1935 San Francisco Seals season explained

San Francisco Seals
Season:1935
Record:103–70
League:Pacific Coast League
Ballpark:Seals Stadium
League Place:1st
Managers:Lefty O'Doul

The 1935 San Francisco Seals season was the 33rd season in the history of the San Francisco Seals baseball team. The team compiled a 103–70 record and won the PCL pennant. In January 1935, the Seals hired Lefty O'Doul as the team's player-manager.[1] O'Doul had played for the Seals at the start of his playing career and went on to play 11 years in the major leagues, winning National League batting titles in 1929 and 1932. At age 38, he appeared in 68 games for the 1936 Seals, compiling a .269 batting average. He continued as the Seals' manager through the 1951 season.[2]

Outfielder Joe DiMaggio, a 20-year-old native of the San Francisco Bay Area, was the team's brightest star.[3] Though he finished one point behind Ox Eckhardt in the competition for PCL batting championship,[4] DiMaggio was selected as the PCL's most valuable player, led the league in RBIs (154), runs scored (173), and triples (18), and ranked second with 34 home runs.[5] DiMaggio had been sold to the New York Yankees in November 1934, but on the condition that he would remain with the Seals for the 1935 season.[6]

In the PCL championship series, played in late September, the Seals defeated the Los Angeles Angels four games to two.[7]

Players

Batting

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; SLG = Slugging percentage

PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRSLG
OF 172 679 270 .398 34 .672
C 75 207 77 .372 0 .483
C 79 257 91 .354 0 .412
Steve Barath 100 218 72 .330 11 .471
Lonny Backer 154 525 163 .310 0 .392
1B 171 704 217 .308 4 .402
Ted Norbert 149 524 158 .302 11 .471
IF 171 731 218 .298 7 .432
SS 150 523 154 .294 1 .373
CF 159 609 175 .287 6 .417
[8]

Pitching

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; PCT = Win percentage; ERA = Earned run average

PlayerGIPWLPCTERA
38 252 22 4 .846 3.46
33 220 18 8 .692 3.27
[8]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: O'Doul To Boss Seals This Year -- if Terry Consents. San Francisco Examiner. January 20, 1935. 9W. Newspapers.com.
  2. Web site: Lefty O'Doul. Society for American Baseball Research. February 17, 2020.
  3. News: The forgotten story of ... Joe DiMaggio and the San Francisco Seals talent factory. The Guardian. May 21, 2015.
  4. News: Eckhardt Bat King. Los Angeles Times. September 24, 1935. II-11. Newspapers.com.
  5. Web site: DiMaggio's PCL stint was one for the ages. Minor League Baseball. Josh Jackson. January 30, 2017. February 17, 2020.
  6. News: DiMaggio, Seals Player To Join New York Yankees. San Bernardino Daily Sun. November 22, 1934. 8. Newspapers.com.
  7. News: San Francisco Seals Take Coast League Pennant. The Klamath News. October 1, 1935. 2. Newspapers.com.
  8. Web site: 1935 San Francisco Seals. Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com. February 17, 2020.