BEST GUESS IS IRV NOREN: These two photos were recently forwarded to us by the Arcadia Public Library in Arcadia, California. The photos were believed to have been taken in the 1950s in Arcadia, and the library staff was wondering if we might be able to identify the ballplayer. After sharing the photo on the Baseball Reliquary Facebook page, we think we may have the answer, courtesy of Arturo Gomez. Our best guess is Irv Noren, who grew up in Pasadena, and went to both Pasadena High School and Pasadena Junior (now City) College. The outfielder-first baseman was the MVP of the Pacific Coast League in 1949 while playing for the Hollywood Stars. He then went on to enjoy an 11-year big league career (1950-1960) with several clubs, including the Senators and Yankees. Inspired by Phil Rizzuto and Yogi Berra, who opened a bowling alley in New Jersey in the ‘50s, Noren opened his own bowling alley with a Polynesian motif in Pasadena in 1957 and called it Irv Noren Lanes. Arturo Gomez adds, “Arcadia is a suburb of Pasadena and after Irv made it to the big leagues, he moved to Arcadia in the 1950s. In the 1970s he opened an indoor batting cage in Arcadia near Santa Anita Park. I went there often and we talked baseball, before and after I took swings in one of the batting lanes – the place was a former bowling alley.”
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 07:53:14 +0000
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