’65 Baseball record recently unveiled

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: June 22, 2024

Braves head baseball coach Harry Elliott (left), circa 1965 / San Diego Union file photo

EAST COUNTY SPORTS ALUMNI;
Prep baseball history from 1965

By Nick Pellegrino
ECS Senior writer

EL CAJON – Followers of local high school baseball know about the difficulties El Cajon Valley has suffered throughout the 21st Century, dating back even farther.

However, this wasn’t always the case.

In the 1960s, when the San Diego Section od the CIF was created for the 1960-61 season — with the formation of the Grossmont League (aka Grossmont Conference one year later)– El Cajon Valley actually fielded a winning ballclub.

Glancing over the list of league championship pennants, the Braves acutaly own more titls than Mount Miguel — albeit, only by a margin of 2-1 in Grossmont action — with several records being established.

One such record was recently discovered more than half-a-century from its occurance, thus, added to the CIFSDS record book.

The Braves had a player named Ralph Hayes, who is now 77 and is a retired resident of La Mesa.

In Hayes’ senior year playing for head coach Harry Elliott, who played briefly for the St. Louis Cardinals, Hayes displayed some significant outings.

Hayes once belted a fifth-inning, game-winning home run over the left-field fence at Wells Park against visiting Helix, clinching at least a tie for the league title in a 1-0 contest, giving the Braves a two-game lead with two games to play.

Hayes also belted a hoem run and a triple in a 4-2 victory against Sweetwater in the CIFSDS Class AA playoffs.

Bit the recently-added Hates mark inthe record book had nothing to do with hitting home runs. In fact, the opposite was true.

On April 20, 1965, El Cajon Valley scored 10 times in the first inning — all without hitting the ball out of the infield.

It was 14 total walks issued by Monte Vista that led to the raves; 12-3 triumph. Hayes came to the plate six times, yet finished officially at 0-for-0 as he walked all six times.

Although hidden from view, the record book now lisated the mark for the most times a batter accepted a base-on-balls for 49 seasons.

Although El Cajon Valley would drop its two final regular season contests to share the league crown with Grossmont at 9-3,

ECVHS (15-7 overall) went on to defeat Sweetwater in the playoffs before falling in the semifinals, 7-6, to powerful San Diego High, one of the state’s top programs in the 1950s and 60s.

Crawford then bounced the Cavers in the section title contest, 15-3, giving head coach Bill Sandback his fourth section crown.

The wining pitcher was future Major League standout Bob Boone, who finished with a record of 15-0, which is still the section’s best all-time pitching mark.

Meanwhile, Mount Miguel owns a second league title, but the first one did not occur in the Grossmont League.

In the San Diego Section first season, prior to the creation of the Grossmont League, East County schools played in the Metro Conferecne, with the Matadors capturing the South Division league crown.

The other title was a tie for first with Santana in 1980.

Note: Reads more on archives from the San Diego Union on the San Diego Prep Sports History page, HERE.