Shan Deniston

Shannon Willis Deniston

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 200 lb.
• School Pepperdine University, Saint Mary's College of California, Pasadena Junior College
• High School Alhambra High School
• Born February 28, 1919 in Long Beach, CA USA
• Died April 4, 2020 in San Diego, CA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Shan Deniston attended Alhambra (CA) High School where he would play football, track, basketball, and baseball. Deniston attended Saint Mary's College of California in 1938 before being signed as an outfielder by the New York Yankees in 1939 despite being a first-baseman. After spring training in 1939, Deniston was sent to the El Paso Texans of the class-D Arizona-Texas League.

In 1940, Deniston would play for 5 teams in 4 leagues. He started in the Pacific Coast League for the Portland Beavers in AA. He would then play for the class-C Boise Pilots of the Pioneer League. The Pilots then sent him to the Idaho Falls Russets where he was released after one game. From there he would join the Big Spring Barons/Odessa Oilers in the West Texas-New Mexico League appearing in 12 games. He would finish the year with the Wenatchee Chiefs of the Western International League. Deniston was also breifly a boxer where he would win the California Golden Gloves championship in the lightweight division for 1940.

Deniston signed a one-year contract with the Portland Beavers for 1941 but would end up playing in the California League for the Anaheim Aces.

Deniston would go play professional football in 1942 in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League playing right guard and halfback.

He spent most of 1943 out of sports and was drafted into World War II in 1944. Though seemingly giving up baseball after arm problems, Deniston would play for the 1945 Pepperdine University baseball team notably hitting a home run against University of California, Los Angeles in a 20-14 win. He was named assistant coach of Pepperdine in 1947 before the St. Louis Browns named him player-coach of the class-D Mayfield Clothiers where he would hit a career high 15 home runs. In 1948 the Browns named him as player-manager for the class-D Pittsburg Browns where he would appear in 48 games before resigning mid-season to return to Pepperdine. He would finish 1948 with the class-D Belleville Stags.

In 1949 Deniston was named player-manager of the class-D Olean Oilers appearing in 65 games. 1950 saw Deniston as a player-manager for the Audubon Cardinals of the Iowa State League, catching in 39 games before resigning. In 1951 Deniston was signed mid season for the class-A Des Moines Bruins catching and hitting .281 before being released. He would finish the season signing with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox while also being named All-Western League for his time with Des Moines. In 1952 he would play for the Kellogg Cardinals. In 1953 while player-manager for the Storm Lake White Caps Deniston finished the season tied for the league lead in home runs. Deniston started the 1954 season with New Ulm before breaking his finger and finishing the season with Storm Lake again as a player-manager. Deniston would spend 1955 with the Estherville Cardinals before retiring.

Deniston would accept the head baseball coaching job at La Jolla High School for 1956. Following that season, Deniston would have a long and successful football coaching career winning multiple championships at Will C. Crawford High School in San Diego, CA. Deniston would aso coach football at San Diego High School from 1971-76 before being named head football coach for United States International University for 2 seasons.

Deniston would also umpire one National League game on August 25, 1978 between the New York Mets and San Diego Padres when the regular umpires staged a one-day strike.

Shan Deniston was married for 70 years to his wife and would live to 101 before passing away in 2020.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1947	Mayfield Clothiers	KITTY League	72-52	2nd	St. Louis Browns	Lost in 1st round
1948	Pittsburg Browns	Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League	36-32	--	St. Louis Browns	--	replaced by Don Smith (24-28) on July 21
	Belleville Stags	Illinois State League		5th	St. Louis Browns		replaced Gerald Nemitz July 26
1949	Olean Oilers	PONY League		--	St. Louis Browns	--	replaced by Lawrence Mancini August 28