Wally Hood Jr.; Champion Pitcher for USC in ‘40s

Wallace James “Wally” Hood Jr., 75, champion pitcher for USC who played briefly for the New York Yankees, died Saturday in Glendale of cardiopulmonary failure.

A native of Los Angeles, he was named athlete of the month in March 1948 after posting six wins for USC, defeating opponents such as UCLA, the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland reserves.

Hood followed in the footsteps of his father, Wally Hood Sr., who played left field with the Pacific Coast League Angels when they played at Los Angeles’ Wrigley Field, pitched for the Pacific International League in Vancouver, and played for Brooklyn and Pittsburgh in the major leagues for three seasons. He was also an umpire in the minors.

Wally Hood Jr. had a shorter professional career, playing with the Yankees’ farm team, the Newark Bears, and briefly for the Yankees.