Steve Bilko’s Epic Baseball Career included Havana, Ponce and Escogido Lions (Part I)

Part I focuses on Bilko’s big league, minor league, Panamá’s Canal Zone League, and Cuban Winter League career. Part II transitions to the Puerto Rico Winter League (PRWL), Dominican Winter League (LIDOM), and special recognitions. He played for three Los Angeles teams: Pacific Coast League (PCL) Angels (1955-57), 1958 Dodgers, and 1961-62 Angels. His most significant popularity came in Los Angeles.

Steve Bilko’s (November 13, 1928 to March 7, 1978) three outstanding PCL seasons with the 1955-57 Los Angeles Angels, including a 1956 Triple Crown–.360/.453/.687 slash line, and 1.140 OPS. There was much more to the Nanticoke, Pennsylvania (PA) native—his kindness, compassion, and devotion to his wife (Mary) and sons (Steve Jr. and Thomas). Nanticoke was an “anthracite coal mining area.” Its population peaked at 26,043 in 1930 and numbered 10,628 in 2020. It is 70 miles northeast of Allentown, where Bilko debuted his pro baseball in 1945 at 16. Some input on Steve Sr. comes from Nanticoke native Duane Ford, a 1960-63 student-athlete at Nanticoke High School and Dickinson (PA) College football player. Nanticoke won a 1961 state basketball title by defeating Hickory Township, reminiscent of the movie Hoosiers. Dickinson’s 1965 football team (7-1) is enshrined in their Athletics Hall of Fame.

Ford elaborated: “Most people in Nanticoke during that era [1960-63] remembered Steve as an All-State high school football player at fullback and guard. Because of his stature, many thought he could easily have been a college star in football, but baseball was his main love, and he went that route instead. I remember Steve clearly as a fixture at my home basketball games, 1960-63. Our balcony surrounded our floor with a running track and fixed seats. No one was allowed behind the baskets, though, except Steve, who had a folding chair, as I recall, and could be seen with his folded arms over the top of the half-moon backboard when the ball wasn’t in play. Great guy and great fan!!!” Ford added: “His sons Steve and Tom were also excellent football and basketball players. The author met Steve Jr. in 1991 when the latter taught at Nanticoke High School. Steve Jr. and Tom—an orthopedic surgeon in Chicago—played football at Villanova. “The television program Sergeant Bilko was named after my father,” stated Steve Jr. “Dad became a friend of Phil Silvers, who starred in the show.”

The 1961 Nanticoke Rams—PA State Basketball Champs. Duane Ford #14, the 12^th player, front row, L to R. Steve Bilko sat in the circled area—Credit: Personal collection of Duane Ford.

Tom Gamboa, a baseball lifer, lived in Southern California when Bilko Sr. starred for the AL expansion Los Angeles Angels in 1961 and 1962. “I saw Bilko play in ’61 and ’62 when I was 13-14,” recalled Gamboa. “But I was a diehard Dodger fan!!” His most productive big-league seasons were with the Halos, featuring younger players like Jim Fregosi. “Steve had a presence about him which we appreciated,” noted Fregosi. “He was nice to the fans; they loved him and remembered his great PCL seasons.” Fregosi later managed the PRWL 1969-70 Ponce Lions, the team Bilko played for in the mid-1950s. Bilko hit one HR per every 22.9 AB in 10 big-league seasons and one/16.4 AB with the 1961-62 Angels. He was a regular with the 1953 St. Louis Cardinals but became disenchanted when they required him to lose weight by running in a rubber sweatsuit before games. Table I includes Bilko’s AL and NL stats.

Table I: Steve Bilko’s Major League Hitting Stats

Team	Season	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
SLC	1949	6	17	3	5	2	0	0	2	.294	.455	.412	.866
SLC	1950	10	33	1	6	1	0	0	2	.182	.270	.212	.482
SLC	1951	21	72	5	16	4	0	2	12	.222	.309	.361	.670
SLC	1952	20	72	7	19	6	1	1	6	.264	.303	.417	.719
SLC	1953	154	570	72	143	23	3	21	84	.251	.334	.412	.746
SLC	1954	8	14	1	2	0	0	0	1	.143	.294	.143	.437
CHC	1954	47	92	11	22	8	1	4	12	.239	.320	.478	.799
CIN	1958	31	87	12	23	4	2	4	17	.264	.330	.494	.824
LAD	1958	47	101	13	21	1	2	7	18	.208	.264	.465	.729
DET	1960	78	222	20	46	11	2	9	25	.207	.292	.396	.688
LAA	1961	114	294	49	82	16	1	20	59	.279	.396	.544	.940
LAA	1962	64	164	26	47	9	1	8	38	.287	.374	.500	.874
Total	10	600	1738	220	432	85	13	76	276	.249	.336	.444	.780

SLC: St. Louis Cardinals. CHC: Chicago Cubs. CIN: Cincinnati Reds. LAD: Los Angeles Dodgers. DET: Detroit Tigers. LAA: Los Angeles Angels. Source: Baseball-Reference.

                                    Bilko, 1958 Dodgers. Credit: www.tradingcarddb.com.

PCL Rock Star

Bilko, listed at 6-1, 230 pounds, told a writer he was more comfortable playing at 250-270 pounds, his weight range with the 1955-57 Los Angeles Angels. The 1956 Angels (107-61) outdistanced second-place Seattle Rainiers (91-77) by 16 games; scored 1,000 runs; hit 202 team HRs; and, placed seven players on the PCL All-Star Team: Triple Crown winner Bilko (.364 BA, 55 HR, 164 RBIs)—1B, Gene Mauch—2B (.348 BA, 20 HR, 84 RBIs), Bob Speake—OF (.300 BA, 25 HR, RBIs) and Jim Bolger—OF (.326 BA, 28 HR, 147 RBIs), El Tappe—C, Lorenzo “Piper” Davis—UT (.316, 6 HR, 24 RBIs), and, Dave Hillman—P (21-7, 3.39 ERA).

Bilko led the PCL with 163 runs. Angels shortstop Casey Wise scored 122 in 168 games. Mauch chipped in with 123, and Speake scored 107. Table II lists all 30 Los Angeles Looloos (1904-05) and Angels teams (1907-1956) who won/surpassed 100 wins. The Halos finished their PCL stint in 1957 before the 1958 Dodgers moved to Los Angeles from Brooklyn. Many minor-league historians rank the 1934 Halos as the best minor-league team ever, with the 1943 edition at #13. Table III highlights Bilko’s minor-league hitting statistics.

Table II: Los Angeles PCL Teams with 100 Plus Wins (1904-1956)

Season	W-L	PCT	MGRS/RANK#	Season	W-L	PCT	MGRS/RANK#
1904	119-98	.548	Pop Dillon, etc. (2)	1922	111-88	.558	Red Killefer (3)
1905	120-94	.561	Pop Dillon (1)	1924	107-92	.538	Marty Krug (2)
1907	115-74	.608	Pop Dillon (1)	1925	105-93	.530	Marty Krug (4)
1908	110-78	.585	Pop Dillon (1)	1926	121-81	.599	Marty Krug (1)
1909	118-97	.549	Pop Dillon (3)	1929	104-98	.515	Krug/Lelivelt (5)
1910	100-122	.450	Pop Dillon (5)	1930	113-84	.574	Jack Lelivelt (2)
1912	110-93	,542	Pop Dillon (3)	1933	114-73	.610	Jack Lelivelt (1)
1913	100-108	.481	Pop Dillon (5)	1934	137-50	.733	Jack Lelivelt (1)
1914	116-94	.552	Pop Dillon (2)	1938	105-73	.590	Truck Hannah (1)
1915	110-98	.529	Pop Dillon (3)	1940	102-75	.576	Jigger Statz (2)
1916	119-79	.601	Frank Chance (1)	1942	104-74	.584	Jigger Statz (2)
1917	116-94	.552	Chance/Killefer (2)	1943	110-45	.710	Bill Sweeney (1)
1919	108-72	.600	Red Killefer (2)	1947	105-81	.565	Bill Kelly (1 tie)
1920	102-95	.518	Red Killefer (3)	1948	102-86	.543	Bill Kelly (3)
1921	108-80	.574	Red Killefer (1)	1956	107-61	.637	Bob Scheffing (1)

#Regular season. PCL: Class A through 1911; Class AA, 1912-1945; Class AAA, 1946-on. Source: Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, Editors, Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Baseball America, 2007.

Table III: Steve Bilko’s Minor League Hitting Stats

Team	Season	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
ALT	1946	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
SAL	1946	122	441	73	121	28	4	12	90	.274	.377	.438	.815
W-S	1947	116	438	109	148	26	3	29	120	.338	.438	.610	1.048
LYN	1948	128	463	89	154	34	6	20	92	.333	.407	.562	.969
ROC	1948	12	41	5	6	1	0	0	3	.146	.286	.171	.456
ROC	1949	139	503	101	156	32	5	34	125	.310	.410	.596	1.006
ROC	1950	109	334	71	97	18	6	15	58	.290	.392	.515	.907
ROC	1951	73	273	41	77	14	6	8	50	.282	.368	.465	.833
COL	1951	26	74	13	21	2	0	1	6	.284	.384	.351	.735
ROC	1952	82	286	55	92	22	5	12	55	.322	.399	.559	.959
LA#	1955	168	622	105	204	35	3	37	124	.328	.396	.572	.968
LA#	1956	162	597	163	215	18	6	55	164	.360	.453	.687	1.140
LA#	1957	158	536	111	161	22	1	56	140	.300	.413	.659	1.071
SPK	1959	135	478	76	146	24	1	26	92	.305	.393	.523	.916
ROC	1963	101	261	41	68	17	1	8	37	.261	.394	.425	.820
Total	12	1532	5348	1053	1666	293	47	313	1156	.312	.405	.559	.964

Does not include 1945 Allentown (ALT) stats. The 1946 stats are incomplete. SAL: Salisbury. W-S: Winston-Salem. LYN: Lynchburg. ROC: Rochester. COL: Columbus. LA#: Los Angeles Angels of PCL. SPK: Spokane. Source: Baseball-Reference.

                        Bilko, in his prime, PCL Angels. Credit: www.youtube.com.

From Colón, Panamá (1947-48) to Havana, Cuba (1950-51)

Page 37, December 8, 1948 edition of The Sporting News, noted that the “Colón team in the Canal Zone League will not have first baseman Bilko and second baseman Stan Wasiak.” Nineteen-year-old Bilko traveled to Panamá circa 1947-48, after a splendid season with 1947 Winston-Salem (.338 BA, 29 HR, 120 RBIs). Al Kubski managed the Cristobal Mottas in the Canal Zone League to three straight titles, 1946-49, and probably encouraged Bilko to get extra experience there. Kubski spent ten years managing in Panamá—Tom Lasorda was one of his players—but became better known as a scout for Baltimore, California, Kansas City, and Atlanta, signing Bobby Grich and Doug DeCinces for the Orioles. He worked closely with Harry Dalton, Baltimore, and California GM, and was a proponent of winter ball, encouraging Paul Blair, Dave May, and others to play for the Santurce Crabbers.

Havana’s amenities were to the liking of Steve and Mary Bilko. They had a comfortable apartment, and road trips were unnecessary—all four teams played at Havana’s Gran Stadium. In a one-game playoff, the 41-32 Lions edged arch-rival Almendares Scorpions to travel to Caracas, Venezuela, for the February 1951 Caribbean Series (CS). Bilko returned to Nanticoke before the CS due to Mary’s pregnancy. “Steve and I felt we made the right decision,” relayed Mary to the author in Nanticoke four decades later. (The author was a Travel/Tourism Instructor and Sports Information Official at Keystone College, La Plume, PA, 42 miles northeast of Nanticoke.) “The fans supported their teams, and we enjoyed it.” The author’s Fall 2024 CS book will cover the February 1951 event won by Santurce, managed by George Scales, over Mike González’s Lions.

Bilko hit a league-best 15 doubles with a .267 BA, six homers, and 39 RBIs. His 51 strikeouts ranked first. Marianao’s Minnie Miñoso scored 54 runs to lead the loop. Cienfuegos’s Silvio García won the batting crown (.347) and stole 17, the top mark. Havana’s Edmundo “Sandy” Amorós earned Rookie of the Year laurels (.286 BA, .500 SLG in 42 AB). Fernando Díaz Pedroso was a Lions utility player. Havana RF Pedro Formental’s 53 walks led the league. The Lions pitching staff featured Hoyt Wilhelm (8-6, 2.36 ERA, 141.1 innings), Bill Ayers (9-9, 2.62, 154.2 innings), John Yuhas (7-4, 4.29, 79. Innings), Bob Habenicht (6-4, 2.76, 78.1 innings), Adrián Zabala (5-4, 3.50, 74.2 innings), and Julio Moreno (3-2, 3.94, 80 innings). Each team was allowed eight “Imports”—Stateside players.

Havana Lions, 1950-51 Cuban Winter League champions. In the second row from the top, L to R, Bilko is the sixth player. Credit: www.hoytwilhelmonlinemuseum.blogspot.com.

The New York Giants sent Willie Mays to Almendares to fill in for outfielder (and future skipper) Dick Williams when the latter was called into Military Service. Mays injured his ankle during practice, and Giants executives forbade him from reinforcing the Scorpions down the stretch. Connie Marrero (11-7, 2.37 ERA) and Terris McDuffie (5-2, 3.00) pitched well for Almendares, and their 3B Héctor Rodríguez’s 50 RBIs led all hitters. A healthy Mays might have helped Almendares prevail over Havana. Table IV covers Bilko’s hitting in Cuba, PR, and the DR. Part II will cover his experiences in the latter two islands.

Post Script

Duane Ford became a very successful Central Columbia Lady Blue Jays softball coach shortly after he was #30 Paul Hartzell’s 1970-71 basketball coach at Central Columbia in Bloomsburg, PA. Hartzell pitched for Lehigh, 1976-78 California Angels, 1976-77 Santurce Crabbers, among other teams. The 1954-55 Crabbers—with Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays—are mentioned in Part II. Stan Wasiak, Bilko’s 1947-48 Colón (Panamá) teammate, had a 2,530-2,314 Minor League managing record from 1950-1986. His 2,530 wins are the most by all managers in minor-league history. Tom Gamboa won three PRWL crowns (1988-89, 1996-97, 1997-98), managing his Mayagüez Indios in three CS tournaments. He was sixth-place Team Israel’s bench coach in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Jim Fregosi managed Ponce in the February 1970 CS.

Hartzell met Bilko in 1976. “The Angels had some events during my rookie year at Anaheim Stadium, which Steve Bilko attended. It might have been for the men who played in the first year of the [Angels] team in California. I’m standing at my locker looking at all of these “old” guys, and a big man walks towards me and says, ’Are you Paul Hartzell from Bloomsburg?’ Of course, I said yes. He wraps his arms around me and picks me up off the ground. He hugs me and says, ‘It’s great you are here. Congratulations and good luck.’ I didn’t know much about him, but he had sons who were excellent athletes a few years older than me, so I knew the names and knew he had played many years in the PCL. I always remember how excited he was that some kid from Bloomsburg, PA, was now playing for the Angels.”

Special thanks to Mary Bilko, Steve Bilko Jr., Duane Ford, Jim Fregosi, Tom Gamboa, and Paul Hartzell. Jorge Colón Delgado did the editing and photo placements.