Teams from the past that would run any team from today into the ground:
McClatchy (Sacramento) 1951
Record: 22-0-1; Head Coach: Cliff Perry
Due to being unbeaten in the days when Sacramento city baseball was as its best, the Lions can still make a claim at being the greatest team in Sacramento history.
The team’s only close game was an 11-11 tie with Christian Brothers that was called due to darkness. The 23-game unbeaten streak didn’t end until it reached 40 games during the 1952 season. It is still one of the five longest unbeaten streaks in state history.
As with all great teams, McClatchy could hit and pitch. Earl Rose led the hitting with a .521 average followed by junior Peter Stathos at .512. As a team, the Lions batted .309. Sophomore Ralph Rose (Earl’s brother) was one of the top pitchers, along with Chris Christian and J.C. Masters. Catcher Bob Jones and junior first baseman Dick Traversi were two more All-City players.
The Redwood teams were amazing to watch! Good hard nose baseball.
Redwood (Larkspur) 1977
Record: 33-3; Head Coach: Al Endriss
The Giants were awarded a mythical national title after this season by the Easton Bat Company, but we have them No. 2 in the state behind Edgewood of West Covina, which was 29-1. With Edgewood making these rankings, Redwood’s 1977 team can be this high as well. The 1977 Giants also were better than Redwood’s 1978 squad that is listed as State Team of the Year.
One of Redwood’s losses was by 2-1 to the Taiwan national team in a game that was tied 1-1 after seven innings. Two losses were to league rival Terra Linda (a team the Giants also beat) while two notable wins were against top teams from Oregon and Washington.
The most famous player on the team was infielder Buddy Biancalana, who was a hero for the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series. Third baseman Greg Zunino set a state record by scoring 65 runs and helped the team score 356 runs for a NorCal record. The Giants also had 358 hits, a total that still makes the state record book. Pitchers David Hoffmeister and Steve Travers (both who pitched at USC) along with outfielders Steve Hoffmire and Jim Connor were among the team’s other standouts.
Sacred Heart (San Francisco) 1961
Record: 32-2; Head Coach: Dick Murray
Future major league pitcher Frank Bertaina led the Irish to a memorable season. He pitched a two-hitter and struck out 16 when Sacred Heart closed out the San Francisco Academic Athletic Association playoffs with a 2-0 win over Balboa before 6,106 at Candlestick Park. In regular season league games, Bertaina went 10-0 with a 0.27 ERA and struck out 151 batters. He also batted .451 with 25 RBIs.
With other top hitters such as Bill Phelan, Ron Butori and Frank Tamony (who later went on to become a top teacher/coach at De La Salle of Concord and is now in that school’s athletic hall of fame), Sacred Heart had a team batting average of .333. Phelan also was another of the squad’s top pitchers.
The win over Balboa also capped a 12-year run by Dick Murray as the team’s coach. Murray, who had to step down after the season because he wasn’t on the teaching staff of the school, had a 300-65 record for the Irish.