Frenchy Uhalt

Over his 22-year career, fleet-footed center fielder Bernard “Frenchy” Uhalt knocked out more than 3,000 hits and was elected to the Hall of Fame. His name might not be familiar to many baseball aficionados, though, since 21 of those seasons and all but 40 of his hits came in the minor leagues, and because he is enshrined not in Cooperstown but in the less lofty hall of the Pacific Coast League. Nevertheless, to Coast League fans of the 1930s and 1940s, Uhalt was a well-known and popular star who exemplified the high quality of play in “the Grand Minor League.” And unbeknownst to many—including, perhaps, Uhalt himself—he later played an ancillary role in one of the incomparable Roberto Clemente’s greatest accomplishments.

Bernard Bartholomew Uhalt was born on April 27, 1910 in Bakersfield, California, to Basque immigrants Bernard Uhalt (a self-employed blacksmith) and Benita Asnarez.1 He was the third-oldest of six (five boys and one girl), but the first to be born in the United States.2 “His dad expected all the kids to work in the blacksmith shop, but his brothers covered for him at the shop so he could play ball,” said his granddaughter Paulette Vinson Fry. “They knew he had a gift.”3

A multi-sport athlete, Frenchy (as he was already known) achieved local fame more for his exploits on the gridiron than on the diamond. As starting quarterback he ran for three touchdowns, passed for another, and also handled kicking duties for the Bakersfield High School Drillers as they crushed Fullerton High 38-0 in the 1927 state high school championship game.4 In selecting Uhalt as the quarterback on their All-State squad, the Bakersfield Morning Echo opined that he was “without doubt the outstanding quarter . . . in California and one of the most consistently brilliant players that has ever been developed in a California high school.”5

Despite football scholarship offers from several colleges, Frenchy opted instead to sign a professional baseball contract shortly after his graduation from high school. “His decision to play baseball was 100% financial,” said Vinson Fry. “He turned down football scholarships at Stanford and USC. He was offered $1,500 to play ball, which was a ton of money in those days.”6

The lefty-hitting, righty-throwing Uhalt signed with the Oakland Oaks shortly after graduation and reported immediately. He remained with the Oaks the rest of the season but was used primarily as either a pinch-runner or a late-inning defensive replacement at shortstop. For the season, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound 18-year-old managed just two hits in 13 at-bats, but Oaks officials were confident he had a bright future. “[He] looks like a pocket edition of Paul Waner,” said Oakland’s business manager Del Howard.7

Though he performed well in training camp in 1929, Uhalt was assigned to start the season with the Bakersfield Bees of the Class D California State League, now as a center fielder. In midseason, the league folded, and the Bees moved to Fresno to play as an independent team on weekends; however, Oakland retained options on several players, including Uhalt.8 In September, he was called up to the Oaks. He hit .353 in 27 games and had the Oakland Tribune proclaiming that he “looms as one of the outstanding young players of the league.”9

Uhalt was installed as leadoff man by new Oakland manager Carl Zamloch going into the 1930 season. He got off to a hot start, hitting better than .350 in the early going.10 “The more you see of Uhalt in action,” stated the Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, “the easier it is to tab him as certain of graduation to the major leagues.”11 At season’s end Frenchy had appeared in all 186 of the team’s games and led the Oaks with 233 hits while averaging .311.

After his fine campaign, he expected—but didn’t receive—a generous 1931 contract offer from Oakland. In what was to become an almost annual ritual, he refused to report to spring camp. The Oakland Tribune reported in March that “Uhalt is working in his father’s blacksmith shop and has sent word that unless the Oaks meet his demands, he will quit baseball.” 12 Whether the Oaks raised their offer or Frenchy backed down given the scarcity of jobs during the Depression isn’t known, but a few days after threatening retirement he signed a contract.13

As the season got underway, the sports pages continued to tout him as a future major-leaguer. “‘Frenchy’ Uhalt . . . is playing sensational baseball and . . . it is certain the Oakland management will sell him this year,” noted one representative article.14 Despite this and similar predictions, Oakland held on to Uhalt, who finished with over 200 hits for the second consecutive season, recording a .291 average in 174 games.

Uhalt’s 1932 season was virtually a carbon copy of 1931: he briefly held out amid dissatisfaction with the Oaks’ contract offer, played in over 170 games, and hit better than .290. That October, he and Virginia “Ginny” Blakeslee, also of Bakersfield, were married. Frenchy’s teammate Ray Brubaker served as his best man.15

Uhalt had his best full season yet in 1933, logging a .350 average to go with 62 stolen bases and 129 runs scored.16 His outstanding year led to his selection for an annual postseason contest between Bay Area-based minor- and major-league all-stars. He started and was replaced midway through the contest by the San Francisco Seals’ budding young star Joe DiMaggio. The major-league squad—which featured future Hall of Famers Joe Cronin, Chick Hafey, Ernie Lombardi, and Lefty Gomez—prevailed by a 6-3 score.17

A few weeks later, the Oaks announced that Frenchy was being sent to the Chicago White Sox for cash considerations, pitcher Hal Haid, and two players to be named later. “That’s just what I have been trying for all season and watch me when I get up there,” said a happy Uhalt.18

The arrival at spring camp of Uhalt and several other youngsters—including his friend, former Coast League rival and fellow Basque-descended Californian “Frenchy” Bordagaray—was cause for optimism from White Sox skipper Lew Fonseca.19 Under Fonseca the club had suffered through the worst season in its history in 1932, winning only 49 games, but had upped that win total to 67 on its way to a sixth-place finish in 1933. Fonseca believed the team was still ascending.20 “We aren’t the terrible looking ball club that went South two years ago,” he said. “We have more punch and possibilities of getting into the first division if our young prospects come through.”21

Uhalt was hitless in five appearances as a pinch-hitter before getting his first start in center field on April 26 against Detroit. In a 2-1 loss, he was 0-for-3 with a walk, stolen base, and run scored. On April 28 in St. Louis, he again got the start in center. In the top of the first inning, leadoff hitter Bordagaray doubled off of Browns starter Bobo Newsom. Uhalt promptly drove his buddy in with his first major-league hit, a double to left, thereby producing the only run in major league history scored by one “Frenchy” and driven in by another.22 The ChiSox went on to win, 5-2.

Through late May Uhalt continued to log playing time but struggled, hitting below .200 with little power. By July 1, he had raised his batting average to .242, but his slugging percentage still sat at a lowly .285. The White Sox were reported to owe the Oaks “in the neighborhood of $7500 if they retained the fast fly chaser,” beyond July 1; they decided to avoid the payment and exercised their option to return him to Oakland.23

Several other major-league teams were apparently interested in Uhalt, and he sent a wire from the East Coast asking the Oaks to let him catch on with one of the clubs pursuing him.24 But the Oaks weren’t willing to release him unless they received compensation in the form of players or cash. “I’d like to see ‘Frenchy’ stick in the majors, naturally, for his own good,” said club Vice President Vic Devincenzi. “But we must protect our interests.”25 Ultimately no major-league team would meet Oakland’s demands, so Uhalt rejoined the Oaks.

After holding out yet again in 1935, “the recalcitrant outfielder” (as the Oakland Tribune described him) agreed to terms and reported.26 Back in the familiar territory of the Coast League, Uhalt had a solid season, hitting .324 with 33 steals.27

The Oaks were struggling financially in the mid-1930s, leading Devincenzi to borrow money from the New York Yankees while he tried to bolster attendance and increase revenues. When attendance didn’t improve, Devincenzi was unable to make a scheduled loan payment, so he repaid the Yankees with two prospects: Uhalt and catcher Billy Raimondi.28

 “Joe McCarthy says that Uhalt will get plenty of opportunity in the spring exhibition games to do his stuff,” reported the Brooklyn Eagle in spring 1936.29 But the Yankees’ outfield was crowded, with George Selkirk, Ben Chapman, and Frenchy’s fellow rookie from the Coast League—Joe DiMaggio—penciled in as starters. McCarthy ultimately went with veterans Myril Hoag and Roy Johnson as reserves, and Uhalt was returned to the Oaks while remaining property of New York.30

In mid-May the Yankees announced they were reassigning Uhalt to the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association. He quickly made a splash, hitting a game-winning homer against Minneapolis in his debut.31 With Milwaukee, Uhalt hit .322 with seven homers, and his 36 stolen bases tied for the league lead. Along with slugger Rudy York, he was a major reason the Brewers won the league pennant and represented the American Association in the “Little World Series” against Buffalo of the International League. Both Uhalt and Milwaukee continued their fine play: the Brewers won the national minor-league championship four games to one, with Frenchy knocking out three hits in the clincher.32

Because of a back injury, Uhalt missed most of the first half of the 1937 campaign. Once he returned, he performed well, hitting .307 in 98 games. The Brewers finished fourth, qualifying for the American Association’s postseason playoffs. In the first game, Uhalt belted a game-winning homer off erstwhile big-leaguer Firpo Marberry to down the Toledo Mud Hens.33 The Brewers went on to defeat Toledo in six games, but lost in the finals to the Columbus Red Birds.

Unbeknownst to Uhalt, he would soon be headed back to California. Hollywood had been home to a Coast League team from 1926-35, but that club had drawn poorly and relocated to San Diego as the Padres for the 1936 season. The motion picture capital wouldn’t be without baseball for long, however, as the San Francisco Missions decided to move to Hollywood after their last-place finish in 1937.34 One of the Hollywood Stars’ first transactions was to purchase Uhalt from Milwaukee.35

The Stars played their 1938 home games at Wrigley Field, home of the Los Angeles Angels. Uhalt had one of his best seasons, hitting .332 and winning the PCL batting championship. His 32 stolen bases also led the league.36 The club recognized his contributions by naming him as the team’s Most Valuable Player.37

Excitement was high in Hollywood for the 1939 campaign. The team had a new ballpark, Gilmore Field, and new owners. Bob Cobb, proprietor of the famed Brown Derby restaurant (and inventor of the Cobb salad) had purchased an interest in the club, and along with co-owner Victor Collins, incorporated the club as the Hollywood Baseball Association. This allowed them to sell shares to civic leaders and baseball-loving celebrities like Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, and Gene Autry.38 Fans came to see not only the Stars but also the stars.

On May 3, 1939, a crowd of 10,000 gathered to inaugurate Gilmore Field as the “Twinks” took on Seattle. For knocking out the first hit, stealing the first base, and scoring the first run at the Stars’ new home, Uhalt was rewarded with a pair of shoes, a hat, two shirts, and a roar from the crowd.39

As happened often that season, however, the game ended in a Stars loss. The team finished sixth with a record of 82-96. Nevertheless, attendance in the new ballpark almost doubled from the previous year, exceeding 225,000. Uhalt finished with a .284 batting average to go along with 13 triples. Shortly after the season ended, he and Ginny became parents, welcoming their daughter Suzanne into the family.

Frenchy had an off year in 1940, managing only a .269 average. It was in a fistfight with Los Angeles Herald reporter John Olds that Uhalt may have had his best day of slugging that season. Olds had been blasting the Stars regularly in print. After Hollywood lost the first game of a doubleheader, he ventured into the clubhouse, and soon he and Uhalt tangled.

“So we got our big travel trunks and put them in a square,” recalled Uhalt’s teammate Rugger Ardizoia. “So Olds takes off his coat. He was pretty good-sized, and Frenchy isn’t so big. Frenchy beat the shit out of him! After that, Olds didn’t say so much.”40

Uhalt bounced back with a solid year in 1941, hitting .288 with 12 triples and a .376 on-base percentage. One memorable incident occurred in a July game against Los Angeles. Frenchy was called safe at third on a close play. Third baseman Eddie Mayo protested vehemently, and umpire Ray Snyder ejected him, claiming that Mayo had spit in his face. The Pacific Coast League office subsequently announced that Mayo was suspended for one year. The penalty elicited an outcry from the Angels, from Mayo himself (“Mayo claims that if he spat on Snyder it was a splutter and not a ‘phfft’”) and from the Los Angeles fan base.41 Several witnesses, Uhalt included, stated they had not seen any spitting. Although League President W.C. Tuttle upheld the penalty on appeal, the executive committee of the national minor-league association overturned the decision and Mayo was reinstated.42

In 1942, Uhalt—who did not serve in the military (presumably due to his status as a married man with a young child)43 –led the Stars with 755 plate appearances and 92 runs scored to go with his .275 average. When he balked at the Stars’ contract offer the following spring, he was traded to the San Francisco Seals. Rejuvenated by the change of scenery and the chance to play for a winning club, the 33-year-old Uhalt hit .313, his highest since 1938.

Under manager Lefty O’Doul, the Seals finished the regular season in second place behind the Los Angeles Angels. In the first round of the playoffs, they beat Portland four games to two, with Uhalt hitting safely in all six games. After Seattle upset the Angels in their first-round match-up, the Seals defeated the Rainiers in six games to win the $5,000 championship purse.

For the 1944 campaign, Uhalt hit .276 and stole 37 bases, third-most in the league. A highlight of the season occurred in September between games of a doubleheader against the Oaks, when Frenchy was called out to home plate and informed that he’d won the fan vote for “most popular” Seal. A crowd of 15,000 witnessed him receiving his reward: a check for $18.75.44 Perhaps inspired by the bonus, he banged out four hits in the nightcap. The Seals qualified for the 1944 playoffs with a fourth-place finish and once again claimed the Governor’s Cup by defeating first the Oakland Oaks and then the Los Angeles Angels in the playoffs.

Uhalt held out again in 1945. Seals owner Charlie Graham suggested that Frenchy was unhappy that the Seals had passed up two recent offers by big-league clubs to acquire him. “That is not true,” said Uhalt. “Naturally, I’m disappointed, but I’ve been disappointed many times before in baseball. The big-league situation has nothing to do with the matter—I’m not satisfied with my salary.”45 He signed a few days later. Though terms weren’t disclosed, one reporter speculated he received “a substantial salary increase.”46 For the season Frenchy hit .301 in 145 games for the Seals, who after finishing fourth in the regular season won the Governor’s Cup for the third straight year.

The 1946 Seals were an outstanding team. Led by future major-league all-stars Ferris Fain and Larry Jansen, the club went 115-68 to finish four games ahead of Oakland. They also won the Governor’s Cup for the fourth straight year. Though Uhalt’s numbers were starting to decline—he hit .264 in 137 games—his teammates recognized the value he provided.

“Frenchy Uhalt was our leadoff hitter,” said Fain some 30 years later. “He brought experience, speed—he could run like hell. He was a great outfielder. He didn’t throw all that great, but he stabilized our younger outfielders. He was a good hitter and was always on base. He did the little things that great players have to do to be great.”47 “When they were taking batting practice, I would go out to center field and just talk baseball with him,” said another 1946 teammate, Bill Werle. “I picked up things from him that I had never seen before.”48

Uhalt returned for his fifth season with the Seals in 1947. He continued to get the bulk of the starts in center field and was hitting .280 in mid-July. Unfortunately, in a game at Seals Stadium against the Oaks, Frenchy broke his ankle as he scored the winning run all the way from second on a muffed double-play grounder.49

The injury ended his season, and as it turned out, his tenure with the Seals. In March 1948, the Seals announced they were giving Uhalt his unconditional release, although they offered him a scouting position.50 But Frenchy wasn’t ready to retire. A week later the Oaks announced that Uhalt would return to the club after a 13-year absence.51 Although the Oaks, guided by Casey Stengel, went on to win the Pacific Coast League championship, Uhalt didn’t play much of a role, as he injured his other ankle and was released by the club at his request in June. In his last tour of duty, he had only 44 at-bats, hitting .205.

Uhalt tried his hand at managing in 1949, taking the reins of the Fresno Cardinals of the Class C California League. Frenchy “works at his job every second that he is on the field. He coaches on first base . . . and signals the batter on practically every pitch,” noted one reporter. “Well, to some people it may look like college stuff with a lot of delay . . . but for Fresno’s French chef it is bringing results.”52 After Uhalt led the Cardinals to a second-place finish, Fresno asked him to return in 1950, but he declined.53

Frenchy’s name was back in the sports pages in April 1950 with the announcement of his selection for induction into the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.54

Out of baseball for the first time as an adult, Uhalt turned to business. His granddaughter noted that during his baseball career he had worked at Sears during the offseasons to supplement his income and that he taught himself how to manage his finances. “He was very smart with his money,” said Vinson Fry. “After his playing days he bought an entire block of businesses in Oakland, including a bar. He wasn’t a big drinker, but he liked the social aspect.”55

In the 1960s and 1970s, while Uhalt focused on managing his properties and spending time with his two young grandchildren Marc and Paulette, he still had an indirect impact in the baseball world. Like many professional ball players, Frenchy had used custom-made Louisville Slugger bats. His model—known as the “U1”—had a cone-shaped knob, a feature that allowed him to drape his pinky fingers off the bottom of the bat.56 It turned out that future Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente adopted the U1 as his preferred bat in the early 1960s.57 Indeed, on September 30, 1972, when Clemente doubled off of Jon Matlack for his 3000th and final career hit before his untimely death in a plane crash a few months later, he was using the U1.58 It is unclear whether Uhalt was aware that the U1 produced not only his own 3000th hit, but also Clemente’s.

In his later years, Uhalt focused on his family and his golf game. “He would come get me at school and bring a bucket of balls to hit on the school field,” said Vinson Fry. “And he never missed any of my sporting events.”59 He also coached his grandson Marc’s baseball teams. His close connection to his grandchildren only intensified when their mom, his daughter Suzanne, died of cancer in 1989.

In 1991, Uhalt’s home in the Oakland hills was one of thousands destroyed in a catastrophic fire. “When the fire hit he went up on his roof spraying water, trying to save his house,” said Vinson Fry. “But the fire jumped and he ended up having to carry my grandma out—they lost everything.”60 The losses included a lifetime of baseball memorabilia, including photos with DiMaggio, gifts from Ty Cobb, and a baseball signed by Babe Ruth.61

After the fire, the Uhalts moved to a senior community in nearby Walnut Creek. Frenchy stayed active: he was a regular at Coast League reunions and was feted as a living legend on his occasional visits to Bakersfield to visit family. “He’s right up there with Frank Gifford in terms of athletes that came out of Bakersfield,” said Vinson Fry. “There’s still a whole wall at Bakersfield High that’s dedicated to him.”

Uhalt passed away on September 3, 2004, at the age of 94. While his athletic career was impressive, his granddaughter didn’t think that’s what he’d like to be remembered for. “He thought of himself as a father and a grandfather: I think he would say that before he would say he played ball.”62

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and Bill Lamb and fact-checked by Jeff Findley. Thanks also to Paulette Vinson Fry for sharing memories of her beloved grandfather.

Photo credit: Frenchy Uhalt, Trading Card Database.

Notes

1 Eddie Lopez, “‘Frenchy’ Uhalt Back to Early Triumphs Scene,” Bakersfield Californian, May 13, 1949: 27.

2 Paulette Vinson Fry, telephone interview with the author, October 6, 2024 (hereafter Vinson Fry interview).

3 Vinson Fry interview.

4 Associated Press, “Uhalt Leads Attacker to 38-0 Score,” Bakersfield (California) Morning Echo, December 28, 1927: 1.

5 “Drillers Hold Majority of Berths on All-State Picked by Experts for Morning Echo,” Bakersfield Morning Echo, January 5, 1928: 5.

6 Vinson Fry interview.

7 “Frenchy Uhalt Oaks’ Latest Hope from San Joaquin,” Oakland Post Enquirer, June 25, 1928: 18.

8 Associated Press, “Reorganization of California State League Being Proposed,” San Bernardino County (California) Sun, June 18, 1929: 14.

9 “Craghead Is Master of L.A. Team,” Oakland Tribune, October 5,1929: 11.

10 “Hits Ball,” Oakland Tribune, May 9, 1930: 49.

11 James Mitchell, “Oaks Have Another Paul Waner in Uhalt,” Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, May 2, 1930: 15.

12 Eddie Murphy, “Ludolph Signs with Oaks: Uhalt Holds Out,” Oakland Tribune, March 3, 1931: 34.

13 Eddie Murphy, “Moore, DeBerry Expected to Sign with Oaks in Near Future,” Oakland Tribune, March 7, 1931: 10.

14 Matt Gallagher, “Hollywood Hurlers Lack Control,” Los Angeles Evening Express, April 18, 1931: Page 19.

15 “Here and There in Society,” Bakersfield Californian, October 4, 1932: 4.

16 Eddie Murphy, “Oaks Sell Outfielder Uhalt to White Sox,” Oakland Tribune, November 17, 1933: 24.

17 “Majors Beat Minor Stars,” Richmond (California) Daily Independent,” October 23, 1933: 4.

18 Eddie Murphy, “Oaks Sell Outfielder Uhalt to White Sox,” Oakland Tribune, November 17, 1933: 24.

19 Frank Reil, “Four Yankee Newcomers Sign Contracts,” Brooklyn Eagle, January 25, 1936: 8. Article notes that Bordagaray was “a neighbor and boyhood chum” of Uhalt’s.

20 Fonseca’s optimism was misplaced. The ChiSox won only 53 games in 1934, and Fonseca was no longer around to witness most of them: he was fired in April after a 4-11 start.

21 George Kirksey, “Lew Fonseca Sees Close Race,” San Bernardino County Sun, March 19, 1934: 9.

22 Uhalt and Bordagaray did not combine to produce a run again. As of 2024, they were the only two players ever to go by the nickname “Frenchy.” www.baseballreference.com, accessed November 2, 2024.

23 Eddie Murphy, “White Sox Waive Option on Uhalt: Other Clubs Bid,” Oakland Tribune,” July 2, 1934: 20. It is interesting to note that the White Sox replaced Uhalt in the outfield with Jocko Conlan, at that time a 34-year-old lifetime minor-leaguer, but who eventually made it to the Hall of Fame as an umpire.

24 Murphy, “White Sox Waive Option on Uhalt: Other Clubs Bid.”

25 Eddie Murphy, “Tribe Refused Uhalt Option,” Oakland Tribune,” July 3, 1934: 9.

26 “Uhalt in Camp! Ready to Sign,” Oakland Tribune,” March 17, 1935: 9.

27 Minor League Baseball Stars, Cooperstown: Society of American Baseball Research, 1978, 91.

28 Dick Dobbins, Nuggets on the Diamond: Professional Baseball in the Bay Area from the Gold Rush to the Present (San Francisco: Woodford Press, 1994), 127.

29 Frank Reil, “Yanks Give Bernie Uhalt One More Shot at a Big League Job,” Brooklyn Eagle,” March 9, 1936.

30 Eddie Murphy, “Yanks Return Frenchy Uhalt to Oak Club,” Oakland Tribune, March 28, 1936: 8.

31 “Uhalt’s Homer Gives Brews 6-5 Victory,” La Crosse (Wisconsin) Tribune, May 24, 1936: 12.

32 “Milwaukee Beats Buffalo Club 8-3,” Reading (Pennsylvania) Times, October 2, 1936: 27.

33 “Milwaukee Beats Toledo, 5-4, in Association Playoff Tilt,” La Crosse Tribune, September 15, 1937: 12.

34 Stephen M. Daniels, “The Hollywood Stars,” Society of American Baseball Research, 1980 Baseball Research Journal.

35 “Uhalt to Play at Hollywood,” Bakersfield Californian, December 4, 1937: 12.

36 Some sources list Smead Jolley as the PCL’s top hitter with a .350 average, but others indicate he didn’t have enough at-bats to qualify. Most sources identify Uhalt as having won the batting title. See for example, Daniels, “The Hollywood Stars.”

37 “Uhalt to Receive Trophy Tomorrow,” Bakersfield Californian, May 20, 1939: 12.

38 Daniels, “The Hollywood Stars.”

39 Win Currier, “Remembering Frenchy Uhalt,” Contra Costa (California) Times, October 1, 2004.

40 Dick Dobbins, The Grand Minor League: An Oral History of the Old Pacific Coast League (Emeryville, CA: Woodford Press, 1999), 256.

41 J.G. Taylor Spink, “Ban on Mayo Irks Los Angeles Fans,” The Sporting News, July 24, 1941: 2.

42 Mayo SABR bio.

43 Uhalt contributed to the war effort through civilian work at an aircraft company.  See https://picryl.com/media/baseball-players-in-war-production-frenchy-uhalt-center-fielder-with-hollywood, accessed April 3, 2025.

44 Emmons Byrne, “Oaks Divide to Nab Seals Series,” Oakland Tribune, September 11, 1944: 13.

45 Lee Dunbar, “On the Level,” Oakland Tribune, March 22, 1945: 22.

46 Lee Dunbar, “On the Level,” Oakland Tribune, April 3, 1945: 12.

47 Dobbins, The Grand Minor League, 52.

48 Dobbins, The Grand Minor League, 55.

49 Emmons Byrne, “Seals Edge Out Oaks in 14th, 3-2,” Oakland Tribune, July 10, 1947: 22.

50 “Uhalt Released by S.F.; Offered Scouting Berth,” Oakland Tribune, March 31, 1948: 20.

51 Associated Press, “Seals Lose, Still Lead Coasters,” Stockton (California) Evening and Sunday Record, April 10, 1948: 14.

52 John Peri, “Peri-Graphs,” Stockton Evening and Sunday Record, May 10, 1949: 22.

53 Emmons Byrne, “The Bullpen,” Oakland Tribune, February 10, 1950: 39.

54 “Presto! Helms Group Sets Up Hall of Fame,” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, April 18, 1950: 7.

55 Vinson Fry interview.

56 John Hughes, “Clemente’s Last Bat: The C276 Never Used, Forever Linked to the Great One,” https://www.sluggermuseum.com/blog/clementes-last-bat-the-c276-never-used-forever-linked-to-the-great-one?srsltid=AfmBOoo372egPpQX_UMGPX2mNEshvx4dS0MhoU9coj1E9Yi6stSdVhG0, accessed December 8, 2024.

57 David Maraniss, Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006), 152.

58 Hughes, “Clemente’s Last Bat.”

59 Vinson Fry interview.

60 Vinson Fry interview.

61 Vinson Fry interview.

62 Vinson Fry interview.