A baseball legend’s tale is now ready to be told
By Ian Perrotta
As far as documentaries go, the film on Hamtramck’s own Art “Pinky” Deras was a grand slam.
On Monday (Aug. 23) the premier of “The Legend of Pinky Deras: The Greatest Little-Leaguer There Ever Was” was shown at the Hamtramck High School Community Center to a packed crowd. Among those in attendance were Deras himself, as well as several former teammates including ex-Major League player Tom Paciorek.
The film was produced by Brian Kruger and Buddy Moorehouse and is being released by Michigan-based Stunt3 Multimedia’s Blue Hammer Films. It tells Deras’ tale from his Little League days through his retirement from the Warren Police Department.
Incredibly, the story of Deras’ remarkable ability was one that almost wasn’t told. Kruger originally found out about Deras while doing research for a documentary on one of the first girls to play Little League ball. After speaking with a Little League official, he casually asked if there was a Hall of Fame. The response was a definite no – “it would be a nightmare dealing with parents” – but the official did say that if there was one, it would start with Pinky Deras.
Intrigued by the official’s comment, Kruger decided to find out more about this player from his own backyard. To his amazement, he found nothing that documented the young Deras’ brilliant career despite his dominating performances with the much heralded team from Hamtramck.
“The Hamtramck team from that era has always been sort of a mythical team in Michigan history,” said Kruger. “We thought there would be lots of info and things on Pinky, but we were shocked to find out there wasn’t anything.”
Now, there is. Thanks to some research by Kevin Deras (Pinky’s son) that unearthed some old 16mm reels of the 1959 Little League World Series game, as well as images from the Hamtramck Historical Commission and interviews with several players from the ’59 and ’61 teams, the multimedia-enhanced story of Pinky Deras can finally be told.
The documentary begins on the ball fields of Hamtramck, where a young player was making waves with his incredible size and talent. Six feet tall and 135 pounds at the age of 12, the legend of Pinky Deras was already spreading by the time the Hamtramck team made it to Williamsport, Pennsylvania to play the final three games of the Little League World Series.
In those days, there was no second chance at glory. Teams had to win 13 games in a row to be crowned champions. Luckily for Hamtramck, during the season Deras went 18-0, pitching 16 shutouts and 10 no-hitters while striking out 298 players in 108 innings. His dominance also extended behind the plate, where he hit .641 with 33 home runs and 112 RBIs. Led by Deras, Hamtramck was the team to beat.
“It was best to be on the same side as Pinky,” says Paciorek, who played with Deras in the Pony League. “I’ve said Art was the greatest Little League player for the last 40 years.”
Fortunately for Hamtramck, Deras was on their team. In the ’59 World Series, he guided them to a 12-0 victory over a team from Auburn, California, and in 1961 he helped defeat a team from San Antonio, Texas 1-0 in the bottom of the 10th inning.
“When you drive into Hamtramck and see the signs for the ’59 and ’61 teams – those things could have never been accomplished without Pinky Deras,” says Paciorek.
After his Little and Pony League career, Deras went on to become a successful high school athlete, starring in football and basketball as well as baseball. With such natural talent and ability, he was offered a scholarship to play quarterback for Michigan State. However, by that time he had been offered an $80,000 signing bonus to play baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. Due to economic circumstances, out of what he says was necessity, he chose to take the money.
Despite his early athletic success, Deras’ career in the major league failed to materialize. After five minor league seasons and with the threat of the draft looming, he joined the Army Reserve in 1968. He fulfilled his military obligations and returned to Hamtramck, but not to baseball. Tired of the pressure and expectations that came with playing ball, he instead became a police officer in Warren, serving for 30 years before retiring in 2001.
These days, Deras is back in Little League baseball, but this time as a father watching and cheering on his own son. And although he was once at odds with his past life of greatness – at one point he threw away all memorabilia related to his Little League glory days – he has now made peace with all that happened.
At Monday’s premier, he was the same old Pinky that everyone remembered. Standing among his former teammates as they reminisced about the past, he remained humble and soft-spoken about his accomplishments. He politely posed for pictures and signed autographs, graciously accepting his moment in the limelight.
“It’s a special day,” he said. “When you think back, that Little League has been going on since 1946 or so, for someone to recognize me as the greatest player of all time, it’s really something. Now, I don’t know if I deserve that title, but I’ll take it.”
A 30-minute version of “The Legend of Pinky Deras: The Greatest Little-Leaguer There Ever Was” will be shown at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29, on WXYZ (Channel 7). For a DVD copy of the full 42-minute documentary –including the broadcast of the 1959 Championship Game between Hamtramck and Auburn, Calif., as well as a CD of photos and newspaper clippings – visit www.stunt3.com. Copies are $29.95, which includes shipping and handling.
17 Responses to A baseball legend’s tale is now ready to be told
Leave a Reply
David Jenkins
January 6, 2015 at 10:14 pm
I played ball during the time of Pinky Deras and always tried to follow his story.
Terry Melahn
February 11, 2015 at 12:13 pm
Whatever happened with the investigation brought forth by Harper Woods MGR. Ace Minne?
Patti
December 11, 2015 at 2:10 pm
How can I buy this
Kurt Franz
August 28, 2016 at 5:51 pm
I worked for eastside sporting goods in the 70′ and 80’s, they were the suppliers of uniforms and equipment for the 59 and 60 teams, many stories were told with great pride. Sure wish Hamtramck was today what it was back then. About time for another michigan team to win it all!
Paul Bloomfield
March 5, 2019 at 3:00 pm
How about some memorabilia that could be sold as a fund raiser. Maybe a pic of old stadium or Negro League team logo on t-shirts.
Would love one,
Good luck!!
Paul
Donnamacalpine
April 21, 2019 at 9:16 pm
Interested in dvd if championship game 1959 can I get a copy.
Terry A Graham
April 14, 2020 at 4:53 pm
I played against Hamtramck in American Legion. In one game playing center field I through Pinky out going to second by 20ft. Umpire was watching runner going around 3rd and missed the call. I played for Denby Post. Good memories!
Erin E OHalloran
July 20, 2021 at 1:56 pm
I’m wondering whatever happened to Ron O’Halloran he was a pitcher for Madison High School and he pitched he was there from 1959 to 1961 he’s got newspaper write-ups in our scrapbook and stuff Pittsburgh pirates and Philadelphia Phillies he has scout letters from them and then boom all of a sudden Rick Wise was off to Major League baseball his junior year and my dad was a senior in Rick Wise was a junior so all of a sudden it just kind of was a shutout but not only that but the they won the state Nationals but they had the title yanked from them because there was somebody who looked into one of the players on my dad’s team a few years back and there was something about this kid that disqualified them and they ended up getting their win taken away from them losing the state of the Nationals the biggest game to win again my dad’s name is Ronald halloran he was a pitcher he went to Madison and there’s a newspaper article in the herald on August 9th 1959 my dad’s team just won 7 to 1 and his team and coaches were just walking off the field. Wittala was his coach at Madison Portland Oregon
Jim Goebel
August 27, 2021 at 1:23 pm
How can I order a copy of my own?
Roy pennington
August 29, 2021 at 8:06 pm
Brings back memories, I played Little League in Taylor Mi. In 1959.I played for a Team called McCabe Eggs was off of Eureka rd. In Taylor.. we played Hamtramick in the
District and they beat us, but Pinky pitched and went on to
Little league world series of course I never even knew they won until Taylor became only the 2nd team to have ever won it, course Hamtramick was big city, we were just.farm boys.
Jim frain
August 30, 2021 at 11:58 pm
What Lou Bacho a coach on the 1959 Hamtramick little league championship team?
Marilu Aguilar
October 30, 2021 at 2:51 pm
I think my cousing, Frank Rodriguez, pitched against Art Deras in the 1961 Ponly League World series. Frank played with the Southside Pony League, San Antonio, TX. He was a left-handed pitch. If I’m not mistaken, it was a close game. I remember listening to the game on the radio in SAT.
Timothy Kaczwara
November 4, 2021 at 11:35 am
Played against Tom in 1964-65 in the American legion league. Tom played for kowalski and l played for larned. I knew his brothers especially John. The only player who batted 1000 in the big leagues. Tom is still a great guy! Tim Kaczwara delasalle 65
Tom Walsh
May 6, 2022 at 7:45 am
I played hockey with one of the members of the “59” team. His name is William “Billy” Heald. Never knew about his baseball days u til a teammate told me about it. Big, strong, slightly crazy guy, and he was missing his upper front teeth, which made him even more menacing!
Charles Gibson
June 5, 2022 at 7:09 pm
I remember Pinky well. Played American Legion ball in Hamtramck tournament. I played for Taylor, Mi. He was a little intimidating!
ray kuzminski
September 3, 2022 at 6:30 pm
looking for some history. Looking for a list of the first Michigan communities that signed into the Little League program? Was Ypsi-Lincoln the first in 1958?
David John Rucinski
August 30, 2023 at 11:58 am
Played on Lincoln Park VFW same time Little League, Pony and Babe Ruth league. Had to make the team not just be there. Had some great ball players, Fred Wolcott was one, best natural ball player ever saw. He went to white socks but was cut from team before getting to majors due to political reasons.