El Paso To Welcome Bowie Bears Today

 Rudy Gutierrez / El Paso Times

The Bowie High School baseball field is named for the coach of the 1949 Texas state baseball championship team. “He taught us that it’s not where you come from, it is what you become,” Gustavo Sambrano said of coach W.C. “Nemo” Herrera.

June 10, 1949

A motorcycle escort through a downtown parade route and a huge welcome at their last stop is on tap when the Bowie High School Bears, newly-crowded Texas High School baseball champions, return to home base at 1 p.m. Friday.

Highlight of the welcome will be the greetings and congratulations at the American Bus Station, San Antonio and Santa Fe Streets, where city and civic officials will express the thanks of the entire city.

The Bears defeated Austin’s Maroons, 3-2, Wednesday night for the state championship, in Austin.

The team will arrive in El Paso at 1 p.m. from Van Horn where they spent Thursday night.

The bust will be met at Fabens by a Sheriff’s Department motorcycle escort, which will be joined at El Paso city limits by a Police Department escort for the trip through downtown streets.

The team of champions, with a huge sign reading “Bowie High School, Texas High School State Baseball Champions” on each side of the vehicle, will enter the downtown area by way of alameda Avenue, Texas, Street, Oregon Street, circle around San Jacinto Plaza, return to El Paso Street on Mills Street and then to West San Antonio Street and the bus station.

At the final halt Mayor Dan Duke, City School Superintendent A. H. Hughey and Bill Girard of the Chamber of Commerce, will express the city’s appreciation for the crown the team won.

A public address system will be on hand to help in the greeting. A portion of the affair is to be broadcast.

The official greeting Friday is but the start of a round of honors for the champions.

Saturday night will be “Bowie Night” at the Dudley Field, where El Paso’s Texans play Phoenix in an Arizona-Texas League game. The team members will be honor guests and will be introduced before the game. Coach Nemo Herrera will be awarded a watch.

Monday at 7:30 p.m. the School Board is to stage a banquet for the team, with the site to be selected later.

Tuesday noon the team and coaches will be guests of the Chamber of Commerce at a noon luncheon.

And later in the week Mayor Duke and his City Council will be hosts at another banquet for the titlists.

“We can’t give them anything, but we can sure feed them,” one official commented Thursday; referring to a Texas Interscholastic League rule prohibiting athletes from accepting rewards for their efforts.

It was pointed out that nine of the championship team will be back in uniform next season including Star Pitcher Ruben Porras.

Returning players include Ramon Camarillo, Jose Corona, Fernando Gomez, Trini Guillen, Antonio Lara, Alfonso Lopez, Andy Morales, Porras and Gustavo Sambrano.

Lost through graduation, expiration of eligibility or passing of the age limit will be Javier Holguin, Lorenzo Martinez, Rodriguez, Oscar Macias, Ernesto Guzman, and Jose Galarza.

Comments

[david sanchez]

I heard gregorio sanchez was on the 1949 baseball team. so why aren't all the players names listed on these articles.