Pacific Coast League - Since 1903

Player Renames History

1903

Clarence Heffernen to Spider Baum

Late in 1903, Los Angeles signed a skinny (6’1”, 165 pounds) 21-year-old right-hander from San Francisco who was to leave a big imprint on Pacific Coast League history. He was Charles Adrian (Spider) Baum, who had pitched two games for San Francisco in the 1902 California League. He went 1-2 in three complete game starts for the Angels, then won 24 games in each of the next two seasons. He pitched for Altoona (Tri-State) in 1906-07 and was sold to the Phillies, but refused to report because he was getting married and wanted to go back home. Baum pitched for Fresno in the outlaw California State League in 1908, then moved to the PCL for a 12-year stay. He signed with Sacramento and was with the Senators until 1912. Sacramento owner Charley Graham traded him to Vernon because, as John Spalding reports in his book “Pacific Coast League Stars,” that “Graham became concerned about Baum’s interests off the field. Graham had seen other players become too absorbed with running a business during the season and he feared that a Sacramento cigar store might have the same effect on his pitcher.” Baum was traded to San Francisco after the 1913 season and it was there he enjoyed his greatest success. In 1915, Spider went 30-15, 2.45 in helping lead the Seals to the PCL pennant. His last year as an active player was 1920 with Salt Lake. Baum had a 262-236, 2.76 record in the Pacific Coast League, the second highest win total in league history. He also holds the league record for losses. In his pro career, he won 325 and lost 280, ranking ninth among all minor league pitchers in total victories. Spider, as Spalding says, “deceived batters with his curve and spitball. He had superb control, striking out nearly twice as many batters as he walked.” Baum also was an outstanding fielder. He set the PCL record for the most assists in a season (195) and a career (1,308), most chances accepted, career (1,531) and most putouts in a game (6). After his playing days ended, Spider moved into the front office.

Anthony Hillier to Ox Eckhardt

One of the greatest hitters in minor league history, Ox Eckhardt made the most of his six-year stint in the PCL. Born in 1901 in rural Texas, Eckhardt played briefly for Austin in the Texas Association in 1925 before really getting his pro career underway in 1928 with Wichita and Amarillo in the Western League (where he hit .376). He entered the PCL with Seattle in 1929, batting .354 and a league-leading 17 triples for the Indians that year. He went back to the Lone Star State in 1930, topping the Txas League with a .379 average for Beaumont. Eckhardt then played the next five season for the PCL's Mission Reds, leading the league in hitting four times while never dropping below .a 369 average. His 315 base hits for Mission in 1933 is a record that will never be broken. He also stroked 56 doubles that year and drove in 143 runs.

Kevin Lambert to Frank Brazill

Third baseman and feared slugger Frank Brazill spent seven seasons in the league.  He began his PCL career in Portland, where he played from 1922-1924 before joining Seattle in 1925. While 1925 was the only season he spent in Seattle, he posted what is thought to be the best single-season hitting performance in the city's history when he put up a .395 average, 29 home runs, 67 doubles and 155 RBI. He then went on to play in Los Angeles from 1926-1927 and finished his tenure playing with the Mission Reds in 1928. Brazill slugged for a .342 career batting average with 1,320 total hits, including 267 doubles, 145 homers and 682 runs batted in.

1904

James Young to Cack Henley

Pitcher Cack Henley won 218 games in 11 seasons in the Pacific Coast League. He also pitched 277 complete games and 53 shutouts, and struck out 1,603 batters in the PCL. Henley pitched the longest game in PCL history, winning in 24 innings 1-0 over Jimmy Wiggs in 1909.

Adam McClure to Frank Shellenback

Shellenback holds the record for most wins in the Pacific Coast League, as well as the record for most wins in any single minor league, with 295. His career minor league record was 315-192. Shellenback was effectively trapped in the minor leagues because he depended on the spitball. He didn't make the list of legal spitballers in the majors because he was in the minor leagues at the time, but he did make the list for the PCL. That effectively trapped him in the PCL because he couldn't use his best pitch in any other league.

After his career, Shellenback was a long time pitching coach for Leo Durocher. Shellenback was the supervisor of minor league personnel for the New York and San Francisco Giants from 1956 to 1959, then scouted for the Giants from 1960 to 1969. 

1905

Donald Blakeman to Dario Lodigiani

Lodigiani enjoyed a 17-year baseball career (1935-1954), playing parts of six seasons in the majors (1938-42, 1946) and 14 in the minor leagues (1935-40; 1947-54), losing three years while serving in military (1943-45). He played second base for Lowell High School (San Francisco), as his double play partner was shortstop Joe DiMaggio. In 1935, he graduated from Galileo High School (SF), where he was an All-Star in the baseball, basketball and football teams. At age 19, Lodigiani started his professional career with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League (1935-37) and later joined the Williamsport Grays of the Eastern League (1938). He entered the majors in 1938 with the Philadelphia Athletics, playing for them until 1940 in one game before joining the Toronto Maple Leafs of the international League (1940). He returned to major league action with the Chicago White Sox (1941-42), and later served in the US Army Air Force during World War II (1943-45). After discharge, he rejoined the ChiSox in 1946, his last major league season. In his rookie season with Philadelphia, Lodigiani posted a .280 batting average with six home runs and 44 RBI in 93 games. The next year he recorded career-highs in games (121), hits (102), runs (46), doubles (22), and matched his numbers in home runs and RBI while hitting .260. In a six-season career, Lodigiani was a .260 hitter (355-for-1364) with 16 home runs and 156 RBI in 405 games, including 142 runs, 71 doubles, seven triples, 12 stolen bases, and a .338 on-base percentage. A disciplinated hitter, he posted a solid 1.64 walk-to-strikeout ratio (141-to-86). On the field, he appeared in 275 games as a third baseman and 115 at second. He had an overall total of .948 fielding percentage (82 errors in 1582 chances). Lodigiani returned to the International League with the Oakland Oaks (1947-49) and San Francisco Seals (1949-51). After that, he played and managed in the Western International League for Yakima (1952-53), and played with the Ventura Oilers (1953) and Channel Cities Oilers (1954) of the California League. Over 14 minor league seasons, he hit a .301 average with 74 home runs and 589 RBI. His best minor league season was with the 1937 Oaks, when he hit .327 with 35 doubles, 18 home runs and 84 RBI. Following his playing career, Lodigiani scouted for the Chicago White Sox, discovering or signing players such as Dave Frost, Rusty Kuntz, Jack McDowell, Rich Morales and Ken Williams. He also coached for the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Athletics, and eventually gained induction to the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame in 2006.

Jonathan Mudd to Brick Eldred

Ross "Brick" Eldred played from 1916 to 1928 for Salt Lake, Sacramento, and primarily Seattle. He amassed a career .336 average and hit over .350 in three consecutive seasons while playing for Seattle. He was inducted into the PCL Hall of Fame in 2003.

John Williams to Henry "Polycarp" Pillete

Herman Polycarp Pillette (December 26, 1896–April 30, 1960), nicknamed "Old Folks", was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played four seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (1917) and Detroit Tigers (1922-1924). Born in St. Paul, Oregon, USA, Pillette was a 6'2", right-handed pitcher who pitched one inning for the Reds on July 30, 1917, giving up 4 hits and 2 earned runs, and did not play in another Major League game for five years thereafter. In 1922, the Tigers gave the 25-year old Pillette a second chance, ahd he came through with a 19-12 record in his first full season in the big leagues. In 1922, Pillette started 37 games, completed 18, threw 4 shutouts, and had a 2.85 ERA -- a full point below the league average ERA of 3.87 in 1922. Pillette's performance in 1922 ranked him 2nd in the American League in ERA (2.85), 6th in winning percentage (.613), 7th in wins (19), 2nd in shutouts (4), 2nd in hit batsmen (15), 4th in games started (37), and 9th in innings (274-2/3) and batters faced (1,183). One of Pillette's losses in 1922 came in a perfect game pitched by Charlie Robertson on April 30, 1922. Pillette took the 2-0 loss. Tigers batters Ty Cobb and Harry Heilmann complained that Robertson was doctoring the ball. After a brilliant rookie season, Pillette never reached the same level of performance. In 1923, his ERA rose to 3.85 -- up from 2.85 the prior year. And, instead of being among the win leaders, Pillette was tops in the American League with losses in 1923 with 19. Pillette saw limited action in 1924, starting only 3 games and finishing 1-1. He played in his final game on September 28, 1924.

1906

Frank Gotcher to Buzz Arlett

Russell Loris Arlett (January 3, 1899 - May 16, 1964), also known as Buzz Arlett, was an American baseball player sometimes called "the Babe Ruth of the minor leagues." Like Ruth, Arlett was a large man (6'4" and 230 pounds (104 kg)) who began his career as a pitcher before becoming his league's dominant home-run hitter.

Arlett began his professional career in 1918, joining his brother (Alexander "Pop" Arlett) on the staff of the Pacific Coast League's Oakland Oaks as a right-handed spitball pitcher. He won 99 games before becoming a full-time outfielder in 1923. As a batter, Arlett was the best slugger of the Pacific Coast League, often leading the league in batting statistics and setting several records.

In his 13 years in the PCL, Arlett set league records with 251 home runs and 1135 runs batted in. In 1929, his best season as a batter, Arlett hit 39 home runs, earned a .374 batting average and drove in 189 runs.

He played for the Oaks until the 1930 season.

In 1984, the Society for American Baseball Research voted Arlett the most outstanding player in the history of minor-league baseball.

Sean Talbert to Kewpie Dick Barrett

"Kewpie" Dick Barrett won more than 200 games for the Seattle Rainiers and was considered one of their most prominent players during their back-to-back-to-back championships.

Ryan Lugo to Buddy Ryan

Buddy Ryan was an Outfielder and Manager, playing for Portland in the early years of the PCL. In 1911, Ryan led the league in batting average (.333) and home runs (23). He was a member of Portland's back to back championship teams of 1910 and 1911 before being sign to a major league contract by the Cleveland Naps.

1907

James Tomlinson to Hal Turpin

Pitcher Hal Turpin won 203 games in 18 seasons in the Pacific Coast League. He also pitched 249 complete games and 29 shutouts in the PCL. Turpin led the Western League with 20 W in 1936, and the PCL with 23 W in 1939. Overall, he was 271-203 with 1254 SO and 807 BB in 4084 IP in the minors between 1927 and 1946.

Reggie Ralph to Jimmie Reese

Jimmie Reese was the adopted name of Hyam Soloman (birth name variously given as Herman Soloman, James Herman Soloman, and James Hymie Soloman), a professional baseball player. He played primarily second base, though he also played a few games at third base.

In order to avoid the brunt of prejudice against Jewish baseball players during that era, Soloman adopted the name of Jimmie Reese, which he used throughout his baseball career

Much of his career was spent in the Pacific Coast League, beginning as a batboy with the Los Angeles Angels 1919-23. In 1924 he signed a contract to play second base with the Oakland Oaks. In 1927, Reese batted .295 in 191 games and led the PCL in fielding for second basemen (.984), as the Oaks won their first pennant in 15 years. In September 1927 he was traded by Oakland to the New York Yankees for Lyn Lary and $100,000. He was called up to the American League in 1930. Reese played for the Yankees in 1930 and 1931, and was most noted for being the roommate of Babe Ruth (or, as Reese explained, he “roomed with Ruth’s suitcase”). In 1930 he batted .346 in 188 at bats, striking out only 8 times. Only Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth hit for higher averages on the team. He was the primary back-up at second base (48 games) behind Tony Lazzeri (77 games). In November 1931 he was sent by the Yankees to the St. Paul Saints (American Association), to complete an earlier deal made in June 1931 for Johnny Murphy, Jack Saltzgaver, cash, and 2 players to be named. Reese played the 1932 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, who had selected him off of waivers in June. The Los Angeles Angels (PCL) purchased Reese's contract from the Cardinals in February 1933. He hit .330 in 104 games, but missed a large part of the season because of injuries and illness. In 1934 he batted .311, with 12 triples, and led all second basemen in fielding percentage (.972).
The 1935 and 1936 seasons found him still with the Angels. In 1937 he was traded to the San Diego Padres, where he hit .314 and helped the Padres win the Governor's Cup.

1938 was his last year in the PCL.

Leonard Maldonado to Johnny Lindell

Johnny Lindell was a pitcher turned outfielder turned pitcher for 18 years (1936-1953), 12 in the Major Leagues (1941-1950;1953-54) and ten in the minors (1936-1941;1950-1952), losing ½ year to the Military.

Lindell was born on Wednesday, 30 August 1916, in Greeley, CO. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) for six months. He was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1936 by scout Bill Essick for a bonus of $150. He married Esther Kent 12 June 1938. He was 24 years old when he broke into the big leagues on 18 April 1941 with the Yankees. He entered the U.S. Army 8 June 1945 and was discharged 22 March 1946. He played his last game in MLB on 9 May 1954 at age 37 for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Lindell made the transition from a pitcher to an outfielder in the major leagues, then battled back to the majors again as a pitcher near the end of his career. After signing with the Yankees while at USC, he posted outstanding minor league pitching marks, including 23-4 at Newark in 1941. He was called up to the majors at the end of that season and spent 1942 on the Yankee staff. He threw a knuckleball and curve, but Yankee manager Joe McCarthy did not believe he had a major league fastball and switched him to the outfield in 1943. In his best season, 1944, he hit .300 with 18 home runs and 103 RBI. After WWII ended, he was used mostly as a reserve. All told, he played on three pennant winners (1943, '47, '49).

Sold to the Cardinals in May 1950, he managed only a .186 batting average. At the end of the season, he was sold again, this time to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), where manager Fred Haney put him back on the pitching mound. In 1952 he posted a 24-9 pitching record, batted fourth, and occasionally played the outfield. He was easily the league MVP. At age thirty-six he returned to the majors, pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies in 1953 for a combined 6-17 mark. He had trouble putting his knuckleball over (his 139 bases on balls led the league) and hitters sat on his fastball. (BC)

He played for Joplin in the Western Association (1936); Binghamton in the New York-Pennsylvania League (1937); Newark in the International League (1938); the Oakland Oaks in the PCL (1938), the Kansas City Blues in the American Association (1939-1940); Newark in 1941; the Yankees (1941-1950); Cardinals (1950); Columbus in the American Association (1950); the Hollywood Stars in the PCL (1950-1952); the Pirates (1953) and the Phillies (1953-1954)

1908

Keith Brownfield to Ray Prim

Prim made his major league debut on September 24, 1933 against the Philadelphia Athletics. Prim faced Mickey Cochrane and Jimmie Foxx to start his major league career. He promptly struck out the two future Baseball Hall of Fame members. After two games, Prim underwent surgery on his foot and missed the rest of the year. Over the next few years, Prim spent time with Albany, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minneapolis Millers. In 1936, the Millers sold Prim to the Los Angeles Angels of the PCL. Prim pitched just one inning for the Millers.

Prim spent the next six years with the Angels. In 1936, he won 16 games and lost just nine. Because he was 30-years-old at the time, Prim received the nickname 'Pop' from his teammates.

By 1943, the United States was deeply involved in World War II and many major league players were drafted in the United States Army. As a result, Prim had the opportunity to play at the major league level for a second time.

After 1943, he returned to the Angels for the 1944 season. A year later, he returned to the Cubs. Prim helped the Cubs to make the 1945 World Series with a 13-8 record, an ERA of 2.40 and two shutouts. His earned run average was the lowest in the National League that year. During the World Series versus the Detroit Tigers, Prim pitched in two games. He lost his only decision. Prim pitched for the Cubs in 1946, it was his last season in the majors.

Prim's last year in professional baseball was 1947. At the age of 41, he helped the Angels win another. Because of his outstanding performance while with the Angels, Prim joined the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame in 2005.

Robert Rauch to Cap Dillon

Frank "Cap" Dillon was a manager and player for the Los Angeles Angels from 1903 through 1915.

Record as manager: Los Angeles, 1903-1915 1,311-1,154 (.532); Record as a player: Los Angeles, 1903, 1905-1915 - 1,555 G, .285 AVG, 233 2B, 60 3B, 17 HR, 266 SB

1909

Rodney McCombs to Roy Hitt

Hitt began his career in 1903 with Oakland, pitching a scant 15 innings late in the season with a 2.93 ERA.

1904 saw Hitt in two uniforms, with Los Angeles and San Francisco for very brief appearances in a total of 9.3 innings of work with an orbital 8.68 ERA.

San Francisco stuck with Hitt, who made the club in 1905. Their faith was rewarded as Hitt's 25-14 record came off of 42 games and 346 innings pitched. He served up only 69 earned runs and 218 Ks with a smoking 1.79 ERA.

1906 saw Hitt's record with the Seals rise to 31-12 in 403 innings of work with 85 earned runs, 220 Ks and a blistering 1.90 ERA. His 31 wins would be a career high.

Following that great 1906 season, in 1907, at age 20, Hitt was called up to the majors. He played for Cincinnati, where he had a less than spectacular 6-10 season with a .375 win percentage and a 3.40 ERA.

Hitt returned to the PCL in 1909 playing with Vernon. It was a tough year. Vernon did not have the kind of clubs that San Francisco produced. Hitt had little backing him up. He ended the year with a disappointing 15-30 record in 48 games despite a near-career high 194 Ks and a respectable 2.38 ERA.

The following year saw a better ballclub and Hitt return to his old form. He went 26-17 with his second straight year of Ks over the century mark at 105, and an ERA dropping to a career best 1.68.

Hitt stayed with Vernon until 1912. He was traded to Venice in 1913, where he continued to win more than twenty games. By the end of 1914, Rhino had charged his way though five straight 20 game-winning seasons.

In 1915, Hitt was traded back to Vernon. Wear and tear slowed down the hard-throwing hurler. A 15-11 record saw the first season where Hitt threw less than 100 Ks in ten years. His ERA rose to 2.51.

The final season of the Rhino came in 1916, some thirteen years after his brief debut with Oakland. He appeared in only four games before hanging it up.

Over his career, Hitt pitched 3,117.7 innings with over 1,448 Ks, only 908 BBs and 785 earned runs and a 202-146 record.

Walter Carter to Bert Ellison

Before joining the PCL, Babe Ellison was Ty Cobb’s teammate with the Detroit Tigers from 1916-20, hitting a career .216 with 1 homer and 39 RBI in 135 games. His .261 in 1918 was an MLB best for him. His defensive skills and team play kept him with Detroit until 1920, when he was cut by the club. Ellison wasn't ready to hang it up, though, and headed west, signing with the San Francisco Seals.

He played with 'Frisco from 1921 to 1927, and held the title of player/manager for the 1923-26 seasons.

Ellison led the Seals to two PCL championships. He was 322-250 as a manager, and his 1925 team is ranked by MiLB.com as the tenth greatest of all time. The Seals finished 128-71 and had four 20-game winners and 10 players who made the league’s first- or second-team All-Star squads. Ellison hit .325 with 22 homers and 160 RBI that year.
Ellison established PCL records with five (5) homers in two games, eight (8) homers in three games, ten (10) homers in a seven-game series and most hits in a seven-game series, going 25-for-37. He held a career batting average of .327.

His greatest season was 1924, when he hit .381 with 33 homers and 188 RBI in 201 games – an amazing 805 at-bats. All of his games were at first base that season.

Michael Purvis to Hardrock Lane

Lane was a long-time owner of the Salt Lake, Hollywood, San Diego Padre franchise, and PCL Vice President and power broker. Lane claimed to have been miner, explorer and Indian fighter before turning to baseball ownership, first as a partner with the Butte franchise. Lane picked up the nickname of "Hardrock" because of his early career as a miner, and because of his brusque personality and gravelly voice. In 1915, when the first Missions franchise was sold to Salt Lake City interests, Lane took a small stake in the venture. After the league suspended operations in July, 1918, for the duration of World War One, Lane bought up controlling interest in the club for a song. From 1919 through 1925, he ran one of the most exciting franchise in Coast League history. When interest in baseball waned in Salt Lake City, he moved his club to Los Angeles, where he founded the first Hollywood Stars ball club. After yearly disputes with Angel owner P. K. Wrigley over rental fees at Wrigley Field, he moved his club to San Diego, where the San Diego Padres flourished. Under his guidance his clubs discovered and developed such players as Tony Lazzeri, Lefty O'Doul, Earl Sheely, Johnny Frederick, Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, and many others.

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