Ninety years ago, on July 14, 1919, if Manteca could always have a ball game like the one they had today, they would all seem to be qualified as foot racers. They made only 16 runs in the game with Hughson while their opponents got four. From the score it was evident that it was not a big league game but there was a lot of good ball playing, after all, and the circulating of bases kept the crowd in a state of pleasure, that is, the Manteca crowd. Hughson protested the game because Manager J. J. Napier used some new players. But after hearing all the facts, the protest was denied and the game stands to the credit of Manteca. Peltier is pretty foxy and will not be caught like that. Elmer Blodgett got three hits, including two homers, for Manteca.
In other sports stories from the Bulletin files:
70 years ago: July 20, 1939 - Combining air-tight fielding with men on the bases and the ability to hit in the clutch, Manteca's merciless Merchants blanked the Modesto Hawks on the local high school diamond Sunday by a 3-0 score. Turning in his third successive mound performance, the wiry, steady Bill Enders kept six Modesto hits well-scattered. "Buck" Wooten, who collected two of Manteca's four hits in the tilt, connected for a long four-bagger to deep center field in the fourth inning for the best counter of the afternoon.
Softball fans at Recreation Park Friday night were given plenty of opportunity to watch the game as the Manteca Honeydews downed the Modesto Merchants 2 to 1 in 10 innings. Merle Kleist, first Honeydew batter in the tenth, drove a fast one past third, enabling him to reach second. Next, Howard Williams dropped a fly ball into short outfield, allowing Kleist to score the winning run without an out in the tenth inning.
60 years ago: July 21, 1949 - The Manteca Merchants defeated the Lodi Moose 5-4 last Sunday. The Merchants had to overcome a four-run Lodi lead to do the job. Jim Grigsby pitched four-hit ball and struck out 14 batters, while Roy Platt was the sticker at bat, collecting three hits and batting in two runs. The winning marker was chalked up in the seventh inning when Leroy Judd singled, advanced on Platt's hit and scored on Fred Hubbard's single.
Bob Theiler became the first local graduate to return to Manteca High as head football coach as he was named to that position by the school board last week. Theiler played football at Manteca High under Coach Larry Siemering in 1939 and was student body president in his senior year.
Assisting Theiler in the P. E. program will be John Phillips, former coach at Laton High.
50 years ago: July 23, 1959 - As expected from the start of the Little League season, Bobson's Cleaners walked off with the first half crown. The team, coached by Wes Holbrook, wound up with a perfect record of 8-0. Fine pitching by Bob Leatherwood accounted for many wins by Bobson's.
40 years ago: July 18, 1969 - Manteca Ford downed the Delta Merchants Wednesday night to take the Stockton Open Division softball championship. Final score was 1-0 behind the one-hit pitching of Rich Balswick. He also scored the lone run.
30 years ago: July 18, 1979 - The Manteca Dolphins swim team returned to its winning ways yesterday, dropping visiting Escalon 364-310 in a meet at the Lincoln Park pool. Dave Breitenbucher, Robin Cabral and Shane Thomas all grabbed three individual first places for the Manteca Recreation Department-sponsored team.
Lodi-South was the culprit which ended the hopes of the Manteca Babe Ruth 13-15 all-stars Thursday. Lodi, the team which dropped Manteca into the losers' bracket at the District tournament Sunday, was also the team which delivered Manteca the knockout punch when Lodi used an error-aided, two-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning to drop Manteca 4-3 in action at Del Webb Field in Modesto.
Randy Ross, who laid off baseball two years, came back in prime fashion this season, pitching a perfect no-hit shutout Thursday as State Farm Insurance blanked the Hughson Merchants 10-0 in a five-inning Tri-county Babe Ruth 16-18 Baseball contest. Ross's perfect game on the mound represented State Farm's second no-hitter of the week. Ross struck out five in the game and Robbie Steves had two hits for the locals.
Nearly tripped by mental and throwing errors, Manteca's 13 year-old Babe Ruth all-stars pulled off a 9-7 victory over Stanislaus County in the opening round of the double-elimination District tournament. Albert Tanghal, Manteca third baseman, activated the locals' offensive drive. Tanghal went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Chris Steves and Mike Maris had two hits apiece.
Tradeway Chevrolet complimented two fine pitching performances by Scott Simpson and Troy Vickerman by busting loose for a total of 18 runs in taking both ends of a doubleheader from Hughson 9-3 and 9-2 in Babe Ruth 16-18 action at East Union High Sunday. Simpson fired a three-hitter, striking out nine batters in the opener, while Vickerman struck out six batters in five innings in the second game. Jim Agostini had four hits, including a double, and batted in three runs in the games for Tradeway.
20 years ago: July 18, 1989 - Thirteen errors by Cecchetti Babe Ruth League of Stockton led to 15 Manteca runs and a 15-5 win in the District 1 14 year-old tournament at East Union High on Monday. Mark Seda and Mike Chavez had big days at the plate for Manteca.
Robert Randall will cap his illustrious high school career by playing for the North squad in Saturday's Lions Club Central California All-star football game at Stagg Stadium on the University of the Pacific campus. Randall, who graduated from East Union High in June, is Manteca's lone representative.
The Manteca Dolphins competed in a dual swim meet with Oakdale Saturday and came away with an easy 992-499 win. Several swimmers had triple wins, they include: Kelly Masterson won the 25 fly, the 25 breast and the 25 free among six and under girls; Jack Harvey, at six and under boys, took firsts in the 25 fly, 25 free and the 50 freestyle; Alicia Lowry (7-8 girls) won the 50 free, the 25 fly and the 25 freestyle; Deni Lowry won three times in the 9-10 girls, the 100 free, the 100 IM and the 50 butterfly. Other triple winners were Matthew Goaux (9-10 boys) in the 100 IM, 50 breast and the 50 freestyle; Lisa Pendexter (11-12 girls) in the 100 free, the 100 IM and the 50 freestyle; Casey Plain (11-12 boys) in the 100 free, the 50 breast and the 50 freestyle; Julie Gaynor (13-14 girls) 100 free, 100 IM and the 50 breaststroke and James Harvey (15-16 boys) in the 100 free, the 100 fly and the 100 breaststroke.
10 years ago: July 22, 1999 - Despite six swimmers each claiming three individual wins, the Manteca Dolphins couldn't stop a high-scoring 968-897 victory for the Hughson Seadogs on Saturday. Tanner Bragg, Lanae Brown, Stephanie Davis, Nick Martin, Donovan McGehee and Katie Riley each earned three first-place finishes at Lincoln Pool. Bragg had firsts in the 25 fly, 25 breast and 25 freestyle. Brown took first in the 100 IM, the 50 fly and the 50 breaststroke, while Martin touched first in the 100 IM, the 50 back and the 50 breaststroke. Davis was triumphant in the 50 free, 25 fly and the 25 freestyle. McGehee's three firsts came in the 100 free, 50 fly and the 50 freestyle, while the 10 year-old Riley took home firsts in the 100 IM, the 50 fly and the 50 backstroke.
An 11-yard pass from quarterback Orlando Evans to Danny Henderson with 8:24 remaining gave the North all-stars a 9-7 win over the South in the annual Lions all-star football game Saturday in Stockton. The North squad, consisting of Sierra High players Nick Wisely, Gary Mullins and Ben Oehninger and East Union High's J. T. Hardcastle, was elated with the victory.
Two players from Sierra gave the Tri-county Babe Ruth Baseball 17-18 all-stars the advantage but it wasn't enough to stop a 10-2 victory by Modesto at Sierra High on Friday. Randy Baltazar and James Bylow played on the losing team. East Union's Matt O'Brien pitched the first three innings for Tri-county.
