From Chapter 1:

1956-1960: The Judgment of 8,000 People

1957

Rochester had a franchise and a stadium, and Sisler set about getting ball players to fill the uniforms. The 18 outrighted players formed a strong core of players and included pitchers Mel Wright, Johnny Mackinson and Duke Markell. The trio, all of whom played for Rochester in 1956, were part of a staff considered the strength of the team. In late March the hurling corps was strengthened by the acquisitions of Bob and Gary Blaylock (no relation). Bob had had an IL-best 1.65 ERA for the Red Wings before his recall to St. Louis in June of 1956, while Gary provided a solid 8-5, 3.02 year for Rochester.

The Blaylocks were two of the six players Morrie Silver had requested as part of the sale conditions to be sent to Rochester if they did not make the Cardinals' roster. Gene Green and second baseman Ronnie Plaza also did not stick in St. Louis and were added to the Wings' roster. Green arrived with the stipulation that he was to be used solely as a catcher, not as an outfielder, as he had been late in the 1956 season. Plaza, who, after a slow start, had been handed the second base job at mid-season, finishing '56 with a .294 average. Their addition meant that four of the six players critical to the Wings' success in 1956 would at least begin the season in Rochester.

Popular outfielders Tommy Burgess and Allie Clark were back as well. Both hit in the .280s, despite penchants for injury, and added power to the lineup. Clark was a veteran of seven major league seasons with the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Burgess was starting his fifth season in Rochester, his best year being 1953, when he put up a .346 average, along with 22 home runs and 93 RBI. The duo would start in right and left field respectively. Between them was a potential trouble spot. Youngster Mel Nelson, who started in center field in 1956 before losing the job, was back. It was between he and Bill Kunkle, who was making the jump from Class C.

The infield was pretty well set. Player/coach Mo Mozzali, a five-time American Association (Triple-A) all-star, was installed at first base, with Plaza completing the right side of the infield at second. Strong glove man and clubhouse leader Frank Verdi (.248) was purchased from league rival Columbus and handed the third base job. The biggest hole was at shortstop. All-Star Eddie Kasko was expected to stick with St. Louis. Wally Fassler (.285 at Single-A Sioux City) was penciled in, but local observers expected (and hoped) that further help would be acquired. Al Grandcolas was the utility man.

The pitching staff was further strengthened in early April when Lynn Lovenguth was added on option from St. Louis. Acquired by the Cardinals in the off-season, Lovenguth was the IL's Most Valuable Player in 1956, on the strength of a 24-12, 2.59 year for pennant-winning Toronto. Deal named Lovenguth, the two Blaylocks, and Markell as his starters. Six-foot, seven-inch Dick Ricketts (who played for the NBA's Rochester Royals in the off-season), Billy Joe Bowman, Bill Greason, Deal and lefty Eddie Donnelly would serve as the long relievers and spot starters, while Mel Wright would handle the late-inning work. It was considered the finest pitching staff in the league.

Handling them would be receivers Green, Bobby Shantz and Dick Teed. Green broke a finger in spring training so Shantz would see the Opening Day start. Teed was a Rochesterian who had retired after catching for Montreal in 1955. He returned because of the opportunity of playing in his hometown.

Deal predicted a first-division finish in the eight-team circuit, ranking Richmond, Toronto and Montreal as the top contenders. Shortstop was still a worry and he remained concerned as to whether or not his offense could match his pitching, the team's 10-15-1 mark in spring training mainly due to the slumbering bats. Still, he forecast a playoff berth. Others tabbed the Wings for fifth.

Lovenguth was on the mound for the opener in Richmond. He was shelled for six runs in six innings as the Wings fell to the Virginians 7-0. Green was a surprise starter - in the outfield - despite his fractured digit. The game, as would all 154 contests, was broadcast over WVET radio with sportscaster Tom Decker. WVET-TV had also signed on to show 10 games live from Red Wing Stadium during the season.

(On that night the Cinderella Amerks lost in the Calder Cup finals, dropping the AHL's championship round by four games to one. The club, in its inaugural year, had several 7,000+ crowds during its successful late-season run to qualify for post-season play and averaged over 5,000 in attendance. A league publicist said, "I've never seen anything like it in a first-year city." At the same time, the financially-troubled basketball Royals were insisting the rumors that the team was to be sold and moved to Cincinnati were not true. The rumors were only partly accurate: brothers Les and Jack Harrison nixed an offer of $175,000 from Cincinnati interests and kept the team, but subsequently moved it to the Ohio city on their own.)

Green was back on the bench the next night. The Cardinals' brass heard that he played, and none too happy, ordered him back on the sidelines. The Wings did, though, add a player that day, acquiring shortstop Antonio "Tony" Alomar from Double-A Houston. The slick-fielding Alomar hit .356 with Class C Fresno in 1956.

The moved looked to solidify the infield. Burgess was off to a hot start at the plate, but anticipated ace Lovenguth dropped his first three decisions and the Wings came home for the Red Wing Stadium opener with a 7-7 record.

May 1 was the first home game for the community-owned franchise. There were little differences to the casual observer. The players were still attired in the Wings' familiar long-time home flannels, modeled after Cardinal attire. "Red Wings," in script (red with navy outline) flowed across the chest, with red uniform trim and navy and red socks. The hat was navy blue with a red visor, adorned with a red script "R," outlined in white. Nor did 14,700-seat Red Wing Stadium appear any differently. There was still the "house" out front on Norton Street that served as team offices and ticket windows. The same massive scoreboard sat just to the left of dead center. The concrete and steel grandstand wrapped symmetrically around the infield, ending just past first and third bases. Down the left field line were uncovered bleachers that angled behind the left field fence, before ending next to the bullpens. The left field power alley was expansive, even with an inner fence that kept an intruding light pole off the playing surface, but right field was much more invitingly close to home plate, spurring Red Wing fans' annual yearning for a left-handed power hitter that could regularly clear the "short porch."

Another Rochester season-opening custom, the American Legion's "Welcome Home Dinner" was also carried over. The tradition dated back to 1928, when a spaghetti dinner was held at St. Bridget's Church. The 1957 edition was held at the Powers Hotel, with Cincinnati General Manager Gabe Paul (a former member of the Red Wings' front office staff) as the guest speaker.

A crowd of 15,666, the largest Opening Day gathering since 16,088 shoe-horned into the park in 1953, made its way into the stadium. The overflow was herded onto the field behind ropes in right field. They watched as Clark capped a 4-for-4 day with a seventh inning blast over the infrequently-cleared 405-foot mark in center field to erase a 4-3 deficit. Lovenguth captured his first win as the Wings topped Richmond 5-4.

There was high praise for the "slick new vending operation" run by Rochesterian Norm Shapiro. President Silver reacted by exclaiming "This is great!" and later stated: "Today, to me, is the biggest day in the long and glorious history of baseball in our community. Today the people own their own baseball team. They bought it because they felt, as I do, that baseball is an important factor in community life. Our people enjoyed it for so many years it wouldn't be the same to go without it. After all, 8,000 people can't be wrong."

But after the spectacular inaugural, attendance sagged back to the pace of previous seasons. Silver reminded fans (and owners) that an ambitious gate of 325,000 was needed in order to pay off the team's debt. A turnstile count of 270,000 would allow the franchise to break even, but not make any dent in the mortgage. (In late May Rochester fans were asked to return foul balls hit into the stands, cutting the average number of $3 balls used per game from 46 to 28.) The last time attendance figures approached the needed levels was in 1950, when 320,067 came through the gates of Red Wing Stadium. After the off-season miracle, though, it was expected that the club would lead the league, if not the entire minor leagues, in attendance.

Deal had his own concerns. His offense failed to untrack and the team sagged off the pace with a 10-13 mark. His roster was jammed (he needed to cut four players to meet the league's 20-man roster limit by May 16) and there was little help available. The sole acquisition was Gary Geiger, acquired from St. Louis's other Triple-A farm team, Omaha, where he already had four home runs. Geiger, who pitched for the Wings in 1956, was making the conversion from the mound to the outfield. With Green back to playing in the outfield (his finger still not up to playing behind the plate on an every-day basis) and Geiger slated for center field, Kunkle and Nelson were sent down.

Injuries drove the rest of the roster moves. Burgess and Mackinson were put on the disabled list, the former with a sore left leg. Geiger had yet to arrive, so shortstop Alomar was forced to play in the outfield. The same game he made his outfield debut, the Wings lost two pitchers in the first inning of a game at Montreal. Starter Ricketts was hit in the hand by a line drive off the bat of the lead-off batter. Deal put himself in and went three batters before being knocked out by a frozen-rope line drive to the left knee.

The bug got worse. Alomar lasted three games in the pasture, before jamming his leg, knocking him out of the lineup. Verdi was out with the flu. Catcher Shantz was expected out for three weeks when a foul ball fractured a knuckle on his throwing hand. Teed was the only catcher left, with handyman Deal listed behind him on the depth chart (he had caught once in a 1951 spring training contest). Deal the manager responded by saying, "I guess my next move is to go on a tranquilizer diet."

Geiger gave the offense a boost with a home run in his first game, but the pitching was in shambles. Lovenguth and Bob Blaylock were a combined 1-10; the former provided with a mere seven runs in his seven losses. Ricketts was the lone bright spot at 3-1, his sole defeat a 3-2 game at Toronto in which he allowed only one hit through 8 1/3 innings. Six losses in eight late-May games found the Wings in seventh place, with a 16-23 record.

The early-season schedule had been weighted toward road games, so at least the Wings had a glut of home dates in which to right themselves. They began by taking six of eight against Montreal and Buffalo. A highlight of the home stand was a first inning triple play against the Bisons on June 1. Verdi fielded a one-hop grounder to start the around-the-horn rarity.

As players came back from injuries, Deal looked to pare his pitching down to the desired eight or nine men. Bowman was demoted, Donnelly and Markell sold. Lefty Kelton Russell, who pitched for the Wings the previous season, was acquired from Omaha and Deal made plans to insert himself into the rotation. Nor were position players immune to changes. Burgess came off the disabled list and 35-year-old Clarence Maddern purchased from the Miami Marlins to serve as fourth outfielder. Dave Ricketts, 21, brother of pitcher Dick, was signed as a catcher.

Lovenguth regained his form (four wins in the space of eight days) and the Wings captured 15 of 23 games, vaulting to the .500 mark and fourth place. The Ricketts brothers formed the battery in the opening game of a doubleheader against Richmond. Dick was knocked out of the game in the first inning, but the Wings rallied to sweep the twin bill. Deal gave the brothers a second start on June 21 in Richmond and Dick responded with a no-hitter through the first 8 2/3 innings. One out away, a ground ball found its way through the hole between short and third, and Ricketts had to settle for a 2-0, one-hit victory.

In late June, the Wings opened a 17-game homestand and, despite their earlier troubles, looked to climb higher in the standings. But the veterans continued to suffer nagging hurts which kept them from daily appearances in the lineup. Verdi (whose glove, bat and legs had made him the "Red Wing surprise of the year") was in and out of the lineup and Clark went on the disabled list. His absence made the jack-of-all-trades Deal the spare outfielder. But other veterans picked up the slack. Lovenguth continued his resurrection, finally bringing his record to .500 at 8-8 and sitting at second in the league in strikeouts. Burgess climbed to fifth in the league batting race at .314. A streak of 11 wins in 13 one-run games brought the Wings within five games of first place.

July began with the Wings facing a stretch of 12 games in eight days. They began by taking two of three from Miami, including one game in which Deal provided the winning margin with a three-run home run off the Marlins' Satchel Paige. First place Toronto was next in Rochester. Deal's squad responded with a 9-5, 6-2 doubleheader sweep in which Green hit three home runs, with Deal and Geiger adding a pair each. Rochester notched another win before Toronto deflated the Wings with a doubleheader sweep of its own. Buffalo continued the slide (and moved into first place) by inflicting three losses on the Wings. Rochester ended the homestand with a 9-7 mark (one rainout), but securely in fourth place. Its 20-12 mark for June was the league's best.

Rochester rebounded on the road and after taking the first two games of a series versus third place Toronto, moved to within a half-game of the Maple Leafs. But the defending league champs inflicted another double hurt, sweeping a twin bill, holding the Wings at bay.

The Wings returned home for Hall of Fame night. In mid-July the Rochester Press Radio Club voted unanimously to establish a local Baseball Hall of Fame. Named as the inaugural inductees were player/manager Billy Southworth and players Estel Crabtree and George "Specs" Toporcer. Southworth had been a player/manager for the Red Wings from 1928-32, batting .335 and leading the team to four consecutive International League pennants, with two Junior World Series titles. He returned for a second stint in 1939-40, winning the Governors' Cup in 1939 and a pennant in 1940. Crabtree patrolled the outfield for the Wings in eight seasons between 1933 and 1940, finishing with a .308 career average and as the all-time Rochester leader in hits, RBI and games played. Toporcer spent seven years in Rochester (1928-1934), three as player/manager. He was a two-time league MVP and established club records in career stolen bases and runs. The ceremonies were held prior to the July 18 game against Montreal. Baseball Hall of Famers Ty Cobb, George Sisler Sr. (father of the Wings' general manager and a Red Wing in 1931) and Carl Hubbell were on hand, along with the trio of honorees.

A five-game losing streak followed, dropping the team below .500, but still clinging to fourth place. It was the harbinger of a collapse, predicted newspaper columnist George Beahon. The team's defensive shortcomings were apparent: Alomar was "brutally erratic" at shortstop and Plaza's offensive struggles were beginning to affect him in the field. Geiger was solid in the outfield, but poor at the plate, but without him the fly-chasers were painfully slow. The pitching, most notably the Blaylocks, had not lived up to expectations. Mackinson had been sold and there was no help expected from St. Louis. With no rest afforded for the older players Burgess, Verdi and Mozzali (all of whom had already sat out with minor hurts), Beahon expected simple fatigue to cause a late-season plummet.

Sisler was aware of the problems and made moves to improve depth and defense. He picked up shortstop Bobby Durnbaugh, who was playing for Omaha but on loan from the Cincinnati Reds. First baseman Ed Stevens was likewise acquired, from Charleston of the American Association, where he had 17 home runs. The moves tightened the defense and added power (Stevens had four home runs in his first four games). Miami was pressing hard and moved to within a half game, but the Wings responded with a 3-2, 2-1 doubleheader victory on Aug. 4 that pushed the Marlins to 2 1/2 games back. The twin bill crowd pushed season attendance past that of 1956.

Rochester had the last of the season's three "tropical swings" - trips to Miami and Havana - next on the slate. Cuba was reportedly in a state of near-martial law due to the military coup by Fidel Castro, but team officials assured the Wings they would be safe. Concerns were genuine, as on the first Cuban trip of the season, street bombings occurred in the downtown area several hours after the Wings and Cubans concluded their contest.

Rochester won the first two games of the four-game set on extra-inning home runs by Green, the second win in the opener of a doubleheader. But injuries were again mounting among the veterans and this time some of the younger players also went down. Pitcher Bill Greason was forced to play some outfield and when third game starter Ricketts had to go home in order to be with his ill wife, Deal was forced to take the hill, despite hurling eight innings the evening before. He went the entire game, a 4-3 loss.

The team made the 59-minute flight to Miami, where the fifth place Marlins captured the series' opener to close to within a game-and-a-half. Bob Blaylock, in the midst of a disappointing year, answered with a complete-game shutout; then Gary Blaylock and Lovenguth followed with a doubleheader sweep. Sisler balanced the pitching staff by adding former major league lefty Fred Baczewski from Shreveport of the Texas League and the lead over Miami for fourth place was a seemingly-secure 4 1/2 games. Moreover the Wings were only five lengths from the top spot.

The next stop was Columbus, where the Wings promptly dropped all five against the last place Jets. Verdi was lost as well, back on the disabled list. (The third baseman, along with Green, had earlier in the month been named to the All-Star team that would play the Los Angeles Dodgers in Montreal on Aug. 20.) The losing skid ended on "Cot Deal Night," at which the popular skipper was given a car. Local scribe Paul Pinckney, while calling Deal "unquestionably the most intelligent and most talented" manager ever at Norton St., wondered in print if Deal the manager was overworking Deal the player. Already he had played catcher, outfield and pitcher, along with pinch-hitting duties.

The team returned to its winning ways until it was struck by an unlikely opponent: the flu. Seven players were ultimately knocked out of the lineup due to the illness and the outbreak influenced a nine-game losing skid. The losses (after one, Deal had a closed clubhouse meeting after which he brought his team back out for batting practice) continued a streak in which the Wings lost 14 of 17 games, including nine of 12 at Red Wing Stadium, costing them their hold on the fourth and final playoff spot.

Deal's squad made its last grab at a post-season invitation on Sept. 1, a doubleheader sweep of Toronto that brought it into a tie for fourth. Stevens hit a home run in each game, his 12th inning shot in the first contest completing the Wings' comeback from a 5-1 deficit. The last scheduled home game of the season brought the attendance to 253,070, the best in seven years. Silver stated "it proves that baseball was worth fighting for in Rochester."

The Wings finished up on a Canadian swing. Three wins in four at Montreal raised the squad percentage points ahead of the Marlins. The final three games of the season were in Toronto, which was dueling with Buffalo for the pennant. Rochester had a 2-0 lead in the series opener, but the Leafs scored two in the fifth to tie. In the bottom of the ninth, still knotted at two, ex-Red Wing Stan Jok had a pinch-hit to win the game for the home squad and drop the visitors out of a playoff spot.

The Leafs came back the next night and won 2-0, and coupled with a Marlins' victory, the Wings would be absent from the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons. Toronto captured the season finale, taking the flag by a half-game over the Bisons.

After sitting at 65-60, with a 4 1/2-game hold on the last playoff spot, injuries and illness tripped the Wings to a 9-20 finish. "To me," stated Deal, "it looked like fate." The absence of Verdi was the most crippling blow for his squad, which finished 74-80. Verdi closed at .283, but missed 25 games. Vets Tommy Burgess and Allie Clark posted similar numbers but were also hampered by nagging injuries. Burgess hit .290, 22, 71 in 128 games and added a Silver Glove (the minor leagues' version of the major's Gold Glove for fielding excellence) in right field. Clark managed .285, 12, 58 in 112 games. Green was the major offensive force, hitting .299 (sixth in the league) with 20 home runs and 87 RBI. Ed Stevens added 12 home runs in his 40 games, as the Wings finished third in the league in home runs.

Dick Ricketts was a pleasant surprise on the mound, finishing 12-9, with a 3.65 ERA. Kelton Russell performed well after joining the squad, and bullpen ace Mel Wright had a fine 2.95 ERA. But the starting staff was a huge disappointment, behind sub-par years by Lynn Lovenguth (14-15, 3.79), Gary Blaylock (10-11, 3.73) and Bob Blaylock (3-10, 4.15). Second baseman Ron Plaza was the biggest disappointment among the position players, his 14 home runs not compensating for a .224 average. Coach/first baseman Mo Mozzali was oft-injured and hit only .257.

The season was not an overwhelming success, but the attendance figure was respectable, especially in consideration of the late-season plunge. The complimentary season pass list, which had neared 1,000 in 1956, had been reduced to nothing. Financially, $75,000 of the original $175,000 debt had been repaid. Only 8,100 of the original 50,000 shares remained.

The greatest loss was the resignation of Morrie Silver as president. In late August he had made it clear that he was going to step down as president. The position was affecting his health and business. He reiterated that he accepted it initially with the condition that it was for one year only. The directors tried to convince to him to reconsider, but he officially left the post in September, while agreeing to remain on the Executive Committee. Frank Horton was named as his successor.

The Wings "flirted" with the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Braves and Cincinnati Reds, but in December decided to renew with the Cardinals. Optimism was high with Bing Devine replacing "Trader" Frank Lane as the Cardinal general manager. Deal was rehired in early December, unsure as to whether or not he would retire as an active player. (Along with his 9-9 pitching mark, the 34-year-old slumped at the plate, hitting only .265.) He predicted his '58 club back in the first division, stating his inaugural team had "lost too many games on bad defense." The Texas League was on shaky footing, and if the Houston franchise was lost, the Wings would have a greater pool of players from which to fill its roster.

The first Rochester Community Baseball Inc. shareholders meeting was held on Dec. 14. One-hundred-forty of the corporation's 8,134 stockholders were present. Prior to the meeting the board mailed out a financial statement that reported a manageable loss of $5,799.05. In the books and on the field, the Red Wings were on solid footing.

Copyright © 1997 Brian A. Bennett. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system - except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper - without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, please contact Triphammer Publishing, P.O. Box 45, Scottsville, NY 14546-0045.