(Nov. 9, 1920 – Feb. 12, 2003) Dick Whitman earned a spot in Oregon’s sports legacy by reaching the Major Leagues for all or parts of six seasons, and helped two teams win the National League pennant. Born in Woodburn in 1920, Whitman played outfield from 1940-42 at the University of Oregon, and signed with..Read More
Pete Ward (Jul. 26, 1937 – Mar. 16, 2022) earned his way into Oregon sports lore as a player in the Major Leagues for nine seasons, mostly with the Chicago White Sox, then ran the Pete Ward baseball clinic in Oregon for many years. Born in Canada in 1937, Ward graduated from Portland’s Jefferson High..Read More
(Jun. 28, 1890 – Jan. 22, 1959) Born in Grants Pass in 1890, Ken Williams was one of the state’s first Major Leaguers, spending 14 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox as a top-flight hitter and base stealer. Williams didn’t find his way to professional baseball until 1913, when..Read More
Williams made an impact as a long-time baseball coach at Lincoln High and at the American Legion level, mentoring numerous players to pro careers – most notably Johnny Pesky. That was after a memorable career as a football coach. Williams played collegiate football at the University of Iowa, then moved to Miami, Fla., in 1912…Read More
(born Sep. 13, 1945) Rick Wise made a significant impact on the baseball world starting in Little League and continued into the Major Leagues for 18 seasons. Born in 1945, Wise grew up in Northeast Portland and led Rose City Little League to the Little League World Series as a 12-year-old in 1958. He led..Read More