1924 Pacific Coast League

In 1924, the Pacific Coast League was an eight team league: the Los Angeles Angels, the Oakland Oaks, the Portland Beavers, the Sacramento Senators, the Salt Lake City Bees, the San Francisco Seals, the Seattle Indians, and the Vernon Tigers.
That year, the Seattle Indians would field 33 different players during the season, 20 of whom would see, or had seen, at least a cup of coffee in the majors. They won the 1924 PCL title, finishing 109-91. Playing a 200 game season was common for the PCL at that time, more on that later. Eight players had over 150 hits for the Indians that year, and the leaders in games played were Henry Baldwin with 196 and Cliff Brady with 194. Seven others would play over 149 ball games. Behind the plate, they had Earl 'Red' Baldwin, who would catch 155 games that year, the most of any of his 14 PCL seasons. Earl was such a talented catcher, no mention is even made of future Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane until the second to last paragraph in this preseason article from the Wednesday, April 2, 1924, edition of the Seattle Daily Times sports pages.

The Missing Spark Plug

The Seattle Daily Times, Sunday Morning, September 7, 1924

Billy Lane, Seattle Star, to Be Honored Monday

Here we have him in poses grown familiar to Seattle fans through the three years little Billy has been playing with the Indians. "The Missing Spark Plug" we've named this camera story of little Bill, not because he's worn out, nor because he's refused to function. He's "The Missing Spark Plug" because a pitched ball hit him in the head, fractured his skull and forced his retirement for probably the rest of the season. Monday, Seattle fans and players are giving him a day - Billy Lane Day. His friends hope the Seattle ball park will be packed. The photographs show Billy's smiling face, his pose at bat, crossing first base and various sliding poses, an art at which he is so proficient that he is known as the Coast League's best base runner.

Killefer Convinced Tribe Is Strong

Seattle Daily Times, Sunday, March 16, 1924

"When Red Killefer leads his Seattle Indians out for inspection of home fans at the Rainier Valley ball yard next month, three new members of the club, pictured above (picture not available), will be given close attention. Cliff Brady, the midget second sacker from Rochester, is expected to work into a great second base combination with Sammy Crane. George Steuland, pitcher, is the man Killefer is grooming to take the place of Elmer Jacobs. Earl Baldwin, last year with Los Angeles, is expected to give Seattle a boost in the back-stopping department."

Vean Gregg


"The Seattle Daily Times
Wednesday, October 8, 1924

Washington, In Seattle Deal, Takes Veteran

Three Players and Cash Involved-Working Agreement Between Tribe and Senators Loom

Vean Gregg, the Coast League’s leading pitcher, 40 years of age yet the most effective hurler the Seattle club has had in years, is to get another chance in the majors.
                The Washington Americans, involved as they are in a fight with the New York Giants for the world’s championship, last night took time off from their other worries to wire acceptance of Seattle’s terms for the big left-hander.
                Washington will deliver three players, to be named at the annual baseball conference in December, and a small amount of cash for Gregg.
                Gregg will go to spring training camp with the Senators in 1925.

** ** **
This is the most remarkable sale in baseball’s history. Imagine a major league team laying out around $30,000 for a pitcher 40 years old! Pitchers 30 years old have been brought back to the majors for another trial, many times, but never has a major league team bought a man 40 years old.
**  **  **

Gregg Will Win

And don’t think for a minute that Vean Gregg won’t win some games for Washington.
                He won’t lead the league. In fact, he won’t be able to pitch as often up there as he did here. But he’ll win.
                Yesterday, while he was shutting out the Seals, he could have beaten any team that faced him.
                He had everything. Had he wanted to use it he had his fast curve and his fast ball at instant command.
                But instead he fooled the Seals with tantalizing slow ones, curves, just plain everyday slow balls."


Vean Gregg's bio at the SABR bio project: http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=1773&pid=5462
At Baseball-Reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Vean_Gregg