From Chapter 2:

1961-1965: Birds of a Different Feather

1961

The most visible change in the Red Wings would be in the players it would put on the field. Familiar faces from the Cardinal organization would no longer be wearing the navy and red trimmed flannels. Locally-owned Bob Keegan and Luke Easter would be the only returning players on Rochester's initial spring roster.

Like the parent club, the O's two 1960 Triple-A clubs (Vancouver and Miami) had been stocked with young talent. The strength was in the outfield, where, due to the organization's outstanding depth, it looked as if the Wings would open with six fly-chasers, at least until the mid-May roster cutdown from 24 to 21. On paper the 1961 Wings appeared to loaded with speed, defense and "terrifying" power potential. The health and contribution of the pitching staff was seen as one question for the team to answer in order to challenge for a pennant. The other unknown quantity was Dave Nicholson. He was a 21-year-old, 6' 2", 200-lb., right-handed slugger and $100,000+ bonus baby. He was also one of the numerous outfield hopefuls. His 1959 minor league season had been good enough to earn a stint with Baltimore. Prone to the strike out, he hit .186 in only 154 at-bats with Baltimore, but five of his 21 hits left the yard.

It was difficult for Wings' fans to gauge the talent of the incoming players. Most of the newcomers compiled stats in either a different league (Vancouver of the Pacific Coast League) or a team (Miami) whick played in a stadium proclaimed as the worst hitters' park in the IL. The outfield prospects featured a mix of the two franchises. Former Marlin Fred Valentine (.253), a switch hitter with great speed, was expected to start in center field. Nicholson was set in right and Ray Barker, a lefty who hit .311, 14, 101 with Vancouver, was slated for left field. He was making the shift from first base. Joe Durham (.273 at Vancouver), Barry Shetrone (.256 at Miami) and Chuck Oertel (.313 at Vancouver) were the remaining candidates.

Easter had strong competition at first base from 6' 3 1/2", 220-lb. John "Boog" Powell. The 19-year-old hit .312, 13, 100 in Class B despite hovering in the .220s for the first half of the season. Second base would be filled by Ron Samford (.254, 10, 61 at Miami). Shortstop was solid with Bob Johnson in place, on option from the Washington Senators. Third base was in the hands of veteran major leaguer Jim Finigan, tagged as a great competitor and clutch performer. Ron Kabbes, back after a look with the Cardinals, was the utility man.

A key pitching performer was also a loaner. Clyde King's reputation for handling pitchers helped get Johnny Kucks, 27, from the Kansas City Athletics. Kucks' career highlight was pitching the seventh game shutout that gave the Yankees the World Series in 1956. Unfortunately his masterpiece was little remembered, having been preceded by Don Larsen's perfect game. He was 18-9 for the Yanks that year, but had steadily declined before moving to the "lowly" A's, for whom he was 4-10 in 1960. Kucks was set as one of the starters, along with Herb Moford and John Anderson. Moford, a Red Wing in '55 and '56, was 11-12, 2.94 with Miami. Anderson was a knuckleballer coming off arm problems and a 2-10 year with the Marlins. Arnold Portocarrero also came from Miami, and he joined Double-A Little Rock grads Art Quirk and Bob Leopold, as well as George Gaffney, as candidates for the remaining starting spots.

The bullpen was a strength, with experienced hurlers Dick Hyde, Artie Kay and Dick Luebke present. Kay, along with Kabbes, came on option from St. Louis. Hyde was a submarine pitcher from Miami. The staff was given a boost late in the spring when highly-regarded pitcher Johnny Papa, 21, was assigned to Rochester. There was subsequently no room for Bob Keegan, who was cut. He hoped to catch on with another team and Red Wing officials were more than helpful, allowing him to continue to work out with the team and throw batting practice. (He wasn't picked up and subsequently retired.)

Handling the hurlers would be catchers Frank House and journeyman Roger McCardell. House was an experienced and talented glove man, but there were worries about the health of his throwing arm. He was later named player/coach.

Some of the visiting teams to Red Wing Stadium would likewise be unfamiliar. Two of the league's three hot spots had shifted base, with Montreal moving to Syracuse and Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tommy Richardson had replaced Frank Shaughnessy (who ruled the circuit since 1937) as IL president and promptly reversed the league's previous stance about expansion, stating he would like 10 teams. It was one way he hoped to re-occupy Montreal. The Wings sported a touch of change as well, switching the "R" on their caps from a script style to a block typeface. Another new idea was a community sales group which helped box seat season tickets sales climb well ahead of the previous season.

The team closed by winning five of its last seven exhibition tilts, but the success did not carry over to its season opener in Richmond, which the Wings lost 3-0. The home opener was on April 21, against the Columbus Jets in front of 14,215 on a dark and drizzly day. The Wings lost that game 3-0 as well and continued to be anemic at the plate, with only 15 hits in their first three games, all losses. King's team lost another before its first win and continued to struggle in the early going. The defense, expected to be a strength, was, in the skipper's words "putrid," at one point giving up 18 unearned runs in the first 12 games.

The first extended road series began in San Juan, where crowds had been ridiculously low after opening day. Visiting teams were losing money on the trip, as their gate share was not enough to cover expenses. Just two weeks into the season, league President Richardson threw in the towel on San Juan and the franchise was moved to Charleston. The West Virginia city had been home to American Association competition for nine years until losing its team the previous season.

The team began to play better as the midnight, May 18 cutdown date neared. Fueled by the play of Valentine, the Wings moved into third place, with a run of 13 wins in 17 games. Several roster moves were necessary, however, to make the 21-man player limit. Pitchers Johnny Papa and George Gaffney, outfielder Dave Nicholson, and catcher Roger McCardell were all sent to Little Rock, Nicholson due to his 2-for-22 batting line. Added from Baltimore were left-hand hitting catcher Frank Zupo and right-handed pitcher Gordon Jones. Going up was Dick Hyde, after allowing one earned run in 19 innings pitched. Chuck Oertel and Bob Trowbridge came off the disabled list. Portocarrero was de-activated and Easter placed on the disabled list (sore knee) to make the limit.

The pitching remained solid, the defense improved, but the offense was still a question mark. Quirk had a one-hit performance in Toronto on May 19, his first start of the year, and Anderson won six of his first seven decisions. After the 1-6 start, the Wings won 14 of their next 20. But late May and early June brought a number of hard-luck losses. On May 27, Anderson had a one-hit, 4-0 lead through six, but Jersey City roared back to take a 6-5 win. The next night the Wings blew a 4-2, ninth-inning lead when the Jerseys tallied six in the last frame. On June 2 in Buffalo, the Wings scored three in the top of the ninth to knot the contest at 5-5, only to see the Bisons push across the winning run in the bottom of the inning. The Wings performed some last inning magic the next night as well, but the four ninth-inning runs fell short as they dropped another 6-5 game.

While the starting rotation was solid, injuries and sub-par performances was starting to show cracks in the bullpen. Luebke and Kay were dependable, but Trowbridge had a shaky back and shoulder, and Leopold, after a spectacular spring training, lost his first five decisions. Bob Giggie, a right-handed bullpen performer, was added from Hawaii of the Pacific Coast League. Injuries started to affect the position players as well, with starting infielders Finigan and Samford both out after being hit by pitches. By mid-June the Wings dropped down into fifth. It was noticed that the top four teams in the league were the National League affiliates. It was not a coincidence; those organizations had not lost players in the expansion draft. Their draft was not until next season.

Despite second-division status, the Wings had two players - Shetrone and Johnson - selected for the June 26 All-Star game in Buffalo. Both had shifted positions because of infield injuries. Shetrone had taken over in center field when Barker moved to third base. His performance (.307, 6, 16) was good enough to earn him a starting spot on the IL squad. Samford's injury shifted Bob Johnson to second base, with Kabbes replacing Johnson at shortstop. Johnson's batting line included a .306 average, nine home runs and a league-leading 38 RBI. (Samford and Easter were later named to the squad as reserves, Easter in tribute to his enormous popularity in Buffalo.) Johnson, who was also named a starter, had both RBI in the 2-0 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Samford could not budge the double-play duo of Johnson and Kabbes, as both went on tears at the plate just prior to his return. Johnson's was expected, but Kabbes' was a surprise. He went through a period in which he had 15 hits in 32 at-bats, and displayed some unexpected power. Johnson was even hotter, a 20-for-36 streak boosting his average into the .330s.

Johnson also provided one of the season's most memorable moments. Earlier in the season Joe Durham had launched a ball over the infrequently-cleared center field wall, but on June 28, Johnson did him one better. In Game One of a doubleheader against Jersey City, the all-star second baseman came to the plate in the seventh and scheduled last inning of a 4-4 game. On a 2-1 count he launched a blast that soared over the bullpens in left-center field, clearing a 20-foot screen behind the warm-up areas, before crashing into the side of a metal Quonset hut. It was estimated that the ball would have traveled over 500 feet had it not hit the shed. Curiously enough, just the day before a visiting Jersey writer was asking GM Sisler when and where the longest home runs had been hit in Red Wings Stadium. Sisler told of the historic shots, but added that to his knowledge no one had ever cleared the bullpens.

John Powell was also starting to heat up. He didn't hit his first home run until May 14 and his average had dwelled in the .230s, but by July he had it up to .267, with 12 home runs and 34 RBI. He showed surprising speed for a man of his size and handled himself well during stints in the outfield.

The team added experience behind the plate when Clint Courtney came down from the Orioles. A left-handed hitter, he would challenge House for the starting job. Zupo was re-assigned in order to make room. Courtney proved his value immediately, even before being officially activated. In uniform for a Fourth of July game against Syracuse, he warmed up Game One starter Art Quirk. Quirk went out and threw a seven-inning no-hitter, allowing only a walk in the second frame. The subsequent 11-5 win in the second game moved the team six games over .500 and into third place.

Just as on-field developments seemed to turn to the positive, off-field news soured. Attendance was only slightly above the previous year's weather-influenced figure. The Democrat & Chronicle felt the problem to be serious enough to issue a warning. The turnstile counts were "running seriously behind what is needed to keep the club's finances out of the red," stated the paper's editorial board. "To put it bluntly, Rochester baseball is in trouble, money trouble."

Finigan was reactivated on July 8 and pitcher Bobby Leopold (1-6) was the odd man out. Unfortunately his departure left the pitching staff short at eight men and the overworked bullpen was a factor in a five-game losing streak. The Wings found themselves in a three-way race for third place with Buffalo and Jersey City. Easter came off the bench to post eight hits and 12 RBI in a five-game stretch in which he started at first base, including an eighth-inning, game-tying grand slam against Buffalo. House followed with a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Wings a dramatic 8-7 win.

The Wings' playoff chances were damaged in mid-July, when Bobby Johnson was recalled by the Senators. Washington had sent for him before - at least 10 times, said Sisler - but each time the Wings' GM had managed to talk the Senators' brass out of it. But Johnson's .337 average and league-best 66 RBI were too much to ignore. His batting line included 17 doubles, 15 home runs, five triples and 63 runs. He stood second on the team in stolen bases as well, one behind "speed merchant" Shetrone, who had five. Finigan's return helped, but the pressure was on Samford to step in back at second base.

Sisler continued to look for pitching help and in late July swung two deals to add depth. On July 17, he announced the acquisition of southpaw Jim Craig. Less than a week later the Wings acquired another lefty, Robert Gilchrist "R.G." Smith, along with catcher Harry Chiti, from the Detroit organization. Chiti came as part of a swap for player/coach Frank House, while Smith was on option. Both had big league experience: Chiti, 28, had been in the majors for parts of seven seasons while Smith, a 31-year-old junkballer, had seen time with Pittsburgh and St. Louis. The Wings dropped a 3-2 decision at Buffalo on the day of the trade, landing them in a fourth place tie with Jersey City, at 49-49.

Powell had a monster game the following night: two homers, two doubles and six RBI in a 7-2 win. But the team followed by dropping a pair of one-run losses to the Bisons and found themselves in sixth place, below .500. With Johnson gone and Kabbes sidelined, the potent double-play combo was history and a pair of rumors failed to add any optimism. One had the parent O's, hurting for pitching themselves, dipping into the thin Wings' staff; the other had Baltimore manager Paul Richards heading to expansion Houston, with King speculated as his replacement.

It was, however, a season in which a couple of wins could move a team up a notch or two in the standings. Moford had a one-hit 1-0 July 28 masterpiece at Charleston which elevated the Wings back into the first division. Another victory the next evening moved the Wings into the last playoff spot unattached. Heading home to spend the first part of August on a 16-game, 13-day homestand, the Wings stood at 54-53, in fourth place by a half-game.

The month started well enough. Easter celebrated his birthday (claiming he was in his "early 30s") on Aug. 4th and two nights later slammed a pinch-hit three-run home run in the last inning of a doubleheader nightcap against Columbus. The blast, which soared over the cars parked beyond the right field wall, was made all the more exceptional by the fact that Easter had, to that point, sat out both games with an acute sinus attack.

A crowd of 12,429 witnessed a loss to the Jets, but Jones and Moford hurled back-to-back shutouts against fifth place Jersey City, solidifying the Wings hold on the first division. Little did anyone figure it would be a week before the next Rochester win. Jersey City took the closing game for the series and then Charleston came in and inflicted a three-game sweep. The two teams moved to Ohio and the Jets took four more before the Wings salvaged a little pride by taking the final game of the series, snapping the string of losses at eight. One of the defeats was a 1-0 game in which Quirk pitched a three-hitter, giving him a no-hitter, one-hitter, two-hitter and three-hitter for the season.

As had happened in past years, injuries among the vets helped grease the wheels of the collapse. Kucks and Luebke (the only lefty reliever) were both out, while Smith was going along with a sore wing. Chiti and Courtney were both playing hurt behind the plate - Courtney couldn't throw and Chiti had a broken finger and broken toe from foul tips. The latter hacked out the top of spike in order to fit his swollen foot. In order to bolster the pained receiving corps the Wings added catcher Cal Ripken from Class D.

Samford had not proved to be the answer at second base, so King moved Finigan there and re-installed Barker at third. The Rochester manager tried a number of things to awaken his slumping team - extra batting practice, cross clubhouse meetings and a tirade against an umpire which got him ejected from a game. But nothing seemed to help. The team dropped 10 of 12 games and on Aug. 19 found itself 4 1/2 lengths behind Toronto, which had climbed past the Wings and taken possession of the last playoff spot.

The only cause for optimism was that the Wings had seven games remaining with the Maple Leafs. The pitching was bolstered by the addition of Alejandro Castro and the return of Hyde and Luebke. But just before the start of a crucial three-game series in Toronto, Kabbes was beaned and hospitalized with a severe concussion. He was likely out for the remainder of the campaign, so the Wings picked up Mickey McGuire from Ardmore of the Texas League.

Kucks hurled a four-hit shutout in the first game against the Leafs, to bring the Wings within a half-game. With a chance the following evening to take fourth, the Wings blew 3-0 and 4-2 leads in a loss. They also lost Easter, with a fractured knuckle on his right hand. Workhorse Moford, leading the league in innings pitched, notched his fourth consecutive complete-game triumph (all six-hitters) the next night, the team's eighth win in 12, to again move to within a half-game.

The squad came back home to host Syracuse. Powell turned in the season's most memorable night, slamming seven hits in a doubleheader split. He had three home runs and two doubles, upping his home run total to a IL-best 28. His four RBI raised his total to 84, within sight of the league lead. He took over the top spot in hitting the next night, on the wings of a 3-for-4 night that pushed his average up to .318. It was the 12th consecutive game in which he had at least one hit. He went 24-for-47 (.510) in that stretch, with six home runs and 14 RBI. Over the past month his average had climbed over 40 points.

Despite Boog's heroics (as well as Chiti, who matched him with a 13-game hitting streak), the Wings lost five of eight games after the Toronto series. The offense cooled and the starters (even Moford) failed to keep the team in the game. Heading into the final four games of the season at home against Toronto, the Wings were two games shy of the fourth place Maple Leafs. Three victories would tie the two teams; a sweep would move the Wings into the playoffs. Anything else and the season was over for Rochester.

Moford was on the mound for the opener. The Leafs jumped out early in front of 10,368, but the Wings tied it with single runs in the third and sixth. After the home squad moved ahead with two in the seventh, the Leafs matched with a pair of their own in the eighth. In the bottom of the ninth and one out, pinch-hitter "Snuffy" Oertel smacked a bases-loaded single to give the Wings a 5-4 win. A doubleheader was next and the Wings convincingly moved into fourth by sweeping the Maple Leafs, 7-2 and 6-2. Chiti and Powell each slammed a pair of home runs, while Durham and Valentine combined for nine hits. Quirk struck out 12 and won his 10th game in the nightcap.

Needing to win the season finale to clinch the playoff spot, Rochester jumped out to a 6-1 lead. But Toronto refused to fold, scoring four in the seventh to tie, the last run coming after McGuire kicked an inning-ending ground ball. Toronto followed with three in the eighth and two in the ninth to close out an 11-6 win. The two teams finished the regular season at 76-78. A coin flip to determine the host of the extra game was held afterwards, with the Toronto general manager calling tails. It came up heads and the teams remained south of the border in order to decide which team would head to the post-season.

Fifteen-game winner Moford was back on the mound for Rochester. He threw exactly seven pitches. Toronto batters hit four of them and scored an equal number of runs before an out was made. Moford was yanked; the Leafs followed up with three in the third and before 7,184 stunned and booing fans, the Wings found themselves down 7-0.

Rochester relievers (eight would pitch in this game) slowed the visitors, while the offense tried to mount a comeback. The Wings stirred faint hopes by closing the gap to 8-3 by the time the seventh-inning stretch came about. The bottom of the inning began innocently enough with a line-out by Finigan. But a trio of singles loaded the bases. An error by the Leaf's first baseman on a Shetrone grounder plated the inning's first two runs. The next batter, Chiti, was hit by a pitch, re-loading the bases. A pair of walks sandwiched a pop out to add another pair of tallies, bringing the Wings to within 8-7. Finigan, batting for the second time in the inning, completed the comeback by putting the Wings ahead with a two-run single.

After the inning, which took almost an hour to complete, Toronto immediately stormed back. With two on in the top of the eighth, Lou Jackson drove a ball deep to center. Two runs scored, but McGuire's precise relay nailed the Leaf speedster at the plate to deny the inside-the-park home run. The visitors added another in the top of the ninth to take an 11-9 lead.

Durham grounded out to start what was possibly the Wings' last at-bat of the season, but Valentine kept hopes alive with a single. Finigan continued his improbable heroics by launching a home run (only his third of the year) into the left field bullpen to knot the game at 11 and send the game into extra frames.

After Alex Castro blanked the Leafs in the top of the 10th, Shetrone led off the Wings' half by beating out a grounder to short. Chiti sacrificed him to second, but the Leafs countered by walking Powell. A ground out advanced both runners a base, followed by another walk, this to Durham, loading the bases. With a full count Valentine took a futile cut at a borderline strike, going down for the second out of the inning. Finigan stepped to the plate and once again delivered, this time stroking a single to win the game 12-11. Rochester claimed the fourth spot in the league standings and advanced to post-season play.

Finigan was the unlikeliest of heroes. Batting just .224 coming into the game, the journeyman second baseman had four hits and six RBI in the memorable game. His game-tying clout into the bullpen would go down in Rochester baseball lore as "Finigan's Rainbow."

There was little time to celebrate. The Governors' Cup playoff began the next night in Columbus. It was the 19th playoff appearance for the Rochester franchise, the most of any IL team. Awaiting were the Jets, who finished 15 1/2 games ahead of the Wings. R.G. Smith was the only relatively fresh pitcher left (he had only pitched in three of the last four games) and he performed well, but Columbus cruised to a 4-1 win over the weary Wings.

Anderson responded with a gem, hurling a five-hitter the next night for a 2-1 win that gave the Wings the split in Columbus. The series shifted to Rochester without a travel day, where the Wings were granted a much-needed reprieve, courtesy of a rainout. Quirk was the Game Three hero, striking out 12 Jets and adding two hits, each driving in a run in the 5-3 victory. Kucks followed with another strong mound performance, a 10-3 win which moved Rochester to within one game of a stunning upset over the regular-season champs.

In front of 10,824 at Red Wing Stadium, Moford regained his late-season touch, shutting down the Jets on four hits. Chiti accounted for the only run, an opposite field home run in the fifth. The 1-0 triumph moved the Wings into the playoff finals against the Buffalo Bisons, which had knocked off second place Charleston.

Rochester again opened on the road, but this time reversed the result with a 5-4 triumph in 11 innings. Luebke hurled 3 2/3 innings of relief for the W, shutting the door in the eighth when the Bisons had the bases-loaded and only one out in a 4-4 tie. Durham had the game-winning double in the 11th.
Buffalo jumped out quickly the next night. They built a 7-0 lead mid-way through and cruised to a 9-2 victory. The series resumed the next night in Rochester and again the Wings' offense was stifled - held to only a pair of hits in a 4-2 loss. The appearance of balanced competition was shattered the following evening when the Bisons bombed Red Wing hurlers for 23 hits in a 17-6 rout that brought the visitors to within one game of the Governors' Cup.

The Rochester offense was still absent for Game Five, but the pitching improved, holding the Bisons to single runs in the first and third innings. The Wings had the bases full in the seventh, and two on and one out in the eighth, but could not score. Buffalo added single runs in the last two frames to take the game 4-0, and the series 4-1.

With the team absent Easter and Kabbes, committing 14 errors in the last four games of the finals, and regular-season sparkplugs Chiti and Powell hitting a combined .171 in the playoffs, there was little chance to take the cup. But the way the team got there was the most exciting and memorable part of the season. Look at the infield with which the Wings won, stated columnist George Beahon: Powell, who the O's wanted to convert to outfield, at first; Finigan, a third baseman by trade, at second; Samford, a second baseman all of his career, at short; and Barker, a first baseman, at third.

Despite his late-season stint at first, John Powell was named one of the league's all-star outfielders. He hit .320 (six points short of the league leader), led the league in home runs with 32 and notched 93 RBI. A trio of part-timers helped the league's top hitting (.263) team. Bob Johnson went .338, 16, 66 and Harry Chiti was .326, 11, 25, but neither had enough plate appearances to qualify for the league batting title. Seemingly-ageless Luke Easter continued to astound, with a .285 average, 10 homers and 51 RBI in 200 at-bats. Joe Durham (.295), Chuck Oertel (.278), and Ray Barker (15 HR, 64 RBI) pitched in, while Barry Shetrone (.274, 92 runs) and Fred Valentine (.267, 17, 64, 104 runs) provided speed on the bases.

On the pitching ledger, Herb Moford was the undenied hero down the stretch. The workhorse led the league in innings pitched (219) and complete games (11), notching a 15-13 mark and 3.21 ERA. The rest of the staff's primary performers mirrored the club's sub-.500 regular-season mark - Johnny Kucks (10-14, 3.76), John Anderson (14-9, 3.69), Art Quirk (10-8, 3.64) - but all reached double figures in wins and provided valuable innings. The promising Quirk had 162 strikeouts in 151 innings, while Artie Kay led the staff in ERA at 2.69.

The late run, plus playoffs, boosted total paid attendance to 274,521. Over 36,000 had turned out for the final four games against Toronto, and an additional 50,919 appeared for the seven playoff games. But the regular-season turnstile count of 223,602 was the major factor listed in the Nov. 18 announcement of red ink to the tune of $33,127.71. "Simply, the key to making a profit is more regular season customers," said President Frank Horton.

The loss was despite $20,000 from the major league's stabilization fund, and represented the third appearance on the minus side of the ledger in four seasons of community ownership. Despite the red ink, Horton and General Manager Sisler expressed general satisfaction with the club's financial situation. The franchise had assets of $420,843.07 and both hoped that the interest generated by the exciting end to the season would carry over to 1962. Unstated by the club was the expense of owning its own stadium. Its financial statement was compared with the neighboring Syracuse Chiefs. Despite drawing half (126,000) of Rochester's attendance, the Chiefs made a profit of $6,327, primarily due to the fact they paid only $8,000 in rent at MacArthur Stadium. RCB listed expenses in excess of $100,000 that were attributable to owning Red Wing Stadium.

Nor could the loss be traced to high administrative overhead. Atlanta was added to the IL roster during the off-season when Charleston relocated. The new Atlanta general manager promptly hired a business manager, stadium director, park superintendent, director of publicity and head of concessions. Sisler and assistant Eddie Bastian handled nearly three-quarters of those duties on their own for the Red Wings.

The off-season was relatively quiet. Another one-year working agreement was signed with the O's and the end of October. Baltimore GM Lee MacPhail stated the parent club was "extremely pleased to work with Rochester again. I don't believe there's a better place in Triple-A to place young players." The O's delighted RCB officials by covering the Wings' operating deficit.

On the same day the affiliation was renewed, Clyde King was re-signed. The Red Wings manager was "most happy" to be back, reiterating his earlier statement that it would take a "very good" major-league offer for him to leave. He had received two or three feelers after the end of the season, but none were tempting enough to make him leave Rochester.

His work would be challenging in 1962. By November he was informed Boog Powell would be given a full opportunity to start with the Orioles and both Valentine and Shetrone were slated to be in Army Reserve units for the entire season. Finigan, the unlikely hero of the dramatic playoff triumph, also was history. He held out for a pay hike, prompting General Manager Sisler to say, "If he had done anything in the other 150 games we wouldn't have needed that playoff game." Finigan was not re-signed.

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.