Bill Lawry
Lawry was born in the Melbourne suburb of Thornbury. He was given the names William Morris after the early Prime Minister of Australia, William Morris Hughes. His father Alfred played amateur cricket until the age of 51. Bill never saw his father play, who was aged 47 when Bill was born. Aged nine, he played competitive cricket for the first time with the Thornbury Presbyterian Church team. He spent three years there, as well as playing for Preston Technical School. When he was twelve, he entered Melbourne's district competition playing for Northcote's fourth team, working his way up to the First XI by the age of sixteen. At the time, he was apprenticed as a plumber and attending Preston Technical College. Lawry was selected for Victoria's Second XI at the age of seventeen. He made a duck against the South Australians and did not see any further action for the Seconds for the rest of the summer of 1954–55. The following season, Lawry was recalled to the Seconds and scored 183 against South Australia.
Al Lary
Lary was listed as tall and . He signed his first pro contract with the Cubs before the 1951 season, spent 1953 in military service, and made his Major League debut on September 25, 1954, in a start against the Cincinnati Redlegs at Wrigley Field. The opposing pitcher was Art Fowler. Lary pitched six innings and allowed two earned runs, receiving no decision in the 4–2 Cubs victory. He was with the Cubs briefly in 1955 and was used in four games, all as a pinch runner. It would be seven years before he reached the Major League level again.