Anyone in the neighborhood of Tunnel School over the last week probably heard cheers. Clapping. Maybe some yelling. Santa Maria’s Little League All Star Tournament is well under way.
With the event in full swing, the Sun tracked down some of Santa Maria’s kings of baseball. These guys played or coached Little League in Santa Maria back when it was as new as a stiff leather glove.
In 1949, Ernie Corral was playing ball in Santa Maria’s first Little League. At the time, there were only 9,000 locals.
“Sports was really the only thing in town,” he said. “We had nothing to do but play ball.”
Corral played on the same team as Ted Davidson, who would later go on to pitch pro ball for the Cincinnati Reds in 1965.
Times haven’t really changed—as far as baseball is concerned, Corral said. In fact, he pointed out, it’s timeless.
The big differences, he noted, were that all kids between the ages of 8 and 12 played on the team back then.
Eddie Navarro has spent 30 years as a Little League coach. He says getting his name in the paper back then was like being on top of the world.
“It was during the ’60s Yankees—Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris … God, you’re right there on the same page with these guys. It was like the big time. You went to school, and all the kids know you because your name was in the paper.”
There was no Little League yet for now-79-year-old Sonny Summer to play in while growing up. That didn’t stop him from helping coach when it did come to town, though. And he was in good company.
“Ty Cobb’s son, Jim Cobb, was our manager,” he said. “I helped him out with the team.”
For Summer, coaching was less about winning, and more about teaching the kids.
“Sure, everybody wants to win. At the time, starting Little League, you had to teach them first how to play, and then how to win,” he explained.
Not everyone had quite the same attitude, though. Summer remembered that he let his old manager go.
“He’d scold the kids, rather than try and explain to them what had happened,” he said.
Summer turned down a $150-a-month contract to play for the St. Louis Browns in 1950. At the time, he was making $300 a month and was newly married—to the daughter of Santa Maria Indians Manager Butch Simas, no less.
In 1953, the Browns sold to the St. Louis Cardinals. Summer said he’s still kind of bummed out about that move.
“You make mistakes,” he said with a laugh.
Everyone the Sun spoke with is united in his excitement about Little League today. Corral’s grandson plays for Orcutt All American now, and the proud grandfather summed up the love of the game: “I’ve been married 61 years, and my wife always wanted me to play ball,” he said. “I’ve had a great time.”
Staff Writer Nicholas Walter roots, roots, roots for the home team. Contact him at nwalter@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 16-23, 2009.
