Fresno State

They erected and dedicated a seven-foot bronze statue in his honor. Pete Beiden, born in Russia, never had a losing season in his twenty-one years while at the helm of Fresno State Baseball. Between 1948 and 1969, he won 601 games with only 268 losses for a .692 winning percentage. In 1951, his Bulldogs went 36-4, fourth-best in NCAA baseball history for winning percentage. Also, during the summer of 1947, Beiden managed his Atwater Packers to a California State semi-pro title and placed fourth at the National Baseball Congress World Series held annually in Wichita, Kansas.

   In just a little over two decades, coach Pete Beiden and his successor Bob Bennett of Fresno State, along with Roy Taylor, Hall of Fame college coach at Sequoias Junior College, sent more than a hundred college ballplayers into Western Canada to play semi-pro baseball for the summer months. The idea was fairly simple -- play several games each summer against some good semi-pro teams and gain an advantage over your opponents during next yearʼs college season. Some of these college players returned and went on to play in the minor leagues, some advancing to the majors, while a few never came back at all. It all began in 1949 when Walnut Creek, California businessman “Brick” Swegle persuaded Beiden to round up a group of collegiate ballplayers and barnstorm the Northwestern United States and Western Canada to compete for cash while playing in tournaments and exhibition games. Most of the players came from Beidenʼs Fresno State team. They won a lot of cash, which supposedly, after expenses, “Brick” kept for himself.

   Fresno State catcher Bob Bennett joined Beidenʼs barnstorming contingent in 1952, then wore the mask for Roy Taylorʼs champion Kamsack Cyclones of the Manitoba-Saskatchewan League in 1953 before putting on the catcherʼs gear for the pennant-winning 43-17 Saskatoon Gems of the Saskatchewan Baseball League in 1954. After the 1969 season, Pete Beiden retired as head baseball coach at Fresno State and handed the keys to his former catcher, Bob Bennett. In his 34 years at Fresno, Bennett compiled a 1,302-759-4 career record including 17 conference championships and 21 NCAA tournament births. He produced 32 All-Americans, nine first-round draft picks, two College World Series appearances, and in 1984, was named Team USAʼs head baseball coach. In the year 2000, he was awarded the prestigious Lefty Gomez Award, emblematic for baseball excellence at the local, national, and international level, and was later inducted into College Baseballʼs Hall of Fame. Among his first scholarship offerings during his initial year of recruiting at Fresno in 1970 were Dick Ruthven, Brad Duncan, Danny Grimm, Jimmy Arroyo, high-school All-American Darrell Philips, and Yuba College pitcher Davie Van Roth.
 
“I hadn’t heard from the Yankee or Kansas City scout that had talked to me earlier and had no offers, not even a scholarship. Arrangements were made to visit several campuses in Southern California where Iʼd have to try out for a scholarship. After fielding ground balls, taking batting practice, and tossing a few pitches from the mound, both Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine University offered full-ride scholarships, but Fresno State is where I really wanted to go.” (Recollections & Journals of a Ballplayer, June, 1970)
 
   On his way back from Southern California, Van Roth visited the Fresno campus and met coach Bob Bennett at his office. He handed Bennett a copy of his baseball stats and asked for a try out; however, the legendary coach took one look at his records and replied: No need to try out son. I donʼt care who you are or what league you played in. Anyone with stats like these deserves a scholarship. They shook hands and had a verbal agreement which included books, tuition, a meal ticket, and a room in the dorms that would be shared with another ballplayer. Mission accomplished thought Van Roth, and was about to walk out the door when Bennett inquired if his newest recruit was interested in playing ball in the Canadian Leagues for the summer. You get four-hundred a month plus room and board. Every year, Fresno sends some players up there for the summer.

   Van Rothʼs only response: When do I leave?

   Three days later, Fresno State pitcher Dick Mailman arrived in Olivehurst-Linda and just like that ... Davie Van Roth was on his way to Canada. Mailman, a left-handed pitcher from Hanford California, was drafted by the California Angles after high school, but instead of signing a pro contract, accepted a scholarship from Fresno State and would be spending his second summer pitching in the Canadian leagues.

So, how many games will we be playing? asked Van Roth.

We played nineteen league games last year plus six more in tournaments, replied Mailman.

What about the playoffs?

Forget about it. Dauphin rarely makes it to the postseason. We didnʼt last year and it doesnʼt matter because weʼll be back in Fresno registering for school before the end of the playoffs ... not only that, but the Hamiota Red Sox and Brandon Cloverleafs take turns winning the championship. The league revolves around Brandon. Their hitting is good enough to get them to the postseason so they use Canadian pitchers during the regular season. Other teams have to use their third and fourth string pitchers during the playoffs because their starters are back in the States registering for college. The Redbirds will never win a championship ... and another thing; you better win all your games at home because you have to be 2-3 runs better on the road.

Why so? asked Van Roth.

Because they cheat. Each team provides their own local umpires and sometimes theyʼre relatives of the players. The home team gets every close call, even some of the ones that arenʼt that close; plus, the strike zoneʼs different. When the home teamʼs batting, the zone is four inches smaller; four inches larger when theyʼre in the field. Playing at Hamiota is the worst and itʼs almost impossible to win there.

Sounds like a real bush league to me, quipped Van Roth.
 

Like you wouldnʼt believe.

   They traveled north by northeast through Reno, Winnemucca, and Elko, Nevada; then Pocatello, Idaho; West Yellowstone, Wyoming; Billings, Montana and Minot, North Dakota before crossing the border to Virden, Manitoba, home of the Oilers, a team who Chicago Black Sox and California bad-boy “Swede” Risberg played for in 1929. After descending the pristine beauty of Riding Mountain National Park, Van Roth looked ahead and could see the dusty outskirts of Dauphin, Manitoba -- “Gateway to the North” and home of the Redbirds. Ahead in the distance, he saw a glimmering light. His mind turned heavy as his sight grew dim. Good God, he thought. What the hell did I get myself into this time?