STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
Six teams take part in a baseball carnival at Lions Field in Brawley tomorrow night, officially opening the 1968 Brawley Babe Ruth League season, regular action set to begin Monday.
League official Cliff Franks urged all parents and fans to attend the carnival. “Each team plays three innings,” Franks said, “giving fans a chance to see all league entrants.”
The BBRL features teams from three Valley cities this year. There are four teams from Brawley. The Calipatria Dodgers are entered. A newcomer for 1968 is Holtville, returning after a long absence.
Opening ceremonies start at 6:30 p.m. They include the introduction of league officials. The players, managers and coaches of each team are introduced, followed by nine innings of baseball.
Brawley’s Braves open the carnival against Holtville. The second three-inning stint features two Brawley teams, the Giants and Cardinals. Calipatria and the Brawley Yankees close out the action.
Holtville’s entry in the league is sponsored by the Holtville Athletic Club. No manager or coach has been named as yet.
Calipatria is backed by Imperial Farmers and Alamo Chemical. Don Floyd is manager with Ken Reynolds as coach. The Brawley Cardinals are sponsored by the Brawley Lions Club.
40 years ago
Coach Mark Meka’s game plan now calls for the Imperial Valley College Arabs to put College of the Desert out of its baseball misery early Saturday afternoon.
The IVC Arabs opened the 1978 Desert Conference Playoff Series in Palm Desert Thursday afternoon. Meka’s boys scored three times in the 10th for a 10-7 triumph.
IVC earned the right to compete in the post-season series by winning the DC’s first-half title. The COD Roadrunners captured the second-half crown.
The Arabs had been unable to beat COD at Palm Desert until Thursday. IVC had experienced problems with the COD varsity since midway through the season’s first half.
“The first-game win was a big one for us,” Meka related, “and our onegame lead in the series should help when we open Saturday’s doubleheader at IVC.”
30 years ago
The Brawley Wildcats and Central Spartans play Friday for the softball championship of the Desert Valleys League.
Central can clinch the undisputed championship with a win. Brawley would clinch a co-championship with a win and might even get the league’s top seed in the CIF playoffs because they have already defeated Central once this season.
If Brawley (8-3) beats Central (9-2) and Indio (8-3) defeats Coachella Valley, there would be a three-way tie for the league title, and a lot of tiebreakers would have to be invoked to decide the seeding for the playoffs.