Tom Trebelhorn
Thomas Lynn Trebelhorn was born in Portland on January 27, 1948, the son of George Henry Trebelhorn and Catherine Wilson.
George Henry Trebelhorn was born July 12, 1901, in the Volga German colony of Beideck (Talovka), Russia. He is the son of Henry Trebelhorn (born December 19, 1858, in Beideck) and Maria Sophia Hamburg (born March 4, 1863, in the colony of Walter, Russia).
In 1903, Henry and Maria Sophia Trebelhorn and their four children, Catharina, Jacob Henry, Henry, and George Henry, departed from Beideck and traveled to the Port of Bremen, Germany. They boarded the steamship Brandenburg, which arrived in Baltimore in July. The family first settled in Detroit, Michigan, where a daughter, Lena, was born in 1904. By 1908, the family was living in Portland.
George Henry married Catherine Wilson in July 1934, and they made a home in southeast Portland. Tom was the youngest child from this marriage.
Tom was a standout athlete at Cleveland High School in southeast Portland, playing basketball and baseball. He became a Cleveland High School Athletic Hall of Fame member and was inducted into the Portland Interscholastic League (PIL) Hall of Fame in 1988.
Trebelhorn went on to play baseball at Portland State University and received accolades as a member of the All-Coast team.
George Henry Trebelhorn was born July 12, 1901, in the Volga German colony of Beideck (Talovka), Russia. He is the son of Henry Trebelhorn (born December 19, 1858, in Beideck) and Maria Sophia Hamburg (born March 4, 1863, in the colony of Walter, Russia).
In 1903, Henry and Maria Sophia Trebelhorn and their four children, Catharina, Jacob Henry, Henry, and George Henry, departed from Beideck and traveled to the Port of Bremen, Germany. They boarded the steamship Brandenburg, which arrived in Baltimore in July. The family first settled in Detroit, Michigan, where a daughter, Lena, was born in 1904. By 1908, the family was living in Portland.
George Henry married Catherine Wilson in July 1934, and they made a home in southeast Portland. Tom was the youngest child from this marriage.
Tom was a standout athlete at Cleveland High School in southeast Portland, playing basketball and baseball. He became a Cleveland High School Athletic Hall of Fame member and was inducted into the Portland Interscholastic League (PIL) Hall of Fame in 1988.
Trebelhorn went on to play baseball at Portland State University and received accolades as a member of the All-Coast team.
Trebelhorn was drafted in the sixth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball draft by the Bend Rainbows. The Rainbows were a newly formed Class A team independently owned by the Hawaii Islander, a AAA club affiliated with the California Angels.
After his playing career, Trebelhorn began his management career in 1975 with the Boise A's, who were part of the Oakland Athletic's minor league organization. In 2009, future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson stated at his induction ceremony that Trebelhorn taught him the intricacies of base stealing during his time with the Boise A's.
In 1985, Trebelhorn managed the Milwaukee Brewer's top farm team, the Vancouver Canadians of the Pacific Coast League. In 1985, they won the league title.
The following year, Trebelhorn returned to Major League Baseball, where he served as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1986-1991. He was selected as Baseball America and Sports Illustrated Manager of the Year in 1987.
By 1994, Trebelhorn was manager for the Chicago Cubs. After finishing in last place that season, he was fired. While Trebelhorn's tenure as Cubs manager was short, it was certainly memorable. Following a slow start in which the Cubs failed to win their first 10 home games, Trebelhorn promised reporters that if the Cubs lost the next game, he'd answer questions from fans in front of the firehouse across Waveland Avenue from Wrigley Field. True to form, the Cubs lost the next game. True to his word, Trebelhorn marched across the street shortly after the game and held court. "OK, what do you guys want to know?" he said.
After he departed from the Cubs, Trebelhorn returned to the minor leagues as manager of the Tri-City Posse. In 1995, he directed the team to the league finals.
In 1996, Trebelhorn was back in the major leagues, working in the front office for the Baltimore Orioles. From 2001 to 2007, he shifted from the front office and back to coaching with the Orioles.
Trebelhorn married Playboy Magazine covergirl Elizabeth "Bo" Black. She refused a $5,000 payment to pose nude for the magazine. Bo later founded Summerfest, the world's largest music festival. She died in 2020.
After returning to the minor leagues, Trebelhorn took on the manager role again in 2008 for the Class A Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a position in which he served through the 2012 season.
In 2009 and 2013, Trebelhorn coached the Italian National team in the World Baseball Classic.
On October 23, 2020, Trebelhorn pitched a complete game for the Cal Vets in a Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series Championship Semi-Finals game against the Tucson Toros in Phoenix, Arizona. The Vets lost 1-0 on an unearned run in the final innings.
After his playing career, Trebelhorn began his management career in 1975 with the Boise A's, who were part of the Oakland Athletic's minor league organization. In 2009, future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson stated at his induction ceremony that Trebelhorn taught him the intricacies of base stealing during his time with the Boise A's.
In 1985, Trebelhorn managed the Milwaukee Brewer's top farm team, the Vancouver Canadians of the Pacific Coast League. In 1985, they won the league title.
The following year, Trebelhorn returned to Major League Baseball, where he served as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1986-1991. He was selected as Baseball America and Sports Illustrated Manager of the Year in 1987.
By 1994, Trebelhorn was manager for the Chicago Cubs. After finishing in last place that season, he was fired. While Trebelhorn's tenure as Cubs manager was short, it was certainly memorable. Following a slow start in which the Cubs failed to win their first 10 home games, Trebelhorn promised reporters that if the Cubs lost the next game, he'd answer questions from fans in front of the firehouse across Waveland Avenue from Wrigley Field. True to form, the Cubs lost the next game. True to his word, Trebelhorn marched across the street shortly after the game and held court. "OK, what do you guys want to know?" he said.
After he departed from the Cubs, Trebelhorn returned to the minor leagues as manager of the Tri-City Posse. In 1995, he directed the team to the league finals.
In 1996, Trebelhorn was back in the major leagues, working in the front office for the Baltimore Orioles. From 2001 to 2007, he shifted from the front office and back to coaching with the Orioles.
Trebelhorn married Playboy Magazine covergirl Elizabeth "Bo" Black. She refused a $5,000 payment to pose nude for the magazine. Bo later founded Summerfest, the world's largest music festival. She died in 2020.
After returning to the minor leagues, Trebelhorn took on the manager role again in 2008 for the Class A Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a position in which he served through the 2012 season.
In 2009 and 2013, Trebelhorn coached the Italian National team in the World Baseball Classic.
On October 23, 2020, Trebelhorn pitched a complete game for the Cal Vets in a Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series Championship Semi-Finals game against the Tucson Toros in Phoenix, Arizona. The Vets lost 1-0 on an unearned run in the final innings.
Sources
Last updated October 23, 2023