Few individuals exerted a greater influence over Seattle’s athletic landscape than Roscie “Torchy” Torrance, a remarkable cheerleader and businessman.
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
Fifty-seven years ago, the Seattle Rainiers, in the midst of a tough pennant race, attempted what came to be known as “The Great Experiment” with a local pitching star.
One of the Red Sox franchise’s most beloved figures, Johnny Pesky had a memorable two-year stopover as manager of the Rainiers during the time of the Seattle World’s Fair.
Sixty-one years ago, a Hall of Fame hitter and a 28-year-old outfielder with a checkered past helped produce one of the most memorable seasons in Seattle’s baseball history.
He coached basketball for 40 years — 13 at PLU, 13 at WSU, 14 at UW — compiling a record that warranted Hall of Fame induction as soon as he retired.
“Kewpie” Dick Barrett, a roly-poly RHP with numerous 20-win seasons, became the most popular player on the most popular teams in Seattle baseball history.
No individual played a bigger role than promoter extraordinaire “Natty” Nate Druxman in popularizing boxing in Seattle and the Northwest.
One of Seattle’s iconic hockey figures also boxed, played lacrosse, ice danced and skated on stilts. Not many knew that he used an alias throughout his life.
The history of Seattle’s Super Bowl bids involves a trail of disappointment for the many sports officials, politicians and entrepreneurs who tried to land the NFL’s marquee event.
As a star athlete, basketball head coach and athletic administrator, Tippy Dye made profound contributions to three great U.S. colleges, Ohio State, Washington and Nebraska.