The varsity baseball program has won more titles than any other program in the history of Redwood athletics.  The lineup of players that became college stars or reached the big leagues is a testament to that success, as is the local, regional, and even national recognition received over the years.

 

When Redwood first opened in 1958, Coach Al Endriss set the stage for a baseball program that would prove to withstand the test of time, despite a less than promising start.

“We were just trying to lay the foundations for a program in ’58,” Endriss said. “We were okay, but not very good.  By the early ‘60s, we began to get a decent feeder system going and the program slowly became more successful.”

Developing players through local little leagues paid off when Redwood won the first of 22 league titles in 1965.

Endriss led the program through 1979, coaching the team through much of its famed 10-year MCAL championship streak from 1972-1982.  He said he was always striving to create and implement new ways to challenge his players.

“We found ways to play the best teams,” Endriss said. “We were the first high school team to travel to Taiwan. We invited nationally ranked teams to come and play us. We played college frosh teams.”

Current head coach Gino Pomilia had an excellent vantage point amidst that 10-year run as an assistant coach of the 1978 and 1979 teams.  He believes that it took a certain individual mentality, hunger, and team unity to accomplish the success achieved by those extraordinary teams.

“To have a good team, you need a good group of players and some born leaders that will take it upon themselves to lead by example,” Pomilia said.

During Redwood’s wonder years, the team saw a significant increase in players going on to compete at the college and pro levels.

Perhaps the Redwood graduate to enjoy the most success was shortstop Buddy Biancalana.  As a junior in 1977, Biancalana anchored a team that won both the MCAL and NCS titles, competed against the Taiwanese national team, and deemed the national champions.  Although Redwood lost the game 2-1 in extra innings, the Giants were considered the strongest opponent faced by the Taiwanese in their 10-game series in America.

Following his first round selection in the 1978 draft, Biancalana went on to play five years in the big leagues, culminating in a 1985 World Series championship and national media acclaim.

Biancalana credits Coach Endriss for playing a pivotal role in his post-Redwood career, both in terms of college options as well his assistance with the impressions of pro scouts.

“Coach Endriss had the ability to make us think we were better than we actually were,” Biancalana said. “He pulled more out of us than was probably in there to be pulled.”

The other major star of the era was Chad Kreuter, a catcher who went on to play 17 major league seasons alongside All-Star pitchers such as Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson.

Pomilia recalled a play Kreuter made in the Tournament of Champions at Albert Park, when he threw a strike from the back wall to home plate to gun down a runner tagging from third base as one of the most memorable moments in Giants baseball history.

According to Pomilia, the players during the ‘70s were able to bond during the offseason and maintain that crucial team chemistry necessary to be successful due to the options available in summer and winter leagues.

“During the ‘70s, teams maintained their unity through the offseason to create an excellent team bonding experience,” Pomilia said, “If you played summer ball, it was with your high school team. If you played winter ball, it was with your high school team. There just weren’t as many options for kids to be distracted as there are these days.”

Pomilia believes the 2002 and undefeated 2003 Redwood teams came close to reminding him of the Redwood dynasty.

“That team had so much motivation to get out on the field and play every day,” Pomilia said. “They beat us out to practice, set everything up, and ran their own drills.”           

Pomilia tries to carry the legendary Redwood baseball tradition to this day.

“There is an unbelievable history of baseball at Redwood, and when you put on that uniform, you represent everybody that has ever worn it,” he said.