Tom Trebelhorn - Baseball

Tom Trebelhorn played his way from Southeast Portland into an entertaining career as manager in the Major Leagues, Minor Leagues and even the international game on his way to being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Born in 1948, Trebelhorn graduated from Portland’s Cleveland High and played catcher at Portland State. In 1970, the Northwest League’s Bend franchise, affiliated with the California Angels at the time, drafted him and played him parts of five seasons at Class A and AA before becoming a coach. In 1975, the Oakland A’s made him manager of the Boise A’s, who also played in the Northwest League. In Trebelhorn’s second season, 17-year-old Rickey Henderson joined the team and refined his technique for stealing bases, which eventually helped him reach the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Trebelhorn reached the Major Leagues as first base coach for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1984, then managed the club’s Triple-A affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians, to the Pacific Coast League title in 1985. On his return to the Brewers in ’86, he became interim manager for the final nine games upon the retirement of George Bamberger.

Trebelhorn managed the Brewers for five seasons and led the team to a 422-397 overall record, including 91-71 in his first season, prompting Baseball America to name him Manager of the Year.

Trebelhorn managed the Chicago Cubs for the strike-shortened 1994 season, but compiled only a 49-64 record. He latched on with the Baltimore Orioles in ’96 and stayed with the club for 12 years, including several as Director of Player Development.

In 2008, he became manager of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Northwest League, and served as third base coach for the Italian National Team in the World Baseball Classic during the offseason in 2009.

Trebelhorn was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.