Youth coaches added to AE HOF

Three long-time youth coaches will be inducted into the Athletic Edge Hall of Fame.|

Three men who have spent decades helping Petaluma’s youth will be inducted into the Athletic Edge Hall of Fame in special ceremonies Saturday night.

To be honored by the baseball-oriented business that includes the Batting Cages and Fall Baseball are Charles “Chuck” McPherson, Mike Enochs and Dominic “Gordie” Wirtz.

The trio will be induced at a dinner to be held at the Petaluma Recreation Center at Lucchesi Park. In addition to the 6 p.m. dinner and induction ceremonies, there will be a live auction for a number of sports-related items.

Tickets are available at the Athletic Edge Batting Cages at 260 Water St. Suite F.

Dominic Wirtz

Wirtz already is a member of the Piner High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He was enshrined in 2006 after starring in football, basketball, baseball and track.

A former Sonoma County deputy sheriff, he worked for UPS from 1983 until 2005, retiring as the Northern California District security manager. He returned to work in 2012 and has been working for the Petaluma School District as a campus security supervisor since.

He has coached Little League baseball and youth football and has worked with the Casa Grande football and baseball programs. He assisted Bob Leslie and Paul Maytorena with the baseball programs.

Wirtz was very instrumental in the success of Maytorena’s teams. Working with the recently retired head coach since 1998, he helped the Gauchos win 11 league championships and six North Coast Section titles.

He is well-liked and respected not only by Casa Grande athletes, but by all the students at the high school. He was so respected by baseball coaches in the North Bay that they took the unusual step of choosing the retiring assistant coach as last spring’s North Bay League Coach of the Year.

Charles McPherson

McPherson is Mr. Little League Baseball in Petaluma. He has done it all for the Little Leaguers from coaching the Minis, to umpiring, to serving as board president.

He started coaching baseball in 1973 because his nephew’s team at the Petaluma Boys Club needed a coach. He hasn’t stopped.

Not only has he coached for 45 years, he has also served many years on the Board of Directors for the Petaluma American Little League, including as president.

In 2010, the Petaluma American Little League presented its first Chuck McPherson Award - to Chuck McPherson. The award is now presented annually in appreciation for service to youth and the American Little League.

His teams won many championships, and he coached several all-star teams, including a 10-year-old team that went all the way to the Northern California championship. McPherson not only taught his young players baseball, but valuable life lessons as well.

Mike Enochs

Enochs grew up playing baseball in Petaluma, starting with the Petaluma Boys Club and moving on to the Petaluma Valley, and, for Senior League, the Petaluma National leagues.

He began managing Little Leaguers where he had played, working with his son, MJ, in the Petaluma Valley Majors. When his son moved out of Little League, Enochs dropped down to manage his nephew in the mini and minor leagues. He returned to manage Major League teams in the Valley League in 2010, and his teams have won multiple Tournament of Champions titles. In 2011, he helped coach the Valley’s Major League All-Star team to second place in Northern California and he helped coached the 2015 team to the Northern California Tournament.

He is still active, managing a Little League Major League team and a spring league team through Athletic Edge while helping with a travel ball team.

In addition, he pitches batting practice for youth teams as well as for Casa Grande High School teams and individual youth players.

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