCaffrey (Servisoft) – 12
Jim Mackenzie (7-Up) – 12
Lee Meyers (Driftwood Dairy) – 12
Greg Mulligan (Charro) – 12
Bruce Pittenger (Driftwood Dairy) – 12
Pat Toomay (7-Up) – 11
Ken Wiedemann (7-Up) – 11
Larry D. Young (7-Up) – 12
Larry W. Young (Driftwood Dairy) – 12
Ken Zoelle (Servisoft) – 11

The Managers will be Ed Shannon and Moe Fox of 7-Up.

 

Okura Testamonial

Practically everyone who grew up in West Covina knows the name Michael Okura (1946-2012). A beloved local educator and sports icon, he made a lasting, positive impression on almost every person he crossed paths with throughout his life.

WCHS senior portrait, courtesy of the late Mrs. Leo Okura.

Mike with the 1958 All-Star team trophies, photo courtesy of the late Mrs. Leo Okura.

What produces men with such standout qualities? For most, it requires good parenting, good teachers, good mentors. I'm proud that my father was one of Michael Okura's earliest such role models.

After the 1958 Little League season, Mike's parents wrote us this thank-you letter. I can attest: no truer testament was ever written about my father's dedication to his young proteges. I'm particularly touched by the sentiments expressed in the last paragraph.

Like Mike Okura, many of Dad's young players became family friends in their adulthood, still coming to visit and talk with him and get his advice years after they last played for him. And if the boys he coached valued their association with him so much, just imagine how even more special it was to have that man as my own father.

So, that's a wrap for the 1958 WCALL All-Stars! Hopefully, I'll be back next year to tell the 1959 team's story, too. It would be Father's last season coaching Little League...

 

The 1958 Trophies

Family photos of the 1958 All-Star team trophies: the magnificent District 19 award, and the smaller but more prestigious Bi-District cup.

(For you retro video geeks: our TV here was a Packard-Bell console that had a radio and Hi-Fi record player built in: a state-of-the-art "home theater" in its day!)

A closer look at the bling.

This picture of the 1958 District 19 trophy was taken the following year. I'm certain of that, not only because of the date on the print, but also the newer black-and-white style of the All-Star cap that I'm wearing.

Also note that the formerly blank space on the brass plaque now says: "WEST COVINA AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE".

Just like the 1957 State Tournament trophy, I don't know what ultimately happened to these team prizes. I know they were never among the collection of trophies at our newer home in Covina. My best guess is that Dad gave them to Fred Allen – the 1958 All-Stars' coach. I remember us going over to the Allen's house one time, and their whole living room was filled with youth baseball trophies that Fred's teams had won over the years. So, although I don't know for sure, it just make sense that the 1958 trophies ended up in his collection, too. I doubt they survive today, however, making these pictures the only extant evidence of these early WCALL tournament awards.