W L Pct GB
Vancouver .... 22 11 .645 —
Yakima ....... 18 14 .563 3½
Edmonton ..... 15 12 .556 4
Victoria ..... 17 15 .531 4½
Wenatchee .... 17 15 .531 4½
Tri-City ..... 16 18 .471 6½
Spokane ...... 15 18 .455 7
Salem ........ 15 19 .441 7½
Lewiston ..... 14 19 .424 8
Calgary ...... 10 18 .357 9½
YAKIMA, May 30 — The Yakima Bears and the Spokane Indians traded Western International League bsseball victories in a twin bill here Sunday, the Tribe taking a 2-1 decision in the 10-inning opener and Yakima prevailing in the abbreviated nightcap, 8-3.
First Game
Spokane ...... 000 000 000 2—2 7 0
Yakima ........ 000 000 000 1—1 5 0
Anderson and Dean; Schaening and Summers.
Second Game
Spokane ...... 100 000 2—3 5 1
Yakima ........ 016 100 x—8 6 2
Closs, Lawson (3) and Sack; Edmunds and Summers, Albini (5)
WENATCHEE, May 30 — The Wenatchee Chiefs Sunday night completed a sweep of their four-game Western International League series with the Lewiston Broncs, dropping the Broncs 7-6 in the opener of a twin bill and 3-2 in the second game.
The Chiefs won the opener in the eighth when they broke a 6-6 tie
with one run on a double by Joe Unfried, an infield out and a sacrifice fly.
First Game
Lewiston ........ 101 012 100—6 12 3
Wenatchee ..... 033 000 10x—7 13 1
Tisnerat and Garay; Oubre and Jenney.
Second Game
Lewiston ........ 000 001 100—2 9 1
Wenatchee ..... 000 200 10x—3 9 3
Martin, Kime (8) and Garay; Richardson and Jenney.
SALEM, May 30—Salem edged Tri-City 4-3 in the opener but the Washington team came back in the second game to win 10-6 in Sunday's Western International League baseball doubleheader.
John Briggs allowed Tri-City only three hits in the opener. Two of them—by Dick Watson and Terry Collins—and three walks gave Tri-City its three runs in the fifth inning.
Tri-City collected five runs in the seventh inning of the second game on two Salem errors and hits by Len Tran and Sam Kanelos.
First Game
Tri-City ........ 000 030 0—3 3 1
Salem .......... 000 202 1—4 9 0
Robertson and Johnson; Briggs and Ogden.
Second Game
Tri-City ....... 010 210 501—10 12 2
Salem ......... 002 013 000— 6 13 2
Clough and Warren; Borst, McFarlane (7), Krause (8) and Ogden.
ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED
From Our Tower
By DICK BEDDOES
[Vancouver Sun, May 31, 1954]
Punch in Pitch, Power at Plate
Worshippers of the Vancouver Caps were yawping with glee about the team that has shown daylight between itself and the rest of the Western Intenational League pack. They babbled about power at the plate—Wellman, Greco, Richardson, Chorlton, Hallgren—and crowed over punch in the pitch—Roberts, Nicholas, Brenner. It is inconceivable that the Caps should lose the first half of the schedule, which ends July 5.
But if Vancouver is in no danger of losing this half, the WIL is 7-5 to lose two of its present teams. Spokane, once a thriving baseball centre, has received the kiss of failure from Owner Roy Hotchkiss; Calgary is clinging to an empty pocketball.
There is some debate whether the Stampeders will meet their next payroll (today). There is no question, however, that Manager Gene Lilliard hasn’t drawn a pretzel in wages all season, a fact testified by his dough-be-gone look here.
* * *
Just Calgary should be flat financially isn’t readily explained, since its baseball backers number Frank McMahon and J.B. Cross.
Should franchise transfers be necessary, it is probably that Tacoma and Butte, Montana, will be considered. Both towns reportedly have attract propositions, like, for instance, money.
The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, June 1, 1954]
Passing the hat for Spokane
Baseball’s newest game—“Pass the hat, Matilda, we’re going for broke”—was born out of necessity in the Northwest. Now, it is being exploited out of Spokane.
Roy Hotchkiss’ weekend suggestion that he was finished as owner of the Spokane Ball club is no national tragedy, but if memory serves, this is the third straight year in which Roy has pleaded poverty and hinted that he and baseball were going to part paths.
Then an owner, such as Hotchkiss, says he is through with the game. We take it to mean the baseball club and its turnstiles are going up for sale to any person who is acceptable to the National Association. Yet, Roy never carried through with the same warnings before and we can only believe he will not this time, either.
The fact that Spokane—the WIL’s 1953 champion, incidentally—is drawing an average of only 900 a game does not necessarily testify that the franchise has become worthless. The same Spokane drew 300,000 fans for the season in 1947, a still existing league record.
What is simply wrong is that Spokane was a champion a year ago and they have not been in the race in this new season—the old sports cycle.
The Spokane park is badly in need of repairs. One of the most beautiful in the circuit at one time, the stands were destroyed by fire two years ago and the substitute stands, made of matchwood and old toothpicks to all appearances, deny the customer the right to proper comfort.
Really sick or playing possum?
So far, Roy has refused to correct an obvious need, yet he will not set a sensible price on the franchise and park for another buyer. The reasoning here is plain—as long as two []oads remain interested in the property, Hotchkiss will hoard ownership of its like a mother lode of hold.
For this reason, it is difficult to sympathize with Roy’s plea of poverty. For instance, does he expect a buyer to purchase the Spokane franchise and lease a park in which the landlord refuses to make overdue repairs?
A number of people we know—people well versed in the worth of a baseball franchise—have indicated that Spokane would be a desireable purchase under any favorable conditions.
Hotchkiss, once he makes his position plan and sets a value on his possessions which is fair to either side, will not need to search for a buyer. The line will form to his right.
The supposed unhealthiness of the WIL is not quite as bad as it would seem.
When Victoria and Wenatchee proclaimed their sickness a year ago, they were dictating truthfully from heir bank-books. A wealthy individual saved the Tyees, while citizens of Wenatchee—urged by their Chamber of Commerce not to lose baseball—saved the Chiefs.
Next act in an intriguing drama
Sometime after, you might recall, Salem said they would have to realize $20,000 in a book ticket sale. Here is the time smart businessmen stepped in to take advantage of an unusual situation—the ability to create funds though a play on public sympathy.
Salem didn’t need money to finish the season. But if Spokane were able to raise $20,000 through some method or an[], they could pay off the remaining indebtedness on the ball park, even though payments were not nearly due.
This year, Calgary has proven its honest need for charity from some, or all, sources. When they apparently lost everything, fans rallied and saved the franchise—but there was no doubt here that Calgary would have folded without some help.
The situations in Lewiston and Spokane are hardly similar, though they are seeking the same handout. Lewiston sold books of tickets on the suggestion that they were given until June 15 when some bills receivable would be due.
Now there is Spokane. Will the public rally? Will Hotchkiss really sell? Who will be the next to fold?
Friend, don’t miss a minute of this. Next week, could [be] “Who Killed Cock Robin?”
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