A few stray almond blossoms have yet to float to earth as spring officially arrived on Thursday.

That means 80 degrees weather is next.

And that’s what National Weather Service is forecasting for at least one day before the end of March — next Tuesday with a high possible of 82 – followed by  a stretch of eight days of potential rain starting March 28.

Speaking of spring, how about testing your “boys of spring” baseball trivia, the Manteca edition?

Here are a few quick baseball questions:

*1) Who was Manteca’s first major league baseball player?

*2) Since, this is San Joaquin County’s 175th anniversary, who is the most famous baseball player ever to come out of the county?

*3) Where was Manteca’s first baseball field?

*4) How did Manteca’s first Little League fields get built?

Here are the answers:

*Milo Candini was the first professional baseball player out of Manteca.

With 21 strikeouts in one game, he was a Manteca High pitching sensation.

He was so impressive the New York Yankees signed him during his senior year as a Buffalo pitcher.

He actually made his Major League debut May 1, 1943 for the Washington Senators after the Yankees traded Candini from their farm system.

His last Majors game was Aug. 15, 1951 with the Philadelphia Phillies. That was after skipping the 1945 season to serve in the Army.

He pitched to all-time baseball legend Lou Gehrig, hit a home run to the deepest reaches of Monument Valley at Yankee Stadium, and guarded President Harry Truman on opening day in 1949.

Candini played for the now famous 1950 Philadelphia Whiz Kids. Altogether he played eight years in the majors and 13 years in the minor leagues finishing out his pro career in the Pacific Coast League for the Sacramento Solons.

His major league record was fairly impressive: 26 wins, 21 losses; a .533 winning percentage; 37 starts, 13 complete games, pitched a total of 537.2 innings, five shutouts; and win 12 games in relief with eight saves. 

He had 144 plate appearances with a respectable .243 batting average. As a fielder, Candini compiled a miniscule three errors for a .987 fielding average.

The 1935 Manteca High grad played football, basketball, and baseball all three years for the Buffalos.

Milo Candini Drive that runs in front of the Big League Dreams sports complex on Manteca is named in his honor.

*Aaron Judge, the current New York Yankees superstar, honed his baseball skills growing up in San Joaquin County.

He was raised in Linden where he was a multiple sport player for the Linden High Lions.

His prep career included non-league games against Manteca High and league games against Ripon High.

*Manteca’s first baseball field was where Library Park is today.

The town team took on opponents from Turlock, Stockton, Tracy, Escalon, Modesto, and Lodi.

Games were a big source of entertainment on Sundays complete with families packing picnics.

It came about in 1935 when Manteca had 1,700 residents as opposed to the current population of 94,000 and growing.

Perry was a postal clerk who eventually became a rural carrier.

But most people for years remembered him as “The Father of Manteca Baseball.”

The City of Manteca owned a large weed patch across Manteca Avenue from the two-story brick city hall built in 1924 adjacent to what was then the train depot.

There was no library. There was no Library Park.

The city had no plans on how to improve what was an eyesore at the time.

And they certainly had no funds to do anything with it.

This is where Perry entered the picture.

He believed Manteca needed a baseball park.

Perry pitched the  idea to the City Council.

He said he’d secure materials and volunteers that he’d coordinate to build a baseball field on the weed path.

The council was on board and even agreed to have the city supply the necessary water.

The rest was up to Perry.

Perry devoted his spare time, vacation time, and a significant amount of his own money.

He also obtained physical help from friends and others in the community that wanted to see more recreational opportunities.

Several PG&E employees donated time to place poles for night play.

When the field was done, it included bleachers big enough to hold 1,000 fans.

The park was christened with its first game in 1936.

It was Manteca’s community recreation destination for 26 years.

The baseball mural at Library Park is a representation of what Perry created.

*Manteca’s first Little League fields were built on the Lincoln School grounds on Powers Avenue.

It was thanks to the efforts of Al Nunes, an owner with his wife Carol of AC Trucking.

Shortly after joining Manteca Rotary in the 1960s, he led the area service clubs in a project to form the Manteca Little League setting up backstops for the players.

The first year of Little League play saw some 300 boys turn out with their mitts in hand. 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com