Lefteris ‘Lefty’ Lavrakas

Steve Virgen

Sometimes when he thinks of the past and becomes teary-eyed, he will

put his hands together, tilt his head upward and say a prayer of

thanks for life.

More than once, Lefteris Lavrakas has come dangerously close to

death. During his 31 years of service in the United States Navy, the

majority as a captain, the man they call, “Lefty,” battled fate

everyday. He saw many of his friends die in World War II. Such was

the life he chose when he entered the Naval Academy in 1939 and left

his dreams of baseball behind in Watertown, Mass.

Lavrakas, a Costa Mesa resident, was an all-state catcher at

Watertown High, just outside Boston. Baseball has always been a big

part of Lefty’s life.

“[In the 1920s] I fell in love with Major League Baseball,”

Lavrakas said. “I fell in love with it because the owner of the

Boston Braves, a fellow named Emil Fuchs, a team owner and a judge,

gave to the kids, 12 and under, the third-base pavilion, which was

7,000 seats. We could go everyday to a Major League game [for free],

sit in the third-base pavilion and see our beloved Major Leaguers

play.”

On one occasion, when the New York Giants came to town, Lavrakas

collected 15 autographs, including the signatures of Hall of Famers,

Mel Ott, Bill Terry and Carl Hubbell. Lavrakas, to say the least,

would never be the same.

He began to dream of playing in the majors. In high school, he

seemingly adjusted his life accordingly. He excelled in baseball, as

well as football, basketball and academics. He was the captain of the

baseball and basketball teams and quarterback of the football team.

He was also class president.

Baseball proved to be his favorite sport. As a catcher, he batted

.481 and earned all-state honors. Lavrakas grew up amid poverty, but

he said it was because of education and baseball, he surpassed a

rough lifestyle.

“I had the good fortune of having a wonderful education,” Lavrakas

said. “I was able to enjoy the benefits you get from outstanding

teachers.”

Lavrakas also said that had it not been for World War II, he most

likely would have made his best attempt to make the Major Leagues.

But he had to go to battle.

In 1947, five years after he left the Naval Academy, Lavrakas

became a captain. During those five years, he had learned a great

deal of the duties required for the Navy. He also saw plenty of

action and, in 1945, nearly died.

As the lieutenant assistant gunnery officer of the Aaron Ward,

Lavrakas saw all his men die at Okinawa during a battle when six

Kamikazes bombed the Aaron Ward and crashed into her. During the

mayhem, Lavrakas, bowed his head, thinking it would be his last

prayer. But he survived. The ship, amazingly, did not sink, but she

was later decommissioned and scrapped.

The surviving crew keeps in touch with each other and sees one

another at an annual reunion. There were several ships Lavrakas

fought on and many different people he met. Now, at 84, Lavrakas

remains thankful of his life.

“I could pick out maybe a half-dozen experiences where I thank the

Almighty for somehow sparing me, because I saw my share of people

killed and I could have been with them,” said Lavrakas, who was

honored in his town and in Massachusetts. Last year, the state

proclaimed June 17, Lefty Lavrakas Day in Massachusetts.

Throughout his experiences in the Navy, Lavrakas did his best to

keep baseball in his life, and also in the lives of Dutch children.

In 1969, Lavrakas helped 25 Dutch youngsters come to America and play

baseball in Yankee Stadium. They played a five-inning game before the

Yankees took the field.

Lavrakas, representing the American Embassy, wrote the baseball

commissioner to enable the children to come to America and play. The

25 young players also went to Cooperstown, stayed with American

families and played a game there. Then they went to Wellington, Kan.

and played in the Babe Ruth League tournament, the first time in the

history of international baseball a team competed in that event.

Before the Dutch children came to America, Lavrakas briefed them

and their parents.

“We’re going to America to play baseball,” said Lavrakas, who

speaks fluent Dutch.

Lavrakas also played baseball himself while in the Naval Academy

and he once competed against the Dutch Negental, an all-star team.

Lavrakas, who taught at Orange Coast College from 1970-75, remains an avid baseball fan. He said he was disappointed about the Alex

Rodriguez trade that sent the reigning American League MVP from Texas

to the New York Yankees.

However, Lavrakas still loves the game. Lavrakas lives in Costa

Mesa with his wife, Billye. They have four children and 11

grandchildren.