July 31, 2002     Los Gatos, California Since 1881 The town loses a good friend—John Baggerly By Dick Sparrer Baggerly Field is a sadder place than usual this week. The man for whom the Los Gatos Little League field was named, John Baggerly, died on Sunday morning. Not only has Los Gatos lost a close link to its past, the town has lost one of its favorite sons. And this newspaper has lost a very close friend. To me, Mr. Baggerly was more than a friend—he was a mentor. When I was still a high school journalism student with more brass than talent, Mr. Baggerly provided me with an opportunity to write sports stories for the Los Gatos Times-Observer . I was never paid for my articles, but little did I know at the time that the unique experience he was offering me was worth far more than the five bucks a story the paper would pay at the time. It was because of that early relationship that I called him Mr. Baggerly right up to the last time I saw him, a few weeks ago. To other, younger staff members he may have been "John," but to me he was Mr. Baggerly—it was a matter of respect. I have always had a great deal of respect for the man because of his dedication to his craft and to his community. During his tenure as the sports editor of the T-O, he made sure that all youth and high school sports events were covered, and he went out of his way to recognize as many athletes as possible for their contributions. It was a philosophy that I have tried very hard to emulate. I was a mediocre high school athlete at best. But often my name and those of my teammates of a similar ability level would pop up in his Los Gatos football stories, right along with those names of the stars of the team. I have tried to bring that same sort of representation to my sports stories—recognize many players, not just the superstars. I learned that from John Baggerly. He spent more than a half-century on the sidelines of the Los Gatos football field, watching quarterbacks from Hugh Campbell to Trent Edwards. Even after "retiring" from the newspaper, he was still donating his time to work on the high school football program. His historical perspective was keen, and his column "Pictures From the Past" was a staple of this paper for more than a decade, with its origins dating back even farther to his time at the old T-O. His knowledge of the town's past was unsurpassed, whether recalling a former Los Gatos athlete or any of a number town events. He also wrote obituaries for the local papers for decades, chronicling the passing of townspeople with care and accuracy. One such piece that he wrote more than a decade ago was very special to me. It was a story on the passing of my father, and Mr. Baggerly wrote the article with understanding and compassion. Now it's his name that will appear in those columns, and we hope that we can do him justice. Mr. Baggerly died on Sunday. It was too late for us to provide him a proper tribute in this week's Los Gatos Weekly-Times—that will come in our next issue. But I just wanted recognize him today for everything he meant to our town. Proof of his dedication to the community is evident with one look at the Baggerly Field sign on Blossom Hill Road. He was involved in the Little League baseball program in Los Gatos from its early beginnings at the old Balzer Field off University Avenue, and continued his dedication to the league when it moved its operation to the new facility at Blossom Hill School. Whether it meant catching gophers or watering the grass infield, Mr. Baggerly was always there to do his part—and the league provided a fitting tribute with the dedication of the field in his name. There's a sadness at that field this week—its namesake is gone. But the legacy he leaves will not soon be forgotten. I'm not sure that I ever said it, but thanks, Mr. Baggerly ... thanks for everything.