Zender brothers

The Zender brothers - all nine of them - played for the same team at the same time in the 1950s. Each donning the Deming Loggers' colors, they formed what would become at one point the second-best semi-professional team in the nation. In 1956, the team made it to the National Semipro Tournament in Wichita, KS (the precursor to the National Baseball Congress World Series), losing to the Fort Wayne, IN club.

The nine brothers were outfielders Pete, Jake, Dan and John; Third baseman Nick; Second baseman Bernie; pitcher Lawrence; catcher Jim and catcher/manager Dick. Three of them - Dick, Nick and Bernie - went on to play professionally, though none reached the major leagues. Dick was the first to join the pro ranks, playing in 1942, 1946 and 1948. He hit .265 in 113 games. Bernie played in the Brooklyn Dodgers system from 1947 to 1949, hitting .280 in 332 games. Lastly, Nick too played in the Dodgers chain, from 1948 to 1949, hitting .255 in 149 matches.

The Zender family is well-known in the Deming region, having owned and operated a prominent logging company.

Related Sites

• MAN MONDAYS: THE DEMING LOGGERS
• 1956 Deming Loggers