The Pacific Coast League: A Statistical History, 1903-1957 [Paperback]

Dennis Snelling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

The Pacific Coast League enjoyed a reputation as one of the premier minor leagues in organized baseball. Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Lefty Gomez, the Waner brothers and Ernie Lombardi were among the future Hall of Famers who played in its cozy parks. Legendary minor leaguers such as Smead Jolley, Buzz Arlett, Lefty O’Doul and Frank Shellenback made their marks in the PCL.

This reference work is a season-by-season guide to the glory days of the PCL. It includes a listing of starters and primary reserves for all teams from 1903 through 1957, as well as playoff results, managerial records, and statistical leaders for each season. Complete PCL records for over 500 of the circuit’s most notable players are also provided.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"a valuable resource for serious researchers...includes team rosters, individual statistics and annual standings" -- Dugout

"gives a season by season guide of the glory days of the PCL" -- The SABR Bulletin

"much love and care were put into the book" -- ARBA

"strongly recommended.... A great source for quick information about the league and its players" -- Pacific Coast League Potpourri

About the Author

Dennis Snelling is a resident of Modesto, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786400455
• ISBN-13: 978-0786400454
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,161,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dennis Snelling was born in 1958 in Stockton, California. He has been a baseball fan since an early age and is proud to have caught a foul ball off the bat of Fernando Gonzalez at San Diego Stadium in 1978. (Interestingly, his college roommate at the time also caught a foul ball off the bat of the same player at Candlestick Park the next year.)

His newest book, "The Greatest Minor League: A History of the Pacific Coast League, 1903-1957" is a finalist for the Casey Award as Best Baseball Book of 2011. Published by McFarland, the book details the history of baseball on the West Coast from the Gold Rush through the 1950s. Based on more than sixty interviews and over five thousand sources, it details the personalities, politics and battles of the league, including the PCL's transition from outlaw to the most powerful and influential minor league in history.

A graduate of San Diego State University, Snelling is also the author of "A Glimpse of Fame" and "The Pacific Coast league, A Statistical History." He has also self-published two volumes of local sports histories.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Expected more, January 5, 2012

By 

DTroppens - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pacific Coast League: A Statistical History, 1903-1957 (Paperback)

In an era where we are seeing many great statistical history books about several minor leagues, this one doesn't keep up the pace. Possibly when it was written it did, but not now. Basically, the key section to me is the year-by-year portion of the book. There isn't an essay about the season. There's just a list of the players on each team. Position players include first initial, last name, at bats, home runs, RBI, batting average and stolen bases. Pitchers include IP, W-L, walks, Ks and ERA.

Deeper in the book there is a player register, and most have a sentence or two about the player, but only 330 players are included. However, the stats are more detailed, sort of what you'd expect to see on a 1970s baseball card.

I'm sure if I found this book in the mid-1990s, I would've been elated. But with other works done in a much better fashion, this leaves me unimpressed. I'd rather the book be done in a fashion like the Cohen and Neft Encyclopedias with detailed stats for all players year-to-year.