Adolph James Liska (July 10, 1906 – November 30, 1998) was an American

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

who played five years in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

and 14 for the

Portland Beavers The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams h ...

of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

Early life and career

Born in Nebraska, Liska taught elementary school and pitched briefly for the

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

before joining the minor league Lincoln Links of the Western League in 1926. A

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

pitcher, he earned a 20–4 record with the

Minneapolis Millers The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...

of the American Association, which earned him a shot at the majors in 1929.

Major League career

Liska played two full seasons with the Washington Senators and part of a third. He joined the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

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

of 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 The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

Legacy

He was inducted into the

Oregon 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. Operated by the Oregon Sports ...

in 1982 and the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame in 2003. He died in Portland in 1998 at the age of 92.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liska, Ad 1906 births 1998 deaths Baseball players from Nebraska Major League Baseball pitchers Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball players People from Butler County, Nebraska Philadelphia Phillies players Portland Beavers players Baseball players from Portland, Oregon Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Baltimore Orioles (International League) players 20th-century American sportsmen Burlington Bees players Chattanooga Lookouts players Lincoln Links players Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players Rochester Red Wings players Syracuse Chiefs players