San Bruno Baseball Legend Tom Lara Dies at 89

Tom Lara was often dwarfed by his players and assistant coaches such as John Quintell. But the longtime San Bruno Joe DiMaggio League coach was a giant in terms of area baseball.

Lara died around 8 p.m. Thursday night in San Bruno, saddening a community that in 1988 named the main baseball diamond at San Bruno Park in his honor.  He was 89.

“He was San Bruno baseball,” said Mountain View’s Greg Quigley, who assisted Lara with the San Bruno Joe D. team from 1986 through 1990. “He dedicated his life to youth baseball, as a city commissioner, as a coach, as a league official.”

The DiMaggio League for ages 16 through 18 began in the late 1960s. Lara was one of the league’s founding fathers and coached one of San Bruno’s original two teams (the city later fielded just one). When the first Joe D. games were played at San Bruno Park, Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio himself showed up and threw the ceremonial first pitch.

Standouts for Lara’s first squad sponsored by Flying Goose Sporting Goods included George Gladius, Matt Kriletich, Bob Bjorner, Frank Schaukowtich and 15-year-olds Don Benedetti and Jim Murphy.

“He was the dean of San Bruno baseball, who coached at every age level," Murphy said. "He was largely responsible for expanding playing opportunities for players of all ability levels at a time when the population in San Bruno was exploding. He was fair, had a sense of humor and was a good judge of talent.”

Former San Bruno resident John Murphy of Prep2Prep.com details Lara's impact on area baseball HERE.