Rainiers 1955 Mariners Magazine

7/31/2019 Rainiers 1955 Mariners Magazine

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MARINERS MAGAZINE 27

oered him a multi-year contract, orhad he been amendable to a series oone-year deals. He wasnt.

Knowing that, Hutchinsons child-hood riend and teammate, DeweySoriano, who had become the Rainiersgeneral manager, coaxed Hutchinsonto return to his roots and reinvigoratepublic passion in a ranchise that had

teetered onbankruptcy.

Hutchinsonsbreakout yearresulted in his beingnamed Minor LeaguePitcher o the Year byThe Sporting News. It also promptedone o the signifcant trades in Seattlesports history, when the Tigers paid

$50,000 or Hutchinson and sent theRainiers a nucleus o players whowould help Seattle win three consecu-tive Pacifc Coast League pennants(1939-41).

Seventeen years later, the euphoriao those memorable summers haddissipated. Hutchinson, meanwhile,had pitched in the Majors or 10 years,ought in World War II, and managedthe Detroit club or three. He wouldhave remained there had the Tigers

The Seattle Rainiers, the citysprincipal baseball inatuation or morethan a quarter o a century (1938-64),twice called upon native son FredHutchinson to come to the aid o theranchise in times o dire need.

The frst occurred in 1938 when a19-year-old Hutchinson, barely outo Franklin High, won 25 games andhelped save a club that a year earlier

The 1955 Seattle Rainiers,

guided by manager Fred

Hutchinson, captured

Pacifc Coast League

championship.

By Steve Rudman

Glory Year

Top to bottom: The 1955 PCL champion Rainiers in their

dugout at Sicks Stadium. Manager Fred Hutchinson, ar

let, middle row.

New Rainiers manager Fred Hutchinson (ront let), who

had starred with the club in 1938, addresses the Rainiers

on the rst day o spring training in 1955.

A ticket stub rom the Seattle Rainiers 1955 home opener

April 19 at Sicks Stadium.

The Rainiers moved into Sicks Stadium, located in the

Rainier Valley, in 1938 and played in the acility until its

demolition in 1979. (continued on page 28)


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28 MARINERS MAGAZINE

become beset by apathy.In many ways, what Hutchinson

accomplished with the 1955 Rainiersis more remarkable than his dazzlingdisplay in 1938.

Hutchinson frst had to gut Seattles1954 roster (the club had staggeredin fth) and rebuild it virtually romscratch. With Sorianos assistance,Hutchinson ocused on acquiringas many ormer Major Leaguersas possible players, defned byHutchinson, who understood how togive me nine good innings every day.

Former MLB notables imported byHutchinson and Soriano included 1B

Bill Glynn (Indians); RHP Lou Kretlow(Orioles); RHP Elmer Singleton(Cubs); RHP Larry Jansen, who in1951 had been the winning pitcher orthe Giants when Bobby Thomson hitthe Shot Heard Round the World;RHP Ewell Blackwell (Reds), who in1947 had nearly duplicated JohnnyVander Meers back-to-back no-nos;and INF Vern Stephens (Browns, RedSox), an eight-time MLB All-Star.

To these, Hutchinson added the

likes o OF Bobby Balcena, the frstnative o the Philippines to play proes-sionally in the United States. Blendinghis imports with such holdoversas catcher Ray Orteig, Hutchinsoncobbled together a roster that included42 players and 22 pitchers, 64 Rainiersin all. He even used local ast pitchsotball phenom Bobby Fesler in threegames.

The 55 Rainiers had no superstars,

no 20-game winners and no .300hitters. But Hutchinson helped turn hisroster, many o them late-season acqui-sitions, into an outstanding team.

Although Singleton led the stawith a 19-win eort that includeda no-hitter (July 24), the key to theRainiers season became Hutchinsonsmid-season acquisition o Kretlow,who went 14-3 in the second hal.

Clockwise from top left: Bobby Balcena, the rst native

o the Philippines to play proessionally in the U.S., crosses

home plate ater hitting a home run at Sicks Stadium.

Balcena is congratulated by Ray Orteig (10) and Vern

Stephens.

Rainiers owner Emil Sick (let) presents general manager

Dewey Soriano with The Sporting News Minor LeagueExecutive o the Year award or the 1955 season.

Lou Kretlow, who had pitched or nine years in the Majors,

joined the Rainiers midway through the 1955 season and

posted a 14-3 second-hal record.

With Seattle manager Fred Hutchinson (ar let) watching,

Angels slugger Steve Bilko is presented with the Tony

Lazzeri Trophy, awarded annually to the PCLs home run

champion.

The Rainiers congratulate rst baseman Bill Glynn, or-

merly o the Cleveland Indians, on his return to the dugout

ater a home run.

(continued from page 27)

(continued on page 30)


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Kretlow provided it against the Angels.Ater working out o a frst-inning jamby anning Bilko, he mowed down LosAngeles, 3-1, or his 12th consecutivevictory.

The crowd o 5,100 that eyed thepennant clincher swelled the Rainiersseason attendance to 342,101, more

than double the previous year, anotherHutchinson coup.

With Major League Baseball threeyears away rom expanding to theWest Coast, the Rainiers 1955 pennantmarked their last PCL hurrah, andHutchinsons second in two years 17seasons apart in a Seattle uniorm.

Photographs and images: David Eskenazi Collection. David

Eskenazi and Steve Rudman collaborate every Tuesday on

Wayback Machine at spor tspressnw.com

That ultimately separated the 95-77Rainiers rom pennant challengers, theSan Diego Padres (92-80), Los AngelesAngels (91-81) and Hollywood Stars(91-81).

More than any o the 1955 pennantaspirants, the Angels, eaturing sluggerSteve Bilko, uture big league managerGene Mauch, and 17-game winners

Jim Brosnan and Cal McLish (bothwould enjoy productive MLB careers),stood on the verge o greatness.

Led by Bilkos 55 homers, theAngels would win 107 games in 1956,taking the pennant by 16 games. Butthe 55 Angels didnt yet have enough

to overcome Hutchinsons rostermanipulations and bench management.On Aug. 19, Hutchinsons 36th

birthday, 17 years ater winning his19th game or the 1938 Rainiers on his19th birthday one o the landmarkevents in Seattle pro sports history the club eted him in a ballpark party

prior to a game with the HollywoodStars, lavishing Hutch with gits.

Hollywood manager Bobby Bragan,asked to speak, but won no admirerswith the Sicks Stadium throng when

he introduced his team as the 1955PCL champions. Taking the micro-phone rom Bragan, Hutchinsonreplied, There are 21 ellows on thisside o the feld who will dispute that.

A month later, on Sept. 10, theRainiers needed one win to give theranchise its frst pennant since 1951.

30 MARINERS MAGAZINE

(continued from page 28)

Top: The 55 Rainiers in their Sicks Stadium dugout. The

player second rom let is pitcher Elmer Singleton, who led

the sta with 19 victories.

Above left: Ewell (The Whip) Blackwell made 13 starts

or the 1955 Rainiers, posting a 4-4 record and 4.02 ERA.

Blackwell had previously pitched or the Cincinnati Reds.Above right: The 1955 Rainiers did not eature a 20-game

winner, but they had a 19-game winner in Elmer Single-

ton, who pitched in the Major or eight seasons.

Turn Back the Clock Day May 26, 2012

Join us as we turn the clock back to a

year when Elvis was king, Leave it to Beaver

debuted, the space race began and the Boeing707 made its rst fight. S o, guys put on your

tight jeans, leather jackets and a white t-shirt

and ladies dust o your poodle skirts and join

us or a nity aternoon at the ballpark.

To celebrate, the Mariners will sport retro

Rainiers uniorms and the Angels will wear

their old Pacic Coast League jerseys.

Plus, the rst 20,000 ans pick up a

Mariners poster thanks to Seattle Magazine.

JASONVARGAS MIGUELOLIVO BRANDON LEAGUE

BRENDANRYAN

TURN BACKTHE CLOCKDAYMAY 26, 2012

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Rainiers 1955 Mariners Magazine