Remembering Bob Oliver, who played 8 MLB seasons and was a Sacramento Steelheads manager
Bouncing around the sporting region, from the losses of Bob Oliver and Gary Torgeson to the rise of JJ Polk and new landing spots for Zach Chappell, Jake Maier and George Obinna, as well as the prep coaching end of an all-time great.
Oliver dies – Bob Oliver of Highlands High School and American River College baseball fame who had an eight-year Major League Baseball career died April 19 at his Rio Linda home. He was 77.
Oliver was the first Kansas City Royals player to have six hits in a game, and was the first to Royal with a grand slam, doing so in 1969.
He was a people person who moonlighted as a police officer in Santa Ana in the early 1970s while with the California Angels. His greatest joy was watching son Darren Oliver of Rio Linda pitch in parts of 20 Major League seasons. Darren is now a special assistant with the Texas Rangers.
Oliver in 1999 was the manager of the Independent League Sacramento Steelheads, bringing a dose of professional baseball back to California’s capital before the arrival of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats in 2000.
Polk’s new role – JJ Polk of early 1990s Jesuit basketball fame has been hired by the Chicago Bulls as assistant general manager in charge of strategic planning, salary-cap management and player personnel.
Polk played at Rice and overseas, studied law and then worked with the New Orleans Pelicans front office the previous 10 seasons.
Chappell transfers – Zach Chappell of Capital Christian hoops roots has transferred from San Jose State to Sacramento State. The 6-3 combo guard played in 60 games in two seasons with the Spartans as an off-and-on starter and joins a Hornets program that recently extended coach Brian Katz.
Torgeson dies – Gary Torgeson, who coached Cal State Northridge softball to record success and finished his career as dean of athletics at Sacramento City College last decade, died March 21 in Ventura. He was 78.
He won four NCAA Division II championships at Northridge, and his best team in 1994 was a D-I group that went 52-10 and reached the World Series finals behind Amy Windmiller, perhaps the Sacramento region’s greatest pitcher from her Mira Loma High and Sac City days. Windmiller and Mira Loma classmate Shannon Jones survived the 1994 Northridge earthquake that leveled their apartment complex, killing 16 residents on her same floor. The student-athletes were able to flee their building as it was collapsing.
Said Torgeson then, “We deal with stress all the time but nobody has written a book on how you coach and deal with life and death. Amy and Shannon listened to people die. Nobody knows how that will affect a person. But these two have gotten stronger and more focused about everything.”
Maier joins CFL – UC Davis record-setting quarterback Jake Maier has signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League as undrafted rookie free agent, the next one-time Aggies passer to head north of the border. Khari Jones of Center High roots is a member of the UCD Aggies Hall of Fame who played 10 years in the CFL and is now the Montreal Alouettes head coach.
Maier in 36 games at UCD passed for 11,163 yards and 88 touchdowns.
Obinna signs with Browns – George Obinna, Sacramento State’s single-season and career sack record holder, signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted rookie free agent. Obinna had 14 sacks in 2019 in helping the Hornets win their first Big Sky Conference championship and 33 1/2 for his career.
Gonsalves leaving St. Mary’s – Tom Gonsalves, who won 15 Sac-Joaquin Section girls basketball championships at St. Mary’s High and a record seven CIF State championship banners, is leaving the Stockton school to seek new challenges. He said a difference in philosophy with the St. Mary’s administration led to the decision. A 500-game winner, Gonsalves expects to coach next season.
