Frosty hit his 60 in 1956 and made his way into the record books. Following are published news paper articles printed 1957 and after.
March 11, 1957- __________________ by George Leonard—The job of coach—and it’s a mighty important one-remained unsettled as the Nashville Vols took their second spring training workout Monday morning. A total of 34 players, including manager-first baseman dick Sisler.---The tenth man to slam 60 or more home runs in one season joined the Vols for their inaugural drill Sunday. He is 28-year-old Forest (Frosty) Kennedy, who pounded exactly 60 for Plainview, Texas, in the class B Southwestern League last year. Oddly, he collected 184 hits and knocked in that number of runs. Kennedy is a right-handed hitter with several outstanding minor league batting feats to his credit. For instance, he hit .411 for Plainview in ’53. He also banged 48 homers for Amarillo in 1955. Kennedy started the 1950 campaign with Atlanta but was set back by arm trouble. This, he says, was cured long ago. He came to terms recently with Cincinnati scout Dick King, who contacted him at his Fullerton, Calif., home. Kennedy is an outfielder and infielder. “I play mostly first or third,” he said. “Nobody is going to beat out the manager. So I’m a third baseman this year.”
March 13, 1957-The Nashville Banner, by George Leonard (Banner Sports Writer)
Brooksville, Fla.—Newly-arrived and newly-married Harvey Zernia, 30 year-old veteran of 11 seasons in the minors, took his first workout with the Vols today and said, “I’ ready to play wherever Dick wants me to” Zernia has performed at seven positions in his career. Every spot but pitcher and catcher. He was purchased from Seattle where he played only briefly in 1956. “The manager (Luke Sewell) did’t like me,” said Harvey, who’s a slender, tall, left-handed batting, right-handed throwing handyman. It may turn out that he and Forrest (Frosty) Kennedy will battle it out for the third base job. Zernia was married March 2 in Seattle. For both him and his wife it was their second marriage. He said he would adopt his wife’s eight-year-old son, Darryl, who is with them here. Vol holdover second baseman Larry Taylor arrived in Brooksville at 5 am Tuesday after driving straight through from Nashville. Took a three hour drill starting five hours later and at 4 pm was back at the field to assist the high school coach, Tom Varn, with his team. Because of the absence of Julio Palazzini, Tayulor will play shortstop for a while. Larry recently finished another quarter toward a master’s degree at Peabody. He needs one more.- - - Right fielder Roy Parker displayed a strong throwing arm as the outfielders cut loose with long pegs.--- General manager Bill McCarthy says pitcher Dick Mills can’t be classified as a holdout. “His problem is the same a Jack Hollie, Bill said. They haven’t decided whether they want to play ball this tear.” Veteran Bob Kelly has been offered the same money he made in ’56. He is getting started in the insurance field, however, and may not return to baseball. He seems to realize McCarthy can hardly boost his offer.
March 14, Thurs. 1957- NEWCOMERS STARTING SCRAP FOR VOL JOBS (by George Leonard) Dick Sisler’s big 40-man squad opens fire today on a common target: A berth on the Nashville Vol roster of 20 players who will open the Southern Associations season on April 12. The new manager brought a team of 22 here for the start of the 20-game exhibition program. The opener is with the Detroit B squad. Other spots will be bolstered when Cincinnati slices its squad or when affiliates Seattle and Havana cut down. For the next month, Sisler will be weighing the merits of numerous first-year Vols including several with a number of years experience. In this group are Roy Parker, Forest Kennedy and Vic Commoli. This is their month to make the ball club. After the Wednesday workout, fourth lengthy batting, pitching and fundamentals’ drill held by the Vols, Sisler was asked if any of the faces had particularly impressed him to date. “It’s a little too early to make any positive statements,” Dick replied. “These exhibitions will give me a good idea, though, of the men we can count on. “I’vie liked the way (Charlie) Grant swings a bat. Kennedy has looked good along with young Jim St. Clair, the outfielder from Savannah. Parker has been hitting some tremendous drives. But I must see them swinging at something more than batting practice stuff. Can the hit the curve ball?” Third base is the main problem since Tommy Brown’s sale to the Chicago White Sox. The deal was conditional. The White Sox don’t have to make up their minds until April 15, but the odds are they’ll keep the popular Tommy. Sisler had Kennedy, Grant, Nicholas and Harvey Zernia working at third on Wednesday. Sisler name the following pitchers for Friday’s Brookesville exhibition with Chattanooga. Ivan Mills, Steve Kormanik, Jim Phelan and Jack Mehl. Veteran outfielder Schmees took a turn on the mound Wednesday.
April 18, 1957 ___________________Savannah Evening Press, by Richard Conley-What very well may shape up into a hot race for the Sally League home run title began last night in Grayson Stadium. You could say the race is on between Savannah’s Frosty(Tobacco Man) Kennedy and Jacksonville’s Ed Barbaritol each got his first round tripper of the year last night. Barbarito hit 29 to lead the league in 1956, but Mr. Kennedy made like Babe Ruth and hit 60 while in the Class B Southwestern League last season. Kennedy has said that he will lead this league in something, and he should know what before too long. Frosty, always noted for his hitting ability, is more concerned with becoming a good glove man at the first base post. He’s been more than satisfactory in this department so far. Kennedy’s homer last night was just one of many as the Savannah Redlegs ganged up on four Jacksonville pitchers to pound out an 11-4 win and move into a tie for first place with the Braves. Both clubs are now one and one. The other six teams into action for the first time tonight. Jacksonville packed up its gear and loaded its players, including Howard (Elvis the Pelvis) Bedell, following last night’s games and headed home. The Graves will open their home season Saturday night with the Redlegs as Guests. Manager Jimmy Brown announced that he will send right hander Willie Powell against the Braves Saturday night. In the flood of homers last night, one stood out from the rest. That one was a grand slammer by Savannah left fielder Cliff Cook, the first of the season. Cook’s four-run blow came in the first inning after lead off man Chico Cardenas had homered and Pierre Ethier and Curtis Flood gad singled and Kennedy had been hit by a pitch. The Redleg batted around in the first and the hit garage included a single by catcher Dick Bush Jacksonville was never in the game after the opening frame. Cardenas walked in the second, went to second on an infield out and home on Kennedy’s single to put the Redlegs ahead, 6-0 Two more Savannah runs came across in the fourth on two walks and singles by Ethier and Flood. The last three tallies came in the eighth on the homers by Kennedy and bush. Flood, who had singled, scored on bush’s round tripper.
April 26, 1957- SPORTS BEAM Evening Press Sport’s Editor Richard Coney---CHALLENGE FOR FROSTY: If Savannah first baseman Frosty Kennedy wants to eat a steak in one of the best night spots in Jacksonville, then all he has to do is be leading the Sally League in home runs come August 23. A Jacksonville sports writer viewed Frosty’s record of 60 homers last season to lead the Southwestern League and heard of Frosty’s aim to be the top slugger in the Sally in 1957, and then issued a challenge. Jack Hairston of the Jacksonville Journal has promised Frosty a steak if he’s leading the league in round trippers on Savannah’s last visit to the Florida city in 1957……While Hairston’s offer may be one influenced by disbelief, I’ll buy Frosty two steaks at Johnny Harris out of gratitude, if he’s the homer leader in the league during the Redlegs last home series….The same offer hoes for any other Savannah player. SMILES FOR GILBERT: Buddy Gilbert said following last night’s game: “it’s good to go home again wearing a smile.” The Savannah center fielder ended a batting slump last night by rapping an Augusta pitcher for a single in the first inning…The first hit of the season felt so good that Buddy went out and got two more…Gilbert had gone hit less in 18 trips to the plate this season…The Redlegs have hit nine homers in six games since the season started and all of them at home. After six games the 1956 team had only five and it was’t until the 13Th game that the Redlegs of a year ago had hit nine. Eight hitters figure in this year’s total to date. A RECURRENCE: One striking similarity between this year’s Savannah team and the one of 1956 is that they turn in their best performances before small crowds and make their worst showings when the fans turn out in number. Steps will be taken to halt these occurrences…Of all the Savannah regulars, only Buddy Gilbert is yet to get his first homer of the season…It shouldn't’t be too long in forthcoming. Buddy was one of the leaders in the department on the 1956 Redleg team…Catcher Dick bush’s hand injury consists of a jammed thumb. Swollen and painful but nothing serious…Another sign that the Redlegs are shaping up into a contending team: They played error less ball last night, the first time at home this season. BRAVES WIN TROPHY: Jacksonville is the winner of the salt League’s opening day attendance trophy. The Braves drew 7,168 to their first game…Other league cities and their first night crowds are: Charlotte, 5,644; Columbus, 5,129; Savannah, 4,637; Macon, August, Knoxville and Columbia are unreported… All recommendations for the election to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame must be turned in by this weekend to be eligible for the 1957 balloting. New members of the honor group will be selected May 10, in Atlanta. Six is the limit for this year…Football coaches do get raw deals at times. Take bill Chipley, former coach at Washington and lee, for example. Chipley was fired for not producing a winner over two seasons, but the school wanted him to produce on a play-for-fun basis. The school has de-emphasized football and offers no subsidies for student players…RACING WARMUPS AT HAND: Fifty-four cars will compete for starting positions in the Indianapolis 500 race on May 30. The track will be open for practice runs May 1. Time trials are scheduled the weekend of may 18-19….Georgia Tech can just about clinch the SEC Eastern Division baseball crown with wins over Auburn this week-end in Atlanta. The Engineers, sporting their best team in years, are 10 and 1 in SEC competition. After three games with Auburn, Tech meets Georgia twice in Athens… Frosty Kennedy should feel slighted. This month’s issue of the Sports Library comes out with a list of players who have hit 60 or more homers in one season, including 1956. Frosty’s name is not on the list. But records show that the Savannah player had 60 at Plainview, Texas last season…
May 1, 1957- Savannah Evening Press- Sports Beam by Richard Conley—KENNEDY'S BOOST REDLEGS: In the mail this week came a note from some Kennedy’s of California. Although they are unable to see the Redlegs play, they are ardent fans of the local ball club and promise to be at Grayson Stadium before the season is over. These Kennedy’s had a special interest in the Redlegs at the outset of the season. Their son Frosty was playing first base. Frosty has since gone back to California to recuperate from an operation, but the Kennedy’s have lost no interest in the Redlegs. They sill follow the ups and downs of the team closely. Aware that time is near for the selection of a Sally League all-star team, the Kennedy’s have sent in their ballot and it reads like the regular Savannah lineup. They have voted for a Redleg at each position on the Savannah all-star team. Better yet they are still pulling for the local team to be host for the mid-season game. It’s still possible that could be. I won’t go as far as the Kennedy’s did in nominating Savannah players for the all-star team, but I will vote for and encourage other votes for four---outfielders Tom St. John and Buddy Gilbert and pitchers Bob Dobzanski and Bill Currie.
May 7, 1957—FROSTY PREFERS TOBACCO: It seems Frosty (Tobacco Man) Kennedy, Savannah firs baseman, is more interested in securing chewing tobacco through the season, rather than steaks. He had a constant supply furnished him last season by merchants of Plainview, Texas. There he hit 60 homers. I’m not saying the tobacco helped him hit the long ball, but it could have. Any Savannah merchant want to make a deal with Frosty for this season? He prefers Beech Nut….Bill Upto, recently-released Savannah pitcher and now with the Jacksonville club, is a new papa. He passed out cigars before moving on to Jacksonville. The new Upto is a boy. Bill and the Mrs. Have two theirs The Savannah attendance at the ball park seems well on its way to the highest mark since the Brissle year of 1946. Last night’s crowd of 1,540 paying fans moved the total 1957 turnout to date to 24,037…The total attendance last year was only 53,000…This year’s total is for ten home games….
May 8, 1957—THAT ATTITUDE AGAIN-by Archie Whitfield—Frosty Kennedy, exponent of the Positive Attitude and first baseman for the Savannah Redlegs, was defending his base from the Augusta Rigers a few nights ago when a high pop foul struggled for altitude between home and first. Catcher Haven Schmidt flung his mask aside and moved toward the towering ball along with pitcher Bob Dobzansky, but Frosty was the closest and began to yell loud and clear, ‘I’ll try it… I’ll try it!” He maneuvered himself beneath the ball and waited until it had fallen snugly into his glove. The next day, basketball coach and Redleg fan Howie Leon encountered Frosty with a humorous reproach “Look, Frosty,” Howie said, “that doesn’t sound like the positive attitude when you say you’ll try it.” You should say, “I’ve got it.” “Oh, no.” Frosty ruled on the matter, “if I said I’ve got it, then missed it, I would be a liar, which I’m not. THE BIG PAYOFF These past few days, batting averages have begun to raise one the Redlegs along with attendance. Maybe the “Positive Attitude” is spreading its contagion among the players and fans. Look what has happened to center fielder buddy Gilbert. He went into Tuesday night’s game batting .000 for his 18 trips to the batter’s box. That night he picked up three hits in six trips, which started him with a .125 average. Wednesday night he went at it again and got two for five, jumping the average to .178. With one of the best eyes on the club, buddy should keep going higher and higher. Kennedy has even come under the spell of his favorite attitude and has begun to hit in the manner in which he is accustomed. Before Tuesday night, his average stood at .187. Before midnight that night, it had climbed to .220. The next night it zoomed to .304. Cliff Cook and Roy Parker, the other two regulars in the redlegs’ outfield, also have taken a liking to the base hit and their percentages have begun to climb, too.
May 28, 1957—Sports Beam- by Richard Conley—MORE KENNEDY-BARBARITO COMPETITION. Back before the baseball season started, Frosty Kennedy, Savannah first baseman, said he would to Jacksonville’s Ed Barbarito in slugging home runs and in other phases of hitting this year..Frosty also set for himself a goal of more than the 29 homers Barbarito hit last year to lead the league. Shortly after the season started Barbarito broke a leg while sliding into base in a Savannah-Jacksonville game. Kennedy sort of forgot about the competition with the Jacksonville slugger after that. But now Frosty finds the competition with Barbarito has taken on another phase—that of getting out of a sick bed and back into the lineup before Barbarito. Both will be on the sidelines for several more weeks, however, Kennedy with his operation and Barbarito with his injured leg. Although the Savannah player may be out a little longer than barbarito, he figures he’ll still have the advantage. Frosty’s inactivity is for a corrective measure which should make him hit better. Barbarito may be hampered permanently by his leg. FROSTY WELL TAKEN CARE OF: While Kennedy’s number one want at the present is to rejoin the ball club; his other wants do not go unheeded. Frosty sees to that. A visit to his private room at Memorial Hospital shows that Kennedy has the conveniences plus the service with a smile. Frosty had a big following among the fans before being sidelined last week. Many of them still got out to see him—only this time at the hospital. General manager Reed Shank of the Redlegs has put a high value tag on the big fellow, and it’s not all for his hitting or fielding ability. Shank terms Kennedy as the “roving good will Ambhassador” of the club. While he’s not roving at the present, Frosty will orientate you on the future success of the Redlegs, if you care to drop by. The man in room 428 is informed to the latest on the ball club, and he’s still got that “positive attitude.”
July 6, 1957- Redlegs Scrapbook: (This is the 22nd of a series of personal glimpses at members of the Savannah baseball club) NOTHING NEW, JUST SAY I’M BACK---KENNEDY—“Nothing new. Just tell ‘em I’m back.” That sums up the interview with Frosty Kennedy after his return to the Savannah baseball club. The Redlegs first baseman had spent six weeks at his California home recuperating from an operation. “You’ve told ‘em about my 60 home runs at Plainview, Tex., last season. About my good lifetime batting average and my high runs batted it total. About my fancy glove work and my positive attitude. So, what else you going to tell ‘em” (End of personal interview.) Frosty, however, didn’t leave much opportunity for the press and radio to announce his return. From the moment of his arrival here a few days back, Kennedy was busy making the round, renewing old acquaintances and making new fans and friends. Frost was welcomed back heartily by fans at last night’s game. He had told Manager Jimmy Brown he was ready and rearing to go. So Brown lost little time re-instating him. The first baseman is on the spot, however. He’s got to produce the base hits from here on out to salvage any kind of a “heroic
reputation. Excuses can’t be accepted. Frosty turned in a good night’s work with the glove last evening but his hitting is still to return. “A little more batting practice to get my timing back and you’ll see me hit.” Was Frosty
S explanation after last night’s game. Kennedy saw his new daughter for the first time while he was resting in California. But he says his family won’t be able to join him here. As for his future, Frosty has his heart set on managing in baseball.
July 9, 1957 - MILLIONS HEAR “GAME OF DAY” by Bill Kastelz.
Braves across Nation. – The game, played in sweltering 90-degree temperature, was the Mutual Broadcasting System’s “Game of the Day” and was beamed across the nation and overseas, with Rex Barney, ex-major league pitcher, at the microphone. The Jacksonville Braves beat the Savannah Redlegs 4-1. Frost playing 1st base had 3 at bats, 1 hit, 0 runs. Made 5 put outs.
July 23, 1957 – FROSTY KENNEDY IS SOLD, BILL PATRISS TO RETURN.
Frosty Kennedy’s gone. The colorful first baseman has been sold by Savannah to Jacksonville, but will not play in the South Atlantic League. One of the provisions of the sale was that Kennedy be sent to another league. That Jacksonville did, optioning Kennedy to Boise, Idaho. At the same time, Savannah gained as an infield reinforcement Bill Patrise. The husky New Yorker played here last season. He sent a number of booming drives over the left field wall, but was deficient in other ways in his first season of pro ball. Kennedy, the “Babe Ruth of the panhandle” walloped 60 home runs for Plainview, Tex of the class B Southwestern League last year. That year he drove across 184 runs. For the Redlegs this season, he is batting .273 with six homers. He was out for a long stretch with an injury.
July 11, 1962 Wed. –NEWS-PROGRESS, Buena Park, Cal.
‘YOUNGEST’ B. P. LEGION TEAM WINS TOURNEY
______________________________Above are members of the Buena Park team that won the Upland American Legion Tournament. Back row: Tom Tino and Mike Williams. Front row: John Doyle, Coach Frosty Kennedy, and Tom Morat. Center front: batboy Eddie Kennedy. Staff Photo--- by Harold Lancaster Buena Park—Can a team made up of young, in experienced high school ball-players defeat some of the biggest American Legion powers in the state? Ask Frosty Kennedy, he’ll say yes although he wonders how. Kennedy is the coach of one of the youngest American Legion teams in the state. His Buena Park team upset the defending state champions, the defending tournament champions, and another of the top teams in the state on its way to victory in the Upland Tournament last Wednesday and Thursday. – RIP UPLAND- In the finals Thursday, the champions knocked over the host team, Upland, 4-1. A two-run homerun by Tom Tino in the fourth provided the winning margin, but the Legion club scored two more in the fifth to ice it. Morat, appearing in his third straight game, struck out two men in a row with the bases loadd in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win for Beat. Coach Kennedy gave his pitching staff most of the credit for the tournament victory. Almost an unknown factor early in the season, the pitching has improved tremendously of late. About the hurlers, Kennedy sad this: “The pitching improved after the Placentia game.” He blamed the early season failure on lack of conditioning. Another contributing factor was the heads-up ball played by the team. Not one mental error was committed during the tournament, a condition that also held the team back in the early going. Morat, the pitching ace, never saw starting duty for several reasons. He didn’t start the first game because Kennedy, expecting to be tossed into the consolation bracket, wanted him to pitch the second game. But after winning the coach wanted Beat, a hot pitcher of late, to try his luck against Riverside. He guessed right again.
Aug. 23, 1962-News Tribune, Fullerton_________________Gets Rubdown-Mike Sloan, Buena Park’s workhorse pitcher, gets a well deserved rubdown from Legion coach Frost Kennedy. Tonight BP will meet Tulare at 9 pm in the feature game.---by Ken Allan If you think the dodgers have a following, you ought to stop off at La Palma Park tonight and take a look at the Buena Park American legion team. Buena Park is now the only local team in the 17th Annual American Legion tournament and local fans are wondering how they have done it. Actually, it’s remarkably simple. They just don’t let anybody score.
Aug. 23, 1962—Some ads:Gooodyear at 1123 W. Commonwealth, Brakes $9.95 per axl. Firestone at 201 E. Orangethorpe, Nylonaire tire $11.88. Pacific Drive-in Theatres $1.50 per car load.
Aug. 5, 1973-Wenatchee (Wa.) World—ON THE SPOT- PRO BASEBALL IN WENATCHEE?-by Dick Pieper---Forrest (Frosty) Kennedy, once known as “The Babe Ruth of the Panhandle,” has visions of reviving professional baseball in Wenatchee. Kennedy was in town this week looking into the possibility of placing a franchise here and checking into the availability of Recreation Park. “We’re looking into putting a team in either the Pioneer League or the Northwest League,” said Kennedy, a large, crew-cut man who was a slugging first baseman back in his playing days. “There are six teams in the (Northwest) league this year and they’re going to eight next year. We hope we’re going to be successful as one of the eight teams. The “we’re” includes himself and partner Art Wilson. Wilson, a third baseman for Lewiston and Tri-City back in the ‘fifties would be business manager, Kennedy explained and he (Frosty) would be field manager. If Kennedy were successful in placing a franchise in Wenatchee the club would be an independent operation not relying on a major league working agreement, he said. He figures that he can operate the club for a lot less than the $75,000 it cost Seattle in the NWL last year, and Seattle had a major league working agreement. “That’s too much,” Kennedy declared. “I say that if we draw 40,000 people we’ll come out all right.” “We would have approximately 40 home games, based on this year’s schedule,” Kennedy said. As a matter of information, the Wenatchee Chiefs’ attendance was on a steady decline in the latter years of their existence until reaching a low ebb of 24.500 customers (with 68 home games) in their fold-up season of 1965. The advantage of signing your own ball players and operating as an independent, Kennedy explained, is that “I’m not out there trying to conduct a school for ball players, like a major league club.” Further, he said, fans would get to know the players. A player having a hot year wouldn’t be called up in mid-season, as under a major league working agreement. Kennedy, 47, and now living in Covina, Calif., says that the key to giving a successful franchise is to promote and he figures he can do a good job of that. “I’ve always had a positive attitude and that’s what it takes to promote baseball.” The first hurdle he must clear, though, is that of having an adequate playing facility. And Recreation Park, in its current condition, is anything but an adequate facility. The lights are there, but that’s about the only thing that meets professional baseball standards. After meeting with city officials this week, Kennedy expressed optimism. He looks for the city to go ahead with plans to complete the renovation of Recreation Park.—Kennedy, a booming type who was known as a colorful ball player during a 12-year career in professional baseball, boasts the rare distinction of having clouted 60 home runs in one season. He was the 10th man in the history of organized baseball to attain that milestone. Playing in the rarified air of West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico, he accomplished this rare feat while with Plainview of the Class B Southwestern League in 1956. In addition to his 60 home runs, Kennedy had the astronomical total of 184 runs-batted-in. In that hitter’s paradise, Kennedy finished 27th in the league batting race with a .327 average. Kennedy, who spent most of his career in the low minors, boasts of having batted .400 twice--.411 with Riverside of the Sunset League in 1948and .407 with Plainview in 1953.
Feb. 5, 1974—The VANCOUVER SUN,Tue.— FROSTY’S DOING IT ALL FOR NEW BASEBALL TEAM by Roy Jukich---Versatility best describes Frosty Kennedy of the New Westminster entry in the Northwest Class A professional baseball league. Kennedy, at the moment is listed as playing coach, scout and public relations officer. And he expects to assume several more roles before he puts the show on the road. The 48-year-old Kennedy, however, plans to confine his playing to that of a designated hitter. He was rated a first class hitter during his days in the pro minor circuits some 15 years ago and battered over .400 on three occasions. “Our league will use the designated hitter,” Kennedy was saying Monday night,” and there’s even talk of introducing a designated runner. I like that idea. Imagine, making a comeback at 48. I’ll drink to that.” But Frosty’s main chore is to drum up local interest for the coming season. He’ll also stage a “name the team contest” within the next week. “We’re one of three teams operating independently in our league,” offered the rapid talking Kennedy. “It’s a little tougher operation but at least any players we develop will be with us until the end of the season.” Kennedy is against the idea of developing a player for a major league affiliate only to have the parent team step in and whisk him away when he’s needed most. Tri-Cities and Portland are the other independent teams. The remaining five clubs and their affiliates are Walla Walla (San Diego), Lewiston (Oakland), Eugene (Philadelphia), Seattle (Cincinnati) and Bellingham (Los Angeles). But according to Kennedy, there’s still plenty of talent to go around, especially in southern California. He has, in fact, tabs on eight players who are performing in a 20-team league on the out-skirts of Los Angles. “Most of the players will either be college graduates or ones still going to school,” he explained. “The ages range from 17 -21 and rosters are limited to 20 players.” Kennedy is most interested in developing some Canadian talent. He would like two and possibly three native sons on the team. Kennedy also hopes to get involved in the city’s minor league operations. “I like working with youngsters and teaching them the techniques of the game,” he said. Spring training is scheduled to open May 1 in New Westminster’s Queens Park Stadium – The club’s home grounds – and the first of the 80-game league schedule is scheduled for June 20.
April 26, 1997 Sat. SGVN-Then and Now by Jim McConnell: In minors, less often can be more---- I believe it was former Governor Jerry Brown who coined the phrase, “Less is more.” Then again, maybe it was Linda Ronstadt. Be that as it may, the notion that less is more is handy for this column. For this column is about minor league baseball. Modern minor league baseball isn’t worth a column, but the minor league baseball of 50 years ago, well, now you’re talking. So I went to one of the world’s great talkers, Covina’s Frosty Kennedy, to get the skinny. Kennedy, 71 is a Hall of Famer. There is a display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., dedicated to those who have hit 60 or more home runs in a season. It’s been done by 11 men in the history of organized baseball, and Kennedy is one. Babe Ruth and Roger Maris, you know. The other nine, you should. Kennedy hit his 60 home runs for Plainview, Texas, in the Southwestern League in 1956. The Southwestern League was a Class B league in the old minor league classification system, which ran from AAA down to D. Now, before you freeze out Frosty with the thought that his accomplishment is merely a popsicle in the chocolate mousse of life, remember that less is more. And listen to man. “People knocking the minor leagues. I hear that stuff all the time,” said Kennedy. “I even hear it from ex-players. Pete Rose told me that once. I told him, okay, so how many times did you hit 60 home runs in a season?” “Believe me; I had a much more difficult time hitting my 60 than Ruth or Maris. A shorter season, rotten lights at rotten little ballparks, rotten pitchers who couldn’t or wouldn’t throw me a pitch to hit, freezing weather in the spring, hot as hell in the summer.” Don’t let anyone ever tell you there was anything cheap about my getting 60 home runs. I was there, Charlie.” Kennedy, as you might guess, is not the shy, retiring sort. And that made him a hometown hero in Plainview, Riverside, Pensacola, Lamesa, Yuma and Amarillo, in small towns throughout the south and southwest in days before shopping malls and multiplex theaters, days when the only game in town was the local ball team. In 10 Years in the minors, 1948-1957, Kennedy had a.342 batting average. He hit 228 home runs and stole 122 bases. No one in the major leagues has hit .400 since Ted Williams in 1941. Kennedy hit .400 twice in the minors, .410 at Riverside in the sunset League in 1949 and .410 at Plainview in 1953. Yet, Kennedy never played an inning in the major leagues. In fact, he never played an inning in Triple-A. “I had a couple chances to go up, but what was the point?” he says. “I would have made the major league minimum salary, $5,000. Shoot, I was making more than that in the minors. How? Well, back then, if a team wanted to keep you – and believe me they wanted to keep me because I put fans in the stands – they could find a way to-do it. I’d be listed on payroll as a groundskeeper or bus driver or something like that, which got me some dough, in addition to my player’s contract.” “Another thing to know: If you went out and had a great game, or hit a game-winning home run or something, the fans would give you money. One time, I hit a game-winning home run and the fans stuffed dollar bills in the backstop screen for me and, by the time I had collected ‘em all, I had over 200 bucks. That stuff happened all the time.” “Plus which, in the little towns where I played, the people always wanted to buy me dinner, buy me drinks. I made out real well right where I was at.” “Another thing that tees me off: People say Plainview was a small ballpark and the air was thin and the ball carried farther and all that stuff. Okay, maybe it was. So why didn’t guys, or 20 other guys, hit 60 home runs there? I wasn’t the only player who ever played in that ballpark, for cripes sake. But I was the only one to hit 60 home runs. So you figure it out.” To prove his point, Kennedy loaned me a book. It’s called “Minor League Baseball Stars” and was published by the Society for American Baseball Research in 1978. It’s out of print, which is a shame, because it makes for fascinating reading. Virtually every major league record has been bettered at some point, by someone in the minors. Maris’ 61 home runs? Heck, Joe Bauman hit 72, in only 138 games, for Roswell, N.M., in the Longhorn League in 1954. Bauman, at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, was the next-best thing to Frank Howard, or Frank Thomas. But, by 1954, he was already 32 years old. “Hey, I played against Joe, and he was one of the greatest hitters I’ve ever seen,: said Kennedy. “But he was an older guy, and he owned a couple gas stations there in Roswell, so he was happy to stay right where he was.” Turning the pages of “Minor League Baseball Stars” at random is an absolute joy, like discovering your boyhood baseball cards in the attic. Here’s Harry Chozen, a native of Pasadena, Chozen played briefly in the majors, but had a long minor league career as a catcher. And he’s in the book. It seems that in 1945, while playing for Mobile in the Southern Association, Chozen hit in 49 straight games. That year, he struck out only three times in 88 games. Billy Ashley, are you listening? Arnold “Jigger” Statz played center field for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League for 18 years. He first played for the Angels in 1920 , then spent several years in the majors. Statz returned to L.A. to stay in 1929 and played through the 1942 season, when he was 44 years old. To this day, many old-time players regard him as the greatest defensive center fielder they ever saw. In 24 seasons in organized baseball, Statz played in more than 3,500 games and had more than 4,000 hits. “I saw Statz play when I was kid,” said Kennedy. “He was great. Heck, every kid in Southern California wanted a Jigger Statz model glove or bat. He was a legend out here. So why would he want to go back to the majors?” The glory time of the minor leagues ended by 1958, with the major leagues’ expansion westward and the demise of the independently owned minor league teams. Kennedy’s final year in pro ball was also 1957, and it was the only year he actually had a major league contract. “That year, I was property of the Cincinnati Reds,” Kennedy said. “They talked about bringing me up and using me as a right-handed pinch-hitter, but I wasn’t interested. I wanted to play, and play every day. “I was a king in the minor leagues. Why go up the majors
