BERKELEY - One of the greatest Cal baseball teams in school history was honored last Saturday at Evans Diamond prior to the Golden Bears' thrilling 11-10 victory over Stanford. It was the 35th anniversary of Bob Milano's squad that placed third in the nation at the 1980 College World Series.
Steve Kroner, who served as Cal baseball's sports information director during that historical season and is currently a sports writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, has shared his script that he read Saturday night in introducing the 1980 squad...
This is truly an honor to introduce the 1980 team. Back when I was a student, I had the privilege of working with the Bears in 1979, ’80 and ’81. That included doing public-address announcing. One difference from tonight: There was no press box; we had a little table attached to the low wall directly behind home plate. It was a great place to watch a game – and there were many great games in 1980.
That team finished third at the College World Series, the best finish in school history other than the national-championship teams of 1947 and ’57. It was tied for first in the Pac-10 Southern Division and won the Midwest Regional. The 1980 team racked up 44 wins, which remains the school record, and what truly defined that team is it went 10-3 in the postseason. The Giants deservedly received a lot of praise for winning six elimination games in the 2012 postseason. The 1980 California Golden Bears won eight elimination games. And now let’s get to the players. …
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Rod Booker: This man was a co-captain and wound up as the Pac-10 Southern Division’s Co-Player of the Year as he hit .315 and was brilliant at shortstop. He had a five-year career in the majors with the Cardinals and Phillies. His son, Austin, played on the Bears’ 2011 College World Series team. You can see him on the RSF wall. … Rod Booker
Lyle Brackenridge: This man made both the All-Pac-10 Southern Division team and the All-College World Series team. A center fielder who hit .326 and stole a team-high 35 bases … Lyle Brackenridge.
Chuck Cary: This left-hander threw a seven-hitter in the Bears’ 7-1 win over Arkansas in the Midwest Regional. He also picked up a win over St. John’s in the College World Series. He had an eight-year career in the big leagues … Chuck Cary.
Tom Colburn: Another co-captain and the Most Valuable Player of the 1980 Bears. The best stat to show how tough this catcher was: In the heat and humidity of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the Midwest Regional, he caught 57 of a possible 58 innings over four days. Yeah, he slacked and missed the last inning of the Bears’ 12-0 clincher over UNLV … Tom Colburn.
Steve Conroy: This man pitched two years for the Bears, left-handed reliever Steve Conroy.
Don Driscoll: This man was second on the Bears with 23 steals and played an excellent left field, Don Driscoll.
Brian Duffy: This lefty still ranks eighth in career innings pitched for the Bears with 310-and-a-third. He saved his best for last, as he pitched well in the Bears’ regional win over Missouri and CWS win over Miami. … Brian Duffy
Tim Gerlach: It’s appropriate that this man follows Brian, because he and Duff shared the Most Inspirational Player award in 1980 … infielder Tim Gerlach.
Dave Granger: A starter and reliever who had 3.21 ERA in 1980. He had the honor of pitching the final inning of the Midwest Regional clincher … Dave Granger.
Brian Guinn: This infielder didn’t play a lot as a freshman in 1980, but he had an excellent career at Cal – and he’s another man whose son played for the Bears. The younger Brian Guinn lettered for Cal in 2009 and ’10. Here’s his father, Brian.
Bill Hawkins: Another freshman who didn’t pitch much in 1980 but had a fine career for the blue and gold. Left-hander Bill Hawkins.
Mitch Hawley: This man was the Bears’ closer in 1980. He had six wins, eight saves and a 1.29 ERA. He made the All-Pac-10 Southern Division team and still holds the school career record for saves with 21. … Mitch Hawley.
Chuck Hensley: Like Mitch, this lefty also was an all-conference selection in 1980. He went 9-3 with a 2.75 ERA. He pitched for the Giants in 1986, and you can see him on the RSF wall. … Chuck Hensley.
John House: Another freshman who didn’t play much in 1980 but had a fine career with the Bears … catcher John House
Rob Jessen: This big first baseman hit 13 homers over his two seasons with the Bears. He also had the unfortunate distinction of having to room with me on the road for most of that time … Rob Jessen
Bruce Johnson: This man hit .279 as a sophomore in 1980 and was equally adept at playing second base or third … Bruce Johnson
Dan McInerny: This left-handed-hitting outfielder led the Bears in homers in 1980 with nine. He hit 24 in his three seasons with the Bears. His son, Robbie, is on this year’s team. And this man was extremely instrumental in helping save the program when it appeared it might end four years ago … Dan McInerny
Bob Melvin: This man hit .269 as a freshman backup catcher in 1980. He had a 10-year big-league career, including three seasons with the Giants. He’s now in his 12th season as a big-league manager. He was the NL Manager of the Year with Arizona in 2007 and the AL Manager of the Year with the A’s in 2012. The manager of the Oakland Athletics, Bob Melvin.
Glenn Newton: This right-hander went 7-1 with a 3.05 ERA in 1980. He threw a four-hitter to beat UNLV 6-2 in an elimination game in the Midwest Regional … Glenn Newton
Jeff Ronk: This second baseman was an All-Pac-10 Southern Division selection as he led the Bears in hitting with a .359 average. His career average of .377 ranks third in school history. … Jeff Ronk
Jim Selvitella: This man was both a pitcher and an outfielder in his days with the Bears … Jim Selvitella.
Greg Zunino: This man turned more fastballs on the hands into bloop -- I mean, line-drive – singles to right field. A third baseman who hit .306 in 1980 and whose son, Mike, is a catcher with the Seattle Mariners … Greg Zunino …
Now before we get to the trainer and coaches, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the players who couldn’t be here tonight … Michael Buggs was excellent at running down flyballs and running fly patterns. He was a center fielder and a wide receiver on the football team. … Glenn Prater went 9-3 with a 2.48 ERA in 1980. He was 4-0 in the postseason, including pitching a six-hitter in a 5-1 win over Wichita State in the Midwest Regional, and then coming back on one day’s rest to pitch eight shutout innings in the clincher against UNLV … Kelly Wood made the All-Pac-10 Southern Division team as he hit .324 with seven homers … Now to the trainer and coaches
Paul Mohler: One of the most beloved men in the history of not only Cal baseball but of Cal athletics in general. The longtime trainer for the Bears, Paul Mohler.
Greg Warzecka: This man played for the Bears in the early 1970s and was an assistant coach in 1980. His post-Cal career included a lengthy stint as UC Davis’ athletic director and he’s now the dean of athletics at American River College. … Greg Warzecka
John Hughes: This lefty pitched for Cal in the mid-1970s and won all four of his starts against Stanford. He was the pitching coach in 1980, and led the Bears’ staff to a 3.13 ERA. Since then, only one Cal team -- the 2011 College World Series squad – has finished a season with a better ERA. Now a scout for the Miami Marlins, he played a big role in not only putting this reunion together, but in saving the program four years ago. …. John Hughes …
Bob Milano: This man led the Bears in hitting with a .357 average as a catcher in 1960. In 1980, he was the Pac-10 Southern Division’s Co-Coach of the Year. That was the third of his 22 seasons as Cal’s head coach. He has 688 wins, the most by any coach in Cal history. He’s in the Collegiate Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame and he’s a member of the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame. His number 7 is retired, as you can see on the right-field wall. One of the men who truly distinguished and defines University of California baseball, Bob Milano
