6-7-08 6-7-08
by David Trombley
In 1957, the Baltimore Orioles' organization supported eight minor league teams. Prior to the 1958 season, G.M. Paul
Richards made arrangements to add a ninth in Louisville (their second in class AAA) and send players to an independent
team. Those decisions had a ripple effect throughout their farm system and left a player personnel vacuum for their class
"C" Northern League affiliate in Aberdeen, S.D, and helped cause one to the worse starts, for a team, in minor league
history. It also led to the beginning of Billy DeMars' long time coaching career and helped the baseball maturation of
Orioles' farm hands Steve Barber, Bo Belinsky, Herm Starrette and Steve Dalkowski.
After one month of spring training in Thomasville, GA, Aberdeen Pheasants' manager Barney Lutz told the "Aberdeen
American News" that he was pleased to have experienced players in just about every position and "our mistakes shouldn't
be as glaring as they are with a younger club". Six of the players graduated from the class "D" Sooner State League
Champions at Paris, TX. Barney's hopes of getting Dave Nicholson, a recently signed bonus slugger, were dashed and he
went north with Bill Rozich (1b - .368 in '57), Tom Gonzalez (2b - .304), Dick Hernandez (2b - .264), Jim Strickland (SS -
.202), Charlie Johnson (LF - .280), Bob Beattie (CF - .300), Bob DelGobbo (OF -.232 ), Gene Madaio (OF/1b -rookie) Dan
Bishop (C - .247), Jim McClusky (C -rookie), Steve Barber (LHP - 4.56), Al Carden (P -5.14), Buzz Bartylla (LHP
-rookie), Don Reed (P -6.21/5.91), Phil Heisler (P -4.27), Bob Healey (P -rookie), Jim Sagedal (P -rookie) and Bill
McCullough (P - did not play in '57). Lutz was to begin his twentieth year in professional baseball having started as a
minor league player in 1936 and managed since 1949.
--------------------
Jim McClusky was born and raised in Washington, PA., was awarded a baseball scholarship to the University of Iowa in 1956 and was a freshman there in 1956-1957. He then decided to turn pro in the summer of 1957 and was signed by Paul Richards who wanted him to play everyday to get experience.
In spring 1958, he went to training camp with the Orioles in Scottsdale, AZ, and stayed there until they headed east at which time he went to Riverside, CA, to join the Vancouver Mounties. He opened the season there and was then sent to Aberdeen. McClusky was interviewed, via e-mail, in February-April 2007 for this article.
--------------------
Gene Madaio was born in Queens, NY, and was signed as a rookie by the Orioles prior to the 1958 season after a stint in the Army. Madaio was interviewed by e-mail and letter in February-April 2008.
--------------------
Madaio: "Most people don't realize when someone goes to spring training, not everyone is going to make a team. In 1958, there were four teams...in Thomsville, GA, - one "A", one "B", one "C" and one "D" club. With 18 players on each team and about 120 players...in camp, you were very, very happy just to make a team, contract or no contract. I was in the camp as a first baseman and most...other first basemen...had one year in the minors. But, because I was hitting good,...they made me an outfielder. One catcher...was a switch hitter and was said...he got [a] $2,000 signing bonus and had college offers...I can't remember his name, but he was sent home [in] the second cuts and because he took the...signing bonus, he was considered a pro without even playing one game of minor league baseball and could not play for a college team."
---------------------
Madaio: "When we broke spring training,... three new cars were bought in Georgia - one station wagon and two four-doors - which we were to drive up to S.D. Barney [Lutz] asked me to drive one car with three guys...after the second day around St. Louis, we got separated...(we were going to stop for one more night)...but we could not find the other cars. So we all decided to drive through all night...we got into town [Aberdeen] about 8:00 in the morning and the only thing we all wanted to do was see the field, so we found [it]...and could not get inside, so we went over to [the] Aberdeen newspaper and talked to Larry Desautels...who we saw at spring training. We asked him what would the team normally do and he said the club puts us up at the hotel for three nights until we find a place to rent. While I was there, I paid the newspaper to mail a copy each day home to my family and my mother, God bless her, is why I [still] have the articles and pictures of the early team."
--------------------
The opening day (April 27) starter was Bartylla who had previously played with the Cheney Studs (a famed Seattle amateur team) and as a semi-pro in Lockjaw. After six innings, with the St. Cloud (MN) Rox leading 2-1, rain and high winds hit Aberdeen causing a circus-like weather atmosphere that made it impossible to track down fly balls and allowed the Rox to circle the bases seven times. Finally, the game was called with the score reverting to the result at the end of six full innings. Officially, Bartylla pitched six innings and gave up four hits, four walks and one earned run. That freakish seventh inning was repeated many times during the first month of the season, but without the wind and rain.
After being rained out the next day, the Pheasants won their first game on April 29 which would be their last for the next eighteen games. Game two starter, Steve Barber, walked the bases loaded in the third inning, but escaped with a victory with 8 2/3 innings work (ten walks and seven strikeouts) in the 9-5 decision. Home runs by Bob Beattie and Bill Rozich contributed to the win.
Barber
-------------------
Jim McClusky: "I never found any of the pitchers difficult to catch. Steve Barber was wild early in his career. He had a
good curveball and his fastball was very heavy. Most pitchers throw a very light ball."
--------------------
Madaio: "A story about Steve Barber...he pitched in '58 with a full windup (like Paul Byrd of Cleveland does now). Steve's glove hand would stay up late and the ball would almost come out of his hand before the glove came down...it seemed like the ball was jumping at you real fast. I know, because I...faced him once in spring training and he struck me out. His fast ball would sink and that is why they say he threw a heavy ball. [However,] one pitch would be over the plate, the next pitch might be over the batter's head...he would walk as many as he struck out. ...when he went to spring training with the big club, someone had him pitch like Don Larsen (no over-the-head windup - he would start with his hands at his chest, leg up and throw). When I saw him on television pitching in the majors and throwing that way, it improved his control 85% and it made him a major league pitcher..."
--------------------
Then the three week long nightmare began:
April 30 (lost 9-1) - Starter Bob Healey allowed five hits, four walks and six runs in only three innings.
Healy
May 1 (lost 22-2) - In 32-degree weather, Bob Carden gave up five hits, nine walks and ten runs in 3 1/3. Reliever Bill
McCullough allowed four runs and got only one out. Phil Heisler was able to get two outs before six more runs scored.
The St. Cloud attack was led by John Orsino. Thereafter, manager Lutz called for mandatory practices each morning.
McCullough
May 2 (lost 15-0) - Bartylla's second start was a disaster (three innings, nine hits, four walks and ten runs). Don Reed gave
up one hit, four walks and five runs in one inning.
Bartylla
May 3 (lost 8-4) - Steve Barber gave the Pheasants a boost by going eight innings but walked eleven and allowed five runs. Yesterday's starter (Bartylla) was brought back for the ninth, but didn't get anyone out to give up three more runs on three hits and a walk.
May 4 (lost 13-0) - It was Bob Healey's turn to get bombed (1 1/3 innings, five hits and six runs) and Bob Carden gave up
six runs in 4 2/3 innings. One of the Pheasants few offensive weapons, Bill Rozich, left the game with a foot injury.
Playing for Fargo-Moorhead were two future major league players - Don Lock and Jay Ward.
Carden
May 5 (lost 10-1) - Jim Sagedal pitched 7 1/3 innings (his first start) and allowed nine hits, five walks and seven runs. The Pheasants had produced only eight runs in the past six games while giving up 77. While leaving the team for his aunt's funeral, Barney Lutz said: "We are more likely to get help with a record of 1-7...how much more help is needed to make team competitive?". The Orioles supplied three new pitchers: Ernie Breedlove, Allie Malavase and Joe Gussin.
May 6 (lost 5-3) - Aberdeen stayed competitive through eight innings, but lost on a bases loaded double by Minot's Chuck Hiller in the ninth. Newly obtained pitcher, Breedlove, allowed nine hits, one walk and five runs in 8 1/3..
May 7 (lost 9-1) - Steve Barber had a bad start which lasted 3 2/3 innings. He gave up six walks, four hits and seven runs. In an attempt to get some offense, catcher Dan Bishop played third base.
May 8 (lost 5-4) - Charley Johnson tied the score on a bases loaded single in the seventh, but the Pheasants lost to the
Minot Mallards in eleven innings on a run scored by Mike de la hoz (he had tripled). For the first time in many games,
there was an offense as Jim Strickland and Tom Gonzales hit back-to-back doubles in the first and Gene Madaio homered
in the fifth. Don Reed gave up seven hits, four walks and four runs in 9 2/3, but Don Carden did not hold the Mallards.
Strickland
Gonzales
--------------------
Madaio: "I hit a home run over a sign on the right field fence that offered $10...[Bob] Beattie said the money would go into a pool with fine money [money collected by the manager from fining a player for not following club rules] for a party at the end of the season. That was fine with me, but I wish I had stayed around to make that party..."
--------------------
Three players were released: Bill McCullough, Paul Del Gobbo and Buzz Bartylla who was released shortly before the
Orioles were due to pay him a contingent bonus. It was announced that the parent team would send former major leaguer,
Eddie Robinson, to trouble-shot the team.
Del Gobbo
-------------------
Madaio: "When you walked into our clubhouse, there was as sign over the door entrance [that read]: 'A Pheasant Today - An Oriole Tomorrow'...There was a picture on the wall with Don Larsen and Bob Turley...when they were minor leaguers for the St. Louis Browns."
--------------------
Charley Johnson
May 9 (lost 11-7) - Aberdeen scored their runs on only five hits as the Grand Forks' hurlers walked ten. Jim Sagedal
started but made it through only 2 1/3 (five runs on three hits and three walks). Relievers Phil Heisler and Gussin gave up
a run each inning they pitched. Outfielder Joe Lee joined the team having been sent down from class "B".
Heisler
May 10 - (lost 9-1) Grand Forks Chiefs' Tom Parsons pitched a five hit complete game. The Pheasants' Ernie Breedlove allowed six hits, three walks and seven runs in seven innings
.May 11 - (lost 10-5) Steve Barber was hit hard (three innings, six hits, four walks and eight runs) and first reliever Don Carden did not get three outs before he gave up six hits and two runs.
The Pheasants had now lost a dozen in-a-row with a season record of 1-13. Trouble-shooter Eddie Robinson told the
"American News"; "the Baltimore Orioles organization will do everything possible to put a winning team here (in
Aberdeen) - and soon." Eddie's appraisal of the team: "Pitching and infielders were needed. There are two good pitchers
(Barber and Breedlove) and two more are on their way (Bo Belinsky and Harry Guckert). The infield looks inadequate for
this league but the outfield would be OK." When told that a great many fans did not want Barney Lutz to return as
manager, he replied; "If Barney had the players he'd be a hero. Barney is doing all that can be done with this ball club.
What has to be done is give the poor guy some help in the way of talent."
Robinson
--------------------
Madaio: "[Robinson] helped me a lot...he showed me how to open my hips up faster by pointing my back foot a little more towards the pitcher. That night, when he was there, was the night I went 4-for-5...after my last at bat which I struck out...I came to the dugout and was told I would have broken the total base record in a game if I had gotten a double and tied it if I had gotten a single. After the game, Eddie came down to the clubhouse and shook my hand and said 'nice game'"
--------------------
McClusky: "I met Eddie Robinson in Baltimore's camp the spring of '58. I remember Eddie attending a few of the Aberdeen games, where he would provide comments to the players on their performance. My recollection was that his being in Aberdeen didn't add or detract to team performance."
-------------------
May 12 (lost 19-5) - Another bitter beating was administered to the Pheasants as Winnipeg scored four in the third and six in sixth off Don Reed (four innings, eleven runs, eleven hits, eight walks) and Al Malavase (1 1/3, five runs, five hits, eight walks). Steve Barber pitched the final 2 2/3 innings.
At this time, only two Pheasants' hitters had averages over .220 (Bill Rozich and Tommy Gonzalez) and five other starters
were hitting under .200. Pitching records showed Barber had allowed 55 base runners in 26 innings, Sagedal - 29 in 15
innings, Carden - 32 in 11 innings, Reed - 39 in 20 innings and Breedlove only 19 in 14 innings.
Rozich
It was reported that player movements would be completed soon as class "A" Knoxville would cut two or three pitchers, two outfielders and possibly an infielder. Dave Nicholson was hitting only .175 and was "over his head". He may have been one of the players that were available to the Pheasants. New pitcher Al Malavase, who was just out of the service, reported out of shape and was only being used in mop-up roles. Pitching was still the big need as their run production had been slowly improving. Manager Lutz did not want to give up on his outfielders: Johnson seemed to have found his batting eye, Joe Lee had shown power and Bob Beattie had too much potential.
May 13 (lost 12-7) - Pitcher Sagedal allowed seven runs, five hits and eight walks in five innings.
The Pheasants' president had recently been receiving "get well" cards.
May 14 (lost 7-6) - Julio Gotay's two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth stole a victory from the Pheasants who had actually led 6-4 after seven innings. Ernie Breedlove pitched a complete game (eleven hits and three walks). Charley Johnson finished the series with eight hits. Catcher Jim McClusky was placed on the injured list with a split finger leaving Dan Bishop (with a bad leg) as the only active catcher
--------------------
McClusky: "As far as my finger, it was the middle finger on my right hand. I don't recall who was pitching, but the pitch was way outside and there was a runner on third. I couldn't get my glove on it or my body in front of it so I tried to stop it with my bare hand. I stopped it, but when I reached down to pick it up, my finger was dislocated at the first joint. I had to go the hospital and have it set. It took 4 or five stitches to close the tear."
--------------------
May 15 (lost 8-6) - Again Eau Claire came back to win after Aberdeen led late. Steve Barber left after eight innings with
his team ahead 6-5 as he had given up eight hits and walked five. Don Reed allowed three runs on two hits in the ninth. A
famous name appeared in the box score as a relief pitcher for the Braves - Paul Dean (Jr).
May 16 (lost 11-5) - The streak now reached 17 even as Gene Madalo hit a home run, two triples and a single which led a
twelve-hit attack. Eau Claire, with Amado Samuel and Manny Jiminez, got only two more hits, but made them count. Joe
Gussin allowed seven runs on seven hits and five walks in 4 1/3. The first call to the bullpen, Jim Sagedal, got no one out
but allowed two hits and two runs. Finally after three more runs scored, Don Reed settled in and pitched the final 4 2/3 innings.
Madaio
--------------------
McClusky: "When I played for Aberdeen, the most important thing in each players mind was personal success. I don't think the players were upset about the poor record. The main thing was that we were going to get experience or at least we thought we were." [McClusky got few chances to play.]
-------------------
Madaio: "None of the players seemed down in that losing streak, we were all playing hard and trying to win, but don't think that we really had any players [that] were rah-rah, gun-ho that would get us going...the only one was [Bob] Beattie...We all couldn't wait to get to the ballpark and play."
--------------------
May 17 - postponed rain. Aberdeen got two pitchers from the Orioles organization - Harry Guckert and Bo Belinsky (then
known as "Bob"). Bo joined the team from Class "A" Knoxville who had cut players to reach their player limit.
Belinsky
--------------------
McClusky: "Bo Belinsky had a good fastball and a good slider. He had big league stuff. I, however, was surprised he made it to the big leagues because of his off-field activities."
--------------------
May 18 (lost 5-4) - The Pheasants had the tying run on third with one out in the eighth, but Fritz Ackley got the side out. Aberdeen's record was 1-19 after 18 straight losses.
May 19 (Won 3-0) - Finally the streak ended with Bo Belinsky doing the honors to scatter seven hits and two walks. The president of the Pheasants attended the game in Winnipeg which led to speculation that some changes would soon be made.
--------------------
McClusky: "Our [the players] daily [home] schedule started at about 10 in the morning, for breakfast at a little restaurant
[in Aberdeen] I can't recall the name. I do recall each of us ran a tab and paid it every 2 weeks. We usually sat around this
restaurant 'till or in the afternoon. If a new movie was playing we would go to it. If not, we would kill time by going back
to our room where we boarded. I remember that I had a room at the Wendts' residence. Bo Belinsky also boarded there. We
would go to the ballpark at about 5 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game. The games were usually over by 9:30 or10:00 p.m.. After
showering following the game, we would go back to the restaurant for a late dinner. We would get to our rooms between
12:00 and 1:00 am."
--------------------
May 20 (lost 7-5) - Two seventh inning home runs off reliever Don Reed ended Aberdeen's flirtation with a winning streak.
Ernie Breedlove allowed four Duluth-Superior runs in five innings. The Orioles assistant farm director, Harry Dalton, was
quoted as saying "...we have no help available now...other clubs in the organization will not give up players who are
capable of helping...we are doing everything possible to find you some replacements...we hope to have something to offer
in a few days."
May 21 (lost 12-1) - Eau Claire's Ernie Christoff had the Pheasants at his mercy by striking out 15. Steve Barber pitched
poorly (5 1/3, seven runs, ten hits, five walks). Don Carden (two innings, three runs) and Joe Gussin (2/3 innings, two runs)
didn't do any better. Season record: 2-21.
On May 22, after losing 7-3, the expected move was made - Barney Lutz would leave the team to manage a rookie league team in Bluefield, WV. This season was the fifth Aberdeen-managing stint for Lutz. Named to replace him was 32-year-old Billy DeMars who played in two major league seasons for the A's in 1948 and the Browns in 1951. Billy was known as a very good defensive infielder (he won fielding awards in the International and Pacific Coast Leagues), and would play shortstop for the Pheasants. The move was described in the "American News" as "a battle for survival of the Pheasants and is much bigger then one individual. The need to revive the fans interest must be achieved in time to prevent the folding of one of our finest recreations."
Lutz
--------------------
McClusky: "Barney Lutz was a great person and a keen student of the game. I loved Barney. The reason he wasn't successful in Aberdeen in '58 was that he didn't have the talent [good players]...Barney lived baseball morning 'till night. I respected him as a person. I always got the feeling that the Baltimore organization set him up to fail."
--------------------
Madaio: "...our starting pitchers were a little behind the other teams. If Lutz had the same pitching at the start of the season that DeMars had [later], Lutz would have had over a .500 record. For an example, the first battery we faced at home against St. Cloud was [Bob] Bolin and [John] Orsino. Both of them made the majors with the San Francisco Giants."
--------------------
DeMars
DeMars had been released by Vancouver on the Pacific Coast League to make room for some younger talent. His family got packed and were prepared to go to Ohio and conduct a search for a job. That's when his son Billy came down with measles and a doctor said it wouldn't be wise to travel for a few days. So Bill Sr. made a few visits to the Vancouver office to kill time and one of the club officials said: "Why don't you try managing?". "I'd sure like to" DeMars said , "but how do you get a start?" "Let's call Baltimore and see" the Vancouver official replied. So, they called Baltimore just when Orioles officials were searching for a replacement for Barney Lutz at the request of the Aberdeen team. Two days later the DeMars family were headed for South Dakota and a new adventure.
Bill reported that they stopped at Lemmon, S.D. and he got a copy of the Aberdeen American News. All he had been told about the Pheasants was that they were in last place. It was quite a shock when he found the standings and it read "2-22" for his new ball club.
--------------------
McClusky: "When Billy DeMars came to Aberdeen, it was his first managerial position in professional baseball. His own personal success was as important to him as the players success. DeMars was more successful than Barney because he had better players."
--------------------
The sports editor of the "American News", Larry Desautels, wrote that the Aberdeen board of directors had received much heat from the community for deciding to stay with the Orioles for the 1958 season. At the time of the decision in the Fall of 1957, Baltimore had two class "D" teams, one left in class "C" (the Pheasants) after Phoenix had been admitted to the Pacific Coast League, one class "A", one class "AA" and one in "AAA". After the agreement was signed, the O's sold their class "AA" team in San Antonio, added one more in "AAA" and added one in class "B". Then the former class "AA" team (who had become an independent) asked for help to survive and was granted several good players from the organization. In sum, the pool of teams needing players, "ahead" of the Pheasants increased from three to five. Desautels added: "in justice to the system's regular teams, it would seem only fair to recall some of those players in San Antonio, put them in class "A" (Knoxville) and send others down the line."
Desautels
Now that the manager situation was attended to, players were needed badly. Dan Bishop was still the only active catcher even though he was hoppled with a bad leg. It was hoped that Jim McClusky would return in a few days. Unfortunately, news was received that injuries to Knoxville players had curtailed plans for players being sent down from there.
May 24 (lost 8-5) - In Barney Lutz' last game as manager, Bo Belinsky had a 4-1 lead after six innings.
--------------------
Madaio: "In 1963 or '64, Lutz was traveling for the O's, holding tryout camps for minor league prospects. He came to Albany and held one on the field that the Albany Twilight League...played on. I was working and didn't get a chance to see him, but a father of a son I played against...asked Lutz if he knew me and he said 'yes', 'what happened to him?' and 'he was a good hitter.'...he was from Elmira, NY, not far from here. He was a good baseball man."
--------------------
May 25 (lost 4-2) - Steve Barber lasted seven innings with only three hits allowed, but he walked six.
May 26 (lost 12-2) - Ernie Breedlove did not make it out of the second inning before being clubbed for six hits, one walk and five runs. First reliever Al Carden then gave up a three-run homer to J.C. Martin and that was the ball game. The Pheasants played an errorless game as Billy DeMars became the starting shortstop. Three players were released: SS Jim Strickland, pitchers Jim Sagedal and Joe Gussin. Sore-armed pitcher Phil Heisler was also placed on the voluntary retired list which left the roster size at 16.
May 27 (lost 2-1) - Bo Belinsky should not have lost this game since he pitched ten innings before the winning run scored. He gave up seven hits and four walks. Winnipeg's starter Gary Willison also went the ten innings.
May 28 (lost 6-3) - Pheasant starter Harry Guckert had a 1-0 shutout after six innings. Three hits, two walks and an error in the seventh doomed the Pheasants again.
May 29 (lost 4-0) - Steve Barber got the loss but only gave up one earned run. The season record was 2-28.
Larry Desautels wrote: "New manager Billy DeMars has the club hustling and coming closer, but without hitting the Pheasants aren't going to win very many games. It's an odd thing that when the Orioles were the poor little Brownies without money and without very much playing talent, Jim McLaughlin [Orioles minor league executive] used to get a team together for Aberdeen some way or other [the Pheasants did not employ a general manager]. Since they have become the Orioles, with stepped up gate receipts and money to lay out $100,000 or more for top young prospects, Aberdeen has apparently become just a poor relation. What makes it rougher is that all other clubs (in the league) are getting help".
May 30 (won 11-6 and 7-1) - Ernie Breedlove and Don Reed pitched well in the game one. The Pheasants got sixteen hits with Bob Beattie hitting a long home run and two singles. DeMars hit a two run home run and even Breedlove had two hits. In the nightcap, Don Carden got an unusual chance to start and pitched his way out of trouble (left 16 opponent runners stranded) with seven hits and nine walks allowed.
May 31 (won 7-3) - Bo Belinsky pitched a nine inning complete game. He allowed five hits, three runs, three walks and struck out eight.
June 1 - rained out.
Larry Desautels reported that Billy DeMars' outstanding play at shortstop had plugged one of the weaker spots and the entire team had perked up under his leadership. "What these kids need most is some confidence" the skipper said after the May 30 double victory. "We are not going after a flock of new players. This team is just starting to play up to it's potential and will come a long ways (sic) yet."
June 2 - Lost 4-3 in the ninth inning.
June 3 - (lost 5-3) Steve Barber lasted 3 2/3 innings, walked eight and gave up four hits.
June 4 - rained out .
June 5 - Lost 5-2 and 7-0.
June 6 - Lost 10-2
June 7 (off day) - Injury-free catcher Jim McClusky returned to the active roster. .
June 8 (lost 1-0) - Belinsky allowed seven hits and six walks in another complete game. Season record was now 5-34.
June 9 - rained out.
June 10 (won 7-1) - Ernie Breedlove pitched a seven-hitter.
June 11 (won 5-4) - Al Carden gave up eleven hits and five runs in six innings. Future Oriole, Herm Starrette, made his first appearance for the Pheasants as a rookie professional. Winning pitcher for the Minot Mallards was another future major leaguer, Ron Taylor
.
Starrette
--------------------
McClusky: "Herm Starette was a smart pitcher and had excellent control. He threw a good knuckle curve."
--------------------
June 12 (won 7-1) - Belinsky won his third straight complete game. He allowed eight hits, five walks and struck out thirteen.
June 13 (lost 5-1) - Pitcher Phil Heisler was released and Bill Rozich was sent to Baltimore for medical tests. The Pheasants record was now 7-36.
The Pheasants average attendance placed them fourth in the league (6,948 in thirteen games). The team treasurer reported that the club was "on safe financial ground" through June. But things could get serious in July if the team was still in the doldrums. There were discussions on submitting the figures to the major league relief fund which was available to help faltering minor league clubs.
From June 14 to August 2, the Pheasants compiled a 21-30 mark. During that period, Steve Barber was sent to class "D" as his ERA for Aberdeen was 6.21. Highlights from the rest of the season:
August 3 (won 4-1) - Bo Belinsky: nine innings, four hits, three walks, ten strike outs.
August 7 (won 10-2) - Pheasants scored seven runs off Fritz Ackley in the eighth inning.
August 8 (lost 2-1) - Belinsky: seven innings, two hits and two walks
August 11 (won 5-4 and lost the second game) - Harry Guckert (from St. Johns U of NY) won his first game. He was now 1-12. Steve Dalkowski made an appearance walking nine with one hit and eight strike outs in 3 2/3 innings. Aberdeen was Steve's third stop of 1958 as he had started the year at Class "A" Knoxville and then was sent to class "B" Wilson, NC.
--------------------
McClusky: "Steve Dalkowski and I went to Baltimore's spring Training at Scottsdale in '58. We met again in Aberdeen. I
caught Steve a number of times that year. Steve was easy to catch. It doesn't matter how fast or wild a pitcher is ...if you
know what's coming. When a pitcher crosses a catcher up, that's when it becomes difficult. [He] was without question the
fastest pitcher I ever caught. He had a golden arm....once-in-a-lifetime pitcher. It's unfortunate he was so taken up by
alcohol. I remember he was scheduled to pitch in his first spring training game in Scottsdale and [he] stayed out the night
before drinking all night."
--------------------
August 13 (won 2-0) - In order to attempt to help the offense, a hitters eye (15 foot canvas) was added to center field (hung between the two flag poles).
Aug 16 (lost 8-7) - Dalkowski pitched three innings, walked thirteen, struck out nine and allowed three hits and seven runs
.
Dalkowski
Aug 21 - (won 2-1) - Dalkowski pitched eleven innings: five walks, 20 strike outs, three hits.
Aug 24 (won 6-3) - Dalkowski: nine innings, 17 strike outs, 13 walks, three hits, three runs.
Aug 26 (won 4-0) Belinsky pitched. There was a story circulated regarding Bo's attempt to purchase cigarettes in Jamestown, ND, earlier in the month. Belinsky didn't notice (or pretended he didn't notice) that a cigarette vending machine, in a cafe, was either being filled or repaired. The front of the device had been removed and set to one side. However, Bo walked up, put in his quarter and hammered vigorously on the thing when the smokes failed to appear.
Aug 28 (lost 6-1). Dalkowski: five innings, seven walks, five strike outs, five hits.
Aug 31 (lost 7-0 and 6-4). In the first game, Belinsky went nine with eleven hits, four walks, seven strike outs and only two
runs.
Sept 1 (won 3-1and lost 5-3) In game one, Herm Starrette threw eight innings and allowed five hits, one run and one walk.
Dalkowski started the season finale but lasted only 1 2/3 innings (six walks, one strike out, one hit). He walked five and hit
one batter.
The Pheasants ended the season with Bob White catching, Jerry Gilbert at first, Dick Hernandez at 2nd, Jim Dunlap at 3rd,
Wayne Coleman at short and an outfield of DeMars, Joe Pulliam and Charles Johnson. Bob Beattie was the first player off
the bench. Only Hernandez and Johnson remained regulars the whole season. The starting rotation that ended the year
was Belinsky, Dalkowski, Starrette and Guckert. The relievers were Don Reed, Ted Denney and Chuck Symeon.
Hernandez
Beattie
The final season record was 39-86 which was the seventh worst record in the 36-year history of the Northern League:
The teams' record:
Apr 30 through June 13: 7-36
June 14 through Aug 2: 21-30
Aug 3 through Sept 1 11-20
| 1958 Hitting | Pos-G | Bats | Age | AB | H | 2b | 3b | HR | Ave. | Slg. | Birth Place | ||
| Dan Bishop | C-80 | S | 20 | 254 | 71 | 12 | 0 | 2 | .280 | .350 | Springfield,MO | ||
| Jerry Gilbert | 1b-93 | L | 19 | 350 | 90 | 9 | 3 | 5 | .257 | .343 | |||
| Dick Hernandez | 3b/2b-119 | R | 20 | 446 | 99 | 26 | 2 | 3 | .222 | .309 | |||
| Jim Dunlap | 3b-46 | R | 22 | 158 | 37 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .234 | .272 | |||
| Billy DeMars | SS-81 | R | 33 | 240 | 62 | 5 | 0 | 4 | .258 | .329 | Brooklyn | ||
| Bob Beattie | OF-125 | R | 21 | 420 | 97 | 18 | 7 | 4 | .231 | .336 | Warwick, RI | ||
| Charley Johnson | OF-125 | R | 21 | 414 | 100 | 18 | 3 | 6 | .242 | .343 | Chester,PA | ||
| Joe Pulliam | OF-71 | R | 19 | 277 | 70 | 13 | 3 | 1 | .253 | .332 | |||
| Tom Gonzalez | 2b-52 | R | 20 | 185 | 43 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .232 | .330 | |||
| Wayne Coleman | SS-49 | R | 20 | 180 | 44 | 4 | 3 | 0 | .294 | .300 | |||
| Joe Lee | OF-44 | L | 21 | 151 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 5 | .258 | .397 | |||
| Bob White | C-46 | R | 22 | 148 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | .209 | .264 | |||
| Gene Madaio | OF-29 | L | 22 | 102 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 4 | .225 | .422 | |||
| Jim Strickland | SS-26 | R | 21 | 92 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .130 | .152 | Birmingham,AL | ||
| Jim McClusky | C-37 | R | 21 | 82 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 1 | .207 | .305 | Washington,PA | ||
| Bill Rozich | 1b-15 | R | 21 | 47 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .362 | .426 | |||
| Tom Ryan | ?-14 | R | 23 | 42 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .190 | .238 | |||
| Paul Del Gobbo | OF-10 | L | 23 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 | .250 | |||
| 1958 Pitching | Thrw | Age | G | GS | W-L | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | ERA | WHIP | Birth Place |
| Bo Belinsky | L | 22 | 27 | 24 | 10-14 | 181 | 148 | 45 | 6 | 79 | 2.24 | 1.25 | NYC |
| Herm Starette | R | 22 | 21 | 17 | 7-9 | 144 | 136 | 56 | 13 | 58 | 3.50 | 1.35 | Stateville,NC |
| Chuck Symeon | R | 22 | 19 | 15 | 7-9 | 113 | 92 | 40 | 12 | 64 | 3.19 | 1.38 | Stamford,CT |
| Harry Guckert | R | 23 | 38 | 12 | 3-12 | 135 | 142 | 58 | 9 | 59 | 3.87 | 1.49 | |
| Steve Dalkowski | L | 19 | 11 | 10 | 3-5 | 62 | 29 | 44 | 4 | 112 | 6.39 | 2.27 | MD |
| Steve Barber | L | 19 | 10 | 9 | 1-7 | 58 | 58 | 40 | 4 | 63 | 6.21 | 2.09 | Takoma Park,MD |
| Don Reed | L | 20 | 36 | 9 | 1-7 | 110 | 115 | 69 | 9 | 88 | 5.65 | 1.85 | |
| Ernie Breedlove | R | 21 | 11 | 9 | 2-4 | 55 | 69 | 41 | 6 | 31 | 6.71 | 1.82 | N.C. |
| Ted Denney | L | 21 | 18 | 4 | 3-4 | 49 | 48 | 27 | 5 | 41 | 4.96 | 1.82 | |
| Al Carden | R | 21 | 16 | 4 | 1-4 | 43 | 71 | 38 | 3 | 41 | 7.95 | 2.60 | St. Louis |
| Joe Gussin | R | 21 | 9 | 0 | 0-2 | ||||||||
| Al Malavase | 24 | 7 | 0 | 0-0 | |||||||||
| Jim Sagedal | L | 18 | 6 | 0 | 0-3 | ||||||||
| Dan Welsh | L | 21 | 6 | 0 | 1-2 | ||||||||
| Ed Bartylla | L | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0-2 | ||||||||
| Chuck Dobberstein | R | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0-0 | ||||||||
| Phil Heisler | R | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0-0 | ||||||||
| Bob Healey | R | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0-2 | Westlake, OH | |||||||
| Bill McCullough | R | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0-0 |
Total attendance for the year was 36,599 which was fourth in the eight-team league.
Larry Desautels wrote near the end of the season: "It is quite apparent that the time is long past for Philbert the Pheasant and Ollie the Oriole to part company. The Aberdeen club must get a different working agreement for next season." He claimed that the Orioles could have supplied good players had they not added teams to their farm system and that there was a small chance of a better team in 1959.
Larry felt that fan loyalty had saved the Pheasants franchise and his "American News" columns expressed pessimism regarding the future of baseball, not only in Aberdeen, but across the country: "Every paper you pick up reports crowds will have to improve or teams will fold. I don't think the difficulty is a lack of interest in the national pastime. It's more an odd financial situation. Baseball is still selling it's product to the customers at practically pre-war prices while operating expenses and salaries have more than doubled.... And yet, baseball cannot raise it's admission prices. The game must appeal to the average working man and when tickets are priced out of reach, the crowds fall off."
After the season was over, the future of the team was discussed at a community meeting. After it was decided that the Pheasants should continue for 1959, the board of directors asked "Shall we continue our agreement with the Orioles?". The team's president pointed out that he felt the Orioles had not provided the talent for which terms of the working agreement call, but he also emphasized that Baltimore officials had tried to make some amends by several cash donations. The result was that the team would show a deficit of about $5,000 for the year, including wiping out a $4,000 loss from a year ago. So, despite a dismal season, the Pheasants would come out of it with a net loss of $1,000. Others made comments explaining why the agreement should not be continued.
The remaining question explored was "Shall we attempt to find another major league partner?". The president said there were only four other team possibilities and if the group favored a change, these clubs would be contacted. It was also pointed out that no other club was going to give the Pheasants as good a financial deal as had been received from the Orioles and that the Baltimore brass did wish to continue the arrangement.
[The agreement between Aberdeen and Baltimore did continue in 1959 when they finished in second place with Earl
Weaver at the helm. The Orioles provided two big offensive weapons that year - Chuck Hinton and Dave Nicholson and
attendance jumped to 63,111. The arrangement eventually became the longest between a major league team and a minor
league affiliate as it lasted a total of 25 years until the Northern League ended operations after the 1971 season.]
What ever happened to?:
Billy DeMars was a minor league manager until 1968 when be became a long time major league coach (1969-87). He is now retired and lives in Clearwater, FL.
Steve Barber reached the majors in 1960 and played for fifteen years on seven teams, won twenty in 1963 with a lifetime record of 121-106, 3.36 ERA in 466 games, was on two All Star teams and led the AL in shut outs in 1961. He struck out 1,309 in 1,998 innings and walked 950, pitched twenty-one shutouts in 272 starts, lost two no hitters in the ninth inning. but was plagued by wildness throughout his career which ended in 1974. Steve died on Feb. 4, 2007, in Henderson, NV.
Bo Belinsky pitched a no-hitter in 1962 as a major league rookie and became a "friend" to many a screen starlet in the 60s [he was once married to a "Playboy" centerfold]. He pitched eight years with record of 28-51, 4.10 ERA on five teams, 476 strike outs and 333 walks in 146 games. Bo had many problems with baseball management and reporters, but acted in "Damn Yankees", "77 Sunset Strip", "Surfside Six" and some western movies. Bo retired after the 1970 season and became a drug and alcohol abuse counselor in Hawaii. He wrote the book "Bo" and worked in customer relations for an automotive company in Las Vegas for ten years before his death, caused by cancer, on November 23, 2001.
Herm Starrette returned to Aberdeen in 1959 and was with the Orioles from 1963-65 for twenty seven-games and forty-six relief innings, with an 2.54 ERA while only walking sixteen. While with the '58 Pheasants, he recorded a thirty inning victory over St. Cloud pitcher Gaylord Perry. Herm ended his career in 1966. Thereafter, he became a MLB pitching coach from 1974-97 (excluding the '82 and '89-'94 seasons) and now lives in Statesville, NC.
Barney Lutz was a minor league manager until 1960 and died from a heart attack on July 11, 1966.
Steve Dalkowski returned to the Pheasants in 1959 for twelve games (fifty nine innings, ninety nine strike outs, 121 walks, ERA of 5.64). He made eleven more stops in his career while he reached cult status. His fast ball, with little control, is part of minor league baseball history - 995 career innings, 1396 strike outs and 1354 walks. Earl Weaver takes credit for Steve's best year of 1964. Weaver, who was a believer in giving players IQ tests, kept his managerial instructions to Dalkowski very simple - throw a fastball and a slider and don't think about all the other pitches Oriole coaches had tried to teach him. That year, for three teams, he walked 92 in 135 innings and struck out 166. The next spring, while being taught to throw a curve, by another Oriole coach, Steve hurt his arm and never pitched after 1966. He is currently in an assisted living center, in Maryland, after years of alcohol abuse.
Jim McClusky played sparingly in 1958 and asked to be sent somewhere "where I would play everyday and they sent me to Dublin , Georgia. I played about a month there when I contacted spinal meningitis. That essentially ended my year and my career. I tried to come back the next year but it didn't work very well. (My second season in Aberdeen)." Regarding his teammates, he said "[I] never kept in contact after baseball." During the two years that he played baseball, he attended Iowa University during the fall and winter semesters and then left for spring training each February. Following his release by the Orioles after the 1959 season, he transferred to Washington and Jefferson College in his hometown of Washington, PA.
Jim graduated in the spring of 1962 with a B.A. degree in chemistry and physics and was married in his senior year. "My first job out of college was as an engineer at the Shippingport Nuclear Power Station. I worked there 3 years and decided that I wanted to get my advanced degrees. In 1965, my wife and I moved to Ames, Iowa to work at The Ames Laboratory of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. I worked there full time and was granted permission to attend school part time. I received a M.S. degree in engineering in 1968 and a PhD in engineering in 1971. For the next 30 years, I worked in the nuclear field.
Currently [April 2007], I am the Project Director for laboratory replacement facilities at The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory." Part of the agreement, when he signed with Baltimore was that they would pay for his undergraduate education. "From that perspective, I'm glad I played ball. On a personal note, I became disillusioned very fast with baseball."
Gene Madaio was released from the Orioles organization toward the end of the 1958 season after playing for Earl Weaver in Dublin (GA- FL League). [When Steve.Barber was sent down to Dublin from Aberdeen, he roomed with Gene.] The release was a surprise to Madaio as he had been a starter nearly all year for Aberdeen and Dublin. Weaver released him personally without a full explanation, according to Gene, but he has always felt that Weaver thought he was a bad influence for Barber because he was two years older and they occasionally went out for a couple of beers, but never missed a practice or were late for a game. To this day, he thinks he could have been "a fair pro-player" if he had been given the chance.
He was born in Queens, NY, and saw many Yankees, Giants and Dodgers games with his dad and uncles, but became a Dodgers fan. When he was nine years old, his family moved upstate to the Albany-Troy-Schenectady area where he has lived ever since.
In 1955, while playing in the Albany Twilight League [semi-pro], a Kansas City A's scout talked to him, but no contract was offered by the end of the season and he joined the U.S. Army where he served two years in the Army with the 3rd.Inf. Reg. Honor Guard Co. "A" at Arlington National Cemetery at Fort Myer, VA. The men in his company were selected to "walk" the The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and also participate in military funerals. He also played on the post's baseball team. In 1956, his club played against the Navy's Bainbridge Commodore's team who had Johnny Podres on their staff.
In February 1959, he checked into various professional baseball spring training camps, located in the South, but they did not allow walk-ons, he ran out of money and headed home. Madaio played semi-pro baseball until he was 50 years old making 14 all star teams in the Albany Twilight Baseball League ( www.albany-twilight.com ) which is the oldest continuous [since 1930] semi-pro baseball league in the U.S. Gene reported that a 1975 league yearbook was in a 2008 display at baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He also played soccer until age 45 years old in an 18-and-over league.
Gene worked for the Albany International Company .as a department supervisor for 38 years and wrote, in April 2008, that
at age 71, he is in good health having never smoked and "liked hitting in that [Aberdeen] ballpark. I had my best games
there and still have box scores and write ups from the Aberdeen newspaper." He also was one-for-one against Sachel Paige
as he face him during an exhibition game in Albany at Howkins Stadium.
Bill Rozich returned to Aberdeen in 1959 and ended his career in 1960 at class "B".
Charles Johnson finished at class "AA" in 1963.
Bob Beattie reached class "A" in 1962 and ended his pro years back with the Pheasants in 1962 and '63. He attended Northern State College and played football there in the Fall of 1958. The Orioles released him in the spring of 1959 and he then played in the Cleveland organization. In 1960 he was declared ineligible for college football, but later graduated from Northern and eventually earned his maters degree. Beattie settled in Aberdeen and, with his wife, raised a family while coaching at a local high school and at Northern. At age 58, he retired from the State of South Dakota's Department of Labor and moved to Sioux Falls.
Dick Hernandez ended his career in 1959 at Stockton CA.
Chuck Symeon pitched a few innings at "AAA" in '59 and ended his career in 1960.
Don Reed ended his career with the '58 Pheasants.
Ernie Breedlove finished his pro baseball career with the 1960 Pheasants.
Sources:
"Aberdeen American News"
"The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball" - second edition
The Professional Baseball Player Database
"The Minor League Register"
"Total Baseball" - sixth edition
"The Baseball Encyclopedia" - tenth edition
"Bill James Guide to Baseball Managers"
"Aaron to Zuverink"
"Aaron to Zipfel"
"Baseball Address List" - Number 9
E-mails with Jim McClusky from February 27 to April 2007
E-mail and letters from Gene Madaio from March to April 2008. Gene kindly provided most of the pictures shown above
of his 1958 teammates.