Gene Graves was not just an All-Star pitching in Western Canada, a newspaper report in 1960 had some other awards :
Most Honest Workman -- Gene Graves (Calgary).
Pitcher Most Likely to Get Water - Graves (Pumps oftener and harder than any other in the league).
The little (5-9, 170) right-hander took a round-about route to Canadian baseball. The Arkansas native did a four-year hitch in the US Navy before beginning a college career at Sequoias Junior College in California, under mentor Roy Taylor. Taylor, who had been instrumental in bringing American kids to play in Canada and Canadian kids to play down at Sequoias, likely lined up Graves with his first Canadian stop in Saskatoon in 1957.
Graves not only brought talent but a good sense of humour and personality to the prairies. He rang up all kinds of outstanding performances - a no-hitter included. Over one eight day period he won four times.
In 1959 all he achieved was the ERA title and topped the league in strikeouts, with 145 in 148 innings pitched. Graves gave up just 119 hits as the workhorse of the Saskatoon Commodores staff.
All together he'd spend ten summers in Canada, in Saskatoon, Kindersley, Calgary and Biggar. And, he'd still be flinging them in leagues in California into the 1970s. The photo below is from his time in Kindersley (that's Gene on the right with Glen Bellegarde and Garnet Hannon.
In 1957 Graves was on the College of the Sequoias team which won the California Junior College Championship. In 2007, the school held a reunion to mark the 50th anniversary of the triumph. That's Gene below with son Tom and grandson Ryan (holding a team photo of the 1957 COS team).
Gene with coach Roy Taylor, such a major influence on semi-pro ball in Western Canada and in providing opportunities for Canadian kids to play at COS.
Yep, still has the old fastball !
After COS, Graves moved on to Fresno State University (after a brief fling at San Diego State). Success kept coming. He'd be rewarded with induction into the Fresno State Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Graves won a coveted spot in the Fresno Hall. That's son Tom with him at the ceremony.
Former team-mate and long time friend Len Tucker was selected to make Graves' introduction at the Fresno affair. And, that's Gene below, obviously having the last word, and, with that little twinkle in the eye, it might've been about the time he fanned the side on EIGHT pitches !
Happy 79th !