Sad to report the passing of Cecilio Smalling, skipper and pitcher of the Balboa Fastball team, of which I was a member in recent years.
From the SCIFL:
SERVICES FOR CECILIO SMALLING
As you have heard, we lost Cecilio Smalling this past week. He was one of the good guys in the league and helped any way he could to make sure it was successful. Services for “C” are this weekend as follows:
Viewing
Friday, November 27 – 4PM – 7PM
Mountain View Cemetery
2400 N Fair Oaks Ave
Altadena, CA 91001
Funeral Services
Saturday, November 28 – 10:30 AM
Mountain View Cemetery
2400 N Fair Oaks Ave
Altadena, CA 91001
*Please note the change in location. NOT at St Mark’s Church as shown in earlier announcements.
Memorial Service Program for Cecilio Smalling, November 28, 2015
Editor’s note:
This news hits hard. Cecilo was a good and decent man, one of those people that seemed to have a great personal connection with so many people in the game. He found a place for me on the roster in the Whittier league a few years back when I wanted to pitch again, and then on the Balboa squad, winding up at the NAFA World Series in Topeka. I read a comment someone else made on Facebook that registered with me — that he was the same person win or lose. It’s not that he didn’t’ want to win, just that his relationship with his sons and players on the team seemed to matter much more. Whether you pitched a shutout or gave up a game winning hit, he was still there to greet you as you headed off the field. That will be my lasting memory of him…..
Rest in Peace, my friend, you taught us a great deal, not only about the game but about how to treat people.
Well said…