Stengel heads PCL Hall class
Wheezer Dell and Dolly Gray, two of the circuit's greatest pitchers, along with beloved long-time Oakland Tribune sports cartoonist Lee Susman, are also being recognized for their distinguished service during their careers in the PCL.
Nationally recognized for his ingenuity and off-beat personality, Charles "Casey" Stengel, managed the Oakland Oaks for three seasons and compiled a 321-236 record, winning a Pacific Coast League Championship in 1948. The following season, the "Old Perfessor", a nickname from his playing days when he was known as a jokester on the field, signed on to manage the New York Yankees where Stengel went on to win seven World Series titles, including five straight. Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966 by the Veterans Committee, Stengel managed over 30 seasons in professional baseball, winning more than 2,300 games in his vaunted career.
A highly successful right-handed pitcher in the Pacific Cost League, William "Wheezer" Dell played for Vernon and Seattle from 1918-1924. Dell compiled a 138-94 record with a 3.13 ERA and 802 strikeouts in his seven seasons and helped Vernon win back-to-back PCL titles in 1919 and 1920. During the 1921 season he won a league high 28 games with a 2.95 ERA. Prior to playing in the PCL, Dell pitched for six seasons with Brooklyn and St. Louis in the National League.
William "Dolly" Gray was another highly successful pitcher during the early years of the Pacific Coast League. Gray pitched nine seasons for Los Angeles, Vernon, and Oakland from 1903-1913 and won four league titles with Los Angeles in 1903, 1905, 1907, and 1908. He won 155 games in his nine seasons including a league high 34 in 1907 for Los Angeles and tallied 1,021 strikeouts.
Leland "Lee" Susman was a Sports Cartoonist for the Oakland Tribune, a position he held for more than 35 years. His famous "Little Acorn" mascot was introduced for the Oakland Oaks and his work would expand to other franchises and be featured on the covers of programs for the Sacramento Solons & San Francisco Seals. At the time, and even more than fifty years later, Lee's artistic contributions have come to symbolize the Post-World War II Pacific Coast League, and a simpler time in America.
The 2008 inductees to the Hall of Fame were selected by the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame Committee, a blue-ribbon panel composed of Minor League Baseball, Coast League, and National Baseball historians. More information on the PCL Hall of Fame can be found on the League's web-site: www.pclbaseball.com
Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame
2008 Inductees:
Wheezer Dell (inducted as a player)
Dolly Gray (inducted as a player)
Casey Stengel (inducted as a manager)
Lee Susman (inducted as an executive)
About the PCL Hall of Fame: The Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame was created in 1936 by the Helms Athletic Foundation located in Los Angeles, California, which at the time also operated Halls of Fame for Major League Baseball, Golf, College Basketball, Tennis, Swimming, Auto Racing, Professional Football, Track and Field, and College Football. In 1952, the PCL Hall of Fame ceased operation, but was brought back in conjunction with 2003's Pacific Coast League Centennial Celebration. The Hall currently consists of 74 members and includes such luminaries as Joe DiMaggio, Lefty O'Doul, Steve Bilko, Casey Stengel, and Tommy LaSorda.