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Print, PhotographicEntry/Object ID
2020Description
In this black-and-white photo taken in the 1930s, the Tacoma Tigers stand in two rows and pose for the photo with a two players holding the hands of a little girl. Some of the players that have been identified are (far left) Stan Anderson, (third from the left, catcher) Hy Tollefson, (four from the left) Frank Ruffo, (sixth from the left) John Heinrick, (second from the right) Rudy Tollefson. In 1927, Ruffo played for the Tacoma Tigers at just age 15 in an exhibition game in Stadium Bowl against a traveling team that had Babe Ruth on it. Besides playing for the Tigers, Ruffo spent one season in the Pacific Coast League playing third base for the Hollywood Stars, Boston's farm team. In a City League exhibition game, Ruffo hit a home run off of Grover Cleveland, a Hall of Fame pitcher. Ed Honeywell, a former Tacoma News Tribune sportswriter, considered Rudy Tollefson to be “pound for pound, probably the best athlete Tacoma ever produced.” Rudy, who graduated from Lincoln High School in 1922 and played six sports there, played semi-pro baseball in Tacoma for many years. Ruffo, who was born in Tacoma in 1912 and graduated from Bellermine in 1930, eventually signed with the Boston Braves and played third base for the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League.Lexicon
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Baseball, Professional/Semi-ProRelationships
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Tacoma TigersPerson or Organization
Anderson, StanPerson or Organization
Tollefson, HyPerson or Organization
Ruffo, FrankPerson or Organization
Heinrick, JohnPerson or Organization
Tollefson, Rudy