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The Foundation

The Cal Baseball Foundation, Inc. was established initially in September 2010 to serve in the limited role as the fiscal agent for the baseball program’s Annual Golf Tournament and Silent Auction. Following the University’s September 28, 2010 announcement of the program’s elimination, the Foundation assumed additional responsibility for funds raised through the Save Cal Baseball website and other efforts to achieve the Program’s reinstatement.

In March 2011, the Foundation installed a five-member Board of Directors and adopted a set of bylaws to guide the activities of the Foundation as a legal non-profit entity, to receive and account for funds for the reinstatement of the baseball program, and to perform all other actions necessary and appropriate for the operation of the corporation. During this time, the Save Cal Baseball Campaign raised funds for a term endowment to ensure the continuation of the Baseball program through, at minimum, the FY2018-19 season. In April 2011, the Foundation submitted to the Chancellor a business plan for generating annual program revenues to extend the life of the term endowment.

Following the Program’s reinstatement in April 2011, the Foundation Board of Directors expanded its membership to 15 voting members and 3 non-voting members and revised its by-laws to reflect the responsibilities required to carry out its mission. The voting members of the Board are drawn from the following categories of volunteers:

Six members representing major donors
Six former Cal Baseball players, one each from pre-1970; 1970-1980; 1980-1990; 1990-2000, 2001-present; and one additional representative from any one of these decades.
Three at-large members representing the Cal Baseball community.

The three non-voting members include the Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley or his/her designee, the Cal Athletic Director or his/her designee, and the Head Baseball Coach.

In November 2011, the Foundation approved Principles of Agreement to guide its ongoing cooperative relationship with the University.

1980

In 1978, Bob Milano, two-time Bear captain (‘60 and ‘61), took over the coaching reins from the legendary Jackie Jensen. Milano was committed to getting the Bears back in post-season play within 5 years, and two third-place finishes showed there was still work to do. Did he know that by the end of 1980 he would be two years ahead of schedule? With depth and experience at every position, the 1980 squad showed early that it could win. A13-2-1 pre-season record meant the Bears entered league play with high hopes. Four weeks later, however, the Bears were mired at .500. On the positive side of the ledger, the Bears had won the opening game of each series, and had taken 2 of 3 from a tough ASU squad. On the negative side, the Bears had been routed in a couple of games and lost late leads in others. Which way would the season go?

The answer came in the desert in week 6 as Cal swept first place ASU. Playing in Tempe, Cal won the way good teams do: protecting a slim lead in game one (7-5); winning a blow-out in game 2 (6-0); and fashioning a late inning comeback – high-lighted by a 9 run eighth – in game 3 that turned an 8-3 deficit into a 13-8 victory.

Yet nothing was easy for this club. Though the Bears would finish the season tied for first, they lost three of the last four series in conference play. This was good enough, however, to place them into the Pac-10 Championship against WSU, with the winner qualifying for an NCAA berth. Returning to mid-season form, the Bears swept both games. A 5 run first in game 1 got things started off right. In game 2 a two-run third, and an insurance run in the 9^th, gave the Bears a 3-1 victory.

In the Midwest Regional in Tulsa, Cal’s hopes of a trip to Omaha for the first time since 1957 took a hit when the Bears dropped into the loser’s bracket after a game 1 loss to UNLV. Playing on the brink of elimination, the Bears ran off 5 straight wins, including a 14-inning nail-biter over Missouri, and two victories over bracket leader UNLV, the last a 12-0 rout, to move on to Omaha.

Playing in Omaha for the first time in 23 years, Cal once again found itself facing elimination after a game 1 loss to Michigan (9-8, in 11 innings). Two facts, however, had emerged in the course of post-season play: Cal’s offense could score against anyone, and the Bear’s liked being the underdog. Cal then reeled off three straight wins, including a 4-3 victory over number 1 ranked Miami, before being eliminated in a 11-10 loss to eventual champion Arizona. Cal finished third in the ’80 CWS, posting an 8-3 record in post-season play.