For one year, the Walla Walla Northwest League baseball team was the Walla Walla Islanders. They add an odd agreement with the Hawaii Islanders, which itself was Pacific Coast League Minor League team.
One of the stars of that team was Kurt Russell, who also was a movie actor, appearing, primarily, in Disney films. He would eventually become a much bigger name, in movies, not baseball.
Thank you to my brother, Steve for this article from the 1973 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin Progress Addition.
I did not remember that the team won its division that year. I do remember the announcers bragging about the attendance.
When the 1973 Northwest League season started, the team would then have switched its affiliation to the San Diego Padres. They would be the Walla Walla Padres for several seasons..
1 comment:
great post from our days chasing foul balls at Borleske. Kurt wasn't just a famous face playing for publicity; he was an incredibly talented athlete. As a switch-hitting second baseman, he batted an impressive .325 in 29 games for the Walla Walla Islanders and earned an Northwest League All-Star selection. What’s so wonderful about Kurt Russell’s time in Walla Walla is that he earned every bit of his success on the field. He wasn’t a Hollywood actor playing at baseball; he was a legitimate All-Star hitter who just happened to act. Before a severe rotator cuff injury in 1973 altered his path, baseball was genuinely his first love. He grew up in a baseball family—his father was former player and actor Bing Russell. His presence contributed to a historically magical summer for local fans. In 1972, Walla Walla won a division title and set a franchise attendance record with over 37,000 fans packing the stands.
Post a Comment