Mauer Becomes the 26th Hall of Famer with Ties to Red Wings Franchise, Celebrating a Rich Tradition of Excellence

By Josh Whetzel

July 29, 2024

The rich tradition of Rochester professional baseball added another notch to its belt last weekend in Cooperstown, NY with the induction of Joe Mauer into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. While his time with the Red Wings was brief—consisting of eight games in a pair of rehab stints with the Red Wings in 2004 and 2018—Mauer nonetheless becomes the tenth former Red Wings player enshrined in the Hall of Fame for his playing accolades, the 16th former Rochester player (not necessarily Red Wings player) inducting for his playing prowess and the 26th Hall of Famer to play, manage or serve as a front office executive in Rochester.

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Here is a quick synopsis of these baseball legends and their ties to Rochester:

Buck Ewing (inducted 1939)—played briefly for Rochester in 1880 and was viewed as the first great catcher in the sport.
George Sisler (inducted 1939)—his final full season was spent as a star for the 1931 Red Wings after he had already accumulated 2,812 Major League hits, won a pair of batting titles and hit over .400 twice.
Dan Brouthers (inducted 1945)—pronounced BROO-therz…he was a power-hitting first baseman who briefly played for the Rochester Bronchos in 1880 and also a handful of games for Rochester near the end of his career in 1899 as well.
Rabbit Maranville (inducted 1954)—a star middle infielder whose career straddled the Dead Ball and Live Ball era, Maranville supposedly got his career back on track with the Rochester Tribe in 1927 when he swore off alcohol that year and returned to the big leagues with the Cardinals at the age of 35 before going on to play several more years in MLB.
Dazzy Vance (inducted 1955)—spent part of 1918 as a fairly non-descript pitcher for the Rochester Hustlers. He somehow got back to the big leagues in 1922 at the age of 31 years old with Brooklyn and led the National League in strikeouts for seven straight seasons.
Bill McKechnie (inducted 1962)—“Deacon” spent 24 years managing in the Major Leagues winning a World Series with both the Pirates (1925) and the Reds (1940) while earning over 1,800 wins in the process. He managed the Red Wings for much of 1929…the first year of Silver Stadium.
Burleigh Grimes (inducted 1964)—The former pitcher managed the Red Wings to a 64-90 record in 1945 before also spending part of 1946 as the Wings skipper. Grimes had much better luck as a pitcher in a career spanning 19 seasons and 270 MLB wins.
Stan Musial (inducted 1969)—one of the greatest hitters of all time, Stan The Man hit .326 in 54 games for the Red Wings in 1941 just one year after going 18-5 on the mound for Daytona Beach. Musial would win three MVPs, seven batting titles, and play in 24 All-Star Games while becoming the most beloved player in St. Louis Cardinals history.
Ross Youngs (inducted 1972)—torched Minor League pitchers in 1917 batting .346 for the Rochester Hustlers before joining the New York Giants. Youngs only played for parts of ten years in the big leagues before sadly passing away at the age of 30 due to kidney disease.
George Kelly (inducted 1973)—The 6’4” Kelly was one of the tallest players of his era earning the nickname “High Pockets.” After spending the 1918 season in the military, Kelly returned to baseball in 1919 with the Rochester Hustlers and—June 24 of that year—hit four home runs in one game…the only time a Rochester player has ever accomplished that feat. Kelly played 16 years in the big leagues and helped the Giants win back-to-back World Series over the Yankees in 1920 and 1921.
Jocko Conlan (inducted 1974)—Conlan was a mainstay in the Rochester Tribe outfield in 1924, 1925, and 1926. While he played briefly in the big leagues with the White Sox, Conlan’s fame came from his long career as a respected Major League umpire which got him enshrined in Cooperstown.
Warren Giles (inducted 1979)—Giles ran the business operations for the Red Wings during the start of the Red Wings/Cardinals era from 1928 to 1936. His induction into the Hall of Fame stems from his long career as the General Manager of the Reds and—later—as President of the National League.
Bob Gibson (inducted 1981)—The fearsome right-hander was still a young hard-thrower when he pitched for the Red Wings in parts of 1958 (his first Red Wings start came against Satchel Paige) and in 1960 when he was promoted for good to St. Louis. He would go on to win two Cy Young Awards and nine Gold Gloves while racking up 251 wins and a 2.91 ERA.
Johnny Mize (inducted 1981)—“The Big Cat” played for the Red Wings in 1933-1935 hitting .334 with 37 home runs for Rochester. His 197 games with the Red Wings are the most played by a Red Wing who ended up in the Hall of Fame. Mize led the National League in home runs four times during a 15-year big league career spent with the Cardinals, Giants, and Yankees
Frank Robinson (inducted 1982)—A Triple Crown winner and an MVP in each league as a player, Robinson managed the Red Wings for much of 1978. This was three years after he became the first MLB African-American manager with Cleveland in 1975.
Walter Alston (inducted 1983)—The former first baseman got just one MLB at-bat with the Cardinals while spending parts of three seasons as a Red Wings player (1937, 1943-44). Alston got to the Hall of Fame, however, as a great manager winning four World Series in 23 years at the Dodgers' helm…all spent on one-year contracts!
Red Schoendienst (inducted 1989)—Before becoming a 10-time MLB All-Star second baseman, Schoendienst hit .343 in 161 games for the Red Wings in 1943 and 1944.
Jim Palmer (inducted 1990)—His career as a Red Wing was brief, but it still counts! Palmer had already thrown a World Series shutout in 1966 before he ended up in Rochester pitching in four games for the Red Wings in 1967 and 1968 while recovering from injury. While with the Wings, he famously gave up the only grand slam of his career to Buffalo’s own future Hall of Famer Johnny Bench. Palmer won 20 games in eight different seasons while also winning a game in a World Series in three different decades.
Ned Hanlon (inducted in 1996)—Hanlon played in Rochester in the late 1870s. He is inducted in the Hall of Fame due to his managerial expertise leading him to be known as the “Father of Modern Baseball.”
Earl Weaver (inducted in 1996)—Known for his managing acumen, Weaver won three American League pennants and one World Series with the Orioles while leading them to 100 or more wins five times. His final Minor League apprenticeship as a manager was spent as the Red Wings skipper in 1966 and 1967.
Eddie Murray (inducted 2003)—hit .274 with 11 homers as a 20-year-old for the 1976 Red Wings after only starting to switch-hit the year before. Despite that late start, he became one of the greatest switch-hitters of all time and the rare hitter with more than 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.
Cal Ripken, Jr (inducted 2007)—The Iron Man returned to Rochester in 1981 as a player after spending time in the Flower City as a youngster when his father managed the Red Wings. Ripken played mostly third base for the Wings in 1981 while winning the IL Rookie of the Year Award one year before winnings the AL Rookie of the Year and two years before becoming the AL Most Valuable Player (one of two times he won the award). Oh…and he played in 2,632 consecutive games at one point breaking a record that had previously been considered unbreakable.
Billy Southworth (inducted in 2008)—Southworth played and managed the Red Wings starting with the very first team actually named the Red Wings in 1928. Perhaps only Joe Altobelli could rival Southworth for his success as a Wings skipper. It must have been no surprise to early Red Wings fans that Southworth managed St. Louis to two World Series championships and later earned enshrinement in Cooperstown.
Pat Gillick (inducted 2011)—Briefly a Red Wings lefthanded pitcher in the early 1960s during the start of the Orioles era for the Wings, Gillick earned his induction as a long, respected front office executive helping lead two franchises to three World Series titles: the Blue Jays in 1992-1993 and the Phillies in 2008.
Mike Mussina (inducted 2019)—This cerebral right-hander made it to the Wings shortly after the Orioles drafted him in the 1st round in 1990 and spent most of 1991 as the Red Wings ace before embarking on an 18-year career during which he notched his only twenty win season in his final MLB campaign with the Yankees in 2008. Posted 270 big leagues while winning seven Gold Glove Awards for his fielding prowess on the mound.
Joe Mauer (inducted 2024)—The first player inducted into the Hall of Fame who played for the Red Wings during the Twins era of Red Wings Baseball. Mauer rehabbed injuries with the Wings in both his rookie year in the big leagues (2004) and his final season (2018). Mauer is the only catcher ever to win three batting titles.

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Also of note…

Jack Buck—The Ford C. Frick Award is given annually to a broadcaster for his contributions to the sport. Buck richly deserved this award when he won it in 1987 some 34 years after he spent the 1953 campaign broadcasting Red Wings games. Ironically, the broadcaster he replaced when he joined the St. Louis broadcast team in 1954 was former Red Wings catcher Gus Mancuso.
Tim McCarver—The loquacious McCarver caught 17 games as a 17-year-old for the Red Wings in 1959 before later having a long and distinguished career as both a Major League catcher and broadcaster. He earned the Ford C. Frick Award in 2012.

The legacy of Rochester baseball is a testament to the city's rich history and enduring passion for the sport. From the early days of Buck Ewing to the modern era of Joe Mauer, the connection between Rochester and the National Baseball Hall of Fame is a proud one, filled with remarkable achievements and unforgettable memories. These legends, whether they played, managed, or contributed in other significant ways, have left an indelible mark on the game and on Rochester's baseball heritage. As we celebrate their accomplishments and honor their contributions, we are reminded of the timeless bond between the sport and our community—a bond that continues to inspire and unite generations of baseball fans in Rochester and beyond.

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