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PCL1 Pacific Coast League

Pacific Coast League Announces 2009 Hall Of Fame Class

April 9, 2009 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1) News Release


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - National Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Earl Averill headlines the 2009 Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame class announced today by the League. Frank Demaree and Johnny Moore, two of the circuit's greatest hitters are also being recognized for their distinguished careers in the PCL.

Earl "Rock" Averill, "Rock", a nickname given to him by teammates, spent just three seasons with the San Francisco Seals but established himself as one of the league's best hitting outfielders. In his final season with the Seals he helped them win the 1928 PCL Championship. That year the outfield trio of Averill, Roy Johnson, and fellow PCL Hall of Famer Jolly Smead were unsurpassed at the plate. Averill's .354 batting average was the lowest of the three (Jolley, .404; Johnson, .360). Averill led the league with 178 runs and had 53 doubles, 36 home runs, and 173 RBI. His contract was purchased the following season by the Cleveland Indians of the American League and he would go on to play thirteen seasons with the Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Boston Braves. He returned to the Pacific Coast League in 1941 and spent half a season with the Seattle club. He retired after the 1941 season and was elected by the veteran's committee to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.

The 1934 Los Angeles Angels of the PCL are often described as the greatest minor league team of all time and Joseph "Frank" Demaree was a key member of that squad. The 1934 season was also the greatest statistical season for Demaree in his only season with the Angels. He hit .383 with 190 runs, 51 doubles, 45 home runs, and 173 RBI. Not only was he a member of the run-away PCL champions, Demaree was the Triple Crown winner and the Most Valuable Player. He played for Sacramento 1930-1932, Los Angeles 1934, and Portland 1944-1945 in his six seasons in the PCL. His career also included twelve seasons in the American and National Leagues with stops with the Chicago Cubs, New York Giants, Boston Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and St. Louis Browns.

A model of consistency John "Johnny" Moore rarely received coverage from the media that followed the teams he played with. Yet he came to the ballpark everyday and went about his business in a quiet manner. He played in over 1,100 PCL games all with the same club, Los Angeles from 1930-1931 and 1938-1945. In his ten seasons he hit below .300 just once, in 1943, when he hit .290. His best statistical season was 1930 when he hit .342 with 120 runs, 45 doubles, 26 home runs, and 101 RBI and helped Los Angeles finish second to the Hollywood Stars. Moore also played ten seasons in the National League playing with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Philadelphia Phillies. His lifetime batting average was .307 in the National League and .326 in the PCL. After retiring as a player he scouted for the Braves and Expos until 1970.

The 2009 inductees to the Hall of Fame were selected by the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame Committee, a blue-ribbon panel composed of Minor League Baseball, Coast League, and National Baseball historians. More information on the PCL Hall of Fame can be found on the League's web-site: www.pclbaseball.com

Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame 2009 Inductees:

Earl Averill (inducted as a player)

Frank Demaree (inducted as a player)

Johnny Moore (inducted as a player)

About the PCL Hall of Fame: The Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame was created in 1936 by the Helms Athletic Foundation located in Los Angeles, California, which at the time also operated Halls of Fame for Major League Baseball, Golf, College Basketball, Tennis, Swimming, Auto Racing, Professional Football, Track and Field, and College Football. In 1952, the PCL Hall of Fame ceased operation, but was brought back in conjunction with 2003's Pacific Coast League Centennial Celebration. The Hall currently consists of 82 members and includes such luminaries as Joe DiMaggio, Lefty O'Doul, Steve Bilko, Casey Stengel, and Tommy LaSorda.

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