Ad Liska
Encyclopedia
Adolph James Liska was a baseball
pitcher
who played five years in Major League Baseball
and 14 for the Portland Beavers
of the Pacific Coast League
.
of the Western League
in 1926. A submarine
pitcher, he earned a 20–4 record with the Minneapolis Millers
of the American Association
, which earned him a shot at the majors in 1929.
and part of a third. He joined the Philadelphia Phillies
in 1932 where he played two seasons, compiling a 17–18 overall record with an ERA of 3.87.
of the Pacific Coast League
in 1936. He went on to play 14 years for the Beavers, winning 15 or more games nine times. In 1936, his 15 wins helped the Beavers win the PCL championship. In 1945, at the age of 39, he won 20 games, leading the Beavers to the best record in the league. Liska finally retired following the 1949 season at the age of 42. He managed the minor league Salem Senators for the 1950 season and then retired from baseball and worked in the United States Postal Service
.
in 1982 and the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame
in 2003. He died in Portland in 1998 at the age of 92.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played five years in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and 14 for the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
.
Early life and career
Born in Nebraska, Liska taught elementary school and pitched briefly for the University of Nebraska before joining the minor league Lincoln LinksLincoln Links
The Lincoln Links were a Western League and Nebraska State League baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. They were affiliated with the St. Louis Browns from 1938 to 1939....
of the Western League
Western League (defunct minor league)
The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American minor league baseball. Its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League...
in 1926. A submarine
Submarine (baseball)
In baseball, a submarine pitch is one in which the ball is released underhand and just above the ground, with the torso bent at a right angle and shoulders tilted so severely that they rotate around a nearly horizontal axis...
pitcher, he earned a 20–4 record with the Minneapolis Millers
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
, which earned him a shot at the majors in 1929.
Major League career
Liska played two full seasons with the Washington SenatorsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and part of a third. He joined the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in 1932 where he played two seasons, compiling a 17–18 overall record with an ERA of 3.87.
Portland Beavers
Liska returned to the minor leagues for two more seasons and then found a home with the Portland BeaversPortland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in 1936. He went on to play 14 years for the Beavers, winning 15 or more games nine times. In 1936, his 15 wins helped the Beavers win the PCL championship. In 1945, at the age of 39, he won 20 games, leading the Beavers to the best record in the league. Liska finally retired following the 1949 season at the age of 42. He managed the minor league Salem Senators for the 1950 season and then retired from baseball and worked in the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
.
Legacy
He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of FameOregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1982 and the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame
Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame
The Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame was created in 1942 by the Helms Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles. The foundation selected players, managers and executives who they felt best contributed to the ideals of the Pacific Coast League. The Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1943...
in 2003. He died in Portland in 1998 at the age of 92.