YVCC’s Faller among WSU Hall of Fame inductees
September 9, 2011 by Roger Underwood
YAKIMA, Wash. — The longer Bill Faller talked about his Washington State baseball teammates, including the likes of Bobo Brayton, Bobby McGuire and Gordie Brunswick, the happier he sounded.
Imagine his mood tonight when the longtime Yakima Valley Community College coach and administrator arrives at Spokane’s Davenport Hotel for his induction into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
“It’s quite an honor,” Faller said. “I’m looking forward to seeing some very good friends.”
A middle infielder at WSU for the legendary Buck Bailey, Faller played shortstop in 1946, second base in 1947 — Brayton took over at short — then moved back to short in 1948 as Brayton shifted to left field.
Brayton, of course, has already been enshrined at WSU. McGuire and Brunswick will join Faller in a large Pioneer class of inductees, meaning male athletes who played before 1970.
Faller, who’d been a three-sport athlete at Ferndale High School, recalled that in 1947 and 48 the Cougars reached the best-of-three playoffs in what was then called District 8. The first year they lost to eventual national champion California and the next year fell to eventual national champion USC.
“During the Cal series (at Berkeley), it was raining,” Faller said. “They’d beaten us the first game but we came back to tie the second game 4-4 in the seventh inning, and then Cal brought in (future big league star) Jackie Jensen to shut our rally down. Then they decided it wasn’t going to stop raining, so they called the game and declared Cal the winner.”
Faller played semi-pro ball for several years, including two summers for manager Hub Kittle with the Klamath Falls Gems. He also signed with the Philadelphia Phillies before embarking on a teaching and coaching career of nearly 40 years in the Yakima Valley that included stops at Prosser and Wapato high schools before Faller was hired in 1961 by what was then called Yakima Junior College, where he succeeded Brayton as baseball coach.
And during Faller’s 26-year at Yakima the Indians won 664 games, 11 conference championships and 18 league and regional titles.
The NWAACC tournament trophy bears his name. Now, so will a place of honor in the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Filed under * WSU Cougars, All, College, YVCC Baseball
No honors are to great for Bill Faller. His outstanding record at YVCC, as a football/ baseball coach,and the Athletic director earned him all of it. Even more important is the respect, he has from former players, coaches, and peers. Live right, Do right has always been his signature.
LANE PHILLIPS