CGB Hall of Fame: (6) Bob Melvin vs. (11) Sean Lampley

(6) Bob Melvin

Before being known as the manager of the Oakland A’s or a 10 year vet in the Big Leagues, Bob Melvin started in Berkeley in 1980. Overcoming being born in the city of Palo Alto, Melvin was a young catcher on a Cal squad that went to the College World Series and finished 3rd in the country (the best season since the Bears were the College World Series champ in 1957).

Like the rest of the Cal Baseball alumni, Melvin was a part of the effort to raise money to save the program recently. He also recently spoke out to the donors about the recent upgrades to Evans Diamond which includes the lights that has transformed Evans Diamond into a field that is like a minor league ball park.

Here is a video of Bob Melvin talking about that remarkable 2011 Cal Baseball season that started from the team on the chopping block but ended in Omaha:

While there were probably stronger influences than former head coach Bob Milano in turning Bob Melvin into a Manager of the Year winning big league manager, us at CGB will no doubt continues to attribute the bulk of the credit to his one year in Berkeley.

(11) Sean Lampley

Cal Mens Basketball 1998-99. Highlights from NIT Championship Year (via DubOutfit)

For Lampley, as Ohio Bear, said, 4 years at Cal and a Pac-10 POTY. The second leading scorer in Cal history, whose career was mirrored almost to a key by the new scoring leader in Randle. He was balling in Melbourne, Australia, last I checked (well, before he spent much of this season with front row tickets at Haas nervously watching Jerome break his scoring record. He didn't seem too bummed about it though.). Also he and Dennis Gates were best buds.

Twist: It was so many years ago, I struggle to remember, but I feel reasonably confident that I attended the game where Lampley broke the Cal scoring record. I remember nothing about it. I just have this feeling. Man, I'm probably making it all up. But if I was there (I was, dammit!) I saw Cal beat WSU and march towards the first NCAA bid in many years.

It was a move that Sean Lampley had made a zillion times in his four years at Cal.

Receiving the ball on the right block, the senior forward spun around his defender and banked a quick shot from the edge of the lane.

But this basket was far from ordinary. With 10:03 left in the game and the noise-level at Haas Pavilion approaching unbearable, Lampley's bucket pushed his career-point total to 1,689-one more than Lamond Murray's 1,688-and gave Lampley the prestigious honor of being Cal's all-time leading scorer.

Yes, Sean Lampley, who would have a rough career in the NBA before going to the Australian Basketball Association. But at Cal, he's still the best. Note this from his Wikipedia page: Lampley ended his career as the only player in school history to rank in the top 10 in points (1,776, 1st), rebounds (889, 4th) and assists (295, 10th).