Thursday, August 26, 1954

                W  L  Pct GB
Salem ........ 30 20 .600 —
Vancouver .... 28 19 .596 ½
Yakima ....... 33 23 .589 —
Lewiston ..... 34 24 .586 —
Edmonton ..... 26 26 .500 5
Tri-City ..... 20 34 .370 12
Wenatchee .... 18 35 .340 13½

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 27]—The Tri-City Braves, so far out of the Western International league race that they couldn't win 'em all and move any higher than they are now, will have a lot to say about who takes second-half honors.
The four leaders, Salem, Yakima, Vancouver and Lcwiston are but a game apart at the top of the heap.
Tonight, the Braves travel to Lewiston for a series and an even break there may cost the Broncs the second half title. The series will be four games, possibly five, if the Broncs want to make up the 12-inning tie game there on the last road trip.
Tri-City finishes out its season with another-series at Salem and a home series with the Senators here.
Salem, which edged into first place with three victories over the Braves, were slapped down, 14-3, in Thursday night's action. The loss left them in first place, a bare few percentage points ahead of Yakima.
Tri-City had the game won by the second inning when the Braves scored four runs on five hits and a Salem error. Bill Franks, starter er for Salem, was racked for 17 hits.
Although Tri-City may be out of the race as a team, the Braves aided their efforts to meet various personal goals.
Little Dick Watson, who hit .242 in the Pioneer league last season and who has a personal goal of hitting .260 or better this season, reached the mark with four base blows in five times up.
Jack Warren, who long ago gave up hopes of defending his batting crown, and now hopes to finish his 16 season with an above-.300 average, got three for five and climbed to .302.
Artie Wilson, who dragged along at .265 in mid-season, is now up to 294 as the result of his three for four night.
Len Tran. who has an outside chance of winning the league batting title, got two for four and now has an average of .336. More immediate to Tran is hopes of passing the 100 RBI mark. He picked up one Thursday night for a season total of 92.
Dale Thomason, the winning pitcher for Tri-City, moved a notch closer lo breaking even in the won-loss column. He now has seven wins against eight loses.
During the game Thursday, Thomason scattered 11 hits in giving up three runs. Two of them came as the result of Tri-City errors in the ninth.
Thomason aided his own cause with a three for four night at the plate.
[WILfan notes: Every man in the Tri-City lineup, except Bob Moniz, got at least one hit (though Moniz had a sacrifice fly), and every man but Terry Carroll scored one or more runs ... Harry Warner four for five with a double. Glen Tuckett doubled and tripled in four times up and Bob Kellogg hit three for five.]
Salem ....... 010 000 002— 3 11 1
Tri-City .... 040 001 27x—14 12 1
Franks, Nicholas (8) and D. Luby; Thomason and Johnson.

LEWISTON, August 26 — Lewiston Broncs trimmed Yakima 8-6 on Thursday night to break a three-game losing spell and halt their plunge out of the upper brackets of the Western International League.
It was the third win in the last 16 starts for the Broncs who held down the league's top spot until Wednesday when the Bears, with their third win in a row, knocked them into fourth place. The Idahoans led the league most of the second half season and three weeks ago were 6½ games in front.
The Broncs spotted Yakima one run then came back with four of their own in the first inning. The scoring came on four hits, a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly.
Al Heist tripled and Larry Barton doubled during the rally. Lewiston iced the game in the third with three more runs on three hits and a walk, and Nick Cannuli's double in the fifth drove in an insurance run. Al Yaylian was the winner; Danny Rios the loser.
Yakima ...... 100 201 020—6 10 0
Lewiston .... 403 010 00x—8 12 2
Rios, Young (3), Schaening (9) and Summers; Yaylian and Garay.

Edmonton at Vancouver, postponed, rain.

Victoria Baseball Company Passes Quietly, at Meeting
[Victoria Colonist, Aug. 27, 1954]
Victoria Baseball and Athletic Company, born quietly almost nine years ago at a meeting attended by approximately 40 Victoria citizens, officially died even more quietly last night.
Fewer than 40 of the more than 700 shareholders in the company attended an extra-ordinary general meeting at the Chamber of Commerce board room, Wharf Street, to unanimously approve their directors’ suggestion that the company be wound up voluntarily.
The meeting also voted to retain business manager Reg Patterson as liquidator for a fee equal to his former salary for one month.
In the absence of president Arthur Cox, in Vancouver due to a family bereavement, and vice-president Robert Hew Fergusson-Pollock, detained in Duncan due to illness in the family, W.T. Straith, legal advisor and honorary director of the company, acted as chairman.
Straith, one of the men instrumental in obtaining a Western International League franchise for Victoria, noted that the company had been formed in the hope that professional baseball would become a fixture in the city.
Starting as the Athletics, the Victoria club shows a small profit through its first three years, paying a dividend to shareholders in 1947 and reaching its high point the following ear when 148,000 fans passed through the turnstiles.
From there, attendance skidded downward and only 28,000 had attended 44 home games of the Victoria Tyees this season when directors, deciding that further operations would only increase liabilities, forfeited their franchise on August 3.
At the annual general meeting last spring, an auditor’s report disclosed that a capital deficiency of $110,000 and it is estimated approximately $40,000 was lost this season. Among the outstanding debts are salary commitments of $3,500, which are expected to receive first consideration in liquidation proceedings.
The main portion of the company’s assets consists of its contributions to facilities at Royal Athletic Park although all fixtures are legally the property of the city. The company contributed $18,000 toward seating improvements and spent $12,000 for installation of lights.

Tuesday, August 3, 1954

                W  L  PCT GB
Lewiston ..... 22 10 .688 —
Yakima ....... 17 11 .586 3½
Salem ........ 15 13 .536 5
Edmonton ..... 15 14 .517 5½
Vancouver .... 13 14 .481 6½
Tri-City ..... 12 18 .400 8½
Wenatchee ..... 9 21 .300 12

YAKIMA, Aug. 3—Yakima slugged early, but Lewiston slugged late—and more often, to pull off a come-from-behind rally and outlast the Bears 11-10 in a Tuesday night Western International League game.
Yakima scored eight runs in the first three innings but couldn't hold on for the victory. A double by the Broncs' Larry Barton scored Bob Williams with what proved to be he winning run in the eighth after Lewiston had whittled away at the lead. Barton and Harvey Storey paced the winners, each with four for five as the Broncs hopped on Danny Rios and Tom Lovrich for 16 hits.
Lewiston ...... 100 220 330—11 15 1
Yakima ........ 413 001 100—10 16 0
Yaylian, Kime (3) and Cameron; Rios, Lovrich (7) and Summers.

WENATCHEE, no story available
Edmonton ........ 120 000 000—3 7 1
Wenatchee ...... 000 100 000—1 6 0
Widner and Partee; Waters and Self.

VANCOUVER [Clancy Loranger, Province, Aug. 4]—Vancouver Capilanos play Tri-City at Capilano Stadium tonight in the third game of their current series, which they now lead 2-0. After that? They’ll know more about a Western International League directors’ meeting which is called for tonight in Seattle.
The latest in a series of “emergency” meetings was called to discuss the latest loop crisis, the foldup of the Victoria franchise Tuesday.
COULD HAPPEN
Although President Robert Abel came up with an emphatic “No” to speculation that other teams would follow suit and the league would call it quits for 1954, the possibility of a complete collapse can’t be taken lightly.
Victoria’s collapse did have one immediate effect, as far a the Capilanos are concerned. Outfielder Neil Sheridan, whom General Manager Bill Brenner tried to obtain earlier in the year via the trade route, got his release from Victoria and signed with the Caps as a free agent.
FOUR HITS DID IT
Sheridan, who played one season (1948) with Boston Red Sox and a long time (1943-1951) Coast Leaguer, was in right field as the locals made it two straight over the Braves Tuesday.
A four-hit, three-run seventh inning gave the Caps a 3-2 victory and pitcher Brenner his 16th win against six losses. Bob Wellman’s single off relief pitcher Jess Dobernic scored K. Chorlton with the winner.
- - -
VANCOUVER [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 4]—Nicholas Joseph Pesut, who gained a reputation for being a "nice guy" around the Tri-Cites in his three years with the Braves, did considerable damage to local pride Tuesday night when he doubled for the Vancouver Capilanoe's [sic] in the seventh inning.
The two-base blow touched off a rally which was good for three runs, and left Tri-City one short, 3-2.
Tonight, the Braves play the third game of the four-game series here, and the current hope is that Wenatchee is able to hang in the league for at least another week.
Under the present schedule, subject to almost day-by-day change, the Braves finish the four-game series with the Caps Thursday night. Then Tri-City plays cellar-dwelling Wenatchee for four games.
With the demise of Victoria, Wenatchee is the only team below Tri-City in the standings, and horrible thought, should the Chiefs fail to ride her out for another week, Tri-City would probably wind up playing the Caps for 12 straight games.
Everything was cruising serene for the Braves Tuesday night up until the time Pesut got his two-bagger. Pesut needed it since he is hitting something like .230 this season, but it came at a most inopportune time for the Braves.
For Eddie Murphy followed with another which scored Pesut, Tri-City starter Walt Clough was taken from the mound and Jess Dobernic took over. K. Chorlton touched Dobernic for a single single, scoring Murphy and Bob Wellman brought Chorlton home.
Tri-City's runs came in the fourth and seventh innings. Terry Carroll walked, moved to second on a sacrifice and home on Len Tran's single for the first tally. The second came when Tran singled and Bob Moniz hit his 35th double of the season.
Bill Brenner, the Vancouver G.M. and the league's work horse junk pitcher, went the distance for the Caps.
Tri-City .......... 000 100 100—2  8 1
Vancouver ..... 000 000 30x—3 12 0
Clough, Dobernic (7) and Johnson; Brenner and Pesut.

Tyees to Play Tonight In Final Appearance
[Victoria Colonist, Aug. 4, 1954]
Victoria baseball fans will get one more chance to see the 1954 Tyees in action and, at the same time, show their appreciation to the players of the defunct club, which turned in some interesting baseball this season.
It was announced yesterday that Salem Senators, who were left without WIL opposition for three days when Victoria forfeited its franchise yesterday morning, had agreed to play the Tyees tonight in an exhibition game for “Player Appreciation Night.”
All net proceeds will be divided among members of the Tyees to help defray their travelling expenses back to their homes.
Don Pries, manager of the Victoria club, announced that he would have all of his players, with the exception of outfielder Neil Sheridan, who has left to join Vancouver Capilanos in action. Berlyn Hodges, city-grown southpaw who is to get a chance with Portland Beavers of the Coast League, has been named to do the pitching for the Tyees.
And, best of all, Salem-manager Hugh Luby stated that he would give the Tyees another chance at Joe Nicholas, the righthander who wouldn’t pitch for them. Nicholas made one start for the Senators, beating the Tyees, 5-1, at Salem two weeks ago but the Islanders feel that they can even the count. They certainly have the desire.

Directors Of WIL In Meet
[Tri-City Herald, Aug. 4, 1954]
The remaining directors of the ursanforized Western International league tre meeting in Seattle today to plot the course for the seven remaining teams for the rest of the season.
The big problem on the agenda is scheduling, brought about by the departure of the Victoria entry.
The Victoria club is the third to turn belly up this season, and what started out to be the largest loop in organized baseball has been shrinking like a fresh-cut 1x12 ever since.
First to go were Spokane and Calgary and the double-departure then simplified scheduling problems. Now, with the league down to seven teams, it means one club will be idle every day which in turn means 18 players somewhere are being paid for not playing.
However, in Tacoma, league president Bob Abel denied that the Victoria demise means the end of the league. And here in the Tri-Cities, Tri-Clty Athletic Association directors have let it be known that the Tri-City club would finish the season even if it means going along in a four-team league.
Victoria quit the league after a meeting of its board of directors Tuesday morning. After the meeting, Bob Cox, president of the group there gave financial difficulties
brought on by poor attendance as the reason.
Victoria long has been one of the shakier ones in the shaky league. Several times the club was saved by contributions of a British "angel," a share of whose wealth now rests in the coffers of some expensive playing talent.
In an effort to forestall the inevitible collapse, the Tyee management tried several promotions to bring out crowds including selling tickets for the entire second half at 12.50 a book. None worked.
So far, there is no indication that other dubs are in serious financial straits. However, most of hem. Including Tri-Clty, are eadlng a hand-to-mouth existence and more tales of further financial woes may come out of the Seattle meeting.

Sports Notes
BY GIL GILMORE
[Tri-City Herald, Aug. 4, 1954]
Victoria Is Kaput

Whenever things look serene on the Western International league waters, along comes something to stir things about a bit. Ever since the league got going on the second one-half schedule, it looked as if it might last at least through this season as an eight-team league.
Then Victoria chooses to do its el foldo.
The possible demise of Victoria was not entirely unexpected. Harold Matheson, president of the Tri-City Athletic association, had predicted such at the meeting of the stockholders right near the end of the first half.
And there were plenty of indications in the wind. First came the deal way last June when Victoria failed to pay its league assessments. But it got past that hump. What is not generally known, though, is that Victoria failed to pay its league assessments again since that time.
Victoria truly can be said to be a team that was "done under" in an effort to keep up with the high-spending Vancouver Capilanoes. When the Caps started loading the roster earlier this year, Victoria was one of the clubs that took more than an ordinary amount of interest in the procedure, simply because the club knew that under the natural rival system of scheduling, it was going to be playing the Caps a high-percentage of games through the year.
* * *
They Didn't [Buy] The Product
So the club that nearly folded last season, and has never drawn too well, started signing players that none but the Vancouver beer barons could afford.
Unfortunately for Victoria, it wound up paying the price but not getting the product. The difference was apparent in the two series the Tyees played here. The first time around, Victoria had a hustling club, which may have made mistakes, but at least played. The second time around, the only time some of them ran came after the final out when the team made the mad dash for the showers.
But leave us not be too general and say high-paid players don't hustle. Lewiston has a high-paid club but it hustles and what's more, I'll pick them right now to beat Vancouver in the playoffs.
* * *
Let 'Em Go
Now that Victoria has forfeited its franchise, the best thing the league can do is snap it up with a quick "thank you" and forget about the Canadian city as a possible future site for WIL baseball.
True, it will cause scheduling complications, but there is no point in trying to keep things going there for another period of time such as has been done in the case of Calgary and Spokane.
In those last two deals, the Calgary players didn't get paid, and the Spokane players got paid out of league money—a share of that bill arriving at General Manager
Eddie Taylor's Sanders Field office last week.
Furthermore, by taking quick advantage of the demise of Victoria, it may help next season if the U.S. members of the circuit want to go for the sound six-team league
idea.
This still leaves Vancouver and Edmonton to deal with, but for other reasons, either one or both may give up the WIL next year. Vancouver stands a good chance of glomming onto a Coast League franchise, if Los Angeles withdraws its permission which allows Hollywood to operate, and Edmonton may go for a prairie league of towns nearer its home stamping grounds.
All this, of course, is based on the idea that the rest of the league survives this season. Seven teams will cause no end of scheduling complications.
* * *
We Can Always Play Salem
However, we won't worry about it. As Eddie Taylor joked, "maybe we will wind up playing Salem the rest of season."
And when you think about it, that is just about what the Braves will be doing anyway.

Teams, Leagues Folding
Sad Plight of Minors Causing Concern
By JACK HAND
The Associated Press
NEW YORK, Aug. 2—The sad plight of the minor leagues is causing deep concern in the upper strata of the baseball world where it is recognized that the game cannot survive without its lower branches.
Since the start of the season, three of the 36 minor leagues have folded and the number of clubs playing minor league ball has shrunk from 268 to 249. The Florida International in Class B, the Mountain States in Class C and the Tar Heel in Class D are no more.
Maybe its rushing the coroner's report to say the Florida Int. is dead, for the two remaining teams have been given special permission to play a nine-game championship series — for the championship of Miami and St. Petersburg.
George Trautman, head of the minors, was in New York early this week for a series of meetings. Although George was trying to keep his chin up, he obviouslv was disturbed by the foldings.
“We're not going to die on the vine,” he said. “The situation is not that desperate. But obviously it is a cause of concern when you drop from 59 leagues in 1949 to 34 half-way through 1954.”
Baseball still is scared of Washington, uncertain how far it can move without being hauled up on charges of monopoly. If it were possible to take some of the money that is paid for radio and television rights and spread it among the minors, without legal complications, I am sure commissioner Ford Frick would advocate such a move. Something like that may be the ultimate solution.
Trautman hopes to escape further fatalities this year. He admits the failures did not come as a complete surprise because all three of the leagues that folded were down to four clubs. There are no other four-club leagues.
But the problems remain. In the Western Association, for instance, the Iola, Kan. franchise is operated by the league. In the Longhorn League, the Wichita Falls, Tex. club has shifted to Gainesville, Tex.
The Class A Western international started with 10 clubs but Spokane and Calgary dropped out. Augusta and Macon are reported on shaky ground in the Sally League, also Class A. Another A league, the Eastern, reports attendance down 43,000 at the half-way mark.
“About half the leagues were under last year and about half were over,” said Trautman, reporting on a late June survey. “In the leagues still operating, we're not much worse off than last year. We have some good reports, mostly from the Texas area and the Carolinas. But where we used to have 43 clubs in North Carolina a few years ago, now we hare only about ten.”

Victoria Tyees Fold

Victoria Loses Pro Baseball As Tyees Forfeit Franchise
BY JIM TANG
[Victoria Colonist, Aug. 4, 1954]
Professional baseball came to the end of the road yesterday morning, when club officials announced after a meeting that they had forfeited their franchise in the Western International Baseball League.
That made Monday night’s 6-5 victory over the Salem Senators the last professional game played here and there appears little hope that the sport will return to the city within the foreseeable future.
Financial trouble was, of course, the reason for the inability of Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co. Ltd. to continue in the league. It had been evident for some time that only a minor miracle would keep the Tyees in operation until the end of the season. It had been increasingly difficult to meet each succeeding payroll and the end came with the club facing a 10-day road trip between the July 31 and August 15 payrolls.
NEEDED $14,000
At least $14,000 was needed to carry the club through that period and even if that amount could have been found, the August 31 payroll, if not the next road trip, would have brought another crisis. Crowds have been so small that receipts weren’t enough to pay the cost of opening the park and playing the last three games of the Salem series would have cost money even though the home club keeps all of its gate receipts this season. So they were cancelled.
There were only 327 at Monday’s game, a far cry from a crowd of more than 4,100 which saw the first WIL game here in April of 1946. And attendance for the 46 home games this season was about 28,000, an average of less than 700. That’s about half of the break-even point.
INCREASING COSTS
Just what professional baseball has cost to keep in Victoria for eight and a half seasons probably will never be known. The club did a little better than break even in the first three seasons of operations. Then diminishing receipts and increasing costs of operation made each season a losing venture. At the last annual general meeting last spring, the auditor’s report disclosed a capital deficiency of $118,000 and while no figures of the 1954 loss are available, it is likely at least another $40,000 was lost this season.
Victoria joined the WIL in 1946 and although a last-place club, 103,000 fans turned out to watch the return of professional baseball. There was an attendance of approximately 137,000 in 1947 and the peak was reached in1948, when attendance soared to 148,000.
From there it was downhill with the skid quickening until the bottom was reached yesterday morning.
Attendance dropped to 115,000 in 1949, to about 110,000 in 1950, and to 87,000 in 1951. It came back slightly in 1952 as Victoria came up with its only winner, then dropped to 56,000 last year.
KEPT CLUB GOING
Sale of stock to Victorians kept the club going until mid-season last year, when Bob and Laura Fergusson-Pollock, two ardent Cobble Hill fans, stepped in to keep it in operation to the end of last season and give it a start this year. But baseball apathy had set in and there had to be an end.
Just what the WIL will do now that it has been reduced from 10 to seven clubs in six weeks will be decided at a special meeting in Seattle today.
League-president Robert B. Abel could shed no light on the possible course of action when queried yesterday.
“I really don’t know,” he said. “I assume everybody is able to continue.”
OTHERS IN DIFFICULTIES
However, several other clubs are known to be in financial difficulty and there is a chance that the league may continue with six clubs, if it continues at all.
As for the players, all who were owned by the Tyees become free agents and are free to sign with whatever club they can find employment.
The Tyees sold second-baseman Ron Jackson, southpaw Berlyn Hodges and catchers Milt Martin and Don Lundberg, rated their best prospects, to the Portland Beavers before they forfeited their franchise and the quartet will either get a chance with the Coast League club or be placed with another team.
Phil Page and Bill Bottler were on option from Portland and Tom Perez and Hal Flinn on option from San Francisco. They remain property of those clubs.
SHERIDAN TO CAPS
Of the others, outfielder Neil Sheridan was the first to make a connection. He came to terms with Vancouver and left immediately to join the Capilanos.
Most of the others—Steve Mesner, Mike Kanshin, John Tierney, Bob Drilling, Eddie Lake, Dain Clay and Mel Stein—will doubtless be shopping for the next few days. Manager Don Pries, who won’t have any trouble getting a playing job, will accept an offer as soon as he has cleaned up personal affairs. Bill Prior will likely go back to his job as a printer.

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[Victoria Colonist, Aug. 5, 1954]

Professional baseball is dead in Victoria and all but dead in almost all of the minor leagues, a victim of the modern high standards of living.
A lots of reasons have been advanced for its failure to keep healthy—and weather, poor promotion, lack of evidence of sincere competition among the businessmen athletes who have taken over as players, and a trailing club have all hurt. But, more than anything else, it has been the amenities of modern life which have been responsible.
Radio, television, the automobile and the airplane, fatter pay cheques, which have made the use of all possible to more and more people and changed their thinking so that nothing pleases them any more except the best, have done in minor baseball—and much other in-between entertainment as well.
Radio and television have brought major league baseball into every home with its glamour and names and the motor car and airplane have made it only hours away when curiosity has to be satisfied. Today’s minor league baseball fan would sooner listen to the broadcast of a major league game than watch his own club play.
Ask a Victoria who leads the American League in strikeout and he will answer “Bob Turley” as quick as a flash. It’s 100-1 he didn’t know that Salem’s Johnny Briggs is the master of the whiff in the WIL. He knows all about Irv Noren’s hitting streak, reads everything he can about Willie Mays, and he can give you an almost complete account of the career of Stan Musial. The phone rings and rings when Cleveland and the Yankees or the Dodgers and the Giants play but a request for a Victoria score has almost invariably been from Johnny Johnson.
But, somewhat ironically, it’s not only the minor leagues who are suffering. While television has kept people in for their entertainment, the automobile has sent them ranging far and wide for new experiences. Either way, baseball has been the loser with the minor leagues losing their fans to the major leagues and the major leagues finding it increasingly difficult to meet the competition of wheel and antenna. Much of it may have been baseball’s own fault but there is not much use denying that a steadily changing way of living makes it next to impossible to do anything about it even if baseball should set its house in order.

Wednesday, June 30, 1954

                W  L  Pct GB
Vancouver .... 38 20 .655 —
Yakima ....... 36 29 .554 5½
Edmonton ..... 28 26 .519 8
Lewiston ..... 30 31 .492 9½
Tri-City ..... 31 34 .477 10½
Wenatchee .... 30 36 .466 12
Victoria ..... 27 33 .450 12
Salem ........ 29 37 .439 13

WENATCHEE, June 30—Wenatchee piled up a four-run lead in the first three innings and added what proved to be the clincher in the fifth in a 5-4 win over the Yakima Bears in a Western International League game here Wednesday.
Yakima hacked away at the lead, scoring two runs in the fourth and singletons in the fifth and eighth, but couldn't come up with the winning punch.
Wcnatchee's first two tallies were on Tommy Munoz' second inning homer, his llth of the season.
Yakima ........... 000 210 010—4 9 3
Wenatchee ..... 022 010 00x—5 8 1
Carter, Lovrich (3) and Summers; Beamon, Shandor (4) and Helmuth.

EDMONTON [Tri-City Herald, July 1]—The Tri-Clty Braves and the Edmonton Eskimoes are playing a doubleheader on Dominion day in Edmonton today but one thing is certain — neither one is going to win any first half title.
For the two clubs, that was pretty apparent a long time ago but now it is almost a cinch no other team but Vancouver is going to have a hand in. Although the Caps were idle by rain Wednesday night, they gained another half game on second-place Yakima when the Bears fell to Wenatchee, 5-4, at Wenatchee.
Tri-City, meanwhile, has its six-game win streak snapped by Edmonton, 6-5, in a game that went 11 innings. And error and a double by Edmonton's Augie Morena [Amorena] in the bottom of the 11th brought in the winning run.
Walt Clough went the distance for Tri-Clty. For Edmonton, Dick Kimball started but was taken out in the eighth when a Braves' uprising brought in three runs and tied the score 6-6.
In today's action, Jess Dobernic is pitching the afternoon game and Dale Bloom is slated to pitchthe nightcap.
Tri-City ......... 001 001 030 00—5 13 2
Edmonton ...... 010 031 000 01—6 10 1
Clough and Warren; Kimball, Conant (8) and Warren.

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

Capilanoes Sell Dick Greco To Salem
Braves Fall, Caps Near Half Title
[Tri-City Herald, July 1, 1954]
Dick Greco, the outfielder who didn’t want to play for Tri-City and bought his release to sign with Vancouver, has been sold to the Braves’ “natural rival,” the Salem Senators.
The sale of Greco was not unexpected. More than a month ago the Tri-City Herald reported Greco was on the block but no club then wanted to pay the price or his salary.
At the recent meeting of Tri-City Athletic Association stockholders in Richland, Harold Matheson, president, reported Vancouver was asking $2,500 for Greco. He bought his release here for $2,500.
An Associated Press story reported the sale of Greco was designed to bring better balance in the league. Manager Bill Brenner, the AP said, “should help Salem to bring out the fans.”
From the standpoint of Tri-City, Greco will probably bring out Sanders field fans, too. On what was the equivalent of “Down with Dick Greco Night” at Sanders field earlier this season, 2,100 Tri-Citians turned out to boo the outfielder following a player gang fight of the night before.
Although the present league schedule for the second half has not been set, Tri-City will again be paired with Salem as “natural rivals.” This means that Greco’s appearances at Sanders field will be more frequent during the second half of play.
Although Brenner implied the sale of Greco was part of a generous gesture on the part of the Capilanoes, records indicate the Cap general manager may have taken the action for other reasons.
First of all Greco’s home run production has not reached the heights originally hoped. In the series against Tri-City, he blasted out one four-master for his tenth of the season. Since then, he has hit one more to bring his season total to 11.
The elimination of one outfielder from the Capilano roster was made necessary by the acquisition of Eddie Murphy, formerly with Spokane. Murphy, although lacking the long ball punch, will lend considerable defensive strength to the Capilano lineup and is one of the better leadoff men in the league.
Murphy was released by the Philadllphin Phils following the folding of Spokane and his shift to that team through a “sale” arrangement. He offered his services to other teams in the league, including Tri-City, for a price that none but Vancouver felt they could afford.
K. Chorlton, the outfielder who could hot come to terms with the Seattle Rainiers following his recall last week, will probably shift to left field and Murphy will take center. Arne Hallgren is the other Cap outfielder.
Along with the Greco sale, the Capilanoes also sold pitcher Bill Franks to Salem. Franks had a 3-3 record for the first half.
Meanwhile in another league development, Victoria complained of financial troubles. Unless 10,000 fans turn out for the weekend scries with Wenatchee, the management warned, the Tyees may be forced to join Spokane and Calgary on the sidelines.
The financial troubles of Victoria were predicted by Matheson at the recent stockholders’ meeting.

No Go For Clow
VICTORIA, June 30 — Infielder Elmer Clow's life as a Victoria Tyee has been brief. The Western International Team released him on Wednesday, after he played third base on Tuesday night for the Tyees.
Clow had played shortstop for Calgary this season, and signed as a free agent when that team folded at the beginning of the month.

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[Victoria Colonist, July 1, 1954]
Bases on balls drive fans away from baseball parks and managers to early graves or best homes. And no wonder. Checking through my scorebook on the first 24 home games played by the Victoria Tyees brought proof positive that the importance of bases on balls certainly has never been exaggerated.
A total of 288 players received bases on balls in those 24 games and 107 of them managed to score. In addition, 31 other runners were moved into scoring position so that actually 138 runs have been scored off bases on balls, an average of close to six a game. And, to top that off, 55 run-scoring innings for a total of 106 runs were started by a walk. On the basis of those kind of figures one can’t help but wonder why so many pitchers fiddle around with “junk” instead of trying to improve their percentage of tosses through the strike zone.
At the same time this research disclosed the effect of lack of control. It also furnished first-hand evidence that Royal Athletic Park is a hitter’s paradise.
Victoria baseball fans have seen an average of 25 hits and 15 runs per game this season with a grand total of 593 base hits and 386 runs in the 24 games. Only four games have produced less than 10 runs and in only five has the number of hits been below 20.
The Tyees have done exceptionally well at the plate in their home park with a rather amazing team batting average of almost .330. But results haven’t been so good with the club only holding a 13-11 record. Opposing teams have combed Victoria pitching for a .317 average and have been getting more bases out of their hit.
Home runs are the big difference. The Tyees have hit 17 for 30 runs and have been victimized 34 times for 58 runs.
In addition to the 51 home runs, 22 triples and 90 doubles have been hit at Athletic Park this season. That makes for a total of 880 bases. Add to that 288 bases on balls and 100 errors and it’s easy to see how they came up with those lacrosse scores. It’s certainly true at Athletic Park that the ball game is never over until the last man is out. In fact, in Tuesday’s game, it wasn’t even over then.
Random Harvest
Milt Martin will be lost to the Tyees longer than expected. The hustling catcher has a stubborn back injury which will take time to heal.

Sports Notes
BY GIL GILMORE
[Tri City Herald, July 1, 1954]
A welter of information came out of the recent Tri-City Athletic Association stockholders’ meeting, some in pretty disjointed fashion, but it appears that a larger group in the Tri-Cities now know some of the problems involved in operating a ball club.
In talking with Eddie Taylor, the general manager, and Harold Matheson, president of the association, day after day you are conscious of the situation itself but it is hard to get it across to the general public.
How many times have I heard the question start out, “Why don’t we—?” And how many times have I given an answer which usually is summed up with “Where you goin’ to get the money?” and have had that shoved aside as if it were no answer at all.
But when the stockholders hear it straight from the brass, they are inclined to understand.
For example, the club seems to be, operating somewhere along a precarious middle — paying its bills but having nothing, left over. Matheson brought out that the Vancouver
payroll is almost double Tri-City’s. (K. Chorlton turned down a coast league spot. The Rainiers don’t pay enough.)
Vancouver is in first and Tri-City is in fifth. Now is it worth it to “go so far in the hole just to move up four notches in the standings? And is it worth it when any kind of a large debt this year means no club at all the next season?
My personal feeling is the same as Matheson’s. “We will field the best team we can afford,” and if it’s a cellar-team, okay, but it’s still better than none at all. And especially if it means the men who run the team do not have to put the bite on every businessman and citizen week after week in order to stay in the league.
* * *
I’ll Keep Our Team
Personally, I wouldn’t trade the present Tri-City ball club for any team in the league. I might make a swap or two here and there, if such deals were possible but for the overall structure, I'll take ‘em the way they are.
They have been beaten, sure, but every team that plays them is in for a battle. They have proved again and again that you have to get them out for nine innings before the game is over.
The team has a right balance of old geezers and young upstarts with the nucleus of regulars in between. Some have a chance to move up, and more important, they have a strong desire to move up. Yet, if those younger ones do move up, they will remember this area as a “good baseball town” and not as some kind of a “Hell-hole where I put in my bush-league time.”
Like Kipling’s “single men in barracks,” ballplayers are not “plaster saints” and occasionally you run across one which is an outright bad apple — the drunk, the carouser, and the money moocher.
We have had one or two here but they have never lasted long. Even if they had been top grade players, some way would have been found to dispose of them.
On the whole, this gang we have representing the area in the Western International league is a pretty clean living bunch of boys, and that’s important, too.
* * *
Promotions Help Needed
There has been some written and much said about this business of having good promotions but until the meeting little was said about how to carry them out.
Promotions, even minor ones, take time and money. Ideally, I suppose, a ball club should have an office staff of about four — a general manager, an office gal, a promotions man, and a bookkeeper. There would be enough work to keep them all busy but what Class A club has the dough to carry such a large staff?
Tri-City has two and a bookkeeper on a part time basis.
General manager Eddie Taylor concedes himself “I am not a Barnum and Bailey man” and it was probably this feeling more than anything else that led to his offer to quit.
But it’s been my observation that if you get a guy good at promotions, he is incapable of knowing the value of a ballplayer or he can’t control the purse strings of the club. And despite Eddie’s offer, the complete combination of promotions-business manager all in one bundle isn’t going to be found in one man.
The best bet then is to get some volunteer help from someone interested, although maybe not directly connected with the operation of the club.
Ray Mussleman and his idea on promotional letters is one example. And I’ll bet Ray’s idea and work produces some results.
* * *
Lots Of Hits, No Runs
Question of the day? How can Don Robertson, Tri-City right-hander, give up 11 hits, four of them doubles, and but one measly run?
(That’s nothing. His wife tells me he once pitched a 12-hit shutout.)
Taylor explains it this way.
“Some pitchers have an ability to pace themselves, giving up hits but getting the side out. Then, when they get into trouble, they have that reserve to call upon and bear down.”
If Don wins one during the upcoming doubleheader here at home, his wife will be certain of being at least half-right. Last winter Mrs. Robertson boldly and confidentally predicted Don would win 20 games. Don has nine wins now.
If he can rack up a win during the coming home series, it will give him half of that 20 before the first half ends.

Victoria 1954 Preview

Tyees May be Flag Threat
(Editor's Note: This is the one in a series on the prospects of teams in the Western International Baseball League, written for The Associated Press by the sportswriters who follow the teams throughout the season).
By JIM TANG
Sports Editor, Victoria Colonist [April 19, 1954]
Victoria Tyees, who finished far back with the also-rans last season after winning the Western International League, again loom as a title threat this season.
Although short on pitching as they opened their spring-training season in Victoria on April 14th, the Tyees have what could be the league’s top infield, proven catching, and good outfield prospects. There is good bat power although the club lacks lefthanded hitting, and fair speed in a mixture of youth and experience which will have few holdovers.
New Manager
Don Pries has taken over from Cec Garriott as manager. The young infielder, handling his first club, expects to play first base after seeing action at every position but pitching in his three years as a player with the Tyees. Steve Mesner, Eddie Lake and Dain Clay, three former major leaguers, are expected to provide the club with some solid hitting, the necessary core of experience and steady defensive play.
Lake is to play shortstop and Mesner third base. At second is Ron Jackson, a scrappy speedster who played with Charleston in the Class “A” Sally League last season. In addition, there are promising rookies in Pepper Wesley, Primo Santini and Merlyn Anthony. Wesley, a big Negro boy who plays either third base or the outfield, was a star with the American Legion Junior champions of 1950 and 1951.
Outfield Aid
In the outfield are Clay, Art Seguro, Tom Keough, Jerry Kane and Armando Sanchez for a start, with further help expected from Portland and San Francisco.
Keough played three years of varsity football and baseball at the University of California, was all-conference outfielder in his last two seasons with batting averages of .396 and .400 and made the All-America college nine in his junior year.

Spring Training, Thursday, April 15, 1954

Pitcher, Red Tape For Caps
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, April 15, 1954]
Bill Brenner might have himself quite a lefthander for his pro baseball Capilanos by the end of this week, provided the southpaw can untangle himself from a mess of red tape.
The leftie is Raul Galata, the Cuban Negro who’s currently besieging authorities in Mexico every day in an attempt to clear a passport that will let him travel into, and back and forth between, the United States and Canada.
GOOD NEWS
This passport mix up has been on the books for some weeks now, but there was a note of encouragement for Brenner Wednesday.
The Caps’ boss was talking to Manny Perez, who had been in tough with Galata in Mexico before he left, a few days before Galata, he said, was making progress with the authorities and should be along any day.
Perez, a veteran who has watched a lot of ball players, also informed Brenner that he was getting quite a pitcher. He had seen him pitch in Mexico, he said, and “man, that boy’s fast.”
If he can put the ball where he wants to—control is his big trouble—he will be rugged, Perez said.
CARDS MISS
Galata was signed through the offices of veteran baseball man Jack Corbett, right under the noses of the St. Louis Cardinals who had been scouting him.
DIAMOND DUST – General manager Brenner cut another man loose Wednesday at Clarkston, Wash., optioning catcher “Red” Whitney to Pocatello … Shortstop Jim Clark and outfielder K Chorlton will be in today, Brenner told The Province … they may see some action against Pocatello in today’s exhibition game.

Tyees Launch Spring Training As Pries, 12 Players Work Out
[Victoria Colonist, April 15, 1954]
Victoria Tyees opened their 1954 spring training season at Royal Athletic Park yesterday morning with manager Don Pries putting an early contingent of 12 players through their paces in a workout which lasted into the afternoon.
Big news of the day was furnished by the weatherman, who came up with the year’s balmiest day, which could be taken as some sort of omen for the coming season.
On hand yesterday were catcher Milt Martin, and pitchers Bob Drilling and Berlyn Hodges from last season’s club. Newcomers were infielders Ron Jackson, Pepper Wesley, Primo Santini and Jerry Parker, Victoria youngster who is trying out; outfielders Tom McKeough [sic], Armando Sanchez, Art Seguso and Jerry Kane; pitcher Mike Kanshin. In town, but not for the workout, was holdover righthander Bill Prior.
Numbers should be swelled before the week is out. En route are third-baseman Steve Mesner, shortstop Eddie Lake, infielder Merlyn Anthony and outfielder Dain Clay. Nothing has yet been heard from Hal Flinn, the righthander sent by San Francisco Seals, but there is so far no reason to believe he won’t be here. Holdout southpaw Earl Dollins has not yet agreed to terms.
Further help is expected next week from Portland Beavers and San Francisco Seals.
Yesterday’s action was confined to running, throwing and pepper games and a short and easy infield drill. Today’s workout will again start at 10:30 and will include hitting. Pries hopes to play his first inter-squad game on Saturday and the Tyees will play the first of several exhibition games next Monday, when they meet Farmers Construction at Royal Athletic Park at 6:30.
SPEED, YOUTH
Although light, yesterday’s workout left the impression that the Tyees will be keen and speedy this season if the first turnout is any criterion. And there is youth, too. Counting Pries, the average age of the 13 players in uniform yesterday is 24, although nine of them are married and have a combined total of 15 youngsters. Martin and Sanchez share the distinction of having the largest families, each with three youngsters.
Thumbnail sketches follow:
BOB DRILLING (26, 6’, 190 pounds)—Tulare, Calif., is home town … married with two children, Stephen (3) and Robert Jr. (2) … started pro ball with Yakima in 1948, was with Yakima and Salem in 1949, with Portland Beavers in 1950, 1951 and 1952, won 14 games for Tyees last season … played winter baseball in Mexican Coastal League … looks ready to return to form which left him in the Coast League for three seasons.
ARMANDO SANCHEZ (23, 5’ 7”, 170 pounds)—from Laredo, Texas … married with three children, Armando Jr. (3), Jesse (2) and Elva (2 months) … played in same winter league as Drilling, who recommended him to Tyees … hit about .350 and reportedly is a good hustler and extremely fast.
BERLYN HODGES (21, 5’ 11”, 172 pounds)—Victoria youngster who got into 26 games as pitcher for the Tyees last season, winning three and losing five … gained about 25 pounds in the off-season while acting as trainer of Victoria Cougars … second year as pro … played two seasons with Moose Jaw in the Western Canada League.
TOM KEOUGH (22, 5’ 10”, 165 pounds)—Home town, Pomona, Calif. … married with two children, Michael (2) and Karen (1) … played four seasons with University of California, where he was all-conference outfielder in junior and senior years and all-America college outfielder in his junior year … batting average last two seasons .400 and .396 … very fast … brother of Marty Keough, who reportedly received $100,000 bonus from Boston Red Sox and is now at Louisville …. Also played three years of University football as half-back … did Bears’ kicking in last season and played in Rose Bowl game against University of Michigan in 1950 … bats and throws righthanded.
MILT MARTIN (25, 5’ 11”, 190 pounds)—Lives at Vancouver, Wash. … married with three children, Greg (4), Vickie (3) and Stephen (2) … starting fourth season with Tyees … had best season in 1953, hitting .307 and getting into 125 games … trained with Portland this spring and just missed staying in the Coast League.
RON JACKSON (23, 5’ 10”, 162 pounds)—pepper-pot second baseman who comes from Oakland … single … started in organized baseball in 1948 with Reading in the Far West League, was with Salinas in the Sunset League in 1949, and in Sooner State League in 1950, spent 1951 and 1952 in U.S. Army, and was with Charleston in Class “A” Sally Leaue last season, where he got into 91 games and batted .241.
JERRY KANE (222, 6’ 3”, 200 pounds)—calls Revloc, Penn., home … married … starting first pro season after playing semi-pro baseball in Fairbanks, Alaska last year … played high school and semi-pro baseball in Rastern U.S. … can catch as well as play outfield … bats and throws righthanded.
MIKE KANSHIN (24, 6’ 1”, 175 pounds)—Lives in Los Angeles, married, with 11-month-old daughter Kathleen. Started pitching pro baseball in 1948 with Riverside in Sunset League, moved to Medford in the Far West League in 1950 after training with Seattle Rainiers. Player for Wenatchee in 1951, missed 1952 season, and compiled 10-2 record for Saskatoon in the Western Canada League last season.
PEPPER WASLEY (20, 6’, 185 pounds)—Lives in Oakland, single, regular outfielder with Captain Bill Erwin Post team which won League Junior championship of U.S in 1950 and 1951; batted .390 last year; regular third baseman with Santa Rosa Junior College team last two years. Bats and throws righthanded.
ART SEGUSO (26, 6’ 1”, 195 pounds)—Calls Tuckhoe, N.Y., home, married with two children; Ricki, 5, and Ellen, 11 months. Started in New York Yankee chain with Butler of the Mid-Atlantic League in 1948, went to Manchester in New England League next season and to Meridian in South-Eastern League in 1950; hit 31 home runs in good season and was drafted by Mobile of Brooklyn Dodger system at end of season; played with Elmira of Class “A” Eastern League in 1951, and Ashville in Tri-State League in 1952; received free agency and played in strong Southern Minnesota semi-pro league with Mankato least season, hitting 20 home runs and batting in 52 team-mates in 44 games. Bats and throws righthanded.
PRIMO SANTINI (23, 5’ 10”, 170 pounds)—Lincoln, Calif., is home, married, with one child, Primo III, aged 14 months. First season of pro baseball; played three years in U.S. Air Force with Mather Field and part-time with Maryville semi-pro; discharges from services in November; played two years with Sierra College before joining services; bats and throws righthanded.

THURSDAY'S GAMES

LEWISTON, Idaho, April 15 — Jose Bache clubbed out a pair of double Lewiston's 9-5 exhibition baseball victory over Tri-City Thursday. Both are Western International
League teams.
Bache drove in four runs, three of them on a three-run double in the sixth.
Pitchers John Marshall and Jack Martin limited Tri-City to six hits, the longest being Vic Buccola’s double.
Tri-City ...... 010 000 040—5 6 3
Lewiston ..... 002 014 02x—9 12 5
Bloom, Richardson (6) and Warren; Marshall, Martin (7) and Garay.

YAKIMA, Apr. 15 — Manager Lou Stringer’s Yakima Bears teamed the five-hit pitching of Ted Edmunds and Vertis Elmore with seven extra-base blows Thursday to win their fourth straight exhibition victory, pounding the Salem Senators, 10-1.
Edmunds limited the Senators to a pair of singles in working the first five innings and Elmore gave up three in the last four.
The Bears bombed pitcher Larry Borst from the rnound with seven hits in the first three frames with six of them going for extra bases. Leading the attack was Len Noren, holdover first baseman, who slammed out a triple, double and single in three at bats.
Jack Hemphill replaced Borst in the fourth and effectively halted the Bears’ batting spree by holding them to a single hit in the last inning.

Spring Training, Tuesday, April 13, 1954

THEY CAN USE HIM
Calgary Wants Bob
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, April 13, 1954]
Calgary’s muddled baseball situation should start improving almost immediately.
Bob Brown, honorary president of the Western International League, and of course long-time major domo here, came home Monday from a four-day field trip to the Alberta centre. He will be home just long enough to pack his bag—Calgary wants him to come back and get their house in order.
“They made me a whale of a proposition to come down there for 30 days and get things rolling,” said Bob. Their opening game is May 11 and I figure I can get away after that.”
Brown’s job would be to get their paper work organized, and to line up players. He’s already got some ideas on the latter, and says the club was promised help by the other teams in the league at the recent emergency meeting.
Otherwise, he says, Calgary’s overall picture is much improved over last year.
“They’ve got a lot of good committees organized,” he said. “They’ve named a business manager and a public relations man, and they’re out raising money.”
There’s talk of a new park, too, on the lines of the one just built in Winnipeg. It would house both football and baseball, but not this year, of course.
Player-wise, the Stamps aren’t entirely in the glue. Brown says they have 16 men on their reserve list and eight of those are good capable Class A players. Manager Gene Lillard has the vanguard in action at Porterville, Calif.

Brenner Gets Tough, Caps Start to Hit
[Vancouver Province, April 13, 1954]
Vancouver Capilanos’ hitting, which on the weekend too much resembled that of last year’s punchless crew, improved noticeably Monday, as the Caps took a 13-1 decision over a combined Pocatello-Lewiston team at Pocatello.
One of the reasons could have been that General Manager Bill Brenner suggested it better get better, or else.
* * *
Brenner told The Province that he gave the boys a bit of a tongue-lashing on Sunday, and when he pointed out that there were lots of replacements in camp his message apparently got through. First-baseman Ellis Daugherty and catcher Nick Pesut, each with two doubles, led the attack and made life simple indeed for Brenner, the pitcher.
Ken Richardson’s batting also perked up as Brenner coasted in with a 6-hitter in 70 degree weather.
* * *
DIAMOND DUST – In his general manager’s role, Brenner continued his weeding out process … Pitcher Harold King, unimpressive in his exhibition start, was sent out on option to Pocatello, a Pioneer League team … Caps will just drill at Clarkston, Wash., for a couple of days before playing Pocatello again, Thursday.

Deficit of $40,293 Shown By Tyees for Last Year As Attendance Drops 50,551
BY JIM TANG
[Victoria Colonist, April 13, 1954]
Stockholders of the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co. Ltd. Learned last night at their annual meeting that professional baseball in Victoria has an accumulated deficit of $119,119.68 since 1946, when the company was granted a franchise in the reorganized Western International Baseball League.
ADDS UP
Biggest loss of all was shown for 1953 operations. The auditor’s report, combined by Gibbs & Jermain and presented to stockholders in the Chamber of Commerce boardroom by Lloyd Jermain, disclosed that the operating loss for last season was $40,293.98. Added to deficits for previous years, this brought the total losses to $119,119.68, leaving the club with a capital deficiency of $30,869.68. A total of $88,250 worth of stock has been sold.
Club assets were listed at $30,129.03 and total liabilities, including moneies advanced by several stockholders, wee listed at $60,998.71, a debit balance of $30,869.68.
Mr. Jermain attributed last season’s whopping deficit to an “alarming decrease in attendance.” His figured showed that the Tyees played to a record low of only 55,399 paying fans last season, a drop of 50,551 from the attendance of 105,950 in 1952.
THE REASON
Breaking down attendance figures into dollars and cents, the auditor’s report showed that the Tyees dropped a total of $28.444.10 in gate receipts from 1952 to 1953. Gate receipts at home last season amounted to $33,073.53, as compared to $56,371.50 for 1952 and for road games, the figures were $19,992.47 and $23,780.60 for 1953 and 1952, respectively. In addition, the Tyees benefited from an exhibition game in 1952 so that the aggregate decrease reached $28,444.10.
Operating expenses last season were $88,157.39. There was an additional amount of $1,339 for players and a loss of $1,446 in uncollectible debts, making the total cost $90,942.64. Net revenue was $50,648.66, leaving the aforementioned loss for the season of $40,293.98.
EXPENSES CUT
Mr. Jermain, however, paid tribute to the club’s effort to cut expenses last season and his figures showed that the 1953 cost of operation was $5,827.30 less than in 1952, despite the fact that players’ salaries showed an increase of more than $4,000. A large part of the saving was effected in traveling and hotel expenses—almost $4,000—and in equipment.
The auditors’ report was passed with a question and almost without a shudder.
Club president Arthur Cox in his report stressed that the near 50 per cent drop in attendance was the big reason for 1953’s “severe financial loss.” He also paid tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hew Fergusson-Pollok, the Cobble Hill fans who came to the rescue to the club last season by investing a total previously reported as $27,000.
“We couldn’t have finished the season but for them,” Cox said.
In outlining plans for the coming season, Cox said the club would be in no trouble this year if it could draw 100,000 fans, and expressed confidence that 1954 would see the 1952 attendance at least equalled.
GOOD START
He also said the club was training at home in an experiment to try and cut down on the training expenses and that it was handling its own concession and advertising sales and that increased revenue was expected here.
Speaking of the 1954 club, Cox said that a promising-looking team had been assembled without the expenditure of any money for playing talent and expressed confidence that Don Pries, the hustling, young and enthusiastic new manager, would give baseball a big boost this season.
Pries received a big welcome when he spoke to the stockholders for a few minutes while tabulations were being made on the voting for 1954 club directors.
A total of 11 shareholders were nominated, but the names of Stuart Keate, Fred Hutchinson and Frank Ireland were withdrawn by request before the vote. Cox, Johnny Johnson, Laurie Wallace, Fergusson-Pollok, Alex Straith, Ray Parfitt and Jim Lackie were elected. Fergusson-Pollok and Lackie are the only new directors, replacing Keate and E.D. LeLacheur.
In a meeting after the shareholders’ meeting, directors elected Cox to continue as president and Wallace to stay on as Secretary-Treasurer and Fergusson-Pollok as the new vice president.

TUESDAY'S GAME STORIES

KENNEWICK, (April 13)—A six-run outburst in the second inning propelled the Tri-City Braves of he Western International League to a 10-2 victory over Whitman Tuesday in the first of a two-game exhibition series. The same teams were scheduled to meet Wednesday in Walla Walla. The Braves jumped on starter Noel Aronson for a single run in the first inning on Terry Carroll's double and Len Tran's single, then produced six more tallies on five hits in the second frame.
Right fielder Ernie Hockaday started the big inning with a double, and collected another safety, a single, later in the inning.
Righthander Sid Aronson took over for Whitman in the third inning, and allowed but one pop fly single until the eighth. Len Tran's home run with Carroll aboard wound up the Tri-City scoring in that frame.
Whitman got its two runs in the eighth on Dick Fain's home run over the right field wall off Jess Dobernic, arid singles by Dick Allen and Dean Lodmell.
Fain picked up three of the six Missionaries' hits, getting a single and double in addition to his home run
Whitman ..... 000 000 020— 2 6 3
Tri-City .... 160 010 02x—10 11 2
N. Aronson, S. Aronson (3) and Hostetler; Hoodenpyl, Dobernic (6) and McCarroll, Johnson (6).

LINDSAY, Calif., April 13—Some timely hitting and brilliant pitching by John Conant and Jim Carveach proved the difference as the Edmonton Eskimos ran over the Fresno State College baseball team, 11-1, in a spring training game here Tuesday night.
Two hits, three walks and an error gave the Eskimos three runs in the first. In the fourth, third sacker Don King climaxed a three-run inning with a bases-clearing double.

FRESNO [Fresno Bee, April 14, 1954]—The Fresno State College Bulldogs will attempt to get back in the win column here tonight against the powerful Fort Ord Warriors after dropping an 11 to 10 slugfest to the Calgary Stampeders of the Western International League last [Tuesday] night in the Fresno State College Park.
It was the second, loss in a row to WI teams. Edmonton bounced the Bulldogs, 11 to 1, in Lindsay Monday night, and the Stampeders; managed by Gene Lillard, came from far back last night to edge the locals again.
Fresno will return to collegiate competition tomorrow [Thursday] afternoon when the Chico State College. Wildcats invade for a single afternoon game at 2 o'clock. Coach Pete Beiden will divide tonight’s pitching duties, between George Millhorn and Bob Doig.
Fresno’s ace lefthander Ted Wills continued to show improved form in the first four frames last night and Calgary made four unearned runs in the fifth. The Stampeders landed on relief ace Rudy Garcia for two runs on two hits in the seventh and then routed the little curve bailer with five runs on six hits in the eighth inning.
Hannah Finishes Up
Hard Hitting outfielder Jack Hannah finished up the mound duty for Fresno.
Lillard used Joe Mishasek, Don Chamber and Pete Papas for three innings each. Fresno made 14 hits but it was eight Calgary errors—four each by second sacker Don Hunter and shortstop Tom Dean—which led to a good share of the Fresno scoring.
Calgary .... 000 040 250—11 16 8
Fresno ..... 230 112 001—10 14 4

Victoria Signs Long-Shots

Pries’ Tryout Camp Graduates Six For Victoria Tyees
By JIM TANG
[Victoria Colonist, March 11, 1954]
The next five weeks will be long ones for Don Pries, new manager of the Victoria Tyees.
Pries, who will spend his time between now and the opening of training camp on April 14 doing some pre-baseball selling, arrived in Victoria yesterday to start his new duties. He was bubbling over with enthusiasm and plans for the 1954 WIL season—but in his ever-present briefcase he had the signed contracts of a half a dozen players, all of whom appear to have a chance to stick with the club and a line on a few others who could be of help.
Getting his first chance as a manager after a decade of minor league baseball, the still-youthful Pries is certainly letting no grass grow under his feet in putting together the kind of team he wants.
MUST BE FAST
And there’s no doubt about what kind of team he wants. “I’m going to get players who can move—steal that base and lay down that bunt and beat it out. They’re going to be young with their future ahead of them and they’re going to want to play baseball. We will play interesting baseball.”
Pries, however, indicates that he also wanted a few solid veterans to add balance and poise but the general idea was that if it’s fun to play it’s fun to watch and if it’s fun to watch it’s fun to play.
To get a start on building his kind of club, the energetic Pries actually held his own tryout school in Alameda, California. He invited 15 players to work out and out of the 15, signed six and may have two or three more here for a tryout.
GOOD PICK-UP
Chief among Pries’ acquisitions is a second-baseman, and business-manager Reg Patterson, who had been hoping to purchase the young infielder, beamed even more broadly than usual when Pries announced that Ron Jackson had signed a Victoria contract. Unless reports are wrong, the Tyees appear to have no keystone worry.
Jackson, 23 years of age and 165 pounds, played last season with Charleston in the class “A” Sally League. He was purchased by Denver of the class “A” Western League but when the Bears forgot to send him a contract before March 1, he became a free agent. Several clubs, including Lewiston in the WIL, sought Jackson’s services but Pries was on the spot with his infectious enthusiasm.
RICH BROTHER
Another of Pries’ more interesting prospects is outfielder Tommy Keough, brother of the Marty Keogh who received a $125,000 bonus from the Boston Red Sox last year. Victoria’s Keough is 22 years of age and played through his college career with the University of California. He led all major colleges in hitting in his senior year—1952.
Then there’s Pepper Wesley, 20-year-old colored infielder who played with the American Legion junior champions of 1951—Oakland Post 5. Wesley is a graduate of Santa Rosa Junior College.
Pries also latched onto Mike Kanshin, tall righthander who played for Wenatchee in 1952. Kanshin, who can throw hard, was invited to the Oakland training camp by manager Chuck Dressen and decided to cast his lot with Pries and the Tyees. He played last season with Saskatoon in the Saskatchewan semi-pro league and claims to have overcome the lack of control which was his chief trouble.
KEYSTONE PAIR
Merlyn Anthony and Primo Santini, who formed the second-base combination for the strong Marysville (Calif.) semi-pro team last season, round out the first graduating class from the “Pries Baseball School.”
Anthony, 24, played two years ago with Eau Claire in the Wisconsin State League but broke a wrist and didn’t finish the season. Santini, a vest-pocket shortstop, is 21 and, according to Pries, “fast and fancy with his glove.”
Speed is what the “Pries grads” all have and the Tyee manager says they are all fast enough for the WIL. He believes they will hit enough, too.
TOTAL AT 17
Announcement of the signing of the above six gives the Tyees a total of 17 players, counting catcher Milt Martin, who is trying to stick with the Portland Beavers.
From last year’s club are pitchers Bill Prior, Bob Drilling, Lowell Hodges and Earl Dollins, and catcher Jim Harford. And Patterson has signed five players. They are outfielder Art Seguso, infielder Steve Mesner, righthander Ross McFarlane, southpaw Fred Christiansen and infielder Jerry Kane.
McFarlane, who pitches last year at Salt Lake City, was signed as a free agent. Kane, who hails from Fairbanks, Alaska, is a 22-year-old who came highly recommended by Pat Orr, veteran ex-Coast League umpire, which Christiansen is a Prince Rupert product who has had a “can’t miss” label pinned on him by Scotty Robinson, ex-Victoria who is now sports supervisor at Terrace. All will get their chance in training.
In addition to the above 17, the Tyees have a chance to get Ray Hamrick, ex-Coast League outfielder; Harry Easterwood, ex-Coast League catcher, and two or three others that Pries is still trying to sign. And, of course, any help that Portland Beavers may have. Patterson and club president Arthur Cox plan to leave for the Glendale training camp of the Beavers in about 10 days to look over the surplus talent and expect to come back with at least a half dozen players.
On the basis of this early report, Tyees need at least one solid pitcher and some punch from the left side of the plate. Several deals are in the negotiation stage and Patterson is hopeful that one or more may be finalized well before league play starts April 29.

Tyees Learn Schedule

Tyees Open at Home For Week on May3
[Victoria Colonist, March 2, 1954]
Victoria Tyees will play 140 games, 70 at home and 70 away from home in the Western International Baseball League this season—if there are no changes between now and the opening of the season on April 29.
According to the schedule just released by president Bob Abel, the Tyees open their season at Vancouver with a two-game series on April 29 and 30. Then they play three games at Wenatchee May 1 and 2. Victoria opens at home on May 3 with a three-game set against Tri-City. The Tyees then play four games with Salem Senators and go on the road again for the next 12 days. They close the season at home with a three-game series against Lewiston and a Labor Day doubleheader against Spokane.
BALANCE IMPROVES
Every effort has obviously been made to balance the schedule in the number of games played. Each club will play between 139 and 142 games. This is the closest yet for the WIL. Last season, Lewiston played the low of 133 games while Yakima managed to get in 142.
However, although the schedule has been reasonably balanced as to the number of games, the difficulties of trying to completely balance a schedule for 10 teams in a territory as far apart as Edmonton and Salem is shown in the disparity in the number of games each club plays against the others.
The Tyees, for instance, meet the Vancouver Capilanos no less than 26 times and play Spokane Indians only 11 times. They meet Tri-City Braves 19 times, Calgary Stampeders 16 times, Edmonton Eskimos 15 times, Salem, Yakima and Lewiston 13 times and Wenatchee 14 times. Only in the cases of Vancouver and Calgary are the games evenly divided at home and on the road.
May is the busiest month for Victoria fans with the Tyees scheduled here for 19 games. They play 17 at home in August, 15 in June, 14 in July and five in September. There is a total of 20 home series with eight of the nine clubs making two trips here and the Capilanos making four. The Tyees play 21 series on the road, four at Vancouver, three at Tri-City and two against each of the other seven clubs.

Cec Garriott Quits

Victoria Leader Will Get Release
VICTORIA, Dec. 18 — Manager Cec Garriott of the Victoria Tyees of the Western International Baseball League has asked for and will be given his unconditional release, Manager Reg Patterson announced Thursday. Patterson said Garriott had turned down a contract offered by the Tyees.
The contract was known to have called for a reduction in salary from last year and believed to be the same as Garriott received in 1952, his first year with the Tyees.
Garriott led the Tyees to the WIL pennant in 1952 but last year the club foundered in or around last place most of the season. Patterson said he had nobody in mind for the vacated position.

What’s in Store for ’54 for Tyees?

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[Victoria Colonist, Dec. 13, 1954]
Arthur Cox and Reg Patterson, president and business manager, respectively, of the Victoria Tyees, arrived home last night after attending the minor league convention at Atlanta. And while the Tyees made no news at the baseball gathering, they did start the wheels turning for next season.
There was no announcement about the 1954 manager but it appears more and more as if Cec Garriott won’t be back for a third term. Cox and Patterson had a talk with Garriott on the return trip and while he was offered a contract, he’s not likely to accept the club terms. Nor is the club likely to accept his salary demands.
Several names were mentioned in connection with the managerial post, chief among them being that of Hub Kittle, colorful veteran who played in the WIL with Yakima and Bremerton. Kittle has been managing for the past four seasons, and his record is a fine one—three pennants.
Also mentioned were Herman Reich, Portland outfielder, and Walt Novick and Julian Morgan, both of whom applied for the Victoria job. Novick, a catcher, wound up as a playing manager at Yakima this year, and Morgan, who once pitched for Tacoma, has been managing for the past several seasons. A decision may be reached at a directors’ meeting this week.
The Tyees had nothing definite to announce of player changes but they are bargaining for two players, one a well-known WIL outfielder who would certainly be a welcome addition. The other is Ike Jackson, a colored catcher who hit 32 home runs and led the class “C” Longhorn League in hitting for Carlsbad with a thumping .388 average.
Patterson would have liked to have obtained the contracts of southpaw Art Worth and outfielder Dick Greco but the Tyees couldn’t see their way clear to meet the purchase prices, said to be $3,000 and $5,000 respectively.
But the Tyees received word from Ben Lorino that he is anxious to resume a regular role next season. They also expect to get outfielder Marv Diercks from Portland as well as two young stars, one of them a shortstop who is rated so highly he will get a Coast League chance first. Pitcher Bob Drilling is pitching in the Mexican League and is counted on for improved service. Catcher Milt Martin will get another chance with Portland but there was nothing definite on Don Pries. It is almost certain that the hustling infielder, who would like to go to another club, will be traded or sold before the season opens.Vancouver and Edmonton, among other clubs, are interested.
Oh, yes. The Tyees will almost certainly do their spring training at Royal Athletic Park next April.
Random Harvest
The Tyees will operate their own concessions next year … Spokane Indians, expecting to get a full team from the Philadelphia Phillies, sold all their players except outfielder Eddie Murphy … Hub Kittle, who could turn out to be a colorful manager here, was fired the other day after his Hermosillo club lost three games in a row in the Mexican League. Taking over was none other than Ron Smith, the veteran righthander who is best remembered here for going all the way in losing a 23-inning, 1-0 decision to Salem.

All-Victoria Team

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[Victoria Colonist, Dec. 12, 1954]
You’ve watched professional baseball here since it came back eight years ago. If you were a manager and could pick anyone from the eight Victoria teams, who would you like to start next season with?
That one came in the other day from a baseball fan who wishes to remain anonymous and it prompted some interesting research of memory and the record books—interestingly enough, I hope, to pass on.
Going back over eight years turned out to be quite a chore but what came out turned out to be quite a team, and perhaps surprisingly, there wasn’t too much trouble at arriving at decisions although one or two positions may cause arguments.
* * *
Starting with the infield, one has to concede that Gil McDougald is unchallenged at second base and that shortstop belongs to Jim Clark. Victoria has never had anything really outstanding at third base although Gino Marionetti hit .305 in 1946 and was fairly good defensively. However, the vote here goes to Babe Jensen, not much of a fielder but a long-ball clutch hitter who always manager to drive in more runs than he let in.
There may be some argument over first base with Jack Harshman well remembered for his home-run (30) clouting in 1947 but not too many will disagree with the choice of smooth-fielding Vic Buccola, a better team player who hit .310 in 1948 and .320 in 1949. And for utility player, there could be none other than hustling Don Pries.
The outfield practically picks itself. You have to start with Archie Wilson, who batted .369 for the 1948 Athletics, drove in 132 runs, and set what is still the league record of 408 total bases. For centre-field it could be no one else but Eddie Murphy, the speedball who has been regarded the best defensive outfielder in the WIL since it was reorganized. And to round out a fly-shagging trio, I’ll take Granny Gladstone.
That leaves off Pete Hughes, as good a left-handed hitter as there has been in this calibre of baseball; speedy John Hooper, who hit .348 for the 1947 club, Len Noren, K. Chorlton and Bill White, to say nothing of Gene Thompson, Charlie Balassi and Bob Moniz, but few would prefer any of these to the three named above.
Selecting two catchers was a little more difficult for we have had better catching than most fans realize. But, despite his well-known defensive deficiencies, I had to go along with Vic Mastro, the best righthanded hitter I have seen in the WIL, who hit .377 in 1947. As for a second maskman, big Sal Recca, a dangerous long-ball hitter, good thrower and fine receiver.
But take a look at others who rated consideration for this spot—Al Ronning, under-rated Milt Martin, Bob Stumpf, Ron Bottler, Art Thrasher, Lilio Marcucci, Bill Anske, Bob Paulson and Dick Morgan.
That leaves eight positions open for pitchers. For lefthanders, I’ll take Cal McIrvin, Jehosie Heard, Jim Propst and Bill Woop. And for righthanders, Bob Jensen, Joe Blankenship, Len Kasparovitch and Frank Logue.
The manager? It would be between Ted Norbert, most popular with all the fans; personable Bb Sturgeon, who managed a bad ball club part of one season, and Cec Garriott, who won the only championship in 1952 but left nothing to be desired this past season. My vote, perhaps because of the purely personal reason that he was the best of the lot from a writer’s viewpoint, goes to Sturgeon.
As you can see, we have had some pretty good players here in the eight seasons. But we have also had some that didn’t do too well and in the course of research, I couldn’t help but pick the club least likely to succeed. How would you like to face the season with Chuck Suytar at first base, Al Smith at second, Joe Kronberg at third, Mike Dalton at shortstop, an outfield composed of Joe Morjoseph, John Vick and Roy Gilmore and Bob Koraleski at utilityman? Particularly if Rocco Cardinale was your catcher and you have to name your starting pitchers from Bill Carr, Joe Rajeski, Steve Brkich, Andy Adams, Jim Gibson, Rudy Biala, Frank Bruno, Dick Walkinshaw, Tony Chapetta or Al Raimondi? The manager? Who else.