A KO Team at Trojan Alumni Event!
“FIGHT ON” is the official battle cry for USC Trojans so it’s only fitting that a foursome of prizefighters joined the athletes competing in the Trojan Baseball Alumni Association’s (TBAA) 4th Annual Golf Classic held Monday at the famed Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland. Here is my special “Chatter Box” report on the day’s events.
Super middleweight Shawn “Manos de Oro” Estrada (15-0, 13 KOs), welterweight Javier “El Intocable” Molina (14-1, 6 KOs) and super bantamweight Charles “Pride of Paramount” Huerta (18-3, 11 KOs) teed up with trainer/manager Arnulfo Bravo. A former pro boxer himself, Bravo currently trains Estrada and Molina and also manages Huerta. The sluggers all train out of the Maywood Boxing Gym.
The boxing team took their swings on the elite course (the only Jack Nicklaus Design course in L.A. County) during the four-man scramble, best ball tournament benefiting University of Southern California (USC) Baseball, which will hold a free baseball clinic for an estimated 100 kids. This special clinic will be held in August at Dedeaux Field.
The 2013 TBAA Golf Classic Chairman Don Buford and the Board of Directors hosted a spirited day of golf which included 18 holes, a “Closest to the Pin” contest, a “Hole in One” chance to win a car, a BBQ cookout and an awards dinner.
Javier Molina and Shawn Estrada are both 2008 Olympians who represented Team USA in the Beijing Olympics. Both have played some golf before and enjoyed being on the rolling course at Angeles National. Huerta is relatively new to the game of golf but the puncher hit with power just like in the boxing ring. Their manager Bravo has definitely spent some time on the fairways, shooting with a 4 handicap.
The golf teams participating in this yearly fundraiser included former baseball players (both collegiate and pro) and also football players from SC. Don Buford, also the President of the Trojan Baseball Alumni Association, played baseball and football for the storied university. He played for the White Sox and Orioles, and is an All Star and a World Series champ.
Don is an avid golfer and also took to the links on Monday. Joining the baseball veteran were many sports luminaries including USC Head Coach Dan Hubbs, Dodger Kenny Landreaux, football and baseball star John Jackson, Minnesota Twin Darrell Jackson, athletes and alumni Denise Dedeaux (USC’s legendary coach Rod Dedeaux’s daughter), Ken Miller, Tom Fish, Shelly Andrews, Jay Jaffee, Bob Santich, Mike Mancuso, John Reilly, Vic Lapiner, Marty Butterick, Mark Malconian (who did the wine bottle engraving for the awards), and many others who took part in the golf outing. Author Bob Leach (“Never Make the Same Mistake Once”) also showed his support with a book signing at the golf classic. His tome is a tribute to Rod Dedeaux.
The boxers told me they really enjoyed playing golf and testing their skills at each hole. Javier Molina just scored a knockout win on June 8 while Charles Huerta also won by KO in his recent fight on April 27. The three fighters continue to train for upcoming bouts. So a day spent in the great outdoors hitting a little dimpled ball was definitely a change of pace for the athletes used to hitting heavy bags. Molina, Huerta and Bravo each scored with a “Birdie” while swingin’ the clubs.
The “All-Bravo” team of pugilists combined their best efforts and finished with a respectable one under par on this difficult course known for its terrain. Joining the fighters was boxing coach and sculptor Steve Harpst (California Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee), who was asked to bring his “Catcher” bronze statue for display at the awards banquet.
The guys also enjoyed meeting the boosters of Trojan Nation decked out in the school’s prestigious Cardinal and Gold. This KO team of boxers said they were honored to take part in the festivities at this SC gathering. In a Tribute to Troy, the boxers also took part in the fight song victory gesture while the baseball alum held up their fists like the pro fighters. The boxers and Olympians had autographed photos for the prize raffle and also presented a signed glove to SC legend Don Buford.
During the awards dinner, Co-Chairs Buford and Vic Lapiner thanked everyone for their support. They introduced special guests and held a Q&A with John “JJ” Jackson. The TBAA group talked about their summer baseball clinic for kids ages 8-12 and also an October banquet being planned. There was a prize raffle and silent auction to raise funds for these upcoming events.
The Trojan alumni are longtime loyal supporters of USC baseball. I met many of the former athletes who came from near and far (one player traveling from Seattle). Fundraising bashes like their annual golf tourney also are a way for the baseball stars to stay in contact with one another.
Former USC baseball player and the SoCal Jewish Sports Hall of Famer Vic Lapiner summed it up. “Once you go to SC,” he told the crowd, “you’re a Trojan for life!”
Check out my EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS from the 2013 Golf Classic!
PHOTOS BY MICHELE CHONG
