Santa Cruz Rec League team
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: circa 1935
Back row (left to right): far left is Ben Perry, 3rd from left is Leo A. Perry, 4th from left is Bill Graber, 5th from left is Leo L. Perry
Front row (left to right): Bob Perry (batboy)
Santa Cruz town team
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: circa 1900
Santa Cruz Merchants
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: circa 1930
Watsonville town team
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1909
Description: Postcard picture
Title: Focal Point: Santa Cruz Mountains (Santa Cruz Sentinel - 12-27-09)
Area: Santa Cruz (Wright’s Station)
Year: 1914
Description: See caption below picture for details.
Santa Cruz Seahawks
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: 1953
Back row (left to right): Johnny Reiss, Ron Walters, Frank Murphy, Frank Meyers, Al Bennett (business mgr.)
Middle row (left to right): Joe Aliberti, Fred Juhl, Bobby Jackson, Fred Sloper, Bob Baldassar
Front row (left to right): Don Dickson, Jim Jessen, Les Marple, Frank Ramicci, Dan Dierickson
Batboy: Jack Bennett
Aptos town team
Area: Santa Cruz (Aptos)
Year: 1903
Description: Team's manager checked train schedule before scheduling photo shoot.
Back row (left to right): Castro, unidentified, Lloyd Haines, D. L. Maguire, Castro, unidentified
Front row (left to right): George Traites, unidentified, Bud Parks, Willie Baughauser
Boulder Creek Saw Filers
Area: Santa Cruz (Boulder Creek)
Year: circa 1904
Back row (left to right): Charley Boyce, Arthur Bowden, Dan Trout (mgr.), Johnny Hayes, Charley Wiley, Lavelle Trout
Front row (left to right): Foster McAbee, Jim Maddock, Ernie Bloom, Dick Smith, Will Peery
Henry Cowell Lime Burners
Area: Santa Cruz (Scotts Valley)
Year: 1913
Back row (left to right): Harvey Bradley, Victor Trotts, Herb Manners, Albanus Sidney Theodore "Ted" Johnson (mgr.), Earl Jones, Fred Quirstorf, Earl Gouin
Front row (left to right): Amos Feeley, Manuel Silva, Edwin Wilson, Frank Tabacchi
Felton Woodpeckers
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: 1908
Left to right: Cassey Ford (1b), Frank Silva (p), Jack Piedemonte (p), Howard Rubottom, Harry Trotts, Joe Piedemonte, Amos Feeley, Manuel Silvey, Martin Silvey, William Matting, William Thompson
Grover Gulch
Area: Santa Cruz (Grover Gulch)
Year: 1890
Description: A game day in Soquel.
Santa Cruz Magazine Cover
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: 1991
Team: Soquel
Description: Diamond Days: Santa Cruz Magazine Issue 1991 by Geoffrey Dunn
Monterey town team
Area: Monterey (Monterey)
Year: circa 1880
Description: Pat Hathaway California Views.
Santa Cruz Padres
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: 1925
Title: Watsonville Merchants 2nd to Fontanetti's
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1968
Team: Watsonville Merchants, Fontanetti's
Illustrator: Bill Forst, member of Santa Clara “Tire Outlet” team.
250th Coast Artillery
Area: Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz)
Year: 1929 (Jan. 19)
Pictured at the left image is Carlo Parlato (p)
Back row (left to right): L. Morton, Hal Ruby, Les Holmes, A.B. Brown (Captain of the 250th C.A.), Carl Parlato (p), P. Ruby, E. Sulick, H. Carnie (mgr.)
Front row (left to right): I. Agrusa, Al Atkins, George Brown (mascot), A. McPherson, A. Torchini, F. Agrusa
Swiss Dairy
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: 1939
Back row (left to right): Cliff Grimstad, Ray Carpenter, Jim Jessen, Luis Panattoni, Henry "Nig" Tamagni (mgr.)
Front row (left to right): Angelo Mungai, Louis Castagnola, Johnny Mazzoni, Lee Tamagni, Danny Sousa, Bill Holton
Missing: "Lefty Pellegrini, Ray Jacobs, Johnny Hooper
Soquel Giants
Area: Santa Cruz (Soquel)
Year: 1905
Left to right: Jean Dakin, Paul Johnston, Branch Wallace, Harvey Bradley, Tom Hickey, G. Rose, Milton Nugent, Howard Stodard, Harvey Nugent
Japanese Central Coast League Championship Series
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: circa 1920
Team: Santa Cruz Japanese American
Swiss Dairy
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: circa 1930
Back row (left to right): 5th from left is Belden Hedgpath
Front row (left to right): 3rd from left is Ellsworth Hedgpath, 5th from left is Louis Castagnola.
Title: Santa Cruz Team Takes Fourth Straight State League Victory Over Verdi Club, 9 to 8
Area: Santa Cruz, San Francisco
Year: 1932
Team: Santa Cruz Padres, Verdi Club
Watsonville All-Stars
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1935
Description: See caption below picture for details.
Source: “Through a Diamond” by Kerry Yo Nakagawa
Santa Cruz Magazine page 17
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: 1991
Title: Oakland Race May Finish In A Tie
Area: Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz)
Year: 1929 (Jan. 19)
1994
Baseball was another big drawing card in the early days, with teams coming from the valley towns and logging operations. Most chose colorful names, such as the "Never Sweats" captained by George Chappell, a team that beat the "Earthwipers" of Brad Morrell's mill in 1888.
Recreation often had more than one purpose. It was also a pleasant means of raising money for town improvements. One example was the Pro Bono Publico Club headed by Isiah Hartman, which gave a comedy performance in 1893 to raise money for new wooden sidewalks and other improvements. That club was a forerunner to the Boulder Creek Improvement Association, which carried on the good work for many years.
Title: Seahawks Seek Fifth Straight Win Today
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: 1953
Felton Woodpeckers
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: 1908
Front row (left to right): 2nd from left is Thomas E. Silvey, 4th from left is Matthew Silvey
Title: Santa Cruz Padres Nose Out Verdi Ball Club
Area: Santa Cruz, San Francisco
Year: 1932
Team: Santa Cruz Padres, Verdi Club
Santa Cruz Magazine page 18
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: 1991
Santa Cruz Magazine Cover
Area: Santa Cruz (Soquel)
Year: 1991
Team: Soquel
Description: Diamond Days: Santa Cruz Magazine
Issue 1991
White's Cardinals
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1939
Description: White's Cardinals was sponsored by Mr. C.C. White, prominent Watsonville mortician, clubman, sportsman and civic worker. The Cardinals team was perhaps the oldest ball team not only in Watsonville but in that region, being on the field every season since it organized in 1930.
Source: 3rd Annual State Championship Tournament: Basehit 1935 from lower section on page 5.
See caption below picture for details.
Swiss Dairy
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: 1940
Back row (left to right): 5th from left is "Lefty" Pellegrini
Front row (left to right): Livio "Nig" Tamagni
Among those pictured: Dick Fassio, Johnny Reiss, Dick Dietz, Wes Juhl
Felton Woodpeckers
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: 1908
Back row (left to right): Far Left is Matthew Silvey
Front row (left to right): Far left is Thomas Silvey
Title: Free For-Alls Enliven State League
Area: Santa Cruz, San Francisco
Year: 1932
Team: Santa Cruz Padres, Verdi Club
Baseball Was My First Love p.1
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 2010
Team: Japanese American Baseball League
Watsonville Outlaws vs. Salinas Buffet
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1951 (April 21, 28)
Felton Woodpeckers
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: 1908
Description: See article above for names and history.
Swiss Dairy Box Score
Area: Santa Cruz
Year: 1941
Baseball Was My First Love p.2
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 2010
Team: Japanese American Baseball League
Pete's Packers
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1949
Description: Sponsor of team was Pete Letunich
See caption below picture for details.
Back row (left to right): Jack Riordan, Larry Boracca, Emory Fornier, George Parola, Lou Bertone, Joe Ereno and Bennie Berman.
Front row (left to right): Ray Fierro, Frank Gonzales, Sal Sparacino, Pete Butier, Bill Newby, Jerry Bernstein (mgr.)
Young Buzz Ereno kneels in front of Sparacino.
Felton ball park
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: circa 1910
Baseball Was My First Love p.3
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 2010
Team: Japanese American Baseball League
Felton Woodpeckers
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: circa 1920
Left to right: Fred Quistorf, Thomas E. Silvey
Baseball Was My First Love p.4
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 2010
Team: Japanese American Baseball League
Description: Year of team photo in newspaper is 1923.
Title: Old-Timers Remember When Woodpeckers Played Ball
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: 1947
Fresno vs. San Jose Bees
Area: Santa Cruz (San Jose)
Year: circa 1939-40
Watsonville Outlaws vs. Salinas Buffet
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1951 (April 21, 28)
Title: Felton People Remember The Old Days When Fire Department Was Just A Baby
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: 1947
Watsonville Outlaws vs. Les Vogel
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1951 (May 6)
Felton Fire Department
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: 1947
Description: See caption below picture for details.
Left to right: Manuel Silvey and Fred Quistorf
Watsonville Outlaws
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1951 (May 13)
Title: Oldest Felton Resident Muses About Progress
Area: Santa Cruz (Felton)
Year: 1947
Title: "Backesto Park" Tourney
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1968
Team: Watsonville Merchants, Santa Clara Tire Outlet
Illustrator: Bill Forst, member of Santa Clara “Tire Outlet” team.
Title: Watsonville Merchants 2nd to Fontanetti's
Area: Santa Cruz (Watsonville)
Year: 1968
Team: Watsonville Merchants, Fontanetti's
Illustrator: Bill Forst, member of Santa Clara “Tire Outlet” team.
Title: Close Fight for Pennant in Circuit
-San Mateo in Win Over Padres
-Blues Play Padres at San Mateo
Area: Contra Costa (Orinda), Fresno, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus (Modesto)
Year: 1936
Team: Orinda Reds, San Mateo Blues, Daly City Tanforans, Fresno Tigers, Santa Cruz Padres, Modesto Reds
Description: California State League