Laguna Beach's Skipper Honored With Life-Sized Bronze Statue

LAGUNA BEACH, CA —Laguna Beach baseball icon Skipper Carrillo has been immortalized in bronze thanks to a statue by local artist Randy Morgan. The sculpture, temporarily displayed at the Forest & Ocean Gallery in Laguna Beach, shows "Skipper" in his Laguna Beach High School baseball togs, hand outstretched for a "high five" and bears his trademark statement, "Have a home run day!"

All of this together honor a man whose life is dedicated to the local teams and the sport of baseball.

Carrillo, 80, still lives in his beloved Laguna Beach and has been an LBHS and local Little League baseball volunteer for over 50 years. According to the Los Angeles Times, to him, friends are "teammates," his house is the "ballpark," and "have a home run day!" is just a way of life.

Skipper Carrillo, whose given name is Tolly, has a reputation for selflessness, a book written about him has said. His sister, Alice Carrillo, told the Times that "her brother was born prematurely, weighing only 3 pounds, and didn't speak until he was 3-years-old.

"If it wouldn't have been for my dad, I wouldn't be involved in athletics, so I give (him), 'the coach,' a lot of credit," Carrillo said.

The idea for the statue, created in the bronze classic old world style, was to capture Carrillo's spirit. Morgan said he is "really satisfied" with the eyes and the "infectious smile." Much time and energy have gone into the project, after the initial idea in 2017.

While at first the artist planned for the statue to be placed at LBHS baseball field, which bear's Carrillo's name, that plan was scrubbed due to Coastal Commission Rules, the times said. Carrillo regularly attends the games and shares inspirational speeches with the LBHS baseball team, coach Jeff Sears told the Times.

"(Carrillo) is in our dugout," Sears said. "He's a part of us."

The plan is to ultimately place the sculpture on the corner of Glenneyre Street and Park Avenue, thanks to a donation by Gary Arthur outside of his Health in Balance Chiropractic office. A trust fund continues to fundraise for the statue and its maintenance. A

Meanwhile, you can see the figure at Forest & Ocean Gallery, located at 480 Ocean Avenue. At the unveiling, Carrillo said all of the attention made him feel like a "true MVP."

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