Novato Knicks, Neighbor

 ESTABLISHED IN 1956, THE YEAR 2013 MARKS THE 58TH SEASON OF HARDBALL FOR THE NOVATO KNICKS SEMI-PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL CLUB. LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF NOVATO, THE KNICKS ARE THE LAST SEMI-PRO TEAM IN MARIN COUNTY. THE KNICKS TRAVEL ACROSS CALIFORNIA, NEVADA AND OREGON. ENTIRELY SELF FUNDED, THE KNICKS ARE A COMBINATION OF A VERTERAN PLAYERS (EX-COLLEGE & PRO) AND CURRENT COLLEGIATE PLAYERS.

     THE KNICKS WERE FOUNDED AND FULLY SUPPORTED FROM 1962-1995 BY ED SALMINA, A LOCAL NEWSPAPER EDITOR AND COMMUNITY LEADER. IN 1995, THE KNICKS AND THE TOWN OF NOVATO WERE DEVASTATED TO LOSE ED TO HEART FAILURE AT AN EARLY AGE. HE SINGLE-HANDEDLY TOOK THE TEAM FROM NOTHING BACK IN 1962, BECAME HEAD COACH, GENERAL MANAGER, AND TEAM OWNER FOR 33 YEARS. EVERY TIME THE KNICKS TAKE THE FIELD, THEY HONOR ED'S MEMORY AND THE FACT THAT WITHOUT HIM, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE A TEAM. WHILE HE NEVER PLAYED BASEBALL, HIS ABSOLUTE LOVE OF THE GAME WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

     ED HAD A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE NOVATO COMMUNITY, INCLUDING HIS ROLE AS NOVATO ADVANCE SPORTS EDITOR, AND PRESIDENT OF BABE RUTH BASEBALL, THE JOE DIMAGGIO LEAGUE, AND THE SACRAMENTO RURAL LEAGUE FOR MANY YEARS. THE NOVATO KNICKS' OLD HOME FIELD (THAT OF NOVATO HIGH SCHOOL) BEARS ED'S NAME. ED'S MOTHER MARIE IS ONE OF THE KNICKS' MOST LOYAL FANS!

     ANOTHER COMMUNITY LEADER, TOM GORDON, THEN SUPPORTED THE TEAM IN THE BACK OFFICE. TOM TOOK OVER GENERAL MANAGER DUTIES KEEPING THE KNICKS GOING DURING THE DIFFICULT YEARS FROM 1995-1998. IN 1998, TOM GORDON PASSED AWAY. HIS TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTIONS AS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT NOVATO HIGH SCHOOL, PRESIDENT OF NOVATO LITTLE LEAGUE, ASSISTED IN THE FOUNDING OF NOVATO'S SENIOR LEAGUE AND WAS A LEADER OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION. NOVATO HIGH'S GYMNASIUM WAS RENAMED TO HONOR TOM AND HIS LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY OF NOVATO AND WE WILL NEVER FORGET HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS ORGANIZATION.

     SINCE 1998, THE TEAM HAS BEEN ENTIRELY OPERATED BY FORMER PLAYERS

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