Frey Played Ball With The Best
The Lonny Freys of the world make my job enjoyable. Frey is one of those engaging characters with whom you just turn on the recorder and listen.
And write what he remembers of a golden era of baseball in the mid-1900s.
Frey, a sharp-witted 87-year-old, who moved to Coeur d’Alene several years ago, used to room with a messy rookie named Yogi Berra. Frey singled off Bob Feller in the All-Star Game, but, alas, Frey was picked off first base.
“We were up one run playing against St. Louis one time and they had Joe Medwick, Pepper Martin and Johnny Mize coming up in the ninth,” Frey said. Cincinnati pitcher “Paul Derringer throws nine pitches, they swung at every one and never even fouled a pitch.”
Frey’s heydays were spent mostly with Brooklyn and Cincinnati during a 16-year career that ended in 1948. He was in three All-Star Games and won two World Series championships. He played with or against the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Paul Waner and Dizzy Dean.
Cincinnati’s staff featured Derringer (25-7 in 1939), Bucky Walters (27-11 in ‘39) and Johnny Vander Meer, the only pitcher ever to throw consecutive no-hitters.
The catcher was Ernie Lombardi.
“Ernie couldn’t move too fast so sometimes he’d just bare-hand it if he couldn’t move over in time,” Frey said.
“Our manager, (Bill) McKechnie, would play for one run in the first inning. I’m guessing we won 43 or 45 one-run ball games in 1940.”
Frey moved to Coeur d’Alene to be near his son and grandsons. He likes bicycle rides and hitting golf balls. He watches baseball on TV but can’t stand the length of the games. Frey remembers his games usually lasted between 90 minutes and 2 hours.
“I played in games in less than an hour,” Frey said. “I watch it - until things get so boring I gotta get into something else.”
Panhandling
The Coeur d’Alene Tribal Bingo/Casino’s new facility, scheduled to open in August, will seat 3,000 and house boxing, wrestling, concerts, etc.
The new facility has a higher ceiling than the existing building, which should open up television avenues for boxing cards on ESPN and USA, according to matchmaker Moe Smith.
The Tribe isn’t making big coin off boxing, but it is turning a decent profit, according to a spokesman.
The Big West Conference’s hopes of expansion in the aftermath of the WAC’s split have seemingly been quashed. The WAC announced its intention to stay together and possibly add one member. Nevada has been mentioned, but Big West commissioner Dennis Farrell insists the Wolf Pack has committed to stay put.
“I maybe overrepresented myself as being overly optimistic (about landing a WAC refugee or two),” the commish admits.
Stay tuned.
John G. Smith testimonials continue gushing in. The former University of Idaho football/basketball/baseball coach died last week.
“‘The Captain’ is what we called him,” said former UI football coach John L. Smith, no relation to John G. “He’s why I’m John L., because he was John G. and we had to keep it straight. A beautiful human.”
Added Mike Ruscio, former Vandals baseball player now teaching/coaching in Spokane: “He kept me going in the right direction - playing ball and getting through school.”
Grad report
Former area baseball players John Schroeder (Coeur d’Alene), Josh Phelps (Lakeland) and Darin Blood (Post Falls) are having mixed success in the minor leagues.
Schroeder is batting .225 with six home runs and 15 RBIs for Single-A Fort Myers in the Florida State League. He’s fanned 37 times in 89 at-bats.
Phelps is hitting .258 with 27 runs scored, four homers and 19 RBIs for Single-A Hagerstown (Md.) in the South Atlantic League.
Blood, a left-handed pitcher, is 2-2 with a 4.22 ERA at Triple-A Fresno in the Pacific Coast League. In 74-2/3 innings, Blood has allowed 83 hits, 35 earned runs, walked 20 and struck out 39.
Rumor du jour
Sandpoint High is looking for a boys basketball coach, but doesn’t presently have a teaching opening. The Bulldogs are said to be considering Coeur d’Alene High junior varsity basketball coach Kurt Lundblad, who doesn’t want a teaching job, but does covet a coaching job.
Sounds like a perfect match to me.