North Hollywood Baseball Is Celebrating a ‘50s Party

The Dodgers won the World Series while playing in the Coliseum the year in which North Hollywood High last won a baseball league title.

That’s a fact--the part about the Dodgers, at least.

The year was 1959. Although research done earlier this season by Coach George Vranau indicated that the Huskies’ last title was in 1957, more digging has revealed that North Hollywood repeated the feat two years later.

The Huskies, who ended years of futility by clinching the East Valley League title this week, indeed were league champions in 1957, going 9-1 in the six-team San Fernando Valley League to tie San Fernando for first. It also was the year North Hollywood last won a City Section championship, defeating Washington in what then was known as the Dorsey tournament.

In 1958, the league expanded to nine teams and a year later North Hollywood again was co-champion, this time with Reseda. The Regents finished 12-4, North Hollywood 11-3-2. Since ties accounted for a half-win and half-loss, the Huskies were able to pull even.

Of course, there is a possibility that North Hollywood won a subsequent title, but it is doubtful. The program, which has undergone a resurgence in the three-year tenure of Vranau, has been down over the years. The Huskies reached the City final in 1980, losing to Sylmar, but losing seasons have been the norm.

“We can’t find anyone who can recall the team winning another championship,” Vranau said.

The problem with pinning things down is the sorry state of record-keeping at not only North Hollywood but many older area schools. The City Section does not keep track of league championships. Newspapers in those days paid little attention to prep sports.

All of which makes newspapers wary of publishing such historical claims these days.

Vranau gained most of his information by questioning graduates. John Trump, the Huskies’ coach from 1956-58 and a longtime area coach and professional scout, is retired and lives in Van Nuys. Many former players still reside locally. Assistant coach Mickey Merrill was a member of the Huskies’ 1980 team. But no one has come forth the with new information.

The archives of Doug Mackenzie, coach at Canoga Park from 1951 to 1987, revealed North Hollywood’s 1959 title. Mackenzie, who retired after winning his only City title, meticulously filed and saved every score book, as well as other published information, throughout his career.

Mackenzie says he can’t recall North Hollywood winning another title. But he can’t swear to it.

“The problem is, most of the yearbooks went to press before the baseball season was over,” Mackenzie said. “I always would go to them and ask them why [our results] couldn’t be included.”

Rest assured, the Huskies’ efforts won’t go unnoticed this season. North Hollywood (25-6) is seeded third entering the 4-A Division playoffs Tuesday against visiting University.

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Speaking of record-keeping, it is curious, to say the least, that for the second consecutive year the region’s leading hitter is a Reseda player with an enormously high batting average.

No one bats .681. But Brian Menkin did last year for the Regents. This season, Alfredo Saenz entered the week batting .623 and teammate Oscar Cardona was at .600.

Just another reminder that statistics are highly subjective in the world of prep sports, where coaches ultimately have the official word.

Reseda Coach Mike Stone, however, defends the accuracy of his statistics.

Stone says he personally records balls and strikes while seated in the dugout and reviews the work of his assistant each inning.

“I can understand what people think,” Stone said. “But I honestly believe that I’m fair. If it’s not a base hit, it’s not a base hit. It’s just that our kids have been hitting the ball the past couple of years.”

Maybe. But let’s wait and see if someone at Reseda bats .720 next season.

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All of which should not discount the accomplishments of Saenz, who has established himself among the region’s top sluggers.

Saenz, a senior third baseman and former designated hitter, hit his ninth home run Thursday and entered the week with 44 runs batted in.

Some of Saenz’s homers have been tape-measure shots, including one against Canoga Park that carried over the left-field fence at Reseda and across Lindley Avenue.

Stone estimates the ball traveled 450 feet. Canoga Park Coach Jim Smith said the ball carried at least that far.

“It was a shot,” Smith said. “We have trouble pitching to him.”

It would be interesting to see what Saenz could do given four at-bats at Dodger Stadium.

Reseda (12-11) opens the 4-A playoffs Tuesday at second-seeded Chatsworth (18-8). The City final is scheduled for May 28 at Dodger Stadium.

Tuesday’s game will pit Stone against a former player. Chatsworth Coach Tom Meusborn was an infielder at Gardena High in the early 1970s when Stone was the team’s coach.

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There seems to be no doubt that Burroughs’ Foothill League title this season was the team’s first in 40 years. Only Jose Valle put up the championship banner one year too early.

Before the start of last season, the Burroughs coach put a banner in the school gym that proclaimed the Indians as 1996 Foothill League champions. Valle hoped it would serve as inspiration for Burroughs, which last won a league title in 1957. The Indians tied for second with Saugus last year.

But on Tuesday, Burroughs clinched a tie for the third league championship in school history with a 5-2 victory over Valencia. The Indians won the title outright with a 4-2 victory over Valencia on Friday.

The 1957 team won the Foothill League title, a league which included Burbank, Glendale, Hoover, Pasadena and Muir.

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Staff writer Mike Lazarus contributed to this notebook.