Baseball Season Is Back In Town

By Allen Bacon
Editor
Bosco: The Blog

I took my annual walk through the ballparks of my hometown last Saturday morning. Baseball season is back in Fullerton. Spring was in the air and there was an extra spring in my step as I went on my tour, a six mile jaunt. For the uninformed, Fullerton, CA has more ballparks, more Major League Hall of Famers, and more Major Leaugers period per square mile than any city in America.

First stop was Goodwin Field the home of the four time NCAA national champion Cal State Fullerton Titans. The Titans had just beaten the Southern Miss Golden Eagles the night before to improve to 6-4 on the young season. The groundskeepers were putting the finishing touches on cleaning the ballpark and getting it ready again to play ball that night where High School star Corey Abiso would win his first College game as a pitcher.

Earlier the previous week, the Titans opened at home on a Tuesday night against the Loyola Marymount Lions. Opening night is always fun as the alumni and fans can be seen getting reacquainted in the stands. A lot of laughter, reminiscing, and hugging to go along with the excitement of the baseball season. Baseball will be played here at Goodwin until the first week of September. After the Titans season is over in June which usually ends up at the World Series in Omaha, the Fullerton Flyers minor league season starts. The Flyers are a Single A Independent Ball team.

After walking to breakfast at Nicks for the pancakes and scrambled eggs, I headed off to Hornet Field, the ballpark of the Fullerton College Hornets. Rob, was striping the field for the 12:00 game against the Golden West Pirates. One thing I love about Hornet Field is that longtime coach Nick Fuscardo, wanting to recreate a little bit of Wrigley Field, planted ivy on the outfield wall. Just add some Bleacher Bums in left field a little wind blowing out and you would swear you are in Chicago.

Around the corner from there is the Fullerton High School ballpark, home of the Indians. The field looked in pristene condition and quietly awaited for the afternoon Newport Elks Tournament game between the Tribe and West Hills High. A game the Tribe would win.

I got back out on Chapman Ave. and headed to Highland turned left and came upon historical Amerige Park. Ralph Chacon and the guys were getting the beautiful field ready for the PONY league opening days ceremony. The ball park looked more beautiful than ever. A while back my friend Tim McClain bought some stadium seats from the Dodgers when they were renovating Dodger Stadium so Amerige Park now looks like a miniature version of Chavez Ravine.

Outside Amerige Park were the bright eyed Mustang, Shetland and PONY players in their brand new uniforms getting the ready to take the field with their coaches and families. I could smell the breakfast and carne asada on the open grills that the volunteers were cooking up. Sometimes it's not always about the smell of the cut grass that reminds you it's baseball season.

I ran out of time before visiting the four Little League Parks in Fullerton where all the seasons were under way but later that day I was eating lunch at a local restaurant and a mother was on the cel phone giving instructions to her son. "I put the uniform out on the bed with the cleats on the floor. Put them on around 2 and I'll pick you up for the game." Memories.