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1950 Pacific Coast League 1950 Pacific Coast League

Exciting baseball teams out West played a 200 game schedule in 1950

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In those days of the early 1950s, when they were just 16 major league teams, and none west of the Mississippi River, except for the Cardinals and Browns of St. Louis that bordered the west side of the River, the Pacific Coast League Triple A baseball teams were the big western baseball drawing cards. Because of the longer months of warmer weather the 8 teams played a 200 game schedule.

 

1950 Pacific Coast League Final Standings

 

Oakland Acorns or Oaks 118-82 ... San Diego Padres 114-86 – 4 GB … Hollywood Stars 104-96 – 14 GB … Portland Beavers 101-99 – 17 GB … San Francisco Seals 100-100 – 18 GB … Seattle Rainiers 96-104 – 22 GB … Los Angeles Angels 86-114 32 GB … Sacramento Seals 81-119 – 37 GB

 

Note: the information on this page comes from old magazines (including 1950s Who’s Who in Baseball) and from our administrator at baseballhistorian.com John R Balazs, plus old facts and media, and this and that from his family who moved to California in the late 1940s, Uncles and Cousins. 

 

Now Hear This!

The San Diego Padres were affiliated with the Cleveland Indians … the Hollywood Stars affiliated with the old Brooklyn Dodgers … The Los Angeles Angels were owned by William Wrigley, the owner of the Chicago Cubs … the Sacramento Solons by Charles Comiskey, the owner of the Chicago White Sox. The other four teams played with no big league affiliation. 

 

World War 2 News Updates – Most players in 1950 proudly served in the United States Military during World War 2 from 1940s thru 1945 and so many players were over 30 years old (55 of the 100 pitchers) and few baseball pitchers were under the age 25 because guys had to serve in the US Military during this time.  

Remember too, that major league baseball players in this time, made maybe $5 - $10 thousand dollars per year so after their big league playing days were over they played in the minors (or alternate leagues like the Pacific Coast League Triple-A).

 

80% of the position players either had played in majors or were future soon to be major leaguers. The pitchers had a different outcome since their arms tired after the burden of pitching  - maybe 60% or so continued to pitch.

 

1950 Pacific Coast Leading Players

 

www.baseballhistorian.com vast archives has significant baseball players autographs numbering close to 1,000s and has raised eyebrows with their vast newspaper clippings.

 

Don Padgett, Outfielder, Catcher and First Baseman 1950 Oakland Acorns/Oaks.

The 38 year-old, veteran led the Pacific Coast League AAA with a robust .348 batting average in 1950 to pace the PCL pennant winning Oakland Acorns to a 118-82 win/loss record. His clutch hitting included 12 doubles and 10 homers and 55 RBIs. Don Padgett, a former major leaguer, 1937-1941 and 1946-1948, missed 5 years due to World War 2. Nicknamed Red. He posted a .288 major league career batting average in 1,991 at bats all with National League teams, the St. Louis Cardinals 1937-41… Brooklyn Dodgers 1946, Boston Braves 1946 and the Phil Phillies 1947-48.   

 

Earl Rapp, Outfielder Bats LH, born in Corunna, Michigan USA on May 20, 1921. 1950 Oakland Acorns. One of the power hitters in Triple-A, he could be the Pacific Coast League’s main clean up hitter of 1950. He was 2nd in the league in batting with .347, lined a league leading 49 doubles, was 5th with 8 triples, and was 6th with 24 homers, scored 133 runs and was 2nd with 145 RBIs in 181 games. Earl Rapp played in the big leagues in 1949, 1951-1952 with 5 teams. 

 

Dario Lodigiani, Third Baseman and Second Baseman. Nicknamed Dino or Lodi. The former major leaguer was 34 years old while playing with the San Francisco Seals in 1950. A well-regarded team player, Dino Lodigiani excelled on defensive and was a fine batsman, and walked more times than he struck out. In 1950 for the Seals, he batted .300 with 25 doubles, 6 Hrs and scored 88 runs, and in 633 plate appearances struck out just 25 times, walking 68 times for a .391 on-base-pct. Dario Lodigiani was a starting infielder in his first major league season with the owner/manage Connie Mack and his Philadelphia Athletics in 1938 and 1939. As a rookie he batted .280 in 93 games, 80 of then at 2nd base. He played with ChiSox in 1941-42 then served in US Military during World War 2, rejoined the White Sox in 1946. Note: in 1,364 MLB at bats he struck out only 86 times… Wow!

 

Brooks Holder, Outfielder and Second Baseman Left-handed, born on November 2, 1914. 1950 San Francisco Seals.. In 1950 for the San Francisco Seals batting leadoff, Brooks Holder batted .295 with 26 doubles and 11 homers, scored 113 runs and had 77 RBIs, struck out only 38 times, was 2nd in the PCL with 121 walks, stole 2 bases. In 2004 he was voted into the Pacific Coast Hall of Fame. d Brooks Holder minor league career numbers include a .295 batting average, 417 doubles, 117 triples and 98 homers with 2,540 hits in 2.492 games. In 1935, the 21 year old stared playing in the Western League and his on-field talents quickly moved him to the Pacific Coast League were he played in late-1935 thru 1951.  

 

Joe Grace, Outfielder Bats LH T RH. Born in Gorham, Illinois USA on January 5, 1914. A proud US Military Veteran. In 1950 at age 36 he was still enjoying his tenure in baseball and was still one of the PCL AAA leading baseball player. In 1950 for the San Francisco Seals he hit .335, the 5th highest in the league, blasted 22 doubles and 13 homers, scored 92 Runs and had 93 RBIs in 165 games. A contact batsman, Joe Grace wasn’t fooled on many pitches by opposing pitchers. That season in 600 plate appearances he fanned just 40 times and walked 73 times. A former major leaguer with the old ST. Louis Browns, 1938-1941, he spent from 1942 thru 1945 in US Military during World War 2. Returned in 1946 then was traded to the old Washington Senators – played thru 1947.

 

Warren Hacker, Pitcher RH, 6 ft 1 inch, 185 lbs. 1951 Los Angeles Angels an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. 1952 Who’s Who reads Has been on and off the Cubs roster since 1948. His 6 W and 15 L record with LA last year (1951) is misreading. His losses were mostly due to bad breaks, He pitched a no-hitter, two 3-hitters, four 4-hitters, had 100 strikeouts, gave only 4 walks.

 

Leon Brinkoph, 3rd Baseman RH, Los Angeles Angels 1951. From Whos Who 1951, One of the most promising rookies of 1952. Last season, 1951, he hit .279, socked 25 homers, drove in 93 runs.

 

Bob Gillespie, Pitcher Right-handed. The former major leaguer was pitching for the Sacramento Seals in affiliation with the Chicago White Sox at age 30 in 1950. That season he compiled a 12-12 record with a solid 3.30 ERA in 28 starts, and fanned 102 in 210 innings, later in year Bob Gillespie was traded to the Boston Red Sox.

 

Bill Evans, Pitcher RH, 6 ft 2 inch, 185 pounds. 1951 Boston Red Sox Whos Who says, Pitcher from Sacramento Bees. Record in 1950 W 15 - L 22 ERA 3.44. The Bees worked him hard, 317 innings in 41 games. Wildness is his handicap – but at that he pitched in 24 complete games. www.baseballhistorian.conm notes Bill Evans pitched with White Sox in 1949 and came to Red Sox via trade. Pitched in 1951 with Boston.  

 

1950 Pacific Coast League Pitchers with 200 Innings or More

 

Bill Evans, Sacramento Solons 15-22 record with a 3.44 ERA in 317 IP

Chet Johnson, San Francisco Seals 20-13 record with a 3.51 ERA in 310 IP

Orval Grove, Sacramento Solons 17-20 record with a 3.32 ERA in 309 IP

Jim Wilson, Seattle Rainiers 24-11 record with a 2.95 ERA in 293 IP

 

George Zuverink, San Diego Padres 20-14 record, a 3.71 ERA in 279 IP

Al Lein, San Francisco Seals 20-13 record with a 4.11 ERA in 276 IP

Al Olsen, San Diego Padres 20-15 record with a 3.71 ERA in 272 IP

Cal McLish, Los Angeles Angels 20-11 record with a 3.60 ERA in 260 IP

 

Charles Red Embree, SD Padres 18-12 record with a 3.32 ERA in 255 IP

Max Surkont, Sacramento Seals 18-13 record with a 2.96 ERA in 255 IP

Bob Drilling, Portland Beavers 14-17 record with a 3.59 ERA in 253 IP

Ben Wade, Hollywood Stars 14-13 record with a 3.67 ERA in 248 IP

 

Bob Muncrief, Los Angeles Angels 15-17 record with a 3.84 ERA in 244 IP

Al Gettel, Oakland Oaks 23-7 record with a 3.62 ERA in 241 IP

Cliff Melton, San Francisco Seals 11-18 record a 5.10 ERA in 240 IP

Red Lynn, Portland Beavers 14-10 record with a 3.54 ERA in 239 IP

 

George Bamberger, Oakland Oaks 17-13 record a 4.23 ERA in 236 IP

Clyde Shoun, Oakland Acorns 16-10 record a 4.56 ERA in 233 IP 

Harry Feldman, San Francisco Seals 11-16 record a 4.38 ERA in 233 IP

Earl Harrist, Oakland Oaks 18-8 record with a 3.69 ERA in 229 IP

 

Ralph Hamner, LA Angels 13-16 record with a 3.80 ERA in 225 IP

Hal Skinny Brown, Seattle Rainiers 13-13 record a 4.66 ERA in 222IP

Hank Behrman, Oakland Oaks 17-13 record with a 4.23 ERA in 218 IP

Guy Fletcher, Seattle Rainiers 11-12 record with a 4.35 ERA in 217 IP

 

Roy Welmaker, San Diego Padres 16-10 record a 4.27 ERA in 213 IP

Bob Gillespie, Sacramento Seals 12-12 record a 3.30 ERA in 210 IP

 

Pacific Coast League Baseball Players from www.baseballhistorian.com Archives

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