Tuesday, September 1, 1953

W L Pct. GB
Lewiston .... 37 26 .587 ½
Spokane ..... 41 29 .586 —
Salem ....... 36 30 .545 2½
Yakima ...... 34 31 .523 4
Edmonton .... 33 32 .508 5
Vancouver ... 35 34 .507 5
Calgary ..... 30 33 .476 7
Wenatchee ... 28 36 .433 9½
Tri-City .... 28 38 .421 11½
Victoria .... 28 39 .418 12

VANCOUVER — Lonnie Myers bowed out of the Western International League with a flourish Tuesday night, holding the Lewiston Broncs to one run as the Vancouver Capilanos came through with a 3-1 win.
Myers was sold to the Seattle Rainiers Monday and will report to the Pacific Coast League club Thursday.
He got into the hole in the first inning by giving up four hits, but escaped with only one run when he mates pulled off a twin-killing. The Broncs managed only three hits over the next eight innings.
Seattle owned Myers' contract until this spring, when he was sold to Vancouver. But his fastball, described as "major league," has drawn attention from visiting major league scouts. Apparently, Seattle has decided to take advantage of its "first choice."
- - -
VANCOUVER [Clancy Loranger, Province, Sept. 2]—Lewiston Broncs haven’t had too much trouble with the Capilanos this season—until now. “Now” happens to be a very embarrassing time for Bill Brenner and Co. to be losing, just when they’re head and head with Spokane Indians in the WIL’s second-half home stretch.
The Broncs will have to take both ends of tonight’s double-header of they’re to get out of town with an even break in their four-game stand here.
TWO STRAIGHT
The Caps, bouncing back from their recent eight-game losing streak that all but finished their own second-half flag chances, are playing the way they’re supposed to play again. They made it two straight over Lewiston Tuesday at Cap Stadium as Lonnie Myers matched Bob Roberts’ previous night performance before reporting to Seattle Rainiers.
He didn’t match it exactly, because he didn’t look nearly as good as Roberts did. His fast ball and curve weren’t at their sharpest, but they were good enough to give him his 11th win against eight losses for the season.
Lonnie got a couple of breaks, too. With two out and a man on first in the third inning, Caps’ Jack Bukowatz attempted a bunt. Lewiston pitcher Russ Butler fielded the ball, then threw wild to first, the runners advancing to third and second.
Then, with two strikes on him, Bob Duretto swung, and most everyone in the park thought he’d missed the third strike. But apparently he had tipped the ball, and he got a “life”. Bob whacked the next one sharply to right field for a single that scored two runs—the winning margin.
EXCITEMENT TONIGHT
Tonight’s twin bill promises to be one of the season’s most interesting. Brenner is going all out to get that even split, and he’s pitching his two aces—one of whom happens to be Bill Brenner.
Bill, who has 19 wins this year, will oppose Dick Barrett in the seven-inning opener. John Marshall, a 21-game winner to date, will square off against Pete Hernandez (15-10) in the nightcap.
PROVINCE STARS – Lonnie Myers, who gave up four first-inning hits, and just three thereafter … Harvey Storey, who broke out of his slump with two hits, and threw out a Lewiston runner the hard way—from a sitting position … And Russ Butler, who lost a toughie.
Lewiston .......... 100 000 000—1 7 1
Vancouver ........ 002 001 00x—3 8 1
Butler and Garay; Myers and Duretto.

SPOKANE, Wash. — A hitting spree that brought in four runs in the seventh inning gave the Wenatchee Chiefs a 5-3 Western International League baseball victory over Spokane Tuesday night.
Keith Bowman scattered 11 hits and left 11 runners stranded, as he pitched the distance for the winner.
Wenatchee ......... 000 001 400—5 12 1
Spokane ............. 100 000 101—3 11 1
Bowman and Bartolomei; Franks, New (7), Giovannoni (3), Romero (9) and Sheets.

EDMONTON — Sammy Kanelos led an Edmonton Eskimos comeback Tuesday night to nip Salem Senators 4-3 for Edmonton's second successive victory in a three-game Western International Baseball League series.
Paid attendance was 840.
With one out in the fourth inning, Kanelos blasted a homer over the right field wall for the first hit off Gene Roenspie who was bidding for his 19th win of the season since coming down from Sacramento in June. Kanelos' blast started Roenspie to his fourth loss.
Kanelos singled home another run in the sixth inning and in the eighth his resounding double scored pitcher Don Tisnerat with the winning run after he had singled.
Tisnerat blanked Salem through the last six innings in picking up the win. He was tagged for single runs, one a homer by Chuck Essegian in the second inning.
Salem ............. 111 000 000—3 9 2
Edmonton ....... 000 101 11x—4 7 4
Roenspie and Nelson; Tisnerat and Morgan.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Sept. 2]—Yakima Bears, probably the most troublesome club in the Western International League for Victoria this season, provided only a small problem for the Tyees at Royal Athletic Park Tuesday night, going down to a 14-4 defeat as the home club evened its three-game series at one game each.
Bill Bottler picked up his 10th win, as he pitched the victory that snapped a six-game winning streak which had boosted the Bears into fourth place, and gave the Tyees their fourth win in 16 meetings with the heavy-hitting Bears this year.
SUPPORT GOOD
Although giving up 11 hits, the Tyee righthander was tough in the clutches, and was aided by errorless support in his route-going performance. Bottler, who held the Bears’ siege gun, Bob Wellman, hitless in four trips, struck out eight and gave up only three bases on balls.
On the other hand, the Tyees connected for only nine hits against three Yakima pitches but received the benefit of 12 bases on balls, one hit batsman and two errors.
Danny Rios, starting for the Bears with a record of 18 wins and eight losses, was charged with six runs before he was relieved by Jack Rial with on one out [sic] in the third inning. Dwane Helbig’s single, four walks and a hit batsman gave the Tyees three runs in the second frame and they added three more in the next inning on the strength of three bases on balls, Milt Martin’s double and Bottler’s outfield fly to take a 6-1 lead.
TYEES KEEP ADDING
The Tyees picked up another in the fourth, two more in the seventh and finished up by scoring five times against Dick Young in the eighth. The Bears, who had opened the scoring with a single tally in the first inning, got their second in the fifth and their final two on John Albini’s double in the seventh.
Martin drove in four runs with a pir of doubles in four times at bat and Helbig, who had a perfect night, with three singles in three official appearances, scored four times.
Yakima ............. 100 010 200— 4 11 2
Victoria ............ 033 010 25x—14 9 0
Rios, Rial (3), Young (8) and Albini; Bottler and Harford.

Tri-City at Calgary, postponed, rain.

Rainiers Buy Vancouver Righthanders
SEATTLE, Sept. 1—Bob Roberts and Lonnie Myers, two of the top pitching prospects in the WIL, have been sold to Seattle Rainiers of the Coast League by the Vancouver Capilanos.
Roberts, with Spokane last season, was acquired from Calgary for $600 this season and immediately found his form in his new surroundings, compiling a 10-3 record for the Caps. Myers was sold by the Rainiers to the Caps last spring but when he drew the attention of major league stars, the Coast League team apparently decided to take advantage of its first choice arrangement with its farm club.

Mercy Offers Yakima Bears for Sale
UNDATED, Sept. 2—Wanta buy a baseball club?
Three of them may be up for grabs in the Class A Western International League when the 10-team loop, largest in organized baseball, rings down the curtain on the 1953 season next week.
This possibility developed Wednesday with the announcement by Frederick Mercy Jr., owner of the Yakima Bears, that he wants to retire from baseball and is ready to sell his players, franchise and equipment.
The Yakima capitalist said he wants to drop his baseball holdings because of conflict with his other extensive business interests.
Two Others on Block
The announcement followed statements by Victoria and Spokane club owners that they too are considering bowing out of the league. They blamed crippling gate losses.
Mercy's decision to retire from baseball was disclosed in a letter to the Yakima Daily Republic.
The letter said baseball is keeping Mercy from his business. But the newspaper said it was known he was disheartened by the failure of the community to respond to his effort to give Yakima a championship club.
Attendance has been low despite a last-half spurt that carried the Bears from the cellar to fourth place in the league standings.
The Republic, in reporting Mercy's decision to quit baseball, speculated on possible new owners of the Yakima franchise.The newspaper said there was a possibility that Dewey Soriano, general manager of the Vancouver Capilanos, might buy the Bears.Soriano was president and one-fourth owner along with Mercy and the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1949 and 1950. Three weeks ago, the Republic said, Soriano said he was "definitely interested" in returning to Yakima as the owner.
Victoria Crowds Down
Similar lack of interest on the part of the fans was blamed by Victoria and Spokane owners for their problems.
The situation at Victoria was described as critical. In its latest SOS, the club says a total of 8,000 persons must watch the final four home games of Victoria Tyees this week — or baseball likely won't be back next summer.
In fact, the club said, the Western International League team won't even be able to pay salaries on Saturday unless attendance improves.
A statement issued Tuesday by the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co. president, Arthur Cox, said: "It is necessary to have 2,000 fans at each game to meet the payroll if we are to keep baseball next season and it is necessary that all salaries be paid."
Tyee home attendance this year has been approximately 52,000 against 106,000 last year. Revenue was not enough to pay operating expenses, let alone allow the club to buy additional players.
Several times during the 1953 season, players have accepted a portion of their salaries, leaving the balance until the club was in a position to meet commitments.
Indians, Chiefs in Trouble
Spokane's attendance troubles, however, did not result from a faltering team. The Indians are locked with Lewiston in a tight race for the second-half championship. Despite this, Roy Hotchkiss, owner of the Spokane club, said last week he did not expect to break even in 1953 and was giving serious thought to abandoning his franchise in the city that set a minor league attendance record in 1947.
Wenatchee also has acute troubles. Officials said the Chiefs are $10,000 in debt but that strong efforts will be made to squart accounts before the question of folding the franchise is considered.
President Paul Thomas said the sale of Wenatchee players' contracts, station wagons and other assets may eliminate the red ink.
"We want to do everything possible to keep baseball in Wenatchee," Thomas said.
Thomas endorsed a suggestion that the WIL drop down to class C level with possibly Wenatchee, Tri-City, Yakima, Lewiston, Walla Walla and Tacoma in a revamped circuit with a class A league possibly to contain Vancouver, Victoria, Spokane, Edmonton, Calgary and possibly Great Falls or Billings, Mont.