Few trades in Seattle’s professional baseball history turned out as well as a 1934 deal that netted the Indians third baseman Dick Gyselman and pitcher Kewpie Dick Barrett.
Author: David Eskenazi
David Eskenazi
Many of the historic images on Sports Press Northwest are provided by resident Northwest sports history aficionado, David Eskenazi. A Seattle native, David has amassed an extensive archive of Seattle, Northwest, and West Coast historic sports photographs, artifacts and ephemera. We draw from this archive to illustrate stories in The Vault, and our weekly Rotation feature, The Wayback Machine. Youll see many unique and evocative representations of our sporting past, many of which have never been seen publicly. You are in for a treat! David enjoys sharing his collection and zeal for Northwest sports history. His historical showcase activities have included displays at numerous museums, historical societies, and community events, including an annual Northwest baseball history display at Mariners FanFest, and working on baseball-themed fund raising events for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Since the early 1990s, The Seattle Mariners have enlisted David to help recognize and illustrate Seattle and the Northwests 120-year baseball legacy. This collaboration has produced historical displays at Safeco Field, including seven 35-foot long historical storyboards surrounding the Safeco Field main concourse, Fred Hutchinson seat end stanchions, and classic early photographs on the suite level, all created for the opening of Safeco Field in 1999. From its opening in 2007 to the present day, David has provided thematic ideas, design elements, images, and scores of original historic Northwest baseball artifacts for the Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest at Safeco Field. David also contributed visual materials, historical consultation and on-screen interviews for documentaries on The Seattle Rainiers, The Spokane Indians, and the Seattle Pilots, and provided images and other inputs for a multitude of books, magazines, web-sites and other media focusing on Seattle, Northwest and West Coast sports history. Recent books he contributed to extensively include SABRs Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest, and Dan Raleys Pitchers of Beer: The Seattle Rainiers Story. David has a keen ongoing interest in sharing stories, expanding and enhancing his collection, and broadening his knowledge and archive of Northwest sports history and memorabilia. If you have questions, memories to share, stories to suggest, or would like to talk to him about selling or trading Seattle and Northwest sports artifacts, please contact him at (206) 441-1900, or at seattlesportshistory@gmail.com
Seattle’s premier slugger of the 1930s, Mike Hunt feasted on the short porch in left field at Civic Field, a makeshift baseball park where Memorial Stadium now stands.
A former major leaguer outfielder with the Cubs and Phillies, Lou Novikoff entertained Seattle Rainiers fans for three seasons, and not always in the ways they expected.
Vagabond Dutch Ruether, a member of four World Series teams, pitched for the Seattle Indians in 1930-31 and managed the club from 1934-36 after replacing George Burns.
Oregon-reared farm boy Hal Turpin didn’t say a whole lot, but his repertoire of off-speed pitches spoke volumes during the 11 seasons that he wore a Seattle uniform.
Garfield graduate Jeff Heath had the ability to become a tremendous major league talent, but his ability didn’t always manifest itself during a 14-year career that began in 1938.
The Mariners will “Turn Back The Clock” this week to 1955, a year in which the Rainiers, managed by Fred Hutchinson, made a bid for their first PCL title since 1951.
Frank Tealey Raymond first stepped on a local ball diamond in 1905, and played a prominent role in state baseball for virtually the remainder of his life.
The 1924 Seattle Indians started the season 3-10, stormed into contention and went neck-and-neck with the Seals and Angels until the final day of the season.
As the city celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Century 21 Exposition, Seattle Center’s sports facilities played host to an amazing collection of world-class athletes, games and events.