The Pulse for the Week of August 4, 2026 | Rotary Club of Sacramento

It was a spirited, baseball themed meeting at the Rotary Club of Sacramento this week, as President Paul took the mound and led a packed house through a program celebrating America’s pastime, the power of story, and one of Sacramento’s greatest sports legends, Dusty Baker.

Thought of the Day

In her Thought of the Day, Megan Wygant reflected on why baseball is the most cherished of all American sports. Compared to other games, she noted, none can hold a torch to baseball’s storytelling, the journey around the bases a hero’s journey filled with tension between pitcher and batter and countless chances for humility, redemption, and late inning miracles. Quoting Yogi Berra, Megan closed, “Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.”

Pinch-hitting as sergeant-at-arms, Tom Bacon introduced 32 guests in the packed room, setting a lively tone for the rest of the program and making sure everyone felt like part of the home team.

Get to Know Your Network: What’s Behind the Badge?

Our “Know Your Rotarian Network” segment was like scouting our own roster. Elfrena Foord introduced Matt Page, owner of True Wave Wealth Planners, a locally owned financial planning and wealth management firm. Matt approaches his clients’ plans with the same diligence he applies to his own, reviewing every detail, watching every pitch, and sometimes uncovering enormous savings in the process.

Next up in the batting order was retired judge PP Brian Van Camp. After 16 years on the Superior Court bench, Judge Van Camp now hears cases as an arbitrator. He is widely described as knowledgeable, competent, and empathetic, having been named Judge of the Year and Outstanding Arbitrator. Like a trusted umpire behind the plate, PP Brian has spent his career calling balls and strikes with integrity and ensuring everyone gets a fair shot.

Club Announcements

Our club announcements kept the team focused on the bigger season ahead.

Sac Century – PE Jamie Furlong reminded members that our club’s Sac Century is coming up on October 10. We need everyone to sign up for a shift and help promote the ride by distributing flyers. (Think of it as our chance to hit a grand slam for our community.) Reach out to Jamie and get yourself into the lineup.
International Service Committee – Clayton Lee reminded the club of our important water projects. Beyond providing clean water to prevent illness and death, these projects are incredibly empowering to women and girls, who too often bear the burden of carrying water long distances for their families and villages. Clean water means safety, health, and opportunity.
Rotary After Dark – our August 18 meeting, rather than a luncheon, will be a postwork gathering at SacYard Community Tap House, 1725 33rd Street in Sacramento. Our own Rotary Roadies will be performing live during the evening.
Wine Sponsor – Interested in serving as Wine Sponsor for a club meeting? Sign up using the link below.
Rotary Wine Sponsor Sign-Up Form

Levels of Giving

Bajrang Moran donated in honor of leading a workshop for President Paul’s leadership team at Pacific Charter Institute. Tim Comstock made a donation in honor of both his wife and daughter joining him at Rotary, with a special shoutout to his daughter, who will be starting high school next week.

Featured Speaker

Judge Bill Shubb served as play-by-play announcer, introducing Sacramento and MLB legend Dusty Baker and sharing highlights from Dusty’s remarkable 18-year playing career with the Braves, Dodgers, A’s, and Giants, and Dusty’s managerial record that includes leading five different teams to the playoffs, three Manager of the Year awards, and a 2022 World Series title. Dusty’s newly published memoir, Crossroads: A Memoir of Baseball and Life, is just published. If as expected he is voted in this year, Dusty will become the first Black manager enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Dusty spoke candidly about having a speech impediment as a child and the middle school teacher who told him he could be anything he wanted if he worked hard. Dusty wrote a paper about playing in the big leagues and his friends snickered, but he kept believing. Early in his baseball career, he realized he was his own worst enemy, being far too hard on himself and learning to balance drive with self compassion. It was a reminder that even future All Stars have to learn how to step out of their own way.

He recalled his father coaching Little League; one of the kids on that team, Bobby Bonds, was three years older than Dusty. The Bonds family became close friends, and when Barry Bonds was born, Dusty was at the hospital to hold him, a moment that foreshadowed a lifelong connection. Dusty shared how his hero growing up, Tommy Davis, taught him character matters as much as talent in life.

Dusty described some of his toughest years in baseball: 1977, when his Dodgers lost to the Yankees in the World Series; and 2012, when, as manager of the Reds, he lost a playoff series to the Giants and then came home to Sacramento to see San Francisco flags everywhere, a hard pill to swallow for a fierce competitor.

At age 35, Dusty confronted the harsh, inevitable reality; he was not good enough to play anymore. Front office exec Al Rosen told Dusty he would make a good manager one day, but first he would have to assist as coach five years to “get the ballplayer out of him.” Five years later, Dusty got his first managing job with the Giants, joining newly acquired star Barry Bonds. In their first year together, the Giants jumped from 72 wins the previous season to 103 wins. Dusty would go on to lead several ballclubs deep into the playoffs, finally getting a World Series ring in 2022 after rebuilding a Houston team vilified for a 2017 cheating scandal.

Dusty wrapped up by recalling the honor of playing alongside Hank Aaron. When Dusty was drafted in 1967 by the Braves, in the midst of civil rights unrest and Vietnam War tensions, he did not want to go South and his mother was especially worried. Hank Aaron told Dusty’s mom he would protect Dusty and treat him like his own son. He did. Dusty was on deck when Hank hit his 715th home run in 1974 to break Babe Ruth’s record, a moment colored by death threats and police warnings not to play. Yet Hank stood in, hit the home run, and Dusty witnessed firsthand the courage it took to swing when the whole world was watching.

Now a successful winemaker, Dusty has lived a life marked by integrity, dignity, loyalty, and humility on and off the field. He remains a special advisor to the San Francisco Giants, which, according to this week’s Pulse reporter, remains the best franchise in baseball even if the stats do not always show it. As Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over,” a fitting closing for a luncheon that celebrated resilience, second chances, and the enduring magic of baseball.

Earlier in the meeting, President Paul thanked our greeters Matt Page, Josh Pelz, Jarrett Osborne-Revis, and Justino Santana, our friendly “starting lineup” at the doors. Christie Holderegger served as Pulse reporter, keeping the scorebook, and photographer John Swentowsky captured all the action. Our wine sponsors were Chik Brenneman and Mike Honsal, pouring Baker Family Wines in honor of our special guest.

Our next meeting is Tuesday, August 11, at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, featuring as guest speaker our District Governor Dave Veden.