Oaks Christian coach Redell throws out first pitch at Dodger Stadium
Bill Redell can check another one off of his bucket list.
The Oaks Christian head coach took the mound Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium and threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
It was a dream come true for the coaching legend who once starred in baseball at San Marino High School. The dream coming to fruition Tuesday night also provided an opportunity to pull even with his friend and high school football coaching legend, Harry Welch.
The former Santa Margarita head coach threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium seven years ago.
"I've been trying to get even with (Welch) because his team's won 46 games (in a row) and my team's won 48 so he's a little upset still," Redell said. "Plus, the only game I've been shutout, Harry Welch shut me out 35-0."
The shutout came in 1985 when Redell was at Crespi and Welch was at Canyon.
Twenty-nine years later, the competitive juices are still flowing for Redell, who is in his first season at Oaks Christian following his retirement from the school three seasons ago.
The 73-year-old coach has been working on getting his arm in shape leading up to Tuesday night's first pitch.
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By Tuesday, he was serviceable.
"The arm still isn't loose," Redell joked. "My arm went dead about eight or nine, 10 years ago. Believe me, I've been worried about it."
Redell threw a pitch down and away that a right hander surely would have chased. It's certainly something he can live with.
"I bounced it to the side," Redell said of his pitch. "(I'd grade it) a C-minus, but passable. I never dreamed of doing something like this. This is great. I really appreciate (the Dodgers) doing this. I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun. I can scratch that off my bucket list now."
