O’Neil Signs Player-Manager Contract With Salinas Club

Johnny “Scooter” O’Neil, one of the most popular players ever to wear the Jamestown Falcons flannels, former member of the Philadelphia Phillies, has signed as player-manager of the Salinas Baseball Club of the Class c California League and will enter a new phase of his baseball career on March 17, 1954.

That’s St. Patrick’s Day, and Johnny, as Irish as the Rose of Trelawney, sees the date as happy augury.

The veteran Pacific Coast League shortstop will have a backlog of experience accumulated over a period of 15 campaigns, during which he performed in leagues of every classification, from D to the majors, to draw upon.

Johnny, who makes his winter home in Jamestown, and has, since the winter of 1945, been employed at Ed’s Market, owned by his father-in-law, Ed Swanson, in the off-season.

The Scooter accepted the Salinas managerial job after considering a large number of opportunities proffered him during the recent baseball convention in Atlanta, Ga.

He came to an agreement with Gene Robertson, a member of the Salinas club’s board of directors, and formal acknowledgement of the contract was made by the club’s General Manager, Buzz Meagher.

“I’m very well satisfied with the contract and the opportunity the Salinas job presents,” Johnny said Monday night in discussing the transaction.

“I decided during the last season that if I wanted to realize my desire to be a manager, I’d better be making the move while I could still play because I believe a playing manager can do a better job for his club than one who works from the bench.

“I know a good many ballplayers and executives feel that a bench manager can see more things going on out there on the diamond than a manager playing, but there’s two sides to the question and I think an older head can accomplish more with the D and C players when he’s out there with them.

“I intend to do everything I possibly can to help the club. That’s natural, and I’ll pitch in wherever I think I can provide help.”

Johnny played with the 1941 Falcons managed by Jamestowner Greg Mulleavy, who won the PONY League pennant, but who lost out to the Hamilton Red Wings in the playoffs. The O’Neil-Mulleavy keystone combination was one of the most efficient fielding combines in the long history of fine infielders.

O’Neil broke into organized baseball with Tallahassee of the Georgia-Florida League in 1939 after having played ball at Pikeville College in Kentucky. He was signed to his first contract by Jimmy Hamilton, scout for the Bufalo Bisons. He also played with Greenville, Tenn., of the Appalachian League in ’39.

In 1940, he was at Bristol, Tenn., in the Appalachian League and at Winston-Salem in the Piedmont League. He came to Jamestown in 1941 and in 1942, played with the Bisons, Elmira of the Eastern League and Pittsfield, Mass., a Canadian-American League squad.

Johnny made the long trek in the spring of 1943, reporting to the Portland club of the Pacific Coast League and remaining there through ’44 and ’45. His performance was brilliant and earned him a chance with Philadelphia in 1946.

He was with Seattle in 1947 and 1948, and with Hollywood in 1949, ’50 and ’51. In 1952 he was with both Hollywood and New Orleans. Last year he was with Hollywood, Oakland and San Francisco, all in the PCL.