Marin History Lesson: Lefty Gomez For those of us in Fairfax and central Marin County, California, theres this whole Countys Flood Plan in the news - survey crews are scheduled to begin drilling for soil samples at Lefty Gomez Field in Fairfax this summer to determine if it is an appropriate site for a flood detention basin. Loma Alta Field, also in Fairfax, and Memorial Park in San Anselmo were also identified by officials as potential sites for dual-use detention basins, which could be used to hold flood waters. So, Im not a baseball afficianado, and I was just wondering who this guy Lefty Gomez was. Turns out, he not only lived in Marin in the later years of his life, he was truly an incredible guy. Vernon Louis Lefty Gomez (November 26, 1908 – February 17, 1989), son of Coyote and Lizzie Gomez, was a left-handed pitcher, Gomez played in Major League Baseball between 1930 and 1943 for the New York Yankees and the Washington Senators. Gomez was a five-time World Series champion with the Yankees. Lefty grew up in California and was known for being a bit of a screwball, nicknamed El Goofo or Goofy Gomez and delighted in playing practical jokes on everyone from teammates to umpires. He married Broadway star June ODea and was a Godfather to actor Kurt Russell. On Nov. 2, 1934, nearly a half-million fans lined the streets of Tokyo to welcome Babe Ruth, Lefty Gomez and rest of the All American Baseball team to Japan. That tour, in which the All-Americans would stay in Japan for a month, playing 18 games in 12 cities, is credited by many with bringing the game of baseball to popularity in Japan. Lefty continued to be an ambassador of baseball with Wilson Sporting Goods after retiring from the sport. His daughter talks about her father and his biography in this interview from 2012. youtu.be/WyX4P1fGU-E
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 16:33:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015