Stanley Wasiak (Minor League Baseball Manager, 1920—1992)

Known as the “King of the Minors,” by the time of his retirement, Stanley Wasiak held the record for the most games won as a skipper for minor league baseball: his record for wins stands at 2,530. However, in all fairness, Wasiak also holds the record for most games managed and most games lost. Wasiak managed minor league teams for 37 consecutive years, which is also a record.

During his playing days, before World War II, Wasiak was a catcher and an infielder. He then continued playing for a few years after the war, up until 1949. Wasiak is not known for his skill as a player, however. He was famous as a baseball manager.

Wasiak’s managerial career spanned 17 cities and included 21 division titles. Wasiak spent the majority of his career managing the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system. He also spent time with the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox, finishing his career back with the Dodgers. He retired after the 1986 season with a career winning percentage of .522. Although Wasiak was famous throughout the minor leagues, he never made his way into major league baseball as a player or manager.

During the off seasons, Wasiak worked for Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Co., which is where he was exposed to the asbestos that caused him to develop mesothelioma. After a long struggle with the disease, Stanley Wasiak died in November of 1992. He was 72 years old and he died in his home in Mobile, Alabama.