Inducted 2/9/08: Flash back to 35 years ago . . . Broderick Perkins was sitting at the end of the bench in the dugout at Pittsburg High School, just hoping for a chance to get on the field for the Pirates. It rarely happened. He had no official varsity at-bats, getting hit by a pitch and walking in his only two plate appearances. It was frustrating at the time, but Perkins moved on. He went to college and recently made captain in the San Diego Fire Department.
But that's not all. In between, he managed to play parts of seven seasons as a major league baseball player, and on Feb. 28 he will be inducted into the Diablo Valley College Hall of Fame.
"It's such a neat story, I'm really happy he's coming up (for the ceremony). He's somebody who just never stopped believing in himself," said Steve Ward, DVC's athletic director and former baseball coach who is also the chair of the Hall of Fame committee. Despite his lack of playing time in high school, when Perkins enrolled at DVC in 1973 he spoke with baseball coach Ernie Cecaci about joining the team. In order to try out, he had to play winter ball, which involved practicing with the team and playing doubleheaders every Saturday. But having just bought a car to drive to school, Perkins was working the night shift at the VA hospital in Martinez to pay for it, forcing him to leave practices early.
So when the first three Saturdays came along, it was more bench time for Perkins. Finally, on the fourth Saturday, in a game against Chabot, the starter in front of him was hit in the head by a pitch and had to leave the game. In came Perkins. "In my first at-bat, I hit a line drive to left field for a base hit," Perkins, 53, recalled. "My next at-bat, I hit a line-drive base hit to right field. The Chabot coach then said (to Cecaci), 'I think you might have something.'" Perkins said he hit about .400 that winter and blasted a 400-foot home run off St. Mary's College's ace pitcher in a scrimmage, which put him on the radar of Gaels coach Miles McAfee.
When Perkins had to eventually make the decision to play baseball or continue working, the relationship with McAfee proved beneficial. McAfee, who previously worked at the hospital, learned of Perkins' situation and called his supervisor and got him switched to the day shift so he could work before he went to school and practice. He continued playing and by his sophomore year in 1974, he was named the team MVP and was an All-Golden Gate Conference selection. He transferred to St. Mary's and after two years with the Gaels, the first baseman was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 15th round of the June 1976 draft. He played five years in San Diego -- making his major league debut July 7, 1978 -- before spending his final two seasons with the Cleveland Indians.
Among his career highlights, he counts his biggest as "just being there, having your name on the back of the jersey," along with his first home run off the Cubs' Rich Reuschel. After making it to the majors, only once did he ever again see his high school coach Bill Sullenberger -- whom Perkins said had told him he wasn't playing because "he was playing his best players."
"I went up (to Pittsburg High) when I was in town visiting my mom to see some of the teachers and I ran into him," Perkins said. "He was walking toward me and I guess he thought I was going to say something. He came up to me and just said, 'I'm proud of you, I'm really proud of you.'"
He credits his level of determination to his mother, Myrteal Perkins, who refused to let him stop following his dream. "I did want to quit, but my heart and soul, my mother, wouldn't let me do it," Perkins said. "She told me 'If you quit, you're proving (the coach) right.'" Although the at-bats in high school never came, those 1,255 at-bats in the big leagues did a lot to ease that pain!
| Jim Flores:
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DVC Baseball 1976-77' All-Golden Gate Conference Infielder both years, hit game winning grand slam on 3-2 pitch, 2 outs in 9th inning of state championship game in 1977 giving DVC a 11-10 victory. Transferred to Fresno State and played professionally in minor leagues for three seasons. |
| Tim Foote:
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DVC Baseball 1988-89. First team All-Golden Gate Conference both years; 1989 GGC Player of the Year; only player in school history to hit over .400 both years in conference play; .404 (1988) and .422 (1989); transferred to Lewis & Clark/Shortstop. |
Inducted 2/9/06: The Entire 1977 State Championship Baseball Team
Inducted 2/9/06: Willie McGee - Member of Championship Team of 1977
Willie Dean McGee was born on November 2, 1958 in San Francisco, California, the son of a Pentecostal Deacon. Willie McGee was born in San Francisco and He was raised in Richmond, California going to Richmond Public Schools and participating in the Babe Ruth Little League. His boyhood hero was Roberto Clemente. In 1976 he graduated from Harry Ells High School. He then when on to Diablo Valley Junior College where he was a member of a state title team. He is now an inductee of their Athletic Hall of Fame.
He was drafted by the New York Yankees as the 15th pick in the 1st round of the 1977 amateur draft (Secondary Phase) and started playing for the Class A Oneonta Yankees of the New York-Penn League. In 1978 and 1979 he played for the now defunct Class A Fort Lauderdale Yankees of the Florida State League before moving up to Class AA and the now defunct West Haven Yankees of the Eastern League midway in 1979.
In 1980, New York moved its AA affiliation, and Willie, to the Nashville Sounds. The 1980 team went 97-46 and had future major-leaguers Steve Balboni and Buck Showalter. It was here that Willie spent his last days as a Yankee.
On October 21, 1981, Willie was traded to the Cardinals for pitcher Bob Sykes. He played 13 games with the Cardinals former AAA affliate in Louisville and on May 10, 1982 made his major league debut, coming up to replace an injured David Green on the roster. Willie replaced Dane Iorg in left field in the top of the eighth in a 3-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. In his first at bat, in the bottom of the same inning, he struck out. The next day he started in center field for the first time but had a rather uninteresting day going 0-for-3 with a walk and recording just one put-out. The Cardinals then went on 13-game road trip in which Willie was used mainly as a pinch hitter or late inning replacement. However, upon returning to St. Louis on May 28 he scored 3 times, going 2-for-3 with two singles, a stolen base and his first of many career triples (which also gave him his first Game-Winning RBI). in a 5-2 win against San Diego.
Along with other speedy contact hitters Ozzie Smith, Lonnie Smith and Tommy Herr, Willie was an integral part of "Whiteyball" that helped lead the Cardinals to the 1982. It was during the 1982 National League Championship Series, ABC Sports announcer Howard Cosell said on air that McGee bore a slight resemblance to E.T. - and the nickname stuck. The Cardinals swept the Braves and went on to best the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games in the World Series. In game 3 of that series, he became the third rookie to hit two home runs in a World Series game. He also made two spectacular catches robbing Gorman Thomas of a home run and Paul Molitor of an extra-base hit. He later finished 3rd in the National League Rookie of the Year vote.
In 1985 he helped lead the Cardinals to another World Series with his career year: National League MVP, Gold Glove Award, and the National League Batting Crown with .353-the highest in history for a switch-hitter. He also had career bests of 216 hits and 18 triples (leading the league in both), 114 runs scored and 56 stolen bases.
In 1987, another year in which the Cardinals won the National League Pennant, he had career highs of 105 RBI's, 37 doubles and 11 home runs.
In 1989, Willie was sidelined most of the season due to injury, playing only 58 games. The next year, he had a 22-game hitting streak, his longest, en route to his second batting title, even though he was traded out of the National League near the end of the season. On August 29, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics for prospect Felix Jose, third baseman Stan Boyer and pitcher Daryl Green.
After staying with the A's for the rest of the season, Willie signed on with the San Francisco Giants for 1991, playing there and hitting over or near .300 for the next several years. Injuries however started to follow Willie as in July 1993, he suffered from an upper back inflammation, and then in June 1994, a torn Achilles tendon. This last injury limited his playing to only 45 games in 1994. He was granted free agency, but didn't sign on with anyone until June of 1995 when he joined the Boston Red Sox, playing in only 67 games that season.
After the 1995 season, Willie was again granted free agency and on December 15,1995 he signed on again with the Cardinals. On April 1, 1996, his first game back with the Cards, he homers and drives in three. It has been said that from his first at-bat back on the team until his final major league at-bat, that each time Willie came to the plate at Busch Stadium he received a standing ovation. In 1996 and 1997, he once again hit over .300, but during his last few years, his batting slumped and he was used as a utility outfielder and pinch-hitter.
Willie decided to retire once the 1999 season concluded, opting to help coach the Cardinals as a part-time hitting instructor the next spring.
On April 9, 2000, the Cardinals and their fans celebrated Willie McGee Day at Busch Stadium.
