Happy 100th Birthday, Coach Hattie

CHATSWORTH, CA — Generations of baseball players and community members celebrated Chatsworth High School coach Chuck Hatfield's 100th birthday Wednesday and shared stories of his long tenure.

Hatfield joined the Chatsworth High School baseball team in 1993, when he was 72 years old, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Well over 50 community members showed up Wednesday to celebrate, including many who flew in from out of state for Wednesday's event.

Los Angeles Councilmember John Lee, whose district includes Chatsworth, wasn't present but delivered a certificate to Hatfield to mark the occasion, and the community officially retired his jersey — something Hatfield said was totally unnecessary.

But Hatfield's influence on the community goes far beyond baseball. When community members aren't calling him "Coach Hattie," they call him grandpa, Gary Rennpferd said. Rennpferd coached alongside Hatfield at Chatsworth High and talks to Hatfield every morning.

"He's loved by everybody. There's kids [here] who he coached way back from Sylmar to Chatsworth, ex-coaches. ... He was their sounding board," Rennpferd said. "He's a grandfather to everybody."

Hatfield served in the Navy during World War II and was called back to duty for the Korean War, Mary Ann Brown said. He retired from the General Motors plant in Van Nuys before he started coaching at the American Legion in Sylmar. He coached in Sylmar for 17 years before he joined Chatsworth High School.

Attendees at Wednesday's event were equally excited to catch up with each other as Hatfield. Hatfield laughed and recounted stories with his former players, co-workers and friends as they came up to give him a hug and snap a picture.

Many attendees told stories of Hatfield's generosity. He always brought gum to pass out to the players, sent the team food on his own dime and was always the students' voice.

Attendees enjoyed tacos from the Tacos Mi Amor food truck, which co-sponsored the event with Mo's Joyful Gumbo.

"He's so humble; he never wants attention. He's a very kind man, and he lacks judgment: He doesn't judge," Brown said. Hatfield coached Brown's husband, Bill, when he was 9 years old. "He genuinely loves the kids, and he wants to make sure they do well. He [always teaches them,] 'Do good with your life.'"

Since Hatfield was never married and didn't have children, Brown and her husband adopted Hatfield as their father as he started getting older and needed help, she said.

Brown was excited finally to meet the people who have stepped in to help Hatfield now that she and her husband have returned to Minnesota, she said. People introduced themselves to Brown by the days they normally keep Hatfield company and help him with any medical needs. She pointed people out, referring to them with titles like "the Sunday morning guys" or "Monday morning."

"So many of these people that I'm meeting for the first time, I've known their names for years but I've never met them. I know some of them are Monday morning, some of them are Sunday morning breakfast ... They all meet every Sunday," Brown said, amazed.

Susan Goldarreh met Hatfield teaching at Chatsworth High School. When she and Hatfield began carpooling, she realized they were neighbors. She and her daughter, Anita Goldarreh, started taking Hatfield out for pancakes and to Costco to grab whatever he needed.

Susan and Anita Goldarreh, who is also studying to be a teacher, made custom shirts for Hatfield's birthday celebration with an inside joke written across the front.

"I'm so thankful that he calls us family. We love him," Susan Goldarreh said.

Hatfield said he felt lucky to be at the center of such a community. He found it ironic they were throwing him a party: He felt they were the ones to celebrate.

"They're throwing me a 100th birthday party, but they're the reason I'm still [around]," Hatfield said.