A couple of weeks ago, an item in the weekly "Twice Told Tales" told of boxer Max Baer’s stopover in Tracy in 1934 while en route from his home base of Livermore to a personal appearance.

That brief item sparked some vivid memories of the heavyweight boxing champion for Tracyite Janet Greenhow. She’s not certain that Baer’s visit to Tracy mentioned in the item was the time she recalled, but it was about that same time.

“I was a preschooler at that time, and Max Baer came to visit my dad, who also had been a boxer and a resident of Livermore,” Janet recalled.

What she vividly remembers was the giant Baer lifting her on his shoulders and carrying her from downtown Tracy south to what is now the corner of Central Avenue and Schulte Road, where Fry Memorial Chapel is now.

“That’s where we had our home,” Janet said. “It was quite a thrill riding on the shoulders of such a big man — it’s something I’ll never forget.”

Max Baer won the world heavyweight boxing title in June 1934, when he knocked out Primo Canera at Long Island Stadium, New York. Baer lost his title a year later to James Braddock in a major upset, but he continued fighting until his retirement in 1941. His Boxing Hall of Fame record shows he had 84 bouts, winning 72 with 53 knockouts, while losing 12. One of the wins was over German Max Schmeling. One loss was to Joe Lewis.

His Boxing Hall of Fame citation notes, “Possessing perhaps the most-powerful fight hand in heavyweight history, Max Baer was a flashy performer who wise-cracked and clowned his way through his career.”

Max Baer’s brother, Buddy Baer — at 6-foot-6, taller by 2 inches than Max — also was a boxer. He was a heavyweight contender, but he won no title. Like his brother, he later became an actor in Hollywood.

The less-than-flattering portrayal of Max Baer in the 2005 movie “Cinderella Man” was denounced by his son, Max Baer Jr. Many may recall the son played Jethro in the television series “Beverly Hillbillies.”

‘Voice of the Bulldogs’

If the Greenhow name sounds familiar, it’s because Janet is the widow of the late Tommy Greenhow, who for several decades was “the voice of the Bulldogs.” Tommy, a veteran radio guy, provided play-by-play of Tracy High football games over a Stockton radio station during the Wayne Schneider era.

No one was more loyal to the Tracy High cause, and if he was called a “homer” for being overly partisan, Tommy cared less. He bled green and gold. For a time, his sidekick on the game broadcasts was another name closely connected with Bulldog football: Tracy High coach Mark Stroup.

In reporting that the 1968 Bulldog team was the last to remain undefeated for a season, several readers — and Tom Tillotson, Class of 1972, is first among them — pointed out that the 1971 team should be considered the best of them all. That team went undefeated until the final game of the season. Merced came to town ready to play, though, and edged out Tracy, 34-28, to provide a dismal ending to an otherwise glorious season.

Kelly Jones’ mom, Kathy Jones, pointed to the 1982 team, the first to win a section title by defeating a highly favored Cordova team, 14-12.

Also chipping in with a nod to the ’82 team was former Press sports editor Tom Mauldin. He remembers that emotion-charged night at Modesto Junior College stadium vividly, he said.

He also recalls the pregame comments by Sacramento television sportscaster Steve Somers about Tracy — “Wherever that is and whoever they are” — and Somers “eating crow” (a small chicken) at the Old Douglas Market afterwards.

Tom, who sold his weekly newspaper on the Oregon coast three years ago, now lives in the central Oregon city of Sisters, some 20 miles west of Bend. He coaches softball at Sisters High and conducts private softball-pitching lessons and college clinics.

I can add that I saw the Bulldogs play Friday night against Chavez of Stockton at Wayne Schneider Stadium. I needed only view the first quarter, which ended with the Bulldogs leading by an amazing 35-0 score. They are for real.

Not so real is the unanimous view of all six officials at last week’s West-Edison game that the last-second field goal, which would have won the game for West, was no good. Videos of the P.A.T. showed that the ball hit the upright and then bounced over. No question about it. (Skip to the 3-minute mark of the linked video to see the kick yourself.)

How all six could miss the call creates a good deal of suspicion that the guys in stripes are covering for one another.

• Sam Matthews, Tracy Press publisher emeritus, can be reached at 830-4234 or by e-mail at shm@tracypress.com.