Local leader a baseball legend

Everyone deserves at least 15 minutes of fame in their short lives here on earth.

As a journalist, I’ve had my name printed on the front page of several different newspapers several hundred times. So, although I’m not a national celebrity, I feel like I’ve had as much fame as I deserve.

Another local probably felt his 15 minutes were up about 35 years ago. But, Ruben Patron -- the Merced County Office of Education’s migrant education assistant superintendent -- is famous again after the Los Angeles Times ran a column about him on Monday.

Patron, while playing baseball for Long Beach State, pitched an entire 20-inning game against San Jose State in 1973. The pitcher for San Jose State, Jeff Gingrich, also pitched the entire game. It ended in a 1-1 tie.

Patron, who had transferred to Long Beach from a junior college and walked on to the team, told LA Times sports writer Jerry Crowe that the March match-up was a freak game. It was also his first start as a pitcher for Long Beach.

The story, published on Monday on the Times Web site, tells the story of both Patron’s and Gingrich’s careers after that fateful game. There is also a recent picture of the two reminiscing together.

I have spoken with Patron a few times for stories about the migrant education program, but I had no idea he was a baseball legend in southern California. Next time I speak to him, maybe I’ll ask for his autograph.

To read the column on Patron, visit http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-crowesnest23-2008jun23,0,2574324.col...