Hail Caesar! Placer to induct former hoop and hardball great

Walking onto the Placer High School campus as a freshman was an eye-opening experience for Alton Caesar (Class of 1972). Having come from a small grammar school in the mountain community of Foresthill, he was surprised by the Auburn school's beauty and the opportunity to meet new people. Little did he know that he would leave a lasting impression on the athletic department at the school. For his prowess on the basketball court, the baseball diamond and the cinder track, he will be inducted into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame April 25 in a ceremony in the Earl Crabbe Gym. Caesar was the leading scorer on Tom Barry's 1972 basketball squad that had a 26-3 record and is considered the best team in school history. He was also known for his defensive prowess and earned the assignment to guard the most athletic opposing player, whether it was a 5-foot-10 guard or a 6-5 center. Practice was hard, he remembers, but it paid off. "We had a perfect combination of guys on the team," Caesar said. "The personalities fit, and we all got along." Caesar paid tribute to his former coach, saying, "Coach Barry was ahead of his time as a high school coach. We did lots of college-level plays, changing the defense of the fly." He liked that Barry let the players call their own defense. "We'd call out a color to change the defense from zone to man-to-man, which really confused our opponents," Caesar said. Barry's coaching style influenced Caesar's coaching style as well. "He had a great work ethic, but he taught us more than just basketball," Caesar said. "He'd call players aside and talk to us, not just basketball, but how to treat people, how to treat our parents, our girlfriends. I try to do the same in my coaching. I want to be there for my athletes the way Coach Barry was for us." In the spring, he played center field and batted third in the order for Coach Fred Moeller's baseball team. That team was equally talented. "The big challenge for Coach Moeller was how to use the great talent we had," Caesar said. Caesar batted .340 as a junior and .366 as a senior, leading the Hillmen in home runs and doubles. He was named the MVP of the year-end Sierra Foothill League tournament where he batted .400 with two home runs to lead the Hillmen to the tournament title. In his junior year, Caesar was encouraged by track coach Terry Moss to run track. "I told him I was playing baseball," Caesar said. But Moss told him that he could practice during his fifth period P.E. class and just compete in the meets. Caesar used his P.E. time to get used to the sprinter blocks and practice hand-offs with the 440-yard relay team that set a school record that lasted for 20 years. He also ran the 100-yard dash and high-jumped 6 feet to win the SFL league meet. Getting home to Foresthill after night games and practices was a challenge. There was no activity bus after school hours. So he walked to the train overpass on Highway 49 heading down into the canyon and hitchhiked rides to Foresthill. One night, Barry held an intensive practice. "He had a deal that the team would run a set of lines for each free throw the team missed in the previous game. One game we missed 13 free throws. Nobody thought he'd make us run 13 lines, but he did. It was a long, exhausting walk to my hitchhike spot at the overpass." After graduating, Caesar attended Sierra College, where he averaged 22 points per game for the basketball team. He continued his exploits on the diamond, being named All-Conference shortstop twice and leading the team with seven home runs. Major League scouts had him on their radar. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles twice and by the Pittsburgh Pirates. But Cal Berkeley offered him an athletic scholarship. "I passed on the draft," Caesar said. "After comparing the bonus to the cost of a full scholarship to Cal, college was a better deal." At Cal, he played shortstop and outfield, batted .335 his junior year and .320 as a senior, the same year he set the single-season record with 46 stolen bases. He continued in baseball after Cal, playing pro ball in Italy and on a Sacramento area Senior League squad against teams from all over the country. He coached American Legion baseball, spent six years as head JV coach at Placer and currently is an assistant varsity baseball coach for the Hillmen. He recently retired after 26 years at PCWA. Caesar has been married to his wife Monalisa for 36 years. They have one son, Marcus, and two granddaughters. The Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony will be held in the Earl Crabbe Gym April 25. A meet-and-greet reception will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the 7 p.m. induction ceremony, which is free to the public. Tickets for the reception cost $25 until April 11 and $35 after and are available online at the AHOF website, placerathletichalloffame.org or directly at placerathletichof.brownpapertickets.com. Phone orders may be placed by calling 800-838-3006.