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Al Ronning
From BR Bullpen
Albert Roy Ronning
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6'1", Weight 190 lbs.
- Born September 21,1926 in Arlington, WA USA[1]
Catcher Al Ronning played in the minors from 1947-1960, managed in the minors for nine seasons, and was a scout for 35 seasons.
Ronning, a native of Arlington WA, graduated Arlington H.S. in 1944 and enlisted in the Navy. The destroyer he was assigned to broke its starboard shaft and was sent to the San Diego Naval Repair Base, where a scout spotted Ronning catching for the Base team. This led to Ronning's being signed by the Bremerton Bluejackets of the Western International League.
He was drafted by the Dodger organization after the 1950 season, and assigned to the Pueblo Dodgers of the Western League. At Pueblo, he married his first wife, Christena, in a ceremony at home plate; his best man was pitcher Roy Face.
Having been among the batting leaders for several months (before tailing off to finish at .298), Ronning was promoted to the Montreal Royals of the International League for 1952. But he struggled to hit in the higher classifications. Ronning blamed this on a severe virus he contracted while playing for the Fort Worth Cats in the Texas League in 1953, which dropped his weight from 215 lbs to 160 lbs; however, the .650 OPS he posted in 1953 was the highest OPS of his seven seasons (1952-1958) in AA and AAA ball.
Ronning was a player coach for the Montreal Royals in 1957, and briefly managed the club for a few days in June, as Tommy Holmes took over for Al Campanis. After posting only a .494 OPS for the Spokane Indians of the Pacific Coast League in 1958, Ronning dropped down to the lower classifications, and began a career as a manager.
After the 1968 season, Ronning joined the expansion Montreal Expos as a scout. He remained with the organization through 1974, and then scouted for the Major League Scouting Bureau from 1975-2002. He was named the West Coast Scout of the Year in 2002. [2]
[edit] Year-by-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Montreal Royals | International League | -- | Brooklyn Dodgers | -- | replaced Al Campanis June 24 replaced by Tommy Holmes June 27 | |
| 1959 | Panama City Fliers | Alabama-Florida League | 47-71 | 6th | Los Angeles Dodgers | ||
| 1960 | Kokomo Dodgers | Midwest League | 63-59 | 4th | Los Angeles Dodgers | none | |
| 1961 | Great Falls Electrics | Pioneer League | 75-58 | 2nd | Los Angeles Dodgers | League Champs | |
| 1962 | Great Falls Electrics | Pioneer League | 60-70 | 5th | Los Angeles Dodgers | ||
| 1963 | Great Falls Electrics | Pioneer League | 69-59 | 3rd | Los Angeles Dodgers | Lost in st round | |
| 1964 | Santa Barbara Dodgers | California League | 68-71 | 5th | Los Angeles Dodgers | none | |
| 1965 | Lewiston Broncs | Northwest League | 65-42 | 1st | Kansas City A's | Lost League Finals | replaced Bill Posedel (3-4) |
| 1966 | Burlington (IA) Bees | Midwest League | 77-48 | 3rd | Kansas City A's | ||
| 1967 | Burlington (IA) Bees | Midwest League | 56-59 | 5th | Kansas City A's | ||
| 1968 | Leesburg Athletics | Florida State League | 51-92 | 10th | Kansas City A's |
