As a boy, future Los Gatos Little League coach Randy Frey was all smiles over his first uniform.

Photograph courtesy of Lea Frey

Picture from the Past

Local baseball wouldn't be the same without the Freys

By John S. Baggerly

Three Generations

To know Los Gatos Little League baseball is to know the Frey family--three generations of men, women and children. Longtime Los Gatan Lea Frey is the matriarch of the family. She also supplied today's photograph of her son Randy when he started as a player with the Sporleder Shell team, coached by his older brother Bill Frey.

Lea was a French teacher at Blossom Hill School when the Los Gatos Little League Board of Directors was hard pressed for a meeting place; she allowed the group to meet there. Currently, and for a long time before, the board has been welcomed for monthly evening meetings at Calvary Baptist Church on Los Gatos Boulevard. Presently, Bill Dancer, a county judge, is Little League president.

When Randy grew to coaching age his teams were always named "Pirates," as were teams of older brother Bill. The reason? His parents are Pennsylvanians and the Pittsburgh Pirates are their favorite team. Doctor William Frey can reel off the names of old-time Pittsburgh players, including some who played in the Pacific Coast League, such as the San Francisco Seals, Oakland Oaks and Sacramento Solons.

As a fellow railbird--a term adopted from horse racing and applied to Little League fans who leaned on fences near the dugouts--your correspondent learned that medical doctor Frey had attended five schools all within walking distance of his Pittsburgh home: grammar school, high school, college, pre-med school and an internship.

There may be another Pirates team next spring, when Randy and son Danny move up to Pony League at Fisher Middle School. Mother Karen Frey is likely to follow when games don't conflict with the soccer career of daughter Allie. Presently Danny is playing hockey and appeared last week in a half-page photo on the sports page. Randy, a former sports editor of this newspaper, is presently director of publications at DATA-QUEST.

Oldest son of Randy and Karen is Jeoff Frey, who just entered Los Gatos High School. During Little League seasons at Blossom Hill Park diamond, Jeoff is employed in field maintenance, a heavy equipment job these days.

In 1999, Bill Frey resigned from youth baseball to serve as Los Gatos Lions Club president. In 1974, Bill married wife Sue and moved to St. Louis to attend dental school.

Sue later became Snack Shack Director at Los Gatos Little League Field at Blossom Hill Park field from 1989 to 1990. A few years later, daughter Megan served as scorebook keeper and Snack Shack director at Fisher Middle School's Pony League complex. Her keeping of score books lead to paid jobs at Santa Clara University while she attended there.

Randy Frey's partial biography:

1975--League Champion, winner of District 12 TOC, All-Star manager.

1976--League Champion, All-Star manager.

1978--League Champion, All-Star manager.

1986--League Champion, Managed All-Star team to District 12 championship.

1988--League Champion, All-Star manager.

1991--League Champion, All-Star manager.

1995--League Champion, winner of District 12 TOC, All-Star manager.

Randy Frey is a qualified football and basketball official, but you will never see him "working" a Los Gatos High School game. It would not be "cricket," because he is a LGHS graduate.

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