The Perfect Game

Friday, August 23, 1957

No recap of the Little League post-season of 1957 would be complete without the telling of what is perhaps the greatest Cinderella story in youth baseball history: the improbable and unstoppable march to Williamsport of a scruffy bunch of upstart Mexican pee-wees which culminated in the historic perfecto pitched by their ambidextrous ace in the final game of the Little League World Series.

The team blanked by Monterrey Industrial 60 years ago today was La Mesa, California: the champs of the same State Tournament in which West Covina won Third Place less than two weeks before.

My mother was so thorough in her scrapbooking that she actually subscribed to the Williamsport newspaper so she could also document the Little League World Series that year. The following are selections from her many pages of clippings.

By all accounts, the pint-sized niños from Mexico were celebrated fan-favorites, contradicting the political narrative in the 2006 film The Perfect Game, which portrayed the team as a target of xenophobia and racism throughout their tournament play. It was simply not true. (I don't care how good a team is from a technical point-of-view: you can't win 13 games in a row in any sport if the crowd is constantly hostile towards you.)

Click on the jump for more articles and photos!

Why It Matters

So what does it matter what a bunch of local Little Leaguers did 60 years ago?

I suppose in the grand scheme of things, not much. But in West Covina, in 1957, what these young men did mattered a lot. As I said previously, this was the first team from the city to ever play and place in a state-level tournament, and firsts in sports history are always noteworthy.

Our family's only official mementos of the tournament. Of all the trophies in my father's collection, this plastic one was the cheapest-looking of all, and yet, it was his first as a manager of an All-Star team, and probably his most-treasured. My mother made the presentation case for the pins.

One might argue that "Third Place" isn't a whole lot to cheer about, but let me explain why the West Covina American All-Stars' winning finish in the 1957 State Tournament was such an exceptional accomplishment.

• After losing their opener, the team had to win 3 games in a row just to place in the tournament, which they subsequently did, and convincingly, too.
• Only one other team won 3 consecutive games, and that was the State champ, La Mesa.
• Overall, our boys were the most productive. West Covina played more games in the tournament than any of the other teams–4 in less than 48 hours–and in their 3 victories, West Covina scored 20 runs; La Mesa only 11.
• Finally, we ended up beating the team that sent us to the losers' bracket to begin with, which means that West Covina–just like La Mesa–defeated every opponent they faced.

Considering all this, I've little doubt that, if not for that one wild pitch in the last inning of their tourney opener, West Covina would have claimed the State crown, not La Mesa. And if one recalls what happened to La Mesa in the Little League World Series final that year, had West Covina knocked them out at the state level, a certain history-making baseball game would not have taken place...

Win or lose, though, there is no question that the 1957 West Covina American All-Stars made local sports history, and I hope that, through my storytelling here, I've managed to do justice to them and to their achievements.

The Big Parade!

Sunday, August 11, 1957

The day after West Covina American won Third Place in the California State Tournament, their accomplishment was feted with a parade and reception at the then-brand-new West Covina Plaza shopping center. Everybody and their sister was there! Without a doubt, it was the biggest public celebration in the history of the young city.

This was my most vivid memory of the days surrounding the tournament. I mean, how could any little boy forget seeing their very own dad riding on a fire engine in a parade? I even remember that we were standing opposite the Thrifty Drug Store when the team passed by.

Below right, my grandmother holds your cub reporter up so he can get a better look at the big news event!

 

Presentation

Saturday, August 10, 1957

Tonight, the West Covina American All-Stars were awarded their Third Place trophies by the State Tournament's official sponsor. Here, 7-Up Youth Foundation official Jim Smith presents the team trophy to managers Ed Shannon and Fred Allen, Sr. The players in attendance were (l. to r.): Denny Allen, Freddy Allen, Jim Kendall, Carl Lenz, Rudy Bullen, Alan Myer, Gary Walker, John Montgomery, Bruce Young, Steve Fox, Don Bunch, Gary Beecher, Tom Dolan and Mike Okura.

A closeup of the team trophy. Although presented to my father, I'm sure he turned it over to the League. Dad had a ton of trophies in our house, but this one was never among them. I wonder if West Covina American–or perhaps the city–still has it...

 

Payback, and Victory!

Saturday, August 10, 1957

West Covina won two straight consolation games since Thursday afternoon's opening loss to Ontario. Ontario, in turn, was defeated Friday afternoon by Santa Ana, so they then joined the losers' bracket, where they eliminated Venice this morning.

So, as fate would have it, Ontario now had to play those scrappy, never-say-die boys from West Covina again in the consolation final. Their match to decide Third Place took place at 1:30PM today.

It was another pitchers duel extraordinaire. Keith Cardin once again started for Ontario, this time facing West Covina's Bruce Young. Both pitched masterfully, each handing their opposition 6 consecutive goose eggs, and Young striking out 15.

In the top of the 7th, a West Covina rally began when Ontario reliever Gary Spencer walked Tom Dolan. Next up, Rudy Bullen laid down what was intended to be a sacrifice bunt, but instead he got on base on a wild throw to first by Spencer. Dolan took third on the play, then crossed home plate on a wild pitch. Denny Allen followed up with a 2-run homer that capped off West Covina's inning.

Ontario started their own late rally with 2 out in the bottom of the 7th. Following 2 walks by West Covina reliever Gary Beecher, a single by Ontario right-fielder Bill Tallman drove in one runner and advanced the other to third. A hard-hit shot to third-baseman Denny Allen resulted in another Ontario run when he couldn't field the ball in time to make a play. Reliever Gary Spencer then hit another fast grounder at Allen, but this time he made the throw to first to end the game.

Thus did the underdog upstarts from West Covina claim the honor of being the third-best Little League team in all of California. They were going home as winners, after all, with an overall post-season record of 9-1.

West Covina.....000 000 3–3 2 1
Ontario.........000 000 2–2 5 2

In the final game, La Mesa defeated Santa Ana 1-0 to take the State Tournament crown.

Santa Ana.....000 000–0 2 2
La Mesa.......001 00x–1 3 1

The final brackets:

 

Comeback!

Friday-Saturday, August 9-10, 1957

Friday afternoon in the consolation round, West Covina eliminated Lancaster, with Bruce Young throwing a 1-hitter. Then, only 20 hours later, Jim Kendall sent Novato packing in a highly lopsided win; the losers' only tallies coming on two solo home runs in the 3rd.

Lancaster.......000 000–0 1 3
West Covina.....101 03x–5 2 0

Novato..........002 000– 2 2 4
West Covina.....600 60x–12 9 2

Unfortunately, there are no clippings in Mother's scrapbook that describe the play of either game, only those line scores. So instead, let me recap the rest of the action that's been going on in Santa Monica the past couple of days.

In Thursday's opener, 1956's Western Regionals' 4th place team and this year's overall State tourney favorite, La Mesa, held Oroville to only 1 hit, while racking up 9 of their own in an easy 7-3 win. The local faves from nearby Venice also had little trouble dispatching Novato 7-2, while Santa Ana defeated Lancaster 3-1.

In the winners' bracket on Friday, Santa Ana sent West Covina's new rival Ontario to the consolation round in a 5-run shutout, while La Mesa edged Venice in a nail-biter, coming from behind with 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th to win 3-2.

La Mesa will now meet Santa Ana for the State Championship tomorrow at 4:45 P.M.

This is some tournament!

 

The Tide Turns

Thursday, August 8, 1957

Over the years my father coached ball, there was one name that always elicited respect and an attitude of determination from him and his players.

"Ontario."

Any time one of Dad's teams faced an opponent from Ontario, they knew they were in for a battle. At every level of play–Little League through American Legion–Ontario was a consistent powerhouse. That was true over a half-century ago, and I have no doubt it's still true now.

Today's game, however, would be the very first time that All-Star teams from West Covina and Ontario met on a baseball diamond (or any sports field, for that matter), and it was a fateful meeting, indeed.

The televised opener on August 8th was a quintessential pitchers duel. Jim Kendall was brilliant on the mound, throwing a no-hitter through 5 innings and striking out 10; at one point 7 straight. But Ontario's pitcher, L. Keith Cardin, was even more unhittable, striking out 13 with 8 down in a row, and–except for Fred Allen's lead-off single in the 1st–preventing any West Covinan from reaching base for the first 4 innings. Cardin's streak ended when Don Bunch tied it with a solo homer with 2 outs in the bottom of the 5th: the only earned run of the game for either side.

In the top of the 6th, Ontario's Jackie McClure snapped Kendall's no-hit streak via a misplayed bunt. Bob Murray followed up with a line drive past left-fielder Steve Fox that McClure tried to stretch into a run, but which instead resulted in a dramatic 7-1-2 put-out at the plate. The fielder's choice, however, left Murray on third, who then scored on a wild pitch by Kendall. West Covina was unable to come back in the bottom of the 6th, giving Ontario a 2-1 victory.

And so it was that West Covina's unprecedented post-season win streak came to an end. However, unlike the preceding playoffs, the State Tournament had a double-elimination bracket. West Covina had suffered a loss, but their Cinderella story was not yet over. Not by a long shot.

Ontario.........010 001–2 3 1
West Covina.....000 010–1 2 1

 

State Tourney Team Photo

The 1957 West Covina All-Stars at the California State Tournament. That's one proud group of youngsters there.

Click on image for full-res file.

Standing (l. to r.): Ed Shannon, Freddie Allen, Bruce Young, Denny Allen, Carl Lenz, Steve Fox, John Montgomery, Mike Okura, Fred Allen, Sr.
Kneeling: Gary Beecher, Rudy Bullen, Jim Kendall, Alan Myer, Tom Dolan, Don Bunch, Gary Walker.

 

Their televised opener starts at 4 P.M. tomorrow at Ramsey Military Academy Field.

Ephemera

Just sharing some stuff from the 1957 State Tournament while we wait for the games to get underway.

Dad's name tag, pass, and official's ribbon.

 

Before and during the tournament, all the players and coaches got free rides on Santa Monica's transit system. I remember my mom and I took a ride on a trolley at one of the games; probably the first time I ever rode in such a conveyance. (We didn't have trolleys in Glendora.) Anyway, after the tournament, I was given the leftover tokens as play money, and I've kept them all these years since. (I colored two of them with a red marker some time when I was in grade school.)

 

Television and Telegrams

West Covina making it to the California State Tournament was a Very Big Deal back then. No sports team from the city had ever reached this level of competition before. In the decades since, West Covina has become renown for producing major sports talent, but its American Little League All-Stars of 1957 were the very first to achieve anything resembling recognition or fame. It was also the first West Covina team to appear on live television.

My first memory of the 1957 post-season wasn't any of the games, though. It was seeing my own dad on my favorite TV show, Engineer Bill!

 

During the tournament, the teams were staying at the Ramsey Military School in Santa Monica. On the morning of their opening game, the young West Covina ballplayers received these telegrams of congratulations and encouragement from city officials.

 

All local eyes were on the boys from West Covina when they took the field against Ontario, and as fate would have it, the game would be a major turning point in the team's fortunes.

 

Half Way to Williamsport

Saturday, August 3, 1957

The 1957 WCALL All-Stars continue to go where no West Covina sports team has gone before. Last weekend, they won their first-ever Division title, and today, they are the champions of California Section V, and on their way to the State Tournament!

Celebrating their victory are (l.–r.): Don Bunch, Mike Okura, Steve Fox, Bruce Young, Jim Kendall and Rudy Bullen.

 

Having won 6 straight games to this point, West Covina is now only 5 more wins away from going to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

West Covina American.....030 000 3–6 6 1
Arcadia American.........000 102 1–4 2 1

 

 

The performance of both teams was about as excellent as Little League play gets. This was one exciting baseball game! Read all about it...