Chris Smith: Former Montgomery High player rises on wings of coaches

Coach Mike is a nickname for Michael Manor, an Air Force colonel who in the 1980s played baseball and aspired at Montgomery High.

From Santa Rosa, Manor went to the Air Force Academy, where he spent a total of eight years playing on and coaching its baseball team.

As an Air Force officer, the ex-Monty Viking - Class of '89 - has been decorated, honored and promoted for work that includes having advised the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the use of space for satellite communications, navigation and other military purposes.

All these years, Col. Manor has kept in touch with former coach Mickey Rabinovitz, who taught and led junior varsity baseball at Montgomery for almost four decades. Rabinovitz sums up Mike Manor like this: “I never had anybody in all those years that had a work ethic like him.”

Rabinovitz's buddy and former brotherlike Montgomery coaching partner, Russ Peterich, said Manor “was that kid who was really determined to succeed. And he was definitely a team player.”

Rabinovitz and the USAF officer regularly catch up by phone. A few weeks ago, the colonel invited his former coach to come to Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc for an event he'd be part of. Rabinovitz went, not knowing what to expect.

He was blown away. It was a large, highly formal change-of-command ceremony. And Col. Manor was its star.

He was installed as new commander of Vandenberg's 614th Air and Space Operations Center, part of the Air Force Space Command. In his speech, Manor said though he is called Coach Mike, “I'm not the coach. That's the coach there.” And he pointed to Rabinovitz.

The colonel spoke of being beholden to his former JV coach and world history teacher for all that he gained from him in the classroom and on the diamond at Montgomery.

Rabinovitz was fairly overwhelmed by it all. Given what he'd sensed the hard-working Manor boy was capable of about 30 years ago, though, he wasn't at all surprised.

_____

ROYAL TREATMENT: Among the A-List guests at the Bohemian Grove Encampment near Monte Rio this past weekend were King of Spain Felipe VI and documentary filmmaker extraordinaire Ken Burns.

Burns came after a Stanford commencement speech wherein he urged the Class of 2016 to insist on heroes “and be one,” and also to read books, reject Trump, make babies and, quoting Arthur Miller, “believe that maybe you, too, could add something that would last and be beautiful.”

_____

VIEWS OF THE BOHOS and their annual retreat 'neath the redwoods cover the spectrum. But nobody disputes that the benefit stage show put on each year by some of the Grove's entertainers is a 105-year-old Sonoma County tradition you want to experience, at least once.

This year's Monte Rio Variety Show, preceded as always by a fabulous firefighters' barbecue, starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the town's amphitheater. Folks familiar with the space-staking drill will show up before 7 a.m. to place their lawn chairs.

Check out monterioshow.org for ticket details.

Last year's show allowed the distribution to Monte Rio School, St. Catherine's Church and Monte Rio Fire Protection District of more than $45,000. This year's goal: more.

Chris Smith is at 521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.