Tales from the Lost Armada

Doug Carson was the first baseball player from the Sacramento area to be selected in Major League Baseball's Amateur Draft. Once that journey had run its course, Carson founded a not-fot-profit foundation to honor his wife's death due to breast cancer.

This is Part 2 of our interview with Don Lyle, a baseball lifer.

Don reveals his thoughts on scouting Aaron Judge at Fresno State and the Indians' decision to pass on today's version of Babe Ruth.

Don then discusses growing up in Sacramento and playing on the sandlots in the 1960s and '70s.

Don Lyle is a baseball lifer.

After a minor league career in the Cincinnati Reds organization, Lyle converted his experience into nearly three decades as a MLB scout.

Now retired, the Sacramentan talks about his time scouting for San Diego and Cleveland and several other related subjects in Part 1 of our conversation.

Sam Azevedo is a classic example of the American

He and his family came to California in 1958. After completing his education, Sam specialized in law enforcement and dedicated his life to a Portuguese fraternal organization—SPHSS—of which he is still a leading member. Azevedo shares stories of early life on the Azorean island Pico, acclimating in the United States and growing up during the glory days of California.

Bill Bowerman is legendary in track and field circles, coaching the University of Oregon track teams during the 1950s and '60s. His players set NCAA and world track records, including Steve Prefontaine. Along with former player Phil "Buck" Knight, Bowerman co-founded NIKE.

This is part 1 in a 3-part interview conducted in Bill's studio on the U of O campus in 1979. In it he begins by talking about the history of track under Oregon's first coach, Bill Hayward, and later the founding of the company, NIKE. Bowerman reminds one of American humorist Will Rogers, as exemplified by this quip "The only historical thing is...If your first name is Bill, you stand a better chance of being the head track coach at Oregon than if your name is Pete."

EDITOR's NOTE: Bowerman was one of my first interviews in Journalism School at U of Oregon, reflecting an amateurism. And this cassette recording is not the clearest. So, proceed accordingly.

Tim Warren played in Sacramento's first Holy Bowl for Jesuit High. As a defensive lineman in that game, Tim had a unique perspective on that special contest pitting Christian Brothers High vs. Jesuit.

Dan Carmazzi retired as one of the most victorious high school football coaches in the Sacramento region with 258 wins. Throughout his athletics career, Carmazzi was a proven winner.

He took Jesuit High to Sac-Joaquin Section D-1 football titles in 1995 and 2002 over his 41-year coaching career. A graduate of Christian Brothers High (C-B), Dan returned to his alma mater and coached that program to the section football title game in 2016.

In his senior year in high school, Carmazzi guided his Falcons team to a Metropolitan League championship posting an 8-1-1 record under HOF coach Dick Sperbeck.

He played collegiate football at UC Davis, which won Far West Conference championships his three varsity seasons 1973-75 under HOF head coach Jim Sochor.

Carmazzi is now retired and spends more time with his wife of 50 years, Gloria, their five children and 13 grandchildren.

Music HINO DO DIVINO ESPIRITO SANTO - Hymn of the Divine Holy Spirit interpreted by the band of Sociedade Filarmónica Euterpe, from Castelo Branco, Horta, Faial, Azores, conducted by maestro José Amorim Faria de Carvalho.

Photo, L-to-R: Rosemary Wood, Juliet Jones and Regina Cabral Jones.

Roger Valine is a native Sacramentan who graduated from Christian Brothers High (actually Bishop Armstrong) and California State University, Sacramento. He joined Vision Service Plan as a management trainee in 1973 and progressed through the ranks of the company's sales division. Eventually, he was promoted to President/CEO of VSP in 1990.