Saturday, June 19, 1954

                W  L  Pct GB
Vancouver .... 33 18 .647 —
Spokane ...... 29 23 .558 4½
Yakima ....... 29 24 .547 5
Wenatchee .... 28 25 .528 6
Lewiston ..... 25 26 .490 8½
Edmonton ..... 21 22 .488 8½
Tri-City ..... 24 29 .453 10
Victoria ..... 22 28 .440 10½
Salem ........ 23 30 .434 11
Calgary ...... 18 27 .400 12

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, June 19]—A trio of eighth-inning doubles broke up a tight pitcher's duel at Sanders Field Saturday night which saw Tri-City's Dale Bloom shut out the Yakima Bears, 3-0.
For 7½ innings, Bloom and John Carmichael of Yakima cut down batters while the crowd of 1,120 waited for one to yield.
Up unto the eighth, Carmichael had slightly the better of the duel giving up but a hit to Bob Moniz in the second, and one to Artie Wilson, in the seventh. But in the three-run eighth, Tri-City's top of the batting order began to roll.
After. Bloom struck out, Terry Carroll hit a high one neither the Yakima infield nor outfield could get to and pulled up at second. Vic Buccola was intentionally walked.
Then Len Tran bashed one all the way to the left centerfield wall. On the play, Carroll tagged up waiting to see if the ball was caught, while Buccola moved three quarters of the way to second.
When it fell in, both runners scored, with Buccola, who contends he has slowed up through the years, almost overtaking speedy Carroll.
Wilson flied out and then Jack Warren followed with another double off the left centerfield wall to score Tran.
Carmichael walked one more batter and then got Bob McGuire to ground out to end the frame.
But for Tri-City fans, the game was all Bloom. The shutout was his first this season or more correctly his first since pitching for the Braves. The young hurler gave an indication of what was to come right off when he struck out the first four batters who faced him.
The next one up, John Albini, doubled, Lou Stringer grounded out and Lon Summers walked to put runners on first and second for the first of three times during the night.
But then Ron [sic] Briskey flied out to end the threat.
Bloom was in deepest trouble in the fifth frame and pulled himself out with his own defensive play. Briskey and Carmichael both got singles to put runners on first and second and none away.
Then ex-Brave Des Charouhas bunted. Bloom fielded it cleanly and threw to Carroll at third to force Briskey. He struck out Mike Catron for two away.
Herm Lewis, the next batter, hit a ground ball down the first base line. Bloom ran over, came up with it, and tagged Lewis as the runner and pitcher collided. The smash sent Lewis sprawling.
In the ninth, Bloom was in mild trouble but sparkling catches by Bob McGuire in ccnterfield saved his shutout bid. Albini hit the first one out deep in right center. McGuire took it moving back. A walk, one of Bloom's three for the night, put Stringer on base, and a single by Summers put runners on first and second again. Briskey then hit a liner to left center which McGuire took at his shoetops turning a somersault as he came up with the ball.
Bloom then got pinchitter Charlie Mead to ground out to himelf to end the game.
Today, the Braves will play a split doubleheder for the first time this season. The first game will start at 2 p.m. with Bud Guldborg starting for the Braves. The second game will start at 7:30 p.m. with Don Robertson on the mound.
Yakima ...... 000 000 000—0 5 1
Tri-City ..... 000 000 03x—3 5 1
Carmichael and Summers; Bloom and Warren.

CALGARY, June 18 — The Spokane Indians, backed by the steady eight-hit pitching of Tom Lawson, downed the Calgary Stampeders 12-5 in Calgary Saturday night in a Western International League baseball contest.
All but two of the 17 runs were scored by home runs as Red Robbins, Will Hafey, Charlie Ruddock, Bud Dean and Mike Durock connected for the winners and Jim Wert and Rocky Tedesco for the Stamps.
Hafey had a total of four hits in five trips.
Spokane ..... 020 400 204—12 6 2
Calgary ...... 010 100 001— 5 8 2
Lawson and Dean; Stites, Kapp (8) and Luby.

EDMONTON, June 18—The Edmonton Eskimos lost their fourth and fifth games in a row Saturday night when the Lewiston Broncs made a clean sweep of a double-header in Edmonton 7-3 and 8-6.
The night game went to 11 innings before Lewiston took a two-run lead and held on to win.
The goat was Edmonton Manager Bob Sturgeon. With Lewiston trailing 5-4 and two men out in the top half of the ninth, Glen Tuckett popped up an easy catch to second
base. Sturgeon dropped the ball and Eddie Garay came in to score from third to tic it up at 5-3.
Each team scored once in the 10th but the Eskimos failed to reply to the Broncs' two-run tally in the eleventh.
Eddie Bockman homered for Lewiston with the bases empty in the second inning. Jack Martin who pitched three innings relief took the win and Art Worth the loss.
Bockman was Lewiston's hero the afternoon game. He rapped out a three-run homer in the seventh inning to put the Idaho side out in front 4-3. Then he followed in the ninth with a double which scored two more runs to make it 7-3 for the Broncs.
The teams meet again in a doubleheader in Edmonton Sunday.
First Game
Lewiston ....... 100 000 303—7 12 0
Edmonton ..... 101 100 000—3  8 4
Marshall and Cameron; Widner, Manier (9) and Prentice.
Second Game
Lewiston ....... 010 100 210 12—8  9 1
Edmonton ..... 102 200 000 00—6 13 2
Kime, Martin (9) and Garay; Worth, Manier (11) and Self, Prentice (8).

Victoria at Vancouver, postponed, rain.
Wenatchee at Salem, postponed, rain.

Broncs Get 20 Offers Of $500 Backing
LEWISTON, Idaho, June 18—Twenty Lewiston residents offered to put up $500 each Friday night as insurance that the Lewiston Broncs will fill out their Western International League baseball schedule this season.
President James B. McMonigle and similar backing is needed from about 20 more people.
The money is needed to tide the club over a "critical period" caused this month by the Broncs' expensive road schedule. Business Manager Tom Tabor said. About $20,000 is needed, he said.
Tabor said the club can forsee the expenditure of $28,000 between now and the end of the season, Sept. 8. During the same period income plus liquid assets of the Broncs will equal $48,400. The difference between the two totals will assure the payment of pledges, barring unforseen conditions, Tabor said.

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[Victoria Colonist, June 20, 1954]
It undoubtedly came as a surprise to most Victoria baseball fans when the Tyees announced they were returning Joe Joshua to the Seattle Rainiers. It couldn’t help but seem that a club which was striving to balance its season’s record couldn’t afford to give up a fellow who was hitting .300 and who was a fan favorite to boot.
Joshua, unfortunately, was a victim of race consciousness and had developed a persecution complex to the point where he was hurting the club, to say nothing of his own baseball career.
The big colored outfielder, who has all the physical attributed to become a pretty fair sort of player, just couldn’t make himself believe that he could be accepted and found it all too easy to believe that every grievance, fancied or otherwise, was the result of racial discrimination.
He felt pitchers were throwing at him because he was colored, that umpires were giving him to worst of it for the same reason and that he wasn’t being accepted by his teammates as one of the team. His attitude had the inevitable result of making him correct on the last count, and when that happened, Josh ceased to be a team member in fact.
Big Joe was wrong on all counts. He overlooked the fact that Victoria fans had made him a popular favorite, just as they did for Granny Gladstone and Jehosie Heard before him. Pitchers throw at all batters they feel they can intimidate or loosen up and being a target in the batter’s box is more often a mark of respect than anything else.
And there is no reason to believe that either the team management or its personnel toe the color line. For while it’s true that there are players in the WIL, and other leagues as well, who object to colored players, there are others who don’t like Englishmen, Greeks, Italians, Canadians, or some other nationality.
That should never stop anyone from making his place in baseball, and it hasn’t. The only thing that counts once “Play Ball” has been called is what a fellow can produce out on the diamond. Ask Jackie Robinson, or Roy Campenella, Willie Mays or Minnie Minoso, or Joe DiMaggio, Harry Agganis, Red Schoendienst, Ray Jablonski, Danny O’Connell, Hank Sauer, Bob Avila.
* * *
Random Harvest
Victoria Tyees are hoping to get some more player help but there is no plan for a big shake-up in personnel. Both general-manager Reg Patterson and field-manager Don Pries still believe that the club doesn’t need too much to get itself righted. Their present slump started when Pries was injured in Calgary a couple of weeks ago and but for that, it’s reasonable to assume the Tyees would be a lot closer than they are ... Vancouver-manager Bill Brenner still fears Victoria more than any other club ... Vancouver Capilanos may have the longest home stand in baseball history by the time they move out of Capilano Stadium. With three games moved three from Spokane this week, the Caps may play 27 straight games at home ... Mel Stein, the first-baseman who joins the Tyees for a trial this week, is described by Pries as a real hustler ... Berlyn Hodges, the youngster who was the club’s bat boy not so long ago and now doubles as club trainer, and Phil Page, the scrappy rookie, look like the best of the Victoria pitching staff at the moment.

Tuesday, June 1, 1954

               W  L  Pct GB
Vancouver ... 22 12 .647 —
Edmonton .... 16 12 .571 3
Yakima ...... 19 16 .543 3½
Wenatchee ... 19 16 .543 3½
Victoria .... 17 15 .531 4
Spokane ..... 18 18 .500 5
Tri-City .... 17 20 .459 6½
Lewiston .... 16 20 .444 7
Salem ....... 15 22 .405 8½
Calgary ..... 10 18 .357 9

EDMONTON, June 1— Third baseman Don Gigli's two-run homer in fifth, coupled with four double plays, helped John Conant hurl Edmonton Eskimos to a 7-2 victory over Vancouver Capilanos Tuesday night before 1,223 spectators.
The victory moved Eskimos to within three games of Capilanos, now occupying top rung of the Western International Baseball League. The clubs meet again here tonight in a doubleheader and wind up their four-game series Thursday with a single encounter.
For Bob Roberts, who took the loss for Vancouver, it was his second defeat in seven starts this season—both from Eskimo bats. Roberts and Rod MacKay gave up 10 hits to Conant's 11, but the latter kept them scattered while the infield, snappy despite exceptionally cool weather, contributed four double plays to Vancouver's two.
Gigli hit three-for-three. Outfielder Bobby Brown clouted a 390-foot homer in the eighth after rapping out a single earlier.
Vancouver .... 000 011 000—2 11 2
Edmonton ..... 010 122 01x—7 10 0
Roberts, MacKay (7) and Duretto; Conant and Prentice.

YAKIMA, June 1—Wenatchee scattered eight runs through four innings on 16 hits and an error Tuesday night to defeat Yakima, 8-5, in a Western International League baseball game.
The Chiefs had a 5-3 lead going when they poured across three runs to sew it up.
Wenatchee .... 000 212 300—8 16 3
Yakima .......... 100 002 200—5  7 2
Beamon, Thompson (9) and Jenney; Rios and Summers.

SALEM, June 1 — Spokane posted its third successive Western International League baseball victory over Salem Tuesday night. The score was 6-4.
Virgil Giovannoni tossed a six-hitter as Spokane scored four runs in the eighth inning to wipe out a Salem lead.
Spokane ... 000 011 040—6 12 2
Salem ...... 000 030 010—4  6 4
Giovanonni and Dean; Del Sarto, Borst (8), Johnson (9) and Ogden.

KENNEWICK [Herald, June 2]—Don Robertson, Tri-City righthander with a 5-2 record, will get the starting mound assignment tonight in the fourth and final game with the Lewiston Broncs at Sanders Field.
Tri-City will need a win tonight to pull even in the series with Lewiston. The Braves dropped the third game to the Broncs, 7-3, Tuesday night to give Lewiston a 2-1 edge inthe current series.
Should Tri-City lose tonight will be their first series loss since the visit of Vancouver two weeks ago. A loss tonight will also drop the Braves to eighth place, one half game behind the Broncs in the Western International League standings.
The score Tuesday night indicated that the game was close and interesting but it was by far the dullest play seen at Sanders Field this season.
It featured poor fielding by the Braves, poor umpiring and a sloppy baseball kept that way by Lewiston pitcher Al Yaylian's spitting.
Yaylian's tactics with the horsehide once sent Tri-City playing manager Edo Vanni to the locker room where he picked up a rule book and pointed out to the umps that organized baseball tended to frown on such tactics. However, nothing came of the discussion.
Yaylian, making his first appearance at Sanders since joining the Broncs from the Coast league, was a crafty old master at lobbing the ball across the plate. Although throwing mostly junk, he could come through with a fast ball often enough to keep the Braves off balance. He struck out seven and didn't walk anyone, although he hit two batters.
Yaylian was also the slowest mortal ever to climb the Sanders mound. He rubbed the ball, scratched, spat, walked around the hill, rubbed the ball, stretched, rubbed the ball and called time out.
Had there been any more than just the small crowd of 510 fans present, concessions would have enjoyed a boom in between Yaylian's pitches.
But despite the delays nothing can be taken away from his pitching. The Braves, the WIL's largest collection of base thieves, couldn't steal a one because the pitcher held them so close to the bag.
Tri-City scored once in the second inning when Sam Kanelos singled and Dick Watson doubled. It was Watson's first extra-base hit this season.
Lewiston went ahead in the second getting two runs on back-to-back triples by Clint Cameron and Al Heist followed by Russ Rossberg's sacrifice fly.
Tri-City tied it up in the bottom half when Yaylian hit Vic Buccola and Len Tran and Bob Moniz singled. In the fifth Tri-City went a run in front on a single by Sam Kanelos, a fielder's choice and another hit by Watson.
Lewiston went out in front in the sixth on singles by Gabby Williams and Ed Garay, followed by Yaylian's double.
The scoring should have ended there with Yaylian winning his own game. But in the seventh Garay and Yaylian singled before Tri-City starter Dale Thomason got one away. An error put Nick Cannuli on to load the bases and Thomason was taken out so lefty Earl Lemieux could pitch to left handed Clint Cameron.
Lemieux got Cameron to ground out but one run came in on the play. Jess Doberni took Lemieux's place but an error brought in two more runs.
Dobernic then returned the side and put the Broncs down one, two, three in the next inning.
Yaylian, meanwhile, grew stronger in the final frames. He gave up but one more hit to Buccola in the sveenth and then put the Braves down in order for the rest of the game.
Lewiston .... 002 011 030—7 13 0
Tri-City ...... 011 001 000—3  9 2
Yaylian and Garay; Thomason, Lemieux (8) and Warren.

Victoria at Calgary, postponed, wet grounds.

Spokane Owner to Keep Club Going
SPOKANE, Wash., June 1 — Roy Hotchkiss, who announced last week he was "through" as owner of the Western International League Spokane Indians, said on Tuesday night he will "keep the club going until somebody comes up with a plan to continue the Indians here."
At the same time he said he has taken steps to get full title to the Ferris Field bail park which is partly owned by the city. He did not say how this fits in with his plan to get out of the baseball business himself, but repeated he is as intent as ever on selling the club.
"I haven't surrenderd the franchise and I don't plan to surrender it until tje transfer can be made," he said. "But I do want to get out as quickiy as I can."
Poor attendance at the games and his own poor health were the reasons Hotchkiss gave last week for wanting to sell the club. He suffered a serious heart attack earlier this year.
Hotchkiss expressed the opinion that community ownership of the team probably would work out the best. "When you have, say, 30,000 people owning part of a ball club, you can be sure plenty of them will come out to the ball park to look after their businesses," he reasoned.
"Clubs owned by individuals or groups of individuals are folding up all over the country," he added.

Broncs Will File Forfeit Claim if Caps Don't Appear
LEWISTON, Idaho, June 1 — The Lewiston Broncs will claim a forfeit victory next Monday if the Vancouver Capilanos fail to appear for their scheduled Western International League baseball game here, Bronc officials said Tuesday.
Bill Brenner, manager of the Capilanos, has told League President Bob Abel it will be impossible for his team to meet the Monday schedule at Lewiston after playing a scheduled double header at Calgary on Sunday. He has suggested the opener of the three-game series be put off until Tuesday, and that a doubleheader be played then.
"If Vancouver doesn't appear Monday, Lewiston will claim a forfeit victory and also a financial redress," Business Manager Tom Tabor said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, more than $8,000 has been raised on the sale of books of tickets to Lewiston Broncs games, Tabor reported Tuesday.
The drive was begun two weeks ago to raise $13,000 to meet expenses.

Lend a Hand
SALEM, June 1 — Salem's baseball fans have been invited to meet behind home plate Wednesday to advise the Salem club's board of directors how they think the very poor attendance can be improved.
Bruce Williams, president of the Western International League Club, said the team's finances are precarious, and that something has to be done within the next two weeks.
Only 535 fans showed up for Sunday's day-night doubleheader with Spokane.
The meeting Wednesday will be just before the game with Spokane.

Greco Reportedly Put Up For Sale
[Tri-City Herald, June 2, 1954]
The word passing around Western International League clubs today is that Bill Brenner, Vancouver Capilano general manager is anticipating running an ad reading:
For Sale — One outfielder. Guaranteed to lead Class A league in home runs and runs batted in. Originally purchased for $4,500 from Honest Eddie Taylor of Tri-City. Model scarcely used this season. Name of Dick Greco.
Both Taylor, Tri-City general manager, and Larry Barton, Lewiston playing-manager, said Tuesday they have heard the story that Greco was up for sale but thay he had not been offered to their clubs.
In Tri-City's case it was natural that he would not be offered here because of his refusal to sign when the Braves owned him this season.
Reports have it that Greco has definitely been offeicd to Salem and Victoria.
No reasons have been given but it is believed that Brenner is finding Greco hard to handle, a trouble he anticipated when he was dealing with him last spring. Greco's salary may also be presenting a problem for Vancouver which has most of the power hitters in the league.
Although Greco has never played for Tri-City he has proved quite an asset to the Sanders field gate. After being in a major ruckus, 2,100 fans here turned out the next night to boo him.

Wednesday, May 19, 1954

                W  L  Pct  GB
Vancouver .... 14  8 .636  —
Lewiston ..... 12  9 .571  1½
Victoria ..... 12  9 .571  1½
Yakima ....... 12 10 .545  2
Edmonton ...... 9  8 .529  2½
Spokane ...... 11 10 .524  2½
Wenatchee .... 10 11 .476  3½
Salem ........ 10 13 .435  4½
Calgary ....... 6 11 .353  5½
Tri-City ...... 8 15 .343  6½

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, May 20]—The Tri-City Braves are getting a day off today before the opening of the four-game series with Spokane at Spokane.
While most of the players go fishing, General manager Eddie Taylor is totaling up the amount of badly-needed lucre brought in by the 2,187 fans Wednesday night.
It was the largest crowd at Sanders Field this season—even exceeding the opener by some 300—but as is frequently the case, when the mob gets there, the Braves play their poorest ball.
Tri-City's running attack, which doesn't always win but usually makes things interesting, never got started with Vancouver's Bob Roberts pitching four-hit ball and almost shutting Tri-City out, 7-1.
The Braves longest blow of the game was Terry Carroll's double in the eighth inning. He then scored on Vic Buccola's single.
Ther were several reasons why the crowd was the largest of the season—the Braves have won a few lately, the weather was good, but the big attraction was Vancouver's 6'-4" Dick Greco who is rapidly proving to be the most financially valuable man Tri-City ever had on the roster.
Big Dick and the fans had at it all night. Whenever he came to bat, the fane booed and howled. After striking out in the first inning, to the delight of all 2,187, Greco homered in the second to the delight of Greco.
As the big outfielder circled the basepaths he vented his feeling toward the fans with several arm gestures commonly used in Latin countries as a symbol for a vulgar if not obscene trio of words.
When Greco struck out the third time up, hundreds in the Tri-City crowd returned the Latin salutation.
The fourth time up, Greco almost hit into a double play but made it to first on a fielder's choice. Then he was thrown out trying to steal.
And as if the Greco's appearances were strictly for dramatic effect, he came up in the top of the ninth and ended the inning by grounding into a double play.
All in all, besides the treatment from Tri-City fans, Greco has a rough time at the plate at Sanders Field. He got three hits in 12 times up—but two of the blows were homers.
Greco's four-base blast Wednesday night was but one of three hit off losing pitcher Cliff Coggin. Marv Williams, Cap second baseman, hit one in the first with one on and the veteran Ken Richardson hit one in the fifth with none on.
Both Greco and William's [sic] blasts cleared the 400-foot centerfield fence with plenty of room to spare.
Vancouver's fourth inning run came on a triple by Arnie Hallgren after Bob Wellman singled. A sacrifice fly by Frank [sic] Duretto brought Hallgren in.
They scored a lone run in the eighth when Richardson double and scored on Wellman's single.
Roberts, who frequently blows up along in the sixth to eighth inning, had the Braves eating out of his hand all night. He walked one and gave up a single in the second but got Dick Watson to ground out and end the inning.
In the third, he gave up two walks and the runners advance on a sacrifice. However after a fly ball, Hallgren pegged to Duretto who tagged Coggin trying to score from third.
After walking two in the fourth, Roberts set the Braves down—seldom using over six pitches in the process.
Vancouver .... 201 210 010—7 13 1
Tri-City ........ 000 000 010—1  4 1
Roberts and Duretto; Coggin, Bloom (8), Savarese (9) and Johnson.

SPOKANE, May 19—The Lewiston Broncs scored six unearned runs in the fifth and coasted to an easy 12-5 victory over the Spokane Indians in a Western International League game Wednesday.
Five errors were logged against the losers.
Veteran southpaw Al Yaylien pitched one-hit baseball for seven innings and got the win. Jack Trautwein was the loser.
Lewiston .... 000 062 121—12 13 2
Spokane ..... 010 000 022— 5 10 5
Yaylian and Cameron, Garay (7); Trautwein, Closs (5), Aubertin (6) and Dean.

YAKIMA [Victoria Colonist, May 20]—Victoria Tyees, with Bill Bottler in a five-hit performance, completed a clean sweep of their three-game series with the Senators last night by scoring three runs in the ninth inning at Salem to post a 5-3 victory.
The win balanced their record for the 10-game road trip at 5-5 and kept the club in a second-place tie, only a game and a half behind Vancouver Capilanos.
LEAD AT STAKE
That set up the four-game series against the league leaders, which opens tonight at Royal Athletic Park. Pitching selections were not available last night but it is probably that Bill Prior will get the Victoria call with either George Nicholas, winner of his first four games, or manager Bill Brenner going for the Caps.
Bottler, who appears set for a big season, got quite an argument from John Briggs before he copped the decision. Briggs allowed only five hits and it was a 2-2 game going into the ninth. Then Briggs walked [Tom] Perez and Eddie Lake and filled the bags by hitting Joe Joshua. Art Seguso hit an infield grounder but the play was made at second and Joshua beat the throw.
That scored one run and manager Don Pries, for the second straight night, produced the winning runs with a two-run single. Salem threatened in their half of the ninth, when two bases on balls and a hit batter produced a run, but Bottler choked off the attempted rally to get his third win.
It was the sixth win in seven games with the Senators, who have been doing much better against other WIL opposition.
Victoria ...... 100 001 003—5 5 2
Salem ........ 010 010 001—3 5 3
Bottler and Martin; Briggs, Roenspie (9) and Heisner.

CALGARY, May 19 — Three runs in the top of the third proved enough Wednesday night to give Yakima Bears a 3-0 victory over Calgary Stampeders in a Western International League baseball contest before a small crowd.
With two on base, third baseman John Catron drove one out of the park for the three runs that meant victory.
Stampeders could do little against the slants of Danny Rios on the mound for Yakima, Rios tossed a neat five-hitter, struck out four and walked three. He aided his own cause by hitting two-for-four, as did Catron aad Len Noren.
Yakima ..... 003 000 000—3 10 1
Calgary .... 000 000 000—0  5 1
Rios and Albini; Orrell, Kapp (9) and Lundberg.

EDMONTON, May 19 — Edmonton Eskimos crushed Wenatchee Chiefs 13-6 Wednesday night in a Western International League Baseall game here before 836 fans. The victory evened the teams' current three-game series at a game apiece with the rubber match to be played Thursday night.
Lefthander Larry Richardson, who went the route for the Chiefs, was tagged for 12 hits and issued 10 walks.
Edmonton playing coach Bob Sturgeon hit-three-for-four, as did Joe Unfried, Wenatchee centre-fielder and clean-up batter, who slammed a triple.
It was the fourth victory against two losses for Jack Widner. He helped his own cause by belting a three-bagger in the sixth inning, scoring a run. He crossed the plate himself later in the inning.
Wenatchee .... 102 000 100— 4  6 2
Edmonton ..... 504 013 00x—13 12 1
Richardson and Jenney; Widner and Self.

Lewiston Baseball Club Needs $13,000 To Continue Playing
LEWISTON, Idaho, May 19 — The Lewiston Baseball Club of the Western International League needs $13,000 by the first of the month to keep going, Tom Taber, the business manager, said Wednesday.
He said the money is needed to keep the team on its second road trip of the season, to meet the payroll, to pay for purchased players and to per certain bonuses that are due.
Ha told a breakfast meeting of 66 fans of the seriousness of the situation and plans were made for a $20,000 ticket sale. One two-man team came back later in the day
with $675 worth sold.
"It wouldn't be so bad," Taber said, "except that we have no revenue from our Bengal Field game programs and billboards coming in until after June 1."
He said he has found it necessary to advance the club $4,500 from his own pocket since the season started. Attendance at games here has been down.
James B. McMonigle, the club president, agreed the situation is serious, but predicted "we'll be all right financially after June 10."

Lovrich Won't Be Cap
SEATTLE, May 19—Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League have optioned Long Tom Lovrich to Vancouver of the Western International League.
Lovrich has refused to report, so he has been given permission to make a deal for himself.
He appeared in 51 games for the Rainiers last season, winning eight and losing four. In 1952, he broke into professional baseball with a 9-6 record at Vancouver.

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[Victoria Colonist, May 20, 1954]
There’s always one thing you can say about the Western International Baseball League. Come high water or red ink, its member clubs never skimp when it comes to putting the best possible team on the field.
It’s the same story this season. Despite the fact that it took two emergency league meetings to keep Calgary Stampeders in the fold and that several clubs started out with little but hope, the annual rat race is on to see who can build the strongest club.
Vancouver Capilanos, determined to have a winner this season, are probably the most to blame for starting it all. There may have been more expensive clubs in the WIL than the 1954 Caps but it’s doubtful. Whether they pay it in salaries or in bonuses to get around the salary limit, the Caps are certainly paying plenty for such high-priced performers as Dick Greco, Bob Wellman, K Chorlton, Jim Clark, Ken Richardson, Marv Williams, Nick Pesut and George Nicholas, to name most of them.
That’s quite an impressive array of talent and every other club in the WIL has been trying to match it by signing any high-priced player available. The hope is that these players will boost the club up to the top of the league table and thereby boost attendance to the point where receipts are large enough to take care of the extra salaries and bonuses. The big flaw in this type of reasoning is that there can be only one winner and that sometimes the cost can be so great that winning is decidedly unprofitable.
This season has already produced at least one good example of what this kind of competition does to reason. Lewiston Broncs yesterday announce they had to raise $13,000 by June 1 to keep going and business manager Tom Taber stated that he had already advanced the club $4,500 out of his own pocket. The seriousness of this situation must have been evident to Taber and his associates a week ago. Yet it was only a week ago that the Broncs went out and signed southpaw Al Yaylian and righthander Guy Fletcher, a couple of ex-Coast League veterans who most certainly cost a pretty penny.
* * *
One result of the scramble has been a considerable boost in the calibre of WIL baseball. It’s this opinion that the league is stronger than it has been for several years and that some interesting baseball is in prospect.
Vancouver, although somewhat held down by erratic pitching and the strengthening of other clubs, still appears to be the team to beat. But Lewiston has put together quite a ball club, Edmonton has spent a lot of money for a hoped-for contender, Spokane Indians are tougher than expected. So are Yakima Bears and Salem Senators and Wenatchee Chiefs. And Tri-City Braves have picked up a player or two and should be quite troublesome.
Where does that leave Victoria Tyees? Well, they should be right in the thick of the fight and with the expected addition of one or two good players, could be good enough to get on top in at least one half of the split season.
Most cheering note about the Tyees has been their ability to avoid any semblance of a losing streak and to stay above .500 in early-season play. Starting play after a short training season in what proved to be disappointing weather and with pitching a definite question mark, it had been feared that they might get away to a bad start although their line-up indicated considerable potential. Tyees did lose three of their first four games but they have been hanging tough ever since.
Another cheering note is the fact that they have been tough despite the fact the club has not yet produced its best play. At the start, neither manager Don Pries or Steve Mesner could find the range at the plate. Now that they appear to have snapped out of it, the club has been hurt by Eddie Lake’s migraine headaches, which have handicapped the hard-hitting shortstop no end, and a slump by Dain Clay. But the club has spirit and with Tom Perez and Milt Martin the steady men, someone has been coming up with the big hit, the clutch defensive play, or the fine relief pitching often enough to keep it in competition. The Tyees will be tougher when the club shakes down and if they should come up with a pitching leader and a hard-hitting outfielder to free Perez for infield duty, who knows?

Sports Notes
BY GIL GILMORE
[Tri-City Herald, May 20, 1954]
Every once in awhile, some incident happens on the ball field and it is followed with words exchanged between two players. From the stands, it looks as if one is really telling the other off. Ever wonder what the player, says?
Well, here is an example.
In the third inning of the game Tuesday night, Jack Warren was at the plate and Bill Brenner of Vancouver was pitching. Warren caught hold of one of Brenner's pitches and sent it back through the mound so hard it was a good thing Bill got his glove in the way or he would have been missing the lower part of hs anatomy.
Then in the top half of the inning, Brenner came to bat and turned and exchanged words with Warren, obviously over that liner to the pitcher's mound.
What did Brenner say?
Well, at this point it is necessary to go back a bit. About a week ago, Warren's registered boxer gave birth to some pups. Brenner, too, owns a boxer, but it is a male. He wants a female so he can go into the boxer breeding business.
So upon his arrival here, he heard Jack had five pups for sale went to his home, and agreed to buy a female when the pups were old enough.
Now comes Tuesday night's ball game and the series incidents mentioned above. When Brenner came to bat he told Warren:
"You hit another one like that and I won't buy one of your pups."
Warren didn't take Brenner's legs off again so he has but four pups' left for sale. Jack had eight originally but three have died.
Edo Stalls For Time
Even the jawing at the ump may have some other purpose than "telling him off" or trying to get a decision changed.
In the night of the big ruckus, Dick Greco, Vancouver's outfielder who had touched off the fray after he was hit by a pitch, was permitted to stay in the game.
Then Tri-City playing manager Edo Vanni protested long and loudly to the umpire — all for nothing. Did Vanni want Greco out of the game? Heck, no. Greco is one of the slowest runners in the league so why give Brenner a chance to put in a fast pinch runner.
Vanni may have gone out just to keep things lively a little longer but the chances are this is what was behind his reasoning. The entire scrap, and the sight of that big outfielder charging out to the mound, undoubtedly had an unsettling influence on Clough.
By arguing with the ump, Vanni gave the pitcher an extra minute or two to get settled down.
There Was No Reason To Boot Greco
When the umps failed to boot Greco, it brought a howl of protest from the pro-Tri-City fans but looking back on it, there was no reason for kicking him out. First of all, Greco didn't hit Clough, or anyone: else, nor lay a hand on anyone until the big rassle started. Maybe he was angry enough to swing at Clough when, he left the batter's box but he cooled off and slowed down before he got halfway to the mound. After he got there, he said:
"What the heck are you throwing at me for? You got the game won."
The whole ruckus probably would have ended there had those in the coaching boxes stayed out of it But when George Nicholas jumped in, so did Len Tran and that's where the fist swinging came in.
Grappling Was Horseplay
As for the grappling matches between Greco, Warren and Nick Pesut, it turned into horse-play more than anything else. Doc Hoyt said all three were rolling around laughing.
Warren managed to get both of the big guys down. K. Chorlton was back of Warren saying:
"Let him up, Beanie, Dick's all right."
"We are all all right," Warren replied as he continued to hold 'em down, "but spread 'em out before someone gets hurt in this mess."
Pesut finally said:
"Let me up, you big ox. We don't want to fight."
That ended it except Vancouver trainer Harold Yonkers came out looking for some missing Vancouver headgear and got into an argument with Ted Savarese. Challenges were flung and Ted wanted to meet him outside after the game. But nothing came of it although Ted was present for any impending duel.
Yonkers said afterward:
"Don't talk about that night. I look for equipment and happens. I get challenged."
Players Avoid 'Em
Like most all ballplayer scraps, it was more sound and fury than anything else. Tempers flare a bit and a couple go at it. The rest of the mob usually is pulling teammates apart.
Players generally try to avoid such shenannigans because someone is liable to get hurt and serious injury may mean the end of a ballplayer's career. The greatest danger isn't in the flying fists or the grappling but the possibility of spike wound.
Fletcher Signed; Broncs Need Cash
This might be classed as a peculiar coincidence.
A short time ago, a story came out of Lewiston saying that the Broncs had signed Guy Fletcher, the former Pacific Coast league pitcher.
Tuesday a story came out of Lewiston saying that the Broncs had to get $13,000 soon or drop out of the league.
Remember Guy
Ah, yes, the Tri-City Athletic Association remembers Fletcher well. Back when the association first bought the club, Guy was one of the applicants for the general manager's job. The association board even Invited him up for interviews and he came as far as Klamath Falls.
Then he was delayed by bad weather but the board talked business with him via telephone. When they got to matter of salary, Guy named his figure, and the discussion was over. He wanted a salary that was equal to about half the price Tri-City paid for the club.
Fletcher never came any further than Klamath Falls.

Lewiston's Roster Has Dozen

Broncs Claim 12 Signatures
LEWISTON, March 3—Tom Tabor, business manager of the Lewiston Broncs of the Western International Baseball League, said today 12 players had returned signed contracts to the club.
They included pitcher John Marshall, catcher Clint Cameron, infielders Artie Wilson, Glen Tuckett, Dick Bergen, Larry Barton and Nick Cannuli and outfielder Mel Wasley.
The Broncs are scheduled to open spring training here next month.

Broncs Get Pioneer League Affiliate

Lewiston Gets Idaho Farm Club
LEWISTON, Jan. 30 (Special) — Pocatello's Bannocks signed a working agreement for the 1954 baseball season with Lewiston of the class A Western International league here yesterday, President Ralph Hegsted reported.
The agreement went into effect immediately with 11 players tentatively joining the Bannock club.
Hegsted said the players — four pitchers, four infielders, one catcher and two outfielders — are mostly limited service players, plus a few veterans. A limited service player is one with some professional baseball experience, but less than three years of pro experience—those with more than three years are classified as veterans.
MORE TO COME
The Bannock president said the north Idaho team will add more players to the Pocatello roster before the start of the ‘54 campaign.
“They have told us that they will give us some rookies later on,” he said.
Hegsted, who along with Jack Halliwell Pocatello’s Pioneer league director traveled to Lewiston to make arrangements for the agreement, said the Bannocks will start their spring training at Lewiston along with the local club.
SPRING TRAINING
Spring Training is scheduled to open April 3 under the direction of Larry Barton, Lewiston manager, and Butch Moran, Pocatello field boss. Barton is a former manager of the Bannock entry.
Hegsted said pitchers and catchers will report a few days earlier to the spring training camp.
The president termed the new agreement “very good.”
“It is a much better arrangement than we had last year,” he said “I’m sure that it will cost us a lot less money.”
The Bannocks had a working agreement with the St. Louis Browns, now the Baltimore Orioles last year but were forced to pay all of their spring training expenses.

Bannocks Secure New Agreement
Lewiston, Jan. 31 — The Pocatello Bannocks have signed a working agreement for the 1954 season with Lewiston of the Class A Western International League, spokesmen for both teams have announced.
The agreement was arranged in Lewiston by Dr. Ralph B. Hegsted, president of the Class C club, Pioneer League Director Jack Halliwell, and James McMonigle, Lewiston president. Hegsted and McMonigle made the announcement.
Under the agreement, they said, Pocatello can have any players it wants from the crop that doesn't make the Lewiston team this season. The North Idaho club can, in return, recall any five of the players at season's end.
Salaries of the optioned players are to be paid by Pocatello and the Pioneer League team will come to Lewiston for spring training, which opens April 2.

Numbers Show Broncs Frugal

Lewiston Only Loses Small Sum
LEWISTON, Nov. 17—The Lewiston club of the Western International Baseball League had the best financial record in the league for 1953 with an actual net loss of only $150, president James McMonigle reported Tuesday night.
McMonigle said the books show a heavier loss, but the lower figure takes into account depreciation and other incidentals not shown in the books.
The club re-elected all its officers for another year.

Bill Brenner Battles Broncs

Brenner Having Release Trouble
LEWISTON, Idaho, Oct. 16 — Bill Brenner, who handled several jobs simultaneously around the Lewiston baseball camp, has appealed to the czar of minor league baseball for a release from the local club.
Brenner argues that he won't be able to be general manager of the Vancouver team in the Western International League next year and at the same time pitch for Lewiston.
He resigned as manager here Sept. 16 and the executive board of the Broncs accepted the resignation.
But the board then pointed out, he hadn't resigned as a player and held that he couldn't, under baseball law.
Brenner said the National Association of Minor League baseball clubs holds that the release of a manager also terminates his contract as a player. He has asked George Trautman, president of the association, for a ruling.
“If Lewiston is trying to prevent me from playing at Vancouver,” added Brenner, "I believe the Sherman anti-trust law would apply.
Such action would be regarded as depriving me of a means of livelihood.”
The directors believe Brenner’s playing contract can be sold for a healthy sum—he was one of the league’s leading flingers. If the clubs should put him on the draft list he might be worth as much a $6000.
Brenner said such an action might complicate things and he advised Trautman of this possibility.

Hey, Mr. Trautman!
Brenner The Player Still Bronc Property
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, Oct. 17, 1953]
Bill Brenner, already signed as general manager and field manager of the Vancouver Capilanos, is still waiting for his release “as a player” from the Lewiston Broncs.
Brenner, whose resignation as manager of the WIL Broncs was accepted Sept. 16, recent visited Lewiston and says now he expects the release “momentarily.”
*   *   *
The unique turn of events came about this way: The Lewiston Club is run by a seven-man board. There of the members of the board are baseball men who apparently understand the complicated workings of baseball law. The other four, it seems, do not.
So when the board accepted his resignation as manager, it claimed he hadn’t (and couldn’t) resign as a player. The directors reasoned that Brenner, a better-than-20-game-winner the past two seasons, might be worth as much as $6000 on the open market as a pitcher.
*   *   *
The new Capilano boss feels that it will all turn out all right, but in the meantime he’s asked George Trautman, president of the National Association, for a ruling. The association holds, says Bill, that the release of a manager also terminates his contract as a player.
“If Lewiston is trying to prevent me from playing at Vancouver,” Brenner is quoted in a story from Lewiston, “I believe the Sherman anti-trust law would apply. Such action would be regarded as depriving me of a means of livelihood.”

Browns Stay With Broncs, Butler & Heist Don’t

Orioles Keep Agreement With Lewiston
LEWISTON, Idaho, Oct. 1—The Baltimore Orioles, new American League baseball team, Wednesday renewed a 1953 working agreement with the Lewiston Broncs of the Class “A” Western International League.
President James McGonigle said at the same time the St. Louis Browns recalled speedy centre-fielder Al Heist, who led the league in triples with 17 this year, and pitcher Russ Butler, who hurled a perfect no-hit, no-run game during the Broncs’ final series.
Heist set a league record as the fastest man around the bases this year, and hit .287.
The Browns said both players will be sent to San Antonio of the Class “AA” Texas League.