From Chapter 2:

1961-1965: Birds of a Different Feather

1962

Clyde King faced a tough rebuilding job in 1962, having lost seven pitchers, both catchers and five starters off his fourth place squad. He would also have one less roster spot with which to work, as clubs could open with 23, but had to cut down to 20 by May 25. The league, trying to save money, had compressed the schedule as well, playing the same 154-game slate, but in one less week.

Spring found the loyalty and support of Rochester’s sports fans once again in question. The Americans’ hockey franchise was on shaky ground. Attendance had fallen and the parent Toronto Maple Leafs were debating whether or not to pull out. On top of the past similar incident with the Cardinals and the departure of the basketball Royals, there were those beginning to wonder — was Rochester a bad sports town?

Morrie Silver, ex-RCB president and also one of original stockholders in the Americans, answered nay. Deeply involved in trying to solve the Amerks’ troubles, Silver asked “Since when are all minor league clubs supposed to make money?” He pointed out that the Wings finished among the top three clubs in minor league attendance in each of the past five seasons. “I don’t argue that Rochester is the world’s greatest sports town,” stated Silver. “But it certainly isn’t the worst. And I hardly feel we should lose hockey off the attendance figures for this season.”

The stability of the Red Wings was, at that point, unquestioned, so King and George Sisler turned their attention to a more immediate concern. Pitching was the key to success in King’s view, and for this season it looked to be his greatest puzzle. Only two hurlers, Dick Luebke and Dick Hyde, returned from the original 1961 roster and both were relievers. Hyde at least looked recovered from the arm problems that had limited him to less than 50 innings the previous season. Alejandro Castro, who joined the Wings late in ’61, was also slated for the squad, although he had troubles leaving his native Cuba.

The core of King’s starting rotation revolved around youth, with only pitcher who had competed above Double-A. The one with Triple-A experience, 27-year-old lefty Tom Baker, impressed in the spring and appeared to be the number one man. He was 3-4 with Hawaii of the PCL, his season cut short by an auto accident in May and a broken ankle in June. Dave Vineyard was 9-9, 3.58 in Class B ball, but his 9-1 mark in the Arizona winter league and an impressive spring earned him an Opening Day spot with Rochester. The other pair opening in the rotation were right-handers John Miller and Nat Martinez. Bullpen newcomers included lefties Pat Gillick and George Stepanovich (11-10 with Double-A Little Rock) and right-handed Buster Narum.

The young staff closed out the team’s 9-12 exhibition schedule with 20 scoreless innings. It was seen as the key to the season by one local prognosticator: “If pitching, built almost entirely on reputation, spring training and crossed fingers, fails, the Wings are dead.” If the hurlers came through, however, Rochester could contend. Normally closed-mouthed in terms of predictions, Sisler had an unguarded optimism about his team that was not typical of the general manager. He helped by pulling off a plum of a deal in early April, getting catcher Roberto Herrara on option from St. Louis. The “gigantic” receiver, touted as having one of the best arms in baseball, had for some reason been a reserve with Columbus and Charleston, despite his credentials as an established .275 hitter with power. Sisler also signed infielder Woody Smith, a premier defensive third baseman. He was an IL all-star with Miami in 1959, before a slow-healing broken wrist hampered him for almost two seasons.

That pair were slated to start (Charlie Staniland would back Herrara), although most figured Smith would soon give way to Pete Ward. Ward topped .300 at Double-A and hit well over that mark for the pre-season. His hustling hard-nosed style was expected to make him a crowd favorite. The uncertainty at third base was the exception, as the rest of the infield was pretty well set. Ron Kabbes returned at shortstop; at 23, still a prospect, with an improved bat the only thing standing between him and all-star status. Bob Savarine, who hit .282 at Little Rock and swiped over 40 bases, was penciled in at second, despite merely adequate defensive abilities. Sisler made another move, later in the spring, to pick up his starting first baseman, purchasing Cal Emery from the Philadelphia organization, after a .296, 26, 94 year at Double-A Chattanooga. Luke Easter, who stated that this season his age would equal his uniform number (36), added leadership and bench strength.

The outfield combined speed and strength. Joe Durham, deadly against right-handed pitching, was placed in right field. Sam Bowens, possibly the fastest player in the league, was handed the center field chores. At 6’ 3”, 190 lb., he was finally showing the power he was expected to develop, slugging seven home runs in seven spring training games. He was coming off a .294, 90 RBI season with Class B Appleton. Angelo Dagres added speed and superlative defense in left and was a tested Triple-A performer. Joe Christian and surprising rookie Ray Youngdahl closed out the roster.

Once again the Wings’ IL opponents had shifted, with Jersey City moved to Jacksonville, Florida, and Charleston transplanted to Atlanta. Rochester opened down south in Atlanta’s Ponce de Leon Park. The Red Wings were picked for fourth by the league’s prognosticators, while the Crackers were the flag favorites. The team had off-the-field problems before the opener; they had been told by the Atlanta GM that a downtown hotel would accept the entire team, thereby breaking the city’s segregation laws. The Wings made reservations, but when they arrived they found the bookings had never been confirmed, and later cancelled.

The season opener was likewise a victim of raised hopes. The Wings had a 2-1 lead through three innings, but the game had to be called due to rain. The southern swing through Atlanta and Jacksonville closed with a 3-3 mark.

The squad came home to find that Sisler had maneuvered to acquire another catcher, former Wing Chris Cannizzaro, on option from the expansion New York Mets. (Five days later Herb Moford came from the Mets as well, but on a permanent basis.) Red Wing Stadium featured some new attractions as well. There was a new fence sign in right center featuring a fielder’s glove with a 12” opening cut through it. Any and all players hitting a home run through the round hole would pocket $5,000. Under the stands between first base and home plate was Eddie Bastian’s pride and joy: a steamed clam bar, decorated in 10 different colors. And up in the broadcast booth Joe Cullinane replaced Tom Decker as the radio “Voice of the Wings.”

Despite threatening skies, 14,739 appeared to see the Wings defeat Richmond 4-2. Castro pitched five innings of one-hit ball for the win. As the schedule got deeper into May his appearances became more frequent, as the bullpen became overworked due to the starters’ inability to put in quality innings. To help correct the problem the Wings picked up righty reliever Jim Lehew from Baltimore’s Double-A squad in Little Rock and added pitcher Billy Short and outfielder/catcher Ozzie Virgil from Baltimore. Short had 17 wins for Richmond in 1959, but suffered elbow woes in 1961. Dropped to make room were Dick Hyde, Angelo Dagres, Dave Vineyard and Chuck Staniland. With 24 players (one on the DL), the Wings would still have to make four more cuts to reach the 20-man limit by May 25.

With the addition of Short, King had seven different hurlers that could start. The improved pitching helped spark two four-game winning streaks. The second quartet of victories was started by a two-homer (one of 450 feet), six-RBI game by Easter and closed by a similar performance by Durham. Ward, Emery and Virgil (14 RBI in his first 11 games) were likewise meeting or surpassing expectations at the plate. However, most of their teammates were not. Through the season’s first full month the squad was sixth on the league charts in both average and home runs. A six-game losing streak, the last four against first place Jacksonville, put the team only a game over .500.

King started to show his impatience, and with the cut-down date approaching, he had some leverage. He felt the pitching to be good enough, but the defense needed to stiffen for the team to remain competitive until the it could add or develop some hitting. Sisler hoped to add a left-handed hitting outfielder, but the first move was the option of pitcher Art Quirk from the Orioles. This overloaded the staff with six southpaws, so Pat Gillick was traded to Columbus. Woody Smith was cut (both Virgil and Christian could play infield) and Ray Youngdahl optioned to Elmira. But the only move that could be made to help the offense was the signing of lefty fly-chaser Nino Escalera, released by Columbus earlier in the season. He added speed, but little power.

The batting woes worsened as the catchers were hampered by injuries. Herrara was out an additional two weeks after slamming his hand in a car door in St. Louis, where he had gone to have his ailing arm examined. Cannizzaro was hampered by a tender groin, while Virgil had a bone bruise in his hand that made it tough to grasp a bat or throw. When Cannizzaro dislocated a finger and sprained his right ankle, leaving the Wings with no other catcher, Ward volunteered to fill in behind the plate. Sisler moved quickly, picking up IL veteran receiver Danny Kravitz from Richmond for Joe Christian. He became a permanent replacement when Cannizzaro was subsequently recalled by the Mets.

The injury bug was not exclusive to the catching corps. Emery and Easter were ailing as well. Among the hurlers Luebke was troubled but still pitching, while Lehew and Miller were out with bad backs that made their returns questionable and dropped the staff to eight. Sisler continued to deal, picking up in separate deals pitcher Don Bessant and third baseman Jim Woods from Jacksonville. Still the Wings were only treading water, below .500 and in the second division.

Woods was installed at third, with Ward moving to left field. Through mid-June the team had gone through six different outfielders, seven infielders, five catchers and 15 pitchers. Sisler kept mining for help at Jacksonville, purchasing catcher Valmy Thomas, a veteran of five major-league seasons. Thomas’ appearance was held up by a fine and suspension for striking an ump during a June 16 game. Thomas admitted to pushing the ump, but denied any punch, a statement verified by his teammates and most observers. Two different versions from the umpire involved clouded the issue, but Thomas was subsequently had his suspension lengthened to 30 days by the minor’s ruling body, the National Association of Professional Baseball League (NAPBL). Sisler blasted the move, claiming Thomas was being railroaded. The suspension voided the sale, since Thomas was technically suspended at the time of the transaction. (For Thomas the season was entirely forgettable. In August, after a subsequent trade to Atlanta, he was shot and critically wounded in a dispute over a woman.)

Still, a 14-game, 11-day homestand scheduled for late June remained cause for optimism. Pitcher Narum continued as leader of the “Kiddie Corps,” notching his sixth and seventh wins in the homestand. Sisler again moved to strengthen the team, this time by claiming pitcher John Anderson when Houston tried to demote him to the minors. The first-year Colt .45s had acquired him in the expansion draft; however regulations allowed the Wings the right of first refusal should Houston send him to the minors. Anderson won 14 games for the Wings in 1961 and the waiver-watching Sisler quickly grabbed him.

The Wings won 10 of the 14 games at Red Wing Stadium, climbing over the break-even mark and back into the first division. But the squad continued to display signs of inconsistency, dropping five straight upon its return to the road. As the season’s mid-point approached King rated the offensive production of second baseman Savarine (.295, 7, 25) and the all-around play of Ward as the top surprises; but when asked the disappointments, the Wing skipper replied, “Have you got an hour?”

Mid-season brought a unexpected development from the front office. Frank Horton had political aspirations and when the Republican incumbent in the local 36th Congressional District revealed he would not run for re-election, Horton, with the support of the party, announced his candidacy. Feeling he would need to focus his energies on the campaign, Horton resigned as RCB president. Morrie Silver returned to finish out the yearly term, while retaining his title as chairman of the board.

Despite his ability to deal, even Sisler couldn’t keep up with subsequent injuries. Shortstop Kabbes, in the midst of a dismal year at the plate, went down. Emery had arm miseries that kept him from swinging a bat. Herrara had finally returned from his arm problems, only to hurt an ankle. Outfielder Earl Robinson came down from Baltimore, but as injured goods, with a bad elbow that didn’t respond to treatment. Miller and Lehew were still out and the pitching rotation became a day-to-day matter when Short and Narum were hurt. The injury kept the latter out of the all-star game, for which he, Easter, Ward and Savarine had been named as reserves. The game was played in Rochester on July 11 against Baltimore. A crowd of 11,218 watched as the IL’s best lost to the Orioles 8-5.

Bullpen ace Luebke (league best 1.76 ERA) helped hold the fort, as well as fourth place. Offensive production crept up and the ever-watchful Sisler continued to scan other rosters. Dave Vineyard was recalled from Elmira where he had a 1.98 ERA in 12 decisions, Fred Valentine returned early from the service and Sisler picked up catcher Joe Lonnett from Syracuse. Moford went on a five-game winning streak and Vineyard sparkled in his debut, taking a perfect game in the seventh inning against Syracuse before settling for a two-hitter. Nine wins in 10 games moved the Wings into third place.

But the team’s dual personality persisted. After an 11-5 homestand the Wings dropped three straight in Columbus, increasing to 11 a run of consecutive losses to the Jets. The Wings had the honor of being the league’s streakiest teams. That judgement was based on one winning streak of five games and seven of a four-game length; on the losing side the Wings had two six-game skids, as well as a pair of four games duration.

Yet King’s charges were 19-8 in one-run games and 7-2 in extra-inning tilts, due mainly to the relief excellence of Luebke and Castro. As the beginning of August neared, the Wings continued their hold on third, at times creeping close to second. Short and Emery returned, but Luebke was recalled, leaving Castro alone as closer in the bullpen. King, knowing his staff needed some rest (the effects of the compressed schedule were surfacing around the circuit), stated the last 32 games would be “awfully tough,” but he was bolstered by the knowledge that 20 of the remaining contests would be in Rochester.

Summer’s final full month also featured a sartorial change. In mid-month the Wings started wearing home white uniforms bearing the players’ names on the back, the first such adornment for a Rochester squad. The new jerseys didn’t harm the luck of the wearers, as the Wings closed the month by winning 10 of 13 games, cementing their hold on a playoff spot. Sisler helped too, picking up 6’ 8” reliever Dick Sovde from the San Francisco Giants organization, giving King an 11-man staff for the stretch.

The second-to-last day of August was Luke Easter Night at the ballpark. He was having an outstanding year, hitting .300 in limited duty, with an incredible 55 RBI on 63 hits. Twenty-five of his base knocks were of the extra-base variety: 14 home runs, 10 doubles and one unexpected triple. It was off the diamond, though, that Easter made his reputation. “Luscious Luke” was a regular visitor to local hospitals and homes (a week later he would earn a third straight Junior Chamber of Commerce trophy for doing the most to inspire the city’s youth), as well as a natural leader and example for his younger teammates, with whom he proved a tireless instructor. A crowd of 7,745 turned out to honor him. His teammates on the bench affixed “Luke’s Our Guy” pins; reliever Castro wore his on the mound until the ump instructed him to remove it. In pre-game ceremonies Sisler stated “Luke, we want you to stay just as long as you want to stay.” His teammates rallied from a 4-2 deficit with seven runs in the seventh to cap a wild 9-8 win over Easter’s former team, the Buffalo Bisons. The healthy crowd moved the attendance total past that of the previous season.

Just when it looked like the squad would cruise into the post-season, it dropped two straight doubleheaders, one against last place Syracuse. Savarine was in the midst of a 5-for-57 slump and without his bat, his sub-par glove was costing the team runs with “alarming regularity.” Two more losses dropped the team into a tie for the last playoff spot with Columbus.

Befitting the character of their season, the Wings abruptly changed direction, inflicting a twin bill defeat on Syracuse that immediately boosted them past Columbus. Five wins in six against the Chiefs closed the season and gave the Wings a 82-72 record, good enough for fourth place. The regular season turnstile count totalled 251,697, the best in the minors and the highest for Rochester since 1957.

Pennant-winning Jacksonville provided the first round opposition. The Suns were seen as vulnerable after closing with 14 losses in their last 26 games. The series opened in Florida, where the Wings lost a pair of closely-contested extra-inning affairs. In the opener the Wings rallied with four in the eighth inning to tie the game at five. Rochester squandered further opportunities and the Suns won it with a run in the bottom of the 11th. Vineyard followed Moford in the rotation. The rookie had a no-hitter through 7 1/3 and struck out 12 in 9 1/3 innings of work, but left with a 1-1 tie. The Red Wings scored two in the top of the 12th, but the home side matched the pair with a two-out home run. The Suns scored a solo tally in the 16th to take Game Two by a count of 4-3.

The series resumed the next night in Rochester. Narum took the hill in front of 4,175 and scattered seven hits in a 2-0 triumph. But the visitors had the Red Wings on their knees the next evening, taking a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth. After an infield hit and a walk, Ward fought off a two-strike pitch, flaring a “hunchback” single into center to load the bases. Pinch hitter Emery walked to force home a run, then Valentine came through with a two-strike, two-run single to tie the game. Bowens followed with another one-base hit, plating the winning tally and tying the series at two games apiece.

Heartened by the Wings’ resurrection, 11,510 turned out for Game Five. The Wings had an early 2-0 lead, but the Jets scored four in the third inning off Moford and held on for a 5-3 win. Vineyard, who closed the season with a seven-game win streak, was next on tap as the Wings faced elimination in Jacksonville. The rookie was again untouchable, this time taking a no-hitter down to the last batter. He was a single out away from a 1-0 win when a pinch-hit, bases-empty home run barely cleared the outfield wall, as well as center fielder Bowens’ outstretched glove. Vineyard’s teammates, who, despite 11 hits in regulation, could only manage the sole run, pushed across five in the top of the 10th, thanks to a leadoff home run by Ward and a three-run shot by Kabbes. Jacksonville tried to rally in the bottom of the frame, but Castro relieved Vineyard and closed the door on the 6-3 triumph.

The magic ran out in the series-deciding contest. The Wings were held to only a pair of base hits, but were in the game until the Suns scored three in the sixth. It ended with a score of 4-0, the only one of four games in Jacksonville’s ballpark not to go into extra innings.

It was a bittersweet ending. The Red Wings were by no means considered a pre-season lock for a playoff berth and extending the regular-season champs to seven games was at least a moral victory. King had to be given credit for juggling the streaky team with all the injuries and transactions. Sisler was an unsung hero for the efforts he made to pick up help when the manpower situation mandated. And Baltimore received kudos for resisting the urge to raid the Red Wings for help in a disappointing year at the major league level.

Yet Rochester was not void of talent. Ward was the obvious star. The IL’s All-Star third baseman led the team in all Triple Crown categories at .328, 22, 89 and finishing fourth in the league’s Rookie of the Year balloting. He finished second in average and led the loop in doubles (34) and runs (114), the latter the IL’s highest total since 1955. After him were a number of solid offensive performers that helped the team finish third in average (.258) and fourth in home runs (134). Cal Emery (.292, 14, 62), Bob Savarine (.285, 11, 50, 90 runs), Joe Durham (.282, 17, 73), Danny Kravitz (.244, 18, 61), Sam Bowens (.269, 11, 49) and Ozzie Virgil (.268, 12, 58) all posted respectable numbers. More than respectable were the stats of Luke Easter. In basically a half season (248 at-bats), Luscious hit .282, with 15 home runs and 60 RBI.

Dick Luebke was the premier pitcher, notching enough innings out of the bullpen to win the league ERA crown at 1.80. Buster Narum was the top winner at 12-4, accompanied by a 3.83 ERA. Dave Vineyard showed superb promise in his half season, finishing at 7-2, 3.94. But the rest of the staff were barely .500 or below, as evidenced by Tom Baker (10-9, 4.17, mostly in relief), Herb Moford (10-11, 4.42), Art Quirk (7-6, 4.78), Nat Martinez (6-8, 4.70), Alex Castro (6-7, 3.45), and John Anderson (4-7, 4.02). With the shallow pitching, accompanied by the fifth-rated defense in the league, the Wings were as fortunate to do as well as they did.

Yet all was not sitting well with Clyde King. He had a single-minded determination to win, sometimes contrary to Baltimore’s desire to develop players. On the field he ran the club his way, without apologies. He was open about his managerial moves and always ready to later explain any questionable strategies. But in three years at Rochester, with third, fourth and fourth place finishes — even considering that those teams had to stretch to earn those positions — the grandstand critics had been out in full force, especially late in the 1962 campaign.

If, in the past, he had spoken up about those who booed him or his team, it was out of concern for his players. “They don’t bother me for myself,” he once stated. “What hurt was the effect it had on players.” Not particularly colorful on the field, his team took few chances. Nor was he imposing or charismatic out of uniform. He was, without a doubt, a solid baseball man, steady in his convictions. But to close friends he appeared to be losing enthusiasm over the past season. The catcalls from the stands began to affect him more. A day after local baseball writer George Beahon gave 100-to-1 odds against his return, King resigned as manager of the Red Wings, taking a position as a minor league pitching coach with the Cardinals.

It was not entirely unexpected, nor was it universally mourned. As his popularity decreased, some RCB board members had reportedly suggested it was time for a change. On his part, King agreed with the widely-held baseball theory that a minor league manager is good for only a few years in the same town. “It’s a simple matter of over-exposure to fans and city,” he explained. “I enjoyed Rochester and my family already is talking about missing it. But the situation was no mystery to me. You can’t stay too long in a minor league city.” He left with class, although agreeing with his predecessor, Cot Deal, that Rochester fans were critical — “They’re just tougher here, that’s all.”

Sisler wished him “every success.” The Wings’ general manager also stated the Wings would not begin to consider replacements immediately, as the long-awaited restructuring of the minor leagues, with accompanying changes in their relationship with the majors, was finally nearing completion.

Whatever happened, the deal with the Orioles was safe. “There’s no disagreement anywhere,” said Morrie Silver, who, along with Sisler, met with Baltimore brass in late October. “We haven’t had the talent we’d like to see here, and Baltimore had a rough season. But the Orioles have been 100 percent honorable with us. They have lived up to the letter and spirit of our agreement.” There was a year left on the working agreement, and the only adjustments would be within the structure of any rule changes in the new proposed standardized working agreement between the majors and the minors.

The new pact, in the works over the past two years and passed by the majors in May, was considered the “salvation of what remains of the minor league structure.” Rochester leadership would play an important role in the ultimate settlement. Sisler was named chairman of the minor leagues’ Player Development Committee, replacing Frank Horton, and the annual meeting and draft would be held in the city in late November.

The new deal would financially stabilize the minors yet, for all intents and purposes, remove any traces of independence. It eliminated the Player Development Fund payoff ($20,000 annually for the Wings), but increased compensation in other areas would more than make up for the direct cash infusion. The major leagues would pay the total training cost for the minor league teams as well as all salaries exceeding $800 a month. The third major financial commitment was for managers’ salaries. If the parent club appointed, or concurred in the selection of the manager, the major league club was responsible for paying all of the salary. The proposal, estimated Sisler, would have saved the Wings $30,000 over the past three seasons.

The plan, which was passed, also called for the reorganization of the minor leagues, a change that did not directly affect the Red Wings. Double-A and Single-A classifications were merged into Double-A, while B, C and D leagues were merged into Single-A. At the same time a new “rookie” level was created, giving major league organizations a place for their youngest prospects. The major leagues agreed to support a minimum of twenty clubs (matching the number of big league teams) in Triple-A, 20 in Double-A and sixty in the Single-A and rookie leagues. In return the majors would get greater access to purchasing players owned by minor league franchises.

Despite having no complaints with Baltimore, Sisler made it clear that even with the new agreement, the Wings would choose their new manager, not the Orioles. Any announcement was not expected until after the post-Thanksgiving meetings, but it was unlikely that any of the Baltimore farm club pilots would be moving up. In mid-November Sisler revealed that it was down to three or four candidates; among those rumored were former Red Wings Whitey Kurowski and Red Schoendienst.

Although the new arrangements were designed to save the minors, the Red Wings appeared to have turned the financial corner on their own. The November fiscal statement made that clear. RCB showed a profit of $32,386.98 for the season, although after property depreciation, the plus figure went into the books as $12,519.49. Income was down due to less playoff games, but the team managed to slash expenses by about $40,000. Attendance (272,819 including post-season) was the highest in the American minor leagues, and finished second in the entire minors only to a pair of clubs in the Mexican League. In Silver’s letter to the stockholders he noted, “submission of this report would be absolutely unfair without reminding shareholders of the gigantic tasks performed by our enormously capable general manager, George Sisler Jr.” Silver added, “I think it’s fair to say we have as solid a franchise as there is in baseball.” Sisler’s contribution was noticed by The Sporting News as well, which named him the minor league executive of the year.

(Silver may have solved one problem, but the Amerks, with whom he was still involved, were facing yet another problem. The American Bowling Championships were awarded to Rochester for 1966, the scope of which could only be handled by the War Memorial and it would tie up the building for 10 weeks in the months of January and February. The Amerks’ GM said the team could not afford to lose their lucrative post-holiday home dates and suggested that franchise would be forced to move. Silver, a director of the hockey club, said it gave part owner/parent club Toronto an out if it wanted one, and direly predicted Rochester could lose hockey as early as next season. Fortunately, after much wrangling, the American Bowling Congress agreed to a later start to the tournament.)

Nor was the ever-juggling Silver of the woods with issues confronting the Red Wings. The Triple-A American Association was on shaky ground after losing its Omaha and Louisville franchises and a merger of the two leagues was seen as a possibility. The deal appeared dead when the IL instead offered to absorb the four AA teams. The IL teams — especially the southern franchises — were concerned about greater travel costs.

It was a moot argument when on Nov. 29, 1962, after 61 seasons, the American Association folded. The IL’s bargaining position was crushed by the hardball tactics of the major leagues; the big leagues all but threatened to pull out of the circuit if it didn’t accept additional clubs. Ultimately it was decided the Triple-A level for 1963 would consist of two 10-team leagues. The International League took in Indianapolis and Little Rock, while the Pacific Coast League accepted Denver, Oklahoma City and Dallas/Ft. Worth. The IL did request — and receive — help from the majors in absorbing additional travel expenses, which the league estimated at $7,000 per club. But for the first time since 1887, the IL would open with 10 teams.

Even before the forced expansion, the league felt the need to watch and trim its expenses. Two days prior the league established a group — a finance committee which included Sisler and Silver — to “watchdog” costs and put operations of the league office on sound financial footing. The circuit also announced a change in the way gate receipts were paid. In the past, 20 cents of each admission went to the visiting team, with seven cents to the league office. From now on, the home team would keep all the gate receipts minus the seven cent league fee, except for games played on holidays, Sundays and openers. This would place an emphasis on improving attendance and would generate an estimated $13,000 more for the Red Wings.

It was a busy November. The Wings tied all loose ends during the month by naming a new field leader. On Nov. 21 Darrell Johnson was named manager. Despite Rochester’s rhetoric, the selection clearly had the Orioles’ fingerprints all over it. Johnson, 35, was traded to Baltimore early in 1962 and due to his background as a major league catcher, made bullpen coach. He played with the New York Yankees in 1957, 1958 and part of 1959. He was familiar with Rochester from a season (1954) and a half (1959) in Richmond. “I’ve always considered Rochester to be one of the best, if not the best, franchise in the minors,” said Johnson, adding, “I’ve never known better fans.”

He would immediately prove different from Clyde King in one respect. He indicated he would allow beer in the clubhouse, which had been dry, by one exacting estimate, for three years, three months and 29 days. “You don’t tell grown men they can’t drink beer or smoke,” he stated. “You’d only lose their respect when they cheated the rule.” Along with a new skipper, it appeared that new players would take the field at Red Wing Stadium in 1963. The Wings were busy early, in October picking up a pair of veterans from Omaha for a nominal price — one a 30-year-old first baseman by the name of Joe Altobelli.

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.