John Pregenzer

Born on Aug. 2, 1932 in Burlington, Wis., John Pregenzer went on to Illinois Wesleyan where he lettered four years in baseball and two years in basketball. He signed his first professional contract with Pittsburgh in 1958 and several years later joined the San Francisco Giants organization. Pregenzer came to Tacoma as a pitcher for the Tacoma Giants, splitting time between Tacoma and San Francisco during the 1963 and 1964 seasons. He spent the entire 1965 campaign in Tacoma where he set a Pacific Coast League record with 28 saves and was voted the best right-handed relief pitcher in the league. He retired after that season with a professional record that included 72 wins, 58 losses and 60 saves, and he was voted as member of the Tacoma Giants’ all-time all-star team.

After leaving professional baseball, Pregenzer taught and coached baseball at Orting High, winning two championships in two years. He then taught in the Franklin Pierce School District for 27 years, successfully coaching junior high football and basketball, and also making a significant mark in high school baseball. He led Washington High to seven league titles and two state tournament appearances in 16 years, during which time he was voted league Coach of the Year four times.

In addition to coaching, he continued his own athletic endeavors, playing softball for various teams, such as the Cloverleaf Tavern and Bullpen Tavern, and helping Mullen’s Auto Body win the 1967 state recreation championship. He also participated in Tacoma-area rec basketball leagues for 23 years and was a baseball and basketball official for several decades in Pierce County.