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Four Former Wings inducted into IL HOF

January 27, 2009

The International League announced today that 14 individuals, including four former Red Wings, will be inducted into the IL Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2009.

 

Former Red Wings Steve Demeter, Albert "Red" Schoendienst, Bill Short and Harry "The Hat" Walker join 10 others to be inducted during a series of enshrinement ceremonies to be held throughout the International League this season.

 

Steve Demeter was a three-time IL All-Star playing in 1,395 games in the League with Buffalo, Toronto, Rochester and Syracuse.  He was part of three Governors' Cup championship teams, two with Rochester 1964 and 1969, along the way.  Demeter hit .284 in 11 seasons with 159 home runs and 778 RBI.  He currently ranks 6th in RBI (367) and Hits (731) all-time in Red Wings history.  Demeter was inducted into the Red Wings Hall of Fame in 1990.

 

Albert "Red" Schoendienst was the IL Most Valuable Player in 1943 at the age of 20, leading the League in average (.337) and hits (187).  The shortstop began the following year by hitting a blistering .372 in 25 games before he was called to serve his country in World War II.  Schoendienst, known as "The Team", went on to be a 10-time All-Star with St. Louis, racking up 2,449 hits in 2,216 Major League games.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.  Schoendienst also has his uniform #2 retired by St. Louis and he was an inducted into the Red Wings Hall of Fame in 1990.

 

Bill Short was the IL Most Valuable Pitcher as a rookie in 1959, going 17-6 with a 2.48 ERA for Richmond.  Short would go on to win 13 games twice for Rochester including a 13-win season in 1963 to help lead the Red Wings to the Governors' Cup.  He would follow that up with another 13-4 record with a 2.92 ERA in 1965.

 

Harry "The Hat" Walker was the Red Wings player/manager from 1952-1955.  He was an IL Postseason All-Star in 1952 after hitting .365 and leading the Red Wings to the Governors' Cup and Junior World Series titles.  Walker's Red Wings won the pennant the following season, a year which included a franchise record 19-game winning streak.  He was also inducted in to the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame's inaugural class of 1989.  Harry Walker and Fred Walker, who was inducted in the IL Hall of Fame in 1947, become the first brothers to be inducted in the IL Hall of Fame.

 

A date for enshrinement ceremonies for the Class of 2009 at Frontier Field will be announced at a later date.

 

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