Ted Yoneda was born in Hawaii on the Big Island and came to Stockton in 1955 to attend University of the Pacific. At Pacific he played baseball with Dick Bass (Los Angeles Rams) and Tom Flores (Oakland Raiders).
In 1960 he was selected to participate on the Big Island, Hawaii to participate in the States’ All Star baseball team in the Japanese-American State Tournament. He was voted to the All-Tournament team and won the overall batting title.
During the 1970’s he coached, managed and played in the men’s fast pitch league for the Asahi Athletic Club. He was heavily involved in the Bobby Sox softball program and was the President of the North Stockton Bobby Sox League. In 1983 through 1995, Ted coached the St. Mary’s High School Girls’ softball team and was selected as Co-Coach of the year by the league.
Due to his success as a coach and involvement in softball, an annual softball tournament is held each year bearing his name, Ted Yoneda. In February 2008, Ted was inducted into the Greater San Joaquin Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame which covers San Joaquin, Amador, Calaveras, Merced, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties for his many years of coaching girls from the ages of 10 to 18 years of age.
Ted spent over 40 years coaching girls’ and women’s softball teams beginning in the early 1970’s. He was very much involved in the community and coached many coed teams from his church and the Japanese-American Citizens League for many years, organizing community events such as the “Japanese Heritage Night”.
Ted’s personal dedication and commitment certainly contributed to the softball program in the San Joaquin area and particularly to the youth of our community. Ted passed away at 91 years old in 2024. He will always be remembered for his commitment and dedication to the sport of softball and his involvement with the community.
