IL1 Rochester Red Wings

Clark, Virgil to Join Wings HOF August 14

Published on August 5, 2015 under International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


Former Red Wings Ozzie Virgil, Sr. and Howie Clark as well as Rochester baseball great George Stallings have all been elected into the Class of 2015 Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame.

The trio will be enshrined into the Red Wings Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony on Friday, August 14 prior to the Wings' game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barr RailRiders (Yankees). Clark and Virgil will be in attendance for the ceremony, and fireworks will follow the game.

The Red Wings Hall of Fame was established in 1989 to recognize individuals who made unique contributions to the history of professional baseball in Rochester, both on and off the field. After the August 14 ceremony, the Red Wings Hall of Fame will include 94 members.

George Stallings - When he became manager of the Rochester Tribe in 1921, he inherited a team which had won only 45 games in the previous season. Beginning in 1921 he led one of the most dominant eras in Rochester history, winning over 100 games in 1921, 1922 and 1923. Unfortunately, the Tribe finished second in each of those three seasons to the dynastic Baltimore Orioles. He managed the Tribe through part of the 1927 season and had the opportunity to lead some of the best players in that era including Fred Merkle, Maurice " The Comet" Archdeacon, Bob "Fats" Fothergill, Jocko Conlan and "Rabbit" Maranville. "Gentleman George" also managed in the major leagues, winning 879 games with the Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, and New York Highlanders, and is most famous for leading the 1914 Boston "Miracle" Braves to a World Series title.

Ozzie Virgil, Sr. - This utility player was a true baseball pioneer, as he was the first native of the Dominican Republic to play in the Major Leagues and the first Dominican to play for the Red Wings. As a Red Wing he played mostly third base and in 1962 hit .268 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI. He followed that with another stellar season in 1963 hitting .307 with 11 home runs and 75 RBI. The following off season he was traded to Toronto for future Red Wings Hall of Famer Steve Demeter. He made his major league debut in 1956 with the New York Giants and in 1958 became the first non-white player to ever play for the Detroit Tigers. Throughout his career he played in 324 Major League games with the New York Giants, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He also coached in the Major Leagues with the Giants, Expos, Padres and Mariners.

Howie Clark - One of only a handful of players to play for the Red Wings in both the Twins and Orioles eras, this popular utility player performed at six different positions with the Red Wings over the course of five different seasons (1998-2000, 2002, 2008). In 2002, manager Andy Etchebarren named him Captain of the team just prior to the season, making him the first to receive this honor since Lou Ortiz in 1954. He didn't disappoint his skipper, his teammates or the fans, leading the team with a .309 batting average, while driving in 43 runs with 7 home runs, despite spending part of the season in Baltimore after making his major league debut that July. The fans of Rochester voted him the Most Valuable Player and Most Popular Player that season and he represented the Red Wings in the Triple A All Star game. Throughout his career he played in 134 Major League games with the Orioles, Blue Jays and Twins.

Tickets for August 14 and all other Red Wings home games can be purchased now by clicking here, by calling (585) 423-WING (9464) or at the Frontier Field ticket office during regular business hours.

The Rochester Red Wings are in their 13th season as the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. The Red Wings are operated by Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. and have been a community-owned pro baseball franchise since 1957. Rochester's pro baseball history dates back to 1885.

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