2nd – Margaret Ogden 

2nd – 28 Mar 1958 in Monterey, CA 

Alfred Woodrow Lien was born 2 Feb 1915 in Canby, Oregon to Reier Knudsen and Christina [Hansen] Lien. His father was a Norwegian immigrant that had come to the United States in 1866. Father Reier had two families, the first with wife Ingrid and then after her death in 1900 he married Alfred’s mother Christina Hansen, a Danish immigrant. Alfred was born into the second family and was the second to youngest in birth order. His father was 62 years old at the time of Al’s birth and after the birth of Al’s younger brother, had a total of 16 children to provide for.  

Al’s father and his first family came to Oregon by 1895 and settled in the Macleay area. After the death of his first wife and remarriage, the family moved to Canby, OR and settled on farmland off Molalla Rd. Al attended Canby public schools. His baseball talents, particularly his pitching skills were recognized and honed on the Canby High School team. By age 15 the husky, blonde Canby pitcher was sought after by many a local amateur team. During the 1931-1932 season he played with the American Legion Team in Oregon City, followed by a season with the Salem Senators ball club. It was in Salem that local mill superintendent Chet Page gave him a job at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill. The mill’s amateur ball team also put him to work, on the pitching mound.  

On 18 Sep 1936 in Twin Falls, ID he married Helen Munyan. The couple was married before a Justice of the Peace. Additional details recorded on the marriage record included the age of the groom as 21 years old, and the bride as 26. The groom was from Toledo, OR and the bride from Burley, ID. It was the first marriage for them both.  

Al was picked up by the Joplin Miners team of Missouri for the 1936-37 season and then came back west to the Wenatchee Chiefs in Washington state, in 1938. He developed a reputation for solid, consistent pitching and usually won more games than he lost for the ball clubs he played for. In 1939, he went to the East Coast to play for the Binghamton Triplets of New York but then returned to the Pacific Coast permanently. He was picked up by the Yakima Pippins, WA for the 1940-41 season, and then started the 1942 season with the Tacoma Tigers, WA before being picked up by the San Francisco Seals where he remained for the rest of his minor league career.  

At the age of 31, Al filled out a survey from the Society of American Baseball Research that captured some more personal details. He was 31 years old at the time. He recorded his height as 6 ft. 2 in. and his weight, 195 lbs. He was a lefty [played left-handed], both when he batted and threw the ball. He was married and had not attended college. His hobbies were fishing, photography, and raising roses. His ambition in baseball was to pitch in the majors.   

On 1 Sep 1943, Al enlisted in San Francisco. He served for 29 months (about 2 and a half years), 18 of them overseas in the South Pacific. He played for the U.S. Army 7th Air Force ball team along with big leaguers such as Joe DiMaggio and Joe Gordon. In a letter Al wrote to his sister in August 1944, he said the team had a record of 47 wins to 5 defeats, the last 24 of which were a winning streak. He also boasted that he had played on three Hawaiian Islands, Oahu, Hawaii and Kanua to capacity crowds against Navy teams, with 75,000 in attendance.   

The military baseball teams and the exhibition games they played brought in money for the war effort and sustained morale among servicemen. Many of the players that participated did so as a partial or complete substitution for traditional military duties. Whether this was the case for Al is unclear without further access to his military service records.    

Al was discharged in 1945 and returned to the San Francisco Seals in time for the 1945-46 baseball season. Despite rubbing shoulders with some of the most famous ballplayers of the time during his military service he never made the majors. Of the 23 years he spent in professional baseball, 13 of them were spent in San Francisco, the Pacific Coast League. During his career with the Seals, he won 126 games, with one of his greatest pitching achievements being a 17-inning 1-0 victory over the Hollywood Stars team in 1950.   

Al retired at the age of 39. But he still loved baseball and volunteered his time coaching local kids’ teams in San Bruno, CA. He also sold real estate on the side. His wife Helen died 19 Sep 1957. The couple had no children. Al remarried on 28 Mar 1958 to Margaret Ogden. The couple moved to nearby Millbrae, CA and Al worked as a wholesale liquor salesman in San Francisco. 

On 27 Jun 1967 Al died from a heart attack, while at home in Millbrae. He was 52 years old. He was buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery with wife Helen.  

1930 Alfred W. Lien. Age: 15. Birth Year: abt 1915 in Oregon. Home in 1930: Molalla Rd. Canby, Clackamas, OR. Single, son to HOH. Additional household members: R. K. Lien, age 75 (father), Christina Lien, age 50 (mother), Christina Lien, age 19 (sister), Beulah Lien, age 17 (sister), Clifford Lien, age 11 (brother).   

1940 Alfred W. Lien. Age: 25. Birth Year: abt 1915 in Oregon. Home in 1940: 312 ½ S. Eighth Ave. Yakima, Yakima, WA. Home is rented. Inferred residence in 1935: Toledo, Lincoln, OR. Married, HOH. Occupation: Pitcher, Baseball. Highest grade completed: High School, 4th year. Additional household member: Helen Lien, age 30 (wife).  

1950 Alfred W. Lien. Age: 34. Birth Date: abt 1916 in Oregon. Home in 1950: 204 E. San Bruno, San Mateo, CA. Married, HOH. Occupation: Professional Baseball Player, Athletics. WWII veteran: Yes. Additional household member: Helen G. Lien, age 36 (wife). 

Idaho Marriage Index 

California Marriage Index 

Helen Gertrude Munyan Lien. Birth: 8 Oct 1909 in Nebraska. Death: 19 Sep 1957 (aged 47) San Mateo County, CA. Burial: Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, San Mateo County, CA. Plot: Section V, Site 1974. Memorial ID: 3601160  

Margaret Ogden Lien. Birth: 1 Jul 1909. Death: 7 May 2002 (aged 92). Burial: Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, San Mateo County, CA. Plot: Section V, Site 1973. Memorial ID: 72485796 

Capital Journal 7 May 1932, p. 3 – plays with Salem Senators [before incorporation] 

The Times-News (Twin Falls, ID) 19 Sep 1936, p. 2 – marriage license 

San Francisco Examiner 25 July 1942, p. 17 – Lien, first starting assignment 

Oregonian 26 July 1942, p. 48 – Al Lien, purchased by San Francisco ball club 

Oregonian 24 Aug 1944, p. 21 – letter from Al, pitching in Hawaii for the 7th Air Force Team (WWII) 

Oregon Journal 21 Sep 1950, p. 26 – honored by ex-Canby high school teammates at dinner 

Oregonian 23 July 1951, p. 17 – photo, pitched shut-out against Portland Beavers 

Oregonian 26 Feb 1952, p. 19 – photo, recap of career thus far 

The Times (San Mateo, CA) 24 July 1954, p. 4 – Lien, retirement from pro-ball 

San Francisco Examiner 25 July 1954, p. 43 – recap of career 

Oregon Journal 11 May 1958, p. 31 – Al Lien pays visit to Beavers ball club 

San Francisco Examiner 27 Jun 1967, p. 55 – obituary 

San Francisco Examiner 27 June 1967, p. 60 – obituary [sports focus]