Monday, January 5, 2015
#637 Preston Gomez
No envy of peers here…a man with a impossible mission …Respectability
for an expansion franchise….Hired by Padres GM Buzzie Bavasi for the team’s
inaugural years… Buzzie and Preson went back to 1960 when Present was the
manager at Spokane, one of the Dodger’s two AAA farm teams at the time…A year
prior, 1959 the native Cuban, Preston managed the Havana Sugar King to the
Little World Series (AAA) Championship…The championship series was less about
baseball and more about intimidation and political turmoil of Fidel Castro’s led
revolution… the opposition, the Gene Mauch led Minneapolis Millers, were by all
accounts just happy to escape without injury…Most likely the highlight of
managerial career… Gomez’s journey continued with the Dodger’s organization
with a short detour to NYY AAA Richmond…1965 Gomez returns as Dodger coach
until his Padres debut…First year Padres were brutal, going 52-110…Padres
improved by 11 games in 1970 based on big power numbers…1971 brought on a
virtual stalemate in progress going 62-100…a mediocre start in 1972 brought on
his dismissal…Resurfaced with Houston in 1973 had his best MLB season going
81-81…miserable Astro squad in 1975 resulted in being let go near the end of
the season…Last managerial job was with the Cubs starting the 1980 campaign…replaced
on July 23 after 38-52 record….Passed away in 2009
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Died tragically in a gas station in Blythe, CA. Struck by car and received head injuries. I happened on the scene shortly after it happened. Sad day.
ReplyDeleteWow! Between that and the Rick Monday saving the flag incident, Rumple you are the Forest Gump of Baseball!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could say that there were more, but those are the only two baseball related events that I can think of. On the whole, I'd rather have been at Aaron's 715th game or any of the perfect games thrown since 1968.
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