Bio

Inducted 2022

baseball

German Paez’s earliest memory of baseball came from a field in Mazatlán where his father pitched for an adult league.  Between hearing the crack of the bat, watching the ball soar into the air and interacting with his father’s teammates, he knew what he wanted to do with his life.  “The thrill of the game itself, that’s what drew me to it,” he said.

Paez, a shortstop for the Panthers from 1996 to 1998, now gives back to his alma mater as pool maintenance and equipment attendant for the athletics department. He also guides young athletes as a softball coach for Redlands East Valley High School.

Chuck Deagle, former head coach at Chaffey and a physical education teacher at Fontana High School, recruited Paez to play baseball at Chaffey.  He became a standout all-conference player with many fond memories from the field.

Paez remembers a 1998 game against Pasadena City College where he hit a home run in the fifth inning. The play was especially memorable because it came after a series of frustrating errors and it helped lead the team to victory.

Cal State San Bernardino gave him a full scholarship to play baseball for the Coyotes, but a knee injury sidelined his baseball career before his first season. He returned to Chaffey to focus on healing and decided to stay so he could support the next generation of baseball players and other athletes. He credits Chaffey with molding him into the person he is today.

“The support I received as a player and an employee and the friendships that I gathered have made me who I am,” he said.