Spring Training, Friday, April 23, 1954

THREE HOME RUNS
Holden Stages ‘Comeback’
By Clancy Loranger
[Vancouver Province, April 23, 1954]
CLARKSTON, Wash.—It takes two to tango, and on that premise the fight between two Vancouver boys, Arnie Hallgren and Danny Holden, for the rightfield spot on Vancouver Capilanos’ pro ball club had been strictly “no contest” until Thursday.
Holden, who had lost every round, got back into the battle Thursday when the Caps took Larson Air Force base into camp 8-3.
Danny accounted for five of the Vancouver runs with there home runs in as many times at bat. Two of them were hot shots into the rightfield stands, some 300 feet away, and the third cleared the centre fielder’s head.
But Hallgren didn’t give up without getting in a few licks of his own. He batted in the other three runs with a homer that cleared the leftfielder’s head, and hit another one a country mile, but it was caught.
Thursday’s performance was the first impressive one that Holden has turned in since we’ve watched him. On the basis of some eight years of pro experience, seven of them in class A baseball, he figured to beat out the relatively green Hallgren. But Arnie had the edge in all departments up to yesterday.
Both Vancouver outfielders could be in the lineup opening night, pending developments in the Bob Wellman-Dick Greco situations. General manager Bill Brenner received the Tri-City waivers request on Greco Thursday, but they have to be in effect for a week before any disposition can be made in his case. So if everything works out, big Richard could be a Capilano by opening night next Thursday.
One player, Gale Taylor who finished up for the Caps in left field last season, hitting .283, dropped out of outfield contention yesterday. Brenner announced that Taylor, catcher Don Lundberg and a pretty good shortstop, Elmer Clow, have been sold to Calgary.
The Caps have a day off from exhibition games today but they play Lewiston twice on the weekend, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon in Lewiston.

Tyees Trim City Nine, Pick Up Two Pitchers
[Victoria Colonist, April 23, 1954]
Victoria Tyees continued to grow in numbers yesterday as three players reported to manager Don Pries and general manager Ray Patterson announced the acquisition of two more pitchers.
Joining the club were shortstop Eddie Lake, who finally made his long-delayed appearance late Wednesday, outfielders Dane Clay and Joe Joshua.
FROM RAINIERS
Due to arrive next week are southpaw Bob Moen and righthander Jim Reynolds. Moen is due to report Monday on option from the Seattle Rainiers. A former University of Washington star, he has been with the Vancouver Capilanos for the last couple of weeks by the Caps are a bit overloaded with mound talent and the Tyees snapped the big rookie up when they got the chance. He is six feet one inch tall, weighs 195 pounds, and is highly regarded by the Rainiers.
Little is known of Reynolds except that he has had a couple of seasons in organized ball previously. Short of moundmen, the Tyees will give him every chance to make the club.
There was nothing definite from Portland yesterday but the Tyees are still hoping for mound help from the Beavers. And they also expect to get another pitcher from Seattle.
Lake and Clay, both ex-major league veterans, reported in good condition and should be ready to give their best licks by next Thursday when the Tyees start playing for keeps at Vancouver. Lake saw action last night for five innings as the Tyees trimmed Farmers Construction, 13-1, in their second exhibition game. Clay wasn’t used and Joshua showed up too late.
EASIER VERDICT
In contrast to Monday night’s game, when Art Worth and Lowell Hodges pitched well to make a 7-3 win hard-earned, the Tyees had a romp last night. However, while Farmers didn’t get much pitching, the Tyees looked a bit sharper at the plate and their pitchers had little trouble with the city amateurs.
Berlyn Hodges, Bill Prior and Mike Kanshin each pitched three innings for the Tyees. Hodges gave up no runs and three hits while striking out four and showing perfect control. Prior had a bit of trouble finding the plate and two of his four bases on balls plus his own errors on throws to second base gave Farmers their lone run. He gave up no hits and struck out five. Kanshin gave up one hit and one walk and whiffed five.
THREE FOR SEGUSO
At the plate, the Tyees picked up 11 hits, including two doubles and a triple, a typical drive to his off-field by manage Don Pries. Art Seguso, with a line double that scored the game’s first run, two singles and four runs batted in, led the Tyees at the plate. Catcher Milt Martin was the only other player with more than two hits, singling sharply twice. Tom Perez hit a solid bases-loaded double to feature a six-run fourth inning.
Pries started with Martin behind the plate, himself at first base, Ron Jackson at second, Steve Mesner at third, Lake at shortstop and Seguso, Perez and Pepper Wasley in the outfield. A fifth-inning shift ended up with Tom Keough, Perez and Jerry Kane in the outfield, Jerry Parker at third, Primo Santini at shortstop, Jackson at second, Seguso at first and Armando Sanchez behind the plate.
Tyees continue their workouts today. Tomorrow afternoon, at 2, they play Farmers again. Then, it’s two games at Courtenay Sunday and a fourth game at Royal Athletic Park against Farmers Tuesday night. Wednesday sees the end of the pre-season drills and on Thursday it’s the league opener.

Capilanos Strong Threat for WIL Crown; Tyees To Face Veteran Line-Up in Opener
[Victoria Colonist, April 23, 1954]
Vancouver Capilanos, who had a disastrous season last year, both financially and in a playing way, will probably start the 1954 season as favourites to win at least once in the Western International League’s split season.
With Bill Brenner, who performed the same chores at Lewiston in 1953, serving in the triple role of general manager, field manager and star right-handed pitcher, the Caps have come up with a veteran club which appears to have plenty of power, adequate defense, and excellent pitching.
INFIELD SOLID
In the infield, the Caps have only one returning player but he is Jimmy Clark, former Victoria Tyee who has been the league’s top shortstop for the past two seasons. At third base is veteran Kenny Richardson, who drove in 106 runs and batted .301 for Lewiston last season. Marvin Williams, veteran colored smoothie who used to play in the Coast League is the second baseman and comes to the WIL with the reputation of being a dangerous hitter. At first base is Ellis Daugherty, a big lefthander who hit .290 with Topeka in the Western Association last season. Holdover Jack Bukowatz may stick around as a utility player.
K. Chorlton will be in centre-field and the speedster, who once played for Victoria, can be counted on to hit in the .300s and give the Caps standout defensive play. Arnie Hallgren, Vancouver high school product who received a healthy bonus from Boston Braves a couple of years ago, has been optioned to the Caps and may win a regular berth. Vancouver-born Danny Holden, who has played for several years in the class “A” Western League, is another outfield prospect while Bob Duretto, who will also be the club’s second-string catcher, can be used in the outfield.
In addition, the Caps are expecting to get Lloyd Jenney and are hoping to get Bob Wellman from the Seattle Rainiers. Jenney was a teammate of Victoria’s Joe Joshua at Tucson in the class “C” Arizona-Texas League last season and batted .367 with 24 home runs, 13 triples and 47 doubles, 164 runs scored and 152 runs batted in to his credit.
Wellman, still with Seattle and due for a longer look, could make the Caps top-heavy favorites. Playing with Yakima Bears last season, he batted .350 and drove in 112 runs, hit 26 home runs and 39 doubles.
Behind the plate, the Caps have Nick Pesut, the gravel-voiced veteran from Tri-City Braves who hit .288 last season.
Brenner, a 22-game winner last season, heads a standout mound staff which also includes Pete Hernandez, an 18-game winner in 1953 with the Caps; Bob Roberts, 10-5 with the Caps last season; Herman [sic] Franks, a 13-game winner with Spokane last season; Tom DelSarto, a 9-12 southpaw with Yakima in 1953; veteran southpaw John Cordell, 9-7 with Spokane last season, who figures to be the club’s relief reliable; right-hander George Nicholas, who used to be a big winner in the WIL until he gave the game up temporarily two seasons back; Bill Tompkins, a promising rookie, and Vancouver-youngster Rod McKay [sic], who showed a lot of promise in 19 games with the Caps last season.
That’s the line-up which Victoria Tyees will run u against at least 26 times this season, starting Thursday in the league opener.

FRIDAY GAMES

KENNEWICK, April 23—Tri-City jumped on Jack Martin for six runs in the first six innings and went on to an 8-5 victory over the Lewiston Broncs in a Western International League exhibition baseball game Friday.
The win earned the Braves an even split in the four-game pre-season series between the two teams.
Tri-City’s big blow was a two-run homer in the sixth by Ernie Hockaday that pushed across what proved to be the winning tally.
Lewiston got only one extra-base hit off Ted Savarese, who went all the way for the Braves. It was a double by Nick Cannuli, Al Heist with 3-for-3, and Joe Bache, with 3-for-5, led the Bronc attack.
Tri-City moves to Yakima Saturday for an exhibition series with the Bears.
Lewiston .... 030 020 000—5 12 1
Tri-City ..... 040 002 11x—8 12 2
Martin, Tench (7) and Garay; Savarese and Warren.