Everyone driving or biking Sir Francis Drake Blvd. from Fairfax to West Marin has passed Gomez Field just before climbing over White’s Hill into the San Geronimo Valley. Long-time baseball fans might know who Gomez was. But for many, the name means little other than it graces a sign beside the road. Vernon ‘Lefty’ Gomez was a Hall of Fame pitcher for the New York Yankees in the decades that spanned the careers of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. He was also a Bay Area native, Fairfax and Novato resident and an ardent supporter of youth baseball.
Vernon was born in Rodeo just across the bay in 1908. His father, Francisco, was of Spanish and Portuguese heritage and his mother Lizzie Herring was Welsh-Irish. The family ran a 1000-acre cattle ranch in Franklin Canyon where Vernon and his seven siblings worked from an early age, riding horses and milking cows. Vernon began playing baseball for the local Rodeo sandlot team when he was thirteen and within a year, he was pitching in games throughout the bay area and central valley. His baseball career continued at Richmond High School and upon graduation, Vernon, not yet nineteen, was signed to a minor league contract with the San Francisco Seals of The Pacific Coast League. In his second season, 1929, he was 18-12 as a starting pitcher with a reputation for throwing a blazing fastball.
The New York Yankees purchased his contract in mid-season from the Seals but allowed Gomez to finish out the year with his team. After joining ‘The Bronx Bombers’, Gomez’ rise to stardom was swift. He won 21 games in 1931 and went on to win 189 games in a Hall of Fame career where he was voted an All-Star seven straight years, won the pitching ‘triple crown’ twice, and had a career 6-0 record in World Series’ games. ‘Lefty’ Gomez also earned the nickname Goofy for his irrepressible and self-deprecating rumor. Among the many quotes attributed to him are, “I’d rather be lucky, than good”, “The secret of my success is clean living and a fast outfield”, “I’m throwing the ball as hard as I ever did, it’s just not getting there as fast” and “When Neil Armstong first set foot on the moon, he and all the
space scientists were puzzled by an unidentifiable white object. I knew immediately what it was. That was a home run ball hit off me in 1933 by Jimmie Foxx.” After a series of injuries in 1941-42 Lefty Gomez hung up his spikes but his love for the game propelled him to even more achievements and notoriety.
What truly sets Gomez apart was his decades long support of youth baseball, and his unwavering commitment to coaching and promoting the game around the world both here in the United States and in countries such as Japan, Venezuela, and Cuba. His outgoing personality and quick wit earned him a position with The Wilson Sporting Company’s sales division which he held for 30 years, logging over 100,000 miles as a representative and banquet speaker. Lefty’s awards and honors are too numerous to mention but include recognition from national, international, humanitarian, governmental, and baseball organizations. In his later years, Gomez settled in Marin County and was instrumental in supporting local Little League and Babe Ruth teams. He often donated equipment and could always be found ‘throwing out the first pitch’ on opening days. Vernon ‘Lefty’ Gomez died in 1989 and is buried in San Rafael’s Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery. On a recent visit to Gomez Field this author was disappointed to see the sad state of neglect and disrepair the field and diamond were in. Hopefully, in a future spring, if the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd return, Gomez Field will come to life again.
(Originally appeared as History Watch article in the Marin Independent Journal)