When Sports Were Played: California outworked ’em all en route to 1983 WPIAL title
Today we go back to June 2, 1983, and the WPIAL Class AA baseball championship game between California and Leechburg, which had a future major leaguer in its lineup.
BUTLER – They seemed constantly battling the odds. And always, it appeared they just might be swallowed up by the fates, which sat poised to strike them down.
But Thursday afternoon, California High School’s baseball team played another in the heart-stopping, death-defying style they have made so common and chiseled out their first WPIAL championship.
Before approximately 600 people at Pullman Park, the Trojans hurdled over Leechburg, 6-4, in the Class AA finals. California will advance to the PIAA playoffs against District 5 champion Everett.
“We’ve never been here before,” said California head coach Romaine Howell, whose first season as coach has been more than he ever could have imagined. “I knew it had to be a great feeling. We went through a lot of controversy but we went all the way and did it our way.”
California’s biggest obstacle this year was a school strike which turned into the longest in Pennsylvania history and cost the Trojans three weeks of valuable practice time.
But out of that, Howell was hired and he developed a solid defense, an effective hit-and-run game and two strong-armed pitchers – Steve Tatar and Brian Zanardelli. The Trojans steadily improved until finally securing the Section 15 and WPIAL titles while amassing a 23-4 overall record, the school’s best ever.
“We used a four-letter word all year,” said Howell. “W-O-R-K. When the other guys were going home, we were working. We practiced at night, and all the time we were running the bases.”
Against Leechburg, however, California nearly ran itself out of the game. In the third inning and with runners on second and third with no outs, Tom Singosky tried to score on a slow roller to Leechburg third baseman Joe Blumer. The throw by Blumer to the plate beat Singosky by 12 feet.
But Tatar, who went 3-for-3, slammed an infield single off the shin of Blue Devil pitcher Keith Swartzlander to knock in California’s first run. Tatar also smashed a two-run, bases-loaded single in the sixth inning to help the Trojans take a 6-1 lead into the seventh.
Leechburg, however, threw a scare into the Trojans when they opened the seventh with two singles and an error to cut the lead to 6-2. Two outs later, Zanardelli walked Mickey Morandini to load the bases and Swartzlander followed with a sizzling grounder to second, which California’s Paul Masten couldn’t handle. Two runs scored, making it a 6-4 California edge.
Tatar replaced Zanardelli and promptly walked Mark Ray to load the bases. But Tatar struck out Keith Cockroft , the ninth man to bat in the inning, on a high fastball to end the game.
“I was really worried in that last inning,” said Tatar. “I mean, what else could it be for me? The bases were loaded and a single ties it up.”
Zanardelli was getting tired and we knew it,” said Howell, explaining the near-collapse in the seventh. They hit him real good in the fifth and I kept asking my catcher how he was. I was worried because a base hit would have tied the game. It’s happened before with (Zanardelli) and Tatar is always there. He’s a real strong kid.”
For Leechburg (17-3), runnerup in Section 14, the final inning ended in disappointment but not despair.
“We had a good time out there. We lost but we’re going to go home with a little more respect and our heads held high,” said Blue Devils coach Bob Oberdorf, who played against Howell when California and Leechburg met in the Class AA football championship in 1966. “This is a new experience for us. We never made it this far before.”