From Chapter 3:

1966-1970: Prosperity, and Finally, A Pennant

1966

New skipper Earl Weaver ran a tight camp, refusing to stand for any nonsense or loafing. Three players who appeared late were given five days extra duty, despite having what were termed “fairly acceptable” excuses for their tardiness.

The outlook for a good pitching staff had become fairly routine over the past few springs, but Weaver introduced the possibility that this club would steal bases. Davey Johnson, John Scruggs, Davey May and Mark Belanger were all on his wish list, with predictions of 30 thefts for each. Weaver would have one extra roster spot with which to work — in early spring the Triple-A player limit was increased to 21.

Weaver’s squad got off to a rough start, losing four of its first five exhibition games, including a 20-5 loss to Columbus. Nonetheless the Wings rebounded to finish with eight wins in 15 pre-season tilts. Weaver predicted that, with some help, Rochester would finish among the top three spots in the standings. League observers were less charitable, tabbing his inexperienced nine for sixth or seventh place.

It would be a young team. With Johnson capturing a spot in Baltimore, of the eight starting position players, six were rookies. There were only one-and-a-half holdovers: Steve Demeter at third, and John Mason in a left field platoon. Joining the solid Demeter in the infield would be Mike Epstein at first, Mickey McGuire at second and Mark Belanger at shortstop. McGuire was back after disappointing in two previous tries in Rochester. He still faced complaints about his perceived lack of range and was in the lineup primarily because deals for another infielder fell through. Belanger hit only .229 (with 29 steals) for Elmira the year before, but his status as a defensive infielder was unmatched, as evidenced by his nickname of “The Shovel.” Epstein captured two of the Triple Crown categories for the Single-A Stockton Ports in 1965, leading the league in hitting (.338) and home runs (30), and hitting the century mark in RBI. A late-spring trade brought third baseman Johnny Ryan over from Syracuse to serve as the utility man. Joe Altobelli was the player/coach and could fill in at first, but began the season on the inactive list. He took over for Luke Easter, who accepted a post with the club’s public relations staff.

Mason was the sole returning outfielder, sharing the left field job with John Riddle. Speedy glove man Scruggs was in center, while Dave May brought his impressive Single-A numbers (.335, 23, 105) to right field. Dunray Harris was the back-up.

Three of five hurlers in Weaver’s starting rotation were returnees to Norton Street: Steve Cosgrove, Tom Phoebus and Billy Short. Joining them were a pair of hurlers coming off magnificent seasons at Elmira. Right-hander Dave Leonhard notched 13 consecutive wins on the way to a 20-5 mark, leading the Eastern League in wins and strikeouts (209). Ed Barnowski (12-4) finished only two Ks behind Leonhard, despite pitching over 50 less innings. The strikeout total was not out of line for the right-handed Barnowski; he had 321 in 1964 at Single-A. The relief corps was a little more familiar. Dave Vineyard was joined by newcomer Harley Anderson as long relievers, while Ken Rowe and Bobby Scott would get the call in the late innings. Herm Starrette began the campaign sidelined with arm problems. Handling the staff would be catchers Larry Haney and Jake Martinez, the former making a comeback from a knee injury that limited him to 76 games with Elmira.

Barnowski got the nod as the Opening Day starter. He responded with the win in a 3-2 victory at Richmond. The Wings won their first three games and came north for their first home contest sporting a 4-2 record. Fan favorite Short was on the mound, yet on a cool but sunny day, only 5,907 turned out for a 4-3 loss to Columbus. Demeter hit two home runs in front of the smallest opening crowd in the 38 years on Norton St. Close to 10,000 were expected, but the public schools had not given their usual attendance releases to students. Johnny Clapp, Silver’s front office assistant, was “bitterly disappointed” with the turnout. Those in attendance saw, for the second time in two seasons, new headwear for the Red Wings. The new all-navy caps featured a symmetrical winged ball design.

Defense and superb relief pitching by Scott and Rowe kept the Wings in every game, as 10 of its first 20 contests were decided by one run. The Wings won five of those, but overall only nine of the first 20. The blame certainly couldn’t be placed on the starters. Phoebus fanned 16 in a May 7 win at Columbus, Short lost a seven-inning one-hitter (1-0) against Toledo and rookies Barnowski and Leonhard were showing great promise. Demeter, Haney (four home runs) and Mason were off to strong starts at the plate. The only player moves made in the season’s first month were minor: Altobelli was activated and catcher Bill Madden added from Toledo, with outfielder Harris and catcher Martinez shipped out.

Weaver claimed no worries, but after a May 16 one-run home loss against Jacksonville, he closed the clubhouse for a meeting with his squad. (He would later recall that Silver did not share his lack of concern. At one point, the RCB president called Weaver into his office and showed him a list of the IL’s top hitters, telling the manager he would go out and purchase the contracts of any two that Weaver desired. Weaver expressed his appreciation, but asked Silver to give the team some time.) An ensuing 0-8, 11-0 doubleheader split at Toronto displayed the inconsistency of Weaver’s youngsters. It was the fifth time the team had been blanked. Yet on the positive side Epstein had four hits in the twin bill, riding the crest of a wave in which he rapped out hits in 11 consecutive games, catapulting his average to a league-leading .364. Veteran leadership was seen as a possible solution and added when catcher Vic Roznovsky was brought in. He had been cut by Baltimore some two weeks before, but was optioned to Buffalo when Rochester said it didn’t have room for him. The Wings subsequently changed their stance, taking the veteran receiver and dropping infielder John Ryan.

June rolled around and the team continued to flounder under .500. A schedule of 12 games in seven days — 10 of those against the top two teams in the standings — promised to give Weaver some idea of his team’s true ability. The Red Wings opened with a 5-2 win against the first place Jets. The game was memorable for the temperamental Weaver’s first ejection of the season, with Coach Altobelli joining him in the clubhouse as well. Columbus drubbed the Wings the next night 16-1, before the two teams closed out the series by splitting a twin bill. The second place Mud Hens were next and Rochester took four of five in front of the Norton St. fans, bringing the team back to the break-even mark (26-26) and in fourth place.

After its slow start, the offense became the most pleasant surprise. Epstein and Demeter led or were among the league leaders in seven different departments, while McGuire had a 17-game hitting streak. On June 13, Epstein and Demeter were named to the IL All-Star team by the league’s managers. The same day saw a pair of players added to the Red Wings. With Johnny Riddle gone in a Baltimore deal, outfielder Mike Fiore was brought up from Elmira. The team also reclaimed a utility infielder by adding Hilario “Larry” Rojas from the Detroit organization. A spot for Rojas was expected to come from the departure of one of the team’s three catchers, but room was unexpectedly made with the departure of Altobelli. A managing job with the Orioles’ Rookie League team in Bluefield, West Virginia opened up and he accepted. Silver stated, “We hate to have him go, but this is his opportunity to make a career in baseball beyond that of a player.” Altobelli left after 3 1/2 seasons in Rochester. A day later Roznovsky was taken back by the Orioles, exchanged for fellow receiver Camilo Carreon. The swap helped the Wings by supplying another right-handed bat in the lineup.

Improvement was looked for among the hurlers, only one of whom (reliever Scott) had a winning record. There were, however, notable performances from some: a 12-strikeout seven-inning game by Barnowski, five straight wins by Short. Fortunately the league was tightly-bunched and when Phoebus (five wins in six decisions) and Vineyard (six perfect innings in a seven-inning doubleheader game) began to perform consistently, the Wings vaulted above .500 and into second place. Leonhard became the fifth starter, but when he left to fulfill a two-week stint with Army Reserves, his spot was taken by right-hander Ricardo Delgado from Elmira, where he was 5-2, 1.30.

(Time missed for reserve commitments would become a way of life for minor league clubs during the next few seasons. Most players eligible for the draft during the Vietnam War entered the reserve components of the armed forces, most commonly the Army Reserves. The return obligation was an initial six months of basic training and, for the next five years of the six-year term, they were required to attend one weekend meeting or four weekday meetings each month, along with two weeks of active duty for training. While major league players could be used in public relations roles and work the two weeks of active duty into their off-season schedule, many minor leaguers weren’t that fortunate.)

That pitching rotation unfortunately had a short life. On June 29, Billy Short (8-5, 2.87) was recalled by Baltimore, with Frank Bertaina coming down in his place. Barnowski continued to shine, winning six straight starts, but the bullpen began to falter. Scott was no longer untouchable (showing the first signs of a stomach disorder which would cause him to drop 25 pounds) and a shortage of southpaws hurt. Nagging injuries to Epstein and Demeter caused the offense to sputter as well. Nonetheless the team managed to remain in contention for second.

As the season moved deeper into July, Toronto and Toledo closed in the Wings. The standings saw daily shifts among the three teams. The competition revived fan interest and on July 8, the largest crowd of the season (as well as the largest fully-paid count in “many, many years”) — 8,689 — watched the team beat Buffalo. A cluster of wins could make for a fast rise in the standings and when the Wings took six in a row, they moved back into second place, only two lengths behind front-running Columbus. The last win in the streak (July 23) was highlighted by Bertaina’s 17-strikeout performance, snapping a 78-year-old club record. After only three Ks in the first three innings, the lefty mowed down 13 in the next five frames, before closing with the single record-breaking strikeout in the ninth.

Two nights later the ballpark was packed, even to the point of allowing the overflow to spill out into a roped-off area of the playing field. The occasion was the exhibition game with the Orioles, run-away leaders in the American League. A crowd of 14,330 watched the Wings win 7-6 in 13 innings, with the high point a moon shot by Epstein over the center field wall. After the one-night interruption the Wings resumed their homestand by taking three of four in a pair of back-to-back doubleheaders against Columbus. Nearing the season’s last full month, this Rochester squad was in the best position in a dozen years for a legitimate run at a league flag.

Even the loss of its starting catcher (Larry Haney to the O’s; pitcher Paul Knechtges added from Elmira) failed to slow the momentum. Weaver’s nine went on the road, opening in Toledo, where on July 28, a Red Wing hurler pitched the franchise’s second historic game in less than a week. Vineyard tossed a nine-inning no-hitter against the Mud Hens in the nightcap of a twin bill. It was the first Red Wing no-hitter since John Miller’s seven-inning performance on July 26, 1964; the last of a nine-inning variety was Duke Markell’s on April 29, 1955.

Four straight wins in Toledo (and seven overall) bought the team to within a game of Columbus, the next destination. Barnowski captured the series’ opener — his 10th victory in 11 starts — pitching the Wings to a 3-1 win that left the team .002 percentage points behind the Jets. That miniscule margin was erased the next night by Bertaina, who shut down the Jets 2-0, in the process winning his seventh game in the eight decisions since his demotion. It was Rochester’s ninth consecutive win and 15th in 17 games. It seemed a harbinger of a final-month runaway. The Wings had four of the league’s top seven hitters (McGuire .314, Demeter and Epstein .313, Mason .310), along with what Weaver considered the circuit’s best defensive team. And finally, reliable pitching.

Columbus was not party to the arrangement however, and despite Epstein’s 18th home run the next night, closed out the three-game set with a 4-3, 12-inning victory that thrust them back into the top spot, again by the slimmest of margins. Toronto closed in as well and the race came down to the three teams. Rochester received a set-back when Belanger jammed his fingers on a tag play at second; in the same game outfielder Fiore broke his thumb in a diving attempt at a shoe-string catch. Fiore, who had nine home runs to his credit, was out for the rest of the season, while Belanger was day-to-day. Curt Motton (.297, league-best 12 home runs) was called up from Elmira, but until his arrival the Wings were down to three outfielders and only one pinch-hitter.

The pitching walked a fine line as well. Scott came off the disabled list after a three-week stay in the hospital with stomach ulcers. He was clearly far from his earlier form and would return to the disabled list within three weeks. Herm Starrette likewise returned from the sidelines, but as a full-time coach. It was finally accepted that his arm was gone. Bullpen shortages in Baltimore made the recall of “Batman” Bertaina a possibility; that scenario was made even more likely when Billy Short was sold by the Orioles.

Barnowski carried on as the staff’s workhorse, winning number 15 on Aug. 20. Phoebus continued his strong second half and took over the league lead in strikeouts. He also tossed the team’s second no-hitter of the season on Aug. 15, when he beat Buffalo 1-0 in a home seven-inning doubleheader game.

Offensively, Demeter (the team’s “heart, soul and courage”) and Epstein shouldered the load. On Aug. 11, with Toronto one inning away from closing to within a single game, Demeter stroke a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth to give Phoebus his 10th win. The next night Epstein had four RBI in a defeat of Buffalo. Four days later the first baseman had a pair of home runs in an 8-6 conquest of the Maple Leafs.

But Belanger’s hands didn’t respond to treatment and Bertaina finally went up on Aug. 25. Mason and McGuire (Weaver’s pick as team MVP) filled in at short until Belanger returned. Fred Beene came up from Elmira in Bertaina’s place. The diminutive right-hander, who had a 10-12 record despite a 1.94 ERA, went all nine innings and won his first Triple-A start the day after his arrival. Three wins against last place Syracuse took the team back into first place on Aug. 28, a game ahead of Columbus and Toronto.

Two losses followed and dropped the Wings in the standings, with Toronto occupying the top spot for the first time all season. The Maple Leafs’ stay was short — one day — as Columbus grabbed first. The Jets’ hold on first was equally brief as the Wings reclaimed the summit the next day. Rochester solidified its hold with a pair of home wins over Syracuse, including a 9-3 triumph in front of 14,595, the largest non-opening day regular-season crowd since 1953, the last pennant year. The team could have clinched the next night with a defeat of the cellar-dwelling Chiefs, but the visitors scored one in the ninth to snap a 1-1 tie. For the fifth time in six years, playoff positioning would come down the season’s final day. But this time a long-awaited pennant was at stake.

Both the Jets and the Maple Leafs were a game back, leaving the possibility of a three-way tie. Columbus was in Richmond for its final contest, while Toronto visited Buffalo. Determined to avoid drama, the Red Wings jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the Chiefs behind home runs by Belanger and Epstein. With the score 10-2 in the eighth, Weaver was given a huge ovation as he came out to take his spot in the third base coaching box. Syracuse delayed the celebration by scoring five in the ninth to make the final score 10-7, but when it was over the bulldog manager was brought out for multiple curtain calls by the crowd of 12,184. The win was necessary, as both Columbus and Toronto won their final games. Weaver’s squad won 29 of its final 47 games to finish with a record of 83-64, claiming the 13th International League pennant in franchise history.

A single day of rest was awarded before the team began the best-of-five semi-final series with fourth place Richmond. It was not the best possible opponent for the Wings, as the Braves had decisively taken the season series. A letdown was perhaps inevitable and the sharpness displayed in the stretch drive was nowhere in evidence for Game One. The Wings committed four errors and the visitors scored all of their runs in the sixth inning of a 6-2 win. The Braves put up early runs the next night, doing all the damage the first five innings en route to a 4-1 win.

Beene followed Barnowski and Phoebus in the rotation. He kept the Wings alive with a 8-1 win in Richmond in Game Three, paced by five runs in the seventh and four Epstein hits. Leonhard started the fourth game and pitched marvelously, allowing only five hits and one run, but the sole tally was all the home team needed. Richmond shutout the Wings 1-0, knocking the pennant-winners from the Governors’ Cup playoffs.

It was a disappointing end, but the loss could not dull any of luster from the team’s accomplishments. The first pennant in 13 seasons was accomplished with a team of primarily Triple-A rookies, picked for the second division in the pre-season. “I gave these kids a lot of hell this year and all they did was go out and win more games than anybody else,” said Weaver after the loss. “I can’t yell at them now.” The last month of the season was an “outstanding exhibition of hustle and courage,” wrote one Rochester sportswriter. It was partly the pennant push that left, admitted one rookie, “the tank... empty” for the post-season. But instead of focusing on the negative, attention was already on next year. With few changes expected from the soon-to-be crowned American League champs in Baltimore, most of the 1966 Red Wings were expected back.

There were numerous heroes on this team, which finished second in the league in batting average (.259), second in runs (607) and third in home runs (126). The outfield became a source of unexpected contributions, as the versatile John Mason (.298) closed the campaign as the regular center fielder, flanked by youngsters Davey May (.274, 11, 36) and Curt Motton (.337, 4, 13). But the brightest light among the 1966 Red Wings was Mike Epstein. The first-year slugger hit .309 and led the league in home runs (29), RBI (102) and total bases (268). He was the circuit’s overwhelming choice as Rookie of the Year, all-star first baseman and Most Valuable Player. His MVP selection represented only the fourth time in 35 years a Rochester player won the award, joining pitchers Dominic “Mike” Ryba (1940) and Tom Poholsky (1950), and shortstop Red Schoendienst (1943). In November, Epstein was tabbed by The Sporting News as the Minor League Player of the Year.

Infield mates Steve Demeter (.313, 18, 90, 91 runs) and “Remarkable” Mark Belanger (.264, 80 runs, 19 steals) joined Epstein as IL all-stars. Demeter was the league’s top vote-getter, garnering 27 of 29 votes at third base. The two left-side fielders helped make the Wings far and away the league’s best defensive club. The team finished with a fielding percentage of .980, .005 points ahead of the nearest team, with Belanger and Demeter compiling the best fielding marks at their respective positions. The Wings came close to having the entire All-Star infield: Mickey McGuire (.307) lost by one vote at second base. (In an all-star squad later named by the National Association of Baseball Writers, McGuire was selected, along with Epstein, Demeter and pitcher Ed Barnowski.)

In other International League balloting, Barnowski finished second for Most Valuable Pitcher. The right-hander closed with a 17-8 mark, a 3.23 ERA and 176 strikeouts. Tom Phoebus (13-9, 3.02) topped the circuit in strikeouts, sending 207 batters back to the dugout. Sterling partial-season performances by Bill Short (8-5, 2.77) and Frank Bertaina (9-2, 2.84) filled in the gaps, along with occasional flashes of brilliance by Dave Leonhard (9-7) and Dave Vineyard (6-9).

As great as the turnaround on the field was, the improvement in the financial status of the franchise was even more amazing. A final regular-season attendance count of 254,421 (264,509 including playoffs) placed the club once again at the top of the league’s attendance chart, as well as among the American minors. The figure represented a 50,000 increase over 1964, but even so, no one was prepared for Silver’s announcement of Dec. 5.

Rochester Community Baseball, revealed Silver at his press conference, realized a gross profit of $161,472 for the 1966 season. Even after the team’s $47,000 tax bill, the net profit was far and away a record figure: $113,772. The windfall helped the Wings retire the $110,526 deficit with which it had begun the season. Silver estimated that Rochester’s profit was a sum greater than the returns of all other minor league franchises put together.

The extraordinary balance sheet warranted attention throughout the baseball world. Bing Devine, president and general manager of the New York Mets, said, “I’m astounded. This must be THE baseball story of the modern era. I’ve always had the greatest respect for Morrie and counted myself lucky to call him a close friend. But this is stunning news and no one but a Morrie Silver could have done it.” Harry Dalton, Baltimore’s vice president, reacted, “I could not be happier at the news of Rochester’s financial success. It’s a testimonial not only to the great, great work of Morrie Silver, but to the fans, the community and to baseball.

“I’ve always believed that a good baseball team can make a go of it in a good baseball town,” Dalton continued. “I believe Rochester may be the very best baseball town in the country.”

When asked the secret of his success, the modest Silver, as was typical of his style, spread the credit. “The fans were there. And we operated efficiently,” he said in an understatement, adding, “And we were lucky.” He gave special credit to his ballpark employees and singled out Rochester’s industrial and business community for its support. (His incredible success in getting local companies to sponsor promotions centered on his personal integrity and reputation — as one businessman put it, “If it’s worthwhile to Morrie Silver, it’s worthwhile. Period.”)

Equally impressive was the fact that the same austerity budget that righted the club’s financial ship actually improved things for the fans. Promotions that gave free or reduced admissions to children and senior citizens continued. “Baseball belongs to the community,” said Silver. “Nobody should have to do nothing because he can’t afford a ticket to the ballpark. Sometimes kids, sometimes older people just can’t afford that ticket. They’ll never miss a game because they can’t afford it if I can help it.”

The fans figured into Silver’s future plans as well. Pointing out that Red Wing Stadium was over 40 years old, he stated, “These are major league fans. They deserve everything that major league fans deserve and we will do everything we can to give it to them.” He announced ambitious plans to upgrade the ballpark into what he considered a major league facility. Upwards of $35,000 were to be spent on the ballpark in 1967 and, Silver further stated, “before it is the stadium Rochester baseball fans deserve, we will spent over $300,000 on it.”

But behind all the promotions, all the plans, the simple fact remained that the Red Wings made money because Morrie Silver, some said literally risking his life, worked as many hours of the day as were needed to make it all work.

Unfortunately the Rochester success was the exception in the International League, rather than the rule. The circuit was slowly separating into the haves and have-nots. Syracuse, Toronto and Buffalo were said to be in financial straights and rumored to need league funding in order to operate in 1967. The constant financial worries forced some of the operators into conservative mindsets. During the off-season some IL directors made it known they wanted to further reduce the schedule to 140 games, while one general manager proposed doing away with the playoffs. Silver called a league meeting in Buffalo a “shambles of negative thinking” — the idea that less games meant less money lost. He vowed to fight both moves, but lost the schedule fight, as by a vote of 5-3, the directors shortened the slate to 140 games.

The all-star game against a major league opponent was also scrapped, in favor for a North-South intra-league contest. On the positive side, the post-season was preserved, with discussions about resuming a Junior World Series with the Pacific Coast League. Commissioner George Sisler’s contract was extended and Morrie Silver re-elected a league vice president. And in a curious combination of managerial musical chairs, Earl Weaver, who was rehired in November, was suddenly the dean of IL managers with only one year under his belt. All of the other seven teams would begin the 1967 season with new skippers.

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.