Millbrae, the baseball town

In addition to Lange and Kelly, former baseball players Gus Suhr (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Tony Lazzeri (New York Yankees) settled in Millbrae and started businesses. Suhr was a National League player for 13 years and earned the nickname “Ironman of the National League.” Suhr and his wife, Helen, moved to Millbrae and raised their children here. He owned a liquor store on El Camino Real. Lazzeri attained the moniker “Poosh ‘em up” for the 60 home runs he hit in one season while in the minor leagues. Later, he played for the New York Yankees. Lazzeri owned and operated a number of apartment buildings at Victoria Avenue and El Camino Real.

Millbrae was constantly welcoming members of the baseball world, such as Joe DiMaggio who had played for the New York Yankees and knew the “Millbrae gang” of baseball players. DiMaggio was a frequent visitor to Millbrae and loved Leonardo’s Deli. More recent “stars” of baseball in Millbrae include: Gregg Jeffries and Keith Hernandez.

The unincorporated community of Millbrae was growing rapidly in the mid-1930s. The 1889 platted Millbrae Villa Addition along Chadbourne Avenue was not paved yet but it was promised by the county that in 1936 the streets would be paved and there was talk of a new elementary school to be built on Taylor Avenue. The 500 homes that dotted the area were filled with young families with many young children that needed outlets for their excess energy. Service clubs, individuals and the community had been donating money and equipment to keep “Langes Field” going. In 1936, Russell Patterson, the chairman of the recreation committee, obtained approval for a governmental Works Progress Administration project to improve the area for the children of the community. Adobe bricks were made by volunteers from soil on the water department property and a small, one-room “adobe” clubhouse was erected by volunteers. Don D’Ambrosio was appointed the recreation superintendent to run programs for the kids. D’Ambrosio was to remain recreation superintendent until retirement in 1991.

In the 1950s, the San Francisco Water Department sold land to the city of Millbrae. The land was to be used for a civic center (firehouse, police station, library and city hall) and recreation facilities. The firehouse that had been on Broadway was now to be built on Magnolia Avenue.

The clubhouse proved successful due to the community spirit that developed by the community of more than 300 people. It was used for 33 years but was bulldozed down in 1970. The city asked the voters of Millbrae to approve a $385,000 bond in 1969, to be used for financing of a new recreation facility. The bond failed to get the two-thirds vote, however, the city was able to work out financing without issuing revenue bonds making way for a new, modern recreational facility.

Rediscovering the Peninsula runs every weekend. It is compiled through our archives created by Jim Clifford and the late Darold Fredricks.