Angels, Ordinary People Save Day for High School Team

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. -- Sophomore Mario Nieto pitches and plays shortstop on Bolsa Grande High's baseball team. Like a lot of players his age, Nieto dreams of making it the major leagues.

Nieto's family, however, does not have a lot of money, and that can be a problem for those trying to build a career in baseball, which has experienced a recent boost in the cost and personalization of equipment.

"Whenever I've wanted anything for baseball, I could never get it right away," said Nieto, a slender, 6-footer who has a live arm and bat. "I got used to waiting and saving up money to buy cheaper [equipment]."

Nieto drew the line when it came to Wilson A2000, one of baseball's most respected gloves.

"It's the glove I always wanted to have," Nieto said. "But it was expensive."

Serious fielders use Wilson A2000 models -- they usually cost more than $200 -- and Nieto wanted one before he began his high school career at Bolsa Grande. In order to get that done, Nieto worked odd jobs and saved birthday gift money to purchase the expensive mitt.

That's why it meant so much to Nieto when he wore the "brand-new" glove with pride for his first varsity game a year ago.

Fast-forward to March 11. It's a day before Bolsa Grande's first game of the 2010 season and Nieto wakes up excited about the team's future. Although the Matadors would start a young lineup, which features a trio of freshmen and a couple of sophomores, Nieto was anxious to get started because of the team's unity.

Nieto's excitement did not last long. While on his way to sixth-period baseball practice, Nieto received a call from a teammate who informed him that his Wilson A2000 was missing from one of the squad's two outdoor storage sheds.

"I thought he was joking," Nieto said. "I couldn't believe something like that would happen."

What happened? Crafty thieves had found a way to break into the team's makeshift locker rooms and cleaned out everything of value. Nearly $12,000 worth of equipment was stolen -- helmets, catching gear and a portable pitching machine along with personal bats, cleats and gloves.

"It is a little bit baffling figuring out how they got in," said Bolsa Grande principal Denise Jay, whose school's student body sees 70 percent come from economically disadvantaged households. "They were able to get under and break the locks in spaces that were too small for bolt cutters."

For Nieto, the news was devastating. After working so hard to purchase a Wilson A2000, his prized glove was gone along with some of his other personal items.

"The guys were angry," Nieto said about the mood of the team once they learned of the theft. "We felt violated to have our stuff taken like that. Some people cried."


The timing of the break-in could not have been worse.

"This program has really been hurting due to district cuts in the schools," said Bolsa Grande coach Dan Strobehn, whose son, Kyle, is a starting senior first baseman for the Matadors. "They cut our budget this year by 20 percent. There was no way that we were going to be able to replace all the gear that was stolen. It just was not possible."

This is when a sad story turns good.

After Jay learned of the theft, she went to work right away trying to get donations. Jay contacted the Garden Grove school district's public relations department and a decision was made to make getting the word out about the school's loss a priority.

A press release was put together explaining the baseball team's situation and sent to local media outlets. The PR move worked to perfection.

In a matter of hours, the Matadors' equipment problem had become big news all around Southern California.

And the public response was instant. Aid started to come in from everywhere. The school's phone line was bombarded with calls from people who wanted to give money or equipment to help.

Some of the donations were huge -- the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim reportedly gave a five-figure monetary gift and Diamond Sports dropped off a truckload of new gear -- but most were modest from people in the neighborhood.

"There's been a lot donated from people you just would not expect," said Strobehn's oldest son Daniel, 23, a current Bolsa Grande assistant coach and former Bolsa Grande player. "For example, an older gentleman just came out to our practice and gave us a glove, some cleats and 15 bucks. It's been acts of kindness like this that you remember."

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for high school athletic programs to have equipment stolen, especially in California. Every month, there are stories about thieves breaking into storage areas to steal school gear and personal belongings of players.

Consider that a week after Bolsa Grande was hit, robbers got away with a similar crime against Sacramento El Camino High's baseball program, which also had a public address system stolen and things taken from a snack bar.

"It's a shame but this kind of stuff has been happening a lot lately," said Jeff Maass, a high school umpire who donated several gloves and bats to the Matadors. "With people looking for ways to get money, stuff gets stolen and weeks later you start seeing the items posted on eBay."

This only adds to the surprise that has come from the generous response to the Bolsa Grande burglary.

"If you're from an affluent area and your equipment bag gets stolen with a $1,000 worth of stuff, most of the time parents have the money to buy more stuff," Dan Strobehn said.

"But it's another thing when you've had to save for six months just to buy a baseball glove."

Despite producing a fair share of college-level players and owning a well-earned reputation for being competitive, the Matadors' baseball program is anything but well-known.

In recent years, Bolsa Grande has lost as many games as it has won, and whenever the Matadors have put things together, they've usually been overshadowed by other Orange County teams stocked with future major league players.

That has not stopped people from helping the Matadors recover from their loss.

"The response has been pretty overwhelming," Jay said. "A lot of people are saddened when they hear news like that but many times nothing really comes from it. Not this time.

"In today's economical conditions, it's pretty inspirational to know that people are still reaching out for these kids even though they are going through tough times themselves."


After Bolsa Grande canceled its season opener, the Matadors played their first game of the season with donated equipment in a road matchup against Fairmont Prep in Anaheim.

With a small crowd in attendance, Bolsa Grande jumped to a 3-0 lead, highlighted by a leadoff single by Nieto, who also started at pitcher.

At one point, a middle-aged man appeared with a large black plastic bag draped over his shoulder and he stood near the Bolsa Grande open dugout. You could easily tell that the bag was filled with baseball gear because it overflowed with gloves, bats and cleats.

Without speaking, the man watched for a while. Then with Bolsa Grande on the field for defense, the man calmly placed the bag on the team's empty bench and left. Just like that, more gear for the Matadors.

"It's been great to have so many people give like this," Nieto said. "We are so thankful ... I know that my family would not have been able to get a replacement glove. And now, I have one to play with."
"Since 80 percent of the items stolen belonged to the players, we appreciate everything that's been donated. We all have agreed to continue to work hard to win for the people who have helped us."

After the unknown man exited, the Bolsa Grande players did not waste any time. Once the smiling group returned to the bench, they rushed through the gear and passed around the items as if each player had just found a lost birthday gift.

It was the type of moment that you wish could have been saved on DVD for everyone who gave a donation to the program.

"These kids don't get a lot of support," said Ruben Escandon, whose grandson, sophomore Jake Flores, is a starting infielder for the Matadors. "The parents do what they can but it's hard to keep up with the right equipment. That's why I try and do my part. I bought my grandson a bat last year because it was important for him."

Back on the field, Bolsa Grande maintained its 3-0 lead behind Nieto, who did a good job mixing up his pitches early. After Nieto left the mound, the Matadors could not maintain their edge and Fairmont Prep rallied late to win, 8-7.

It was the type of defeat the Matadors have experienced plenty of times. For some reason, this loss felt different.

"We really feel good about ourselves after what happened," Nieto said. "We are a lot stronger because of the experience and we gained confidence knowing that people believe in us. We never expected a response like this."

The school is accepting equipment and financial donations. Checks can be made out to Bolsa Grande High School Baseball and mailed to the school at 9401 Westminster Avenue, Garden Grove, CA 92844.