Price West Doesn't Know Who You Are Either

Price C. West Jr. passed away on New Years Day, he was a former Montgomery player. I didn't know him before this, and he likely didn't know who I am. But I learned we should know him if we are to truly know Montgomery's baseball story.


I know he died because baseballreference.com lists recently deceased players and I often check to see if the players have any connection with the Southern League. A look at his BRef page tells us that Price Charles West Jr. was on two teams in Montgomery in the 1950s.

Born in 1934, no birthdate listed, Bref says West appeared in just 21 games in two seasons, 7 games in the first in 1954 and 14 more in 1956, even those could have taken place when the team had moved to Knoxville. He did not appear to hit well in his short stint on the roster. Those two seasons are all that is listed of his professional baseball career.

DIGGING IN A LITTLE FURTHER
When looking into a Rebels player history, it can be a tough search, since records are sketchy and info lacking. Its easy to skip past players who only appear in a weeks worth of games. However 1954 and 1956 are very notable seasons for the Montgomery team, so further reading ensued, even though West was only in a handful of games.

Quite fortunately there is an obituary on Mr.West that helped establish a few important facts about Price West Jr.

1954 was the season Montgomery put an integrated team on the field for the first time.

George Handy

Price West was among those to wear a Rebels uniform that year and along with veteran Negro Leaguers Johnny "Piper" Davis & George Handy, helped erase the color line in Montgomery.

Price West Jr's 7 games in '54 are a lot more significant than the mere numbers imply.


A HOME TOWN HERO UNRECOGNIZED
The obituary is short but it tells us much that Bref doesnt, that Price was a Montgomery native, born in February 1934. It also tells us he was known as "Pie" and briefly describes his baseball past, shedding light on an important event in Montgomery that transcends the game.

Price West was integrating his own hometown team at just twenty years old, a prospect shortstop starting a bright career in 1954. He didn't play much but got noticed, he went from Montgomery Rebels straight to the big time - playing in Yankee Stadium for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League. And seeing the country on barnstorming tours, of course.


PRICE WITH N.Y.BLACK YANKEES 

Price West considered his career highlight to be a home run hit off Satchel Paige, hard to argue with that. But it was hardly the only high point for the Montgomery slugger.

West played for the legendary N.Y Black Yankees, the equally legendary KC Monarchs and illustrious Detroit Stars in his Negro Leagues career. Even his military service in Korea featured his appearance at shortstop with the 24th Infantry Division team.

1955 Black Yankees, #21 Price West on far right

Price West is described as one of the top hitters for the Black Yankees in '55 before being sold back to Montgomery as an outfielder for 1956. Negro teams were in the business of dealing talent in the mid-1950s and Dick Lundy's Black Yankees sold a handful of stars that summer, obviously Price West was among the prospects being offered.

SEASON NUMBERS EXCELLENT
The Center for Negro League Baseball Research lists top individual season stats for each year, the 1958 leaders include Price West with Detroit. West was 4th in batting average at .298, his 37 RBI were third in the league.

His teams should be listed as:
1954 Montgomery
1955 NY Black Yankees
1956 Montgomery/Knoxville - Price obit names Knoxville
1957 Army 24th I.D.
1958 Detroit Stars (aka Detroit Clowns)
1959 Rochester Yankees
1960 KC Monarchs

After West played for the first integrated Montgomery Rebels team in 1954 he went to New York and was touted a prospect for one full season before being sold back to the Rebels in 1956.

PRICE WEST RETURNS TO MONTGOMERY? 
Probably not...

The Montgomery team was in transition after the death of owner Hoke Vandigriff, essentially run out of town in favor of segregated D-League ball. Price Wests obit lists Knoxville as a team he played for, the Rebels moved from Montgomery to Knoxville in midsummer and likely welcomed Price West back after leaving Alabama.

ON FABLED TEAMS
Two years in the military for Korea took one season away from the pro career but West signed quickly with the famous Detroit Stars upon his return. The Rochester Yankees picked up the outfielder for 1959 and in 1960 Price plays for the legendary KC Monarchs.


Price West wound his career up early after 1960 - he met Shirley, leaving the Monarchs and baseball to find another slugger. Price West Jr. would start a family as well as several businesses, had his own tv show and once ran for mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Predicting the Skitz 2016

Every New Years we take a look at who will be a Biscuit and again it is that time when we employ the black arts and take a peek into Stengels Magic Orb at the roster of the future!

Signed with the Tampa Rays thru 2018, Montgomery will again see some good players moving up the chain, particularly from the rich crop of draft picks made in 2011.


BUCKLE UP FOR A GOOD RIDE
Are you excited about Biscuits baseball yet?
If not, well, its okay. I will let you slide at least till spring training starts!
However its a great time for a little excitement, the team is coming off a playoff appearance and has banished the belief that Montgomery can't win at home. The future is bright.

There are alot of things that have yet to come into view, and of course one can never predict trades or injuries, yet there are some favorable influences and auspicious omens pointing to good things for Montgomery in the season ahead....

It was announced that the coaching staff would be Brady Williams, RC Lichtenstein and Dan DeMent, just as predicted on 12/21, the winter solstice, just after the 12th Biscuits season.A fine start to our prognostication!


These Biscuits should be even better than last years fine team, I expect them to win nearly ten more regular season games than last summers 77 victories.

On paper, these Biscuits have the talent to be a force in the North Division - we could see Montgomery win both halves of the season, if the stars maintain their current alignment.

I also expect that should the Skitz punch a playoff ticket, the team will post more than the one victory the 2015 Biscuits mustered,

There will be several returning Skitz from last year, after making a playoff run this next batch of Biscuits may rise even higher. We should look for top prospects at shortstop, second base, as well as in the outfield, in the starting rotation and the bullpen.


1b Mike Marjama
2b Kean Wong
3b Patrick Leonard
SS Willy Adames
C Justin O'Conner
RF Jake Bauers
CF  Braxton Lee
LF Granden Goetzman

2b Tommy Coyle
Of Marty Gantt
C Armando Araiza
2b/ss/mi Andrew Velazquez
UT Pat Blair


SP Brent Honeywell
SP Chris Kirsch
SP Buddy Borden
SP Chih-Wei "Robin" Hu
SP Taylor Guerrieri

RP Ryne Stanek
RP Jeff Ames
RP Josh Kimborowicz
RP Issac Gil
RP Steve Ascher
RP Kyle McKenzie


other possibles:
RP Kyle Bird
RP Brian Miller
SS Jake Hager
3b Jace Conrad

Bob Dustal Passes, Was Mgm Pitcher

Former Montgomery Rebels pitcher Bob Dustal passed away in November - Bob was with the Rebs in 1967 and '68. Bob Dustal pitched in 50 games during his time in Montgomery posting an 8-5 record. Dustal's sub-1.00 WhIP ratio as a Rebel is evidence of excellent control and minimal baserunners by the veteran righty, a hallmark of his career as a pitcher.

Bob got to the bigs with Detroit in early 1963, appearing in seven games as a reliever before being sent down in May. Dustal's lone MLB decision was a loss, one in which he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Everyone wants a chance to play in the majors... Unfortunately...I just didn`t get anyone out.

DUSTAL DENIED

Dustal Rookie Card 1963

The surprise was that he registered a decision at all for the Tigers, every game he was in resulted in a defeat for the Motor City Kitties. Most of his work was in a mop-up role and he hadn't been pitching well so it was only in emergency situations that he would pitch with the game on the line.

Of course its baseball, that is exactly what happened.

Bob's only chance at participating in a Tigers victory was snatched away at Fenway on April 20th, 1963. Dustal was pitching in relief that day, as he had the day before when he worked a total of three innings in both ends of a doubleheader.

So with a run one lead and already two out in the fifteenth inning Bob was called on, needing only one out to pick up the save. But he was unable to close the door. The Tigers fell 4-3 as Dustal gave up back-to-back hits and took the loss on a Roman Mejias' 15th inning, two-run walk-off double.

MINORS CAREER
As a minor league pitcher, Dustal saw much more success. He posted 111 wins to 76 losses and an ERA of 3.06 in just under 500 games over 15 seasons. The New Jersey native had worked his way thru the minors, from low-D level ball, posting a winning record at every level in cities such as Jamestown, Durham, Knoxville, Birmingham, Denver, Syracuse and others.

Described as "rubber armed", Dustal bragged that he once pitched 119 games in a single year, throwing from January to January in combined league campaigns. Indeed, he was named MVP of the Puerto Rican league and given a $500 watch in an era supposedly before "specialty relief pitching".

REMEMBERED IN SYRACUSE
Bob Dustal is a member of the Syracuse Chiefs "Wall Of Fame" and is remembered as much as his great relief pitching as for leaving a prize fishing catch in a hidden trashcan, where it created a legendary stench in the clubhouse.

'68 MONTGOMERY AT THE TAIL END OF CAREER
1968 was a busy year for Bob, he opened with the Montgomery Rebels, where he would earn the last three of his 111 career victories. Dustal was released after a dozen games but reassigned by Detroit as manager for Batavia in the NYPL.

Bob's last appearance as a player was in 1971 for Key West, where he was managing when pressed into duty by the team as a pitcher in two games.


AFTER THE GAME

Bob Dustal was 80 years old when he passed away in Florida. After baseball, Dustal enjoyed managing a team in the Keys before buying a restaurant and "tiki bar" known as The Bacchus By The Sea.

"It seems like every baseball player wants to own a bar. So here I am." Bob said in an interview in the 1990s.

I found a write-up of the bar in Conde Nast Traveler which described the owner as "a lean, brown, soft spoken man with suggestions of the status he'd enjoyed as a pitcher..."


I also found a great description of the old bar and grille, though under different ownership when this word-picture was crafted. I felt it was a sweet snapshot of the life Bob may have enjoyed.


"....a very nice restaurant called Bacchus By The Sea located down near the Seven Mile Bridge. The front of the restaurant had an Old World feel and was very formal with linen tablecloths and beautifully set tables. But in the back, along the waterfront, the atmosphere dropped a few degrees.

Here, shrimpers who had been out trawling for two weeks at a time came in to shake off the saltwater, find their favorite stool and catch up with their shrimpmates at an open air tiki bar right at the docks.

Seven Mile Bridge

Pelicans perched along the dockposts, and shrimp boats lined up neatly in their port. It was a privilege to enjoy the most beautiful sunsets each evening, and I always tried to savor the fiery ball as it dipped and reached to touch the indigo horizon.

Quickly then, it would slip away from sight as dusk settled in and the tiny white lights strung between the posts behind the bar twinkled and shined down on the deeply tanned and weathered faces of fisherman and their girlfriends or wives, ready to blow off some steam on a Friday night. The thump-thump beat of Dire Straits’ Money For Nothin’ sailed out on an invisible current disappearing over the night’s black ocean. There were quite a few characters that hung out there. It has always been said that if you want to disappear or hide, go down to the Keys. I guess that’s why they were all there. Or maybe no one would have them.

Fights often broke out once the beer and rum began flowing. There really was a Mudsucker, Shrimper John and other bizarrely-named shrimpers who frequented the waterfront bar. Near the tiki bar were outdoor dining tables for customers who wanted to enjoy the ocean view with their dinner. Usually the clientele at the restaurant were upscale tourists, as well as the infrequent celebrity such as Ted Turner, who occasionally seemed horrified at the display of obscenities and violence that they may have accidentally sat near, too close to the tiki bar revelry. It was always worth a chuckle or two."