Dewey Soriano

Who was Dewey Soriano?

Dewey Soriano was the part-owner of the Seattle Pilots baseball team of the American League in 1969, the franchise's only year in Seattle.

Prior to owning the Pilots, Soriano served as president of both the Pacific Coast League and the Western International League. Soriano also pitched in the minor leagues for several years before becoming the owner and player-manager of the Yakima Bears.

When Soriano won the Pilots expansion franchise, he didn't have enough money to pay the franchise fee. In what proved to be a harbinger of things to come, he had to ask for help from former Cleveland Indians owner William R. Daley—who, ironically, had nearly moved the Indians to Seattle earlier in the 1960s. In return, Soriano sold Daley a 47 percent stake in the team, making him the largest shareholder. Soriano, however, retained the team presidency. Largely due to being badly undercapitalized, Soriano was nearly out of money by the end of the 1969 season.

Almost as soon as the season ended, it was apparent that Soriano wouldn't be able to hold out before moving to a new stadium.