Former legendary Ceres High School baseball head coach Art McRae continues to support the Bulldogs.
McRae, the program’s winningest coach, attended Game 1 of the Bulldogs’ crosstown series versus the Hawks on April 15.
Ceres High put up a fight in losing 1-0 to Central Valley on a field named after McRae in 2004.
“It’s an honor to be here,” McRae stated. “Being back on the field, there’s a lot of memories.”
“He showed up,” said Bret Durossette, head coach of the Bulldogs and McRae’s successor. “It’s awesome.”
McRae was supposed to throw out the first pitch, but decided not to for health reasons.
He turned 90 on Sept. 4.
“I got multiple hip and knee replacements,” said McRae, who was seated on a chair next to the home dugout. “I have atrophy. I have limited mobility. I didn’t want to go out there and mess up.”
McRae chatted with Durossette and Ceres High assistant coach Fulvio Bertolotti, and shook hands with Bulldog players prior to the start of the contest against the Hawks.
“I thought it was cool to meet him,” CHS senior pitcher/shortstop Vincent Castrejon said. “I’ve played on a field named after him for the last four years.”
Durossette (class of 1986) and Bertolotti (class of 1973) both played for McRae in high school.
Durossette and McRae see each other every other Wednesday at Ceres Lions Club meetings.
“It’s an honor to follow in Art’s footsteps,” said Durossette, McRae’s successor following the 1996 season. “As a young coach, I always wanted to be like Art. I idolized him. He was strict. He paid attention to the small things. Most people don’t coach that way today.”
“I learned a lot from Art,” stated Bertolotti, who signed a pro contract with the St. Louis Cardinals following graduation from CHS.
“Bret is doing an outstanding job,” McRae added. “He has a very disciplined team.”
Ceres High plans to bring back the Art McRae Tournament in the near future. The event was discontinued following Durossette’s first stint as leader of the Bulldogs.
“We need to bring it back,” Durossette said. “It’s something to honor Art and what he stood for as a person and coach.”
“I have a long history with Bret,” McRae added. “Bret and my son (Kyle) grew up and played baseball and basketball together. He’d come over to our house. We’re lifelong friends.”
McRae was inducted into Ceres High’s Hall of Fame in September of 2008. The Bulldogs’ inaugural class included former players (35), coaches (2) and teams (2). McRae coached the 1990 baseball team that was also recognized.
“I just think it’s an unbelievable honor,” McRae said. “I didn’t think I’d see it in my lifetime.”
McRae ended his varsity baseball coaching career at Ceres High with a 4-2 win over visiting Bear Creek in May of 1996.
Bulldog players hoisted him in the air to celebrate his 550th victory.
“It wasn’t something I was anticipating,” he said. “It was a sense of pride.”
McRae retired as the winningest baseball coach in school history and the Stanislaus District in June of 1996.
Art amassed a 550-427 record in 37 years. The Bulldogs won one section championship in three tries and nine conference titles. Ceres High placed second in league 10 times.
The Bulldogs claimed the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II crown, finished first in the Valley Oak League and amassed a program-record 24 victories in 1990. Ceres High sustained just seven losses.
“We didn’t have any weak spots,” said McRae, head coach from 1960-1996. “Everybody contributed.”
Five of McRae’s players signed contracts with Major League Baseball teams, including Dick Davey (Giants), Osvaldo Bertolotti (Red Sox), Fulvio Bertolotti (Cardinals), Dave Murphy (Athletics) and Rick Arnold (Reds).
“When I went to play pro ball, I knew more than the other kids because of what Art McRae taught me,” said Osvaldo Bertolotti, who spent three seasons in Boston’s minor-league farm system. “He’s the best coach I ever had. I loved playing for him. He was a perfectionist. He preached fundamentals every day.”
McRae made sure all of his players understood it was a privilege to put on a Bulldog uniform. Foul language wasn’t tolerated.
“We always had to have a clean dugout, our shirts tucked in and our hats on the right way,” said Chris Howard, a standout pitcher on McRae’s 1990 section title squad. “He discouraged us to talk back to umpires. It was a gentleman’s game. That’s the way he expected us to play.”
Added Osvaldo Bertolotti: “Everybody respected him.”
McRae missed just three games during his coaching tenure.
“It’s something I enjoyed doing,” said McRae, who was 24 when he took over Ceres High’s baseball program. “I was pretty fortunate to have a lot of great athletes. We were very competitive. I also have to give credit to George Costa (longtime youth baseball coach in Ceres who passed away in January of 2008).”
Besides coaching, McRae taught science for 35 years (1959-1994) at Ceres High School.
He was hired as biology teacher and varsity baseball coach at Ceres High at the age of 24.
He was a substitute teacher for Ceres Unified School District from 1994-2009.
McRae has enjoyed membership in the Ceres Lions Club since 1962 and is its most senior member.
“Lions is a big part of my life,” he said. “I like the camaraderie about staying in connection with different members of the community. They have nice social functions and they do a lot in fundraisers.”
McRae has lived in the same house in Ceres, which was built by the Durossette family, for 60 years.
Art and his wife Donna became homeowners in 1965.
They met in 1959 as both were starting teaching careers at Ceres High School.
They married in 1963 and son Kyle was born in 1968.
Donna was a tremendous wife and mother to Art and Kyle, as well as an amazing, devoted teacher at Ceres High School and Modesto Junior College for more than four decades.
Donna backed Art’s passion for baseball.
She passed away at the age of 80 in November of 2016.
They were married for 53 years.
“She went to a lot of games,” McRae said. “She was very supportive.”
– Courier editor Jeff Benziger contributed to this report.
