Al Pfeffer

Louisville Baseball Roots

Pfeffer grew up in Louisville and graduated from duPont Manual High School in 1951. His obituary recalled that he began playing baseball with Louisville legend Pee Wee Reese in the 1930s. He later played for Marydale Little League, the old Louisville Colonels, Tom’s Builders in the Metropolitan Amateur Baseball Association, and a Jefferson Post American Legion team that won a state championship in 1950.

At Georgetown College from 1951 through 1955, Pfeffer lettered in baseball and played second base. A hometown profile said he played all four years and planned to pursue a master’s degree in education before beginning a career in teaching and coaching.

Army Baseball in Korea

Pfeffer entered military service in September 1955 and was assigned to Mike Company of the 24th Division in Korea, where he served as an assistant armorer. He made the division league all-star team and, according to a contemporary Kentucky clipping, took the batting lead with a .413 average.

The division all-stars left Korea for a barnstorming tour of Japan. From the Far East Command baseball system, Pfeffer was chosen for the combined-services team that traveled to Australia for the 1956 Olympics.

Baseball’s Olympic Debut

Baseball was a demonstration sport at the 1956 Melbourne Games. At 12:30 p.m. on December 1, the United States Services team met Australia at the main Olympic stadium. The game preceded the day’s track-and-field program and drew an enormous crowd, reported at between 80,000 and 100,000 in contemporary newspapers and estimated still higher in later accounts.

The Americans won 11–5. The closely cropped cricket pitch made an unusual baseball field, and the contest ended after seven innings so the Olympic athletics program could begin.

The Australian Tour

The Olympic appearance was part of a wider tour through Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth. Before reaching Melbourne, the United States defeated New South Wales 8–1 at Henson Park. Australian coverage credited second baseman Al Pfeffer with a first-inning home run. The Americans won the return night game 13–2, with Pfeffer again listed among the safe hitters.

In South Melbourne, the Americans recorded 10–0 and 8–2 victories. The tour concluded with further games, including a 4–1 win over Western Australia in Perth. The photographs also preserve the servicemen traveling by Far East Air Forces transport.

Teacher, Coach, and Athletic Director

After returning to Kentucky, Pfeffer taught United States history and economics and coached baseball and basketball at Shawnee, Manual, Iroquois, and Eastern high schools. In 1964, he became Manual’s head baseball coach and an assistant basketball coach. He later became Iroquois High School’s head basketball coach.

Pfeffer also served as athletic director at Jefferson Community College and coached alongside his son Eric in the Highview Babe Ruth League. He retired from education in 1988.

Free Clothing Enterprise

In retirement, Pfeffer founded and directed Free Clothing Enterprise, which provided shoes to children through Jefferson County schools and distributed shoes and clothing in Eastern Kentucky. In lieu of flowers at his funeral, mourners were asked to bring a new pair of children’s shoes for a child in need.

Family and Final Years

Pfeffer was a member of Cedar Springs Church of Christ. He was survived by his wife, the former Hallie Reynolds; children Charles Eric, Mark Anthony, and Tia Lynn Pfeffer; grandchildren Connor Joseph Goeing and Evan Christopher Pfeffer; and siblings George Pfeffer, Margaret Jones, and Earl Pfeffer.

Al Pfeffer died March 12, 2018, at age 84 and was buried at Resthaven Memorial Park.

Timeline

Photographs and Documents

All 18 supplied images are included below. Select any image to open it full-size. Names and locations are stated only where the supplied material identifies them.