Ron Odekirk

Prize Shortstop Signed
[Victoria Colonist, March 11, 1953]
Tyee business manager Reg Patterson announced the signed of Ron Odekirk, 19-year-old shortstop sensation to a Victoria contract.
Eight major league scouts have been watching Odekirk, who is exempt from the army draft, at the Portland training camp where he has been playing regularly. His father wished him to play under Cec Garriott and advised him to sign with Victoria.
Tyees have opened their season ticket sale at Eaton’s sporting goods department. General admission tickets may be purchased on the instalment plan or in books of 11 for the price of 10.
Campaign to sell 10,000 tickets for the opening game is reported progressing well with youngsters competing for season’s passes for the best sellers.

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[Victoria Colonist, Friday, March 13, 1953]

“He’s the greatest prospect I’ve ever seen.” The speaker was Bill Garbarino, general manager of the Portland Beavers, and the subject was Ron Odekirk, the 19-year-old shortstop recently signed by the Tyees. The youngster has been great in training camp and his play may enable the Victoria club to realize some badly-needed cash by disposing of Jim Clark…Bob Moniz faces a tough task in trying to break into the Portland outfield and will likely be back with the Tyees…Joe Ciardy, the Las Vegas purchase who looms as the Victoria first baseman this season, has been impressive defensively in training with the Beavers and his triple and single Wednesday gives hope he will hit, too…There’s no word from Chuck Abernathy and it’s probable the red-headed first-baseman will stay out of baseball this season…Granny Gladstone, who finally got to the Portland training camp after being held up at the U.S. border because of over-rigid enforcement of the McCarran Act, was voted to the all-star team in the Panama League… The Tyees will likely pass up the chance to effect a working relationship with the St. Louis Browns. The club has enough players from which to choose a team and needs help only behind the plate…Bill Wisneski, rookie righthander of last season’s WIL champions, will probably be optioned out to another league…Art Worth, Victoria pitcher-first baseman, turned back the first contract he received from the Spokane Indians and is still undecided anout playing pro baseball…The Indians have a working agreement with the Cleveland Indians this season…Jehosie Heard lost more games than he won for Caracas in the Venezuela League but the little colored southpaw led the league in earned run average with a neat 3.03…According to a clipping from the Sonoma Index-Tribune, Victoria manager Cec Garriott made quite a hit on on a recent trip to help sell tickets for the exhibition schedule…Business manager Reg Patterson leaves March 21 for the Tyee training camp, which opens on March 24.