Baseball Not a Gas for Duretto

Service Station Career Lures Duretto From Caps
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, Sat. Feb. 14, 1953]
Bob Duretto, the Caps’ handy outfielder-infielder-catcher in 1952, won’t be around this summer. He’s quitting baseball, he wrote general manager Dewey Soriano, and is going into partnership with his ex-boss, Bill Schuster. The pair have leased a service station in Glendale, Calif.
“It’s kind of a blow,” said Soriano. “Bob was a real handy fellow. Offered him a raise, too.”
Duretto’s decision means that Soriano will have to get two catchers for this year’s WIL edition. He was planning to break Duretto in as a receiver.
MAY GET CLAUDE
To this end, Dewey will be talking business with the parent Seattle Rainiers this weekend.
“They’ve got a couple of rookie catchers and some experienced men on their roster,” he said. I hope to pry loose Claude Christie and one of the rookies.
Soriano will also be discussing the status of such currently Seattle-owned chattels as Len Tran and Van Fletcher. He hopes to be able to buy their contracts.
INFIELD HELP
The Caps G.M. will be bidding for some outfield and pitching help, too. He currently has one flychaser, Bill Andring, purchased from San Francisco, but has hopes of getting K. Chorlton or Gordie Brunswick, or both.
On the roster at present are: first baseman Jim Wert; second baseman Gordon Hernandez, shortshtop Dick Briskey; outfielder Andring; and pitchers Bob Snyder, Bud Guldborg, Dick Aubertin, Jack Turk, Robert Knudson and local boy Rod MacKay.