Pictured L-R: The Salgado family & Al’s drawing, which includes Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth, Ken Griffey Jr., Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Nolan Ryan, Jose Cruz, Barry Bonds and Jackie Robinson

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Al Salgado is a talented, creative and versatile man.

The 1985 Edgewood High graduate went on to play baseball at Citrus College and then Arizona State.

When his playing days were over, Salgado came back to the San Gabriel Valley, got married, and he and his wife Pam had six children, now aged 15-28.

Each of the six competed for multiple programs at Glendora High School.

Brennen (28) played football his freshman year and then concentrated on baseball. He was part of a CIF title run for Dan Henley’s program.

Brennen went on to Cal Poly Pomona for four years, and then spent two more in an independent league for the Wichita Wingnuts.

Ashlyn is 26, and she played for the Tartans’ field hockey and soccer teams.

Cailynn, 21, competed in field hockey & cross country, Jordan, 20, played baseball & soccer, and 19-year old AJ starred on both the football and baseball teams.

The youngest of the crew, 15-year old Allie, is a freshman at GHS, and she’s involved with the volleyball and soccer programs.

Growing up, the Salgado 6 were a real-life Brady Bunch, as the three girls shared one room and the trio of boys had the other.

It had its challenges, but Al and Pam, who have been married for 29 years, have done a remarkable job, and their intelligent and well-mannered kids are a replica of their hard work and love.

When Al was a kid, his father, Al Senior, found a passion for taking photos at his sporting events, and while Mr. Salgado passed away in 2004, his pictures continue to mean so much to his son.

“I have so many photos that my dad took of special moments that I would have never remembered had he not been there and captured the shots,” Al said. “He loved doing that and I began to take an interest in photography.”

Another special trait that Al’s father taught him was to take pictures of everyone’s kids and not just your own.

Al Salgado is well known for his massive Saturday morning photo galleries from the football game the night before, and whether it’s football, baseball, basketball, wrestling, soccer, field hockey, softball or any other sport, he’s been there, and he’s shot it for the entire team and their families.

“I love to pick up moments in a game that maybe people couldn’t see from the stands and the picture kind of tells its own story. It means a lot to me to be able to make people happy through my lens.”

And it’s not just photography that Al has mastered, he’s also become a heck of an artist.

He sketches anything that comes to mind, and that is something he learned early on, because his father and uncles were skilled artists.

Salgado used to work for both Disney and Turner Feature Animation for a decade, but CGI has made his skills obsolete for what they now use in 2020.

But that doesn’t stop Al’s passion for his art.

And it also serves as a coping mechanism to alleviate life’s anxious moments, including these unprecedented times in the middle of a pandemic.

Whether it’s a portrait he’s sketched for a grieving family of their loved one, a favor to a parent or just someone who makes a difference in people’s lives, Salgado puts his entire heart and talent into each sketch.

He even drew a photo of longtime GHS maintenance man, Juan Carlos Monjaras, and had it delivered to him by the students. They had him called into the athletic director’s office and surprised him with the portrait. A photo of that event will be in the photo gallery.

His drawings have taken as little as one hour or as long as five or six.

“When I see an image that moves me, I get right to work on it. It’s what I do every day and it kind of puts me in a relaxed and meditative state. I’m able to present my perspective of life as an artist.”

As a glass half-full mentality, partly because he has a beautiful family and an incredible talent, Salgado has a different take on the limitations that COVID-19 has thrust upon all of us.

“Initially, the Coronavirus didn’t have much of an impact on me, because I didn’t have to do anything different than I was already doing. Obviously, the illnesses and death and all the jobs lost are terrible things, Not being able to do what you want to do is frustrating and it was sad to see high school seniors have their prep careers wiped out prematurely, but I tried to make the best of it, and it was really cool to see the positive that came out of this. It slowed us down and it made us look at ourselves and realize we’re just rushing around all the time. It made us slow down and brought an appreciation for each other. It’s like being reacquainted with your family. It shook everyone to realize there is more than what we were doing. It gave me an appreciation for what I have.”

Lastly, I asked Al how important his wife has been in raising such a big and loving family and what he’s most proud and appreciative of when it comes to their six children.

“I am most grateful that all six of our kids are healthy. They also get along so we can be here at home and all the kids can sit down at the table and play games together. When it comes to Pam, she’s just a prime example of someone who is genuine, that is unselfish and pure. She’s an honest and strong woman.”

Al Salgado still does private baseball instruction, but one of these days, if he ever wants to, he could make a solid living from drawing portraits by request.

Quotable:

Citrus College legend, Skip Claprood: “Al was a fierce competitor, student of the game, perfectionist and extremely detailed individual with a love for the process. He is a loving and caring father who really enjoys the successes and the trial and errors of each of his children. He’s the ideal family man. I didn’t realize he had the artistic skills until he was hired by Hanna Barbera cartoons. But really the traits listed should have alerted me. True story: Albert called me one evening and exclaimed, “Skip, I finally made it to the big leagues!” Of course I sarcastically replied, “you haven’t played in years.” He responded with, “not baseball, I’ve just been hired as a Disney animator.” He was correct, he had reached the major leagues of animation. Cinda and I have two drawings given to me from Albert hanging in our home. He is a true friend.”

Al’s son, Jordan Salgado: “In my eyes, my father is one of the most genius people I know, but I think the most profound quality he possess is his ability to teach, not only on the topics of athletics or art, but about life in general. He has taught me things about myself and my life that no one else could have taught me, and for that I’m truly thankful. I mean it’s pretty simple, without my father I wouldn’t be the athlete or the person I am. He is the best coach/support system an athlete could ever ask for. The abilities I have and the skills I have developed over the years are all because of him. The one thing I admire the most about my father is his resilience. I have never seen my father give up on anything, whether it be in sports or the art world or in life in general. He gives it his all until “the last out is made,” as he would say. And on top of his resilience, he also never lets us quit on ourselves when things get tough. He’s always there to pick us up and put us back on the right path.”

AJ Salgado, Al’s youngest son: “He is a great and supportive dad, who helps us with anything he can. He is always there to help us train and get better in our athletic careers. What I admire most about him is how he always tried to help and put his own tasks on hold for us.”