St. Joseph’s longest tenured Major Leaguer and a man has spent much of his life promoting youth baseball and mentoring young people are the newest additions of the St. Joseph Baseball Hall of Fame.

Jim Wright, who pitched two years for the Kansas City Royals and spent 18 years in the Colorado Rockies organization, and Allan Lowenberg will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on June 27 at Phil Welch Stadium.

Wright, a graduate of Benton High School and Missouri Western State University, was a 1973 draft choice of the Philadelphia Phillies.  Beset with arm trouble early in his career, he played for the Royals in 1981 and 1982.

Before joining the Rockies organization in 1997, Wright coached for the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies.  He concluded his pro career as pitching coach of the Rockies last season.

Lowenberg worked with the late Julius Hockman to launch what was then Little League baseball in St. Joseph in 1954.  The program grew to include as many as 2,000 boys and girls, ages 5 to 21.  He managed for 13 years in youth baseball and was a volunteer umpire for more than 30 years.

Now 96, Lowenberg has been recognized for his work for many years as a volunteer at Edison School, where he has mentored hundreds of young people.

— St. Joseph Mustangs Press Release —