We are pleased to share “The Memoirs of a Batboy”, by Ron Rupp, former batboy for the Lakewood Jets, one of fastball’s elite teams in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Ron went on to play for the Jets himself, and is still at it, now heading up the new Long Beach Snakes team, as GM and pitcher.

“I would like to remember the players i watched as a batboy for the lakewood jets during the early to mid 70’s. I was able to see this fastpitch dynasty from the inside like the proverbial “fly on the wall” the inner workings of the politics and money it takes to run an open level world championship team. These players were a lot of fun to watch as a kid who learned to pitch and hit in the shadows of mayfair park in Lakewood, california. They left a big impression on me and i dont think i ever would have appreciated winning if these guys wouldnt have taught me to hate to lose so much:) That is the common thread among all these players i watched compete, they truly hated losing! it ruined their weekend if they lost! lucky for them they didnt lose very much:)Many of these players are in the softball hall of fame, and some have been ignored by the hall of fame. My name is ronald rupp and these are the memoirs of a batboy…

NICK HOPKINS: nick was fantastic in everyway, this guy could hit the ball out of the yard from both sides of the plate! hit for a high average in the clutch and play great defense! nick was a fierce competitor and well respected by everyone! (if nick struck out i stayed clear of him because he never seemed to take it well:)) and his bat could end up anywhere:) i would rate nick as the best all around player i ever saw play the game!

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What do you get when you mix Hulk Hogan, Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Joey Porter, Jorge St. Pierre, and Jenna Jameson? Inside the mind of Damian Guerrero 🙂 Click here for this month’s installment of Fred Hanker’s popular “Hot Seat” Interview, with Damo Guerrero.

From the Press-Telegram Newspaper, Long Beach California:

LB Nitehawks # 14 on Press-Telegram’s 50 Greatest Moments in Long Beach Sports History

ISC Hall of Famer and LB Nitehawk Great Nick Hopkins Was Honored by the Long Beach Century Club this week. (File Photo by Press-Telegram)

Before there was Sean Burroughs and the Little League heroes, before the Dirtbags were born, before Lisa Fernandez, before Tony Gwynn, before Sean’s dad Jeff, before Joe Hicks, before Blair Field, before all those CIF champs and stars, even before Bob Lemon became a star, there were the Long Beach Nitehawks.

Born in 1933, relocated to Long Beach in 1939. Winners of 10 International Softball Congress world championships. Twenty-three Hall of Famers. That is not a misprint.

The franchise folded in 1988 and scarcely anyone but the old-timers in town noticed because men’s professional fast-pitch softball had lost whatever modest appeal it once held for the masses. On the sports menu, it went from entree to appetizer to fast-dissolving after-dinner mint.

But in its own time, the Nitehawks were a source of pride and success in town. The ball-and-bat lineage of Lemon and Vern Stephens can be traced to the Nitehawks, and former Cubs and PCL star Lou Novikoff had an entire second act on the field with the Nitehawks.

Nick Hopkins was one of the finest-fielding shortstops in pro softball history, and the Wilson product and one-time Boston Red Sox prospect played 19 seasons for the Nitehawks. Saturday night, he’ll be inducted into the Century Club Hall of Fame, joining two other Nitehawk legends, team founder Joe Rodgers and former player, manager and owner Red Meairs.

Amid all of Long Beach’s rich baseball history, the Nitehawks also earned a lofty spot on the Century Club’s 50 Greatest Sports Moments List that was compiled in honor of the club’s 50th anniversary.

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