You could see it coming.
On this day in 1952, Frank Reveira collected three hits and drove in four runs as Saint Louis beat McKinley 19-1 in an ILH baseball game.
Reviera, a freshman catcher, had sportswriters and scouts all atwitter over his future, with the Star-Bulletin’s Carl Machado writing that Reviera ‘is destined to become one of the Crusaders’ all-time greats.’
Reveira proved Machado right, in a sense, being named first-team ILH for the first three seasons of his high school career with ILH titles in each of them. He missed his senior season, though, after he was found out to be too old.
Reveira was relegated to playing in local softball leagues during his senior season and the Crusaders dynasty died in favor of Jimmy Poole‘s Punahou crew, which won the next four titles.
Reveira turned out all right, though, being signed by San Francisco Giants scout Chun Hoon and impressing at every level of the minor leagues but stalling out in 1962 after three seasons at Triple-A when he reported for spring training over 204 pounds despite being told to come in a 190.
He slashed .287/.324/.405 in his minor league career and caught the likes of Chuck Hiller and Hall of Famers Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichal. when starting catcher and future all-star Tom Haller needed a day off.
Reveira was named in Hoon’s obituary in 1970 as his most impactful signing. Reveira died in 2018 in California.
COMMENTS