‘Champion’ was a concept very familiar to Coronado High School Head Coach Sam Ceci, well before he coached the Islander Baseball Team to the CIF Division IV title in 2006, the school’s first title in the sport in 86 years.

Casual fans may notice the team’s positive results on the field, after all Ceci’s record is 148-104 (.587) in 8 years as head coach, but don’t know about the 55-year-old California native’s extensive playing background.

Ceci hails originally from Lennox, population 22,950. Lennox High School, home of the Lancers, with an enrollment of 900 students is situated as Ceci describes it, "under the flight path to Los Angeles International Airport, right next to I-405."

During his prep playing days, Lennox competed in a tough baseball conference, which included El Segundo High School, the home of the Brett Brothers. Ceci, who graduated in 1968, was a contemporary of Bobby Brett who went on to play minor league baseball, while younger brothers Ken and George went on to lengthy major league careers. George, a star with the Kansas City Royals was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. The competition was tough in the world of L.A. prep baseball.

Starting out as a centerfielder as a freshman in high school, Ceci worked his way into the starting third base job as a sophomore and a junior, making the transition to shortstop for his senior season at Lennox High.

Armed with a California State Academic Scholarship, which would cover his tuition, and All-CIF honors at shortstop, Ceci set off to play for the University of Southern California and its legendary Head Coach Rod Dedeaux. By NCAA rules, freshmen were not allowed to compete at the varsity level during Ceci’s first year at USC. Ceci played shortstop on the freshman team, but knew he needed to add some versatility to his defensive portfolio.

"It became apparent that I wasn’t going to make it as a shortstop (on the varsity)," Ceci related. "I thought I had a better chance to make the team by catching and adding another infield position."

Keep in mind that the depth of talent at USC at this point was phenomenal. Fred Lynn, who went on to stardom with the Boston Red Sox, was a teammate of Ceci’s. Lynn was named Rookie of the Year and American League MVP in 1975 and was a nine-time All Star.

Other contemporaries of Ceci’s at USC were future MLB All-Star pitcher Steve Busby and the 6-foot, 6-inch mercurial slugger Dave Kingman, himself a three-time MLB All-Star. Kingman was recruited as a pitcher at USC, before settling in at first base for the Trojans. This found Ceci on the receiving end of Kingman’s pitches, catching the hard-throwing, but ever-wild ‘Kong’ on numerous occasions. "He was the hardest guy to catch I ever played with," said Ceci.

By his sophomore season, with another position under his belt, Ceci made the Trojan travel squad as a backup catcher and third baseman. At five-feet, eight-inches tall, Ceci wasn’t the prototypical catcher from a size perspective, but he was good enough to get 68 at bats in his first season on the varsity. This was a USC team that would go on to win the College World Series. His CWS claim to fame that year was that Ceci was in the on-deck circle when USC pushed across the winning run in the championship final.

The following season, Ceci made more of an impression on the team. "I had 100 plus at bats and was a spot starter as a junior. I didn’t get a lot of playing time until the end of the season. I came on strong in conference play."

Starting two games in the College World Series that year, Ceci had his jaw broken on a play at the plate, knocking him out of the series. Teammate Lynn playing centerfield, thought he had a chance to catch a slow-running opponent at the plate. The ball and the runner arrived at the plate simultaneously and Ceci was down for the count and done for the season. USC went on to win their second CWS title in a row, this one over Southern Illinois.

Ceci’s play during his junior season earned him a slot in the 1971 Amateur Baseball Draft. Ceci had impressed Los Angeles Dodger scouts with his upside potential, that he was selected in the 40^th round of the Major League Draft. As overall pick No. 769, Ceci rightfully thought his best move was to return to the USC campus for another year.

A right-handed line drive hitter, Ceci was the starting catcher his senior year and responded with a .345 batting average and four homers. Keep in mind that those numbers were posted in the wooden bat era, which means that conceivably Ceci could have flirted with a .400 average with an aluminum bat.

In 1972 Ceci earned all Pac 10 Conference honors, was named to the All-College World Series First Team and helped USC win their third consecutive CWS title, defeating Arizona State in the title game.

In our interview, while concluding the college portion of his career, it seemed an appropriate time to query Ceci regarding any pearls of wisdom that he may have garnered from Rod Dedeaux, who was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Century by "Collegiate Baseball Magazine." Dedeaux compiled a 1,332-571-11 record, won the NCAA title 11 times and coached USC to 28 conference championships.

Ceci paused and smiled. "Coach Dedeaux was quite a personality. As a baseball coach, his biggest strength was his ability to recruit. He motivated people. We had to produce or we weren’t there (on the field). He was president and founder of DART Transportation, which was a multi-million dollar company. Often Coach Dedeaux wouldn’t come to the non-conference games. When he was there, you knew it was an important game."

Ironically, after his strong senior season and a prominent role on a championship team, Ceci wasn’t drafted by the pros at the conclusion of his college career. But he wasn’t alone in that regard. "Nobody was drafted off of our team," Ceci said, still bewildered by the concept years later. "We won the national championship three years in a row, something that had never been done before (and has never been repeated). All we did was win."

Five members of the Trojan senior class, although not drafted, were signed out of college. Ceci was contacted immediately after the conclusion of the College World Series by a scout from the Minnesota Twins. Ceci signed two days later for a $4,000 bonus and a plane ticket to Lynchburg, VA of the Carolina League. His first year in pro ball, Ceci was a catcher and alternated between the Twins A and AA affiliates. At the conclusion of his rookie year in the pros, he was invited to participate in Winter Ball.

Married at the end of the regular season, Ceci was given four days to drive cross country and report to the Twins winter camp. Major Leaguers Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, and future big leaguer Lyman Bostock were also in camp to rehab injuries or work on their game.

Ceci’s second pro campaign found him with the starting catching job at Lynchburg and the team went on to win the Carolina League title. The following year, Ceci was promoted to AAA Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League as the backup catcher. "I was a good defensive catcher, with a strong arm and a quick release," Ceci said.

The promotion to AAA earned Ceci the princely sum of $990 a month, plus $15 per day in per diem on the road. "It was a good experience and I wound up playing for four future big league managers."

The following year, a battle with non-contagious hepatitis forced Ceci out of baseball for a year. In 1977, which was his fifth year out of USC, Ceci signed with the Milwaukee Brewers organization, where he played at the AAA level for former 16-year major league slugger Frank Howard, known for his size, strength and prodigious home runs. "He was a hell of a nice guy," said Ceci of the 6-7, 255-pound Howard.

The following year, Ceci’s contract was sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, and they wanted him to return to a Double-A bus league, two years removed from playing in the Pacific Coast League, which is a ‘fly league,’ where air transportation is the norm. In the minor leagues, a 140-game schedule is often played in 140 days, so the mode of transportation is important.

Another factor was that the $1,200 per month player salary was only paid during the season, with no additional money supplied for spring training. In other words, baseball covered you for five months and for the other seven months you were financially on your own.

Off season jobs at Xerox and National Cash Register were concluded when the siren song of baseball continued to call. By this time, a company that Ceci started during his year out of baseball was helping to pay the bills. "I was a good backup catcher and good defensively, but I didn’t have much opportunity to advance. They did me a favor. Pittsburgh released me a year later and I’ve been self employed since 1976."

Ceci is the owner/founder of Trend Marketing Corp., which makes picture frames, journals and coasters, among other items. His manufacturing plant was established in Mexico in 1989, which was the same year he and his family moved to San Diego. The company, which had a little more than a handful of workers at the time, now has 78 employees.

Ceci had two children from his first marriage, sons Shad (CHS ’97) and Shaun, who was a mathematics major at Montana State University. Shaun is now in graduate school at the University of Memphis. Shad runs his own business in the Temecula area.

Sam and his wife Susan are the proud parents of a nine-year-old daughter McCall, currently in fourth grade at Coronado Elementary School. "She’s the best thing that ever happened to me" said Ceci of his significant other. The Cecis recently built their dream home in Coronado.

After 25 years in private business and his baseball days behind him, Ceci became the Coronado High School Junior Varsity head coach in 1996, serving in that position for three seasons. When CHS Head Varsity Coach James Davis took over the Granite Hills baseball program in 1999, Ceci was named to lead the CHS varsity program.

After literally the whole starting lineup graduated in 1998, seven of them All-Harbor League selections, Ceci’s first team posted a 9-18 record. But every year with Ceci at the helm, the Islanders have made the CIF playoffs.

Ceci credits a large amount of the program’s success to his assistant coaches, who at various times have included Dennis Aplanalp, Brad Couture, Chris Blanton, Jerry Brown and Bill Seager. For the past couple of years, Brown has been the squad’s bench coach.

"Jerry loves the game and has contributed to the program in a significant way," said Ceci of Brown, a retired Navy captain. "He has helped with fund raising, and he is responsible for getting the kids into the ballgame and more. Jerry and Bill Seager are the strategy guys for the team." Seager also serves as the team statistician, providing Ceci with valuable data on the team’s games and lasting, tangible memories for the players.

Another element that Ceci has re-introduced to the Coronado baseball program is having former Islander players return to the fold as coaches. The 2006 varsity and junior varsity squads found several CHS alumni on the coaching staff. Blanton served as the varsity pitching coach; Blaze Smallwood was the JV head coach; and Bo Blumenthal and Chris Barbera served as JV coaches.

Success breeds success and last year for the first time, the Islander baseball program fielded a freshman team. Among the freshman, JV and Varsity teams, a total of 49 players participated in the program in 2006.

Another major improvement in the program is the playing field, located behind Silver Strand Elementary School. Ceci provided an overview of his labor of love. "We have put roughly $50,000 or $60,000 into the field in improvements over the years, in addition to a countless number of volunteer hours. I would say our field is now in the top 25 percent of the fields in the county." (Editor’s Note – I would counter with Top 10 percent.)

The only way to improve in a sport is to play it and baseball is no exception. To keep pace competitively, Coronado has a strong off-season baseball program, with several team members playing travel ball. The CHS baseball field is the home to roughly 200 baseball games annually, many from summer tournaments. This also provides the program with funding for future field improvements.

Ceci summarizes his strength as a coach, saying, "I can show people how to compete and how to win. The trick has always been to get kids to improve and make themselves better." The overall success of the program is the byproduct of a lot of hard work. The community is coming forward, the support is strong, and the momentum is building. We’re getting better. One of our goals next year is to challenge for the Western League title. And I hope we can stay in Division IV for another couple of years."