The year was 1912.
Two Venturans — Fred Snodgrass and Carlos Luis “Charley” Hall — found themselves 60 feet, 6 inches apart in a brand-new Fenway Park.
It was Game 7 of the ninth World Series.
That was the last time two local players faced each other in the Fall Classic.
Until this month, more than a century later.
With Westlake High graduate Christian Yelich and Oxnard’s Jojo Romero with Milwaukee and Agoura’s Jonny DeLuca with Tampa Bay, the 122nd World Series is the first to involve at least three players from local high schools.
When they take the field, as early as Game 1 Friday night at 5 p.m. PDT (televised on KTTV, Ch. 11), they will be the ninth, 10th and 11th locals to play in a World Series.
Yelich will join Matt Franco, who played for the
New York Mets in the 2000 World Series, as the second Westlake alum to do so.
Romero is the first Oxnard alum, going one round further than Ken McMullen, who played for the Dodgers in the 1974 National League Championship Series.
DeLuca is the first Agoura alum to play in baseball’s postseason.
The captain
A World Series appearance was one of the few things missing from Yelich’s baseball resume over his 14-year Major League Baseball career.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Yelich told the Fox broadcast after Milwaukee advanced to the World Series. “It’s something you dream about as a kid. Man, what a feeling.”
The 2018 National League MVP had played in five previous postseasons, but never progressed past the NLCS.
That included three losses to the hometown Dodgers, who Milwaukee swept in the this year’s NLCS.
“We’ve been so close to this point so many times,” Yelich said. “To finally breakthrough is a credit to our guys … they stuck together and battled.”
After suffering through the least productive season of his career, hitting .235 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs, the three-time All-Star became the first Brewers player officially recognized as “captain” on Sept. 26.
He’s responded with a postseason resurgence full of clutch hits, including a two-run single off Yoshinobu Yamamoto that turned Game 2 of the NLCS.
“I think it was more just being ready to play in the postseason and contribute to helping the team win in any way you can, honestly,” Yelich told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel after the game.
“That's kind of what we've ball been about here all year, is just finding a way to win. Wherever the moment finds, whoever the moment finds, just be ready to compete in that moment and pass it to the next guy.”
The lemon tosser
Romero may have seemed like a lemon when the left-handed reliever was acquired by Milwaukee along with Dustin May for prospects Josiah Ragsdale and Alexander Frias in a deal with St. Louis on Aug. 3.
Still healing from acute appendicitis, the seven-year veteran with a career 3.51 ERA was unable to pitch.
“My main concern for me was getting healthy so I could help contribute,” Romero told Brewers.com on Oct. 15.
Romero made his Milwaukee debut a month later and quickly became a key part of the monster bullpen that has carried the team to its second World Series.
“Just coming over here, the one thing I’ve noticed is that everyone plays for each other,” Romero said. “There’s great camaraderie here. We just go out there and have fun. … It’s been fun to be a part of.”
Romero has a 1.69 ERA and a 0.56 WHIP in four postseason appearances. He was the winning pitcher in both Games 2 and 4 of the NLCS against the hometown Dodgers.
After winning Game 4 of the NLCS, he reminisced with reporters about growing up in Oxnard, playing baseball in the backyard with his brother and cousins.
“What a dream,” Romero said. “I never thought I’d be able to be a part of something like this. I’ve played baseball all my life, (in the) backyard with my cousins, my brother, playing with little lemons in the backyard that we would steal off our tree.
“Being able to be a part of this is special, especially here. I grew up not too far from here and came to Dodger games growing up. This is special.”
Creating havoc
A platoon player for much of his four-year career, Deluca has been an integral part of Tampa Bay’s third run to the World Series.
The former Agoura and Oregon star has started all nine postseason games in centerfield for the Rays, playing all but three innings of the postseason.
“It’s everything,” Deluca told reporters during the American League Championship Series. “We’re super excited. The fans have been incredible this year.”
DeLuca’s fourth season in the major leagues was his most productive.
His 112 games and 370 plate appearances were career highs. He hit .266 with 24 doubles and 11 home runs, stealing 17 bases.
DeLuca, who had two hits in Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS against Cleveland and drove in runs in Games 5 and 6, fits into the Rays’ speedy lineup.
“We have a ton of competitors,” Deluca said. “You see those ABs. It’s just creating something, just putting the ball in play, baserunning — whatever it is — just creating havoc.”
He’s also been an important glove for the Rays at a premium position.
“Defense is a huge part of the game that I feel gets exposed in playoffs,” Deluca said. “We’ve really put a lot of work into it.”
Moments to remember
Snodgrass was part of the first class of the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame in 1983. Hall was inducted in the fourth class in 1986.
When they faced each other in 1912, Hall — known as “The Sea Lion” for his gravelly voice — walked Snodgrass in a relief appearance in Game 2, which ended in a 6-6 tie after 11 innings due to darkness.
Lights were not installed at Fenway Park until 1947.
Snodgrass was 1 for 4 against Hall in Game 7, when Hall relieved the great Smoky Joe Wood.
Boston ended up winning in eight games, which was remembered for the Giants’ fielding mistakes allowing the Red Sox to overcome the great Christy Mathewson in the decisive 10th inning, including Snodgrass’ muff of a fly ball.
Channel Islands High graduate Terry Pendelton played in five World Series with St. Louis (1985, 1987) and Atlanta (1991, 1992, 1996).
The 1991 National League MVP hit .298 with two home runs in 27 World Series games.
Hueneme’s Jerry Willard, a catcher for the Braves, won Game 4 of the 1991 World Series with a ninth-inning sacrifice fly off Steve Bedrosian.
Simi Valley’s Jeff Weaver and Newbury Park’s Tyler Johnson were teammates on St. Louis’ 2006 World Series championship team.
Weaver won Game 5, allowing one run and four hits in eight innings, striking out nine to outduel Justin Verlander.
Johnson, a left-handed reliever, did not allow a baserunner in short relief appearances in Games 2 and 4.
Camarillo’s Delmon Young reached the World Series with Detroit in 2012.
The 2012 ALCS MVP hit .357 with a double and a home run off Matt Cain in Game 4 as the Tigers were swept by San Francisco.
Joe Curley covers baseball for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: A local product is guaranteed to be a World Series champion
