Liska


			Adolph James Liska Dwight, Nebraska Nicknames: Ad or Snippy Born: July 10, 1906, Dwight NE Died: November 30, 1998, Portland OR Major League Pitcher 1929-1933 Washington (A) 1929-1931 Philadelphia (N) 1932-1933


Ad Liska went from teaching school in rural Nebraska, to playing in the major leagues of baseball, within two years. He spent five (5) years in the major leagues. One of the amazing things about his career is that an injury forced Liska to become a submarine pitcher, in other words he pitched nearly underhanded. While in the majors he pitched 352 innings, won 17 major league games and had an ERA of 3.86. As a Rookie with the Washington Senators in 1929, Liska came into a game to finish out an inning and struck out Mickey Cochrane on just three pitches. He was proud to say that he faced "The Babe," and he didn't hit a home run. After the majors, Ad went on to spend 14 years in the Pacific Coast League playing for the Portland Beavers. The Beavers won two league championships with Ad and he has been identified as one of the Top 100 Player of the Pacific Coast League. He totaled 248 minor league wins, 1844 strikeouts, he had a ERA of 3.37 and pitched 4042 innings. Ad Liska is a member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and the Nebraska Semiprofessional and Old Timers Hall of Fame.
		Ad Liska was born in Dwight, Nebraska July 10, 1906. The youngest of five children born to his parents Mary Ruzek and Vaclve Liska. His parents had immigrated to America in the late 1800's from what was known as the Czech Republic. Adolph graduated from the Dwight Public Grad School and then Dwight Public High School in 1925. One July 4, 1922 at the tender age of 15, Ad won the first game that he pitched for Dwight. After graduation, he taught the elementary grades in a one-room country school in the Dwight area as well as playing semi-pro baseball fro Dwight and other Nebraska teams. In just two years, Adolph entered professional baseball when he signed with Burlington, Iowa in the Three "I" League . In one season he advanced to Tripple "A" Ball in Minneapolis of the American Association and then moved onto the American League, Washington Senators in 1929.
1924 Dwight town team
In a newspaper article, source unknown,Ad recalled that, "it was opening day in Washington," he said of that 1929 season, "and I had thrown 5-10 minutes of batting practice. President Hoover was there. I went in to change shirts, I thought I could relax the rest of the day. Then about the sixth inning, Walter Johnson (Senators Manager) asked, "How do you feel?" "Fine," "Okay, go down and get hot." "I went in for one inning and struck on guy out to get the side out. When I came to the dugout, everyone was cheering. Johnson call to me and said, 'You know what you just did? You struck out Mickey Cocrane on three pitches, Put that in your book, you'll never do it again.' " About two months into the 1929 season, the Senators went into Yanke Stadium and he was in the bullpen when the phone rang. "Another guy and I were warming up and they didn't say which one of us they wanted. I told the other guy, 'I want to pitch in Yanke Stadium. That would be my biggest moment, because after a couple months they're probably going to send me out of here. So, I ran in and I'm warming up and some big guy is standing there with about six bats in his hands waving them around like toothpicks. I looked up and it's Babe Ruth. I though, 'Darn, anybody but him.'" "I got two and tow on him and thought I could play around with one, throw one outside. I threw it a little outside the strike zone and he hit a long fly ball to left. Goose Goslin caught it and I pitched 5 2/3rds innings before they got their first hit." His three years with the Senators were followed by 2½ years as a relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. He appeared in Ripley's, "Believe it or Not" for pitching in 25 relief games and then finally winning the 25th game, beating Dizzy Dean. After an arm injury, Ad switched to the underhanded submarine style pitching for which he became known for. Ad returned to the Minor Leagues with Omaha. In 1936, Liska thought about traveling to the west coast to look for work. The minor league team, the Portland Beavers offered Ad a train ticket to try-out for the team. He though well at least I'll get my ticket to the West Coast paid for. He enjoyed the next fourteen (14) years playing for the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League. The beavers won league pennants Liska's first year with the team, 1936 and again in 1945. During the 1950 season he was a player/manager for the Salem Senators of the Northwest League, then retire from baseball and work for the postal service from which he retired in 1971.
	Adolph Liska married Lorraine Obrien of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, October 15, 1929. The remained husband and wife for over sixty years. Lorraine passed away in 1990. Their daughters, Joyce and Yvone, were born in Portland, OR. The girls grew up in the family home in Laurelhurst where the family attended All Saints Parish. Adloph Liska was known as having often said, "....Forget yesterday.....Enjoy today....and dream of tomorrow."