Olsen: 'When did that happen?'

Ed Olsen, LJHS Baseball Hall of Famer,
as well as El Capitan High Hall of Fame
and California Community College Baseball
Coaches Assn. Hall of Fame (Photo by Ed Piper)
 

By Ed Piper

Ed Olsen, the Viking first baseman of the early 1950's, now an 83-year-old "boy wonder" fan of his favorite sport (see previous entry), repeatedly asked, "When did that happen?" "When did that happen?"

The subject was Dodger left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who is presently (May 10) on the disabled list with a shoulder problem. Olsen had earlier said, "I love that guy. He's so competitive," about the multiple Cy Young Award-winning southpaw.

So, still following the pros closely, the retired coach felt caught off-guard that he hadn't heard about Kershaw's assignment to the DL. "He just pitched the other night," said Olsen in wonderment.

Another perky characteristic of the octogenarian is his extreme organization. In instructing a sportswriter how to get to his house for an interview, Olsen named each street from the visitor's dental appointment in Pacific Beach--where the community college Hall of Fame coach grew up, attending then-Pacific Beach Junior High--and each turn to arrive at his residence in East County.

Interviews online about the former El Capitan High and Grossmont College coach refer to his gruff manner in the dugout. That edge has since been sanded off by the years, as he was amiable though directed in sharing the many memories he has of baseball back in the day.

One leaves his heavily-decorated home (theme: classic Major League and Padres minor league years) with the feeling the 6'1" first-sacker knows a million people, and can tell you anecdotes he gained from many of them.

One was of Ralph Skinner, his Spanish teacher at La Jolla High. Skinner was the father of Viking star and future Pittsburgh Pirate standout Bob Skinner, who was an adept left-handed hitter. "Bob was in the minors in New Orleans at the time," remembers Olsen. "Every day I would walk in and say, 'Mr. Skinner, how did Bob do?' He would say, 'He went two-for-four with two RBI's' or something like that. That's the way I was with him. Mr. Skinner had very bad eyesight. He loved Bob."