Don Buford Honored

The Rod Dedeuax Foundation’s 5th Annual Legends on the Link was held at the Rivera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. Several sports legends, entertainment celebrities, and business personalities came together for a day of golfing and giving.

Kurt Schuette, the Executive Director of the Dedeaux Foundation, and his team did an excellent job putting together a full day of golfing and an exquisite night of honoring some extraordinary legends at the Post Golf Dinner. Schuette states, ” One of my primary goals as the Executive Director is to continue elevating the Dedeaux family vision of this event becoming one of the most successful, prominent, and fun charity golf events in Southern California.”

This Rod Dedeaux Legends on the Link Golf Tournament was undoubtedly an outstanding event and one to be remembered. The Rivera Country Club is a beautiful course with a breathtaking view. The dinner was co-hosted by Billy Bush, a TV personality currently on Extra, and famed actor-comedian Anthony Anderson. Other well-known sports legends in attendance were Anthony Munoz, Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis, Gary Templeton, and Ken Landreux, to name a few.

Brian Kennedy was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding business work. He founded Regency Outdoor Advertisement and has been the driving force of the out-of-home advertisement industry for 60 years.

Major League Baseball legend Don Buford was honored by the Dedeaux Foundation for his work with the Educational Sport Institute (ESI). Don has been leading and working with kids in Compton and LA, teaching them baseball and life skills. ESI has done incredible work empowering underprivileged and at-risk students in the Compton and South Central Los Angeles communities. Don Buford has led a dedicated team of former pro baseball players and collegiate players to donate their time and talent to volunteer to teach all aspects of baseball and softball. ESI trains teachers, coaches, parents, sports leaders, and partner sports organizations.

Don Buford had a tremendous career as a baseball player. He was the first Black baseball player to play for USC and he played in three MLB World Series Championship games. He was a player, coach, and manager and contributed a lot to the sport of baseball. But the work he is doing today with the youth and ESI is incredible.

Rod Dedeaux, a renowned baseball coach from Southern California, established the Rod Dedeaux Foundation (RDF) to honor his legacy by funding scholarships, programs, and services for youth in underserved areas of Los Angeles. The foundation uses baseball as a platform to promote success beyond the game. RDF’s mission is to impact every player’s journey, from the dugout to the final out. The foundation collaborates with innovative beneficiaries to create equal opportunities for at-risk youth in our city, helping them excel on the baseball field, in the classroom, and in life. By embodying Rod’s passionate optimism for the communities he served, RDF is committed to transforming the narrative of baseball and softball in urban America.

Raoul “Rod” Dedeaux was a legendary coach for USC and the USA Olympic Baseball team, recognized as the Father of International Baseball and named the “Coach of the Century.” Rod thrived on the taste of victory on the baseball diamond. Still, his most enduring legacy lies in his ability to use baseball as a platform to make a positive, lifelong impact on the lives of thousands of young adults. He always focused on mentorship and guidance, which he demonstrated through tireless coaching. He promoted teamwork, sportsmanship, discipline, a sense of fair play, and the importance of having fun.

Dedeaux’s baseball career began as an All-City shortstop at Hollywood High from 1930 to 1931. He became a star shortstop at the University of Southern California, where he played from 1933 to 1935, serving as team captain and becoming one of the first major league players to emerge from the university. After graduation, he turned professional, gaining a solid reputation that led Casey Stengel to sign him to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1935, he played for the minor league team in Dayton and achieved an impressive batting average of .360. He was called up to the major leagues at the end of the season but only had four at-bats, resulting in one RBI. Heartbreak came soon after when he fractured a vertebra in his back, preventing him from playing in the majors again.

Rod transformed a tragedy into a triumph when he became the youngest head coach in college baseball history in 1942. By 1948, he had won the college baseball championship and turned the USC baseball program into a powerhouse. His teams achieved eleven national championships, including five consecutive titles from 1970 to 1974. Additionally, he coached the United States Olympic Baseball team during the demonstration sport events in 1964 and again in 1984. Later, he served as an assistant coach to his close friend, Tommy Lasorda, on the 1988 gold medal-winning team in Sydney, Australia.

The Legends on the Link Golf Tournament is a fundraising event organized by the Dedeaux Foundation, aimed at supporting youth in communities like Compton, where sports opportunities are often limited. With the help of generous supporters and sponsors, the foundation can provide annual scholarships and grants in collaboration with the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton. To date, they have awarded over $475,000 in scholarship funds to deserving students.

In addition to scholarships, the Dedeaux Foundation creates a nurturing, educational, and mentoring environment for over 1,500 participants through their annual weekend Youth Softball and Baseball Clinic, which includes coaching, training, and competition in partnership with the Educational Sports Institute (ESI). The foundation also supplies urban youth with valuable resources such as equipment, coaching support, and access to athletic facilities, enabling kids to participate in year-round baseball and softball leagues.