10 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 soccer fields in what is in 1934 survived, and they now Independence Park had three children. Max Do You near the end of Holmes starred in the movie The Street. Buddy remembered Prizefighter and the Lady. those early days: "We ran which debuted in Novem­ Remember? between 2,400-2,500 hogs ber 1933. Also a Holly­ at Twin Oaks. Max and I wood celebrity, Max Baer By Anne Homan would come into' town to Jr. acted the role of Jethro Livermore City Historian collect the garbage and Bodine on the Beverly Hill­ feed the pigs and then we'd billies for nine years. Max and Buddy Baer clean the pens. You could Buddy too became smell us before you could a heavyweight fighter, Max Baer Park was The day he won that cham­ see us coming." pionship. You couldn't known for his mild tem­ named for the Livermore At age 20 Max left the perament and size by the resident who won the get for a mile around this farm to train in Oakland at place here-the cars, the nickname "Gentle Giant." World's Heavyweight Jimmy Duffy's gym and He was 6 feet 6Y2 inches Boxing Championship by people, the Livermore had his first professional band-Frank Higuera, he tall and weighed 250 defeating Primo Camera fight on 16 May 1929. pounds; big brother Max on 14 June 1934. The led them and they came He won 22 of his first 24 up and the Eagles-they was only 6 feet 4 inches. Herald described that fights, nine with first­ Buddy started boxing evening: "Before fifty marched up and they had round knockouts. Although a parade up here. I've' professionally in 1934 just thousand berserk fans in cleared of criminal charges as Max hit the highlight the Long Island bowl, the never seen so many-you in the death of Frank ask me today who all was of his career, and althou~h lad who started his career Campbell after a Baer Buddy compiled a 48 on a Livermore hog ranch here, I couldn't have told knockout in 1930, Baer you.... You've never seen win-7 loss record, he never pounded the largest man in was much affected by the won a national title. Both fistiana's history to a help­ anything like it-they just circumstances. For several went wild!" Frances finally brothers were defeated by less, staggering hulk-so months he refused to fight, Joe Louis, and they later badly beaten that Referee went upstairs to put her and when he did return children to bed; when she joked that they had tried Arthur Donavan had to to the ring, for a while he to get a rematch with Joe, • stop the slaughter at the came down, she found that lost bouts because of his someone had rolled up all but the boxing commission end of the eleventh round." reluctance to be aggressive. wouldn't let them both in Baer's grand-nephew the rugs, and people were His older son, Max Baer dancing in her living room. the ring with him at the wrote: "Legend has it that Jr., objected to his father's same time. on the night Max won the Someone brought a keg of portrayal in the 2005 film Photo of Max Baer courtesy of Jacquie Williams-Courtright The Fraternal Order of heavyweight title, all of beer from town, and the Cinderella Man: "It is a party continued. Eagles named their heart Livermore descended on lie that my father boasted fund for Max after his early his sister Frances's house Baer lost his title the Jack Sher wrote in Sport his way through his career. Although he never fully about killing two fight­ death of a heart attack, ... and celebrated. Accord­ following year, but he magazine,"'How could ers in the ring. He cried continued boxing until his they keep me out,' he realized his potential, Baer and Buddy made count­ ing to family stories, the about what happened and less personal appearances celebration actually lasted retirement in 1941. During demanded. 'Why I started won the heavyweight title, and he entertained had nightmares over it. He as a singer around the two days until Frances World War II, both Max the damn thing, getting helped put Frankie Camp­ an America rocked by the country to raise money for [Santucci) shut off the and his younger brother, Hitler all riled up by beat­ bell's children through Depression. The Hall of the fund . After surviving a lights to her house and Buddy, also a boxer by ing Schmeling and then college." Fame record shows that heart attack in 1962, Buddy shooed away the celebrat­ then, entertained the sol­ getting Mussolini against With some of his early he won 72 bouts, with 53 felt an added incentive to ing townsfolk." diers with boxing exhibits us by what I did to poor winnings, Max bought his knockouts, and lost 12. continue his work for the Frances Baer Santucci and song and dance acts. old Primo!'" Baer was mother and father a com­ The Baer family moved Max Baer Heart Fund. He herself told of the event in Max couldn't pass the inducted into the Boxing fortable home in Oakland. to Livermore after Max appeared in 15 Hollywood . an interview for the Liver­ army physical because of Hall of Fame in 1995. Hav­ His marriage to a movie finished the eighth grade. films, including some with more Heritage Guild in old boxing injuries, but ing perhaps the most pow­ star ended in divorce, but In their teens, Max and Abbott and Costello. 1982: ''I'm telling you, it he objected so vocifer­ erful right hand in heavy­ his later marriage to wait­ ously and so publicly that weight history, Max Baer Buddy lived at Twin Oaks (Readers can reach me at was something that you' ve ress Mary Ellen Sullivan [email protected].) never seen in your life. he was allowed to join. wise-cracked and clowned Ranch, located near the .